LifeCentering

The New Year

2012-01-11T12:36:00.000-08:00

As we begin a New Year

(An election year)

It will be important tomaintain a sense of

Equilibrium and patience.

It will take each of usexercising our right as citizens

To vote using due diligence

To elect those whose primaryinterest

Consists of following thewishes of their

CONSTITUANTS!

Memories of the Good Old Days

2011-12-26T10:59:00.000-08:00

You remember the “good old days”don’t you? Those were the days wealways think back upon when we feel like today isn’t so good. There is probably a 50/50 chance that thosedays were as good as it gets and since then it has all been downhill. I remember old times and activities that aredifferent from my current experiences. There were the holidays when all of our extended family members got togetherfor great dinners, music and games! Iremember when my dad or mom would sit down at the piano and play the songseveryone knew (the music of the 1930’s and early ‘40’s). Often dad would play one of his severalguitars. One I was particularly fond ofwas the steel guitar. There were a lot of the big band songs, patriotic songsfrom the First World War and, of course, popular ballads of the time. Sometimes we would play the old 78 RPMrecords—the Mills Brothers, Glenn Miller, and a lot of artists you probablynever heard of. Yes, THOSE were thegood times!

Oh, come on! Get over it! The other 50 % of the time things were rotten! People didn’t treat each other well,siblings weren’t always nice to each other. And sometimes we just didn’t feel like singing, well, maybe theblues! Depending on the era duringwhich you made your entry to this world of wonders, you were stressed by theGreat Depression (most likely it was your parents who were stressed and you“inherited” it). Or maybe it was thehostility of a world war. You couldhave come along later when nothing seem to matter—the 50’s “Beatnik”generation. Whenever it was that youshowed up, it was what it was. Whetheryou ever got over it or not was up to you. And it still is!

Sometime, sooner or later, weneed to “flush” the negativity that has become our memory of those “good olddays.” Maybe the memory of theactivities the family engaged in really does feel like the better times, the“home” place in your heart where what you did then represented the mostimportant times of your life. My imageof family gatherings in early 1940’s are among the strongest I have. Of course, I get sentimental about the homewe lived in, the neighborhood and neighbors (all of whom knew each other backthen). But I also remember theneighborhood bully who ripped my Christmas Teddy Bear out of my hands and threwit in a mud puddle. It was never quitethe same after that, but I kept it for years.

We have to be somewhat carefulabout how we remember the past. There is certainly nothing wrong with having the memories, but if wetend toward thinking of them as the good that will never be in our life again,we are doomed to regress and withdraw from our current reality. When a place where we used to live is moreimportant to us than where we are living, we may not be really living at all interms of benefiting from our present experience.

Christmas for 2011 is nowover. The presents have been opened andenjoyed. For many the family hasgathered, broken bread and shared in the love of being together. For those living far apart, as most familiesseem to today, modern technology has made it possible to share directly throughphone or Internet. It is almost like beingthere, but not quite. Whatever ourexperience, we have set in motion thoughts and feelings that will forever be apart of our memories. How we choose tocharacterize our experience will tend to be how it influences us down theroad. It is not really what theevent was like that is important. It ishow we remember it from now on.

As we look forward to the NewYear and new adventures, new growth, and even new challenges, we will be makinga choice as to how we face life, and thus how the events influence our future memories. It is possible to adopt the attitude that thebest is yet to be. We can cherishthe wonder of today and defuse whatever negative charge still exists in ourmemories by realizing that all that has gone before has made us who and what weare today. And it is likely that we arebetter, richer and more blessed than we think. The New Year will be what itis. How we choose to experience it isup to us. It is our choice.

May you choose the best that canbe! May you make this the best yearever!

Sunday Morning

2011-10-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

The look out the window this morning presented me with my excuse for not walking today. Yes, today it is raining. And yes, sometimes it doesn’t take much to discourage me from doing something I know is good for me. But enough of that. This morning I am going to share breakfast with you. We’ll take the walk another day.

When I was just a pre-teen kid I learned to make biscuits and pancakes from scratch. No pre-mixed stuff. Get the flour, the baking powder, the shortening, etc. and mix it up. Seems to me my chin was not much above the drain board at the time. I credit my dad with my early lessons in cooking, since he was often the first one up. His early rising most likely came from his days as a postal carrier when you had to get there early to sort the mail and get out on the route. In those days the carriers made twice-daily deliveries. (Can you imagine that? Now they are talking about getting rid of Saturday deliveries and closing post offices.)

In the years since my early biscuit and pancake making days, Bisquick and other premixes for biscuits and pancakes came out in the stores. Well, I was not about to give in to the lazy man’s way to cook! Shortly after getting married, I started mixing up my own batches of biscuit mix and storing it for use through the weeks. I think, obviously, that my mixes were every bit as good as the premixes. Many years later I finally gave up and started using them.

Now that you have my personal cooking background, it’s time for breakfast. Here is what was on the table this morning: Special pancakes (recipe follows), two eggs and lots of coffee. While I admit to starting my pancakes with a premix like Bisquick, it is all original after that. Here goes . . .

1 egg

Chopped walnuts

Cran-raisins

All bran

Raw oatmeal

Milk (powdered or fresh)

Vanilla

Sugar

Bisquick

Beat the egg, add all bran, oatmeal, cran-raisins, walnuts, sugar, milk, and vanilla and mix well. Then add the biscuit mix and gently mix. If you have to ask what portions of the ingredients to use, just forget it and go back to reading the morning paper. I’ll finish getting breakfast! I am an intuitive cook. The upside is always a surprise. The down side is that it is often difficult to get it as good the next time. (I could tell you many stories about experiments.) But, hey, that’s what is fun about cooking.

Oh, by the way, if you eat as many pancakes as I do, you are making a mistake! But they are so good and the pain doesn’t last forever! Pancake mix just isn’t good as a left over no matter what anybody says, and I don’t like waste (so I add waist instead!).

Bon appetite!

Saturday Morning

2011-10-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

Oh, I just did not want to do it!

But as I sat at my computer getting ready to catch up on the overnight news feeds and any mail that might have come in (rare for me on Friday night/Saturday morning), I glanced out of my window and saw that the morning clouds were beginning to break. Spots of blue sky and sun began showing up. Instead of the rain I hoped would give me an excuse for staying in my comfy chair listening to music and reading the news, I had to get going.

So I put on my shoes, layered my shirt and hoodie and headed out into the 56-degree morning for my regular walk in Greenway Park. For the first ten minutes or so my body protested. Tendons tightened, muscles didn’t want to flex and my feet hurt! What the heck am I doing out here? Then, as magically as turning a corner, my body relaxed into the pace and a whole new world of sensation opened up for me.

The trails in Greenway Park that wander in part along Fanno Creek were rich this morning in brilliant greens. The sun highlighted the dew on the grass. The squirrels scurried around gathering their winter stores. The big crows, ever present, were picking whatever they could from the grounds. Then came the freshness of the morning air into my nostrils. There is nothing like an Oregon morning after the rain.

We had an unusually dry summer so I have walked these trails every morning. There are certain folks I see every morning and though we don’t break our walks to stop and speak, it feels like we have developed a camaraderie as we greet each other.

By the time I have reached my two to three miles, depending on the course I follow, I am ready to head home. Coat comes off, hat in hand so the perspiration can evaporate helping to cool me down. I have to admit it gets harder all the time to climb the stairs to my second floor apartment after the walk, but oh my, does it ever feel good once I have!

I plan to take my camera for my next walks. The trees will be turning soon and a whole new beauty will grace my path. Hope to share them with you later.

In Memorium--Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs Commencement Address at Stanford (A Must Read)

I originally posted this on June 17, 2009.

With appreciation to the folks at “The View From Outside My Tiny Window” blog, who brought this item to the attention of their readers, I am also recommending this address. Not only is it an insightful look into the life of Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Corporation, but it is also a compelling story marking a path for success in business and in life. If you are a graduate or know one, I urge the reading of this address. Click the URL below or cut and paste it into the address line of your browser.

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

Bike Paths and Walkways

2011-09-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

This post is a little different from my usual subjectmatter, but given the popularity of cycling today I think it is an importantconsideration.

I am a retired senior who takes daily morning walks of twoto three miles along the Greenway Park bike/pedestrian trails inBeaverton. It is a lovely area thatserves the neighborhood well and is a safe way for bicycle riders to commute totheir workplaces. Unfortunately, themajority of those riders have not learned to use rider etiquette of announcingwhen they are passing a walker from behind. Courtesy suggests ringing a bell or announcing, “Passing on yourleft.” This allows the walker to safelystay to one side. My gait is not alwaysas straight as it used to be and from time to time I stumble to the right orleft. This has caused me to narrowlyescape injury more than once from a speeding cyclist passing at the same timeas I waver.

One morning this week as I walked along I met another walkercoming toward me. Just as we reachedthe same spot a cyclist whizzed in between us without notice. The other walker could see him coming, but Icould not and also could not hear him coming. The path is barely five feet wide so perhaps you can guess how close theencounter was.

Before returning to Oregon and my current home afterretirement I lived in the Seattle/Bellevue metro area and often rode my bicycleor walked along the Sammamish River Trail. It goes for a number of miles between Lake Sammamish and LakeWashington. Seldom when I walked was Ipassed by a rider who did not announce he/she was passing from behind. Both the metro eastside area of Bellevue andRedmond and the Portland metro area are considered bike riding capitals. They offer great places to ride (and walk)because of the well planned and paved pathways. Being used to this courtesy (and safety) announcement and usingit myself when I ride, I have been disappointed by the lack of this behavior,at least in Greenway Park.

So for any of you readers anywhere who may also be cyclists,I hope you will consider the safe riding behavior of announcing yourself towalkers on your path. Pass the thoughton to other riders you know. Thanks!

The Travelers

2011-09-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

I awoke at 4:24 AM PDT without benefit of alarm. I wanted to share in the 9-11 memorialceremonies in New York, Washington, DC and Shanksville, Pennsylvania along withthe millions of others taking time to remember one of the most challenging daysin our history as a nation. I did notknow as I began listening to the CBS TV presentation of the ceremonies that Iwould be writing these words. However,it soon struck me that I was experiencing a deeply personal connection withthose whose lives were lost on 9-11 and with their families and friends. I did not personally know any of the peoplewhose lives we were commemorating in these services, but as the coverage ended,I realized I do now know them and care about them as though they were membersof my own family.

As the names were being read I realized, as I am sure youdid as well, that every ethnic, cultural, religious and national heritage wasrepresented. How many times the wordswere repeated: “We will never forgetyou.” The photos accompanying the nameslisted the span of ages. We are aspecial people in many ways, probably due to the manner by which our countrycame into being and the steps we have taken through the years to improve our understandingof each other, our likenesses and differences, and to honor each other for thecontributions we make to our society. We honor the living and we respect the lives of those who have gone onbefore us.

The gentle, reverent touch of the bronzed names of theirloved ones and the tracing of those names onto the memorial program gaveexpression to how we care and how we share our love. Many were shown embracing one another or simply touching an armor shoulder in a moment of shared knowing. Every form of relationship was represented—mothers, fathers, sons anddaughters, partners and lovers and friends. I was reminded that, “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comethin the morning.” While the survivingfamilies have experienced an individual loss, they have gained the oneness of spiritwith all of us.

We are all travelers on the journey through life. May these words, penned many years ago by mymentor and my friend as he experienced his own personal loss, enfold andcomfort us all in that journey.

The Traveler

By James Dillet Freeman

Theyhave put on invisibility.

DearLord, we cannot see--

Butthis we know, although the road ascends

Andpasses from our sight;

Thatthere will be no night;

ThatYou will take them gently by the hand

Andlead them on

Alongthe road of life that never ends,

Andthey will find it is not death but dawn.

Ido not doubt that You are there as here,

AndYou will hold them dear.

Ourlife did not begin with birth,

Itis not of the earth;

Andthis that we call death, it is no more

Thanthe opening and closing of a door--

Andin Your house how many rooms must be

Beyondthis one where we rest momently.

DearLord, we thank You for the faith that frees,

Thelove that knows it cannot lose its own;

Thelove that, looking through the shadows, sees

ThatYou and they and we are ever one.

As Bob Schieffer reflected so clearly at the end of thebroadcast, “We saw America at its very best.”

Back To School--Remembered

2011-09-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

As I started my morning walkaround 7:30 AM I passed by Greenway Elementary School and suddenly found myselfthinking, “Boy, am I glad I am not heading to my first day of school!” I watched the teachers arriving early to getthe final preparations of the classrooms done before the onslaught ofstudents. It wasn’t just that I wasglad I was not starting school as a student, but also glad I was not a teacherfacing perhaps the toughest year yet in their careers due to the cutbacks onspending for education. No wonder Ifelt like I didn’t want to be there!

The interesting thingfor me is that I always liked school. Iwas born literally next door to Vestal School on 82^nd street inPortland. I started kindergarten therebefore our family moved to the Rose City school district. I remember walking to school alone when Iwas in the second or third grade. Itwas probably about a mile and no one was afraid of child molesters or otherdangers that seem ever present for children today. I was free to walk along, partly watching the houses and otherphysical sites, but even more I was able to walk along my imaginary paths (muchmore interesting and exciting).

By the time I was in thefourth grade we had moved “way out in the country” just off Walker Road inBeaverton. We bought two and a halfacres of tree covered land with a small two room unfinished house. I walked daily to Barnes School, then atwo-room school about a mile from home. At one point two sisters were the teachers. They lived in a mobile home behind the school. Sometimes my dog would follow me to schoolno matter how hard I tried to stop him. One day at recess I was sitting on the front step, Patsy, my mutt friendwas sitting beside me. My teacher cameout and asked if it was my dog. I said,“Yes.” Then the teacher said Patsycould come in and sit by my desk. Youthink that could happen today?

Today along that stretch ofWalker Road the Nike Company has taken over what used to be a horse farm andmuch more of the surrounding land.

I had so many wonderfuladventures while living there. My dadfinished the house, which became a three-bedroom home with an indoorbathroom! It only had a two-seaterouthouse when we moved in, and the bedroom my sister and I shared was a separateoutbuilding. The house is still thereand is the only one in the neighborhood that looks pretty much like it did whenwe lived there.

After my parents divorced thefamily moved back to NE Portland where I attended Ockley Green gradeschool. I went from a two-room schoolto the largest grade school in Portland at the time with about 1000 students.

My high school daysbegan in Astoria, Oregon. My mother hadremarried and my stepfather was working a dredging job on the Columbia River atthat time. Days at Astoria high schoolwere something else. Strict “rules”applied to freshmen with harsh consequences for failure to comply. One “rule” meant that freshmen could not wearcorduroy pants. Unfortunately, washdaydidn’t come soon enough and instead of wearing jeans, I had to wear mycords. The punishment was being usheredinto the boy’s restroom and given a few whacks with a paddle! I shouldn’t even mention my “sports” activitythere. It consisted of freshmanfootball. I was on the field for two plays. Unfortunately, I was supposed to be on offense and I played as though ondefense. Oh, and my mom who had come towatch the game didn’t know the school colors so rooted for the other team! You get the picture, I’m sure.

Things improved dramatically afterleaving Astoria in the middle of my freshman year. I entered the freshman class at Tigard Union High School, the oldschool on Main Street. (A MacDonald’sstands there now.) I was literally thelast person to graduate from that school. As senior class president, I presented the graduating class.

Many of these thoughts passedthrough my mind as I completed my morning walk. I chronicle them here as a reminder to myself of the educationaljourney I began in Oregon and that continued in other schools in otherstates. Also, I offer this story inappreciation for the friends I joined along the way. Most of them are in other places doing other things now, allcontinuing their experiences, as have I. My last connection with my 1953 graduating class was our 50^threunion. Of course, a few of us havereconnected on Facebook.

So, it’s back to school for allthe children of today. I hope they haveeven half of the joy I had in school!

My God Is So Good To Me

2011-08-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

This handwritten note was found in a Unity booklet entitled, “Oneness With God.” The booklet was printed in 1921 when Unity School of Christianity was still located on Tracy Avenue in Kansas City, MO. This booklet was part of the library of Cordelia B. Lane that her family gave to me after her passing in 1960. I discovered it just the other day as I was sorting through my own library in an effort to begin releasing my treasures and lightening my load. I share it with you hoping it blesses you as it has me.

My God is so good to me.

The same God of all good who worked so-called miracles through His beloved Son Jesus is the same God of all good who just as willingly works in beauty and truth and love through you and me today. The Master Jesus was continually aware of His God, His Father and Creator of all, and that is the requirement for you and me now, to be aware of, to recognize, to acknowledge, and to accept, good only. Our aware(ness) of good awakens through prayer, through our putting our thoughts and hands to good and constructive use.

It is then, dear friend, “that unto every one that hath” this growing faith in and awareness of the dominant power of good, shall indeed “be given, and he shall have abundance.” (Matthew 13:12) Then our loving Father shall be heard speaking from within our heart saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Thou has been faithful over a few things; I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” (Matthew 25:21)

“In thy presence is fullness of joy; In thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11)

The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul. The testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart. (Psalm 19:7, 8)

(Healing prayer: Weekly Unity, May 31^st 1953.)

God’s life, a river of healing, flows through me, and I realize that I am renewed, refreshed, restored.

When I received these treasures from Cordelia Lane’s estate I could never have known that fifty-eight years later I would be reading this beautiful note from a wonderful woman who believed so deeply in the presence of God blessing her life. I am sure I did not notice the note when I received the booklet those many years ago at my first ministry. It wasn’t until I actually started typing them for this posting today that I realized they were meant for me at just this time! I looked up the biblical references and added them to her original note.

