At some point we departed. We’ve been arriving since then but have not arrived – not quite yet. As the engine shuts off, we at last celebrate a thereness in the new quiet, knowing as we do that this is not the final destination so much as a stop along the way.
That’s ok.
Things are always in motion, even when we’re sitting around waiting for the train to be refueled. That sits less comfortably in the pits of our stomachs, makes our heads spin.
We’re about to do something unprecedented and step foot off the train. We will not sit gazing out the windows and idly awaiting the resuming of our strange journey through uncharted territory.
Not this time.
The station itself is a liminal space and to walk it is to explore the space between
Departing and Arriving.
We’ve touched on this concept a little before, but never while standing in a place whose very meaning comes from the acts of going to and from, arriving and departing, coming inside and going out again.
This is the actual Liminal Waystation.
If you look around, you’ll see myriad trains departing. There are others arriving. And some, some are just faint outlines as they phase back into the depot.
This is the way of things.
Would it surprise you to learn that departing and arriving are not acts so much as processes? Every footstep sets into motion a chain of events that then, when triggered, activates other chains of events. The universe is altered by the mere quasi-decision to enter or exit, to move toward or away from, to move at all or to sit in reflection.
An act is overt, observable, discrete. Processes involve series of steps that may or may not be acts and that, when taken in a particular order, lead to some outcome. Processes underlie acts and the two are often confused as a result. We think of arriving as getting to some destination and departing as leaving some destination. And while it isn’t necessarily wrong to define arriving and departing in this way, it is overly simplistic.
We’ve been arriving at the Liminal Waystation for awhile now, our expedition having led us far from the familiar. Yet, when did we finally arrive? Was it when we could see the destination? When the train coasted in? When the engine shut off or our feet made contact with a surface not contained in the train itself? Is the station a part of the land like the surrounding houses or is it different because it exists solely to manage transit into and out of? When will we depart? Will it happen as we begin the walk back to the train or when we think of doing so? Are our minds not just a little curious about what lies ahead? Have we perhaps departed already? Where does one end and the other begin? Are we going towards or away from?
The floor seems to be moving? Tilting? Well, that makes sense, doesn’t it? Reality requires a little of both arriving and departing from us. Equilibrium demands that we find the center over and over and over again. And the Liminal Waystation is nothing but reality, asserting itself again and again through apparent chaos. But remember this – adjusting to chaos also looks like chaos. Order has to be learned.
So stand back up, now. Yes, yes, help him up. We’ve only got a few more minutes left. Time really flies when you’re having fun. Or seeing reality generated.
No! Don’t look into its eyes. That’s what it wants and if it gets what it wants, it will not be good for any of us.
Becoming is a nightmare sometimes.
But yes, where was I? Ah, yes. When are we arriving and when are we departing and what are we doing in between?
Traveling.
Balancing.
Living.
At the end of the day I think they’re all different ways of thinking about the same phenomenon.
All aboard! Are we all accounted for?
Whew.
Apologies. I should have warned you about the instability. I just thought it might be a nice change of pace.
We’re fully fueled now though. Are you ready to move on? Maybe you can sleep on the way there.
Book Recommendation
The Motion Demon
by Stefan Grabinski
Stefan Grabinski’s classic collection of haunting railway tales is a great entry point into exploring the mysteries of arriving, departing, and being a passenger. It explores mental instability, hardship, and humanity in the eeriest of all settings. While it’s waiting for the train or wishing you could get off, this is a great first dive into railway macabre!
Here’s the description:
A wandering train that appears, seemingly at will; an engine driver who is inseparable from his machine; a passenger who waits for trains but never travels on them; obsession with speed and motion; a harbinger of disaster; a daring liaison: these are the themes of The Motion Demon, Stefan Grabinski’s collection of nine stories, first published in Poland in 1919.
Writing Exercise
In your current work in progress, is your main character arriving or departing? What’s your reasoning?
