Overheard Starbuck

"Water is down; it finds the lowest places. Fire rises, flares up as it burns things down. --Doesn't that sound Taoist?"
---"I don't chop wood for fuel. I don't carry water from streams or wells. I don't depend upon stored root vegetables to survive the winter. .. All my tools are rusty and my knives are dull. -- I can barely tie my shoes.--Plus I hate words that end in 'ist'".
"Then again water falls from the sky and fire burns in hell below."
---"Or 'ism'--I can't stand words that end in 'ism' either."
"I think I prefer the images and buzz-phrases people glean from ancient religions and philosophies then the actual teachings. Especially made-in-America popularizations of Asian scriptures. ..There's more space created by words when their history and context are unknown or misconstrued. It's cosmic."
--"I thought it was lazy minds scanning self-help books."
"Too bad I was taught to be a Christian and didn't happen upon it out of curiosity like I did Voodoo and Buddhism. Christianity could've been fun--less of a boil that needs periodic lancing."
---"You had me going with that fire and water nonsense. Next time take it easy with the nutmeg, ok?"