“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

The excellence in sports, however, also involved the accepted thing to do. Sports even then were looked up to. Rewards were instantaneous for good performance. This involves black-and-white thinking again, however, for you thought of “perfect performance” in sports—high excellence. Something like the driveway usually involves an inner dilemma: “Shall I do creative work or physical activity?” in rather absolute terms.

The hay fever began early, the example set by your father, and you used it to temper your activities in terms of sports in particular, because your intents overall did not want you to go in that direction. You kept those physical abilities around, though—the feeling for sports—in school, with the idea that you could fall back upon them if need be. But you would have considered that a partial failure. Your high-school art teacher, Miss Bowman, lent you the money to study art in New York City.

Now give us a moment.... Those beliefs at that time helped give rise to further conservatism on Ruburt’s part. Now: in certain terms physical activity—sports—intrigued you. They were highly acceptable masculine pursuits. They were mainstream America. They allowed you to participate with others. To communicate with them on one level, while at other levels you preferred solitude, painting and writing; and you always observed.

Simple-enough incidents, like shoveling the driveway, can bother you because they arouse old conflicts having to do with your earlier situation and the decision, say, to explore your mental and creative abilities rather than to pursue the physical ones in the excellence of sports.

(Long pause.) Parents who are actually quite worried about their childrens’ susceptibility to illness often go overboard, stressing all kinds of sports and sports-related projects, but the children sense their parents’ unspoken fears, and they try to reassure their parents through achieving high goals or merit in sports programs.

(Here’s Seth to me in that January session:) You, for example, could have excelled at certain sports, where Ruburt had no such inclinations. You chose to concentrate on artistic endeavors as you grew and learned through various areas and periods — that is, you tried and enjoyed sports, and writing; and after a while you decided upon the painting self as the particular focus upon which you would build a life.

People in the sports arena also often encourage the concept that sexual expression is somehow debilitating to the male, and can weaken his constitution. [...]

[...] Right now it is socially fashionable to take up some kind of exercise, gym work, or strenuous sport, so it seems obvious that the general populace must have a great regard for the physical body. [...]

You, for example, could have excelled at certain sports, where Ruburt had no such inclinations. You chose to concentrate in artistic endeavors as you grew and learned through various areas and periods—that is, you tried and enjoyed sports, and writing; and after a while decided upon the painting self as your core of operation, and the particular focus upon which you would build a life.

[...] The love of sports and that identification always stayed with you; and because it is a strong element, you, with relative ease, now, dismissed the symptoms that you had before the sessions began. [...]

[...] (Long pause.) You are to some degree a sports-minded culture. Sports are regarded as an enviable field of endeavor. [...]

[...] Your own physical attributes and sports proficiency saw that kind of extension physically translated. [...]

[...] You both felt an honest and deep compassion for other people, however: even winning in a sports event, you felt sorry for the loser. [...]

(Very slowly:) For a while you (underlined) considered the possibility of adopting a “handicap,” such as one might in sports. [...]

[...] Adults may break a bone skiing, or indulging in some other sport, and still be very healthy. [...]

[...] And perhaps had a connection with a school or sports.” [...] The job involved teaching children various games, for the school or sports connection.

[...] And perhaps (underlined) had a connection with a school or sports.

[...] In this one you provided yourself with a background that included sports and the love of the body, knowing it would sustain you.

[...] It happened that a TV program was showing segments of various sports [the sound was off] at the moment. [...]

(One image Jane had while speaking was of Barbara’s boyfriend Dick, and of the very colorful plaid sports jacket he wore. [...]

[...] Remember also that while giving the data Jane had an image of Barbara’s boyfriend, Dick, wearing a brightly-colored sports jacket Jane saw him wearing today.

[...] Norma A may enjoy action, sports, dancing and bodily activities, while Norma B may prefer reading, walking, or painting.

[...] Do you read the front page and ignore sports, or vice versa? [...]

(“A dark or darkish brown coat, the color of some uniforms,” is a reference to a sports coat of corduroy that Jane bought me for Christmas; this is indicated by the Penny’s sales slip for December 18. [...]

[...] Then when we went shopping we picked out my sport coat in a similar color, although I believe neither of us thought of any such connection at the time.

[...] First imagine that during the daily programming there are three soap operas, four news programs, several excellent dramas, a few operas, some popular music, several religious sermons, and some sports programs. [...]

When our Wilford dramatically cries out to his mistress: “I am afraid my wife will learn of our affair,” then the symphony playing on another station becomes melodramatic, and the sports program shows that a hero fumbles the football. [...]

[...] Animals were tortured in sport. [...]

Now the bodybuilders and sports teams have coaches, who remind them constantly of the goal in mind, and arouse their enthusiasm. [...]

Many subsidiary issues fall into place there—the attempt at time to follow along the lines of sports, to cooperate, to hide the womanly nature of which you are basically ashamed. [...]