Sunday, December 11, 2011

منديل ابيض

منديل ابيض يرقص مع شال احمر في ساحة الحياة كما هي؛

جمعةٌ تظهر المظاهر المفترضة لا تؤثر على المنديل المنسدل باناقة و حياء على كتفين 
يظهران المظاهر الداخلية  ها هي؛

منديل يختبئ في ظل احمرار الدم الراقي ، يحمي الجسد من دخان ينتشر في الجو ليتغلغل في بياض رئتّي الانفاس ليظلمها غير دار ما هي؛

صوت يحرك اللامرئيّ  يدغدغ المشاعر الدفينة ينعش المنديل فيتماوج برقّة على كرسيّ وعي ارضها من هي؛

منديل الانوثة متحررة من حزنها العميق تميل بسكون و هدوء حاملة جمال طبيعتها و حقيقة مشاعرها و صورة وجودها منعكسة على وجه منديلها كما هي؛

وقفة وسلام على حلقة باجمعها والمنديل ينظر الى عيون تقدره متشوقة لقائه و عيون تتجاهله متناسية حسّه في واقع القاعات ها هي؛

منديل ابيض رهبة و عودة بحضور لوحدة و كمال الانسانية بعيدا عن الهروب و الخوف و السكوت عن حقيقة قلوبها كما هي ؛

ابتسامة تحكي من دون ان تحكي وسع الآفاق متصلة بمنديل يمتد بثقة مع اصحابه و اهله باتجاه خلية بيوتهم الدافئة ها هي؛


Friday, December 9, 2011

في صحوة الصباح

في صحوة الصباح، صوت يدغدغني
استيقظ لهمسته اتشوق لسماع قصته
البس شال رقّته و استرسل في مشوار شاطئي برفقته
نصل روضة مرفأه جالسين ما بين مختلف اجناس طبيعته
يسرد رغوة عصير قلبه امام جمعة اذآن اصحابه
 حياتنا مسيرة مائية تحركها هواء انفاسنا النيّرة "
نستوقف عند حدود الارض لنرتاح و نستجمع قوانا
 فنكبر و نتقدم الى الامام على موجات الوان المعرفة في اجسادنا 
جالسين على مراكب تحمينا ام واقفين بهدوء الصيادين متأملين
 منتظرين ذَهبُ معادن الوجود مستخرجة من نار ارادتنا الحيّة
حاملة افعال الخير في ايادينا المتحدة  بنبضات موجات قلوبنا وعقل كليّ يوحدنا
"

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Soul Shaking

soul shaking ... ahhh ...
flowing through the movements of closure ... not pushing ... ()
stopping, surrendering, listening, receiving, responding ....
staying, unpacking, claiming the power of the heart, stretching,  ... ()
warrior voices screaming, revealing truths, gesturing, responding ...
moving through the intensity of chaos ... not escaping ... ()
letting go, feeling deeply, breathing sanity, discovering, responding ....
arriving, slowing down, remembering, entering the lyrical field, intending ... ()
dancing with nature, enjoying the fullness of the moment, heritage in now, responding ...
learning, flowing, embracing, changing ... ()
letting come, making heart choices visible and real, moving forward, responding ...
crystallizing, living the heart beat, silencing ... ()
retreating, nature walking, strengthening, responding ...
birthing, clarity, sensible communication, emergence, integrating ... ()
resting, yes resting, and resting ... responding ....
soul shaking ... ahhh  ... smiling ...

Images:
Morning Mountain Breath ~ Lady's Valley and Cedar Forest 
Higher Perspectives ~ from Beirut to Annaya Mt

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

هل ... ام ... مع اللحظة

لم ازر هذه الصحفة البارحة و ان يكن
فهل هناك واجب ام الواجب جواب  مع اللحظة
هل الملىء عيب ام حوار مع اللحظة
هل الاغلاق مزعج ام دعوة للسكون مع اللحظة
هل نسيان الوقت عبئ ام انسجام كليّ مع اللحظة
هل التأخير عدم مسؤولية ام سؤال متجانس مع اللحظة
هل الشوق ضعف ام قوة العاطفة مرتبطة مع اللحظة
هل البساطة تقييم ام قيم تعمم في عمقها مع اللحظة
هل المعقول باطل ام عقل الحكمة و كلمة الحق مع اللحظة
هل العجقة و الفوضة غلط ام حركة داخلية و دعوة لسماع النظام الموجود في الوسط مع اللحظة
هل الهمّ عادة سليمة ام اهتمام بعيد عن المهم الحاضر مع اللحظة
هل العيد مرتبط بنهار واحد ام هو جمال و اتحاد آنيّ مع اللحظة كل لحظة 