I am so blessed to have had many wonderful experiences through the years. Sometimes a few simple words will send our attention back in wonder to times that have enriched our souls. In remembrance shall my strength be renewed and my joy made full once again, today!

And Now About Social Engagement

2011-08-09T12:08:00.000-07:00

As soon as I posted the quotes on solitude I knew I was going to have to balance those ideas with thoughts about how we engage socially with each other. Below are just a very few of the thoughts that great minds have shared. Enjoy both sides of the story!

Interdependence is and ought to be as much the ideal of man as self-sufficiency. Man is a social being.
Mohandas Gandhi

I have Social Disease. I have to go out every night. If I stay home one night I start spreading rumors to my dogs.
Andy Warhol

Nobody can write the life of a man but those who have eat and drunk and lived in social intercourse with him.
Samuel Johnson

A man has as many social selves as there are individuals who recognize him.
William James

You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you.. You have to go to them sometimes.

Winnie the Pooh

Until the great mass of the people shall be filled with the sense of responsibility for each other's welfare, social justice can never be attained.
Helen Keller

This is the way we want to interact with everyone. . . .That’s always our goal. The more that we can interact on a positive level, the better, . . . We are out there stressing cooperation and building positive relationships.

Chief Joseph

If one by one we counted people out For the least sin, it wouldn't take us long To get so we had no one left to live with. For to be social is to be forgiving.
Robert Frost

The concept of randomness and coincidence will be obsolete when people can finally define a formulation of patterned interaction between all things within the universe.

Toba Beta

(And just for the heck of it--)

I was too old for a paper route, too young for Social Security and too tired for an affair.
Erma Bombeck

Wise Words About Solitude

2011-08-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

Many great thinkers have found solitude to be the best company.

The best of all is to be alone to experience one's soul in Silence. To be nakedly alone, unseen, is better than anything in the world, a relief like death. To be -- alone -- is one of life's greatest delights.

-- Sunyata

To find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone.

-- Henry D. Thoreau

Many teachers praise love as the highest of virtues; I, however, place solitude higher than love.

-- Meister Eckhart

The man who makes everything that leads to happiness depends upon himself, and not upon other men, has adopted the very best plan for living happily.

-- Plato

The greatest saints avoided the company of men as much as possible, and chose to live with God in secret.

-- Thomas a’ Kempis

The more powerful and original a mind, the more it will incline towards the religion of solitude.

-- Aldous Huxley

The happiest of all lives is a busy solitude.

-- Voltaire

A man can be himself only so long as he is alone, and if he does not love solitude, he will not love freedom, for it is only when he is alone that he is really free.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer

Settle yourself in solitude, and you will come upon God in yourself.

-- Teresa of Avila

(Excerpted from “Spirituality For Dummies”)

Bridges, Trails and Trees

2011-07-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

For my morning walk I returned to one of my favorite places, the Tualatin Hills Nature Park, where I go several times a year during different seasons. At this time of year the environment is still very much like early spring due to our late arrival of spring and summer. Never the less, it is a rewarding experience to walk the trails, some of which are paved and the side trails that are more natural.

Every time I enter the deepening forest I am humbled by the natural beauty of trees, some well over 100 years old, wild brush, the occasional wild flower and when summer is in full bloom, there are even a few berries (if you get there first). But what I am even more grateful for are the wonderful people in local government and volunteers who care about maintaining these areas for all of us. Today there were at least three groups of school-age children on nature walks, a number of runners and even a biker or two. The stillness of the forests absorbs all that might otherwise distract from the naturalness of the trails so their presence melted into the background.

I have taken photos every time I have gone to the park. Each time a new story unfolds in my awareness. The intricate boardwalks that bridge the swampy areas always impress me. I see them as a metaphor for the bridges we construct in our consciousness that take us across the bogs of challenges we sometimes face in our daily life. Someone had to see the problem and devise a pathway through. In our efforts to meet challenges we often find that others have been there before us and they made our traverse easier by the bridges they built. Teachers, ministers, friends and confidants provide us with a range of opportunities to cross hazards successfully.

The paths that wind before me in the Park also bring to mind the many wonderful people whose paths I have crossed, or with whom I have walked for a time. Each has brought me something of value, something I can look back upon with deep appreciation. I have always felt that the people in my life are not there by chance. No matter how we might describe our coming together, or how long that closeness remains, I am convinced by my experience that there is purpose and meaning to be found in the connection. So I relish the memories as I move through my present paths that I know are leading into new opportunities to connect with others.

In many respects I lead a solitary life and I am mostly satisfied by that choice. On occasion, however, I am reminded of the broader world around me. That world is filled with wonderful experiences, past, present and even in the future! I choose to be aware of the trails before me and to welcome all that I find along the way. I seek to more clearly understand the bridges that will take me through my self-conceived limitations into new opportunities for long lasting satisfaction.

More About “What If I Die . . .?”

2011-06-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

Too often it is easy to dismiss the questions others have about life because we are not in their shoes. Though we may want to “help,” our shoes seldom fit them. Additionally, because we may not understand where the question is coming from in the context of their life, our dismissal of the question, intended or not, appears to dismiss the person as well.

Being able to muster great personal “truths” from our own experiences does not necessarily mean it is the truth for another person. In the end every experience is personal. Our efforts to be of assistance is admirable as long as in offering it we are not inadvertently knocking down what little support the person may currently think they have. It is simply not good enough to reduce them to rubble in order for them to begin to rebuild. I have never really accepted this form of psychological assistance.

When a person is in a place of uncertainty, especially about who they “really” are and what may lie beyond their current physical expression, it is not helpful to moralize. At that point, talking about pop-psychology solutions, or even professionally accepted psychological principles might only appear like a spaghetti-bowl of confusion. It may be true that all things work for some people, but I do not believe it is true that all things work for all people. Sometimes our solution may not work for anyone else.

It may be that all a person wants or needs is to be heard! They are neither asking for nor desirous of a cure-all process to heal them. Just listen honestly without judgment or the urge to say the right thing.

Really, sometimes I just want to be heard! Is the message.

What If I Die Without Ever Knowing Who I Am?

2011-06-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

The source of many of my essays on LifeCentering come from email exchanges with friends who often ask questions or offer answers to my own. Such is again the case with this item.

My friend and I have exchanged many emails searching for answers to questions I think many of us wonder about from time to time. She sent me a course on healing techniques that had been helpful to her. As I responded after getting started with the program we exchanged our skepticism about such highly hyped courses that seemed to promise “too good to be true” results if you would just give it a try. In one of her emails she posed the following thought-provoking questions.

What if a person dies without ever knowing who he really is, once all the lifetime "labels" no longer apply, and not knowing absolutely that there is a supreme being and some form of continuing life? Karma, reincarnation, God etc. are nothing more than words to me that may or may not be real. I want to think there is more to come in my life, but right now I'm clueless. Just a little light food for thought...or not.

A most intriguing series of life questions I thought. I would like to think that whether or not we come to some understanding of the answers to those questions, Life will continue as "intended" and that essential part of us--call it spirit or soul--that somehow is imprinted with the reality of our purpose will continue to seek its fullest expression. Admittedly this is a "statement of faith" more than an "understood" Truth, but it works for me. I guess I remain impressed with the philosophy of Kierkegaard and his "leap of faith" proposition. Ultimately, life requires that we take that leap if we are to proceed in understanding. Here are a few of his thoughts on this subject gleaned from Web sources (and my memory of a college paper I wrote about his work).

What I really need is to get clear about what I must do, not what I must know, except insofar as knowledge must precede every act. What matters is to find a purpose, to see what it really is that God wills that I shall do; the crucial thing is to find a truth which is truth for me, to find the idea for which I am willing to live and die. [1]

Most people are subjective toward themselves and objective toward others, frightfully objective sometimes—but the task is precisely to be objective toward oneself and subjective toward all others.[2]

For Kierkegaard, his belief in the ultimate need for the “leap of faith” has to do with his commitment to the reorientation of the self and acceptance of personal demands that go beyond what he generally knows. While the phrase is often seen as taking a risk, for him it is meant in a specific way.

An objective uncertainty, held fast through appropriation with the most passionate inwardness, is the truth, the highest truth there is for an existing person.[3]

There comes a point in time, it seems to me, that after gathering all the knowledge and insight that appears to be available to us, we must decide, “What now?” We ask that question because our searching outwardly has not provided a satisfying answer. It is now we must take our own leap of faith as it were, believing absolutely that we will land on solid ground. My personal vision of this process was one of a person literally stepping off the edge of a cliff with no sight of a landing to be seen anywhere. Through the years this vision encouraged me to trust that while I may not know how things were going to work out, I knew they would. It was not necessary for me to be able to “see” the landing, only to take the step forward. There were times, though, that I could not take the step. That meant a kind of inertia immobilized me until I regained my commitment to the leap of faith. You might liken the process to recharging your battery. I looked upon the healing course given to me as one of those opportunities to recharge my batteries.

For those who hold no truck with the notion of faith, particularly in the religious sense, there may be no urge to care about wanting answers to questions they are not asking. But for those of us for whom our belief has led us this far, we recognize our need to keep on keeping on with our search. Continuing to seek inevitably leads to finding our greater truths.

And because others have said similar things in ways, perhaps better than I, I share these two quotes from the same friend who started this whole notion of questioning “What if. . .?”

Sometimes it's hard to believe there's a God--to have faith in an unseen power--
To know there's a force you can call on for help in your darkest, most desperate hour.
I know it's not easy--I've been there myself, though our problems are not just the same.
I know how it feels when no one is there--when "God" is no more than a name.
But I'll tell you a secret: I pray anyway to something I can't hear or see.
I pray to the darkness. I pray to the night, or to what may be holy in me.
And sometimes--not always--there comes a deep change.
I feel peaceful, set free, and made whole. Is it God? Is it me?
Has some power of the universe helped me to heal my own soul?
I don't have the answers. I can't say for sure that what I believe in is true.
BUT IF GOD WERE A FACT, WE WOULDN'T NEED FAITH,
So I say: I believe...and I do.
--Author unknown

And from a novel, Out of the Shadows by Kay Hooper. A character (scientist) with "no belief in a deity" offers this on something of us that survives death:

To me, that's not a religious thing--not a question of faith or belief, or any notion that surviving death is some kind of reward for a life well lived. It's a certainty. It's like knowing a tree sheds its leaves year after year, cultivating a new set each spring of its cycle. The tree grows and sinks its roots deeper and deeper, and wears a new set of leaves each spring, until it finally grows as large as it can, reaches the end of its life, and dies.

Our bodies are the...leaves of our soul?

Why not?...We tend to think what's real and lasting is only what we can see, but that doesn't mean we're right. Maybe our skin and bones and the faces we see in the mirror are really the most transitory things about us. Maybe we just wear our bodies the way that a tree wears its leaves, our physical selves being born and maturing and dying over and over while inside our spirits grow and learn.

Perhaps the greater truth will be discovered in wondering if we ever will know the full extent of our reality. Is there a “culmination” to life? If there is such a point, what must it be like? If there is no end, then . . .?

Some things each of us must discover for ourselves. There may be as many “answers” as there are people asking the questions!

[1] Journal entry, Gilleleie (1 August 1835) Journals 1A

[2] Works of love

[3] Concluding Unscientific Postscript

Passive Aggressive Behavior

2011-05-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

Growing up in a home where I seldom witnessed the expression of anger, I was taught by example and more directly that a person should not express negativity. “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all,” was the household mantra. Seems to make sense to a fresh young mind that has not yet been filled with the countless choices for responding to the behavior of others not brought up under the same set of rules. I was taught that a person should use reason in arguments rather than emotion. Again, that seemed a sensible alternative to getting the living daylights beat out of me by the neighborhood bully. “Turn the other cheek” definitely did not work out too well for me!

As I grew older and more observant of what went on around me, I recognized that the anger in my home had simply been visibly suppressed for the most part. It was still there and there were occasions where I did witness angry verbal exchanges. Fortunately, there was no physical abuse in my home among any of the family members that I knew of. Sadly, many families with anger issues cannot make that claim. I learned by anecdote that my brother was subject to some corporal punishment. He was the first born and arrived at a time of severe economic stress to young parents probably ill fitted for marriage. (This is a conclusion I came to as an adult long after my parents ended their twenty-five plus years of marriage.)

So, here I am today, a person who almost without exception refuses to fight with others. In some cases that even means “I don’t want to talk about it.” This behavior is considered passive-aggressive. Those who DO like to fight because that is how they learned to get their anger out of their physical bodies have applied that label to me on occasion. I don’t like labels especially when they are used in a dismissive manner. To me that is no better than assumed passive-aggressive behavior. I literally wilt and become immobilized by hateful verbal attacks. When faced with such behavior, I find that I have not developed the proper tools to engage in successful resolution. I tend to withdraw and try to gather some more positive sense of myself. I have discovered this only make the other person even angrier! It is a “lose/lose” situation.

It isn’t that I have not attempted to learn how to “fight fairly” when confronted with verbal attacks, often directed at me as a person rather than at my perceived behavior. I have come to an “interim” conclusion that I cannot effectively communicate with someone playing by a different set of rules. If rage is what was learned, then rage tends to become the manner by which differences are confronted. To those of us brought up under rules of non-aggressive behavior, we will lose every time unless we learn how to engage others in some middle ground of agreement.

I wish I could tell you that my long years of experience in working with others who had many types of problems has taught me how to better handle my own. Of course, I have learned many positive ways of dealing with my issues, but I have not yet learned to effectively deal with the rage of others directed toward me. I can only say that I am glad such cases are very few and far between.

You may have noticed the absence of any mention of the part love plays in resolving issues between persons. That is partly due to the fact that it is a subject worthy of its own essay. That said, love is an all-important part of any process of resolution. Without love there can be no recognition of the intrinsic value of the other human being with whom there is some inharmony. It is through the eyes of love that we see through the discord to the real person who is currently feeling hurt or unloved. That is the starting point, I believe, for wanting to work things out, to want peace and good will. There may be things no two people will agree on, but that does not mean love has to be absent from the relationship.

Finally, as to the subject of passive-aggressive behavior, my research has shown that few people can escape this label at some point in their lives. So much for the “label.” Time to get on about developing patience, forgiveness, acceptance and love, all of which are necessary for harmony to exist.

Asking The Right Questions

2011-05-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

This morning, as I reviewed the "hits" to this blog, I discovered that someone had made a Google search for: "asking the right questions." The number one item in the responses to this request was the article below that I first posted in May 2009. As a reread it, I found myself in a similar quandary as the article addresses. I am posting it again with the thought that it may also be applicable to other readers at this time. I have often recognized that life seems to run in cycles. As we become more aware of them and seek further understanding of them, our growth into our fuller, richer True Self may be realized. I am continuing the process!

When I wrote that I was going to take a sabbatical in order to consider some “new” questions about my life and my purpose I didn’t know at the time just what the “new” questions were going to be. I think I expected them to simply be a rehash of questions I have asked myself most of my life. That is the way the journey began, but it is not how it turned out.

It seems there are points in the lives of each of us where we feel a greater need for introspection, meditation, or contemplation because we feel a bit like a boat without a rudder. A boat without a rudder may sail along just fine, unless you want to go somewhere specific. Then you discover that without the rudder you aimlessly drift along with little satisfaction or sense of accomplishment.

I have come to points like this several times in my life. These plateaus where we find it necessary to take a break for a while are not necessarily negative events nor do they indicate a lack of life value. They are simply places where we have the opportunity to review our priorities and consider altering our direction.

This time around, my questions seem to center on getting a better understanding of my feminine nature. I wanted to better understand my feelings, my empathetic nature and why deep emotions seem to surface so dramatically for me at times.

Asking the proper question is the central action of transformation—in fairy tales, in analysis, and in individuation. The key question causes germination of consciousness. The properly shaped question always emanates from an essential curiosity about what stands behind. Questions are the keys that cause the secret doors of the psyche to swing open.[1]

Somewhere within me there is an aching, a longing that has been expressing itself more and more often as deep feelings of connection with some of my fellow human beings, not necessarily anyone I know personally. The feelings surge up when I see others hurting or feeling alone without the company of others who might be supportive in their time of need. I may see this in a television drama, the evening news, and the newspaper or just about anywhere one hears about others and their difficulties. It also wells up in me when I become aware of significant help someone extends to another, a random act of kindness. Both negative and positive stories attract my sense of empathy.

The curiosity that stands behind the questions I ask myself about why I have these feelings and what I am supposed to do with them hopefully will open more widely the secret doors of my own psyche.

Often the creative life is slowed or stopped because something in the psyche has a very low opinion of us, and we are down there groveling at its feet instead of bopping it over the head and running free. In many cases what is required to aright the situation is that we take ourselves, our ideas, our art, far more seriously than we have done before. [2]

I find this notion particularly interesting. Realizing that the blocks I might feel in my creative life could be an inner low self-image certainly is not a new notion, but seeing it in print gave me the opportunity to look at that issue again, perhaps opening the “secret doors” of my psyche. For the most part I feel I am aware of the self-image limitations I have placed upon myself, so my questions were to get at how to handle the empathetic emotions that overwhelm me at times. What is their productive use? (My pragmatism and logic at work, which takes me away from the feelings and into my masculine mind.)

The larger questions to be considered are: What/who am I really? What is my work in this life? What do I hunger for? What do I long for? Additionally, I think I must come to terms with whether I believe in my ability to do what my life experiences require of me in order to enter into transformation. Am I simply sitting on the sidelines because it is comfortable there and there is less to challenge my status quo? Or, is my apparent sideline sitting really just an opportunity to consider new ventures and to find ways to utilize the skills and belief systems I have developed through the years?

