Autor: A'Journe

 

Simon Sinek is a hero in the great war … the Great War of Ideas.  

(You can look here  – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Sinek   for a bio)

 

I have watched a few of his TED talks, and I have come to the conclusion that Mr. Sinek is extremely valuable … to ALL of us.  He is truly – a hero in the great war.

 

He has a degree in Cultural Anthropology.  But I doubt whether his “studies” are altogether responsible for his remarkable ability to see into what is going on around us.

In any case, he has this ability – to understand things at a deep level.  And it’s just priceless.

 

Everyone sees the world.

But when a Visionary looks at the world, he sees more.  He (or she) sees what ‘normal’ people see, but they understand it more deeply.  Their individual Recognitions are able to be enriched and deepened by the Context (their Personal Paradigm) that they have (developed in advance, and then) brought with them.

 

Sinek relates – that once, in an airport, during the boarding process – he observed a ticket agent yelling at a passenger for trying to board early (not in his proper group).  And Simon asked her – “Why do you have to treat us like cattle instead of like human beings?” And she answered – “Because I could lose my job!” From this reply, Sinek realized that she did not feel safe, that she was afraid of her superiors.

 

Sinek says that it’s the leader – who sets the tone.  It’s the Boss (in any company or organization) who is responsible for the psychic ‘environment’ within which everyone in that group must operate.  The leader’s first responsibility is to create SAFETY. And if he (or she) does a good job of that, then Trust and Cooperation will (automatically) emerge.

If he does a poor job (of creating safety) then the employees will spend a great deal of their time, attention, and creative energy … just to protect themselves.

 

Even though Sinek seldom uses the word – “sustainability” he nonetheless, does an excellent job of explicating the Nature of Sustainability.

 

(Though it is not the norm) Sinek says that the ideal boss / leader actually cares about the people on his team.  And he is able to convince them – that he cares about them as people (rather than seeing them as a resource that just happens to be human)

 

Sinek is actually promoting (helping us see the importance of) FAMILY.

 

(And now I am paraphrasing him, but) what he is saying is – that If we are to be Sustainable … we need to be a family.

 

Mmm?

 

You see?

 

He’s a real war hero.

 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmyZMtPVodo    (Good leaders make you feel safe – Simon Sinek)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyTQ5-SQYTo    (as a Leader, start with Empathy, and Know what Game you’re playing  – Simon Sinek)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReRcHdeUG9Y   (Simon Sinek  – Leadership [& chemicals])

 

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In case you are interested in why some people are visionaries, I’ll include here some information (from Paper 36 of the Urantia Book) on the Seven Adjutant Mind Spirits.  (please take note of the final bit of information in this section)

 

^{36:5.1 (401.5)} It is the presence of the seven adjutant mind-spirits on the primitive worlds that conditions the course of organic evolution; that explains why evolution is purposeful and not accidental. These adjutants represent that function of the mind ministry of the Infinite Spirit which is extended to the lower orders of intelligent life through the operations of a local universe Mother Spirit. The adjutants are the children of the Universe Mother Spirit and constitute her personal ministry to the material minds of the realms. Wherever and whenever such mind is manifest, these spirits are variously functioning.

^{36:5.2 (401.6)} The seven adjutant mind-spirits are called by names which are the equivalents of the following designations: intuition, understanding,courage, knowledge, counsel, worship, and wisdom. These mind-spirits send forth their influence into all the inhabited worlds as a differential urge,each seeking receptivity capacity for manifestation quite apart from the degree to which its fellows may find reception and opportunity for function.

^{36:5.3 (401.7)} The central lodgments of the adjutant spirits on the Life Carrier headquarters world indicate to the Life Carrier supervisors the extent and quality of the mind function of the adjutants on any world and in any given living organism of intellect status. These life-mind emplacements are perfect indicators of living mind function for the first five adjutants. But with regard to the sixth and seventh adjutant spirits—worship and wisdom—these central lodgments record only a qualitative function. The quantitative activity of the adjutant of worship and the adjutant of wisdom is registered in the immediate presence of the Divine Minister on Salvington, being a personal experience of the Universe Mother Spirit.

