sit down here a moment.

i want to tell you a story.

once upon a time, a baby was born.  this baby was born in the same way you've probably been told you were born.

the baby grew.

as the baby grew, sounds that were made by its family began to be associated with particular things.

dogs.  cats.  blue.  sky.

these sounds began to repeat inside, without making noise the others seemed to be able to hear and respond to.

then the baby began to repeat the noise the others made.  the others were so happy with it then!  clearly it was on to something.

it learned the right noises to make and understood the noises the others made.

it knew names for everything, including the name the others called it.  it learned to make a drawing of it's name.  it was again praised.

with all the interest and excitement of participating in all this noise making with reference to aspects of life, there were disagreements.

not everyone called something the same thing!  drama!

i suspect there are a number of reasons why the separating and naming of life's myriad manifestations became the most practiced human activity on the planet, considering all the stimulation it seems to provide for the non-existant selves playing their roles to the hilt.

with this obsession, the lie was intertwined.  assumptions were made.

i exist.  my self.  me vs. you.

is that truth?

there is the story of a birth, a body, a name.  the story includes memories of the experiences of learning and growing.

even the programming of the assumption of 'you' is part of this story.

but where is the you all this stuff is draped over?

if you look underneath all of it, will you really find you there?

go look.

i dare you.