And yes, we are, Gentle Reader. First, the animal report. The pigs we’ve been watching grow are so big they collapsed their little shelter on top of them. Now they’re sprawled over it whilst hammering out z’s. The continuing dialogue between citizenry and police (cows and cow dogs in this case) continues, with outstanding stare downs and dogs slightly on the minus side in terms of Imposing Their Will on The Cows. And, speaking of cows, a brand new crop of babies are suddenly, delicately, on their hooves in between being nestled in the still green grass like little pieces of obsidian, and having long philosophical discussions with their mothers. Add to that the smoke trees blooming by the river? and it’s perfect.
So as usual, the things of the earth are resplendent and wonderful. Even while we’ve got solar activity pelting us all to the point of feeling like our heads may explode from the pressure, and while Nestle continues to bottle water here in California where they say we’ll run out all together in about a year. It is sad to think that a company involved with chocolate, the food of the gods for mercy’s sake, is just so completely…well, evil. Let’s us make a lot of money selling these poor fools their very own water back while they can’t flush their toilets for lack thereof.
But at the same time, it is spring, I just had a restorative visit with dearly beloved friends, it’s almost my birthday again (made it through another year! award time!), and although the amount of weed pulling before me is beyond daunting and our basic position vis a vis the World seems to be on a razor’s edge, I’ve learned something that will keep me going for a while.
To wit: It really IS about how you respond to things. Especially now, when things just look so completely grim and hopeless all over the place- at the same time people are doing wonderful work and the light is made to shine in unexpected places. We all do want to be happy. Recognizing this just puts you on a, metaphorically, level playing field with everyone else. We all want the same things, but the challenge arises in the manner in which we pursue these things. Often people go after experiences and things in an effort to find this happiness, but the problem arises when they haven’t figured out what really gives meaning to their lives. Willy nilly, rushing around in pursuit of the external, perspective gets lost in the quest for gratification of whatever sort. Everything really is connected- the business of a butterfly affecting things on the other side of the globe is quite literally true. The fact that we can’t always SEE the ramifications of what we do in the moment, and the corollary that many aren’t even at the point of caring about those ramifications for various, numerous reasons, brings us to the world we have today. Which is in truth a mess filled with human created obstacles and congestions and blockages. A mess because of US. Not “God” or space aliens or anything else. Just us.
I think the basis for all of this is fear. Fear is the big stick that keeps us coloring inside the lines even if we hate the drawing and crayon color. The reality is there is so much more going on all the time than we can possibly take in that we should find relief in that fact, and focus on paying attention to what we truly see before us instead of confabulating stories about what we are told might be out there. In time we can get to a place where we actually SEE what is there, and if one has the ability to tread lightly with that awareness, all sorts of things unfold.
Love is the motive force, but love is not an ego based deal. Love is what happens when you unlock the gates in yourself and let everything go in and out. It isn’t about “results” or outcome driven processes or anything like that. It is like a huge beam of light that moves through everything and allows even the darkest, worst moments to shine with meaning and potential. Love doesn’t mean you’re even going to “like” everyone you come in contact with; but you don’t actually have to worry about that. Cleaving, as it were, to what really is true- and basically that is that we all want to be happy in an existence full of change and often of pain- what happens?
What happens is you can smile. This is what I learned this week. I found myself uncontrollably smiling at people (except, it must be said, the two idiots on the interstate who just about killed me by, respectively, tail gating behind and slamming brakes on in front while everyone’s going 85 mph- sadly I succumbed to non-equanimity and flipped them the bird) and my gosh. Everyone put their shoulders down and smiled back. If I can keep doing that until my time on this planet is complete? I’ll have gotten something accomplished. Now, on to the Great American Novel, and birthday cake selection, and continuing to behave as if ALL life matters- because it does.
Boozilla: learning to fly one room at a time 