Lopez Island Orcas Island  Visitor's Guide 
about usadvertising ratesarchivesart and entertainment in the San Juan Islandsstories about businesses in the San Juanscalendar of eventsclassified adscolumnists
contact usstories about environmentstories about ferrieshealth-related storiesletters to the editor Links to sites San Juan Islanders may find useful non-profitsobituaries
peoplereal estatesheriff logsportshelp support your local newsthings to dovolunteer opportunities

DAVID BENTLEY'S WEEKLY COLUMN

Email this page to a friend

Related Pages

Most recent column

Discovering Reality

Last week I attended a public hearing on the Washington State Ferries Capital Funding Plan. I didn't go out of boredom or in search of entertainment. I went because I'm dependent on ferry service and want to be informed. As a result, I now know much more than I did about transportation funding in Washington State. However, I also discovered something about reality.

Staff members of the ferry system presented the reality of aging ferry boats needing replacement while government funding is being cut. The State Transportation Commission's reality is that the ferries are only one part of a total system. Business owners see the reality of ferry service cuts preventing them from serving other islands. For some island residents, reality involves maintaining the growth of tourism. For other islanders, reality involves keeping tourists and new residents away. Someone even suggested that creating bridges between islands seemed more prudent than replacing aging boats.

As I reflected on these various "realities," I remembered a story in Steven Harrison's book, Doing Nothing. A student asked a mystic to show him the difference between Heaven and Hell. In Hell, the mystic and student observed people sitting around a large circular table. In the middle of the table was a pot of delicious stew. Each person held a long spoon which could just reach the stew pot, but was too long to reach their mouths. Therefore, they were in agony because they could not feed themselves and were starving.

The mystic then took the student to Heaven. There they observed people sitting around the same type of table with a lovely stew in the middle and the same long-handled spoons. However the people in Heaven were happy and laughing because they used their spoons to feed each other.

We can only discover reality when we consider how we relate to others.

  • Does your reality include others or only yourself?

  • Is your reality based on the present, or on fears about the future?

  • Can anyone predict the future with total accuracy?

  • What would happen if you changed your view of reality?

© 2003 David Bentley

David Bentley, M.Ed. & Personal Coach, coaches clients through the game of life, helping them find balance, clarity of direction, and purpose in an ever-changing world.

You may contact him at 360.378.8436

by e-mail at david@coachbentley.com

or visit his Web site: www.coachbentley.com

SAN JUAN ISLANDER © 2008

news@sanjuanislander.com

ABOUT US | ADVERTISING INFO | CONTACT INFORMATION |