“To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the popularity of dogs.” ~ Napoleon
Why is it so easy to spot the other guy’s illusion and not our own?
I find this to be particularly true when matters of religion come into the picture. I remember as a child being quite certain that my Baptist friend was misguided in his thinking because he was not a Catholic. This was not simply my opinion; it was taught in my school and from the pulpit. Such is the manner in which illusions are passed on from one generation to the next.
As I matured in the 1960’s I had many heated political debates trying correct errant thinking. I would freely offer up my informed opinions on other people’s illusions but protect my own. Yes sir, I was a first rate illusion-buster.
Then, as time progressed, things radically changed.
I found myself marching through one experience after the next being walloped by one illusion after the other. I felt as if I were a ship in the wild sea with no anchor.
- My plans for the future began to slip away
- My marriage until death us do part was short-circuited
- My ideas about who I was seemed shallow
- My confidence in my opinions collapsed around my ears
When I look back on these times I discover they exactly track my sobriety. I discovered in sobriety that I wasn’t the brightest guy on the block. I discovered that there were all kinds of good people in all kinds of religions. I discovered the truth had variations of gray. I discovered that there were all kinds of bad people in all kinds of religions. I discovered people weren’t changed by politics but that people could change politics. I discovered that my illusions were just as verifiably illusionary as the next guy’s.
Emerson said, “Most of the shadows of life are caused by me standing in my own sunshine.”
Illusions have been my form of sunshine blockers.
If what is real is the sun, then illusions are nothing more than the shades I use to keep the sun from being seen. When I was introduced to the life of recovery it seemed like my illusion-busting gadgetry was turned on ME for the better part of the first five years of my sobriety. The 12 steps became for me a pathway from illusion to reality, from shadow to sunshine.
Let me share with you something personal.
You know how I mentioned my young friend who attended the Baptist church that I believed was nothing more than a temple to illusion? That church, Queen Anne Baptist Church, hosted the Sunday night AA Queen Anne Study Group. The very church which as a child I held in great disrepute became my sanctuary for spiritual growth for eight years.
A busted illusion became my means of grace.
Queen Anne Baptist Church
The truth is illusions are anything that draw you away from what’s real. The best way to spot an illusion is to notice when a prejudice has reared its head.
Bust an Illusion ~ Tear down a prejudice
Just a thought…
Pat
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