Preparing for Darkness

For the theme of Darkness...the notion of fear or difficulty comes into play. But, I want to examine what is rich and valuable about the dark. I've been thinking a lot about Bellevue--mental hospitals in general...that was the most terrifying thing to me when I was a kid. Those movies about people being locked away--The Shuttered Room with Carol Lynley comes to mind...where she had been chained to the floor in the attic of a house and locked inside for years! And corridors of crazy people lurking in the shadows of ancient hospitals. And whenever the word Bellevue would be mentioned--it was terrifying. So when I was thinking about darkness, and the power of that word, I thought about depression, and of course mental illness. And Bellevue, which is at the end my street going east, btw...the old building with it's ivy covered columns out front...cold and scary. So, that is one major idea. But, for the sermon, and the excursion i usually take to prompt it, I didn't want to write about Bellevue specifically, oh I think it will go into the mix, for sure...but I was thinking about something else to do. So go somewhere dark, to go into the dark. to be in darkness. And so on Friday I have an appointment to float. In a sensory deprivation chamber. I'm thrilled.

Thursday I'll meet with Kelly about the film, and there will probably be some Bellevue footage in there. And other things. But for now I'm gearing up for a float.