Conversations with ego: "Starting a Pod"

ego: Oh good grief! Now you've gone and done it.

Mike: Done what!

ego: I told you not to start that "pod" thing. Why won't you listen to me! Don't we have enough problems in our current relationships? I don't get it, aren't you happy with our spiritual path, the meditating, the practices and techniques, the reading books and listening to tapes? Why do you have to go and create more problems in our life?

Mike: Uh...well, I'm not so sure I need to define conflicts in my life as "problems" and besides, I thought we agreed that ‘engagement' was important to my spiritual path?

ego: Yes! Of course engagement is important. But on our terms!
Don't you understand, you'll have little, if any, control of the direction things may take in this "pod" you started. If you start "engaging" all over creation you will no doubt expose all your idiosyncrasies, defects of character, shadow zones, and who knows what else. Do we really need to air out all our dirty laundry, Mike? Huh!

Mike: Seems to me it's more about your "terms" and, of course, you only want to see what you can get out of the deal. Maybe by airing your dirty laundry I can finally clean up your messes. You haven't become very handy in cleaning things up, but you sure can make the messes. Maybe I need to get a little help from others and stop completely relying on you.

ego: Alright, fine! But don't come crying to me when you get your head handed to you because you said something stupid and you get clobbered with it. If your gonna do this then I can't protect you anymore from the consequences.

Mike: Really!? Oh happy days! Are you saying I'm finally free of you!

ego: uh... well...wait a minute, let's not be too hasty now, Mike, I mean... of course I'll help you sometimes...just maybe not as much.
I mean... who knows maybe one day you'll become a famous "pod master" or maybe "Master of all Pods" or something like that. Wow! Think of that! And when that happens you're gonna need me, Mike, make no mistake. Yep, I'd better hang around then, just in case.

Mike: Oh good grief...(sigh)