^{36:5.4 (402.1)} The seven adjutant mind-spirits always accompany the Life Carriers to a new planet, but they should not be regarded as entities; they are more like circuits. The spirits of the seven universe adjutants do not function as personalities apart from the universe presence of the Divine Minister; they are in fact a level of consciousness of the Divine Minister and are always subordinate to the action and presence of their creative mother.

^{36:5.5 (402.2)} We are handicapped for words adequately to designate these seven adjutant mind-spirits. They are ministers of the lower levels of experiential mind, and they may be described, in the order of evolutionary attainment, as follows:

^{36:5.6 (402.3)} 1. The spirit of intuition—quick perception, the primitive physical and inherent reflex instincts, the directional and other self-preservative endowments of all mind creations; the only one of the adjutants to function so largely in the lower orders of animal life and the only one to make extensive functional contact with the nonteachable levels of mechanical mind.

^{36:5.7 (402.4)} 2. The spirit of understanding—the impulse of co-ordination, the spontaneous and apparently automatic association of ideas. This is the gift of the co-ordination of acquired knowledge, the phenomenon of quick reasoning, rapid judgment, and prompt decision.

^{36:5.8 (402.5)} 3. The spirit of courage—the fidelity endowment—in personal beings, the basis of character acquirement and the intellectual root of moral stamina and spiritual bravery. When enlightened by facts and inspired by truth, this becomes the secret of the urge of evolutionary ascension by the channels of intelligent and conscientious self-direction.

^{36:5.9 (402.6)} 4. The spirit of knowledge—the curiosity-mother of adventure and discovery, the scientific spirit; the guide and faithful associate of the spirits of courage and counsel; the urge to direct the endowments of courage into useful and progressive paths of growth.

^{36:5.10 (402.7)} 5. The spirit of counsel—the social urge, the endowment of species co-operation; the ability of will creatures to harmonize with their fellows; the origin of the gregarious instinct among the more lowly creatures.

^{36:5.11 (402.8)} 6. The spirit of worship—the religious impulse, the first differential urge separating mind creatures into the two basic classes of mortal existence. The spirit of worship forever distinguishes the animal of its association from the soulless creatures of mind endowment.Worship is the badge of spiritual-ascension candidacy.

^{36:5.12 (402.9)} 7. The spirit of wisdom—the inherent tendency of all moral creatures towards orderly and progressive evolutionary advancement.This is the highest of the adjutants, the spirit co-ordinator and articulator of the work of all the others. This spirit is the secret of that inborn urge of mind creatures which initiates and maintains the practical and effective program of the ascending scale of existence; that gift of living things which accounts for their inexplicable ability to survive and, in survival,to utilize the co-ordination of all their past experience and present opportunities for the acquisition of all of everything that all of the other six mental ministers can mobilize in the mind of the organism concerned.Wisdom is the acme of intellectual performance. Wisdom is the goal of a purely mental and moral existence.

^{36:5.13 (403.1)} The adjutant mind-spirits experientially grow, but they never become personal. They evolve in function, and the function of the first five in the animal orders is to a certain extent essential to the function of all seven as human intellect. This animal relationship makes the adjutants more practically effective as human mind; hence animals are to a certain extent indispensable to man’s intellectual as well as to his physical evolution.

^{36:5.14 (403.2)} These mind-adjutants of a local universe Mother Spirit are related to creature life of intelligence status much as the power centers and physical controllers are related to the nonliving forces of the universe. They perform invaluable service in the mind circuits on the inhabited worlds and are effective collaborators with the Master Physical Controllers, who also serve as controllers and directors of the preadjutant mind levels, the levels of nonteachable or mechanical mind.

^{36:5.15 (403.3)} Living mind, prior to the appearance of capacity to learn from experience, is the ministry domain of the Master Physical Controllers.Creature mind, before acquiring the ability to recognize divinity and worship Deity, is the exclusive domain of the adjutant spirits. With the appearance of the spiritual response of the creature intellect, such created minds at once become superminded, being instantly encircuited in the spirit cycles of the local universe Mother Spirit.

