The Power of Context
Getting beyond labels and limitations.
From my Psychology Today Blog
In my early twenties, I worked one summer as a security guard at Alexander’s Department Store and I learned the power of uniforms. On the day prior to beginning work, I got locked out of my car in the Alexander’s parking lot and frantically went to ask the security guard to help me break into my car. “No problem, sir,” he said, grabbed a coat hangar, and opened my car door in under five minutes. The next day, my first day on the job, a distraught woman approached me, locked out of her car. I was now the one in uniform, and it somehow magically conveyed skills I had lacked only a day before. “No problem, ma’am,” I said with a certain confidence, if not bravado, and easily broke into her car with a coat-hangar.
I loved this one. I agree with Werner, I try to live in that god space more and in my thinking mind less. Things go better for me when I do
.
Ah “Annie-the-Faithful-One”! Thanks–guess what? An old acquaintance from Esalen days got in touch through Facebook, is working for a gallery in NYC, and wants to show the painting I did that was used on the cover of my book Minyan, as well as a few of my other paintings that have Jewish content, as part of a Heritage show! He’s asking me for an Artist’s Statement and everything! Meanwhile I haven’t painted a thing in three years or so–how’s that for an Artist’s statement? But it came out of nowhere and is kind of exciting.
Eliezer-That is so exciting! I did not know you painted! Where can I go to see some of your work?
I’m a perpetual amateur/beginner: you can see a few things here:
https://www.eliezersobel.com/painting.html
Apples and street Singer are my favorites. very colorful and happy.
Thanks Annie! I gave Street Singer to a woman with whom I had a very brief relationship in the early 90s…don’t know if
she still has it. Maybe she’d sell it to me? How do you make time to follow and comment on everyone’s blogs–I assume
mine isn’t the only one. It is very kind of you. And I see that it reaps its own reward in all the comments you receive every
day on yours.