I sat for several minutes in the teahouse, just listening to the surrounding water and nature sounds. Then Thor came in, and we had the first of many exchanges of typos, one of the modes of expression during this session.
Maxine Walden: hi, Thor
Maxine Walden: nice to see Maxine Walden
Thorberg Nordlicht: hell
Thorberg Nordlicht: oops
Thorberg Nordlicht: hello
Thorberg Nordlicht: hellOOO
Maxine Walden: I am smiling, I have done those little slips as well…they come out so
Maxine Walden: differently from how intended!
Thorberg Nordlicht: i make lots of mistakes, too, but that was my first for that particular typo
Maxine Walden: always a first time perhaps…
Maxine Walden: how is the PaB going from your perspective?
Thorberg Nordlicht: interesting
Thorberg Nordlicht: i’ve been in SL for about 18 months, but the past few weeks, here, have been my first experience of hanging out with a group
Thorberg Nordlicht: i’m not really into the “club” scene
Thorberg Nordlicht: so, finding a bunch of like-minded Buddhists to hang out with has been an interesting new experience for me
Thorberg Nordlicht: it’s fun to wander by Zen Retreat at odd times to see who’s around
Maxine Walden: ah, yes, it is isn’t it? More like-minded than anticipated perhaps
And then Thor mentions the challenge of texting,
Thorberg Nordlicht: yes, but i also find text chat to be challanging
Maxine Walden: oh?
Thorberg Nordlicht: takes a bit of experience to adapt
Thorberg Nordlicht: i find that i try to say too much in text
Thorberg Nordlicht: can’t type fast enough; make lots of typos
Thorberg Nordlicht: it’s an interesting challange to keep it simple
Thorberg Nordlicht: express things in short simple sentences
Maxine Walden: yes, I have found that too, the challenge to keep it simple
Maxine Walden: to the heart of the thought
Thorberg Nordlicht: also interesting when several people are typing at the same time and then display their text at the same time
Maxine Walden: interweaving or tangled strands, depending…
Thorberg Nordlicht: like real world conversations where several people speak at once, but also with its own special SL character
We were then joined by Stevenaia
stevenaia Michinaga: hello
Thorberg Nordlicht: sometimes good questions, thoughts, and threads of conversation get lost in the shuffle
Thorberg Nordlicht: hello yogi, welcome
Maxine Walden: hello, Stevaia, welcome, good to see you
Maxine Walden: we are just sharing our impressions of the PaB experience…care to join in?
Thorberg Nordlicht: brb
Maxine Walden: texting, and expressing the heart of the message but also having several strands of conversation at once
stevenaia Michinaga: I just have a moment, technically I have not yet applied the PaB method…yet
Maxine Walden: right, Thor
And we began to experience more typos and parallel conversations as we try to explore our experiences with the 9 second practice and notation
stevenaia Michinaga: I have in other ways, but not the procedure discussed here
Maxine Walden: ah, I was not sure where you might be in all of this…
stevenaia Michinaga: but I am open to listening
Maxine Walden: You probably have heard Pema and others speak about the 9 sec practice, 9 sec every 15 min
stevenaia Michinaga: it’s more a matter of adjusting my routine
stevenaia Michinaga: yes, i have
stevenaia Michinaga: brb, hard boiled eggs done
Maxine Walden: but there are other ways of experiencing or exploring …OK
stevenaia Michinaga: back
Maxine Walden: eggs rescued
stevenaia Michinaga: do you take your 9 secs? and what do you do with it?
stevenaia Michinaga: eggs are done, thanks
stevenaia Michinaga: I realize it is an adaptable method, I am working toward that adaptation
Maxine Walden: I do try to do the 9 sec, but have found that in the past few weeks that I have not been as true to the schedule as I was at the beginning, back early April
Maxine Walden: I think we are all adapting and trying to see what works for us;
stevenaia Michinaga: Do you write something down?
Maxine Walden: yes, I try to write something down, usually just a few words, or a phrase
Maxine Walden: and then I try to log it at the end of the day
Maxine Walden: such as in a file on my computer.
Maxine Walden: but that means paper/pen/computer need to be nearby
Maxine Walden: and sometimes that is not the case…
Maxine Walden: but to have the experience of stopping my other thoughts/preoccupations at the time of the 9 sec is an interesting experience
And then Stevenaia mentions some of his perhaps parallel experience
stevenaia Michinaga: at the end of yoga, that I am just a beginner doing, there is a relaxation time at the end of class thee you empty yourself, and the sensation of what fills that emptyness reminds me of what the 9 seconds could be
stevenaia Michinaga: but that’s only three times a week, if I attend
Maxine Walden: what is your experience during that ? what fills the emptying for you?