^{36:5.16 (403.4)} The adjutant mind-spirits are in no manner directly related to the diverse and highly spiritual function of the spirit of the personal presence of the Divine Minister, the Holy Spirit of the inhabited worlds; but they are functionally antecedent to, and preparatory for, the appearance of this very spirit in evolutionary man. The adjutants afford the Universe Mother Spirit a varied contact with, and control over, the material living creatures of a local universe, but they do not repercuss in the Supreme Being when acting on prepersonality levels.

^{36:5.17 (403.5)} Nonspiritual mind is either a spirit-energy manifestation or a physical-energy phenomenon. Even human mind, personal mind, has no survival qualities apart from spirit identification. Mind is a divinity bestowal, but it is not immortal when it functions without spirit insight, and when it is devoid of the ability to worship and crave survival.

 

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Also, I’d like to suggest that you have a look at the poem (‘A Blessing’)   that I’m adding today to the Reference section /(Poems).

Leider ist der Eintrag nur auf English verfügbar.

Leider ist der Eintrag nur auf English verfügbar.

Leider ist der Eintrag nur auf English verfügbar.

 

Today marks the 242nd birthday of the United States of America.  Those of us who live here – have much to be grateful for. But complacency would be inappropriate.  

In “America the Beautiful” is the line – “God mend thine every flaw”.  We should probably not take this to mean that God (himself … having been thus instructed) will correct our ‘problems’.  We should probably (ourselves) assume that responsibility. I would MUCH rather live with Patriots who actively WORK to mend our flaws … than live with ‘patriots’ who pretend that we HAVE no systemic defects … that we (simply) live in the ‘best country in the world’ … and give NO THOUGHT as to how to make life here better for us and for our children and grandchildren.

[ref:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML3qYHWRIZk    (America is not the greatest country – Jeff Daniels)]

Robert L. Humphrey found out – that the most dangerous thing one could do (ANYWHERE in the world) – would be to threaten the life or well-being of someone’s loved ones.  (ref: my blog post of 24 January 2018)

I consider this to be a (fair and accurate) depiction of our Basic Human Nature; and it’s NOT specific to any particular culture or country.

But a (fair) Second Approximation – would acknowledge that NOT all cultures are equally Alienated or equally loving or equally devoted to their families.  No. This is a Variable. And I do not think that the American (that is, the United States) culture would rate very high in this variable. (And, as I have said before, this variable is well illustrated in the film “Bella”; and also – in a film I saw quite recently – “The Lost Child”  (Hallmark Hall of Fame film)

We’re AMERICANS! … and this is what we do:

 

We go down to the Culture Store …

(We don’t shop around or look through the store;  we made up our mind what we want

before we got there.  We just walk right up to the counter …)

“Hi Mel.  Could you get me a 75-pound bag of Self-sufficiency, please?

Also –

Fifty pounds each   of

Rugged Individualism

Independence, and

Financial Security.

And of course the usual supply of

Selfishness and Self-absorption.

And could you have Jimmy load it all into the back of my SUV?

Thanks.”

 

Then we take this stuff home

And feed it to our families … (and ourselves)

Mmm ?

 

I can’t help but wonder – if we couldn’t choose something

more nourishing …

because

very many Americans live

in a Social Desert.

The Isolation, Alienation, and Loneliness

which permeate our lives –

are a direct result of this ‘diet’ …

which has been carefully chosen –

to be aligned with

our core values.

 

WHAT IF …

most of the people in the whole world

were to adopt the custom of

getting together with their neighbors

once a week

for a potluck dinner?

What if we got to KNOW each other, and

got together routinely to enjoy each other?

Would not Alienation be reduced?

Would not Loneliness be lessened?

Would there not be more Joy in the world? … and less fear?

Would not many of our ‘problems’ find easy solutions?

Might not this one (simple & cheap) habit (or custom)

increase our chances for Survival as a species?

I think so.

Are not the ‘biggest threats’ to our survival

actually psycho-spiritual in nature? – (anomie/alienation, and hopelessness)

 

I suggest watching this –

                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trbHdayluLA    (Stone Soup)

I read this very book (story) when I was a child.  Many of us did, I’m sure.  (In fact, this story is told in many countries and cultures.)

One (obvious) aspect of the story is – ‘deception / trickery’.

