Wednesday, December 7, 2011

I Can't Move This Thing Alone


















Been thinkin' about friendships, those that are new, and those that have stood the test of time, inexplicably transcending some very challenging circumstances, those that seem to transcend time itself, as though they've always been, and those that have fallen prey to poor communication and the shortcomings that seem to be part of being human. There simply is no understanding, and certainly no explaining, the human heart. But that didn't stop me from lying in bed early this morning, attempting to make some sense of it all.

Anyway, I didn't arrive at any conclusions, but I did hear this new Leonard Cohen song a few days ago, and I just had to share it with you.  I particularly love these lines:

Show me the place.
Help me roll away the stone.
Show me the place.
I can't move this thing alone. 


Friendship of the best kind:  together, we roll away the stone.


Here's Leonard Cohen:  Show Me the Place



25 comments:

  1. Hey there Teresa. Friendship to me is having a person in my life who I can trust implicitly.
    And then we can roll away stones together.

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  2. Those are great lines :-))
    I suppose every single friendship is different. But even the ones that have faded left warm memories behind. As much as I enjoy solitude, it's comforting to know that I have one or two friends that I can count on no matter what. They are priceless.
    Oh, and I was happy to see a picture of Wilfred Owens under "You Also Might Like". Haven't read him in a while.

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  3. Glad to hear from you... I'm on a journey myself... have been for quite some time.

    I'm utilizing every bit of sense of humor that I have to make sense of whatever. I've been on a physical journey since 12/9 ... still don't wanna go home... ;) ... pals... my kingdom for a pal.

    Just hasn't happened... I've been on this journey alone since probably 16.... with some interesting help and pals along the way. life and its subsidiaries ;)

    In the end? it will be me. My mind has to come to grips with this realization. I am alone.... perhaps not physically but mentally... once a misfit ... always a misfit.

    BUT... I don't know what else to be? y'know? Some minutes, I can say... go away ... and 'it' does... other times... 'it' gets me.

    Hang in there... because hanging is what we do.

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  4. I'm going through what seems to be similar circumstances right now with a "friend" that I basically "lost" almost 2 years ago now. I keep trying to roll the stone away but either she is really dense or has completely given up on the relationship. In any case, that is all that can be done. The rest is up to the Universe I guess. Sometimes relationships just move on.

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  5. I can't believe I have come so late to Mr. Cohen. The line that made me get goose bumps was "show me the place the suffering began"...only a truly caring soul would ever make such a request.

    We know people on so many different levels in life...from casual acquaintances, to people we have to tolerate, to the ones who will help you roll the stone. I hope whatever issue greeted you this morning has found some sort of resolution.

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  6. A great song, Teresa, bringing tears to my eyes.
    I've found that there are so many kinds of friends and so many levels of friendships. I hope that stone will soon be rolled away for you. I wish you the best.

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  7. Arriving at conclusions is highly overrated.
    Please just throw your beautiful, intelligent and adventurous self out there and be open to the possibilities.
    You are unique and wonderful.
    The stone will roll away by itself.

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  8. Thanks for The Link To Uncle Lenny.
    Friendship Is Forever Alive,Growing,Moving,Mutating, and sometimes,sadly,Dissolving........Like All Living Things It Requires Tendering.

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  9. In my entire life I've only had a handful of true friends: you know, those who would stick with you through thick or thin. And yes, friendship and what is in your heart (and mind) is a big part of any friendship.

    Leonard Cohen is just one of my favorites. Great song, great lyrics to this one. My favorite song of his is Hallelujah.

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  10. RJ, I think trust may possibly be The most important ingredient in a friendship. It's essential.


    LI, I love your new photo! Nice to hear from you. Yes, some friendships have just faded away and that's okay. But there's a saying, "Friendships that end badly never end." It's important to find our own closure then, and I've had to do that, also. No, a person doesn't need a lot of friends. Just one or two you can count on. Absolutely. The Wilfred Owen post was one of my early posts. It remains one of my personal favorites. Thanks for commenting.


    CAROLYN, I fully understand your comments. Yes, we are all, ultimately, alone, and a large part of my journey now is getting comfortable with that. As I commented to Li, a friend or two of real substance is awfully nice. It sounds like you're having fun. I love the gulf and have spent a great deal of time on and near South Padre. A good place to Be.


    TERI, I recall reading about your challenge in this area. Yes, we do what we can and then move on, hoping that some resolution will come. We can find our own closure, if necessary. "Time" helps.