Monday, November 21, 2011

Life is Now Leading Us

Life is now leading us
Yes, feeling the vibrancy that life is now leading us

Leadership principles as we know them, learn them and hear them are all disappearing
Leadership has dissolved in form, opening space for an evolved authentic way of relating

Stop, who is now moving life circumstances thats causal?
Observe, who can forsee their influence on the next moment and the usual

You, me, I, he, she, they, we, us  .... ah, it feels that this is all part of a language that is disintegrating
Connections, communities, roles, emerging patterns, new bodily forms ... ah, the essence of integrating

Open up, Open out, feel around, can we feel each other's stories, really?
Open in, Open through, feeling our own shining true Self, isn't that all we can feel in reality?

Coming together through our presence and integrity, listening to the leader - life itself in every instant
Becoming "responders" - individually and collectively - to what is present, calling our attention moment by moment

Letting go of what is resisting, through tears and sacrifices and grief, with trust and faith in the emerging
Letting come of what is longing to be, by stepping aside, silencing the head, acknowledging the pain, forgiving the past, feeling our body, discovering our natural beauty, all while deeply listening to what is moving through us and around us, an invitation for co-creating

One leader and One responder through all of us ...
Life is now leading us to show up in our fullness, our heartness, our intimacy, our greatness for ever harmonious ...


Tuesday, June 14, 2011

30, thirty what?

Who is showing up?
Who is coming through?
How come? Where to?

30, thirty what?
Masculine energy, prominent mid-life energy, a short breath of active under 40 adult age energy, a strong presence of North, a confirming presence of South, a few smiling faces, one radiant image, many open mouths with expressions of "I have something to say, Listen to me!", some poker faces - what's hidden, what's there, a few looking directly forward, many looking through their mental minds - lacking the inner Self sight ...

30, thirty what?
Professional technocrats, political allies, solid uniform pictures in one block ...
Where is the space to breathe?
Where is the heart in this?
Where is the care and holding space?
Where is the feminine energy?

Who is showing up?
Who is coming through?
How come? Where to?

a dance of north and south?
a spread of centres to expand and open?
a weaving thread to discover vision through identity?
a preparation for the field currently so distant from feminine qualities to enter the new emerging dynamics of interaction, being and doing?
a transition of acknowledgement towards wholeness and inclusion?

Who is showing up?
Who is coming through?
How come? Where to?


***
a reflection as I saw the photos of the newly elected government in Lebanon in the newspaper this morning.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

PEACE ... سلام


I read this post on the Amazing Women Rock Facebook group wall today "‎(Daniel Quinn) Good news! The Peace Train's sounding louder! May all the world join in. Israeli voices for peace with justice are not frequently heard in, especially in the US, and most would be surprised to know that Yael Dayan would become an outspoken peace activist who advocates giving back the occupied territories — including East Jerusalem — to the Palestinians." 
....

I read this and approached the article (A Conversation with Israeli Peace Activist Yael Dayan, Daughter of Moshe Dayan) with an open mind and initially with a semi-open heart .. as I continued reading, I noticed how June 1967, the month and year I was born, was showing up everywhere - in this article, on the billboards on our streets, in conversations ... and suddenly things were getting more stirred up in me ... what? I wasn't sure ... but the feeling of my first breath during that time of separation was overwhelming ... i stay connected to my breath and continued reading ...

