Everyone Lies

by Lori Gebbie

People tell lies all the time. It’s part of the coping mechanism we have to get from one day to the next. We settle for things, and make due because we don’t want to cause waves or alarm people around us. But the fact is, those lies are the things that damage us the most.

A few years ago, Robert and I were in a discussion, and he told me those words that everyone hates to hear. “I have something to tell you, sit down for a minute.” I took a seat, and waited, patiently. I had complete trust and faith in him, he was my husband, and my best friend. He said he’d lied about some things, and they were weighing on him, and had been for a number of years. As he started unburdening his lies, his face started relaxing. Years started pouring off of his features. They weren’t huge lies, just “truths” he’d told himself so many times that he believed they were so. The real reasons why he had taken actions on things, instead of the “story” he’d told everyone else. Our relationship was solid, he tried so hard to be the better man this time around. But as he went back in his life, his teen years, down to his childhood years, he fell to his knees with the stripping, and he became that child.

When he describes it, it was like he was immediately transformed into light and love, and he saw all of creation around him. He saw the stars, he saw the reasoning for existence, he saw all of truth. Like a brick wall slamming into him, he had instant knowledge of life. He could feel the earth breathing beneath him, he could see the movement of natural flow. He could hear people miles away in their homes, living their lives. He could defy the natural laws and do things I cannot describe here. It was a very magical time, in the true sense of the word “magic”.

For me, it was a different story. I felt the swoop, felt the pull, yet I was still anchored to this reality. I was his lifeline to this reality, and yet, I didn’t want to be. I wanted to go with him “full fare” on this ride. I wanted to experience this with him, but knew it wasn’t possible. Yet, we were more connected than I’d ever felt, I felt as if half of me was here, while the other half was floating away with him. I still had to deal with this reality, our bills, our meals, our day-to-day. He crumbled, he could no longer speak, could not communicate in anything but gibberish. But I heard his mind, I felt his heart. I knew what was happening, and I was excited for both of us. We connected to each other in such a deep and spiritual level, I cried because I knew others had no clue to the beauty I felt. And it was beautiful. It still is. I closed my eyes and saw the Universe, the stars, the “full scope”. I was in his mind, he was inside mine. We were One.

But, being the reality-based mind, I had to see things from the outside perspective. And it was frightening. I could have taken him to see a doctor, but drugs and therapy were not going to help him. This was a spiritual ride he was on, and he needed to feel it the way it was hitting him. So I took care of my husband. We had cleared our schedule of anything pending, we were both working from home at the time, so it was real easy to cancel outside appointments and push off friends, claiming we were swamped and working. But that also meant I had no help, no one to call on for advice, no one to help take care of my 6’4” 200 lb child. And he was a child. He wanted to touch, to feel, to experience things. I had to rein him in, to keep him safe from outside, to make sure no one would interrupt the epiphany. To be honest, his personality shattered into four distinct entities. I was able to talk to all of them, and together, we put him back to one solid front. But it was a good three months for him to be stable enough to be in the company of others, and even then, it was only for short periods. He was solid for about 2 hours at a time, before he went off on wonderment.

Oh, that wonderment was amazing! We had deep discussions, understood life, and floated among the stars. We felt completely connected, even to the point of communicating telepathically. We felt nature, felt life, felt love. We understood science and math and religion in a whole way. A complete way. We are artists, and felt inspired by the experience. We wrote about the new knowledge we had, and shared the good with as many as we could. We came up with our theory of Self Perpetuation Evolution, and live those rules. And it’s made us better people. We stay true to ourselves, first, then others. We see a more complete picture, because we don’t allow those lies to taint our views. And we are happy.

A lot of people criticize me for being harsh. And they call us “hard”. But the reality is, we’re good friends. To those who live responsibly, who take action, who want to grow and move forward, we are fully supportive. But if you are playing around, running a game, being deceitful, we’re harsh and swift. I do not apologize for this, whining is not allowed. Most see us as strange, odd, even a little scary. But that’s because they have so many lies wrapped into their lives, they only feel comfortable with like-minded people. We offer a mirror to look into. If you don’t like what you see, change it.

We would like to be extremely successful. We would like to have more freedom than we do. But not at the expense of our truth. Because we are happy, we can sleep at night. And we know the people around us are true and honorable.

