I love the fall corridor. The fall corridor is a small pathway in the woods where the ground has been so matted down by human traffic, and where the trees have been cut down in a manner that they parallel one another making an even hallway, that the forest itself resembles a hallway. It rarely stretches for more than ten yards and then it invariably leads to a turn of disappointment, a place where you didn’t want to be, but while you are there, it holds you still. Entrapped in the corridor, there appears to be no end, and yet, this is not disconcerting; it’s comforting. The trees blind you from the concrete pathways and the electric cars, the birds and leaves drown out the monotonous sounds of tapping pencils and courtside commentary. There’s only one thing that cannot be denied: nature.
Yes, a dog and its owner may pass by and yes, a trashcan may appear near the end of the trail, but that’s all for show. That’s all a distraction, a mere inconvenience on the path to inner truth. Silent, comforting, like a mother’s arm over one’s shoulder, the trees envelope you. Lean against one; make the metaphor a reality.
No visions will come, no sounds or words from above, only you. Only your inner dialogue, but this time the voice sounds unfamiliar. It’s quieter than usual, and even though the voice sounds like yours, you know it can’t be. What does it say?
Perhaps something you’ve thought of days ago, maybe even weeks, but now it sounds fresh and vibrant. It’s not muddled anymore; rejoice! Let it enter and hear it, let the words permeate from the subconscious into the conscious. It’s here; it’s what you wanted. Are you willing to listen?
Entertain the voice. Stay as long as you like, or as long as you can handle. The voice is blunt; it has no sympathy for the likes of you. It does not live in your subjective world; it floats among the other objective truths of our universe. Take it in bursts if you must; drive home, come back, drive home, come back. It will be waiting. Sure, you can avoid it, virtually everyone does, but now you’ve heard it. It recognizes you; you made eye contact for God’s sake! There’s no ignoring it; this luxury, this illusion has vanished and the irony is that all you wanted was clarity and now that you’ve encountered this entity it refuses to leave. How dare he! This is not what I asked for; this wasn’t supposed to enhance my suffering!
But wait.
The voice leaves, it always does, but on its own terms. Do you actually believe that you control this voice, this inner dialogue? Of course not, it controls you! Let it come inside and give it a home, or else it will continue knocking on your front door until your entire house falls down. Make friends, not enemies; it’s here for guidance. It may be cruel, but you’ve been cruel yourself sometimes, haven’t you?
But alas, we have arrived. I know today hasn’t been the best day of your life, no, certainly not, but really think: How do you feel? Do you know where you’re going? Most importantly, do you know what you’re going to do?
Yes! You finally have the answers.
Now please, exit the corridor. Walk down the pathway that leads to your car but remember to pet the dogs on the way out. Lose yourself in the distractions and get involved. Just don’t stray too far from nature, and make sure to check in once in a while.
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