Every now and then we move off with our small motorhome into the British Countryside. Last week it was to Herefordshire. Peace in nature and long walks; this time a muddy ramble through forest, hills and farmland which brought us by The Green Man Inn at Fownhope.
It is as characterful on the inside as the outside and it was not long before George had brought us food, “Honey & Garlic Baked Camembert, Cranberry Chutney, Homemade Caramelised Onion Focaccia” for sharing. We found ourselves talking to the locals; exchanging anecdotes, simple jokes and mutually supportive affirmations. (Not least the offer of drinks, information, professional advice, and the realisation that an abandoned rescue dog can also rescue its abandoned new owner.) Time went quickly and pleasantly.
When getting ready to leave I looked behind me and saw three ladles hanging in a row. Over the opposite side of the table were three chairs. It reminded me of the allegory of the long spoons in heaven and hell.
“In each location, the inhabitants are given access to food, but the utensils are too unwieldy to serve oneself with. In hell, the people cannot cooperate, and consequently starve. In heaven, the diners feed one another across the table and are sated.” Wikipedia.
Of course, we did not eat with the spoons, but the food and the spoons represented the spirit of interacting with each other in other ways. The spirit of acceptance and goodwill, reciprocated.
I asked the very good waiter whether the spoons had been put there so that they equalled the number of chairs, and he said no; he had not noticed that before. He knew the parable, and said the story was a good one and he would use it.
Of course, our spirits could have left “hungry”, and others too.
I think of the spoons as meaning reaching out in generosity to others; feeding the body at one level but attitudinally feeding the soul in another. Is this an expression of love (acceptance and inclination to unity while remaining separate)? Love is what I think the soul grows by. It offers an opportunity for reciprocation, an opportunity for others to grow too.
In each situation offering interaction, as the parable says, there are “spoons”, opportunities to reach out. It is up to us whether we choose to use them, for our souls to grow, or to stay hungry.
The Anthony Good Blogspace 
I remember those places back in Europa when we went on family outings; these places were oozing with well coming warm comfort, especially in winter. The smell of home cocking had permeated every nook and cranny of those places. The servings were more than generous, especially loved by us always hungry children and extras came without pay if you smiled at the waitress. Places like these usually come with a long family tradition behind them, which is rarely to be found in newly colonised continents like Australia and North America where fast food outlets are the norm. Those traditional places are worthwhile to be cherished.
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Thankyou.
We also visited a pub called ‘The Moon’. Not quite the same but at least when people ask me where we have been in our motorhome I can tell them we have been to The Moon and back. 🙂
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Here is a comment on your next blog as it does not open up!!!!!!!!
Yes, I guess it is all about stages and letting the process evolve according to our natural inclinations. Seekers and proponents of individualism are intending to push the boundaries of what can be understood about the inner self which includes not avoiding even the most foolish of experiences as they can present errors and limits. Only we ourselves can answer the question, where do we go, how far have we come?
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Thanks. Yes, for me the journey is individual, but the nature of the journey is into the recognition that I am all, like everything else. One consciousness. (I think, I have n’t finnished yet.)
I have had some problems with the last post, with duplicates coming up on WP, and having to delete after posting (and emails going out). My last post was 58, I had to reorder them too. Sorry about that.
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