I don’t share this for others to feel sorry for us, there is nothing to feel sorry for. This was a magical time, a time of light and love, truth and harmony. To be honest, we both want that time back, because it was so incredible. But it changed us. We no longer lie, not even the small ones to make others feel better. If something doesn’t sit with us, we discuss it. If we see someone wrong, we cut them from us. There is too much beauty in this life to surround ourselves with people who just don’t “get it”. We don’t maintain toxic relationships. You have to be true, responsible, and gracious for what you have. Material gain is not important if you compromise yourself. It’s just not worth that.

I don’t suggest others try to get to the point we hit, I don’t even know how to get back there ourselves. But we know living with pure hearts, we’ll get there eventually. And we understand our future, what we are going toward. What we have to look forward to after this life. And it’s exciting!

The Mighty Oak, A Bards Tale - and some other stuff

In this post we wanted to share a little piece that we pulled out of my archive of "written but never published" articles. This particular creation came to be several years ago while I was experiencing my personal epiphany or awakening. This will be the prologue for a series of stories and short tales that I am writing which will deal with a number of emotional issues and life situations told from an observers perspective, the tree's.

The Mighty Oak;

I am an old and mighty oak tree.  I was born from the seeds spread by my father, and found a place to root and grow in the skin of my mother, the Earth.

I have held my place in history and nature for a long time, watching the world move and change around me as I grew.

I hold the memories of my father and those of all our fathers before him.  Stories passed down to me as a seed while I still hung from Dad's wide branches.

I have heard the songs of my mother, sung softly as she held me close in the soil, nurturing me and helping me grow tall and strong.

I have felt the sun shine, and the rain fall.  I have witnessed the mountains rise through the stories whispered on the winds, and I have seen great rivers rise and recede away.

My stories are those of the Earth, of Nature, and of Man.  Come sit under the shelter of my branches, enjoy the shade, and share the tales I whisper along the winds.

Stuff

As we continue our creative journey through life and share our work and experiences with you, our audience, we would very much like to get your feedback. What would everyone like to see more of? Art and photography? Personal growth and development articles? Please feel free to leave a comment or if you prefer e-mail me at rgp.robert@yahoo.com with the subject Share More.

Here are some of our newest gift designs on products in our stores at zazzle. We now have over 10,000 custom gift items with more being added continually.  Stop by and choose your favorite design for our "Great Wall of Images" project now going on at our main site  - www.RGebbiePhoto.com 

A Road Less Traveled

There are times when the road less traveled can be the quickest path to reaching your goals. In our personal and professional lives the common path can often appear the safe and steady route to our desires. While the process may be tried and true the road is mired with overwhelming numbers where few emerge or find a clear, open journey to achieving their dreams. Getting noticed and standing out can be challenging when a person travels the same path as a multitude of others seeking similar rewards.

Forging your own way in life is rarely an easy task, to venture into unfamiliar territory or brave untested trails; it is often an adventure that can lead to experiences and destinations that would not have been encountered otherwise. Individuals that step out from the masses to define themselves may face the possibility of failure but also have the chance for great discovery. When a person has passion, drive and desire, the road less traveled may present the opportunity to explore and grow in their experiences and knowledge.

View each day as a new beginning; be open to both the challenges and rewards that come from pursuing the things you desire in life. Make the most of good and bad experiences alike, learn, grow and thrive as an individual, become the person you aspire to be.

Taking the first steps

Often the first few steps in personal progress can be the hardest. It is never easy to step from the safety you know into a rush of unknown possibilities. The security and comfort that keep our inner selves safe can also be the one thing holding us back from greater potential just beyond the next hill or curve in our path. There are always risks; a person can never be assured that the next choice they make or steps they take will always be positive.

When there is potential for great success, there is always the risk of great failure. The manners in which we approach these possibilities help to determine what the outcome may be. When we move forward with optimism and a positive outlook, even in the face of disaster, a person can find lessons which may yield the keys to a future victory. Sometimes a person will suffer a dozen losses before they experience a single win, but without trying, even that one success will never be accomplished.

The lessons people learn from their past failures are often the stepping stones that lead to their future successes. Most of us have heard the age old adage “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”. If humanity had quit with every tragedy they encountered, it is doubtful our species would have developed or survived as long as we have. Experience and knowledge are gained by observing an attempt, and revising the things which went wrong against those that went right, then trying again. Few people or projects ever reach a stage of accomplishment without also overcoming a number of obstacles which stand in their way.

To move forward in life we must first be prepared to fail before we expect to succeed. I encourage everyone to seek and aspire greater in themselves and their life. The possibilities of the future far outweigh the struggles and disappointments that may be encountered in the journey getting there. Take the chance that you may fall a dozen times before you conquer the mountains that lay ahead. The rewards which await each of us are well worth the bruises and scrapes we may receive along the way.