Taoism and the Uncarved Block

I’ve come to the conclusion that I am a Taoist by nature. It's more of a way of life than a religion. I’ve also come to the conclusion that I am in fact Winnie the Pooh who apparently also is a Tao master. Each character in the Pooh universe had their own distinct personality that’s what made each character lovable.

I had always enjoyed the complexity of Winnie the Pooh, but had never realized that I identified with him. I have clumsy moments where I get myself into trouble like he did with the too-much-honey-rump-stuck-in-the-door trick. He has untold wisdom spouts that are few and far between like when he used logic to walk himself and Piglet out of the forest Rabbit helped them get lost in.

He cherishes the simple pleasures in life like honey. My simple pleasures are chocolate, poppy seeds on muffins (they come from opium flowers), turkey meat, but also honey; no drugs for me thanks (other than the poppy seeds I guess). Also, like Pooh the process of preparing and eating the food is as good as the food itself; I’ve been known to stare into my empty cup that once held lemonade wishing there were more.

Effortlessly calm, I usually never blow my top; you have to sink pretty low to do so. I love sitting and pondering with a “Think, Think, Think…” My family is a combination of these characters from the 100 acre woods. My mother frets like Eeyore, my brother is long-winded and knowledgeable like Owl, and my father drifts in and out of the story long enough to call us all silly like Christopher Robin.

Like Winne the Pooh and his rhymes, another trait of the uncarved block appears to be coming up with spontaneous poetry and songs. As a Black person trying to understand her people, this could explain Black people’s love of music. Rap is like poetry, sometimes ghetto poetry, but poetry none the less. One of my favorite Black styles is when “poetry slam” meets jazz music as poets express melodic and passionate rhymes to the beat of the music.

One of my professors is also an uncarved block. The “uncarved block” (because I know you’re wondering) is a Tao master or a person who is untainted by the modern order of the world. He is forty, but he acts like a five year old maintaining a sense of wonder, always asking questions, and in tune with his playful nature.

Money has little importance to him; he isn’t tainted by the need to feel important by making a lot of money (or more money than his wife for example). He loves to play basketball probably for the coordination, grace, and rhythm of the sport; basketball could be perceived as a “masculine” form of competitive dance when thought of in this way.  I share a love of moment, but as a woman I feel comfortable doing ballet for expression.

He’s calm and quiet although I feel it’s been misinterpreted by people as being cold, calculating and apathetic. He has passion and I think that’s why he liked my essays for class so much. He has compassion whether he realizes it or not; he told us once that he “hates people”, but it’s probably because the way people use and abuse each other is absurd. He’s an uncarved block and we share so many qualities in common. I consider him a very interesting and special friend.