Theese wackos, they're crazy...an irony

Today while driving I was listening to a progressive radio station that touched upon a reinstation of four bishops by the pope.  The host adamantly discussed how outraged he was since one of the bishops just last week reiterated his stance that there was no Holocaust.  Upon hearing that I thought bad thoughts about the bishop and his beliefs.  How could one be so ignorant of history and brainwash his followers into believing such lies.  The bishop is crazy!

While my brain was flushed with negativity, I overheard the talk show host mention another one of the bishop's beliefs.  The bishop stated that September 11th attacks were staged by the United States government in order to get American people's signoff on wars in Afganistan and Iraq.  And there I felt a sense of irony...for the crazy bishop I was so fond of critisizing just a minute earlier was believing the same thing I do about September 11th.  Or rather, I am not certain of what I belive about 9/11 but I do have unanswered questions and don't dismiss the conspiracy theories.

And then the world wasn't black and white again.  I disagreed so vehemently on one issue but agreed on the other.  Ironic, I thought and wondered what the talk show host would say about me...

Carnival of life

When people get a health scare, they often begin to pay attention to the things that they took for granted before. This time it is my turn to learn some lessons and maybe even teach some to the people around me. Faced with uncertainty (no definite diagnosis yet), I find myself looking at the world a lot closer. How amazing everything is, and how much is offered to us. We can do so many things, choose so many paths. Sometimes we tell ourselves that we are bound by our culture, work obligations, family, means, but it is not true. We can do any amazing thing at any moment we choose. The opportunity is there for us, provided by this world, by this Earth. You reality can be transformed completely at request, and provide the experiences that you need. You could say “I am burned out and down, lets charge the card, call the boss and fly to the Amazon river for 2 weeks”. Or you could say “I know I was meant to something greater. Where is the opportunity for greatness?”, then take 2 weeks off and fly to Africa with Red Cross, or volunteer at some local organization. Countless possibilities to evolve in any way you want! And on top of that each person is different from the next right? So we have as many realities at the same time as we have people in the world. And each has something to offer, if you let it to. We just have to suspend the judgment for long enough to simply hear how others see their world (even if we strongly disagree with their view).
I suddenly get amazed by the way trees look, and the complexity of flowers, how bees build their houses (much respect to those creatures, true architects!), that our body is a smart self adjusting mechanism, that universe is stretching in all directions and at all points at the same time as I write this, that there is ice on Mars, that a stranger can be the kindest warmest soul to you when you are down, that baby begins to grow in mother’s womb so magically and secretly, that we are capable of such beauty and such terror, and ocean is such a powerful force…and more, much more. It is all amazing. Everything around us. Even that I can write and you can read those weird looking lines, and therefore I send my thought to you for consideration. Physics, chemistry and other science will explain the laws behind what we see and experience, so there is another world under the world we see. And another world above the one we see. Have you read abound multiverses, that our universe may not be the only one out there? There is so much in this world, and outside it, and there might be other worlds! So much to see and feel! It’s like a carnival, and we are right in the middle. Although sometimes we are too concerned about our costume or snack instead of running around, dancing and watching the show. That’s all right, the carnival is not going anywhere, no harm in taking our time with the costume.
Do I sound crazy? I think I am becoming a child again. Simple things suddenly look wondrous and all meaningful. Life is such a creation, no words can describe it!

Be careful what you wish for or you just might get it...

Early this morning we have arrived from our trip to Jamaica and after a sleep deprived work day I gather what strength I have left to write a new post.  (...then I took a long break and finally decided to post it weeks later :))  The trip was great and we had a blast.  It was also full of wonderful opportunities for spiritual analysis.  Here is one example...

On the first full day of our stay I realized that I didn't have enought T-Shits to last a week and thought it would be nice to win some.  Thus, I entered into a bee-bee gun shooting competition. There were a number of good shooters that got pretty high scores.  We were each given 6 shots into a target with the maximum points totaling 60.  I was on target and shot an impressive 48. Everyone was thrilled and the guide said he has not had anyone get all shots in the black including a bulls eye.  My ego was enthralled and I was declared a victor.  People left the location talking amongst themselves about the great young shooter they had just had the privilege of standing next to (see what I said about the ego :))  Anyway, winners of each competition (archery, shooting, bachi ball, etc.) were invited on stage at 9:30, awarded with cheers, prizes and a song.  I was excited about the upcoming recognition.  I made my family get there in time, sat in the 2nd row and eagerly awaited my moment...

The winners were brought up one by one and congratulated.  Oddly enough, I was not a part of that group.  They had fogotten me!  I was.....a bit upset.  I asked one of the "Fun Directors" (the one that supervised the shooting) why I hadn't been called...he apologized and gave me a T-Shirt.  Disapointed I sat down, received multiple pats on the shoulder from the ones who knew and got ready to watch the entertainment for the evening.  What I didn't realize was how strong my desire was to get onstage, because I was about to get the full taste of it...

2 guys from the entertainment team got onstage and announced the beginning of the show. They said they needed 10 man from the audience for it.  I had no intention of participating remembering my previous experiences of utter embarrassment.  However, the "Fun Director" pulled me and my friend up on stage (how opportune it was that we sat in thd 2ND ROW????)...

Anyway, 10 men were onstage and awaiting instructions.  After a few hints we understood that our task was to do the Limbo.  There were 2 thoughts going throuh my mind at that time.  One was "OUCH" and the second was that I will probably loose to older fatter man and it will suck! The first comment was due in large part to my degenerated disk in the lower back.  The second...you know....To fast forward I will share that I made the 1st and 2nd cut and almost made the last.  My back was bent enough to get through but my feet froze and wouldn't move forward enough to carry me.  I fell.  However, I was ushered into the 2nd round (4 men total) to compete in something even more fun.  Thankfully my friend was right there with me.  

