As I await the morn’ I take note in the conversation taking place between two gentlemen in the next bunk over. I hear the voices speaking fleshly tongued of the opposite gender in a crude fashion. I rise. I leave the room for a morning routine, bathing in both water and elaborations of pontifications. I wonder to myself what am I to due when faced with the crude humor of my roommates. I remain silent. Going about my business of a new day. Waiting for the clock to attain a number above holiness. My silence goes noticed in deafening tones.
Alone at last as I trek down the hillside towards the morning meal. To my surprise I am greeted by one of my roommates and asks me how I am doing.
Something about myself and levels or friendship. I was once told the levels of developing a friendship. Level 1 is to develop playfulness, all relationships start with an initial attraction to laughter. Level 2 is a reaction to Level 1 in developing an initial trust. Level 2 allows for Level 3 in creating a deeper sense of trust in which we can begin to keep one another accountable for minor things. Level 4 is a deeper sense of accountability in which we allow ourselves to confess our fears, faults, failures, struggles, achievements, and joys with another. My problem is I tend to skip Level 1. Other people’s problem is that they never go to Level 2. Feel alone much?
When asked how I was doing I responded to his Level 1 question with a Level 3 answer, a place to deep for his comfort. Often I find it sad that people are afraid to go deep with one another. And frankly it creates a chasm in humanity. Mainly because our playful brothers and sisters, whom fear allowing themselves to know or be known by someone are unable to relate to our brothers and sisters, the few of us there are, who don’t know how to be playful. The chasm of humanity is sometimes solely seeking to build a bridge to meet playfulness and initial trustworthiness. Though for the Level 3 people, we are often alone in creating our bridge of balance.
It would appear to be a pretty serious issue. Learning how to do a complete role reversal in ourselves. How do we as Level 3 initiators combat our person to become a person who can adequately commune with Level 1 initiators? Maybe the key of bridging the gap is to lot allow ourselves to be too serious. To be playful often seems to be childish. I think we are creating a chasm because we don’t allow ourselves to be childlike. I would say that it is detrimental to take ourselves too seriously and if something seems childish I would say to do it anyways. Maybe even it is it just for the sake of remembering what it is to be a Child.
Another way to bridge the gap is to allow other people to talk about their most favorite subject, themselves. With authenticity, engage in a conversation in where you shut up and get to know someone for who THEY are. Allow them to speak and talk about whom they are. This may help the playful people to want to trust you and meet you at Level 2. Bridge the gap, though when it starts it may have to be by you.
