{"id":26899,"date":"2020-10-19T17:28:54","date_gmt":"2020-10-20T00:28:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=26899"},"modified":"2020-10-19T17:28:54","modified_gmt":"2020-10-20T00:28:54","slug":"knowings-edge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/knowings-edge\/","title":{"rendered":"Knowing\u2019s Edge"},"content":{"rendered":"

The inside of Knowing\u2019s Edge<\/em> is unlike anything I have ever seen. Thick, overstuffed armchairs dot the room and eclectic artwork lines the walls. Long wooden tables with dinner\u2019s remains await to be cleaned, but no one actively makes their way to do so. The room itself is dimly lit with a thin haze of smoke filling the air. A strange tension hangs in the room, one that seems poised on the edge of something great about to happen but is simultaneously tinged with a sense of anxiety and dread. I shrug out of my traveler\u2019s cloak and hang it on a peg by the door. A chill runs through my body as I move toward the Innkeeper, a portly man with a long mustache and twinkling eyes.\"Fantasy<\/p>\n

\u201cHaven\u2019t see you before,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve just started my journey,\u201d I say, taking a seat at the bar.<\/p>\n

He nods. \u201cI can see that. You don\u2019t have the wear and tear of one who has been on the road for long like some of these others.\u201d<\/p>\n

He gestures to the rest of the room where five others are scattered about.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you get much business?\u201d I ask.<\/p>\n

The Innkeeper chuckles. He fills a mug with fragrant spiced wine and passes it to me. \u201cThere\u2019s a steady stream of people. Most pass on to the next stage of their journey soon after arriving while others\u201d \u2013 he shoots a glance toward the five \u2013 \u201clike to stay for a bit. These five are regulars, you see.\u201d<\/p>\n

I look at the five regulars, taking a sip of my wine as I do. \u201cMaybe you can help me,\u201d I ask. \u201cHas a Pilgrim passed by here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHaven\u2019t seen the Pilgrim in a long time,\u201d the Innkeeper says. \u201cThey eventually pass this way though, if you\u2019d like to wait a while.\u00a0 Take a load off and I\u2019ll grab you some of my famous stew.\u201d<\/p>\n

I nod and the Innkeeper hustles toward the kitchen. By now, the five regulars are staring at me from their respective tables. Feeling uncomfortable, I grab my mug and take a seat across from the nearest one, who has a sketchpad laying before them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s quite chilly outside,\u201d I remark.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t know,\u201d they say airily. Paint smudges their cheek and charcoal lines their fingers.<\/p>\n

I sit there awkwardly in silence for a time. \u201cT-The Innkeeper says that you and you friends are regulars here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course we are. We are the ones who inhabit the immediate space between Knowledge and the Unknown. We refer to ourselves as the \u2018Edgelings\u2019 if you will.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEdgelings?\u201d I ask.<\/p>\n

They nod. \u201cWe are the ones poised to seek the unknown at a moment\u2019s notice. It isn\u2019t a matter of \u2018if\u2019 so much as \u2018when\u2019 for us. My compatriots are the Explorer, the Psychotherapist, the Scientist, and the Entrepreneur. And I, my friend, am the Artist.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am the Expert,\u201d I say with a slight bow.<\/p>\n

The Artist laughs. \u201cAn Expert? Is there truly such a thing?\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019m taken aback. \u201cI\u2019m sorry?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Artist chuckles. \u201cMy friend, if there is one thing we have all learned from staying at Knowing\u2019s Edge<\/em> and the Unknown, it\u2019s that those who claim to be \u2018Experts\u2019 are simply those who grew tired of the Journey and created a Tower for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI, well, yes. But I did not <\/em>get tired of the Journey. I simply found the end of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Artist laughs. \u201cAh, you truly are an \u2018Expert\u2019 then.\u201d They raise their glass mockingly. \u201cTell me, why are you at Knowing\u2019s Edge,<\/em> then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Tavern<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026was discontent.\u201d<\/p>\n

The others perk up at this. \u201cDiscontent?\u201d the Scientist asks.<\/p>\n

I nod.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith what, exactly?\u201d the Entrepreneur asks, taking a seat next to me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026I\u2019m not sure exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re at the right place then,\u201d the Explorer laughs.<\/p>\n

I look at them curiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully you\u2019ll will stay a while. I would like to look deeper into this,\u201d the Psychotherapist says, studying me closely.<\/p>\n

The attention is growing more and more uncomfortable. The Artist looks me up and down. \u201cYou\u2019re looking for the next stage of your Journey. But you\u2019re not sure where to go yet, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n

I nod slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve found that the best way to figure out where to go is to simply not go anywhere,\u201d the Explorer says jubilantly.<\/p>\n

I look at the Explorer in shock. \u201cBut\u2026you\u2019re an Explorer. Isn\u2019t \u2018going somewhere\u2019 part of your identity?\u201d<\/p>\n

They nod. \u201cOf course. But how do I know if I\u2019m going somewhere new if I haven\u2019t taken the time to ferment on the edge? You see, we all have an idea of where we should <\/em>go, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s the place we will<\/em> go or if it\u2019s even the best choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2026do nothing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the moment at least. I follow my intuition. The time will come when I leave, but it won\u2019t be a moment before. That\u2019s the thing with exploration: It can take you anywhere you want to go, but only if you\u2019re patient and have support. There\u2019s always some kind of risk involved.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the same for all of us,\u201d the Entrepreneur says. \u201cIn our professions, there is always some risk involved. For the Artist, they must learn to inhabit that creative space. For the Scientist, they must be comfortable with deviating from what has already been established. I mean, how many scientific discoveries came from playing it safe? For the Psychotherapist, working with people is always a risk. You never know what you\u2019re going to get in there. They always have to check their assumptions at the door and unknow what they think they know. For myself, I have to give myself the space to fail. I can\u2019t tell you how many of my ideas tanked.\u201d They all laugh at that.<\/p>\n

The Artist nods. \u201cWe don\u2019t know your story, Expert. But we commend you for taking the step out of the Tower. That in and of itself is a huge risk. We don\u2019t know where you\u2019ll be going next, but as long as you\u2019re here at Knowing\u2019s Edge, <\/em>we\u2019ll let you process whatever it is you need.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019m humbled by their kind words. Bowing my head in thanks, I lift my mug in a toast.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Images taken from:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/fmikeart\/art\/Fantasy-tavern-641291975<\/p>\n