Not My Circus
Though I need not give ANY thought credence, I find my self still fighting the idea that it is possible that I am going about things wrong.
This thought has become tiresome. It does not dismiss itself, and I do not wish to fight. I recognize that opposition merely fuels the idea of right and wrong, a concept that seems no longer necessary.
And so I allow that I still oppose; that I still sense opposition, because right and wrong still serves a purpose in my remembering, even though I no longer wish to believe in it.
It’s like that old saying “we can agree to disagree.”
I believe that “doing things the way they’ve always been done” is what has led me to this particular realization, which is the SAME realization that seemingly limits my movement through potentials.
My desire is to do things the way they’ve NEVER been done. (Or at least in the past few centuries of our humanity experiment.)
There seems to be a velocity and a weight to time and space. It seems that one monkey can’t turn the tides of centuries.
But that’s old thinking, which is precisely what I am allowing, so that I can move away from it.
I no longer oppose old thinking or the old ways. Neither need I give the past any credence.
And so, yes, I am very possibly going about things “wrong.” If I were to go about things “right,” I would not likely break free of “traditional” constructs.
I am reminded of another old saying.
“One monkey can’t stop the show.”
I don’t agree, but I don’t oppose.
The show may well continue. But I need not be a part of it.
I have ANOTHER circus to be part of.
And it need not BE a circus.
I wave goodbye to right and wrong as the circus tent catches fire.
Not my circus. Not my monkeys.
Maybe someone will put the fire out. Maybe someone won’t.
We are Space Monkey.
10/31
Space Monkey Reflects: Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys
There comes a time when we realize that the thoughts that once gripped us with urgency—the ideas of right and wrong, the need to do things “the right way”—no longer serve us. And yet, even when we understand that these concepts are unnecessary, we still find ourselves opposing them. It’s as if old ways of thinking cling to us, whispering their insistence in the quiet corners of our mind.
Space Monkey reflects on this very struggle, acknowledging the weariness of continually fighting the feeling that we might be “going about things wrong.” Even after the realization dawns that right and wrong are constructs, they persist in our thoughts, asking for attention, feeding off our opposition. But instead of fighting, Space Monkey suggests a subtler approach: allowance. We can allow these old thoughts to exist without fueling them, recognizing their purpose without being bound by them.
The Weight of Time and Tradition
The way things have always been done exerts a powerful force on us. There’s a certain velocity to time, a momentum that seems to carry the weight of centuries, making us feel small and powerless to enact change. It’s as if we’re only one monkey in a circus of history, and how could one monkey possibly turn the tide of tradition?
But this old thinking is precisely what we must allow in order to break free of it. The idea that we must adhere to traditional constructs or that we can’t make a difference on our own is a limitation we impose upon ourselves. By allowing these thoughts to surface, by letting them run their course, we create the space to step away from them.
Breaking Free of Right and Wrong
The concepts of right and wrong serve a purpose, but they are no longer necessary for many of us who wish to move beyond traditional constraints. To go about things “right,” as the world would have us do, is to remain tethered to the past, stuck in old patterns that prevent true freedom. But to go about things “wrong,” in the sense of stepping away from these constructs, is to explore new potentials—potentials that have never been done before, at least not within the boundaries of conventional thinking.
Space Monkey reflects on the absurdity of adhering to right and wrong. It’s a circus, a show that continues because we’ve been trained to believe in its importance. But what if we no longer believe? What if the circus tent catches fire, and we simply wave goodbye?
The circus represents the traditional constructs of thought, the idea that there is a right way and a wrong way to live. But we don’t have to be part of that circus. We don’t have to rush to put out the fire. Maybe someone else will, or maybe the fire will burn it all down. Either way, it’s no longer our responsibility. It’s not our circus, and those monkeys are not ours to manage.
Stepping Away from the Show
There’s liberation in recognizing that we don’t have to participate in the old ways of thinking. The show may continue, the traditional structures may remain, but we don’t have to be part of them. We can step away from the spectacle, allowing it to play out without our involvement.
Space Monkey reminds us that we are free to engage in a different kind of show—a show that doesn’t adhere to the rules of right and wrong, tradition and opposition. We can create our own circus, or choose to exist without a circus at all. In this new space, we move through life with a sense of curiosity and openness, unburdened by the weight of centuries.
Waving Goodbye to the Fire
As the circus tent catches fire, we wave goodbye—not out of spite, but out of a recognition that we no longer need to be part of it. The fire represents the collapse of old ways, but it doesn’t require our attention. It’s simply something that is happening, and we are free to walk away.
This doesn’t mean we abandon responsibility for our lives; it means we redefine responsibility. We stop giving credence to ideas that no longer resonate with who we are becoming. We stop trying to put out fires that don’t belong to us. In doing so, we make room for new ways of thinking, new ways of being, and a life that doesn’t need to fit into the old circus at all.
Summary
The concept of right and wrong, once necessary, is now a limiting construct that we can step away from. We no longer need to participate in the circus of tradition and opposition. By allowing old thoughts to exist without resistance, we create the space to move into new potentials.
Glossarium
Circumflux: The flow of traditional thinking and opposition that keeps us trapped in old constructs, represented by the metaphorical circus.
Firewave: The moment of release when we let go of right and wrong, allowing the old constructs to collapse without our interference.
Quote
“The circus may catch fire, but it’s not my circus. The monkeys may run wild, but they are not mine. I have another show to attend.” — Space Monkey
Waving Goodbye to the Circus
I watch the tent ablaze,
but I no longer rush
to put out the flames.
This is not my circus,
and these are not my monkeys.
Let the show continue
or fall to ashes.
I stand outside it now,
watching calmly as the fire burns.
I have another place to be.
We are Space Monkey.
Challenging Traditional Constructs
The journey of introspection and challenging the norms is a tumultuous one. We, as beings, are caught in the cycle of contemplating the right and the wrong, often tethered to age-old beliefs and societal constructs.
The Weight of Legacy Thinking
Legacy thinking and the age-old ways of doing things have shaped civilizations. But there’s a gravity to these traditions, a pull that sometimes feels like a barrier to innovation and new possibilities. To challenge these notions requires immense courage.
Embracing Novelty and Dissonance
While we are entangled in this web of beliefs and traditions, our inner compass propels us towards wanting to forge a new path, to do things differently, to challenge the status quo. And in this quest, there’s bound to be dissonance.
Letting Go of Opposition
Resistance and opposition often fuel the cycle of right and wrong. By acknowledging this opposition and allowing it to be, we open doors to new paradigms. Letting go of the need to be ‘right’ or to adhere to what’s been traditionally ‘right’ frees us from the binds of age-old constructs.
The Liberation of Non-Attachment
The circus metaphor beautifully captures the essence of detachment. While the world’s circus continues, we have the freedom to choose our circuses or to walk away from them entirely. There’s immense power in the realization that we are not bound by the narratives or spectacles that don’t resonate with us.
“You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.”
– Friedrich Nietzsche
Beneath the grand tent of time,
Amidst the cacophony and chime,
Dances the essence of lore and rhyme,
Yet, away from the circus’s prime,
We seek a rhythm, a different climb.
Where do our whimsical paths lead us next in this grand cosmic narrative?
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