Illusions or Delusions?

“Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead.  We must therefore accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of reality against which they are dashed to pieces.”  ~Sigmund Freud
Illusions or Delusions?
I boarded a plane on a rainy afternoon in Maui knowing no matter how cold and windy it was I would soon be leaving the good weather behind. I was headed for Boulder, Colorado where the landscape would be radically different looking like Mother Nature had stolen all its clothes. I kept my mind on all the long-time friends and family I would be visiting imagining their love being the only thing that would keep me warm for the next 10 days.
I landed at about 11:45 to blue skies void of even a single cloud. Yikes, I thought. When the skies are this clear in winter, it only means one thing—it’s going to be frigid. I was prepared with my sheepskin-lined-boots worn over my jeans, a wool sweater and scarf, and the one coat I keep in Maui for such occasions. I left my gloves and hat at my son Robb’s house when I visited last October but figured I’d be okay from the exit door to his car where he’d have the heat on.  After picking up my luggage, I walked toward the underground parking area where Robb was waiting; bracing myself for what I was sure would be a blast of cold air. I’d lived in Colorado for 11 years before moving to Maui, which in my mind enabled me to accurately read such blatant signs.
I opened the door, my body automatically contracting, readying itself for the chill. Hmm. The air was temped. Must be all the cement, I thought, never imagining I could be mistaken. Turns out, the entire week I was there, even with clear skies, the temperature was in the high 50’s and low 60’s which is equivalent to Maui in the 70s.  Except for the early morning and late evening hours, I never even put on a coat. When I returned to Maui, the trades were blowing and it was still raining. I was freezing.
I have so many preconceived concepts about the way I think things are, will be and should be. What a setup. I know I’m not alone in this and that’s probably the reason it’s easy for me to expose my folly.
If the only time you or I assumed we had the “right” answers was in regards to the weather, it would be no big deal. But we unconsciously pre-program our life in many more ways than that, i.e.: I don’t want to go there, it will be too crowded; or they’re going to want someone with more experience than I have; or by now they’re probably full so why bother calling for reservations. How much of this king of thinking blocks us from experiencing the surprises and synchronistic events life offers?
We do this as individuals and then we also do it collectively as well. If you keep up with the news even a little bit, you can see that thinking we know the way things are going to turn out is ludicrous. But unfortunately this way of thinking is pervasive in most of us. Those of you reading this who believe, “not me,” either you’re a saint, or dare I say delusional. I would bet, if you got down to the subtle layers of your thinking, you’ll find the place that thinks it knows—at least one thing for sure.
You’re in good company in that thought. People make a living off of predictions. We see how many of these predictions turn out. With all the variables involved in any situation, almost anything is possible. Banking too heavily on predictions (no pun intended here) or fixated on things turning out a certain way whether it be our economic future, the state of our health or even more mundane occurrences can be disastrous and leave us ill prepared. As comforting as it is to think we know, as Freud put it, it is illusory.
Actually, except for the tragedy and suffering that many of these knowings or predictions “gone wrong” seem to create, there is an up side as well. When we unconsciously depend on things to be a certain way, we tend to sleepwalk through life. If the unexpected becomes the norm, we are forced to stay aware. If we wakeup to reality the way it is as it unfolds, our once take-it-for-granted attitude is replaced by a keen alertness.
Last night I was with a group of people for Kirtan (Hindu chanting) and as we were all settling into our places, two people sort of overlapped spaces. One of the men started to apologize. The other said, “No problem. It doesn’t matter where I sit. I’m just so grateful to be here?” There was such beauty in that. I immediately thought how wonderful it would be to treat all of life from that perspective.
As difficult as it sometimes seems not to have things go my way, a better part of me knows that it’s actually a gift. It keeps me on my toes. After all, how much faith do I want to put in myself or anyone else who places them self behind the wheel half asleep?