Barrett Dorko
27-07-2008, 04:05 PM
It’s been a quiet week in Cuyahoga Falls…
Today I got up early, drove 50 miles to see my brother for breakfast, got a haircut, walked Buckeye, weeded the garden, trimmed the grass along the sidewalk and took a nap, all before noon.
Today Stan Paris got up early, covered himself with Vaseline and lanolin , slipped into the English Channel and began fighting the tide.
In a drawer next to my bed I keep some books I’ve been meaning to read. This week I pulled out The Tao of Bada Bing! – Words of Wisdom from The Sopranos (http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Bada-Bing-Wisdom-Sopranos/dp/1566492785/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217159524&sr=8-2). It’s an interesting book. Written by the series’ creator, David Chase, it juxtaposes the ancient wisdom of the Tao Te Ching (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_Te_Ching) with the script Chase wrote for a modern day New Jersey crime family ( http://www.hbo.com/sopranos/) led by Tony Soprano. Perhaps you’ve heard of them.
In the afternoon I sat at my desk and stared at some bills for a while, and then I stared at my book case, wrote a few lines in a thread on Soma Simple and wrote an email to my son in Iraq. I may have taken another nap but I can’t remember.
Soon after taking in his first nutrition during the swim Stan began to experience stomach pain and severe nausea. His inability to eat anything probably contributed to the muscle cramping that made leg movement difficult and “incredibly” painful.
Act without doing
Work without effort
Tao Te Ching 63
I first met Stan when we were aged 23 and 36 respectfully. I sat in awe watching him work a room full of therapists from several countries with his expertise, skill and a voice that couldn’t be ignored. I longed to be in his position and I actually got there a few years later. Our paths merged during the disco era in a clinic in Atlanta where he trusted me with his patients and his teaching. After we separated he went on to create an entire institution of learning. I weeded my garden and walked the dog. I read the Tao Te Ching and watched The Sopranos. Stan thought about the channel and prepared.
Silvio, Tony’s consigliore, once explained to a contractor how he was going to manipulate the jobs on a large construction site: “You will give Paulie five carpenter jobs. Two no-shows and three no-works. One of the no-shows our friend in Youngstown keeps.” (Youngstown is in Ohio, by the way)
Stan wrote me (and many others) about his “first attempt” yesterday a few hours after he was dragged back into the boat, his legs no longer capable of helping him. I’m not certain, but I may have been napping at the same moment. Now he’ll decide whether or not to try again in September. I’ll be working in a nursing home that day.
The ancient Masters were profound and subtle,
Their wisdom was unfathomable.
There is no way to describe it;
All we can describe is there appearance.
They were careful
As someone crossing an iced-over stream.
Alert as a warrior in enemy country.
Clear as a glass of water.
Do you have the patience to wait
Till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Tao Te Ching 15
I can’t help but imagine that Stan and I represent the extremities of the Tao; both of us watchful as we move against and, occasionally, through the tide of our mutual profession. One of us inclined to act and the other inclined to contemplate. Both of us are willing to speak out forcefully but one of us swims and the other spends a lot of time floating. I believe that one way or another we’ll both make it across.
I’m rooting for Stan, and I know he’s rooting for me.
Today I got up early, drove 50 miles to see my brother for breakfast, got a haircut, walked Buckeye, weeded the garden, trimmed the grass along the sidewalk and took a nap, all before noon.
Today Stan Paris got up early, covered himself with Vaseline and lanolin , slipped into the English Channel and began fighting the tide.
In a drawer next to my bed I keep some books I’ve been meaning to read. This week I pulled out The Tao of Bada Bing! – Words of Wisdom from The Sopranos (http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Bada-Bing-Wisdom-Sopranos/dp/1566492785/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217159524&sr=8-2). It’s an interesting book. Written by the series’ creator, David Chase, it juxtaposes the ancient wisdom of the Tao Te Ching (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_Te_Ching) with the script Chase wrote for a modern day New Jersey crime family ( http://www.hbo.com/sopranos/) led by Tony Soprano. Perhaps you’ve heard of them.
In the afternoon I sat at my desk and stared at some bills for a while, and then I stared at my book case, wrote a few lines in a thread on Soma Simple and wrote an email to my son in Iraq. I may have taken another nap but I can’t remember.
Soon after taking in his first nutrition during the swim Stan began to experience stomach pain and severe nausea. His inability to eat anything probably contributed to the muscle cramping that made leg movement difficult and “incredibly” painful.
Act without doing
Work without effort
Tao Te Ching 63
I first met Stan when we were aged 23 and 36 respectfully. I sat in awe watching him work a room full of therapists from several countries with his expertise, skill and a voice that couldn’t be ignored. I longed to be in his position and I actually got there a few years later. Our paths merged during the disco era in a clinic in Atlanta where he trusted me with his patients and his teaching. After we separated he went on to create an entire institution of learning. I weeded my garden and walked the dog. I read the Tao Te Ching and watched The Sopranos. Stan thought about the channel and prepared.
Silvio, Tony’s consigliore, once explained to a contractor how he was going to manipulate the jobs on a large construction site: “You will give Paulie five carpenter jobs. Two no-shows and three no-works. One of the no-shows our friend in Youngstown keeps.” (Youngstown is in Ohio, by the way)
Stan wrote me (and many others) about his “first attempt” yesterday a few hours after he was dragged back into the boat, his legs no longer capable of helping him. I’m not certain, but I may have been napping at the same moment. Now he’ll decide whether or not to try again in September. I’ll be working in a nursing home that day.
The ancient Masters were profound and subtle,
Their wisdom was unfathomable.
There is no way to describe it;
All we can describe is there appearance.
They were careful
As someone crossing an iced-over stream.
Alert as a warrior in enemy country.
Clear as a glass of water.
Do you have the patience to wait
Till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Tao Te Ching 15
I can’t help but imagine that Stan and I represent the extremities of the Tao; both of us watchful as we move against and, occasionally, through the tide of our mutual profession. One of us inclined to act and the other inclined to contemplate. Both of us are willing to speak out forcefully but one of us swims and the other spends a lot of time floating. I believe that one way or another we’ll both make it across.
I’m rooting for Stan, and I know he’s rooting for me.