Choices

In this land of the fat and happy we have a veritable smorgasbord of choices laid bare for our perusal and discernment. Pickings might be a little slimmer these days for many in the good old USA, but nevertheless we remain one of the most affluent people’s on the planet.  Food, job, education, rulers, religion - any flavor under the sun you crave: choices - even where we opt to hang our hat remains a possibility limited only by our means and dreams. We pick and choose and roll with the consequences; ‘tis the American way. 

But what about the choices we don’t have? Those non-arbitrary dictates the universe has plopped unceremoniously in our lap, and with which we’re expected to simply deal with; what of them?

We’re all familiar with the adage about getting to choose our friends but not being able to choose our family. Let’s take that just a step further...

What choice did we have in even being born and joining the ranks of humanity? And what onus do we - and should we - recognize as a consequence of this unbidden gift the fates granted us? Philosophers have been gnawing on that bone since the birth of imagination, no doubt. Why am I here and what am I supposed to do? I don’t promise to grant the answer to this oldest of questions - but I do have some thoughts the sages may tacitly approve of, and don’t require a PHD in philosophy to grasp.

Firstly - none of us on this planet are consciously aware of our choice to be here - at least in the circles I run in. If there was a line at the reincarnation window while my consciousness was choosing a future home in the galactic buffet - I frankly don’t remember it.

Second - our physical selves are just individual, conscious bags of mostly fluid shaped by disproportionate measures of nature and nurture. Period. The myriad hues, shades and features that help us discern one another are just that:  markers that separate us from the rest of the herd —  but in no way establish a pecking order of worth or merit.

Third - and this one sticks in the craw of many - we all have a soul that transcends the limitations of these bags of multi-hued fluids; a consciousness that will prevail when the expiration date on this bag of juice eventually expires. If you can’t buy that, I recommend reading the hundreds of thousands of near death experiences penned over the centuries. If you’re too obtuse to acknowledge your own soul, then perhaps this blog isn’t for you - and I recommend you opt for a simpler existence the next time you’re standing in the reincarnation line; perhaps a few millennia as a rock might enlighten you to the magical wonders within.

But what do these simplistic fundamentals have to do with our purpose while we’re here?

When my daughter was born the universe didn’t give me a manual on how to coax her through adolescence onwards to adulthood. There were no Cliff’s notes on how to be a good daddy. I had all my innate, nature-nurture tools and my own experience to put to use as best I could; plus the fortunate sense to garner the wisdom and guidance of those around me in achieving the goal of raising her right. I’ve bumbled and stumbled - but she’s still kicking and thriving - in spite of my missteps.

Our dance with one another on the face of this planet is no different. We have the priceless treasure of a measureless collective of knowledge and wisdom right in front of our faces every day in the billions of souls surrounding us, and within the tomes of experience recorded by generations past.  The trick is getting beyond the unyielding doctrines and borders that woefully separate us from the benefits of collective wisdom; blinding us to the unlimited potentials of love, peace and a harmonious path of mutual benefice.

If we simplify our thoughts and recognize our kinship and equality - I believe our unified consciousness will lead us down paths of extraordinary opportunities we can only dream of - and it may open doors that afford us the recognition of others in this universe that tread similar rough and awkward paths on their way to better things.

I believe the growing pains of humanity will eventually pass - in spite of the choices we can and cannot make.  Choose wisely, friends - and embrace the open mind.

Stirrings of a Grand Spring

I love this time of year. Even here in the desert Southwest, crisp mornings are giving way to warmer sunrise’s, and the air is redolent with a thousand, colorful blooms that mock the desert chill, invigorating the spirit.

Spring has sprung, but not just any Spring. It’s Spring 2012.

To some, that simply means the countdown to doomsday is ticking away that much faster; but I’m of the optimistic ‘glass-half-full’ sect, fully believing we’re on the brink of  stupendous, world-changing opportunities.

When I still lived in the Missouri Ozarks and experienced a more pronounced changing of the seasons, I penned the following poem, titled ‘Stirrings’:

    Cool Mists of Transition descend from Above.
    A chilled cleansing of breath;
    Mother Nature's sweeping glove;
    Battalions of Geese bode the soon-budding blooms,
    Sleek Riders upon ancient waves,
    Rebuking Winter's gloom.
    With Soul-cleansing Vigor we suck in Spring's Promise,
    And breathe out Gracious Thanks,
    For the New Life upon us.
    One step in the Dance of our Orb 'round the Sun,
    A pin-prick of change 'midst the myriads spun;
    From Cosmos to Being in a wispy, cool, flash;
    Our substance of presence in the Panoply's Path.
    Our share in the Grandeur and Wonder of Being,
    Heartened in Spirit,
    By the Stirrings of Spring.

My prose means more to me these days in the context of global change and global consciousness than it does in a mere shifting of the seasons. Global signs and messages aren’t pointing towards armageddon, but instead towards a shift in human understanding and our place in the universe.

I look to the diligent research of my amazing friend Colin Andrews, who’s devoted the lion’s share of his life in making sense of the ever-evolving complexities of the substance and messages found within crop circles. He believes humanity to be on the cusp of a great shift that will avail itself this year, but not without cost. The price is not onerous - but elusive.

Another great friend, famed abductee Stan Romanek shares Colin’s view of this window of opportunity dawning upon us this year, but also with the same price.

Do I believe the fate of the world hinges solely upon the belief’s of a kindly English engineer and an American abductee?  Not entirely, but in a nutshell — Yes.

The price-tag for our progress as a species?  Unity.

I’m not banging a New-Age drum - far from it.  Nor am I naive enough to believe all humanity can unite beyond their apparent differences and the negative connotation’s man-made borders have created. 

One person at a time.

One positive thought at a time.

Just one person believing we’re all human - that we’re all related, and we’re all in this together can create the impetus needed to guide us beyond the need for war and strife, instead embracing love, peace and a semblance of harmony.

One turns to two. Two turns to four. And four can turn into infinity - if we defy fear and negative thinking and willingly embrace change and progress.

I’m no prophet and I’m not espousing anything you don’t already know.

I do know the onus of change rests squarely upon all of our shoulders, and I believe great things await us if we only give goodness a chance.

Relish the Spring - and dream of greater things to come.