Going Inkless

     At a certain point early on, a child begins to understand that things happen for reasons.  Before that point, the whole world is magical.  Things just work.  The example I was given of this stage of perception was that young child opening the cabinet each morning and the cereal is just there.  No concept of where it had come from, the store or the farm.  No concept that it might not be there one day.  It just is.      Gradually, understanding comes.  We begin to see the paths that lead to the ends.  As we grow, knowledge of consequences enables us to solve problems or reach our goals.  Still, there is some blindness in each of us.      As adults, we know the fact that everything has an origin.  Whether that was a natural process or human intervention, what is  exists because of what was .   Awareness  of the fact usually requires concious thought that we don't often en...

Day 9 The tone in the apartment in the morning was full of energy.  With a toddler running around and playing, there was plenty of activity.  He danced to his favourite songs on the children’s TV programs while we talked with his daddy Noboru, and then we all had breakfast together.  Soon, the time came when we had to go.  Noboru dropped us off at the Nagoya train station on his way to work.  Day 9 was to be a day to explore on our own.  From the landmark giant mannequin named Nanachan that Maki had shown us when we arrived three days before, we found our way to the bus terminal. We were to take a bus to Ise in Mie prefecture for a self-guided tour of Ise Jingu, a complex of Shinto shrines.  The bus ride was about two hours.  Thankfully, the bus was comfortable and not too crowded. Mist was rising in the mountains that we passed on the way, giving an extra dimension to the layers of green and beautiful scenery. In this smaller to...