For the second round they asked each of us who our favorite female artist was.  Of course I answered my wife reveling in the chance to have her join my party and be put on the spot herself by having to sing.  (she has a very good voice but with microphones one never knows.)

Fortunately for her and unfortunately for me they made each man do pushups with his wife laying on his back.  Needless to say I was working my triceps out in the gym mere hours before this fun event...I barely did 8.  But the fun wasn't over.  

They made everyone go backstage and perform as either Elvis, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion or Whitney Houston.  Fortunately I was Michael Jackson.  They dressed me appropriately and handed me the mic.  There I was alone on stage dancing to the beat.  I should mention that before we went on vacation I was telling myself to review the basic dance moves of Michael Jackson, Elvis and Disco to be ready in case I had to dance....I DIDN'T.  Thus, I was stuck doing the only 3 moves I remembered...

The story does end well as I was voted the victor by the audience and received a T-Shirt, Hat and a bottle of Rum.  My back was sore but intact, I had 2 T-Shits,  and for the rest of the trip everyone I met called me Michel. 

Tetris is like Life and Life is like Tetris

Dear Circle, 

I am assuming you are all familiar with a very popular game of Tetris.  I have played it as a child and recently have gone back to it as a part of my train-the-brain exercises.  What I have found make me appreciate the game much more...

We often wonder how to live our lives and sometimes feel like things are being thrown at us way too fast.  The "problems" just keep coming and coming and we feel overwhelmed.  However with Tetris and with life you start to excel only then, when you realize that every forethcoming block is there to assist you.  Tetris is designed to help you get the wanted result.  No matter what you do and how wrong you fit the pieces Tetris is there with upcoming blocks to get you out of the situation.  You just have to understand how it is helping you and instead of panicking - thank it for its assistance and make it work.

Tetris is a wonderful metaphor for the life itself.  Experiences we bring on are there to help us and instead of rejecting them we need to realize the significance of the "blocks" and deal with them.  Life is designed in much the same way as the game is and once you give up the struggle with each individual piece you can succeed.   

Taking things personal...

Dear Circle,

During a meditation class today our instructor mentioned in passing people taking things personally and a flashbulb went on for me.  The reason we take things personally is because we have a very low understanding of who we are.  If we understood who we truly are we wouldn't take things others say to be true.  For instance, if someone calls you an "Idiot"....if you know yourself well (and hopefully don't think of yourself as an idiot) you wouldn't pay attention to that because it doesn't matter what others say, you know the truth.  If you don't know yourself you will get offended because you will think ...well He thinks I am an Idiot I need to prove I am not or worst of all you will think that perhaps he knows you better then you do and maybe you are an Idiot so you take it personally.  I realize this is simplistic but it leads to the same point - get to know yourself and you won't take things so personal!

Competition is the answer???

Dear Circle,

As my wife and I were driving yesterday she asked me a question...As I look at people, she said, I see them trying to do what is best for their children, spend time teaching them, driving them around, working hard in order for them to live better...We are all fundamentally good at heart, why don't we get along better? To which I responded with an answer I didn't expect. I said it and then thought about it after I said it, it was a bit odd, kind of like the saying that I don't know what I think until I say it.

My answer was - The reason why we don't get along is competition. Let's look at schools and see what is the main theme of our education starting very early in our lifetimes...one must compete. We are being graded for everything...praised for being the best and punished for doing poorly. We are judged on everything, the homes we live in, cars we drive, clothes we wear, music we listen to, friends we have, etc, etc, etc. Then we turn on the TV and see that reinforced - athletes, celebrities, lawyers, doctors, White Color, Blue Color...we are being programed that in order for us to have the things we need we must "be the best" even if that means others suffer. And then we are surprised at all the people behaving negatively towards each other. We think of others as competition not as one of us. That underlying thought form permeates our whole life. Even in marriage when we are supposed to be thinking of each other as ONE we compete (one of the reasons I suppose why divorce rate is so high).

Please understand me correctly. I am not against all competition. I love sports and I want to compete. However, we fail to realize that the drive we so long for shouldn't come from incentives of a grade or money, it should come from deep yearning to learn and experience from within. Only then we will truly drive ourselves to become better not inspite of others but with them....and maybe make this world a better place to live for all.

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde theory at play in our Economy...

Dear circle, I realize that my blogs lately have been political in nature and for that I ask you forgiveness.  However, since politics and human structure are innevitably linked it is rather interesting to analyze. For instance, the idea of top-down economics or trickle-down economics is fascinating to me. It presumes that by giving money to the wealthy we will enrich the poor since the wealthy will invest their earnings in businesses that lead to jobs, etc. To me this is the same fundamental issue of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde. Trickle down economics assumes everyone to be Dr.Jekyll but just like the book we keep proving ourselves wrong. Just like Communism that assumes that everyone will be kind to one another so does this idea within Capitalism. Even though it is not dealing with emotion but rather the drive of individuals to make money and for that they need others that will eventually benefit, I think it is flawed. A quick example, who will ensure the police and the teachers will make decent money? I don't think those who are wealthy will care to provide good education and protection for all, they would hire for themselves. Such is the idea of laissez fair.
And that leads me to spirituality and realization that again we as society are very immature and are only concerned with the good of the individual and not all individuals. Politics and the antics we see on TV are just another indication.