But another (and more important) aspect is – getting something from nothing

also … the principle of Giving – what can happen when we move beyond our fear

and embrace the Basic Goodness of Life and Community.

 

Therefore, I think we could call these Universal weekly potluck gatherings –

(or at least THINK OF them as) – Stone Soup Potlucks.

 

It would cost us very little (indeed)

and the effect could be huge.

           

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-vFkvcf3Cs    (The Moral & Economic Collapse of America)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQvig0KvUaE    (Noam Chomsky:  Donald Trump is a Distraction)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBynRIpgkbM    (Doomsday Clock predicts human survival)

 

       “ I AM NOT  I”

 

I am not I.

                        I am this one

Walking beside me whom I do not see,

Whom at times I manage to visit,

And at other times I forget.

The one who remains silent when I talk,

The one who forgives, sweet, when I hate,

The one who takes a walk when I am indoors,

The one who will remain standing when I die.

                                                                  –  Juan Ramón Jiménez

 

 

To me it is wonderful – that there are (a few) actual people who are able directly to apprehend such truths (as expressed in the epigram, by Jimenez)    

Rilke has such insight, and Machado … probably Neruda (and others, no doubt)

Me – I’m a thinker and a philosopher (and I’ll write a poem when I HAVE to), and I’ve studied some.  But basically such ‘direct apprehension’ seems to be above my pay grade. The reason that I regard as true – the basic notion in the epigram – is that it is confirmed by my studies.

I happen to have a very high regard for the British philosopher, G. K. Chesterton, who said –

“The whole order of things is as outrageous as any miracle which could presume to violate it.”

We all believe in the ‘physical world’.  And we’ve heard rumors (at least) – of ‘metaphysical’ phenomena.

‘Metaphysical’ means – ‘beyond the physical’ … things that are ‘way out there’ on the iffy rim of the horizon.  And we say this because we imagine that here at the center of reality – things are physical; and out there somewhere, in ooga-booga land, may also exist realities NON-physical.

But really, I think, we have it backwards (or maybe inside-out) … because here at the center is the ‘EXPERIENCER’, who is wonderfully non-material and airy.  And we do NOT just experience material things; we also experience joy and sorrow, loneliness, beauty, grief, music, humor, love … quite a range of emotions and feelings.  I suggest this is good reason to conclude that we are multi-dimensional beings. Mmm ?

[“Spock!  You green blooded, pointy-eared hobgoblin!”   “Calm yourself, Doctor”]

For several years I worked as a Hospice CNA; and I think it’s fair to say that we humans live in more than a single dimension … (certainly, at least) if we take into account the ‘normal’ experiences of people who are nearing death.

Dr. Christopher Kerr (a physician, who has bothered to study the experiences of the dying … and work up a data base)   gives a very good TED talk:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbnBe-vXGQM    (dreams & visions of the dying … data)

 

His findings corroborate my own experience – that even while the body is dying, real healing may be happening at other levels.

 

In general, here is what I suspect from many decades of (broad) enquiry and thought –

that we all live in a vibrational BAND (or dimensional frequency range); and this band is not completely narrow.  And it is also somewhat labile. We are capable (sometimes, under certain conditions) of upshifting slightly … maybe even more than slightly.

You are probably familiar with the ‘single photon, double slit’ experiment – which seems to suggest that there is ambiguity regarding particle and wave … and (unavoidable) interaction of the ‘observer’, the observer’s “participation” in the outcome.

                             https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=546&v=p-MNSLsjjdo

But, I wonder – maybe light (for example) exists SIMULTANEOUSLY as Particle and Wave … only in DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS.

Mmm ?

(and WE happen to SHARE these same dimensions with light)?

“Make This Simple Test”

Blindfold yourself with some suitable object. If time permits remain still for a moment. You may feel one or more of your senses begin to swim back toward you in the darkness, singly and without their names. Meanwhile have someone else arrange the products to be used in a row in front of you. It is preferable to have them in identical containers, though that is not necessary. Where possible, perform the test by having the other person feed you a portion — a spoonful — of each of the products in turn, without comment.

Guess what each one is, and have the other person write down what you say.