I read and suddenly I realised that I had to let go of some assumptions that were surfacing and to open my heart a bit more ... it was then that I sensed this:

the calling for PEACE سلام in the precious lineage of place and land is getting stronger and more visible

the message is simple ... PEACE سلام ... 
and it is coming through many messengers 

PEACE سلام wants our collective attention and her voice is showing everywhere if we listen carefully with awareness, showing up through many in many forms ... and with this came the following questions:

Where is the health residing?  ...... How can we access the PEACE سلام that is always there, present in the deep roots waiting to be unveiled and embraced? ...... How can the human values of rightfulness and justice hold with tenderness and love the tears of Palestine, tears she shed through many in many situations, to hold them, acknowledge them and transform them back to the pearls of its heart, the absolute truth which she always carries, jewels and gifts radiating the creative energy of Palestine and its people, also showing up more and more right now (for inspiration check the talks of TEDxRamallah held on April 16 2011) .... What is necessary to let go of in this present moment now? ...  What new forms of operating individually and collectively are being invited inwards to respond outwards to the message of PEACE سلام ? ..... Who are the hearts speaking and listening ?  ......

with compassion and trust,
hala

Link to the Article: 

Monday, May 30, 2011

History comes with Herstory - New Emerging Patterns through the Mediterranean East


connecting patterns as I read "A History of the Middle East" by George Corm - going back to the 9th century when he writes "Arab Empire reached its zenith, bringing arts, literature, philosophy and science to uncharted heights. Arab culture indeed embraced the legacy of the Greek philosophers which was later passed onto Europe via Arab Spain ... "

How can this relate to what is happening right now? is it the spread of a new pattern initiated through the initial shift in Greece (which happened before the Tunisian/Egypt revolutions) and then moving through into Europe through Spain ?

Is the lineage of the land and place (Herstory) speaking now through the people to reenter the playground, by facing the old patterns, working through them and emerging with the ones that are necessary for the future ?

observations and questions .... 

what also caught my attention in the book, so far (I am still in its first chapter), is the relationship and positioning of Greece ... Corm writes " From the beginning of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, the Greek presence in the Middle East constitutes a fundamental historical fact that official histories for not emphasise enough. When Europe annexed the Greek heritage to its own cultural patrimony, contemporary Iranian, Arab and Turkish cultures simply erased all memory relating to that heritage. In reality, however, Asia Minor and the Mediterranean coastline has provided Greek history and culture with a solid founding since the founding of Troy."

and the question that comes to me:

How can we open the space for the memory to return?

With care,
Hala

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Flow ~~ Grow

flow, flow, flow, shine the beauty of the inner glow
rest, rest, rest, bring the east into the west
wait, wait, wait, stop the time in all our dates
eat, eat, eat, nourish the souls in various feasts
touch, touch, touch, meet the silence in the rush
speak, speak, speak, know the stories at their peak
cuddle, cuddle, cuddle, embrace the moment in a huddle
pour, pour, pour, experience life's offers more and more
feel, feel, feel, sense the movement in the wheel
play, play, play, find the essence in the day
learn, learn, learn, what the future longs and yearns
dance, dance, dance, come together in one stance
lead, lead, lead, weave the way with gems and beads
act, act, act, leave your heart in every fact
grow, grow, grow, with our Oneness we will flow

Friday, March 18, 2011

Feminine qualities calling for embodiment

Feminine qualities calling for embodiment

I am not coming to speak of women, men gender qualities ...
I am not coming to differentiate ...
I am not coming to judge ...
I am coming though ...
I am coming to speak what is in my heart ...
I am coming to write what I see around me ...
I am coming to dance with the e-motions that want to show up through me ...

Being a woman is not directly equivalent to embracing femininity;
Being a woman in the late 20th century, in the "modern" world and the developing world seeking to be "modern", cut femininity to its barest stalks; filling the body with pain, anger, grief and fear;
Being a woman in a dominant unconscious culture of destructive power, competitive ambition, greed dependency, viral consumer bacterias; disconnected the hearts from its true nature; directing their personal, family and work leadership through suppression or control or manipulation or pretence;

Why? no one can answer; it is in the wisdom of life itself that the answers can be found ...
How? we each have our own answers; and they are all valid ...
Where to ? to bring those questions to each other ...
When? now, in this present moment now
Who?

Voices ....
Voices now want to join the emerging (k)new wave ...
Voices that shake and shake, trusting that their rhythms will eventually be felt and heard
Voices that thunder and thunder the rage of their rape; lightening the light that will bring us awake 
Voices that rain and rain the tears of the pain, saying we are born complete and sane 
Voices that water and water the roots of their authenticity, nourishing the essence of peace and harmony
Voices that flower and flower the flour of their cooking, feeding the truth of a unifying life that's becoming 

Feminine qualities calling for embodiment

holding space, receptivity, openness, expansion, movement through cycles, connecting to patterns, life/death periods, conscious surrender, care, nurture, compassion .. and more .. and more ...

