Cafe at the Edge

The word-for-word, pen-to-paper nature of the scribing captures the experience of awakening, which in turn, can be re-experienced by simply reading The Telling.

Jon scribed every word because according to Jon, Dove’s words “fall from his lips in perfect measure, returning me more fully to myself in a spontaneous bottomless adventure.” Like jazz, a dialogue develops where words can emerge slowly, quickly and sometimes from multiple directions. They can end abruptly and take turns digressing down fresh pathways like a “bob-sled” in shifting rhythms. The scribing sets a pace for the interaction between Dove and Jon to hold the edge, allowing a precise account that captures the “essence of the expansion”.

Jon comes to Dove weekly with the ‘edges’ he is exploring in daily life that has a dual function - it "grounds" the dialogue in ordinary circumstances of a real human life in "real time", which in turn, serves to bring through universal principles to which the reader can relate.

Dove serves as a clear witness to the subtlest soul level that Jon is willing to explore. In the Griot tradition, Dove’s responses exemplify an extraordinary ability to accurately “wrap words” around the subtlest of realities many consider unutterable, with “perfect pitch”, making the “extraordinary accessible in ordinary ways”.

Jon then returns to his everyday life in a clearer state. Over the ensuing week, more ‘edges’ emerge for the next session. Dove and Jon have met weekly for three years in a cafe in San Diego. They continue to meet weekly on the same day for 2 to 4 hours  where mostly ”every appointment has been kept”.

The Telling takes on a life of its own. Each chapter heading was inspired by a later and individual reading of The Telling - a natural story line was revealed. The Telling follows the timeline of the meetings and we continue to learn from The Telling.

Some minor editing from the original scribing was undertaken for the purpose of clarity. The art is conceived and rendered by Dove and placed in the chapters by Jon. The image on the home page is by permission of Doc Ross.