A Funny Thing Happened On My Way To Shangrila

Some of us are always trying to look behind the curtain (If you remember- for those of you who have seen the movie- in the Wizard of Oz, when the dog Toto reveals the man behind the curtain to be the actual Wizard). We seem to always be attempting to pierce the veil of the world around us. We just don't always go about it in the right way.
I believe the real trick to seeing the world around us, is not by vision, but by perception. Most of us, myself included, are always viewing only that part of the world that is right in front of us. Tunnel-vision, if you will. When in actuality, to pierce the "veil of reality", we need to step back, and widen what is being seen to include everything that is around us. The world truly is a marvelous place, and the simplest of things can be astounding to behold when observed in the right "light". Of course, it's not always easy to trick our perception into seeing the true nature of the world around us. It's why marijuana was -probably still is- such a popular drug, and also psychologically addictive. In my younger years, I would definitely say I was an addict.  But as with anything that is abused, it creates it own set of problems, which, in the end, overshadow any benefit. At least in my case. So, I moved on. 
 Shangrila, defined in the dictionary as a remote idyllic hideaway, is not really any one particular location, as in the stories, but resides directly behind your eyes, and can be anywhere you happen to be. Most of us are looking for Shangrila in one way or another. Call it whatever you like, happiness, peace, home, the place we belong in the world, or whatever you prefer. But like the Chinaman, who no matter where he goes, is always home, because he carries China in his heart, that is also where Shangrila is as well. So, you see, we really don't have to go looking for it. It's right here inside. We just have to figure out how to open the door.
Sound familiar? It's been said before. And probably much more eloquently at that.