The feminine can be felt easier in a woman's body, as she was organically formed to embody it naturally;

The feminine is not saying woman or man;

The feminine is saying conscious woman and conscious man;

The feminine is saying, let us dance together, appreciating our gifts and roles;

The feminine is saying, let go of ignoring me, let come of embracing me in our coming together;

The feminine is saying, life is generous and abundant, let us trust it beyond our limited mental frames;

The feminine is saying, stop doing what others love as duty, love what you do in responsibility;

The feminine is saying, we can connect through our hearts, let me show you the beauty of felt-perception, so you can be and become in community

Feminine qualities calling for embodiment 

Lyrical moments


circle, circle, come to play; 
spiral, spiral, through and sway;
wave, wave, flow our way;
square, square, the room with clay;
pyramid, pyramid, the peak is real;
angle, angle, the direction of the wheel;
swirl, swirl, the chaos of the street;
dance, dance, the rhythm of your beat;
silence, silence, into the stillness of our nature;
heart, heart, peace of mind in a responsive body posture;
circle, circle, come to play;




 (inspired by a beautiful 2 years old)

Monday, March 14, 2011

New Born

how come all this is happening in this present moment now ?

what is happening; a strong engagement of our felt perception; moving us in many ways wherever we are placed in this present moment;a common intense wave of change is rippling through the inner wall layers entering final stages of labor; let's feel it, feel the pain of expansion, listening to the inner breathing of another within us, uniting our breaths in syncronicity to reduce the pain and feel our way through ...

the holder engaging in a dance with a new born, wanting to show up at the right time, in his/her own natural way, asking us to hear him/her and respond with care;

the contractions are speeding up, and in between there is a resting period before another contraction comes without any warning;yes and by being carefully attentive, we can catch it at its start and breath with it to pass with ease; noticing how we expand preparing to receive this beautiful new born longing to join us, without knowing how he/she will look and what he/she will bring; just having deep faith that by our healthy holding and continuous conscious  nurturing of ourselves and hence the new born, we will be united with a pure soul who chose this family and community to actively participate in life ...

the time of birth is getting closer and closer, the water breaks and all emotions pour out, the unity of our togetherness is getting closer; a choice is presented; suppress the pain or stay in complete presence and acceptance;two experiences of different dynamics, in one we are absent from the connection as it shows up, we have released our responsibility to the hands of others who direct the body which has become senseless, and another choice where the intensity of the pain brings more intimate awareness of the process and the inner movement maintaining a connection that becomes a gift of knowing through feeling ...

the midwives support the mother, and the father's consciousness directs the drive and motivation .. with one final aligned rhythmical breath the new born shows up from a dark womb into a light space, into the arms of his/her nurturer and warmth of light;

the time has come to cut the chord; who does it, how is it done, when is it done; all necessary questions as the child is gently embraced int the new light he came to, as the child is gently guided to let go of the safety of the womb and its history entering into life with all his/her innocent energy and pure vibrations to bring conscious action in community, unfolding it nature with the nurture of culture and the beauty of human nature in a peaceful mind with an open heart and loving will, joining attention with intention, co-creating his/her life experience .....

a new born is alive and living amongst us, with us ...
a new born is here, breathing his/her unique breath into our collective breathing space ...
a new born ...

what if mother earth itself is birthing a new born child?
what if she is in her final stages of labor, feeling pain, unbearable pain with each contraction?
what if she is asking fro compassionate holding and attention, instead of premature birth, forced labor or surgical intervention ...?
what if ..?

and then who are the facilitators?
who are the midwives supporting her in the process, holding her and her unborn new born with loving care and attention?
who are the anaesthesiologists who prefer to suppress the pain, cutting off the senses?
who are the people who want to control the process away from deep listening which enables the natural birthing?
who are the unconscious who are fighting the delivery by creating obstacles, destroying lives, seeking an abortion?
who are the conscious fathers universally connected, and standing with awareness next to her guiding the process through their unconditional presence and love ?

who are we in this emerging new born story?

.....