As you can see, I have not finished my quest (and I don’t think we are designed to “finish” our quest anyway!). However, I have gained some new insights that I plan to share in later postings, so stay tuned.

[1] Women Who Run With the Wolves, by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, PhD, page 52

[2] Ibid, Page 70

What Goes Around . . .

2011-05-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

In the Hindu society emphasis is placed on the cycles of life, death and reincarnation. Simply stated this is the process of working through the varieties of conditions one faces as growth opportunities are presented to us. The goal is to “get off the wheel” of life and death and experience the purity of a life lived without stain of discord, hatred or injury to others. This is karma, or to put it another way, “What goes around, comes around!”

I could not help but think about karma in this somewhat humorous manner as I was exchanging emails with a long-time friend. We were each sharing particulars of some life events and I automatically tried to see links in what I had experienced with something I had done to cause the event. I first encountered the concept of karma while in seminary at Unity School in the middle 1950s. James Dillet Freeman, then director of Unity’s ministerial school, was tutoring me in philosophy and religion. We had extended discussions of the concept of reincarnation and I readily accepted the idea of having as many opportunities as one might need to come to a full expression of his/her true spiritual nature. At that point one would be free of the cycle.

Through the years I have continued to develop my beliefs about the subject and of how karma works in my life. As I was thinking about it today, it seemed almost humorous in how the concept is used to both accept and explain away a sense of current responsibility. We can blithely comment “oh, it’s just karma,” when something happens in our life or in the life of a friend. By that statement we are commenting, perhaps too casually, that a person is just getting paid back for something they did, usually in a previous life. Thus, the notion, “What goes around, comes around.”

Actually, there is much more to understand about how it works. In the physical world, including our human experience, there seem to be “causes” and “effects” in everything. When good things come about in our lives, we like to think we earned them through good karma. However, it is often more difficult to think we deserve things that are less likeable in our experience.

It is about at this point in the discussion that I always realize I may have bitten off more than I can chew! The subject does not lend itself to easy explanation, nor are the “unbelievers” likely to be convinced of my arguments! So, I think to myself, why in the world did I start this essay? I can only say that because I accept the principle of cause and effect in the world in which I live, I am always eager to understand how I can set into motion better causes and reap better results. In the worst of times I just want to “get off the wheel!” In the best of times I hope that perhaps this is the last time around. Who really knows?

Lacking a more thorough consideration of the subject I accept that what goes around comes around! (And I enjoy a good laugh at life’s foibles!)

No More Violence Disguised as Religion by Pastor Don Mackenzie of the Interfaith Amigos

2011-05-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

No More Violence Disguised as Religion by Pastor Don Mackenzie of the Interfaith Amigos

Does Love Conquer All?

2011-04-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

The Bible is filled with the notion that love abides with us and comforts us in all circumstances. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (I Cor. 13) is one of the most treasured treatises on the subject. Used in countless wedding ceremonies, the couple is encouraged to believe that no matter what may come up within their relationship, Love never fails. (Verse 8) In his letter to the Romans Paul assures us that nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:38,39).

Even with these assurances most of us, at one time or another, feel desperately unloved, uncared for and alone. Families are the first line of support for most of us. Our closest friends often provide a back up when it is difficult to find that support at home. Of course we expect to be there for our loved ones and friends when they need someone to remind them that they are loved. And we hope they will be there for us. However, there are still times we will feel there is no one, no way, to recover from whatever it is that causes us to feel helpless or devoid of love.

The darkness that surrounds us at those times of despair is no less frightening and overwhelming than what the disciples of Jesus surely felt on that awesome Friday at his crucifixion. Can you imagine the sense of loss they were feeling? Even though He assured them, I am with you always, (Mat. 28:20) they could only see the loss. Three days later, early in the morning, the sun shone in a new sky as Mary and others approached the tomb where they fully expected to find the body of Jesus. He was not in the tomb. Now their despair was even deeper. They could not even prepare his body for burial. Then Mary turned and saw a person she assumed was the gardener. It was Jesus! They could not fully understand what was happening but within their hearts they somehow knew that all was well.

This story we celebrate at Easter is, among other things, the story of the absolute power of love to transcend loss and grief, despair and loneliness. It is the story of hope and reassurance that regardless of appearances love abides, love transcends all limitation. This is, of course, a religious story. It is one that has parallels in every major religion. This might lead us to consider that the principle embedded within the story is something more than myth or legend. Perhaps if we can find a way to believe there are answers, we will find them. One thing seems certain to me. Having even a remote hope is better than the downward cycle of despair that comes from not believing in the ultimate power of love.

I have been in that emotional, personal wasteland. I have felt that deep despair that would seem to indicate there is no way out of the gloom. It isn’t a pretty picture, is it? I am so fortunate to have dear friends who, when all else failed, were there to assure me that I would get through those times. These friends offered a variety of possibilities, mostly from their own experience in overcoming, but sometimes simply out of their own sense of also being alone. Together we moved forward on the path.

If you are feeling down right now, if you feel unloved and overwhelmed and alone, let me offer to be there for you. I believe in the power of love to lift you, to change the path you are on that seems to be leading nowhere. Let me assure you that even though fear may seem impossible to overcome, love never fails. I love you! The love within me is from an unconquerable Source and I give it all to you. Take it into your heart. You are not alone. Even if you do not know me, even if you just happened to somehow find this blog article, there are no coincidences. You are here because you are ready to experience the transforming power of love. Be well, my friends! Be well!

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers. nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God . . .

Romans 8:38, 39

There’s A Message Here Somewhere!

2011-03-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

In 1973 the group, Pink Floyd, released a monumental album, Dark Side Of the Moon. There was something about their music that I discovered in the early days of the Whole Life Learning Center. It was part of what I thought of as message music similar to so much of the music in the 1960’s. The lyrics of the song, Time, deal with Roger Waters's realization that life was not about preparing yourself for what happens next, but about grabbing control of your own destiny.

Here are the lyrics to “Time,” from that album. It is the only song credited to all members of the band.

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
And you are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say

BREATHE REPRISE
Home, home again
I like to be here when I can
And when I come home cold and tired
It’s good to warm my bones beside the fire
Far away across the field
The tolling of the iron bellCalls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spells.

So you may be wondering why I am writing about this song. If not, I’ll tell you anyway! In the last week Pink Floyd has come to my attention from three different sources all totally independent of each other. That is more than coincidence! There’s a message in here somewhere. Time is always important to most of us, at least occasionally. Our attitude about time and how we “spend” our allotment greatly determines the value we find in life.

I am so grateful that early on in my adult life I came to realize the personal relativity of time. Time is NOT same for everybody. Time is an individual experience. One person will say, “My, time has just flown by!” while another moans, “Why is the day just dragging along?” Same day, same clock, different experience. It may be an over-simplification to say time is ours to use in any way we choose, but I believe it to be so. I do not always make the best use of my time, but that is a choice, wisely made or not.

As we age in this temporal body we inhabit on this earth plane, the effects of time march inexorably on, seemingly beyond our control. Yet even here we are aware of how some of us age more gracefully than others. Is understanding the reasons for this difference part of the message we might find in the words of the song?

The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say

Let it not be said of me that I wasted my time here. Who can judge that but me? I echo the words of William Ernest Henley in his poem, “Invictus:”

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

From Agitation To Meditation

2011-03-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

It is Saturday morning, 1974. I am an Instructor at Casper College in Wyoming. My wife Barbara is a Social Worker for the State of Wyoming in Casper. We had planned to drive 300 miles to Denver that weekend to participate in one of Dan Perin's meditation classes at the Whole Life Learning Center.

But I was half sick. Tension in the chest, low energy, depression, typical onset of a nasty cold, or worse, the flu. We debated and finally thought we would try the trip and see how we felt. We could turn around and come back if I got worse. So I fired up the 1965 primer-paint Corvair and off we went to Denver.

In meditation class, we began by lying down and relaxing, our arms stretched out over our head, palms up and hands relaxed. But my arms would not lie down flat. There was so much tension in my shoulders that I could not lay my arms out flat on the floor, over my head, the biceps touching the ears. So I fanned my arms down a bit to let them rest on the floor.

The breathing exercise started, a four count, which Dan explained he had adopted because "it does not mean anything." Why get hung up on the trinity, the pentagon, the hexagon with all their religious and pagan associations, when four does fine as a breathing count. I liked that common-sense approach.

Empty the mind and concentrate only on the breathing count, Dan said. When the mind wanders from it, just come back to the count and start again. Sirens outside? Ignore them and come back to the count. Sounds easy, doesn't it--tune out the outside world and your stray thoughts and just do the simple task of counting your breath. Thoughts of your job come up? Or a relationship? That's okay, just tune it out and go back to the breathing and counting the breath. Empty and still the mind. That's all you are to do: count the breath. Sound easy? Yes, but it is not. And at first, seemingly impossible.

Later, or perhaps in a later session, we were to have a directed meditation. We did the counting of the breath under Dan's direction, stilled the "random thought generator" that seems to want to run all of the time, then at his instruction, we began meditating on the issue we had predetermined would be the subject of the meditation for the session. And there was the issue before us, without rancor, tension, anger, desire, just a peaceful contemplation of it and an addressing of what the issues were. Just still the mind and then throw the problem up and look at it. Just look. That, of course, is the correct way to look at all personal problems, or any problem. But again, easier said than done. (And if everyone did that, it would put Judge Judy and Judge Mathis out of business, would it not?)

In the last session of the day I was suddenly aware that my arms and shoulders were completely relaxed, and my arms could lie on the floor above my head in perfect repose. When in the evening we drove back to Casper, all of my symptoms of the morning had disappeared. No tension and congestion in the chest, no depression, and my energy levels were up to any challenge. It was unbelievable. It was only at that point that I was fully aware of the toll that anxiety and tension takes on the body and how it is the mind that is creating it and that we do have control over our mind, should we exercise that control in a disciplined way. I had let the conflicts, frustrations of work and city and relationship actually make me stiff and ill.

I was lucky. I had found the right person, Dan Perin, at the right time, in the aftermath of the post-traumatic stress of three years of anti-war activity in Ohio, and in the right place, Denver (though 300 miles from Casper, the distance was a blessing as the Casper tensions faded with the miles). This was the beginning of my recovery from the traumatic stress of three years in the maelstrom of anti-Vietnam War protests at Kent State, and the recent year of coping with the chaos of an oil boom town in Wyoming, a recovery for which I am forever indebted to Dan. My numerous encounters with Dan and with programs and personalities and workshops he brought to the Whole Life Learning Center--from meditation to acupressure to aura healing to past-life regression--enabled me some three years later to have the clarity and focus of mind and personal mental confidence to once again take up the graduate studies I had dropped out of two years previously. But in 1974 I had no intention of completing them, for the toll of the stress had destroyed my confidence in the value any sustained intellectual endeavors. I returned to Kent State in the 1977-78 school year and completed my dissertation and thus my doctoral studies in the Summer of 1980. Thanks, Dan.

Written and Submitted by Lloyd Agte, Co-Administrator of our InsightandOutsight blog.

The Set of the Sails

2011-03-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

In 1916 Ella Wheeler Wilcox wrote the poem in which she tells us:

One ship sails East,
And another West,
By the self-same winds that blow,
'Tis the set of the sails
And not the gales,
That tells the way we go.

I don’t know when I was first impressed with her thoughts, but I know it was in my early years, perhaps when I first started studying metaphysics. I also seem to remember it being recited to me by my mother, who had also studied metaphysical thought. It became a personal mantra as I began my ministerial career.

Today, the poem came to mind again, one of those “out of the blue” moments. I found myself thinking about persons I have known who seem to have an inordinate number of crises in their lives, and who never had the opportunity to imbed the philosophy of self-direction. It is difficult, if not impossible, to lead them to consider how they could take more control in their lives and thus have better outcomes during times of challenge. Actually, unless one is a qualified psychologist or therapist, it is probably not your responsibility to point this out to anyone.

My point is that I have to continue to remind myself of this principle of self-determination. It is not easy. When something goes wrong it is much easier to place the blame on circumstances “beyond our control” or, worse, to blame another person. I am reminded of a professor who used to take advantage of every opportunity to remind his students that, “when you point a finger at someone else, three are pointed back at you!” After hearing this in many of his classes, I would find myself chuckling at it as if to simply dismiss it as a platitude, not really meant to make a difference in one’s life.

The truth is, for me at least, that it really does make a difference. If we always find some way to make someone else responsible for our problems, it is unlikely we will ever come to a point of feeling we can change the way things are. Conversely, if we accept that we have much more control over our lives than we may think, we can begin to see ways we can actually do something to bring about successful results. One thing is for sure, as long as you feel you don’t have the power to change your life, you won’t.

We have all recently witnessed the tragic 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan. As if that was not enough terror “beyond their control,” then came the nuclear reactors failing endangering the populace with radiation poisoning. News reports of how the people of Japan met these disasters ranges the whole gamut of emotions, but it was also clear that the Japanese culture is one that places personal responsibility high on their list of priorities. This does not mean they are responsible for the challenges. It is a case of their accepting the responsibility to choose how they react. They worked together to assist others even when they had nothing left of their own. Brave men chose to be on the front lines fighting the reactor melt down. This is how you take responsibility for your life (while at the same time helping others).

Hopefully, we will not have to face such dramatic events where our actions become reactions based on the personal belief systems we have already developed. Wherever each of us is right now, we can begin to build the “I Can” attitude about the simple events we experience, like hurt feelings, broken promises, unmet expectations. In each of these cases we can decide how we will respond. Each time we choose not to react and strike out at those we may have felt were responsible for the actions, we get stronger in our sense of self-reliance. From that strength we can express love and forgiveness.

Tis the set of the sail.

A New Web Log Being Introduced

2011-03-12T10:29:00.000-08:00

Over the past several months I have found myself becoming more and more disturbed by the political chaos created through manipulation and gamesmanship between the Democrats, Republicans and Independents. I have watched with increasing frustration how the Republican Big Money Buddies have funded promotional ads that are complete fabrications with no resemblance to truth. It seems that almost no one is paying attention while our government is slowly, but more and more quickly, being wrested from the hands of the common person and given away to those who already control 95% of the wealth of America.

A long-time friend, Lloyd Agte, and I have exchanged numerous emails discussing what we see happening. We each have resources we depend upon for information we can trust to be accurate. Out of these discussions I found myself once again feeling the need to be even more outspoken about the political, policy and social/economic issues facing all of us. I did NOT want LifeCentering to be a blog about politics. I started it as a place where I could share how a person might deal with the variety of personal issues we all face, using as examples the personal ones I was working on in hopes of arriving at a better understanding and resolution. As those of you who follow my blog know, I have used it to express my political frustration. It has become clear that I needed another vehicle to express those opinions and allow LifeCentering to remain a vehicle for articles related to consciousness development and personal growth issues.

Lloyd and I are launching a new blog to serve as our voice about ongoing issues. Insight & Outsight can be found at: http://insightandoutsight.blogspot.com/

It is in early development but will soon have several beginning articles posted. We hope you will subscribe and follow our conversations. Better yet, we hope you will share your comments. Not everyone will agree with us, but as long as it is honest content we can all benefit from the exchange.

See you on Insight & Outsight!

The Redistribution of Wealth in the United States

2011-02-23T11:10:00.000-08:00

I hope you will take a look at the link following this article.

I know that many of you out there don’t have a lot of time to consider just what is going on in the division of wealth in this country. After all, if you are getting by on whatever paltry income you have, who cares?

A huge share of the nation's economic growth over the past 30 years has gone to the top one-hundredth of one percent, who now make an average of $27 million per household. The average income for the bottom 90 percent of us? $31,244.

Frankly, I am fed up with the continuing Republican efforts to increase the share of wealth for their big time contributors at the expense of the rest of us. What is happening in Wisconsin, for example, is the tip of an iceberg which looms before the ship of state and like the Titanic we are just as apt to slip beneath the waters of despair. I know it is not simply a Republican problem. Dems have their share of poor philosophical standards.

Over the past weeks there has been so much discouraging news concerning the total lack of fiscal responsibility with our representatives that I am exhausted just thinking about how to bring them all together coherently so they could be understood by everyone.

I give up on the big picture. But the details in the attached link will show you a great deal about who has the money and how it is being directed away from the majority of us. Notice the estimated net worth of your Congressperson.

Check this out from Mother Jones: http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/income-inequality-in-america-chart-graph

Government Shutdown After March 5th?

2011-02-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

Once again it looks like our representatives in the House and Senate are going to play brinksmanship with the welfare of their constituents. Rather than engage in meaningful and honest debate to solve our financial problems, they set up a faux reality of fear to see who will back down first.

Of course the United States is in a lousy financial condition. The “due date” on our reckless spending over decades will eventually come to pass. Failure to begin tackling the tough decisions will only result in unnecessary distress for everyone.

As I watch the many protesters arguing for their own priorities on cutting spending, particularly with regard to Social Security and Medicare, I have a personal interest at stake If there is a shutdown after March 5^th, my Social Security check will NOT be in the mail as usual. I am one who receives my deposit on the second Wednesday each month. That comes after the shutdown. So, who takes up the slack for those of us who are on fixed income based on that monthly check? That check is calculated on the amount of time we have worked and what we and our employers have contributed over our work life. This is NOT welfare.

There are NO EASY ANSWERS, but there will NEVER be any answers if our representatives do not get serious about solving the problem. We are ALL going to have to make reasonable sacrifices. Our representatives have their government health care. They have their $174,000 plus salaries. They have four retirement benefit options for life. They are so far removed from the people they are supposed to be serving that it should not surprise us that they cannot negotiate in good faith.

