Thinking the Impossible
Last month I set myself the task of 'thinking six impossible things each day' as suggested in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass. Expectations had been that this exercise would be exhilarating, opening up vistas of opportunities both personal and social. It was a shock, therefore, having to acknowledge first the deep sadness at the limitations we all confront in one way or another. There are many things we can't do because we are perhaps too young, too old, not sufficiently mentally or physically able, constrained by time or circumstance or some other limitation that is inherent to the human condition. I thought of turning cartwheels with my granddaughters, walking in Derbyshire or even walking to post my letters.
However, having decided to discipline myself to think the impossible I found a gradual shift in awareness – a widening and deepening of thought that developed into a meditative and imaginative process whereby I could range widely over landscapes both mental and physical. I could send roots into the earth, swim with the fish and fly with the birds. This could be considered a basic visualisation technique. But does it overcome our limitations? Does it make possible the impossible? Perhaps not, but as an exercise it is rather like having taken an invigorating holiday, returning one to the workaday world refreshed and renewed. It returns me to a world that can be appreciated for its own sake. The natural world is more wondrous than ever, watching the play of children is a delight and hearing the stories brought back from those who can walk through the beautiful English countryside transports me there in an instant.
I also considered the impossible thought of our Unitarian community becoming so large that we didn’t have sufficient space to house our congregations and we couldn't build quickly enough or provide adequate resources for the growing numbers. And then in stark contrast I faced the impossible thought that the Unitarian community had ceased to be. On further consideration though I realised that these impossible thoughts are quite unlike those first addressed. It is unlikely but not impossible that we shall ever be too large a number that we cannot cope and quite possible that we could cease to be or at least cease to be in the way we are now.
Surprisingly my initial expectations on beginning this exercise began to appear. It was indeed exhilarating to acknowledge that in spite of personal limitations and impossibilities human creativity can still thrive. Once the distinction had been made between the unlikely and the impossible further thought began to produce possible ideas that might be thrown into the arena for future consideration.
When next anyone catches me in deep thought perhaps I shall be flying with the birds or perhaps thinking up ideas which, as friends and family know only too well, usually means more work and activity for not only myself but them too!
The Unitarian - Apr 2005 - "Thought for the Month" by Joan Wilkinson