Sunday, February 27, 2011

وعي ابعد من الطائفية

الكلمات افكار فكيف يمكننا ان ندافع و نصدق ما لم ينبع منّا
و ما هي هذه الفكرة و لماذا تأتي الآن ، فهي للتشويش
 و تشويش الذهن يبعدنا عن الاصل و الاتحاد
فكيف يمكننا ان نتكلم عن التقسيم و الانسانية تغني الوحدة و التوحيد
و كيف يمكننا ان نصدق ان حلقة دينية متناغمة مع بعضها البعض يمكنها ان تنصهر بسلام من دون الآخر
الا يدرون ان الانسان مميز باختلافه و ان  ما يجمعه هو الاخلاق و المبادىء و دوره في الحياة
الا يدرون ان الصورة الواحدة و اللون الواحد ممل لا يحرّك و لا يدفع الحياة الى الامام
فهذه راحة سطحية تبعد الحياة عن التطور و الاختيار من خيرات هذه الحياة الغنيّة
الا يدرون ان السلطة و القيادة الفعّالة هي القيادة الجماعية البنّاءة ،هي قيادة النفس لقيادة المجتمع
   ما اضيق النظرعندما لا نسمع الآخر و نراه بحقيقته من حقيقتنا
هنا هنا هنا 
يقولون الحياة صحية و لكنها مؤمنة من الخارج 
لا فالصحة تأمينها من الداخل 
فلا يمكن لأحد ان يسمع دقاتي العاطفية و يرى كمالي بل انا 
هيا استفيقوا الى العاصفة و ارجعوا الى نفسكم و اسمعوه ، اسمعوه باكمله فهو بانتظاركم، يحبكم ، احبوه 
هنا هنا هنا

HerStory ... تاريخها

لا، لا لن اسمع كلمات و افكار لا انسجم معها و اسكت
لا، لن اسمح للطاقة الموروثة  ان  تبقى قوة من دون سؤال
  فالطاقة في داخلنا تريد ان تظهر فهل يمكننا ان نسمع و نستمع لنغماتها
ما اسمى الحياة باكملها
اصوات و حركات في كل لحظة في صدر السكون، السكون الهي
فراغ يملئ ، نملاءه و ما نلبث ان نسبح على سطحه ناسين اعماقه
تاريخ، اين يقف التاريخ و لماذا تقفون عند زمن ولادة الاوطان والاديان في تلك الايام التي اصبحت اللغة مقريّة مكتوبة 
اليست هناك تاريخها (مؤنثة) غير مكتوبة بل محفورة في الطبيعة و موجودة في القلوب على الارض 
وكيف يمكنكم ايها القارئون في التاريخ ان تصلوا الى هذا التاريخ ما قبل التاريخ الذي رسمتموه بقرائتكم اياه و تصديق القصة و اعادة الحلقة نفسها، لانكم نسيتم الارض و ثمراتها ، لانكم نسيتم الفطرة و قلوبكم، لانكم تريدون واقع  فكري ملموس و لا تدرون ان الابداع ليس بدعة بل حقيقة مستوحاة من القلوب الخيرة التي تجتمع للخير 
ها هي هنا، و دقات قلبنا صدقها 
و تنفسنا مسارها ،  و نحن ابنائها
و نجتمع فنجمع ، و نخلق فنُخلق
آه ما امتع الحياة باكملها

River Tides

I am in this river, a tide with other tides
I carry my shape, and hold my energetic waves
I plunge so deep beyond my comfort zone at shore
I flow open to the surprises of nature's unfolding gifts
knowing I will connect with the other tides in sight
knowing we will co-create our dancing visible waves
protecting the movement of life's essence
bringing aliveness from our streams into this river
expanding towards another into a new ocean form
I am in this river, a tide with other tides

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

dear Gratitude

how can you, dear Gratitude, become the subject of mere servitude
how come, dear Gratitude, can your presence disturb the ego's attitude

oh, how absurd it is to take you, dear Gratitude, for granted away from life's essences
oh, how absurd it it to assume, dear Gratitude, that you show up under limited circumstances

life is abundant through your smile, dear Gratitude, how fully can you be appreciated
life is expansive through your humility, dear Gratitude, where the heart beats can be radiated

continue to show up, dear Gratitude, in every voice wave in existence
continue to connect us, dear Gratitude, with the greatness of our integrated conscious awareness

i love you, dear Gratitude, for your being
i love you, dear Gratitude, for your loving

