Is the sky the limit really?

 Staring Northward from my deck not from a palace

Mother Nature reveals kindness over malice 

The sky fills up with jewels

For princes queens and fools

This sight we call aurora Borealis

Live jazz sometimes

 

Some got stoned the others got drunk

So bored with the robotic junk

Horn swayed like an elephant’s trunk

While the sax master laid down some funk

Put to shame ancient disco and punk

The tensions from mid-day just shrunk

Went home chanted prayers like a monk

Mind at peace calmly slept in my bunk

Tired of Drinking the Kool-Aid? Is your glass half empty or half full?

 Who’s Tired of drinking the Kool-aid?

Worldwide we all have been drinking the Kool-Aid for almost a century.  It has been97 years since eddy Perkins from Hastings Nebraska invented the stuff by experimenting in his mother’s kitchen and somehow General Mills and now Kraft have been able to sell a colored, sort of flavored, powder that really only has somewhat of a taste due to the massive portion of sugar that gets added when you make it or in the case of “sugar-free” the amount of artificial sweeteners in the stuff.  While it generally has a great reputation among parents because it’s cheaper and marginally better than. Straight up pop for kids has been used in one of the largest mass cult based “suicides?” In history.  So..maybe our thinking on Kool-Aid is divided?  

But moving from the drink to the phrase… it’s part of seeking peace and joy to ask oneself “am I comfortable with what I believe?”  Also we often ask “what about all the Kool-Aid I’ve been given over all the past experiences in life and is it time to stop just drinking the same stuff from the same sources?  Well that is certainly something to ponder and maybe we could start by mixing up some grape (my personal favorite) and pouring it in a glass… but wait  a full glass may have way too much sugar in it so let’s stop at about half a glass alright?

Oh No!! Now we fall into the classic  Is the glass half empty or half full puzzle?  Which brings us around to another insight into seeking peace and joy.  

Inevitably  we fall into this debte/argument because the answer depends upon your perspective.  Like whether you are an optimist or a pessimist.  Alas my friends.. the real question is “Why is it so important to hang on to this dualistic debate.  Isn’t it time to ask a few deeper questions—like what would it take to stop using our valuable time on such matters?  This whole debate gets settled or moved forward in no fewer than 4 ways.

First, why is it so hard to either fillthe. Glass up or empty it rather than starting an argument?  Second, Does it matter how much is in the glass if no one is going thirsty?  If you count air as a valuable substance on the planet—and most folks really wouldn’t do well without it—isn’t the glass always full or overflowing?  Finally, is the person or people in charge of choosing the glass creating a problem that might not exist with a little forethought?

Bottom line.. Kool-Aid tastes great if you like sugar and there are worse things for your health over time.. for example bacon is sugar free?  Oh and no big arguments seem to happen over Kool-aid because there are enough flavors for everyone and if the person next to you picks that black cherry instead.. well nobody gets all bent out of shape.  Also maybe we might start thinking about asking different questions  when it comes to the things we choose to argue about.  Maybe the glass is neither  half empty nor half full.  Maybe we need to figure out what is important to say is in the glass, how we are going to share what’s in there, and also maybe we could rethink what size glass we. Really need so that everyone has enough to drink?  

Sometimes fighting about the answers is not as worthwhile as finding some different questions? 

Winning at the derby May the horse be with you

 Life—Winning By A Nose?

Well it’s “Derby Day” and “Star Wars” Day.  So it would seem that all horses running in the 150th edition of the Kentucky derby should have been required to have a Star Wars themed name.  And we’re talking the original trilogy here not the cash grab prequels or hangers on just trying to milk the Milkyway for all it’s worth.  It’s hard to say what these Star Wars names would be—maybe Yoda Fastest Pony and Obi-wan a different race but not this one?Perhaps Leia bet down for the win?

Anyway, about 20 fine horses will be called to the gate and the bell will sound the crowd will cheering the most exciting two minutes in American sports will be underway.  

Now for those of us not that familiar with the sport of kings it’s good to know the Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the “triple crown.”  However, when one thinks of horses and legs four sort of comes to mind —right?  If a horse with three legs won now that would be a story.  Before we could all bet on everything including the over and under  on how many nose hairs Taylor Swift pulls before the third concert on every tour the Derby was by far the most popular betting event of the year and it makes sense.  

The Derby and Seeking Peace and Joy

You see it seems that everybody wants to have a horse in that race or a dog in that fight.  When we are working on something we want to get out of the gate fast, hit the ground running,  and stay on the fast track.  As things go along we really want to be hitting our stride and we most certainly want to be strong in the home stretch and no matter what we want to win even if it’s just by a nose.  Then again no matter who or what is entered most of the time the rats keep winning the rat race and maybe we can win even if we. Don’t finish first.  After all sometimes it’s just important to be in the right “place” and to “show” up. When others need you.  After all the jockeying for position and chasing each other’s tails it often seems like we wind up running in a circle, ending up with tiny bits of worthless paper, and end up with a bunch of racers a lot like u—tired and hoping to find a nice quiet field to rest in. 

Maybe the key to the whole thing is to understand that the horses don’t really care if they are in a race or what colors they have for a brand.  They don’t care who is scheming to win or lose depending upon how they perform. They appear just to get out there and be the best version of the creatures the universe intended without worrying about the horse next to them running a little faster.  Maybe we should just eat a few more carrots and apples and breathe deeply and fly like the wind.

Finally here’s some Peace and Joy Betting Advice…

So off to the track we all go

We arrive with a fistful of dough

Got great tips from my buddy 

But it rained track was muddy

So our picks didn’t win, place, or show

May the 4th be with you

May the force be with you 

And today.. 

May the horse be with you!