Closed Systems and Other Illusions

Funny word, isn't it? “Deadline.” We use it to talk about writing. But for some of us, it feels more literal than that. It’s July. And I’m not here to offer a polished newsletter. I’m here to “contemplate out loud”— to let this stream run live. Maybe you'll read it while it's still flowing.

Closed Systems

During COVID, something showed itself: How much the human spirit mirrors the digital world. The virus we feared in our lungs looked an awful lot like the virus that crashes our machines. In both cases, the “cure” was the same: “Close off the system.” No vibration. No signal. No spread. And while that kept the virus out… it also kept a lot of ‘us’in. We closed schools. Borders. Windows. But also: voices. Ideas. Conversations that were already trembling. So now, three years past that first wave, we have to ask: What did we kill off when we closed the system? --- Still Thinking Through It, I don’t have conclusions. Just “patterns”. I believe you can still think through your “anguish”— still walk with your “anger”— as long as it’s not flying loose, wounding whatever it touches. Even anger deserves “discipline.” Even pain deserves a “container”, so it can “mean something”. --- Surely It Has an Opening Symbol

A closed system— whether a nation, a soul, or a relationship— can’t last. Not in the real field. There’s always a place where the light gets in. Always a **symbol** that signals: **“It’s time again.”** So maybe this is that. Not a blog. Not a sermon. Just the first crack in the system— to let **signal** back in. Welcome to **The Aligned Gathering**. We’re not here to argue. We’re here to **remember** that we can speak, without closing ourselves off to each other.