"There's a thread you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn't change."
— William Stafford, The Way It Is
The rest of this poem describes how others may not see the thread, and how explaining it is beside the point. What matters is following it—not because it leads somewhere guaranteed, but because it is real, and it is there, and it does not require the world's agreement to continue.
Self-will often loses track of this thread. It gets pulled by obligation, comparison, the pressure to produce or perform. Something grows faint. But the thread, Stafford suggests, doesn't disappear when we lose sight of it. The work—if it can be called that—may simply be returning our attention to what has been quietly holding a direction all along.
Egos Anonymous is offered in an experimental spirit—an invitation to see whether there’s interest in a shared way of working with ego, self-will, and control. The language, structure, and practices are still forming and are meant to grow through lived experience.
This is a soft launch. The hope is to eventually gather a year of reflections into a book, but for now they’re simply being shared—one day at a time—to see what resonates.
If something feels useful, confusing, incomplete, or off, feedback is welcome and genuinely appreciated. This work is meant to be shaped together.
