a new path

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as i've been perusing Facebook these past months Mike Carpenter keeps coming to mind - always chillin', always Zen in thought, always observant of the ordinary and elevating that ordinary thing to something more.

and then i look at my rant and raves on this site and on Facebook and i realize i've missed the mark. instead of doing good, i've concentrated on the banal, the superficial and the things i cannot change.

i've also realized that the things that polarize us into our little communities, those things that set up the fences to keep our tribe in and the others out, to foster hatred and mistrust of others not like us is exactly what i've been doing.

it is not a good thing, it is not helpful to the earth i live on and the universe.

i've determined in the sorry ass state of affairs in our world that there are too many of them - those who want to control your life and demand you follow what they believe, think like them, act like them. and if you don't, you are vilified, made fun of and hounded into submission.

i have become one of them. it is wrong, it is unkind and it is unnecessary. being "right" politically, spiritually or morally is too subjective for any person to decide their way is "the one true way" and all others are wrong.

i no longer wish to be engage or be ...a part of their universe. therefore, i shall not.

i have lacked compassion and not been mindful.

it is the beginning of spring. slowly but steadily the earth is renewing itself. so shall i.

it the time i have left i am turning a new leaf. no longer will there be rants and screeds and amazement at the actions of a world gone haywire.

for too long we have lived as adversaries. we spend more time fighting, posturing and arguing that time trying to solve the problems we face together.

if we are so full of and believing in the faith of our choosing, why do we as a world continue to ignore those very words and concepts when e want our way.

we now use faith and religion as a club against those who don't believe our way? Not a Christian, let us save you. Not our brand of Christianity? let us convert you. Refuse to follow our path? let us destroy you.

the same holds true for social and political beliefs. the name of the game is conquer and destroy.

it seems many of us secretly want Orwell's 1984. we want everyone to be like us, believe like us and act just like us.

Tolerance is evaporating like a shot glass of water in the dessert.

the phrase "live and let live" is no longer operative. it has turned to "live like me or be destroyed".

around the world millions die from lack of food, medicine, clean water and the unrelenting desire of some to conquer and eliminate those found not to be worthy of life. Whether it's Tibet, Darfur, Somalia, Croatia or the US, the drive to eliminate grows stronger every day.

we have lost basic human decency, the compassion to help our fellow man because he or she needs help. there is no litmus test for compassion or human decency. both are always the right thing to do every single day.

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."

- Dalai Lama

somewhere along the line, I, like so many others, stopped being kind and started, in my case, being a smartass with a quick line to wound and put down.  i forgot to be kind.
helping the poor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and healing the sick are always the right thing to do. most religious texts and dogmas say so. basic human kindness has given way to basic human greed and fear.

there is no, nor should there be a litmus test for compassion. yet we continually put up conditions prior to offering help to the helpless. or, governments can't act because those in power continue to push, not for speedy resolution to hunger and sickness and the humiliation of poverty, but gum up the works by not doing what's best, but doing what's politically advantageous. the stalemate ensues and nothing is accomplished.

being compassionate and helping our fellow man is so simple. yet the powers of the world would rather argue semantics than do the right thing. that is the saddest part of our world. we see a world starving for help and we refuse to jump in the pit with them and help. we'd rather sit up top and talk about their condition.

Actually doing something doesn't seem to be an option on the table.

the age of instant everything has brought us to a point where information is transmitted, twisted and chopped up to be used to support every and any position.

truth no longer exists as an absolute - it has become whatever you wish to believe.

Buddhist teacher Pema Chodron says it best:

"The truth you believe and cling to makes you unavailable to hear anything new."

all you have to do is watch world leaders, dictators and wanna be leaders to realize how true that statement is.

So our world goes. One only has to listen to the healthcare debate last week to realize everyone has their position and have no concern other than to pound their wishes, their demands into the ground and not consider the other persons point of view.

meanwhile, people get sick, people can't get medical care, cant get treated for disease and die in the richest, most medically advanced country in the world.

why?

Sadly, this same type of meeting happens all over the world every day. In Haiti there were arguments about how to save people and take care of them. the arguments went on and on - people suffered and died.

when you're more concerned about your own tree, it's impossible to see which forest you're in.

we are all hugging our own trees.

it's time to step back and see the forest.

that's my plan.

"Being religious means asking passionately the question of the meaning of our existence and being willing to receive answers, even if the answers hurt." - Paul Tillich

my answers hurt. so today i choose to face the pain and take a different path. as Thoreau wrote:

"Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence."

and now, onward.

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