Then remove your blindfold. While arranging the products the other person should have detached part of the label or container from each and placed it in front of the product it belongs to, like a title. This bit of legend must not contain the product’s name, nor it’s generic name, nor any suggestion of the product’s taste or desirability. Or price. It should be limited to that part of the label or container which enumerates the actual components of the product in question.

Thus, for instance:

“Contains dextrinized flours, cocoa processed with alkali, non-fat dry milk solids, yeast nutrients, vegetable oil, dried egg yolk, GUAR, sodium cyclamate, soya lecithin, imitation lemon oil, acetyl tartaric esters of mono- and di-glycerides as emulsifiers, polysorbate 60, 1/10 of 1% sodium benzoate (to preserve freshness).”

Or:

“Contains anhydrated potatoes, powdered whey, vegetable gum, emulsifier (glycerol monostearate), invert syrup, shortening with freshness preserver, lactose, sorbic acid (to retard mold growth), caramel color, natural and artificial flavors, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bisulfite.”

Or:

“Contains beef extract, wheat and soya derivatives, food starch-modified, dry sweet whey, calcium carageenan, vegetable oil, sodium phosphates, BHA, BHT, prophylene glycol, pectin, niacinamide, artificial flavors, U.S. certified color.”

There should be not less than three separate products.

Taste again, without the blindfold. Guess again and have the other person record the answers. Replace the blindfold. Have the other person change the order of the products and again feed you a spoonful of each.

Guess again what you are eating, or drinking, in each case (if you can make the distinction). But this time do not stop there. Guess why you are eating or drinking it. Guess what it may do for you. Guess what it was meant to do. By whom. When. Why. Guess where in the course of evolution you took the first step toward it. Guess which of your organs recognizes it. Guess whether it is welcomed to their temples. Guess how it figures in their prayers. Guess how completely you become what you eat. Guess how soon. Guess at the taste of locusts and wild honey. Guess at the taste of water. Guess what the rivers see as they die.  Guess why the babies are burning. Guess why there is silence in heaven. Guess why you were ever born.

                                                                 – W. S. Merwin

                                                                                                          (reposted from April 18th’s blog)

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In Blog 2  (13 January  2018) I suggested you look at a film –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEV5AFFcZ-s   ( THRIVE: What On Earth Will It Take?)

 

These folks are currently making a sequel –  Thrive II: This Is What It Takes!

 

Meanwhile, I’d like you to acquaint you with the

THRIVE SOLUTIONS TOOLKIT

http://www.thrivemovement.com/thrive-solutions-toolkit

 

I tried to post it here – but it looked terrible.

So (please) simply

download it yourself, and

have a look at it.

 

And I suggest you also have a look at  –

https://anewscienceofeverything.com/science/sacred-geometry/flower/foster_gamble_interview

&

at Vantari’s

http://3dmandalas.com/

I will admit to having an “assignment” to build tetrahedrons … but my work is quite elementary compared to Vantari’s.      (though I do not intend to abandon my assignment)

 

 

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And I commend to you (one of the best film series I’ve ever seen) –

La Niña

(because – in the Great War of Ideas – the main character is a casualty in the battle

between the belief that ‘exploitation is necessary’ … and the belief that it is unnecessary and that exploitation is  ‘a mistake’.)

Here’s some of the music –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt7kbpkxfU8    (Te Invito   [La Nina theme song])

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaKG17XoQ48    (Te Invito  – Herencia de Timbiqui)

 

Also –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts4AxTD7ctc    (Wexford Lullaby  – John Renbourn)

I have loved this piece for years, but only recently learned its name.

It is old, beautiful, and full of human tenderness and pathos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“El Viento, Un Día Brillante”

El viento, un día brillante, llamado

a mi alma con un olor del jazmín.

“en la vuelta para el olor de mi jazmín,

quisiera todo el olor de sus rosas.”

“no tengo ninguna rosa;

todas las flores en mi jardín son muertas.”

“bien entonces, tomaré los pétalos marchitados

y las hojas amarillas y las aguas de la fuente.”

el viento dejado. Y lloré. Y dije a me:

“qué le tienen hecho con el jardín que fue confiado a usted?”