Let them go without their paychecks.

Let them go without their health care.

Let them live on Social Security when they retire.

So have your fun scaring the living daylights out of some of us while you dither away precious time that could be used toward solving the problem.

And No One Needed Guns!

2011-02-11T09:32:00.000-08:00

So the greatest people’s revolution of modern times has taken place over the last two weeks plus and the revolution accomplished its goal without guns!

So there, all you “Second Amendment” rights nuts who think that in order to form a “more perfect union” it is necessary to take your guns to political rallies. All you have shown the world is that you do not know how to bring about positive change without threatening, or actually, shooting someone.

Egyptians suffered under one of the most brutal and sadistic regimes anywhere in the world. The workers, the professionals, the students, the well-educated people of Egypt had enough and took to the streets by the hundreds of thousands in peaceful protests. They even withstood the goon squads of Mubarak’s police who arrested, shot and beat them, and yet took no weapons themselves in their defense. Yes, they returned the rocks thrown at them by the thugs, but they did not need guns!

Will the radicals among us learn anything from this momentous event? Will it be possible for citizens in the United States to show their courage through their voices and their votes while leaving their guns at home? I certainly hope so!

It is with some degree of satisfaction that I see Glenn Beck’s ratings begin to drop. Maybe his listeners are beginning to realize that he is about three marbles short of enough to play a serious game. We can be grateful for our right to free speech, but we should be ashamed that we support those who use their positions of influence to make up facts and repeat them over and over until the most vulnerable of our citizens begin to believe them.

The Egyptian struggle is not over. But it has great promise. We can all feel empowered by the example they have set for the world—your voice is more important than your gun!

Priorities Revisited

2011-02-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

Some time ago I shared the following thoughts on this blog:

I don’t WANT to,

I don’t HAVE to,

YOU can’t MAKE me . . .

I’M RETIRED!!!!

This feeling comes up almost every day when I turn on my computer, open the Internet and check my news feeds and then my blog. If I haven’t posted an entry recently I begin to feel like I should! Then I look to the poster on my wall and realize,

I don’t HAVE to!

The strange thing is, I really enjoy writing (when I think I have something to say). Even stranger is the fact that some of the best writing I do is in those moments of twilight just before slipping off into dreamland, or before a nap, or even in meditation. Unfortunately, most of those twilight experiences don’t make it to the printed form. Instead, they drift off into the ethers of Universal Consciousness, perhaps to fall upon some unsuspecting person who recognizes an “Aha!” moment that is useful in some way.

We all have our roots of Being in that same Universal Consciousness that holds all that has ever been known and all that is unknown. We all have access to whatever we need to know at any given moment. When we learn that and begin to develop our own pathway into Universal Consciousness, we will discover priceless treasures of every kind. From these roots of Being we will sense our vital connection with others. We will discover deep feelings of love and acceptance—for others, and for ourselves. We will realize that there is purpose in every part of our life, yes, even those strange times where there seems now to be nothing of value.

So, while I don’t HAVE to write, I always find that it enhances my own sense of being. For me that is what is important. It is a priority because it puts me in touch with my Source. There is so much to learn, so much to enjoy in life and in our relationships with others that I want to take advantage of every opportunity to deepen my connection to the Source of being in which we all exist.

I will write when Spirit moves me to do so. I hope that somewhere within the words I share you will find a tidbit now and then that resonates within you in some special way. I trust you will experience the treasures of health, happiness and well-being that await your discovery.

This is how we love one another.

2011-01-12T18:26:00.000-08:00

The citizens and students of Tucson have shown us all how it is done.

They came together to bless and lovingly release those who died in the tragedy last Saturday. They came together to celebrate the healing that is taking place in those wounded, especially Gabby, who for the first time opened her eyes immediately following a brief visit by President Obama!

The love was palpable. It demonstrated how to process a difficult time without judgment or finger pointing.

Thank you, Tucson, for showing us how it is done!

Words Have Consequences!

2011-01-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

Tucson, Arizona, Saturday, January 8, 2011—It has happened again. A deranged young man apparently upset with the political views of his representative in Congress, Gabrielle Giffords, shot and seriously wounded her. Others were killed and wounded. Anyone who has listened to the radio, watched TV or read a newspaper already knows these preliminary facts. The “usual” responses by friends, associates and commentators are flooding the communications environment.

I should be angry. I am far beyond anger. I am in despair. I am NOT surprised that this happened, and I don’t believe most of you are either. Given the incredible lack of sensitivity in the rhetoric to which we are now exposed minute by minute and the disregard for the potential consequences of our words, how could we not expect that such a tragedy would happen? It has happened before too many times.

When you have such prominent persons as Sarah Palin “tweeting” with images of the crosshairs of a gun sight placed over the locations of politicians whose positions she disagrees with, you are suggesting an action of violence, whether intended or not. When you have a candidate for the U.S. Senate suggest that “Second Amendment remedies” may be needed if certain politicians do not do as they are told to do, again, violence is the “subtle” suggestion.

When this tragedy was broadcast one of the first things I thought about was an essay I wrote in April of 2009 at the tenth anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings. The article, “High Noon At the OK Corral,” took issue with the notion that guns had become the tools for dealing with our anger toward persons, policies or actions we did not like. (The gunfight took place in Tombstone, AZ.) It was of interest to me that the article alerted government sites that apparently track potential terrorist activity. Our government knows there is a high level of anxiety and anger brewing in our population.

In an interview, one Arizona Senator said it was “incomprehensible” that such action could happen. It is my strong opinion that it is NOT incomprehensible that people will do stupid things if they are constantly urged to bear arms, rail against people with whom they disagree and ultimately shoot and kill them! Why are we surprised? There are many things we can point to as the causes and all of them contribute some part of whole picture. In the final analysis, for me, the problem is that we have utterly lost our ability to respect the differences of opinion that exist. We have become so used to immediate awareness of conditions—via the Internet, TV, and radio—that we also expect immediate resolutions. And we expect those resolutions to be according to our priorities. Good heavens! Are we such spoiled children that we have to have our way about everything? Is there no room for considering the value of the contributions of others?

What is said by talk show hosts, news networks and demi-gods who present themselves as all-knowing prophets, leads to consequences for which few of them will think they have any responsibility. It should be abundantly clear by now that the constant, bitter rhetoric is giving some individuals approval to do stupid, harmful things.

Words have consequences!

Looking Back - Looking Ahead

2011-01-03T11:32:00.000-08:00

Those of you who have read my blog over the years know that I have written about the journals I have kept for many years. On several occasions I have considered that it might be time to let them go—to the shredder! Up until now I have deferred doing that. For some reason this New Year seems to be the time to finally let go of my past. Only someone who keeps or has kept a journal will understand the emotional impact such a separation might bring about.

When I think of the years of dream records, daily thoughts about the challenges and joys of some event, or the records of many hours of altered state transcripts enjoyed with select friends, it is sobering to think of letting them go. Then, I realized that I am only letting go of the paper and the tapes. The experiences and the friendships with those who participated in those years of my life are forever with me. I finally have come to believe that the paper record does not represent my real life.

Well, at least that is how I felt a month ago before I actually started going through these records. I had hardly begun with one of the last hand written journals for 1982-85 when suddenly a word or a person’s name would jump off the page to my sight. That led to reading in both directions, backward and forward, to take in the context. It doesn’t take a genius to realize this was not going to be the easy task I first thought.

Would it really make a difference if I just trashed the journals without scanning any of the pages? Probably not. But the fact that my attention was caught and I found the reading rewarding tells me it may be important to have those last looks back before continuing my journey forward.

After I began using a computer regularly, somewhere around 1991, my journals were in electronic word files. When it comes to deleting these, highlight, hit delete, and it’s all over! I can get rid of ten years of near daily journals in seconds! And I did! That is simply too much reading. Besides, I bought two huge historical books I wanted to read and that seemed a more important use of my time.

Now it is the New Year and I have once again pulled the box of journals out of the closet and will try again to let go of the past. One lingering thought about the past: At my age the past is subject to “selective” memory; that is I may remember it differently than it actually was. In that case, if it were important I could compare what I remember with what I wrote. But then, who else beside me could possibly care? I don’t expect to be conversing with anyone about things that happened forty years ago.

In the final analysis the reason I considered trashing the journals in the first place was because I felt finished with those past years. As I finally got through the last notebooks there were some things I really felt I wanted to review in greater detail. These were the transcripts of over 100 altered state sessions I had done with a small group of associates. While most of the sessions were rather ordinary, there were some that I felt at the time may be important. In the end I have three notebooks covering several years of sessions that I have put aside for further review.

One note from a friend that I came across I want to share with you. It was important to me at the time and I found it still carried a warm message.

When we get

bogged down

and upset with

all the everyday problems,

we don’t have the

energy left

to enjoy the truly

important things—

such as our

friendship.

You have made me

realize that things

are not nearly as

devastating as they

may appear at

the moment.

You have given

me the power

to love.

--Susan Polis Schutz

The dreams and the diaries have been released. My friends, I am moving on. The past is past, but the love lasts forever!

The Holiday Season Begins!

2010-11-28T10:21:00.000-08:00

As we finish the leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner, we find ourselves already in the frenetic race to get through the Holidays and end another year.

I have discovered that I need a change of pace. I am not going to wait until the New Year to get started on that change. A big part of the change is to purchase and read three new books on the market. All three have to do with structure of our country and the outstanding leaders who set us upon our historic course and who sustained that effort through the centuries. I may report on them after I have concluded my reading.

But, that report will have to wait. I have decided to take the month of December off from any further blog posts. So for December you will have to read something else! I have already determined what my first January essay will be about. Of course, it will have something to do with “new beginnings” as most of us think about planning our goals and fulfilling our aspirations.

I hope you will remember to check back in January. In the meantime, I wish you all the very best that life has to offer—family, friends and great adventures!

The Pretender

2010-11-26T10:19:00.000-08:00

I have had the opportunity to meet people in all walks of life. Each person has had some impact on the values I have developed. As I allowed my mind to wander through the past years and the variety of people I have encountered, I discovered that some were what I shall call “pretenders.”

The “Pretender” is a person who by his/her actions demonstrates the belief that the qualities below represent weakness in an individual: (alphabetical listing, not by priority)

Carefulness
    Caring is for those who cannot change a situation
    One must do whatever is necessary to appear in charge
Conservation
    Everything is available for our unrestricted use
Humility
    One must be proud of self so others will not be aware of shortcomings
Love
    Love makes one vulnerable
Non-violence
    Passive aggressive tendencies demonstrate unwillingness to confront
Peacefulness
    This quality demonstrates one is not strong enough to win battles
Poise
    A cover up for inner uncertainty

Fortunately, I have fond memories of many persons in my life who recognize the true value of these characteristics and do their best to exemplify them every day. They are role models I attempt to emulate.

Get Your Hands Off My Social Security!

2010-11-13T09:12:00.000-08:00

Since the election a number of Republicans are even more loudly proclaiming that we have to cut entitlements. By entitlements they mostly mean Social Security. Two of the things they want to do is raise the retirement age to from 67 to 69 and they want to change the calculations for cost of living (COLA) increases so that they virtually will not happen. For those who give a damn and can read (usually those with higher education levels) I am submitting some information from which you can draw your own conclusions to where you stand on the issue. If you are just out of college, retirement may not be of interest to you. If you are about to retire, it is of paramount importance. Young or old, the day will come when you retire. What that day looks like is heading for the front burner of the political charade we call Congress.

I am going to share figures gathered from government source data and relate them to my own situation. In my case I retired in 2003 at age 69 while the retirement age was still 65. I started taking my Social Security income, as allowed by law, at age 65. That is as good a way to compare your own situation as any and I don’t really care who knows what my financial situation happens to be. I would hope, however, that you care about yours, because with the Republicans in charge of the House of Representatives you can bet on some strange legislation coming up. Incidentally, I am in favor of increasing the retirement age, eventually to 70, and removing the limit on the base upon which the FICA deductions are made.

There are several philosophical differences between Republicans and Democrats. Simply stated most Republicans favor policies that benefit big business while most Democrats favor the labor side of economics. The Republicans believe that if you make the rich richer they will spend their good fortune buying things, thus helping the economy to grow. The Democrats believe the key to economic growth depends on policies that put earnings into the hands of the main consumers, the so-called middle class. Democrats also believe that when the economy falters and unemployment grows, it is up to government to charge the economic forces by investing money in projects and programs that put people to work so they have the money to buy the goods we should be producing, even if that money has to be borrowed. If government does not put money into the economy when businesses do not, production stops, unemployment surges. The 2% with the most money can never spend enough to keep the economy going. It takes the 98% of the rest of us! If we don’t have the money the economy tanks.

Well enough of that. On the table below I have listed some facts about income and the cost of living. It is by no means a complete picture, but it does highlight some basics. Figures compare the year after my retirement to 2010.

Item	2004	2010	% Change
My Social Security Gross Check	$1094.60	$1308.40	16.4
My Medicare Payment withheld	$66.60	$96.40	31.0
My Social Security Net Check	$1034.00	$1212.00	14.7
US Cost of Living Increase since 2003			18.37
Avg US Soc Sec Check/month		$1172.20
Avg OR Unemployment/month		$1928.00
Avg US Single Per. Poverty Level Inc/mo		$903.00
Avg HH Income Oregon/month 2008		$4180.42

Ask yourself if you can live on the average SS check, or the average unemployment check, which at least is more than social security. What do you think about the difference between the US average poverty level income for a single person as opposed to the average household income in Oregon?

It would be one thing if income and costs rose in relatively equal percentages, but as you can see they do not. The costs of everything increase faster and by more than the average incomes of those most in need. If there are meaningful alternatives for assisting those unable to support even a minimal life style, I am all for considering them. The actions of politicians seem more focused on making sure the top 2% remain unaffected by any downturns in the economy.

I have paid money into Social Security like everyone else. Receiving my monthly check is NOT a handout. So, members of Congress, Mr. President, keep your hands off my Social Security check!

Books I Recently Read

2010-11-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

In case you wondered (and why would you?) whether I actually read as well as write I offer the following book reports on my recent efforts to become well informed and well rounded. (Hey! I’m not referring to my pear shaped figure.)

Third World America, by Arianna Huffington.

I have followed Arianna Huffington for some time as she has shared her views on various television news programs. I subscribe to The Huffington Post, her online blog that hosts dozens of the top analysts in the country today. When I saw her interviewed about her latest of thirteen books up to the present, I immediately bought and read it.

The first two thirds of the book deals with the multitude of ways our country has devolved into a “third world” [1] nation. It was discouraging and bewildering to see the research laid out in such a systematic and straightforward manner. The lower middle class is increasingly becoming the poor and the upper middle class is sinking to the regular middle class. One class continues to grow—the 2% of the population in the upper class. That 2% is managing to capture the major portion of wealth in our nation, currently estimated to be about 85%. That means that 98% of the population shares in only 15% of the wealth. One can debate the figures. There are numerous ways in which these calculations are made. But the fact remains that the so-called “trickle down” economics of the Reagan era never trickled down to any body. That increasing wealth was hoarded and reinvested in ways that would further benefit the super rich.

In the final third of her book, Ms. Huffington outlines ways in which this imbalance can be remedied. She talks about entrepreneurship, “Calling on the can-do attitude that is part of America’s DNA, Huffington shows precisely what we need to do to stop our free fall and keep our country from turning into a Third World nation.”

I urge you to read it.

Eighteen Acres, by Nicolle Wallace.

I just finished this completely absorbing novel about life inside the eighteen acres that comprise the grounds of the White House. I could not put this book down! Coming as it has right at the time of the midterm elections, it satisfied my curiosity about the work, the people and the antics of the people we elect to lead us and those they gather around themselves in order to accomplish their goals. It is a novel but it is based on a real knowledge of how things work (or don’t) in the world of high-powered politics.

Nicolle Wallace is an established political commentator who regularly appears on network and cable news programs. She is a contributor to The Daily Beast and a former analyst for CBS Evening News. She was White House communications director under George W. Bush and campaign advisor for John McCain and Sarah Palin.

I found it most interesting to imagine who her characters were in “real life.” Of course they were drawn from a number of administrations and their personnel and one cannot be absolutely certain who is who. The fun is in imagining that you might know. I am sure that the insiders know who they are.

I read very few novels, but I bought this as soon as I heard Ms. Wallace interviewed about her book. Get it!

Dead Love, by Linda Watanabe McFerrin.

And now for something entirely different. This book, written by the wife of a friend of mine, is not the type of material I usually choose for reading matter. My curiosity pushed me, both because of the current interest in the subject matter and because of my relationship to the author.

First, let me admit that I did not consider myself a ghoul/zombie person! I must say, though, I had hardly begun Dead Love when I realized I was strangely excited. Anticipation conjured in each paragraph led me to wonder what next? Then it was from one chapter to the next. I was hooked!

There was no wasted time building up to the sexual interplay of the characters. Erin and Ryu take care of that right away. Best to get into it quickly so one could fully participate in the real adventure of dead love! The sex was, as Erin exclaimed, “almost annihilating” to say the least.

At some points in the reading I imagined a Bogart figure, as in Casablanca or African Queen, an understated character innately powerful. Each of the Dead Love characters was well drawn and believable. Of course it helped if you already had an inclination to be interested in shape-shifting ghouls and zombies.

The author is a marvelous wordsmith. Her colorful and descriptive narrative moves us from one dark corner of the mind to another, each fraught with the shadows of intrigue and deception.

The author is currently on a book signing tour and will be stopping at Powell’s Beaverton bookstore November 10 at 7:00 PM.

