I remember reading a book, “The Weapon Shops of Isher”. the weapons could not be fired as an act of aggression, they could only be fired in self defense. They worked as a deterrent to war, and against violent crime. It upset the balance of power. I wonder what would help with equality among humans? I wonder what would bring balance to us all? I found some sites that discuss the different views of raising our awareness of Loving, Kind Beings. We are dealing with a shift in economics, a change in our natural environment, resource allocation, a large number of people with little resources, and all those and more are increasing in intensity. We have a fascination with the different inventions brought by technology. We have changed the lives of many using concepts developed out of economics. We have helped people with our understanding of biology and other sciences. A lot of this has happened because we have discovered how to use fossil fuel energy. What we have failed to do is learn, over and over, how to treat each other with respect and dignity. The Wisdom of ancient times is difficult to learn new by each individual as [...]
Looking in the mirror, he noticed the wrinkles around his eyes, reminding him of a river journey with a friend, laughing for days and seeing white wrinkles amid the tan lines. Today, my face is tan and rounded somewhat, perhaps from the beard, going gray around the edges. There is that combination of youth and age that defies our usual indication of time in a body. A smile is often present and there is something about brown eyes that can tighten into a focus when speaking directly to someone. My niece was at a family reunion that I did not attend and she told me my grandmother’s last name meant bent willow, which I find interesting. There is a northern European look about me, heavy set and I think short, or stout might fit. Am I pleasant to look at? Only when I am fun to be around. But my portrait is not that, it is in my song: I’m a child of the desert, hot burning sand And a friend to the buzzard circling the bleaching bones of a man I spent my contemplation under a pinyon tree And a nut fell down and hit me and that’s what [...]
It is night here. I had a dream that I was listening to music at a concert and the music finished. It had been instrumental music with drums and percussion and other sounds that I can’t remember. A musician spoke, saying the concert was over and that he had not said much with words because the music spoke for them. It has been over an hour since that experience and I am awake, still. My mind is overactive, running through a range of thoughts that I can usually avoid in daylight. i think about being unemployed until I can “officially” retire. I think about my part in what we have done to our environment and our world. I think of the worry and fear that permeates our existence, and how much of that is our own doing, our own actions, that we followed so easily. I think of the anger and rage that I see in so many places in the different media, and how easy it is to step into that state of mind. I think that Loving Kindness is a means to overcome all that I find to be negative in my world. In my dreams, I have [...]
Probably one of my biggest flaws or strengths, depending on the situation, is a tunnel vision obsession with certain things in life.
As my life experienced changes over the last few years, which were unpredictable in a strange kind of way, I took an interest in the financial state of this world as my personal economic situation is and was precarious at best and as they say, misery loves company. I read the financial news from various sources in Europe, Asia and North America. I studied charts and graphs compiled by “experts” in unfolding the bull feces that is referred to as financial data and weighed in on the merits or demerits of precious metal hoarding.
I became a financial doomsday expert in my own mind for it all appealed to my sense of reason and logic.
Then I encountered a personal situation which detracted me from my daily excursions through the financial experts’ auditorium. I was no longer hooked. My interest waned.
I wasn’t and am not prepared for financial disaster anyway. Even if I had a pile of gold, I wouldn’t know what to do with it except polish it and possibly impress people with its beauty, but carrying the stuff around or worrying about its safety isn’t worth the headache.
I did a Bouzouki yesterday. I drove into town, went into a garden center and bought plants. Some shrubs, flowers and stuff. Anything that looked lush, green or colorful and set to work planting, like Johnny Appleseed of yore.
My mind was and is in a different place. The road runners watched me from about twenty feet away as I worked. I could hear nature moving in the foliage and undergrowth at the back of my lot.
Last night, before dusk I checked the state of my freshly watered charges. I hope they take and grow. If not I will keep trying until I get my jungle which I can appreciate.
Somehow the stuff that hooked me in the past is no longer important. I think I will get hooked on something else, knowing myself well enough that my character won’t change that easily.
Next week I plan on planting a few trees and a cactus where I don’t irrigate.
Now I know why in the movie the Godfather, the old mafioso spent time in his garden. It frees the brain, rips the tunnel walls asunder, allows conscience to breathe life.
It is all good folks.
it is interesting how long it takes to understand who we are and how we behave.
Once I became interested in plants, especially those that feed me, I found that I slowly became more interested in cooking those plants.
I like how plants feed me, in many more ways than gold. I hope, Ichabod, that you enjoy the plants under your care. I will admit I have had lots of plants die while I thought I had them under my control. Water enough, but not too much!
Hi friend… life races by. i stumbled on this portfolio of pictures and thought… my friend ichabod will appreciate these.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16536699@N07/sets/72157622905229717/
i still mingle with many who have lost hope…. with expectations of sharing mine in real ways. today i gave cash to the bearded lady, so she could buy cigarillos. it takes very little to enhance the life of a homeless.
continue to be real, my friend.
archie
Much like hunting or fishing, gardening reconnects us with the land at a very basic level, feeding and clothing ourselves and our loved ones and making our shelter better and more comfortable.
It centers the spirit and clears the mind of the dross that normally ends up coating it.
The first notable snow of this dry winter is falling.
Inside, a bowl of young lettuce plants bask under a plant light.
Soon it will be time to work in the garden for a few hours each day.
I know where you’re coming from, even though I live in an appartment I love my collection of plants and small trees.. when I visit my parents I enjoy helping out in the garden.. these perfect examples of nature are priceless and I find I’m quite sad if any die.. of course they do sometimes.. that is in itself a fact of life..