Friday, July 29, 2011

By Invitation Only



Everyday I send out by Twitter 100,000 messages inviting 5000 followers to visit this site. About 1,000 do visit, and out of that number 10 stay long enough to give the impression they are reading. That is one acceptance out of 10,000 invitations.

And that is pretty good. Of those 10, none will visit without invitation, and none will return without invitation.

I expect something from this, little as it is. I do not see it as evasion or distraction: I expect it to make my life better.

I am not terrorizing anyone by causing 100,000 light patterns to appear.

A terrorist, in fact, sends out invitations to listen, but expects no audience at all.

There are two main kinds of terrorism, East and West. The Eastern terrorist thinks he is immortal, the Western thinks he is already dead. They share a belief in the failure of action to have the desired effect, which is to make it possible to live in the world with love and without fear. The Western terrorist knows his action is a temporary evasion of the truth that he cannot live, the East terrorist knows he cannot live but looks forward to a life after death that is possible to be lived.

The Western terrorist kills friends, the Eastern terrorist kills enemies. The Western terrorist is inviting his friends to listen. The Eastern Terrorist is inviting his enemies. Neither expects a response that will make it possible for himself personally to live as he wants. Talking to no audience about why he cannot live is the best the terrorist can do. It is not good, but at least keeps the idea of good before him. The terrorist is talking to god.

I repeat: I am not terrorizing anyone by causing 100,000 light patterns to appear. I expect it to make my life better. I am talking to you.