[1] · The term arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned or not moving at all with either capitalism and NATO (which along with its allies represented the First World) or communism and the Soviet Union (which along with its allies represented the Second World). ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_World_country

· Unlike an industrial nation where certain criteria are met, these are nations which struggle to compete because of a lack of one or more of the following: health, education, employment, resources, money, and other various factors. ...
www.information-entertainment.com/Politics/polterms.html

It’s Harder to Keep Silent Than I Thought!

2010-11-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I plan on being silent about the election results until I regain consciousness. One friend noted that I seemed to be able to type while unconscious. Caught again!

In the absence of my own thoughts (for now) I am sharing the comments of a long-time friend who is pretty much on the same wave length as I am. Here is what Lloyd Agte has to say.

Looks like I'll have to fill the gap, then. I hope a vow of silence is not accompanied by a spell of deafness and blindness! To wit:

We are hitched to a dying empire. We have not won a war since World War II. All others have been truce, withdrawal, or defeat, or stalemate. We will no longer be in the driver's seat as we were after WWII. The myth of each generation getting richer and richer by doing less and less (grunt work that is) has come to an end. The goal of the rich seems to be to acquire more wealth so that offspring don't have to worry about work and so that they can flaunt their "superior" class to an ever impoverishing nation. They need bread lines, people dying in the street of starvation, food riots, to really feel their superior position. As the wealth and power drifts into the hands of corporations, who have no responsibility to anyone but themselves, and the wealth percolates upwards in a class warfare that the super rich are winning, and there is less and less money in the hands of the middle and lower classes that create the demand for goods, our economy will continue to falter and we will continue to try to maintain our lifestyle by borrowing money from the Chinese who will soon have the most powerful economy in the world.

That was a powerful illusion of wealth that the middle-class, and upper class as far as that is concerned, and it even trickled down to the poor, indulged in with the housing boom and bubble. With nothing down and no credit and lies on a credit report, everyone thought they were getting richer, when it was just a house of cards. Now they want it back again. They LOVED that feeling that they were getting richer every day just because they had made the "wise" decision to buy a house. Everything inflated: price of lumber, housing material, permits, labor, petroleum, stocks, real estate, and on and on. It was a heady addiction and any drug is hard to give up. Obama's sober money priming machine slowly does its work, but like a spoiled teenager, American voters want it NOW. "Wave a wand and make me feel rich again," they shout. And the Republicans are there with their wands and their shills mixing among the crowd to pick the pockets of the middle-class and poor of what little remains.

So expect in each two year cycle a repudiation of those in power by the electorate who want to be restored to at least their illusion of masters of the world, and a constant escalation of material goods is their only means of keeping score.

Lloyd

About The Election

2010-11-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

I defer to one of the world’s proverbs that I should, perhaps, pay more attention to:

Speech is silver,

Silence is golden.

Silence will be my only comment on the election results until I regain consciousness!

So Take That, Glenn Beck and Fox Noise!

2010-10-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Rally to Restore Sanity

(And/or Fear)

Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Friends

The Washington Mall

Saturday, October 30, 2010

So here we are, Jon Stewart said at the closing of the Rally. Indeed, here we are! This rally reflected the America I love, the country I believe is strong in spirit and respectful of the individuality and character of its people.

Jon hoped that those who came for a good time had that experience among the thousands of like-minded adults, children and families. This was about much more than fun, though the laughs were many. This was not a rally to ridicule others or to pretend that things are not difficult in our country right now. Certainly, we are experiencing hard times, but not end times!

It is NOT in Washington, nor in the MEDIA that things get done. Rather it is in our own homes where we express family values of support and encouragement. It is in our cities and towns where we seek to build strong systems of acceptance and cooperation. Government is not here to do everything for us, but rather to help us do for ourselves and to provide a broader base of opportunity that helps to open the way for our success.

The rally was a very welcome relief from the rhetoric and acts of incivility that have deluged us leading up to Tuesday’s election. My personal belief is that those who base their vote on the advertising they have heard about the candidates or issues, have wasted their time and their energy. They have also threatened the stability of the democratic process, which is not just about the right to vote, but also about being part of an educated and aware citizenry.

I voted, though it was difficult for me to feel good about it. Every election it seems to be tougher to ferret out the truth and to believe that things will change for the better. Traditionally, in most things, the pendulum swings from one extreme to the other, only briefly passing through moderation. Perhaps it takes this action for us to formulate our opinions, but when we lose sight of the moderate, centrist possibilities altogether, I believe it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain a reasonable society.

So, here we are. Another crossroads in the ongoing story of the greatest county in the world! May God (by whatever name) guide us toward reconciliation and resolution in our deliberations and actions.

I Wonder . . .

2010-10-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

It is a beautiful fall day. The sun is bright in a clear blue sky. This morning was our first frost! I had to do a double take when I looked out my window and saw the frost on the cars in the parking lot. Wow! Fall is here and the leaves are beginning their colorful shift from green to orange, red, yellow and eventually, brown. At that point they fall to the ground and it is time for homeowners to get the rakes out and clean up. (Glad I don't own a home any more! I can watch out my window from the comfort of my computer keyboard as others do the work.)

I have just finished reading the blog post of a friend from China who was commenting on her life and reviewing her attitude about her work, her team mates and friends. What started out as a somewhat negative retrospective turned out in the end to be a positive reflection on how she could make her life more meaningful and fulfilling. I was struck by her philosophy and her willingness to accept what friends had shared with her about how she could chart a more successful course.

After I shared my coment with her, I began to wonder. I wondered why so many of us have times of despair where we feel like things are never going to get better. Of course, in America right now it is not difficult to list numerous reasons why we get depressed about how life seems to be going. Some of us hope that when the elections are over in November, a new crop of politicians will get busy to set things right that they think the current politicians have done wrong. It is always like this. Unfortunately, it seems that we get farther and farther away from constructive change in our elections. We have become polarized regarding just about every issue. There doesn't seem to be a powerful effort toward reconcilliation or positive compromise. In fact, it seems compromise has become a dirty word and deleted from our conversations and actions. So, yes, there are many things that give us pause to reflect on just what in the world is going to happen to us?

It is probably trite to mention, "behind every cloud the sun is shining," especially on such a sunny day as this. Or that it is raindrops seen through the sunlight that brings the rainbow, an age-old symbol of prosperity and well-being. And yet, this is exactly what we should be focusing our attention upon. It seems to me that we have a choice. We can choose to look at life positively, to believe in rainbows of abundance. Or we can join in the negative conversations of those constantly moaning about how terrible everything is. You might reflect:

As I sat frustrated and alone
A friend came by and said,
“Cheer up. Things could be worse.”
So I cheered up.
Sure enough! Things got worse!
-- Anonymous

There are plenty of people complaining. What we need is people positively reflecting upon what is right with life. Cherish your friends, especially the positive ones. Enjoy the sun, the clouds and even the rain--they are part of the life cycle that continually renews itself. You live in that cycle of renewing life, so focus your attention on the positive possibilities within every aspect of the cycles of change that come your way. There is good to be found there. If your friends cannot find good things to talk about, don't give in to the temptation to whine along with them. It may be time to take a constructive stand or even find new friends.

I wonder . . . What would life be like if we really did change our viewpoint, our conversations and our dreams?

Failure To Ask

2010-10-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

This is one of those essays I find difficult to start writing.

Like so many others I have been profoundly affected by the suicide of Tyler Clementi, the 18-year-old Rutgers University student whose bright light was extinguished by the waters underneath the George Washington Bridge from which he jumped last week.

It is ironic to me that as we debate the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” issue in the Armed Forces, and we are told that the younger generation does not have an issue with those who have recognized their gender attractions to members of their own sex, that it was exactly members of the younger generation that attempted to ridicule and shame one of their own.

It is bad enough that the life of Tyler Clementi was brought to an abrupt end, but the facts are that in recent weeks five teenagers in the United States have taken their lives because they were openly gay or thought to be gay. I do not care what one’s personal beliefs about gay and lesbian individuals may be, there is no excuse for the brutal behavior they are exposed to by their age peers and others. To me such behavior amounts to nothing less than a hate crime and should be dealt with as such.

This morning, on CBS Sunday Morning (CBS, 7 AM PDT), the lead story was about this subject. Reporter Jim Axelrod stated, “You may hear about a bad break-up or stress as the cause of a suicide. Those usually mask underlying mental health issues as the real explanation.” People struggle emotionally for myriad reasons, yet so seldom is there the courage to stand up and say, “I’m struggling. I need help.” The report states that in 2009 13.8% of US high school students—almost one out of seven--reported they seriously considered attempting to kill themselves, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Laurie Flynn who runs Columbia University’s nationwide TeenScreen program, designed to identify 14-to 17-year olds who are at risk, asks teens, “Why didn’t you say anything?” The teen response was, “Nobody ever asked me.” It would seem that part of our problem of escalating teen suicide has to do with our failure to ask! Somewhere between a person’s fear of asking and our failure to recognize another’s emotional needs and ask, “Is there anything I can do?” someone falls through the cracks and is lost.

Some of us are hesitant to intrude on another person’s private thoughts and feelings. However, if we sense there may be a serious problem building to an explosion point, isn’t it better to take the risk and offer a listening ear or a hug? The worst that would probably happen is to be told “No.” Sometimes we may need to not take no for an answer. I wish I could tell you how to be absolutely certain when it is time to act on behalf of another person you think is in need. I cannot. Still, I prefer the pre-emptive action of making myself available than to simply wait until it is too late. “What ifs?” are never satisfying.

Some of you who follow my blog or Facebook Notes are aware that I have had my ups and downs emotionally. We all do to some extent. What has saved me for the most part, in addition to writing as an outlet, is that sometimes I am able to ask for help. Other times I have found myself receptive to someone injecting themselves into my life, not only asking if they can help, but insisting upon it. My former wife and long-time friend, Shawn, was such a presence for me awhile back. Putting aside her own issues she visited me to make sure I was okay. Her courage to ask made a remarkable difference for me at the time.

The failure to ask goes both ways. We need to carefully monitor our own sense of well-being. It is important to have persons in your life with whom you can confidently share your needs and who can understand your need for help. We need to ask for help. We also need to be aware of our family members and close friends, watching for any sign that they may need some kind of assistance. We need to ask, “How can I help?”

The tragic loss of Tyler Clementi and others who were trying to understand their sexuality and what that means for them is regrettable in so many ways. Every life is important. Every life counts. No one should be put under a microscope of scrutiny and judged as irrelevant. No one, especially teens, should be mocked and ridiculed. Much of our society today is so divided and so willing to see everything in terms of black and white, right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable, that we are virtually at war with each other. Is it not apparent where this divisiveness and bigotry are leading us? It is time for understanding. It is time to be more “our brother’s keeper” than his enemy.

Finally, failure to ask is NOT an option! We need each other!

Getting Beyond “I don’t WANT to.”

2010-09-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

A number of weeks ago a friend sent me a saying she liked and thought I might. It was:

I don’t WANT to,

I don’t HAVE to,

You can’t MAKE me . . .

I’M RETIRED!!!

Maybe it was because it resonated with my frame of mind at the time, but I DID like it. In fact, I immediately made it into a small poster, printed it and posted it on the wall in front of my computer where I saw it every time I was at the keyboard.

One of the reasons it resonated with me at the time was the fact of the growing discord in our societal “conversations.” It seemed to me no one was listening to anyone else. We each were shouting our opinions as though we were the only voice that counted. These were not only the voices of individuals, family members and friends, but also of the media and the politicians. The fact is that they had long since ceased to be “conversations” and were, for the most part, simply diatribes of complaint and finger-pointing. I definitely didn’t WANT to continue being part of that frustration, but I was!

Then, this morning I received one of those innocuous email forwards. At first I thought, “Here’s another one!” The email referred the reader to a blog page, “Confessions of A Confetti Head.” The first paragraph got me.

Where does REAL personal change come from? You know, the kind that puts you into a tailspin with profound “AHAs.” The kind that after you come back to Earth, you say, “WOW! That was AMAZING!” and from that moment on, you are different. You are different in ways that you may have struggled with for years, or even your entire life.

As I read on I discovered that the author had many degrees, had become certified in many human potential techniques, and yet still felt a distinct schism in her psyche. With all she knew about living and how well qualified she felt to live life fully, she also “struggled with a dual experience of myself as dynamic and capable on one hand and invisible, unworthy, and less than on the other hand.” I could also identify with those feelings of a strange inadequacy to really make a difference, to be heard above the din of angry confrontation and lack of civility. Who wants to listen to me? (Also, who do I want to listen to?)

Personally, I have found myself echoing and believing the “I don’t want to” attitude about life. What’s the use, I thought. It is not a pleasant place to be when that is the way one thinks and feels about life. In that place you feel like a voice crying in the wilderness, hoping the deaf will hear and the blind will see. They don’t and they won’t as long as we cannot respect and accept our differences. If this country stands for anything, it is the rights of each of us to be whom we are, and to recognize that right in every other American. Remember, we ALL came from somewhere else (except for the Native Americans).

Somehow, I thought to myself, I have to get beyond these feelings of not wanting to participate in a world gone crazy. I cannot hide away in a cave (as much as I would like to at times) and pretend there is nothing to be done, no way to make things better. I do know I cannot change anyone else. Great gravy! It’s almost impossible to change myself. What in the world makes me think I should even want to try to change anyone else?

I cannot help but remember an experience I had years ago that provided a profound example of what can happen when one decides to change his/her attitude. I had felt deeply hurt by a situation that occurred. I felt so angry that I defiantly told myself I didn’t even want to want forgive the other person. Over a period of time working on that situation I came to a point where I realized I wanted to want to forgive the person. Finally, I wanted to. At last, after much work in prayer an objectively discussing the problem with those whose opinions I valued, I did forgive! In that moment I was totally free from the negative power of the original event.

I wish I could say that overcoming that situation took me beyond ever feeling hurt again or angry and unforgiving. It didn’t. Life is not a matter of overcoming one situation and forever being free of challenges. The most we can expect from meeting a challenge is to understand the process fully enough to use that knowledge to meet subsequent challenges.

There is only one way, really, to get beyond “I don’t WANT to”. You have to WANT to. That is where real personal and societal change will come from. It is my hope that our society will get beyond the anger and frustration that so many feel. I suspect that once the midterm elections are over and the politicians have little more to gain from milking the adversity to their advantage that things will settle down for a month or so. Of course, then the REAL election effort begins and we can return to accusing one party or the other of misleading us, being dishonest, baiting the divisive tendencies in those subject to such efforts and generally further destabilizing our sense of connectedness. You see where this is going, right?

Rules of Engagement

2010-09-11T16:41:00.000-07:00

A friend and fellow Blogger just posted an essay about how fear affects our ability to engage others in responsible interaction. He specifically invited my response to that article. You can find the original essay at: http://www.theviewfromoutsidemytinywindow.blogspot.com/

I hope you will check it out. What follows is my more detailed response.

The essay on engagement, referred to above, highlights the character of much of our American society today. Times are tough economically for 90 – 95% of the country. An increasing number of citizens do not know where the next meal is coming from, if it’s coming at all, or where they will lay their head in sleep tonight. When such circumstances exist and show little sign of easing, a desperation and sense of fear begin to develop. Fearful people may take one of several courses of action as a result.

Some will simply slink away, discouraged and feeling impotent to change their circumstances. They are unlikely to engage with anyone because they fear their own weakness. Some will become angry and strike out at those they blame for creating the circumstances in which they find themselves. They are more likely to engage others sometimes violently in order to vent their frustrations and fears of greater loss. They will find someone or some group that they can tag as responsible for their plight.

My personal religious philosophy does not include fear of God. The God in whom I place my faith is not vengeful or punitive. My fear, it seems to me at least, comes from my lack of understanding of my own worth. To the degree I feel worthy my life operates with less fear. With less fear I am more likely to engage with others and willing to listen to ideas and philosophies that differ from my own.

So, for me, engagement in and of itself is not the question. The kind of engagement we express, the quality of our character, and our sense of personal responsibility for the quality of our lives and our society, determine whether engagement improves or diminishes our society. It is all too clear that many Americans today are so fearful and angry that equilibrium is almost lost Those willing to exploit our fears and rally us to find a scapegoat always seem to rise to prominence in such times. To blindly follow such provocateurs is an abdication of personal responsibility.

To positively engage in debate, to seek to understand others, especially those whose ethnicity and cultural foundation differ from our own, can bring harmony, a deeper sense of community and a freedom from fear.

The Glenn Beck Rally and Our Society

2010-08-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has followed this blog or my “Notes” on Facebook is aware that I do not have much use for the likes of Glenn Beck, Fox Noise, the Tea Party, or most of those who follow the rants of this narcissistic nut ball. (Friends and relatives excepted! –LOL) His visions of personal grandeur and self-importance make me want to hurl my breakfast.

That having been said I determined this morning that I might have to write an essay acknowledging the fact that Glenn Beck did in fact get his crowd together for the rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Never mind that this event, in my opinion, was a mockery of all that Dr. Martin Luther King stood for. However, I certainly recognize that he has tapped into the enormous sense of dissatisfaction with the way things are in society and government today. That does not mean I agree with any single word that comes out of his mouth.

I am not feeling particularly charitable, especially after reviewing the Katrina 5th anniversary programs this week and the reminder of how totally incompetent our government has become in most areas of our lives. And that is what really scares me. When unrest is further encouraged by those who are least sane, or least competent to understand the power of one negative assault after another on the public psyche, there is considerable concern about the possibility of someone finally lighting the actual fuse of revolution. When those seeking public office have as their mandate the course of exercising their “Second Amendment remedies” (read Sharron Angle of Nevada) if government does not do what they think government should do, we are in deep trouble.

