She Said

You know that game where someone asks you to tell him something he doesn't already know about you? I hate that game. Usually, I think, about how I already told the person everything that I am comfortable with him knowing. But today, I have an answer. So, I'm going to pretend we are playing. So here is something about myself that I don't think you already know: If I have a thought, and then sneeze immediately afterward, I believe the thought to be true.

On the surface this may sound insane, but if you think about it, on a physiological level, it makes sense. (Wow, okay, I just went to wikipedia to find out if what I am saying has any scientific merit, and I found out that the Greeks considered that if someone sneezed when another person finished speaking, that this was considered a sign from the Gods, proof that the latter was telling the truth.) I swear, I did not know this before starting this article. What outrageous synchronicity!

Anyway, what I was going to say is that I often sneeze once right before I fall asleep, just after I have relaxed. Sneezing therefore signals some bodily change, (wikipedia agrees), and I believe that when a kernel of truth hits us, our bodies feel it.

However, my main objective isn't really to discuss the mysteries of sneezing, although, now that I got started, I am blown away! What I really wanted to talk about today was how each of us can know our own truths. In the last couple of weeks there have been some very troubling political issues, that I promised myself I would not mention here, which, by the way, is making my tongue hurt. But despite the many opinions that I have subjected myself to in the recent past, I believe deep in my soul, that if we all find our truths, things will get better. This doesn't mean listening to what our parents, or society, or any other institution, or organization tells us. It means sitting quietly, looking deep within, and not being afraid to see what we see, and hear what we hear.

There was a time in history when using one's intuition was seen as a sin. Women with foresight were considered witches and burned at the stake. I believe Dave is referencing this time in the song, "Don't Burn The Pig," for which this site was named. Dave sings,

Don't burn the pig, throw him in the water again,

See if he floats or sinks in.

And maybe he's innocent, maybe he's a witch

But don't burn the pig.

The fearful among us have always been terrified of people who know their truth. And yet, I believe that if everyone were to honestly open themselves to what lies deep within, there would be no more strife.

In many "Two Step" openers, Dave sings, "Daddy, tell me a story that's true." One day, I hope to live in a world where every person honors her truth, letting it soar like a blackbird in the dead of night.

Hayley Bauman, Psy.D