Zombies & Monsters

Theme Song: The Monster Mash

As you all know, I'm no expert. But here's what I hope I've learned (are you listening?):

Yes, that's right, I hope that in my 43 years on this planet I have finally learned to listen.

People Reveal Themselves

Here I am, 16 years old, sharing a tender moment with my future ex-husband, and I ask him, "What is your worst flaw?"

Do you want to know what he told me?

He said, "I am a liar."

(No, I can't remember whether he asked me my worst flaw. I should have said, "I am a poor listener.")

As it happens, at least one of us was telling the truth.

Later, towards the end of the marriage, he wrote a song called "Zombie." The lyrics say, appropriately enough, "I'm dying/But I'm lying through my teeth." I thought it was creepy that he would characterize himself as a lying zombie but, still, I didn't listen.

(BTW, you can buy the album here. No, I'm not an affiliate. Although I probably should be.)

Lesson Not Learned

Fast forward several years and here I am, in another tender moment, when the woman I love says, "I am a monster." I think for many people this would have been some kind of wake up call.

What I said was, "Oh, honey, you shouldn't put yourself down like that."

Is It Because I'm White?

The following Eddie Murphy classic may explain why I haven't been able to listen.

So, if you find a zombie, or even a monster or poltergeist, in your home or in your bed, take this advice:

Get out.

But Seriously

As you are getting out, remember this: at heart, people are very sincere. They want to reveal themselves and be accepted for who they are. Another truth of the human heart is how very much we want to love. I find it quite beautiful and hopeful, really.

The Paradox

I cannot sum it up better than this quote from Returning to Silence:

Repentance is to realize exactly the oneness of merging all sentient beings and buddha, delusion, and enlightenment. All sentient beings are allowed to live and are, from the beginning, forgiven for living their lives in this world. Everything, whatever it is, has some reason why it exists: evil, good, even something neither evil nor good. You cannot destroy devils just because you don't like them. Even though you don't like monsters, still there is some reason why they exist. Everything is entitled to live in this world in peace and harmony beyond our judgement, our evaluation. This is the first condition we have to realize--everything is buddha. -- Dainin Kataigri

If what Dainin Kataigri says is true, and I have faith that it is, the zombies and monsters I have loved are actually buddhas who have taught me to listen with my heart.