It is said...
I have met many strange people in this incarnation. In fact, the truth about who I have met and what I have heard will probably never reach the light of day because no-one would believe it. But take it from me, truth is far stranger than fiction, and reality is much weirder than anything you will see on the television. Even the internet, believe it or not, is a pale reflection of the true diversity and downright strangeness of real life.
Because of my exposure to the, shall we say, non-standard, I have, from Day One, questioned the accepted narrative. Sometimes I was wrong to do this, but in the overwhelming number of cases this approach has served me and others extremely well. If the crowd are all going that way, then I am definitely going the other way…
Now, do not get me wrong, it is not that the mainstream explanation for things is always and necessarily wrong. It is just that it is so often incomplete, missing many of the vital details and nuances which we need to make decisions. This means we have to seek out alternatives.
My favourite alternative source of wisdom is from misfits, those who refuse to take part in the standard rituals of society. Though sometimes difficult to deal with, these people often deliver the greatest nuggets of wisdom. I well remember being in a bar in Miami in August 2000, watching the TV news about the upcoming US general election, and being approached by an unusual looking guy who proceeded to lay out his election predictions which included recounts, court rulings and a delayed final result. No one could have foreseen this in August 2000, yet within three months every one of his predictions came true. That is just one example from my catalogue of strange encounters. I have always attracted these people, though in recent years I have increasingly sought them out.
It used to be quite impossible to tell people stories like this, so I have always begun these tales with the words “It is said…” followed by whatever offbeat, unproven, unscientific gem I had been given. But, in times like these “It is said…” becomes a powerful tool. It is a form of words that makes no appeal to authority or claims on evidence or data. It clearly communicates something that someone thinks is worth saying, but it lets the claims stand or fall by themselves. The words that follow “It is said…” may resonate with us, or they may trigger us. But to be triggered is to be stimulated into growth…
“It is said…” frees us up to consider miracles. It opens up a space to consider things that are outside the norm, beyond the approved narrative. “It is said…” makes no attempt to cite so-called trusted sources and is therefore liberated from the constraints of approval. “It is said…”, unlike many other words spoken today, is truly free.
Of course, the words that follow “It is said…” might or might not be valuable, but they place the onus for deciding their value where it belongs, onto the listener, who must then take personal responsibility for his or her actions. And that is all part of the fun of life…
“It is said…” Number 375:
It is said that the oldest species of tree on earth is the Ginkgo, so old in fact that dinosaurs, way back when, feasted upon its leaves. It is said that ancient Taoist monks cultivated the tree and knew of its healing properties thousands of years ago. It is even said that the Ginkgo tree was THE Tree that Adam and Eve approached for insight and knowledge of their world. After all a Tree of Knowledge is recorded in most ancient civilisation stories, and some say that this tree is the Ginkgo tree itself.
It is also said that after the city of Hiroshima was levelled by the first atomic bomb the first thing to regrow, from the scorched earth, was the Ginkgo tree. In another place and time it is said that the Russian soldiers who performed the clean up job in Chernobyl mitigated the effects of radiation poisoning by taking Ginkgo Biloba.
In our present time there is much concern about pollution from electro-magnetic rays, and it is said, by some, that Ginkgo Biloba acts as a perfect antioxidant, freeing the body from the negative effects of this pollution. Further, it is said that Ginkgo Biloba possesses its own wisdom and self-selects the areas of the body where its effects are needed. It is said that this natural wonder drug waits around in your system, and heads into those places in your DNA that need to be repaired. The people who adhere to this philosophy, it is said, also believe that a short course of Ginkgo Biloba will protect a person for many months.
Of course, there is zero science to back this up, and the unverified nature and absence of reliable sources will be enough to turn most people off. But whenever I hear the phrase “It is said…” my ears prick up…