Maxine Walden: if I might ask?
stevenaia Michinaga: if I don;t fall asleep, which is fround upon, it is more like an energy not relating to the day to day “things” you should be putting aside, usually in waves, a nice energy
stevenaia Michinaga: hard to explain, of course, but I figure it’s a meditative moment
Maxine Walden: a nice energy, yes, I can relate to that, it seems similar to my 9 sec experience
stevenaia Michinaga: meditation, something else I have not structured my love to do, but easing myself into it
stevenaia Michinaga: my life, rather
stevenaia Michinaga: perhaps Freud is amongst us
Not understanding the reference to Freud I wondered erroneously whether Thor’s white beard was what triggered the reference
Maxine Walden: pausing to see that I understood your comment, …Freud, you thinking of Thor?
Thorberg Nordlicht: :-)
stevenaia Michinaga: no my love-life transposition
Maxine Walden: oh, sorry, could you say more?
But it seemed another typo had been the origin of the Freud comment
stevenaia Michinaga: a typo, I never know what will come out
Thorberg Nordlicht: sorry guys, but i’ve got to get back to RL; see you soon
stevenaia Michinaga: nice meeting you
Thorberg Nordlicht: likewise
Maxine Walden: Thor and I were talking of typos earlier. bye Thor, nice to see you
Thorberg Nordlicht: see you again soon
stevenaia Michinaga: I am a miserable typist
Maxine Walden: me too
We both wished SL had spell check to help us with the very prevalent typos today but at other times as well
stevenaia Michinaga: if SL ahd spell check….sign
Maxine Walden: wouldn’t that be nice, spell check in SL?
And then Stevenaia spoke about another preferred mode of expression
stevenaia Michinaga: I mostly communicate with pictures in my work, thank goodness
Maxine Walden: ah, that is a different medium from words, especially perhaps typing
stevenaia Michinaga: but both are important to communication, typing is on way to portray words, , unfortunately the only way here
stevenaia Michinaga: *on way
stevenaia Michinaga: one
Maxine Walden: yes, although images feel important to me, coming from the words.
stevenaia Michinaga: or voice
Maxine Walden: yes, I am assuming you are an artist from your comment re images
stevenaia Michinaga: related to art, architect
Maxine Walden: ah, very interesting
We than had in our minds parallel modes of expression: drawing and writing and we continued to wonder about the creative aspects of each
stevenaia Michinaga: drawing becomes my meditation
Maxine Walden: I can imagine so
stevenaia Michinaga: as I assume words do for a writer
Maxine Walden: yes, very interesting parallel
Maxine Walden: so expressive for each
stevenaia Michinaga: each takes place inside the individual, usually for longs periods of time
Maxine Walden: yes, the evolution of expression within the individual?
stevenaia Michinaga: and usually, when you are fully engaged. without being drained of energy, infact sometimes it’s invigorating
Maxine Walden: yes, that is my experience as well, words are my meditative medium…that quiet invigoration is really lovely
stevenaia Michinaga: But I can only guess what goes on in a writers mind
Maxine Walden: would it be very different? I am not a writer, but I do use words, guess I do write some, but not consider myself a writer. Still to have a mode of expression does feel gratifying…as you must feel with drawing
stevenaia Michinaga: easier for me to craft a building than a coherent creative story
Maxine Walden: but perhaps you are expressing/experiencing something similar to the writer of the story…
Maxine Walden: something creative coming together
I was feeling I needed to go soon and began to speak about taking this text and we both laughed about running it by spellcheck
Maxine Walden: Stevenaia, I need to ask if you are OK with my taking the text of our talk for the PaB blog? I am the guardian today and one of my ‘duties’ is to take the text, but of course to ask if it is OK
Maxine Walden: if there is anything you would prefer not to be taken down
stevenaia Michinaga: I think all creative processes are similar, jsut different tools
stevenaia Michinaga: sure, run it through spell check…smile
Maxine Walden: lol, wish I could run the spell check!!!
stevenaia Michinaga: Pena has asked as well, I don’t have a problem with it.
Maxine Walden: I am thinking that one of the themes of todays discussion is ‘modes of creative expression’ from typos to drawing to writing….OK, thanks
stevenaia Michinaga: when you email it, check it then
Maxine Walden: yes, I will check it then, but you know, sometimes the typos are very expressive…tho not intended to be so
stevenaia Michinaga: ok, keep the important typos….
Maxine Walden: OK, important typos in, others perhaps out…
stevenaia Michinaga: thanks
Maxine Walden: I will be needing to go soon, to another meeting, but have another couple of minutes here
Maxine Walden: As time allows, maybe when there is more time, I would love to hear more about your experience, creative experiences in drawing and architecture…I am so admiring and so lacking in that talent
Maxine Walden: perhaps I should go now, to also capture the text for Pema and the blog. I’ve enjoyed our conversation and look forward to more
stevenaia Michinaga: I’m sure I will be around
stevenaia Michinaga: se you soon
Maxine Walden: great, I will look forward to meeting you again
