the establishment

We like to think we are free spirits, at least I do.  But when push comes to shove, the establishment is always there.  Even when I can see the point, it can be irksome.  Like the time I was sitting on a shopping mall couch, waiting.  It was a long wait and I was weary and stiff, so at some point I kicked off my shoe and tucked my foot under me, wriggling to get comfortable.  It took about 30 seconds for the CCTV blokes to notice my 'impropriety' and send a security guard to politely request that I sit properly.  Sigh.

It is a question of what we see, I suppose.  Some would see someone comfortable in the centre, the management sees someone sloppy.  One person sees the misery behind a shop having to close, another sees the fear created by papered windows; the centre management sees lost revenue, full stop.  We could see people who are sad or happy, bored or searching ... the management mostly sees entities who will spend money or enhance prestige.

Our spiritual guide, John, tells how his teacher helped a blind man, gave him his sight.  John and his friends saw a man who had been given the most amazing gift.  The religious authorities saw people doing something against their rules.  The physical blindness of the man became a metaphor for the blindness of the establishment, people who couldn't see past their rules to true life.