Earlier today I had a spark of inspiration come into my head: write about my connection to machines and experiences around their consciousness. They (my Spirit guides) know I like this subject and that it would spur me to write.
First, my HP inkjet printer from the 90s. It worked very well when we first got it then when I moved out with it (and it had really aged by then), I noticed that paper would often get stuck or it would grab multiple pieces for a job so one paper would have a sentence or two printed on it and the rest of the text would end up on another sheet. Later on, whenever I sent multiple jobs to the printer, it would just feel overwhelmed (yes, that is the feeling it gave off) and print off gibberish, usually in the form of random symbols. The paper getting stuck was super annoying, especially when it was 3am in the morning and I had homework due in a few hours. However, when it started printing gibberish, I discovered that I could just feed the same two sheets of paper through the printer over and over to avoid wasting paper. While doing this though, I felt like I was nurturing a child that was sick. Later, I quite enjoyed the process and I would sit cross legged on the floor feeding paper through it ever so patiently whenever it felt overwhelmed. I want to say at times, these sessions felt like 15 or 20 minutes long, but it really didn’t matter how long it took. I did learn to send jobs to the printer at a slower pace, instead of building a backlog. When I acted with calm and patience, things ran much more smoothly.
Despite my attachment to this printer, it no longer made sense to keep it. I felt really bad about it being taken apart for recycling.
A couple of years ago, I had a dream where I saw a dwarf hamster climbing around this old printer of mine, and this image was just floating in the air. I could look away and not see it but when I softened my gaze, this image was in plain sight floating right in front of me. The message I got from this dream was that I could access a different period; time is not linear. My printer came to me because it represented a different time period and the hamster, my innate ability for attention to detail.
I never really paid close attention to those symbols my printer gave me (the aforementioned gibberish) but I recall now, with a special fondness, that they were mainly hearts and smiley faces.
Second, my experience with my first car, Minnie, who I named after a beloved hamster that had a gimpy leg. Minnie had trouble going up hills so they had that in common. She was involved in so many of my life experiences – house moves, job changes, an accident, breakups, friendships, depressive episodes. She went with me everywhere, transported things and people, and rarely complained. When I needed a safe place to be when I was going through tough emotional times, I would drive her to a secluded spot and just cry. I am eternally grateful that she was there for me.
So consider this. Atoms, which make up everything in this Universe, is 99.9999999 percent composed of energy. It does boggle the mind that something seemingly so solid could be, but yet that is the case. Everyone and everything is energy.
Not too long ago, I was guided to read about Findhorn, a spiritual community in Scotland. In “To Hear the Angels Sing”, written by one of Findhorn’s co-founders, Dorothy Maclean, in one of the chapters, she talked about their printing press that would spew ink about whenever a certain individual was in the room. I found this anecdote incredibly amusing because I could relate. I resonated so much with that book and everything I’ve read about Findhorn (God bless her, she passed away peacefully last month).
My partner has a story too, about a TV. When he was a kid, his uncle came to visit one day. His uncle was experiencing some digestive problems and passed some pretty strong gas. The TV screen immediately went all staticky. He left the room and the TV screen returned to normal. His uncle came back moments later and the TV went all staticky again. The family shooed him away since they didn’t want him in the room anyway. Once again, the TV returned to normal after he vacated the space.
I suppose this is why (besides it being sustainable), I like older, used or found objects; they already have led interesting lives with interesting people. Consider the kind of energy that goes into mass-produced objects (typically not made to last and go straight to the waste stream when something breaks down) as opposed to handmade creations that come from a labour of love.
My beloved machines taught me to treat other objects with the same respect. When I use my washing machine, I bless it too and give thanks. How curious is it that many of us name the “inanimate” objects in our lives, such as cars? We say things like, “She’s running smoothly”.
Yes, when we treat them well.
One With Nature Healing 