There is no question many folks are very unhappy with what is happening in our country. I am very upset about many of the same things. But what I am most unhappy about is the failure of our politicians to demonstrate even a vestige of integrity or genuine concern, let alone any awareness, of the plight of an increasing portion of the populace. I cannot, will not, go into all of the aspects at the root of this dissatisfaction, except to say that the devastating financial divide between the “haves” and the “have-nots” is at the breaking point. There is very definitely a different philosophical base between the Democrats and the Republicans on this issue. That philosophy could be debated reasonably, but it is not.

Frankly, and here comes my basic negativity about things, I think we may have passed the point of no return when it comes to our ability to engage constructively with one another. I believe we have come to the point where many think it really is necessary to wear guns to rallies to showcase our opinions. We are almost at the point of the only argument being, “My gun is bigger than your gun!”

Some may be saying, “It is easy to complain. Why don’t you offer some alternatives?” I guess what I feel about that is my expressions of other ways of thinking, feeling, and living don’t seem to resonate with those caught up with the Glenn Becks of this society. I have stated my position in hundreds of articles over the years and in two books. So now I will just cop out. Of course that is not much better than the position of the radical right and left who complain and offer such radical alternatives that there is no room to compromise.

For anyone who feels strongly about what I have said, I invite your comments. You have as much right to your opinions as Glenn Beck does and as I do. Opinions are cheap, aren’t they? They require very little other than a means to state them.

Who Could Have Predicted This State of Affairs?

2010-08-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

For some time now I have wanted to voice my disgust with the current rampage of the growing percentage of Americans who “want to take the country back.” Back to where? Back to when? These so-called Constitutionalists have either not read the Constitution or want to believe the Founders didn’t really mean what they wrote down at the beginning of our democracy. (I have read it and keep a pocket copy handy to reaffirm its contents in the face of the demagoguery of the idiots wearing hats with teabags hanging from them.)

Don’t get me wrong. Every person has a right to express his/her opinion. What they DO NOT have is the right to make up their own facts and present them as Truth.

In my email today I received this copy of an editorial by Frank Rich of the New York Times. It pretty much reflected my views on a number of current topics, so I decided to reproduce it here for those who have not seen it. To some extent, it saves me from raising my blood pressure over what is happening in this country today.

How Fox Betrayed Petraeus
By FRANK RICH
August 21, 2010 – New York Times

THE “ground zero mosque,” as you may well know by now, is not at ground zero. It’s not a mosque but an Islamic cultural center containing a prayer room. It’s not going to determine President Obama’s political future or the elections of 2010 or 2012. Still, the battle that has broken out over this project in Lower Manhattan — on the “hallowed ground” of a shuttered Burlington Coat Factory store one block from the New York Dolls Gentlemen’s Club — will prove eventful all the same. And the consequences will be far more profound than any midterm election results or any of the grand debates now raging 24/7 over the parameters of tolerance, religious freedom, and the real estate gospel of location, location, location.

Here’s what’s been lost in all the screaming. The prime movers in the campaign against the “ground zero mosque” just happen to be among the last cheerleaders for America’s nine-year war in Afghanistan. The wrecking ball they’re wielding is not merely pounding Park51, as the project is known, but is demolishing America’s already frail support for that war, which is dedicated to nation-building in a nation whose most conspicuous asset besides opium is actual mosques.
So virulent is the Islamophobic hysteria of the neocon and Fox News right — abetted by the useful idiocy of the Anti-Defamation League, Harry Reid and other cowed Democrats — that it has also rendered Gen. David Petraeus’s last-ditch counterinsurgency strategy for fighting the war inoperative. How do you win Muslim hearts and minds in Kandahar when you are calling Muslims every filthy name in the book in New York?
You’d think that American hawks invested in the Afghanistan “surge” would not act against their own professed interests. But they couldn’t stop themselves from placing cynical domestic politics over country. The ginned-up rage over the “ground zero mosque” was not motivated by a serious desire to protect America from the real threat of terrorists lurking at home and abroad — a threat this furor has in all likelihood exacerbated — but by the potential short-term rewards of winning votes by pandering to fear during an election season.
We owe thanks to Justin Elliott of Salon for the single most revealing account of this controversy’s evolution. He reports that there was zero reaction to the “ground zero mosque” from the front-line right or anyone else except marginal bloggers when The Times first reported on the Park51 plans in a lengthy front-page article on Dec. 9, 2009. The sole exception came some two weeks later at Fox News, where Laura Ingraham, filling in on “The O’Reilly Factor,” interviewed Daisy Khan, the wife of the project’s organizer, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. Ingraham gave the plans her blessing. “I can’t find many people who really have a problem with it,” she said. “I like what you’re trying to do.”
As well Ingraham might. Rauf is no terrorist. He has been repeatedly sent on speaking tours by the Bush and Obama State Departments alike to promote tolerance in Arab and Muslim nations. As Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic reported last week, Rauf gave a moving eulogy at a memorial service for Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter murdered by Islamist terrorists in Pakistan, at the Manhattan synagogue B’nai Jeshurun. Pearl’s father was in attendance. The Park51 board is chock-full of Christians and Jews. Perhaps the most threatening thing about this fledgling multi-use community center, an unabashed imitator of the venerable (and Jewish) 92nd Street Y uptown, is its potential to spawn yet another coveted, impossible-to-get-into Manhattan private preschool.
In the five months after The Times’s initial account there were no newspaper articles on the project at all. It was only in May of this year that the Rupert Murdoch axis of demagoguery revved up, jettisoning Ingraham’s benign take for a New York Post jihad. The paper’s inspiration was a rabidly anti-Islam blogger best known for claiming that Obama was Malcolm X’s illegitimate son. Soon the rest of the Murdoch empire and its political allies piled on, promoting the incendiary libel that the “radical Islamists” behind the “ground zero mosque” were tantamount either to neo-Nazis in Skokie (according to a Wall Street Journal columnist) or actual Nazis (per Newt Gingrich).
These patriots have never attacked the routine Muslim worship services at another site of the 9/11 attacks, the Pentagon. Their sudden concern for ground zero is suspect to those of us who actually live in New York. All but 12 Republicans in the House voted against health benefits for 9/11 responders just last month. Though many of these ground-zero watchdogs partied at the 2004 G.O.P. convention in New York exploiting 9/11, none of them protested that a fellow Republican, the former New York governor George Pataki, so bollixed up the management of the World Trade Center site that nine years on it still lacks any finished buildings, let alone a permanent memorial.

The Fox patron saint Sarah Palin calls Park51 a “stab in the heart” of Americans who “still have that lingering pain from 9/11.” But her only previous engagement with the 9/11 site was when she used it as a political backdrop for taking her first questions from reporters nearly a month after being named to the G.O.P. ticket. (She was so eager to grab her ground zero photo op that she defied John McCain’s just-announced “suspension” of their campaign.) Her disingenuous piety has been topped only by Bernie Kerik, who smuggled a Twitter message out of prison to register his rage at the ground zero desecration. As my colleague Clyde Haberman reminded us, such was Kerik’s previous reverence for the burial ground of 9/11 that he appropriated an apartment overlooking the site (and designated for recovery workers) for an extramarital affair.

At the Islamophobia command center, Murdoch’s News Corporation, the hypocrisy is, if anything, thicker. A recent Wall Street Journal editorial darkly cited unspecified “reports” that Park51 has “money coming from Saudi charities or Gulf princes that also fund Wahabi madrassas.” As Jon Stewart observed, this brand of innuendo could also be applied to News Corp., whose second largest shareholder after the Murdoch family is a member of the Saudi royal family. Perhaps last week’s revelation that News Corp. has poured $1 million into G.O.P. campaign coffers was a fiendishly clever smokescreen to deflect anyone from following the far greater sum of Saudi money (a $3 billion stake) that has flowed into Murdoch enterprises, or the News Corp. money (at least $70 million) recently invested in a Saudi media company.
Were McCain in the White House, Fox and friends would have kept ignoring Park51. But it’s an irresistible target in our current election year because it revives the most insidious anti-Obama narrative of the many Fox promoted in the previous election year: Obama the closet Muslim and secret madrassa alumnus. In the much discussed latest Pew poll, a record number of Americans (nearing 20 percent) said that our Christian president practices Islam. And they do not see that as a good thing. Existing or proposed American mosques hundreds and even thousands of miles from ground zero, from Tennessee to Wisconsin to California, are now under siege.
After 9/11, President Bush praised Islam as a religion of peace and asked for tolerance for Muslims not necessarily because he was a humanitarian or knew much about Islam but because national security demanded it. An America at war with Islam plays right into Al Qaeda’s recruitment spiel. This month’s incessant and indiscriminate orgy of Muslim-bashing is a national security disaster for that reason — Osama bin Laden’s “next video script has just written itself,” as the former F.B.I. terrorist interrogator Ali Soufan put it — but not just for that reason. America’s Muslim partners, those our troops are fighting and dying for, are collateral damage. If the cleric behind Park51 — a man who has participated in events with Condoleezza Rice and Karen Hughes, for heaven’s sake — is labeled a closet terrorist sympathizer and a Nazi by some of the loudest and most powerful conservative voices in America, which Muslims are not?

In the latest CNN poll, American opposition is at an all-time high to both the ostensibly concluded war in Iraq (69 percent) and the endless one in Afghanistan (62 percent). Now, when the very same politicians and pundits who urge infinite patience for Afghanistan slime Muslims as Nazis, they will have to explain that they are not talking about Hamid Karzai or his corrupt narco-thug government or the questionably loyal Afghan armed forces our own forces are asked to entrust with their lives. The hawks will have to make the case that American troops should make the ultimate sacrifice to build a Nazi — Afghan, I mean — nation and that economically depressed taxpayers should keep paying for it. Good luck with that.

Poor General Petraeus. Over the last week he has been ubiquitous in the major newspapers and on television as he pursues a publicity tour to pitch the war he’s inherited. But have you heard any buzz about what he had to say? Any debate? Any anything? No one was listening and no one cared. Everyone was too busy yelling about the mosque.

It’s poignant, really. Even as America’s most venerable soldier returned from the front to valiantly assume the role of Willy Loman, the product he was selling was being discredited and discontinued by his own self-proclaimed allies at home.

Prayers Answered – Deep Gratitude to All!

2010-08-11T15:58:00.001-07:00

I just received the news that the 4.4 cm polyp removed from Shawn’s colon is an adenoma,* a benign tumor! This is great news and an example of the power of people praying together. Even the surgeon felt the growth would be determined malignant. I do not have to tell you how relieved Shawn is, and of course, so am I. She will have to return to the hospital at a later time to complete the colonoscopy that was interrupted due to her waking up during the procedure. But now there is time to continue building the image of a vital, perfectly functioning system, fully healed.

Thank you all for your prayerful support!

* Adenomas of the colon are quite prevalent. They are found commonly at colonoscopy. They are removed because of their tendency to become malignant and to lead to colon cancer. --Wikipedia

Why Did This Happen To Me?

2010-08-09T11:17:00.000-07:00

I KNOW you have asked yourself, “Why did this happen to me?” If you didn’t ask the question for yourself, you have probably wondered why so much bad stuff happens to people you know. Those of you who read my blog or follow my “Notes” on Facebook will know I have a dear friend who is one of those for whom the question surely can be asked. In fact, Shawn brought it up herself and in doing so she made light of her circumstances. I couldn’t help but chuckle about the way she was looking through the pain and fear to see the “funny” side of her situation.

As I read her question about why all the bad stuff happens to people it occurred to me that maybe God knows which of His children can handle paying up KARMA in advance! Okay, I know how this sounds, but it isn’t any crazier than thinking God is punishing us for some nutty behavior. I personally do not believe things happen by chance. I am not always able to connect the dots on why something works out the way it does in my life, but still, I know I am participating in some way. Hopefully in the scheme of things we will come to understand what it is all about. For one thing, consider what we often learn about ourselves when we overcome the challenge. How many times have you said, “Well, I won’t have to make that mistake again”?

When someone is in the midst of despair, pain, illness and discouragement, it is NOT time to point out how they brought this on themselves. It is just not that simple. Furthermore, who are we to think we know the cause/effect situations in another person’s life? We usually can’t figure it out for our own. Love and pray for those in need. Encourage them to do the same for themselves, when appropriate. That is your gift to the situation. That, in my opinion, is why you are connected to that friend or loved one who very much needs support, right now.

My Long-Time Friend

2010-08-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

I have a long-time friend whom I met (in this lifetime) back in the early 1980s. We were married for ten years and have now been divorced for many years. Shawn is one of those persons in life that once you meet you know you have always known her and will always travel with her through life times, no matter what events draw you close or tear you asunder. With deep passion we loved and with great heartbreak we fell apart. But we have remained friends through it all.

This dearest of friends is now engaged in a struggle with cancer, among other health challenges. Her vital spirit is not dampened, but fear abounds as one might imagine. She recently visited me because she felt I needed support. She knew I was on the down side of depression. She is like that. She always knows. And I always know about her. I must share that I hurt so deeply for her and the pain and fear she is experiencing. I can only do what I know to do and that is to love her and pray for her without end.

I can get all "metaphysical" about the philosophy of healing. I can say that healing is the reality even
if the body is released and soul moves on. For me, right now, even knowing that is little comfort. I
share that belief with Shawn, but I know how hard it is to hear it--experience it--through the fear.

So, my readers and my friends, I ask you to support us both with your prayers for strength, life and courage. I am eternally grateful!

To My Long-Time Friend
(Whom I Met Just Recently)

We are long-time friends, you and I,
Who met just recently.
Pasts and futures acknowledged
As one impacting play
Of knowing,
Forgetting,
Remembering.

Universes have we traveled together,
And many we wandered alone.
Yet in the heart-search that urged
Us forward
We have felt the closeness of our Spirits.

Whatever paths we ultimately may follow
As once again we seek our
Self-direction,
Our eyes now lock in single embrace,
A mutual eternity.

And in this now-moment we
Laugh again,
Cry again,
Love again—

I love you
My long-time Friend
Whom I met just recently!

Written for Shawn
February 1983

It's Nap Time!

2010-07-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

Back in the years I was directing the Whole Life Learning Center, 1, I spent a great deal of time studying the many Seth books authored by Jane Roberts, 2, a trance medium. I taught a variety of classes and workshops centered in the principles of philosophy and psychology developed in those books.

I was thinking to myself today, after posting on my Facebook page: Hooray! It’s nap time again! that most people would probably chuckle and think I was just kidding. Well, I wasn’t kidding, though after thinking about it I decided to explain what is behind my napping. To state it briefly, one of Seth’s principles about sleep was that when you are sleepy you should sleep. When you are staying awake, get up and do something. In other words trust your body to tell you what it needs and then follow the instructions.

For most people working for someone else it is not very convenient to take a nap at your workstation in the middle of the day if you feel like it. (And don’t we all?) On the other hand I read just recently that some avant-garde businesses are experimenting with ways to afford workers such an opportunity. They have found in initial efforts that workers feel more energized and are more efficient after a brief nap break. For someone like me, now retired, I get to do as I darn please! So, when I feel like napping, get out of the way! I also don’t fret about waking up at 3:00 AM and deciding to get up and read, check my email, or do anything else that comes to mind. That doesn’t happen very often, I hasten to say. I sleep pretty well—anytime! When I feel sleepy again, back to bed! I have found this to be a very workable arrangement for my lifestyle.

Concurrent with this principle, Seth also talked about our eating schedule and suggested once again that the body knows best what it needs. Eating small portions of food more often during the day, he says, is healthier for the body because it is able to maintain a comfortable metabolism instead of going from hunger to stuffed all the time. I haven’t quite worked this one out yet. I never have been much of a snacker and to eat “between” meals seems like snacking. Old habits die hard! I seldom eat breakfast. I don’t miss lunch very often, but I vary my evening eating habits based on the weather—heat of summer equals salads. Cold of winter equals cooked meals.

I am sure this is all very interesting to you, my readers, and now that I have told you these things, I can get back to taking that nap I was planning on. Good night!
_________________
1 Whole Life Learning Center, Inc. a non-profit education and counseling center, operated in Denver, CO from 1973 through 1982, along with a branch in Colorado Springs, CO.
2 See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Roberts

Thoughts On Children

2010-07-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

My grandson, Aubrey, and his wife, Becky, both of whom are in the Airforce currently stationed in Hawaii, are visiting this week. I picked them up at the airport in the early morning and after breakfast dropped them off at the car rental office so they could pick up their wheels of “independence.” I say independence because they have a long list of places to go and things to do, so I will probably only see them a few times during the visit. One place we are most likely to visit together is the Washington Park Zoological Gardens. (One has to check in to see how all the “relatives” are doing, you know!)

In between my attention to emails and other computer activities I began to think about children. As I did, I immediately focused my mind on one of my favorite photos of my son and daughter when David was five and Jennifer was two. It is this same photo that most often comes to my mind when I think of them. There is something so innocent, carefree and appealing to our children at those early ages. All their dreams are just beginning to take shape and the most important thing they have to do is have fun with their imaginings.

I cannot speak for all parents, of course, but I think many of us always hold on to a favorite image of our children, one in which they always are children. There is no intent to not recognize that they have grown up and are now living their own lives, probably with their own children and the memories that are just beginning to be stored away for later recollection. Rather, it is more the realization of how life unfolds from childhood, to adult, to parent, grandparent and maybe to doting patriarch or matriarch of a proud family. As I ponder this wonderful family pattern I am reminded of a favorite passage by Kahlil Gibran:

On Children

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

It takes great effort sometimes to really let our children go, to let them grow and become who they are destined to be, with their own set of values and priorities. Hopefully, some of the positive efforts we make as parents will assist them in the process of building the foundation for their lives. Remember, They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. As such, they have their own dreams from which they will build unique lives that bring blessings to all of us that would not exist without them.