                       – Antonio Machado

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The wind, one brilliant day, called

to my soul with an odor of jasmine.

‘In return for the odor of my jasmine,

I’d like all the odor of your roses.’

‘I have no roses; all the flowers

in my garden are dead.’

‘Well then, I’ll take the withered petals

and the yellow leaves and the waters of the fountain.’

the wind left. And I wept. And I said to myself:

‘What have you done with the garden that was entrusted to you?

                                     – Antonio Machado

 

 

One time, in about 1982, I ‘threw the I Ching’.  Between about 1975 and 1985 I was the resident landlord of a cooperative household in Seattle, about a mile west of the University of Washington.  By living cooperatively, we could live fairly well and yet fairly inexpensively. And I got to live with quite an array of interesting and (mostly) high quality people.  One of these was a sannyasin; that is, a follower of Bhagwan Rajneesh. He mostly wore orange clothing. I quite liked this young man. He was lively, intelligent, natural, and had a clean energy.  One day he invited me to throw the I Ching – a book he considered wise and useful. I doubt we had access to yarrow stalks, so I expect we used coins. Pennies are adequate. Six coins, I think. And I drew (threw) … the Bowl of Worms.  

The image is – that I hold in my hands a bowl of food – meat perhaps.  And I have failed to take care of it, such that now there are worms in my bowl of food.  

Food is something which is valuable to everyone.  (We ALL need to eat.)

So

What the I Ching was telling me – was that there are things which I have in my life (which I know are valuable – but) which I have failed to take proper care of.

Well !

I don’t know what I was expecting

But I was not expecting THIS !

I was appalled, and a bit horrified.

But of course, I knew right away that it was true.  

And the hell of it is – that it is STILL true.

A great many times (since that day) I have come to the (dismaying) realization that I have (yet again) thrown the bowl of worms.  That I have failed to take care of something valuable. A poor choice, no doubt, but – a choice.

Perhaps one day I will mature; and this ‘maturity’ will include caring for everything that is valuable … including my time.

and then, perhaps

I may move on.  And maybe I’ll feel to throw the I Ching again.

 

How about you?  Have you ever thrown the bowl of worms?

 

How about the Earth?

Is the World valuable to us?

And

are we taking care of it?

 

And God stepped out on space,
And he looked around and said:
I’m lonely—
I’ll make me a world.

And far as the eye of God could see
Darkness covered everything,
Blacker than a hundred midnights
Down in a cypress swamp.

 

              – James Weldon Johnson

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                                 But these stories don’t mean anything

                                 When you’ve got no one to tell them to.

                                                                   – Brandi Carlile

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eternity

is about

relationships.

                   – Gabriel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Loneliness Industry is huge.  And it’s growing fast. I have spent the past 2 ½ years inside it  – as a customer. That is, I have been ‘dating’ online for that time.  I started out communicating with local women. I met with two of them; and one of those is still a friend.  But after about six months (of communicating with local women) I realized that what I was doing wasn’t going to take me anywhere I wanted to go.

When I was in the Navy, I spent a year in language school studying Russians.  And our teachers were from Russia. I very much enjoyed being with these people.  And, for the past ten years or so I wondered if I might have a sweetheart somewhere in that part of the world.  

There are sites which specialize in Russian speaking women; and I began to look at some.  After a few weeks, I began to understand – that those cultures are very different from the (American) one I’d grown up in.  

By now I have had some communication with hundreds of women.  And I feel confident that the vast majority of them want simply – to love and be loved.  They want “real feelings”. They are not looking for something unworthy or wrong. (A FEW are, of course.  But let’s not worry about them.) Mainly what they seek is – an end to Loneliness.

For a great many human beings (right now, on this world) the pain of loneliness is somewhere between excruciating … and unbearable.

[As Paul Simon says, in The Boxer –  “I do declare, there were times that I was so lonesome I took some comfort there.”]

A few years ago I realized that I was lonely to such a degree and extent that I was “at risk”; I was nearly going crazy.  So I knew I had to do something about it. And that’s when I started looking online for a Life Partner.

It is not at all unusual for me to hear from someone (even in an introductory letter) that she has spent the past decade pursuing her career; but now, having achieved success on that front, she feels unfulfilled emotionally and very lonely.   And she now wants to find someone she can share her life with.

