Three Cubes in a Tin

I met an elderly ex-Brit on the beach yesterday, complete with waxed, white mustache. We had lunch (a lovely fish in curry sauce) and somehow the conversation turned to psychedelics. In the late sixties, he was an auditor for Barclay's Bank in San Fransisco. One day, as he put it "A lovely young nymph, wearing a tie-dyed blouse and little else" pressed three orange sugar cubes into his hand and whispered "When you're ready". At no time in the intervening 50 years did he feel ready, so the cubes have remained in a small tin these long years.

He asked my advice, having learned that I had experience in the matter. I gave him Terrence McKenna's line: "I'm not saying everybody has to have a psychedelic experience. But say you lived in Iowa your whole life. Don't you think it would be nice to see the ocean at least one time?". To which he replied, "But we're already here at the ocean.". Which made me think he didn't quite get the point, so I just added how I didn't feel qualified to comment on the potency of 50 year old acid. We finished our lunch and parted.

On the boat ride home, it struck me that his tale was an allegory for all the folks who want to step outside their comfort zones but fear the consequences. Like the woman who gets a passport dreaming of international travel that never happens. The very fact that he held on to those cubes all these years, thinking “maybe someday”, spoke volumes.

Most folks live in their comfort zones. It’s safe and familiar there – nothing out of the ordinary or surprising is likely to happen there. The people are well known; the same routines bring a sense of order. You obey all the rules, stick with the foods you like and don’t talk to strangers. You are the embodiment of “risk-averse”. A great adventure means a guided tour or cruise to see the well known sites that everyone else sees.

Some folks have no wish or desire to leave the comfort zone. They are quite content with the normal, the familiar and their established patterns of living. They always color within the lines and stay planted right in the center of the zone, feeling no desire for anything more, except more of the same. And I respect that. It’s probably the right place for them.

At the other end of the spectrum are the adventurers and explorers, who shudder at the prospect of staying safe at home. We welcome the new sights and sounds and foods and people and experiences with open arms. We’ll start a conversation with anyone who comes our way, and say “yes” whenever possible. Instead of dipping toes in the water, we jump in the deep end. I often wonder if it is a genetic thing – maybe we lack some gene for fear or inhibition. Maybe it’s an addiction. I do know that once you start to leave the comfort zone, it’s hard to return. I would add that there is risk. Some excursions will end in failure – Lord knows some of mine have.

Then there are others, like the gentleman I met and the lady with the passport, who gaze outward from the comfort zone with longing – wanting dearly to step outside, but constrained by fear, inhibition, peer pressure or inertia. Or all of the above. To this group, I offer the advice of Nike - “Just Do It”. The rewards and satisfactions can be enormous. Maybe try some small steps outside the comfort zone, dipping toes in the water. The deep end is not for everyone. But, please don’t live a life of regretting the things you didn’t do. Don’t think you are too small or too weak. This IS the show. It’s not a dress rehearsal.

That was the advice I gave to my British friend. Chances are, those 3 cubes are still resting quietly inside the tin. But maybe, just maybe, you saw a large white object shooting across the Southern sky last night, signaling an awakened and revised consciousness. Maybe the tin is empty.