[July 2001 journal entry]
Remaining focused on and moving along a ‘non-religious’ path add a layer of complexity to relationships with individuals who are not traveling a similarly ‘non-religious’ path (e.g., spouse, children, extended family, friends, co-workers, . . .). Since a ‘non-religious’ path must by definition be ‘lived’, withholding my core thoughts from my relationships with individuals who are not so traveling is not an option. Nor is expecting or insisting that only my perspectives can/should shape these relationships an option. Managing the obvious dissonance must be a high priority. Staying well within the edges of the spectrum – one edge being ‘completely hidden/misunderstood’ and the opposite edge being ‘completely open’ – is a helpful indirect way to assess how I am managing the dissonance.