I now feel as if I have been initiated into the world of Loneliness.  And it’s astonishing. And very touching. And the amazing thing NOW – is how so many people are unaware of this enormous human hunger.  I think it must be universal.   But many of us are somehow largely ‘out of touch’ with it.  (I am guessing this is possible through a form of denial.  As Mark Twain says – “Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”)

Loneliness … deserves our respect.  It deserves to be acknowledged and honored.

As Rumi says –

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23pTFRcuW68    (God’s Trombones  –  James Weldon Johnson)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8pQLtHTPaI    (The Story  – Brandi Carlile)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfWQS5fWxxU    (Shower the People  – James Taylor)

 

‘The Family Is All There Is’

 

Think of those old, enduring connections

found in all flesh–the channeling

wires and threads, vacuoles, granules,

plasma and pods, purple veins, ascending

boles and coral sapwood (sugar-

and light-filled), those common ligaments,

filaments, fibers and canals.

Seminal to all kin also is the open

mouth–in heart urchin and octopus belly,

in catfish, moonfish, forest lily,

and rugosa rose, in thirsty magpie,

wailing cat cub, barker, yodeler,

yawning coati.

And there is a pervasive clasping

common to the clan–the hard nails

of lichen and ivy sucker

on the church wall, the bean tendril

and the taproot, the bolted coupling

of crane flies, the hold of the shearwater

on its morning squid, guanine

to cytosine, adenine to thymine,

fingers around fingers, the grip

of the voice on presence, the grasp

of the self on place.

Remember the same hair on pygmy

dormouse and yellow-necked caterpillar,

covering red baboon, thistle seed

and willow herb? Remember the similar

snorts of warthog, walrus, male moose

and sumo wrestler? Remember the familiar

whinny and shimmer found in river birches,

bay mares and bullfrog tadpoles,

in children playing at shoulder tag

on a summer lawn?

The family–weavers, reachers, winders

and connivers, pumpers, runners, air

and bubble riders, rock-sitters, wave-gliders,

wire-wobblers, soothers, flagellators–all

brothers, sisters, all there is.

Name something else.    

                  

           – Pattiann Rogers

 

 

 

Two days ago (5/28/18) the people of the United States celebrated Memorial Day – an annual celebration intended to remember and honor those who put themselves in harm’s way to preserve our Freedom and ‘the American Way of Life’ … and especially to pay tribute to those men and women who gave their lives for this – (who died in battle or in war).  I myself participated in a small ceremony Monday morning here in Central Oregon (on the Village Green, in Sisters, Oregon)

Memorial Day (here in the U.S.) is also used as a time to gather the family around the back-yard BBQ, enjoy the good weather, and (probably) drink a lot of beer.  In any case – the patriotic component is regarded as “American”.

However, I think it would be better if we were also to bear in mind that the people in ALL countries have a similar experience … and grieve (just as WE do) with the loss of a loved one to the ravages of war (ANY war).

I think we are Self Absorbed … not just as individuals – but also collectively.  And I suspect (having lived for 17 years in a spiritual community, which had in it people from other countries [as well as from this country] – that Americans are about the LEAST informed about the rest of the world.  And this is partly because we think we own the world (which is, of course, basically true) … so – why should we bother? Everyone else can inform themselves ABOUT US.          Mmm ?

Let’s have a look at ‘who died’ in WW II  –                                                                                                   

                                                                   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties   

Here, we see that the United States lost 419,000 lives … Great Britain : 450,000 … France : 600,000 … Poland : 6 million … China: 15 -20 million … and Russia – 20 million.  So, Russia lost about 40 times as many of their people in that war as did the U.S., or England, or France.

And (according to Oliver Stone’s documentary) – it was mainly Russia that defeated the Nazis.

I would commend to you Stone’s videos –                                                             

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=oliver+stone+untold+history+of+the+united+states    (Oliver Stone’s ‘Untold History of the United States’  [134 episodes])

This body of work would seem to be a sincere effort – to document the truth – and to inform the populace.  Please consider making some use of it.

The American People have no monopoly on Patriotic Death & Loss.