Friday, February 4, 2011

Dance of the Feminine

a circle comes together
a circle that cares for the feminine power

a dancing conversation flows in rhythm
a dancing of creativity becomes the intuitive expression

a story-telling makes the connection
a story-making tells the authentic weave of life's cyclical communication

a circle comes together
a circle that cares for the feminine power

Monday, January 31, 2011

Riding the tide towards Collective Creativity


January 2011 is over ..
so quickly ..
so majestically ..
so intimately ..
so intensely ..
full of surprises ..

the ethical wave reaching its peak ..

the consciousness for individual presence within our collective cultures speaking ..

the warrior energies of emerging leaders coming forward to uproot the bad, infested old sprouts of growth which hogged the surface of the earth and stopped the cultivation of healthy seeds patiently waiting for their spread ..

the caring, nurturing energies of the feminine coming forward with strength through the arts and communication streams, flowing the voices of consciousness, receiving the deep incoming screams of freedom chants, opening space for interconnectedness and holding the movement with loving attention ...

integration coming forward with a mutual supportive and harmonious dance between technology and humanity on the ground, and social media and human connection through the online virtual spaces ...

awareness is now being called to come forward, so that the emergence showing up moves consciously through the present moment now into the next wave of CO-CREATION

the Paradox of Life and the Possibility of Life ....


my heart is aching and my heart is expanding -

i see the courage of the people standing up to speak from a place that has been suppressed for an overdue long time, i feel the tremble of the people who used control for power and oppression, i sense our earth's embrace through its solid grounds around our hearts, joining them together to sing a collective unifying song that brings a dance of peace into the atmosphere we breathe ...

with compassion,

Thursday, January 13, 2011

سقَطتْ ، سقَطتْ


سقَطتْ ، سقَطتْ
الا تدري ان السقوط هو بداية النهوظ
الا تدري ان في القعر بئر و نور يختار ما بين الغافلين و الواعين
الا تدري ان التراب شبِع سوادا و اصبح جاهزا للبياض و بذور الزرع الصالح للسلام
الا تدري ان السطح استفاق لاشراق الشمس في وضح النهار و الليل
الا تدري ان الجماعة افرادا من منبع واحد مجتمعين
الا تدري ان مياه الانهار و البحار تتصل، تصل الى القريب و البعيد
الا تدري ان القوة تاتي بالاتحاد و وحدة السلطة من قلب القلوب على هذه الارض
الا تدري ان الامهات هنا للدفء و الحنان والعناية و التواصل  
صرخة الام 
قفوا يا اولاد و اسمعوا نفسكم تحت رعايتي و حماية ابائكم
قفوا يا اولاد فالبيت بيتكم، لاتعبثوا باصله، واطفاله، و اقاربه، و عماله و زواره و اهله
قوموا يا اولاد من الوقعة و السقوط الى الوقوف و النهوض لبيتكم لبنان لبنان لبنان


Thursday, January 6, 2011

Making Homes and Learning Worlds


An energy shifts the centre of gravity from embodiment to application ...
An energy shifts the centre of gravity from enfoldment to unfoldment ...
We have the backbone
We have the capacity
We have the abundance of resources
We have the trust to follow the co-creation path 

We are the pillars upon which the homes of the children to be born will be built
We are the pillars upon which the learning world of the children to be born will be built 

The pillars will be consciously aware and steady, flexible and solid, intimate with the ground and space, integral to their roots and values ...
The pillars will co-initiate their positions in the land; individuals in a collective dance ...
The pillars will invite conscious workers into an enriching exchange network ....
The pillars will gather families and learners into a community of being and doing ...
The pillars will join each other and others to design and architect the emerging form ...
The pillars will bring conscious health into the bodies of organic structures  ...
The pillars will be consciously aware of life's eco dynamics, naturally setting climates supporting inner/outer vibrancies ...
The pillars will celebrate with each other and all who participate, each threshold of completion with dance and music, rhythm and melody, silence and reflection,

as now the partnership expands;

The home and learning world becomes one for all who join, 
consciously coming together and co-creating the aesthetics that respond to our active presence lifestyle;
consciously co-creating the art of our place;
consciously co-making the story of our relational playground;

and the story continues to unfold in time, in place, in the present moment now ....