Ideas Are Good…

Posts Tagged ‘religion’

After the holidays, I was set on getting out there and looking for freelance work. I had a plan, prospects, appointments, a checklist and a mental picture of everything I was going to do in order to start the year on the best possible foot. I worked myself up for this task and then tragedy struck. I had to go to a funeral. Not a lot of time when you think about it, but a mentally derailing circumstance to say the least.

I had to go. One of my dearest friends lost his Mother from this earth unexpectedly. Standing out there in the cold doing what I could to comfort his father while his sons eulogized their Mother, my mind went to how many funerals I had missed over the years while “working”. How many times loved ones could have used an extra person to support them in their time of grief?

Standing out in the brisk cold was fitting for a funeral for such an interesting woman. I didn’t know her that well, but I bet she would have liked the idea. It was a reminder that the discomfort in life is proof that we are alive and breathing. Sometimes, the things we don’t like can remind us that grief and hope walk together hand and hand. It was surreal as I watched a glisten of moisture dance on the tip of the speaking Rabbi’s nose. The diverse collection of people gathered there shivering to remember her life, all very much alive and not fully aware of that miracle.

My friend and his family were amazingly gracious and did so much to comfort those that were there to comfort them, that I was moved to tears. Not for the passing of their Mother, but for the void they must feel in their lives at this time. I learned a lot about Jewish tradition and had to call my own Mother when I got home.

No matter how bad I have to work, it must wait when these times come. I will never miss another chance to pay my respects and support my loved ones. Never. I love you Ian and I thank your Mother for putting my New Year in crystal clear perspective. She will be missed.

I remember you too:
Spurgen (Chris) Tony
Alfred Garr II
Melvin Fletcher
Aaron D. Gautier
Walisi “hey” Jablonski
Betty Haines
Jerry Man
…to name just a few.

FEAR STINKS!
Let there be no issuance of judgment upon the observation that people who are afraid are found behind the vale of “belief”. And with that, there is paradox for not the fearful believe in anything. Truth is far greater a burden then is fear. Observe the emotions that emerge to protect the ego. Can I get an Amen? Fear pervades truth in actions of the human mind because of our relationship with the past and lack thereof of the future. What does that mean? It means, if one sees no way, there is none. It means organizations built around beliefs of miracles ultimately fall to illusions of perception because the eternal has no need for money, resources, charts and protocol. The shrine is in one’s attitude towards things not understood and uncertain for God provides all that is needed when necessary and without prompting. Organizations become parodies when limits emerge and comfort is established. Miracles are at hand and the “faithful” see them the least. If anyone believes in the unseen force that binds creation together, then precious few trust it.

I had to revise this post because my intentions were not clear. Please re-read!
I know satanist (yeah, really) that are happier and more respectful toward others than many of my Christian friends. I see deeply religious folks sitting around condemning others while their own lives are in turmoil. I hear leaders using words like hate when expressing their feelings for others that do not share their beliefs. I know of gay folks without porn or drug addictions. And I know one time drug addicts and strippers that are loving parents and teachers. I also know of people with plenty who don’t give a damn about sharing and I know people with nothing, giving all they have for others.

What is the point to this post? It’s all true. It’s all real. It’s all going on. But not everything is perfect. Not everything is plain. Not everything is clear-cut and laid out in simple ways we can understand. It bothers us that we do not understand why people do what they do. We tend to look at things as “outcomes” rather than “processes”. But the truth is that most of being human makes no sense at all. We are figuring it out as we go, all of us. If you think you understand the world and how it works you are truly a fool. If you think the story has been told, than there is no wonder you feel like you need to control everything. If you have wrapped your life around an ideal, than be prepared to have it shaken. Discovery is the way of real genius and we are at the edge of the next stage of human evolution, an unfolding story without end. As long as there is consciousness, there will be life. These words of George Carlin is what we have built for ourselves with the knowledge for comfort without the desire for wisdom. But this is all about to change, mark my words.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less .

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.

George Carlin
Rest In Peace