Maybe a large part of the secret to finding all the answers to life is having the restraint not to introduce more questions into the equation……..
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Monthly Archives
June 2018
Teachings from the Furry Sensei
Heresy…..Or the Gift of Free Will and Independent Thought
Posted on June 23, 2018
These sentiments will undoubtedly run contrary to, and collide spectacularly with, the Christian upbringing of my youth. Furthermore, the use of the following scriptural reference as a justification of my position will most certainly firmly cement my position at a burning stake in some minds:
“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11)
Now, as I have seen years of what this world contains and the actions of our race of human “beings” toward our world and our existence, I have formed my own “manly” ideas in place of the childish lessons impressed upon me all those years ago. I cannot help but to divine “soul” within in the eyes of my faithful furry sensei. There is as much, if not more, depth of emotion and connection in this gaze as I have ever witnessed in many other humans of my own race. There is a calmness to his eyes, a willing response to my every move and an attentive gaze that keeps him somehow mystically attuned to my attitude and spirit. His calm demeanor belies the fact that this as much as a “being” of his own kind as any human “being” that surrounds him. This same being within him that shrinks from the sight and sound of a simple plastic garbage bag, I confidently know would, without hesitation, leap to my protection against assailants unknown with bone crushing force and without regard for his being’s safety. In these days, where so many of us human beings spend significant energy on finding ways to categorize each of us into divisions so we can separate ourselves, how can we deny the existence of how a true soulful being should manifest itself. In the end, I have to ponder which of these beings are the more evolved……
Emotions from Romantic Notions
Decisions…..Comfortable Captivity or Liberated Life
Posted on June 22, 2018
What happens when “good and comfortable” comes with the price of feeling held “captive” by fear, doubt and suspicion. It is as if you live in a seemingly wonderful house full of many thing you desire — but not all. Those items that would complete you lay outside. Remaining in the house requires you to succumb to ongoing doubt that what remains in the house will be “enough” in the end. Breaking past that doubt and fear provides access to the liberation of what lies beyond.
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I have to assume that most, if not everyone (whether admitted or not), carries with them some hopefully unrevealed “part” of themselves that they shy away from. This “part” may stem from previous actions with undesired consequences, from unpopular position or opinion, from “mistakes” or poor judgement or from beliefs that run contrary to the majority of social norms. However, our being as we stand today is formed from these instances and beliefs. We carry ourselves day to day with these present, even if under great effort to conceal. Often, due to the perceived weight of guilt of a flawed character or the fear of ridicule for having a different outlook, we call these items “baggage”. We know we carry it with us but we resolve to treat it as invisible so that we do not have to engage others on its existence or rationalize its role in our lives. However, regardless of our best efforts to conceal, the result of this baggage will manifest itself in our day to day life for those whom we desire to have close to us. We cannot truly be close or intimate with people without have the elephant reveal himself in the room. Left unaddressed, the elephant will distract us from moving forward with any form of relationship as energy, best used to grow the connection, is spent uselessly on camouflaging or mis-direction away from the elephant. Remember, the baggage you carry is what not got you where you are today. Don’t treat it as a burden, treat it as merely an accompaniment to your trip and nothing more. It is yourself that makes the journey through this life to whatever destination materializes. When that baggage creates elephants along the way, do as has been recommended in the past – introduce the elephant to the room. The size and weight of the elephant is generated by the size of the fear of and consequences to acknowledging its existence. Yes, the elephant is real and forms a part of your personal history, but it does not define you. The odd thing is – once the elephant is introduced, they tend to leave the room.
https://goo.gl/images/PWVYf9
I really have no clear memory of the circumstances surrounding the out-burst from the above picture. Obviously, it was a sunny day at the beach, which may, and regularly should, be enough to elicit such a demonstration of unbridled enthusiasm and joy. Any other contributing factors have morphed into cerebral haze. However, one glance at this photo brings back the elation I felt for whatever reason – the memory of the emotion remains and gives birth to an equally real response even today. To have truly felt in life, whether for happiness or pain, may be the truest gift we can give ourselves. Live like Life hands out Lifetime Achievement Awards every moment – then collect as many of them as you can while you are here……..
Somewhere along the way, I have been told, heard, dreamt, read or conjured up in my own mind the fact that past a certain age, the human male develops a condition wherein they consciously, subconsciously or outright audibly have a sexual influenced thought on average every seven seconds. I am neither here to validate such a possibility, nor to formally confirm any reality along those lines. I will, however, offer up the following unfettered transparency of self: Going into workout this morning, I noticed the pattern of the walkway above. My immediate thought, generated with no provocation, was “wow – looks like a whole line of ‘penile’ soldiers, complete with ‘ruck sacks’ and ‘bayonets’ standing in formation.” At least it was a creative seven seconds out of a life…….