The OM Heard 'Round the World

2010-07-10T08:37:00.000-07:00

Today, July 10, 2010, I joined with others beginning a process of meditation for the healing of our Mother Earth. People all over the world are participating in this effort. In the United States we are particularly focused the healing of the Gulf of Mexico due to the abuse of the planet through the spilling of its deep life-blood of oil. You can join us and/or include your own particular focus for planetary healing. Below is an outline for the meditation session, or you can use your own, but joining in this particular one will increase the effect of our effort many times over.

Meditation to hold the field for Earth Healing Day – August 15, 2010

Daily practice, begin at 7:00 AM -- July 10th through Aug 15th

1. Sit quietly for a couple of minutes to reaffirm your intention to serve the planet at this

time.

2. Be aware of the spiritual forces now congealing around the planet to facilitate your

meditation and Earth’s healing.

3. Raise your intention to amplify your service to Earth, and visualize people all around

the world learning about Earth Healing Day (August 15), sharing knowledge of the

event with all their friends and spiritual family members and joyously looking forward

to the time when they can sound The OM Heard ‘Round the World.

4. Then, in your mind, fast-forward to August 15th, and visualize a million people all

around the world observing their clocks, waiting for noon to arrive in their own time

zone. At the appointed time, see them joining with others (whether going outside or

sitting in a room of their choice), and sounding the syllable OM with their full voice

and full intention to cleanse, heal and bless the planet.

5. As they all become fully engaged in their chanting, visualize a group of 300 people

assembled in Denver, joyously chanting OM together, and directing the vibration of

their combined voices into the Gulf of Mexico, setting up a pure vibration of the OM

that adds oxygen to the depleted waters, dissolves the oil and chemicals in the water,

and provides healing and restoration for all the precious marine animals and plants

that have been caused to suffer so in the oil tragedy.

6. Next see successive groups of 300 meeting in various cities around the world, such as

New York City, Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Omaha, New Orleans,

Corpus Christi, Calgary, Portland, San Francisco, Tokyo, Sydney, Bogotá, Christ

Church, Mumbai, Delhi, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Bangkok, Chang Mai, Hanoi, Kuala

Lumpur, Rangoon, Phnom Penh, Lhasa, Katmandu, Canberra, Wellington, Bamako,

Pretoria, Cape Town, Monte Carlo, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Abuja, London, Paris,

Copenhagen, Berlin, Stockholm, Helsinki, Madrid, Lisbon, Rome, Amsterdam,

Brussels, etc, etc., etc. You do not have to go through all these (unless you find it

helpful), but create a global focus, rather than a local one.

7. Let your visualization next see the entire planet with myriad lights blinking on, each

one representing a group of people coming together, meditating and chanting OM on

August 15 at noon in their time zone.

8. If you can, sit and listen to The Om Heard ‘Round the World that will be generated on

August 15, and dedicate that powerful sound force to the cleansing and healing of

planet Earth.

9. As you listen, project yourself forward in time to August 15th, and begin sounding OM

with the great planetary chorus. Chant with this great choir for about five minutes.

10. Allow the chanting to come to a close, but keep the energy generated alive and vibrant

in your meditation room or area.

11. Sit for a moment in the aura of The Om Heard ‘Round the World, allowing your heart

to open completely to this vibration, and bringing in the presence of that energy to

carry with you all day.

12. When complete, give thanks for the privilege of serving Earth and all Her living beings,

give thanks for the power of the Divine to grace your meditation, give thanks for all the

people who are also doing this meditation, and give thanks for all those planetary

citizens who will participate with you in Earth Healing Day. So be it!

The Independent Party is For Real in Oregon!

2010-07-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

Today I can actually cast a vote for a candidate representing the Independent Party. I will be joining 55,000 other Oregonians who finally can voice their choice for a candidate instead of having to sit by while the Democrats and Republicans held their primaries. This is a small beginning for what I hope will grow nationwide allowing us to move beyond the limitations of choice to what the party elders determine should be the ones for whom we can vote in primaries.

There are many minority parties in Oregon who seldom get the notice they deserve as they offer a variety of options not considered by the traditional electorate. In this new option candidates from these parties as well as the Republicans and Democrats can choose to be listed and voted for by the Independent Party members. It should be an interesting experiment. I will be voting via the Internet today!

Does Anything Really Make A Difference Anymore?

2010-06-16T11:42:00.001-07:00

One of the network channels offers a weekly news item on their program dedicated to persons who are making a difference in our sometimes-discouraging world of affairs. This effort to show bright spots in what is often a shadowy world of indifference and self-centeredness is certainly needed. When one news story after another can make one feel that there is little reason to be hopeful, little cause for celebrating our apparent successes, it is not difficult to understand why so many people are angry, disillusioned or just plain don’t care anymore!

I find myself slipping into that mood at times. After the tragic years of the Bush/Cheney administration and the long-lasting destruction caused by their narrow-minded aggressive tendencies, it will be generations before we overcome the devastating effects of their so-called leadership. Today, we need only look at the ruining of the environment in the Gulf of Mexico, the loss of livelihood of family businesses built over generations, the death of untold numbers of fish, fowl, mammals and other life forms to realize that our country (its politicians and business leaders) have abandoned the principles that made this country what it was on its way to becoming. I say on its way to becoming because we had only begun to realize the limitless capacity of our citizens to invent, build and deploy imaginative ideas and products for the benefit of humankind.

I am not a Tea Party person nor am I a sympathizer with most of what I see them display through their thoughtless accusations and actions. Really, some of these people must be from another planet! That we as a nation have come to the point where our mutual anger and frustration has taken on the psuedo leadership of dropout dysfunctionaries as Sarah Palin and the discredited John McCain only shows how far from understanding our democracy and its founding documents we have come.

I cannot even begin to put into words my disgust about the priorities our Congressional members have determined to be important. What I can say is that they are clearly based on greed and avarice. The money that controls our representatives and senators has become so much a part of their function that they can in no way continue to represent the people. They clearly are in bed with their financiers. Look at the literal bed-hopping of the Minerals Management Agency office in Denver, responsible for granting licenses and policing the oil companies. And, again, look at the Gulf disaster. It is government policy and lack of enforcement of big business that has largely been responsible for the chaos we are currently facing.

Even in the face of these catastrophes the Republicans maintain their belief that business does not need regulation. It needs to be left free to market action. This belief that business will self-control is an impossible dream when the unimaginable amounts of money to be gained are on the table, up for grabs for those who don’t give a damn about people or country! Don’t begin to disregard my comments as simply the rant of an unhappy Democrat. I am NOT a Democrat either. Neither of the two parties offers policies or purposes that are compatible with my own.

What I am in favor of is the real grass roots efforts of those who are free of party dictates. I believe wholesale change in government is necessary—Congress, the White House and the Supreme Court. Consistent with this concept is my belief in the need for a Constitutional Convention, the purpose of which is to re-evaluate the relationship of that document to the desires and priorities of we the people. The world we live in is a vastly different world than that of our forefathers. Just as any business with an operational procedures manual must regularly update that document so that it represents current priorities and policies, so must our government review and update our Constitution where necessary. It may not require any changes, but just reading it again should be a benefit. I recently picked up a copy and read it thoroughly. I keep it handy for when stupidity raises its ugly head so I can remind myself of what our founders really said, not what someone thought was in there.

The difficulty of bringing about change in our country today was clearly demonstrated following the last election. A majority of people said they believed in the change Obama promised. Unfortunately, we forgot that no one has the power to change anything where government is concerned. I fully supported Obama and I was also swept up in the belief that here was a person who could really get it done! Well, he couldn’t and he didn’t. Maybe his staff isn’t as good at managing government as it was in managing a campaign. It certainly does not help that the Republicans simply decided to withdraw from any role in governing. Saying “No” was all they had to do to stop change in its tracks. And of course we all know the Democrats are the original “bad news bears” whose way to handle differences of opinion is to form a circular firing squad. OMG, is this not clearly apparent to the general public? I guess not. And because I see no real powerful leadership, I am deeply concerned. I probably will not be around when the pillars of democracy tumble, as they surely will if nothing changes.

So, why should I care? Does anything really make a difference any more? I have to find my own answer to this question, as each of you who have continued to read this far along in this essay will have to do. It is not my nature to be negative. However, I am so totally disgusted with the apparent hopelessness of the situation that I just do not have an answer. I write. That is something I know a little about. I wish I were able to be eloquent enough, with opportunities sufficient to command an audience, that together we could begin to make the difference that will bring the true light of individual responsibility and strength of character to lead that is needed.

I am not going to give up. I think I will have to give up listening to the news, however.

The State of Excitement!

2010-06-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

When I arose Saturday morning the sun was bright, the sky was blue and everything seemed all right with the world! May was the third wettest month since 1998 and we had the lowest average high temperature on record. Taking that into consideration, it was time to fly the coop! After my morning coffee ritual I headed to the mountains, Detroit Lake and McKenzie Pass along the branches of the Santiam River. OMG this is a great state!

You cannot really avoid taking the freeway for parts of the trip—getting to and getting from the mountains. But once you head east from Interstate Hwy 5 you quickly know why you love traveling in Oregon.

Detroit dam was completed in 1953—the year I graduated from high school for heaven’s sake---by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The dam created 400 foot (122 m) deep Detroit Lake, more than 9 miles (14 km) long with 32 miles (51 km) of shoreline. Following around the lake and heading south, I stopped at a little restaurant at Marion Forks for lunch. Several years ago on a similar trip I had stopped there and had a great meal. On that visit much of Oregon was in a wildfire zone and we were actually told we might have to evacuate the restaurant immediately if the warning came from the Forest Service. Turns out the restaurant survived. It is now under new ownership, but the food was still very good, plus the hummingbirds put on quite a show outside the windows at the feeders.

You rise to an elevation of about 4000 feet on this loop trip. In the beginning you do not realize that you are climbing to that elevation, but after connecting with Highway 20 and heading west the road weaved down through the gorgeous mountain passes for miles before coming out at Sweet Home to the flatlands of the Willamette Valley. Then to the freeway again, heading north toward home. How great it is to live in this state of excitement! Actually, the Oregon State motto is: “She Flies with Her Own Wings” and was adopted by the 1987 Legislature as the state motto.

I hope you enjoy a few of the photos taken along the way. Check them out here.
http://picasaweb.google.com/dan.perin/DetroitLakeMcKenziePass?authkey=Gv1sRgCKflvuvrkpeaMA#

Devil In the Details

2010-05-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

Well, here are the Big Three for me! The Devil in my Details consists of self-doubt, guilt and anger. I observed the encroachment of these three characteristics in my consciousness the other day and realized it was familiar territory. Whenever I find myself in a situation that causes me to doubt myself in some way I seem to begin to feel guilty. What should I have done that I didn’t? How could I be so stupid as to make that mistake again? Am I ever going to get beyond this crazy feeling that I am just not good enough? It isn’t long before I drop into the pit of anger. I get mad at myself for the shortcomings, the lack of self-confidence and the vulnerability that I feel.

It doesn’t seem to make any difference how much success I have experienced or how many things I have done right. Whenever the self-doubt appears, immediately all the positive accomplishments are not enough to prevent feeling the guilt for not achieving more, or particularly, not seeming successful in the most recent effort. The anger comes because I know better. Then I get angrier with myself because if I know better, why in the dickens am I feeling this way?

Your anger is like a flower. In the beginning you may not understand the nature of your anger, or why it has come up. But if you know how to embrace it with the energy of mindfulness, it will begin to open. You may be sitting, following your breathing, or you may be practicing walking meditation to generate the energy of mindfulness and embrace your anger. After ten or twenty minutes your anger will have to open herself to you, and suddenly, you will see the true nature of your anger. It may have arisen just because of a wrong perception or the lack of skillfulness. --Anger: Wisdom For Cooling the Flames, Thich Nhat Hanh, Riverhead Books

Certainly self-doubt could be considered a “wrong perception” as pointed out in the text above. If I want the flower of my anger to reveal itself to me, changing my self-perception is a critical starting point. It may seem impossible to change my mind when anger sets in due to self-doubt. However, that is exactly what must be done. Correctly perceiving myself as a capable, competent spiritual being expressing, learning and growing in this physical body is how I remind myself of the correct perceptions of self. This is precisely how skillfulness in mind action comes about.

There are many occasions that can generate self-doubt. Perhaps someone didn’t respond to me as I expected him or her to. I remember back in my seminary days how the subject of expectations came up in regard to giving someone a gift or doing something nice for another person. I had been brought up to always send a thank you card or do something nice in return. The lesson that came up was that when you give a gift it is only a gift so long as there are no expectations connected with it. Doing something nice for someone only counts if there is no quid pro quo. One might respond that common courtesy would dictate one should say “Thank you,” when given a gift. That is another lesson for the recipient to learn if they choose to. My lesson is to give and totally let the gift go. No hoped for response and no waiting around for “appreciation.”

Self-doubt also springs from realizing that you have said or done something that turned out to be off base. Sometimes you know this as soon as you speak a word and wish you could take it back. At that point one might feel a bit sheepish. The degree of self-doubt one feels might relate to how apparent the gaff was. If no one else noticed, you might be less affected. If your words or actions were like yelling in the library you may well sink deep within yourself and beat yourself up for a long time. This is when guilt begins to surface. If the guilt is not addressed quickly, anger follows. For me, that anger is almost always self-directed. No matter what case might be built for blaming someone else, I often take that blame to myself. I am certainly not trying to be a martyr. It is simply recognition of how my lack of skillfulness surfaces when I let my thoughts and feelings center on self-doubt.

That downward spiral is so self-defeating. When one is on that course it seems nothing helps in turning around and climbing back to the surface of self-respect, confidence and empowerment over conditions in your life. If you are alone, or feel that you are, the journey is even more difficult. I am on that journey right now, and fortunately I have companions on the path. Were it not for these companions, I would have little incentive to plod on. That little glimmer of hope that recognizes there are those who believe in me, no matter what, gives me the strength and reason to stay on course until I am once again on top of things.

I do not know how anyone truly alone in his or her life journey can survive!

My instincts tell me that no person is really alone, though he or she may not yet have determined how to reach out for help, believing someone cares. I wish I could somehow impart that belief to anyone who feels alone so clearly that they would never feel that way again. What I can do is remember the story of the unfolding of the flower of anger and remind others of the positive perceptions and skillfulness that open the way to new possibilities and new ways of thinking about your true self. The devil in the details can be overcome. I believe this for myself. I believe this for you.

The Election Charade Begins

2010-04-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

Have you also noticed how many candidates running for office this time around are NOT identifying whether they are Republican or Democrat in their TV ads?

I’d be ashamed to say I was identified with either party too if I wanted to be elected. I think many citizens have figured out the ploy, but in case you haven’t, PLEASE research beyond the ads for who these people really are and who is paying their political bills.

Congress has the lowest approval rating in history—because they DO NOTHING if they can possibly avoid it. After all, committing to something may upset some of the fat cats who send them money. Yes, I know, some good acts have been passed, but the bottom line is that elected members of Congress have only one goal—getting re-elected—and if it takes lying to you and me to do it, by all means lie they will.

I am still trying to decide whether I will even vote for dogcatcher this time around. I am totally frustrated by the mess in Washington that we call Congress, the White House and most of all, the Supreme Court. I have voted in every election since I first became eligible. That’s a LOT of years! I have considered it a privilege to be able to voice my opinion by the marks I put on the ballot. And, like many, I mostly feel the representatives in my own state know what they are doing and truly represent MY interests. It’s those other guys/gals in other states who are fouling things up! Now I’m not even sure that is true. Maybe it IS time to throw them ALL out!

Whatever YOU decide, do it intelligently, which means STAY AWAY FROM THE FOX NEWS NUTBALLS! There! I’ve said it. Now you can do as you please.

Where Have the Mentors Gone?

2010-04-10T12:13:00.001-07:00

I suddenly realized that all of my mentors were gone!

I am not sure what prompted the realization. It may have been out of some shadow in a dream I had just as I awakened from a nap. In any case I found myself thinking of the major mentors I have had in my life, all of them physically gone now. At the same moment I felt the loss and the deep value their lives and example had on me.

I do not remember whether as a young child I had mentors. I know I had “heroes.” Heroes are somehow different from mentors. Heroes come in uniforms, like Superman and Batman, the Green Hornet—icons like that. Mentors, on the other hand, are often the ordinary humans who stand out in our experiences, people we look up to. They may seem like everyday people when viewed by others, but to me, they are special.

It was while in seminary that I discovered my first mentor. Ed Rabel was a fellow student, several years ahead of me. He was already an extraordinary and insightful person who had grasped a unique understanding of the secret doctrines tucked away within the covers of the Bible. His ability to take well-known allegories, parables and characterizations and weave them into everyday life experiences brought a guiding light to my heart and mind. His path to understanding the Bible led to his becoming a singular authority on metaphysical Bible interpretation at Unity School. He took the Bible out of the past and into today using the stories as templates for how the interactions of our thinking and feeling created both our challenges and the means to overcome them. He was a great friend and teacher who also shared his love of music with me. I thank him in large part for my appreciation of the classics.