    RITA, The biggest part of finding resolution is just letting go. I'm getting better, but some days I realize I need to do more of it. I didn't listen to much LC until about ten years ago. Now, I find his lyrics and the tone to his voice comforting, yet empowering. A nice combination. Hope you're staying warm over there. :)


    PENNY on the cutoff, I've made some progress. ;) Glad you liked the song. It has such quiet power, doesn't it?


    FARMLADY, Like many things in life, no conclusions can ever be reached except to do what you've suggested: throw yourself out there. I guess that is what I'm doing now. ;) Thank you so much for your encouragement!


    TONY, This is the second time you've referred to him as Uncle, now I'm wondering if that's a familiarity tag or a real blood relationship tag. Either way, isn't he great? And yes, always moving and changing and that's life and friendship, even in the dissolution. I like your last thought. Friendship as a living thing that needs tender care.

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  11. Wild bill, I have a couple of friends who fit that category and some new ones that are looking like they will, also. Even when you don't see a friend, it's nice to know they're still there, through thick and thin. Glad you liked the song. Hallelujah is a classic, like an old well-loved hymn.

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  12. That line about a friendship that ends badly never really ends. But sometimes there is nothing to be done about it. I had a former friend turn away from me and nothing I did made any difference. She still comes to torment me in my dreams now and then, and it's been ten years.

    I think of you as a friend, virtual though it may be, it is still important and meaningful. I always smile when I see you left a comment on my blog. :-)

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  13. DJAN, I have come to see that friendship does, indeed, take many forms, and the friendships that have formed here in our little cyber community are of great value to me. A recent conversation with a friend I found here helped me to see just that. Perhaps it's what brought me back to blogging. The connections we've formed help fill my life with beauty and meaning. Thank you, DJan. I'm grateful for our friendship.

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  14. I love Leonard Cohen and saw him when he came to Auckland last year. Was an evening of pure magic.
    Friendship - a friend and I were talking about this a few days ago. We decided that friends are the people that you can trust with all your feelings and thoughts, hopes and dreams, and failings. Friendship is where you can feel safe and be most your true self.

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  15. Some friends will be close no matter what the physical distance, some will always be distant despite their physical presence.

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  16. Hi MARILYN,, I recall reading about your evening with Leonard. I was jealous. :) Feeling safe is the sign of a true friendship.


    MARY, That's very true. It's the nature of being human with the variety of personalities there seems to be.

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  17. Dear Teresa,
    Cohen's song brought tears to my eyes and your posting has me sitting here thinking of all the friends who have graced my life. With some I've lost contact because of the simple vicissitudes of living.

    With others I know, deep down and certain,that if I call on them they will be there. They are the ones who have said to me "show me the suffering." They have embraced my need.

    I'm so hoping that the holy ground of your deepest needs on which you now stand will grace you with peace and lead you to where you long to go.

    This blogging world brings us together "virtually," but I feel that you and the poems and paintings you've chosen to share with us on your blog have reached across this ethernet and touched my life.
    I thank you for that, my friend.

    Peace.

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  18. Farmlady's right, the stone will roll away by itself. Some things are because they just are.

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  19. Hi DEE, It is a very moving song, isn't it? The minute I heard it I wanted to share it here. I'm blessed with some great friends. My lying in bed thinking about it wasn't a heavy thing on my heart, but more of a simple looking at all the permutations friendships take. I'm doing fine.


    KITTIE, I'm not sure about rolling away by itself, but Love will certainly allow it to roll away. And, I feel very well-loved. :)

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  20. nice music to blend with your thoughts. I only have a few longtime friends, more of a family tome.

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  21. Hi Steve, Nice to hear from you. I trust you're settling in to your new circumstances. Yes, my few really close friends are family to me, as well. It's nice, isn't it?

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  22. God, I love Leonard Cohen...

    Good to see you back, I've missed you.

    I feel like I have all these different lifetimes of friends (because I have moved a lot, I guess) and all these grids come together and come apart and sometimes I can't remember who I know from where...

    And it's all just a beautiful cosmic dance anyway....

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  23. Akannie, No one quite like Cohen, is there? A beautiful cosmic dance, indeed.

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  24. Bird on a Wire!~ The lyrics are beautifully shattering. It's endless with Leonard who, apparently, has a direct line to The Source. "There can be only one" because there is only One. So glad to have you back. You, my friend, grace cyberspace.

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  25. Good Morning, Cletis, Those are heart-rending lyrics. He's a prophet. He tells us how it is and how it can be. Yes, there is only One. Thank you for making it all so much easier. And fun, too.

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