Looking Back from Where I Came (Especially for My Girls)
Finlaggan…….Where to Begin
Posted on June 9, 2018
Where to even begin…….This one image has so many threads that are woven into a fabric that produces a visually and palatably beautiful tapestry, as well as, a tactile touch that is both comforting and soothing. I guess the best place to begin is with the significance of where this represents the past.
From https://www.islayinfo.com/finlaggan_clan_donald.html:
It is no joy without Clan Donald;
it is no strength to be without them;
the best race in the round world,
To them belongs every goodly man.
The noblest race of all created,
in whom dwelt prowess and terribleness;
a race to whom tyrants bowed,
In whom dwelt wisdom and piety.
The staves of the Gaelic lament by the Mac-Mhuirich Bard in the Book of the Dean of Lismore at the loss of the MacDonald Lords still echo through the Isles. The line of the Great Sea-Lord Somerled, with whom the history of the western seaboard in the Middle Ages began, has run its course, and with the death of Angus Og at Finlaggan in 1490, it has, for all intents, met its tragic end. The Lordship, that vast, eternal sea kingdom, with its heart in ancient Finlaggan, has faded to near obscurity. But let there be no dirge for the Lost Lordship, no retrospective on the place of the Lords of the Isles in Scottish history – what’s here at Finlaggan is history, a pervading sense of the political and social ambience that underscored the significance and magnificence of the place in the medieval Gaelic seaworld.
If it were solely from this heritage, recently revealed to me, this single bottle would represent one of the most prized possessions of Scotch I have or have had. However, there are other threads to this cloth that endears this particular bottle deeply to my soul – more on those later.
An embrace is a hug in which each party is actively engaged, yet, neither one can rationalize even one good reason to let go.
Image: https://goo.gl/images/Mh9sfd
I have been fortunate to be personal witness to a number of experiences so far in my life from many settings:
Black cab ride past Big Ben in London
Bullet train passing a majestically rising Mount Fuji
Stars and a crescent moon ascending up from the Gulf of Oman in Muscat
Tango practice in a park in Buenos Aires
Drinking sangria in the Plaza Mayor in Madrid
Site of the Caribbean from atop one of the Pitons in St. Lucia
Awe-struck from the first glimpse of the Coliseum in Rome
The suggestive excitement from a performance at The Crazy Horse cabaret in Paris
The grandeur that makes the Grand Canyon just that
Yet as varied and specific each of these sites and experiences are to the individual location, there is always evident those things that are common. Whether in a foreign location, or merely a different locale in the States, there are always people together; families play and share time. Parents keep both an excited eye on the happiness of their children at play and a wary attention which is the universal sign of protection. Games are played, food is shared, moments are made. No matter how far-flung we perceive others in the world to be, at the heart, we share more than we may care to recognize. Recognizing what we share chaffs against our need to have boundaries – to group this vast world into ever tightening divisions so that we can assure ourselves – for God only knows what reason – that there is an “us” and a “them”. If we could somehow break free of that dependency to separate and segregate, we might find, in the end, that we are much more together in this existence than apart.
Image: https://goo.gl/images/95gH8j
Find those people in your life that when you hug them the sensation lingers like a pleasant fragrance carried on the wind that always remains by your side.
Image: https://goo.gl/images/hKQyNm
A life well-lived is a life abundant in memories. A memory is merely a series of closely occurring moments fused together under the influence of the catalyst, connection.
Image: https://goo.gl/images/8sWu8E
As I continue to grow older in this life, I always thought that the more important aspects of life would be revealed to me. With age, a certain amount of insight and wisdom is supposed to be imparted on you – right? I have come to the realization that this is a fable propagated by those who came before in order to mask their own shortcomings in receiving such insights. Granted, I do feel I have been successful in collecting bits of information about the world along my journey so far. However, in so much as I have gained knowledge, I still have no answers. I have feed, sometimes not of my own volition but forcibly so from life, from the trough of experience over many years, and yet, my appetite for many of the truths I seek remains. The one answer I have come to understand, with great clarity, is that no one, as self-proclaimed and arrogantly confident they might appear, has the answers to my questions. My truth is my own – it cannot be applied to anyone else or revealed by someone else’s ideal of the right path to it. It is as uniquely mine as a fingerprint from my hand. It may have been unknowingly at times, but no one else has traveled in my truth as I have and they can never be closer to my ultimate truth than myself. As a result, and rightly so, no one else should be critical or doubtful about my methods in my travels. No one else can live my truth or find my truth – do not ever let anyone deter you from the path you choose to find your truth. At the end, each of us must stand on the foundation of our individual truth – no one can stand for us. If we allow others to influence the way we build that foundation, we do so at our own peril – for surely it will crumble.
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