My second mentor, James Dillet Freeman, was the Director of Ministerial Training at Unity School. I had the privilege of serving as his secretary for two years while preparing for my student years. He personally tutored me in philosophy, comparative religion and public speaking. As Poet Laureate of Unity he was the author of numerous books and poems that brought inspiration and hope to millions of readers. He and his wife, Billie, were the God Parents of my son, David. Astronaut James Irwin on Apollo Flight 15 took his poem, I Am There, to the moon. Earlier, on Apollo Flight 11, his Prayer for Protection was on the first moon landing. Here is that prayer:

The Light of God surrounds me;

The Love of God enfolds me;

The Power of God protects me;

The Presence of God watches over me;

Wherever I am God is!

From Mr. Freeman I learned to view different possibilities when considering decisions. Sometimes we would spend what seemed like hours debating some subject. He would lead me on in the debate until I almost reached a point of agreement with him. Then, he would switch sides and force me to support the opposite. This invaluable exercise provided me with practical understanding of and appreciation for the views other people might hold on any given matter.

As I viewed these important people in my life I realized I still have mentors. They guide me in different ways than when I was embarking upon my education and career in the ministry. Now my mentors are the friends I hold dear, those who support me, but also who care enough to tell me when I fail to maintain my objectivity. Thank goodness for these new mentors. As we age it is very easy to become more entrenched in our attitudes, beliefs and actions. In and of itself this is not a bad thing. However, if we become more isolated and disengaged from our relationships with others, we may lose sight of those who care about us and who want to be a part of our lives.

So, I choose to not lose sight of these new mentors in my life.

The Sacred Sound

2010-04-07T09:44:00.000-07:00

Over a year ago I received an email that included a story with a message that impressed me enough that I saved it in my writing file with the thought that at the right time I would weave it into an article for my blog. As I recently reread the story and researched the author and the book containing the story, I realized it could only be shared just as it was written and not as an example used by me to illustrate some point of my own. I hope you can connect with the story as I did.

THE SECRETS OF THE MONKS OF GLENSTAL ABBEY

A man is driving down the road and his car breaks down near a monastery. He goes to the monastery, knocks on the door, and says, "My car broke down. Do you think I could stay the night?"
The Monks graciously accept him, feed him dinner, and even fix his car. As the man tries to fall asleep, he hears a strange sound . . . . a sound not like anything he's ever heard before. The Sirens that nearly seduced Odysseus into crashing his ship comes to his mind. He doesn't sleep that night. He tosses and turns trying to figure out what could possibly be making such a seductive sound.
The next morning, he asks the Monks what the sound was, but they say, "We can't tell you. You're not a Monk."
Distraught, the man is forced to leave.

Years later, after never being able to forget that sound, the man goes back to the monastery and pleads for the answer again. The Monks reply, "We can't tell you. You're not a Monk."
The man says, "If the only way I can find out what is making that beautiful sound is to become a Monk, then please, make me a Monk."
The Monks reply, "You must travel the earth and tell us how many blades of grass there are and the exact number of grains of sand. When you find these answers, you will have become a Monk."

The man sets about his task.

After years of searching, he returns as a grey-haired old man and knocks on the door of the monastery. A Monk answers. He is taken before a gathering of all the Monks.
"In my quest to find what makes that beautiful sound, I traveled

the earth and have found what you asked for: By design, the world is in a state of perpetual change. Only God knows what you ask. All a man can know is himself, and only then if he is honest and reflective and willing to strip away self deception."
The Monks reply, "Congratulations. You have become a Monk. We shall now show you the way to the mystery of the sacred sound."

The Monks lead the man to a wooden door, where the head monk says, "The sound is beyond that door."
The Monks give him the key, and he opens the door. Behind the wooden door is another door made of stone. The man is given the key to the stone door and he opens it, only to find a door made of ruby. And so it went that he needed keys to doors of emerald, pearl and diamond.
Finally, they come to a door made of solid gold. The sound has become very clear and definite. The Monks say, "This is the last key to the last door."
The man is apprehensive to no end. His life's wish is behind that door! With trembling hands, he unlocks the door, turns the knob, and slowly pushes the door open. Falling to his knees, he is utterly amazed to discover the source of that haunting and seductive sound . . . .

But I can't tell you what it is because you're not a Monk.

"The secret of seeing is, then, the pearl of great price. If I thought he could teach me to find it and keep it forever I would stagger barefoot across a hundred deserts after any lunatic at all. But although the pearl may be found, it may not be sought. The literature of illumination reveals this above all: although it comes to those who wait for it, it is always, even to the most practiced and adept, a gift and a total surprise. I return from one walk knowing where the killdeer nests in the field by the creek and the hour the laurel blooms. I return from the same walk a day later scarcely knowing my own name. Litanies hum in my ears; my tongue flaps in my mouth Ailinon, alleluia! I cannot cause light; the most I can do is try to put myself in the path of its beam. It is possible, in deep space, to sail on solar wind. Light, be it particle or wave, has force: you rig a giant sail and go. The secret of seeing is to sail on solar wind. Hone and spread your spirit till you yourself are a sail, whetted, translucent, broadside to the merest puff." ~

Grateful appreciation to the author, Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

Check out the monks of Glenstal Abbey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v8qxFo3nxM

Reflections

2010-03-19T14:09:00.001-07:00

Over the last several weeks I have been taking time to read my own book, Moments. I started reading parts as a review. I imagined how a reader might experience what I had written. I thought about how they might come to a better understanding of some part of their lives, perhaps finding a thought that became the key to free them from some limitation. After several reading sessions I decided to start at the beginning and read it through. I discovered that “speaking to myself” through the pages strengthened my own resolve to focus on the positive elements of my life.

Much of the book is drawn from articles I have written through the years. They were written as a way for me to work through some of my own challenges, but with a thought that some insight may strike a resonant chord in others as they read. I wanted to share my own journey, dealing with disappointments and frustration, as well as the successes and satisfaction of meeting some challenge. Sometimes all a person needs in order to begin to turn his/her life around is an appropriate word, positive encouragement, and to know that someone else facing similar challenges was able to work through them to a successful conclusion.

I am still learning and still growing. I find in my book reminders to keep working on whatever challenges remain unresolved, and to rejoice in those in which I have found success and satisfaction. I hope you, too, if you read the book, will also find a pathway to your own sense of fulfillment.

The Monkey On Your Back

2010-03-14T15:33:00.001-07:00

Over the several years I have written articles for this blog I have mentioned more than once how it seems we often get to a point in our lives where we have finally resolved some issue. Then it pops up again, perhaps with a new face, or a new situation, but the same elements of stress, discomfort and perhaps fear. What brought this to my attention was the proverbial email from a friend that included the following quote she had come across in a book she was reading.

"....even though you get the monkey off your back, the circus never really leaves town."

I suppose finding these “old issues” popping up now and again could be likened to an athletic coach providing repeated situations to a team member so he/she could learn to react in the most effective manner. Certainly, there is much to be said for practicing in order to gain better presentation of our efforts. However, it is not simply practicing that “makes perfect.” So-called perfection requires practicing properly, following certain steps designed to move you forward toward your best results. For example, if you continue to find yourself behind in payment of your bills, you may have practiced with poor priorities in the use of your money. If certain health conditions keep nagging at your sense of well-being, you may not have changed your practice around your diet, exercise or proper rest.

So even though we get “caught up” on paying bills once in awhile, old habits of spending more than we earn shows us the “circus never really leaves town.” What this indicates is that we have not finished our work with whatever the challenge may be that haunts us. The temptation to fall back into unproductive thinking and behavior is like visiting the circus again, with all its fakery and tricks for the gullible spectators. To get the circus out of town we need to consciously develop new ways of doing things. We need new ways of thinking. Most of all we need new habits geared toward the practice of behaviors that replace unproductive ones.

Thomas M. Sterner, in the introduction to his powerful book, The Practicing Mind,[1] states,

Of all the riches available to us in life, self-discipline is surely one of, if not the most valuable. All things worth achieving can be accomplished with the power of self-discipline. With it we are masters of the energy we expend in life. Without it we are victims of our own unfocused and constantly changing efforts, desires and directions.

Mr. Sterner goes on in his book to talk about the importance of practice. We all practice a variety of things every day. This is not just in regard to learning to play an instrument, but touches everything we do. Each routine we develop in our day’s activities is a practice of behavior. Soon the routine is done with little or no thought. Our practice builds habits and habits become the way we think, feel and act in response to life. Changing from unproductive practices requires discipline and patience.

A paradox of life: The problem with patience and discipline is that it requires both of them to develop each of them.[2]

How, then, do we build a practicing mind in regard to correcting our actions, for example, in our relationships? What can I do to get not only the monkey off my back, but also send the circus packing? In making any change in our life, we have to begin where we are. It is necessary to recognize that how we interact with others is not producing the loving, joyful connections we want to experience. When we begin to notice how easily we criticize others, we have our first recognition that we have developed a habit that is unproductive. Now, we can catch ourselves when such criticism begins to well up in our thoughts. The next step is to consciously speak well of others. If we are not at a point where we can speak kindly about someone, at least we can be quiet and not hold in our thoughts the negative criticism.

No matter what issues and conditions continue to resurface in your life, change the way you think and talk about them and you will change the kinds of experiences you have. Then you can finally wave happily as the circus leaves town!

[1] The Practicing Mind, Mountain Sage Publishing

[2] Ibid,, page 12

When Others Are In Pain

2010-03-06T14:09:00.000-08:00

We all have our painful times, whether physical pain or emotional pain. We do our best to work through those times in order to return to a sense of well-being and harmony. The natural state of being is health of mind and body and harmony in our worldly interactions. Like a well-tuned instrument the melody of our lives sounds a true tone when we find ways to believe in our true state of Being. Discord and inharmony in our life and affairs temporarily express when we lose our sense of centeredness in Spirit. We are not always aware of the specifics of how we came to experience pain, but regaining our belief in our natural state will begin the process of healing.

Dealing with our own pain is one thing. Dealing with the pain and suffering of friends and those we love is yet another. We may feel helpless and impotent, not knowing how to be of assistance. I have a friend going through chemotherapy right now. It’s a tough haul for her. What I feel I can do is to assure her of my caring and support the spark of healing life that I know is within her. My daughter has dealt with several serious conditions over the years that have been painful and that sap her energy. Fortunately, she has been brought up to believe in her inner Spirit as a healing presence. I know that has strengthened her in many ways as she deals with the conditions.

In our caring for others and wanting to assist them in their healing we need to “keep the high watch.” For me this means seeing them as fully functioning, perfectly whole in mind and body and in harmony with the world around them and the people in it. Too often we may feel caught up in sadness or fear about the conditions our friends and loved ones face because of the names we have attributed to those conditions. Naming a condition makes it appear even more powerful.

I remember years ago as a worker in Silent Unity, the 24-hour prayer department of Unity in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, when the Cancer Society started promotions highlighting the “seven danger signals of cancer.” Once those promotions aired on TV, Silent Unity was flooded with prayer requests from people who feared they had one or more of those signs. This is just one example of how fear can override our otherwise positive outlook on life.

We may never know the why we face suffering. I do believe, however, that whatever conditions may come our way our indomitable spirit urges us forward, always toward life and wholeness. Each step we take believing in that wholeness moves us closer to the full measure of its expression in mind, body and affairs. This is how I choose to view my friends and loved ones always, not simply when they are in pain and suffering. I support their faith in healing. I encourage the innate healing urges within every cell of their bodies. I believe, “Thy faith hath made thee whole.” (Luke 9:22)

Champions

2010-02-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

As I was watching the Olympics programming recently it seemed to me that I should write something about champions. I listened to the commentators tell of some of the challenges Olympic competitors have gone through in order to simply get to the Olympics, let alone contest for a medal placement. To the greater number of participants who will not achieve medal recognition, l commend them for their effort. I could not imagine myself racing downhill on icy slopes at 90 miles per hour! Great heavens! How can anyone have the courage to embrace such a feat? Many have struggled for years with broken bones and bodies through rigorous training just so they could realize the dream of being there!

We all know, they all know, that everyone cannot win a medal. We may have our favorites; the ones we follow and hope will win the honors. That is part of the sport. The competition would be much less satisfying without the audience. I was thrilled as Shaun White gained the gold for his half-pipe snowboard feats. I watched with some trepidation as Lindsay Vonn catapulted in the downhill after several of those who preceded her crashed violently, fortunately without serious injury. Even in figure skating there is the constant possibility of missing the triple axle and especially the quad, if it is attempted, and seriously injuring the body. In a half-split second the athlete’s life can hang in the balance. And yet they courageously continue to compete, to reach for the excellence that will be rewarded by a simple medal and the playing the nation’s national anthem.

It is important that we have the opportunity to view and to participate in challenging sports events. We are reminded, if we look, that great effort precedes success in sporting events. Individual excellence and team excellence comes at a high price of years of work, planning, devotion and courage to extend beyond the norm. Indeed, excellence implies something beyond the norm.

Today I received another of those emails that cries out to be shared. Even though I try to be judicious in what I send on to others, the one I received today accompanying my Olympics viewing, showed yet another form of excellence and courage. It demonstrates an extraordinary ability to overcome the severest of challenges. I invite you to view this video clip. Even if you have seen it before, it is well worth another view.

http://www.maniacworld.com/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.html

You tell me. Who are the champions and what makes them so? I believe that to the extent I am able to identify with the courage, perseverance and success of these outstanding athletes and apparently disadvantaged persons, I, too, can become a champion in my own life. I may not ski the slopes or do fantastic half-pipe maneuvers, or even skate in a steady line without falling. But if I can dream, if I can believe, if I will practice courageous thinking and living, I will surmount the challenges I face, whatever they may be. My challenges fade quickly as I realize what so many others have faced and overcome. We are all capable of bringing forth our champion characteristics and I honor and praise the champion within each and every one of us!

Who Is It . . . ?

2010-01-21T15:07:00.001-08:00

I just completed five days at board of directors meetings here in Portland for the Vajra Flame Foundation. Any time one has an opportunity to be of service to a non-profit organization there is a sense of fulfillment that can come to that person. I certainly felt an energizing force envelope me and I know the other board members felt the same way.

What I want to share with you is a thought presented in one of our meditations by Kathlyn Kingdon, the channel for Djwhal Khul. We were asked to consider these questions:

Who is it that

Sees through my eyes?

Hears through my ears?

Reaches out with my hands?

Loves through my heart?

In our interactions with others we have choices about how we experience and share those connections. Perhaps too often we express ourselves out of whatever our current mood might be. If we are feeling upbeat, then we share from our happiness. If we are not feeling so good, we may pass on our unpleasantness to others. One way to greatly improve our interactions with others is to ask ourselves the questions above before we begin the experience.

When I look out at my world who is seeing through my eyes? Is it a spiritually grounded, positively directed soul, one who looks for the highest and best that is possible? Do I let my eyes see with a clear vision of potential? Do my eyes see the vision of my dreams?

Who is hearing through my ears? Regardless of the dissonance that may be present, can I break free from that and hold to the truth of order and harmony? Who reaches out with my hands? At times when called upon to be of assistance to others or complete a task that I may wish I did not have to do, can I remember that loving hands are healing hands? Can I let everything I touch be blessed with love? Can I let every handshake or touch upon a shoulder be an expression of care and support?

Who loves through my heart? Sometimes it is difficult to feel love toward someone who has disappointed us or done something unpleasant to us. At these times I will try to remember unconditional love. This love freely embraces all persons and situations simply because love is what it is, a harmonizing, healing power that transforms people and situations when shared from the heart.

Seeing, hearing, touching and loving from the spiritual center of our being is a transforming activity. No negative situation or person can fail to be touched by this soul energy. Even if no apparent change is evident at first, the positive expression of love enfolds the situation with the seed of change. As we continue to act from this center, change for the good will come about. Give these questions a try and notice how it makes you feel.

The Expectation Merry Go Round

2010-01-13T12:38:00.000-08:00

I have written quite a bit about expectations and how having them affects our lives and can leave us confused. The effect has both positive and negative implications. What came to mind recently was a broader understanding of why expectations can offer such a confusing course to follow.

Expectations are like intentions, goals, plans, dreams and faith. Who can argue that those are not good things? Much of the New Age, positive thinking pop psychology focuses on how important it is to create positive intentions in order to build a consciousness of expecting good to increase abundantly in our lives. I have been involved in this way of thinking all my life as a Unity student and minister. I have seen wonderful demonstrations of how the change to a positive consciousness of expectation—faith—brings about healing, harmony and prosperity. So, I know this works.

On the other hand, I also see how we often have expectations that involve what we want others to do. This is where a “positive” intention about another person is really an unconscious attempt to control the person. Simply because we believe our intention is positive, it is not our call on what someone else should do or how they should think or act. It really makes no difference how clearly we think someone else would benefit from our help. We should want the highest and best to come into their lives, but according to their own expectations and hopes.

When we are overly focused in what we hope others will do or how they might change we are creating a potential for disappointment, even heartbreak, when they choose another path. The relationship between parent and child is a place where the potential for disappointment is often subtle and not recognized until there is some form of rebellion. Our children ultimately must make their own decisions. It is a primary way of learning. It is so immediate, usually, that little if anything needs to be said to point out the miscalculation of their judgment. It is so difficult in many cases for a parent to stand by, but stand back, as their child begins making difficult decisions and dealing with the consequences. We can always let them know we are there for them at any time. This is something they will respect and count on if we have carefully laid a groundwork of trust by our example beyond words.

My conclusion about expectations, at this point anyway, remains one of working on myself rather than being concerned with expecting others to change. I can do something about the way I think, feel and act. I can develop a greater faith in the qualities and characteristics with which the Creator has endowed me. I can love others in my life and see them responding to the positive aspects of their own creativity. In so doing I can get off the merry-go-round having grasped the gold ring!

Greetings To 2010

2010-01-02T10:07:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

May 2010 be the best year yet!