Eighth notes and it begins peace and joy through music

THE MUSIC IN MY HEAD

Eights were wild.  It was  July 8–1968–and I strolled from Carson Perry Scott down Jefferson street where where  my Grandmother had given me a quarter to spend at the dime store a couple blocks down and on the other side of the street.  A quarter went a long way at the dime store in those days, however, today that quarter, a special birthday bonus wasn’t going to get a soda pop and three candy bars, it was headed not across the street but down one block further on the same side to the cash register of Sutter drug.  In a display case with a few items like electric razors, new Wes clock alarms, tthere sat my salvation.  For $2.59 sat the sleek plastic and silver GE pocket transistor radio.  Oh you say...8’s were wild?  With tax of 3 cents on the dollar increasing to the full 3 cents from 59 cents and up...although some. Stores would go all the way to 60–the full price was $2.68!!!  (Battery included.  

...and there it began—you see this small golden portal to the. World came with a tiny ear piece that made it possible for the listener to  have a private concert.  So, Walking a couple of blocks away from the there I sat on the corner of 6th and Jefferson sliding the earphone into it’s spot and extending the little antenna about four inches.  I turned the little  wheel switch on and the volume up just a little and then started spinning the tuning  wheel till it hit right between 14 and 16 and the strong  clear voice of Paul Harvey’s News and Comment was.right there on KBUR about to tell me “the rest of the story.”  

I listened for a minute and then turned my. New prized  item off.  I was a small kid so I didn’t  have a pocket big enough to  hold this treasure, however,it had a cool carrying strap and that fit fine on my small wrist.  Houdini himself couldn’t have removed it on that fine day.  

KBUR had “the Trading Post” and “the Carriage Ride” and of course local news and sports and most importantly every week night at a few seconds after nine—THE TOP TEN.   Every single week night I could be  at the edge  of musical history as the station did it’s countdown and I could listen to each glorious moment.  

Now before then I had listened to  some records on  both my grandparents record player.  I had pressed 147 to hear my Grandma Ruths supposed favorite song as Winchester Cathedral blasted through the smoke and  chatter at the Iowa Tavern on Highway 99 across from Case.  In reality I think she just got a kick out of me singing. “A- DOH-DIO-DO” from the intro.  

This was different...this was mine and I could rule what came from it...well whatever  stations I could pull in.  

On that. Fine Monday night  Herb Albert  sans the Tiajuana  Brass) belted out “this Guy’s in Love With You at number one on the billboard chart.  It was a slow love ballad—not my favorite but it may as well been Gabriel playing his trumpet on the day of rapture.  

Now, I have owned a lot of electronic music devices since that Marvelous Monday and still own a few—but that one may always  be the best.  

Well.. that’s enough for one sitting...more tomorrow. On this thing called music and we’re  talking. Rock Opera to Led Zep and the songs we we weren’t allowed to play on the school juke box.  Oh and the day  them good old boys drover their Chevy to the levy singing this will be the day that I die. 

Moving and remodeling your peace and joy experiences

Moving and Remodeling Changes and Challenges for those Seeking Peace and Joy

The previous  entry  featured some  “never-heard” comments regarding moving.   There’s a need to add to. That list at least three Golden Rules of Thumb.... and then we’ll walk down the “home Improvement 

 Trail.

Golden Rules:

1. Never Move During a Pandemic.   Now that everyone knows one is that becomes a rule.  This will undoubtedly be the word of the year so call your Leo graph you bookie and get your wages in.
2. If you mark a box “fragile the chance of it getting  dropped increases  by 4% for every  step you must take with it.
3. The photos of your grand parents and great grandparents will be moved. While it is raining or snowing, but that photo  of your brother and his dog sharing a beer on the 4th of July in 1997 will be right on top of the  box you thought your health insurance card was in and will not get wet at all.  

On remodeling.....

As with moving it is important to understand the meaning of the language surrounding  this process.  So let’s start with  a bit of remodel speak or contractor speak.

when a contractor says...”We can rally open up this  space if we knock down that wall and drop in a skylight.”, what they mean to say is we’d like to tear up your house for at least two weeks more than you asked us to band we’ll find the wall the bathroom plumbing goes. Through for free and build you a ceiling that leaks.

You can put up all the plastic and drop cloths you’d like, but sawdust and plaster removal evidence is like ants at a picnic or like sand in unmentionable places after a long day at the beach—you’ll find it everywhere and be saying, “Iwonder how that got there and how long has it been there?  You will never find out “this is going to  take less time and cost us less than we ever imagined.”

remodeling like moving is a process of change and is totally worth the new possibilities  you hope to create.  Of course, some things are hard to predict, especially the future, however, the attempt to create a changed, healthier, and more engaging world. Is always worth the effort.  Unfortunately there is one common drawback  that comes from  every remodeling and moving  project—you don’t quite know where. Your crap is.  You will open a cabinet looking for Frosted  Flakes and find coffee cups and your garbage places will move like Star Trek characters when Scottie is hammered and “foolin’ with the bloody transporter again.”  

Here are some helpful hints to get you  through the awkward phase.  

Put a change jar. In all the places your stuff used to be—like say  waste baskets, hamp0ers, your extra toilet paper and every time you look for it there put a quarter in the jar saying thanks for the lesson.  

Don’t add to the. Number of things you own when you move or remodel.  Let’s say you had to buy a new. Refrigerator.  Don’t put the old one in the basement or garage unless you get rid of something of equivolant size like say those 2000 piece puzzles you’ve put aside for a rainy day, the monopoly game that is missing  5 property cards and all the 100 dollar bills and your nephew’s step mom who is constantly in the way.  

When you get something new take a picture of it.  Not openly is this great for insurance. Purposes, if you haven’t used in  two years at least  5 times—sell it, give it away, or my personal favorite find a fire pit and have a ceremonial burning  a couple times a year (or more often if needed and you have comfortable lawn chairs and a full cooler).  Things do not generally. Hold  memories, people do, with the  possible exception of that purple top hat you bought for your friend’s. Celebration of life.  

How long does it take for your new space to seem  finished, and become a source of peace and joy?  Hard to say, but however long it takes let it take that long remembering that once you learn to walk you’ll probably forget that technique  you used to roll around your  playroom.  

Enjoy your new spaces and embrace any  emotional changes that come from them.  Will some moves and revamps prove to be a disaster?  Who remembers the new Coke, lawn darts/Jarts? And horses as the primary mode of transportation?  

I promised some  posts on music and my  bonding with it a couple weeks back, so get out your tambourine or juice harp..or kazoo...

More soon.

Peace and joy steps to a successful moving experience

THEY SAY MISERY LOVES COMPANY SO WELCOME TO MY RANT

Unless you live in the house where you were. Born and have always lived there you’ve had the experience of moving.  People move for a lot of reasons and chances are whenever two or more of us move together there is going to be drama and anxiety.  As a public service attempting to bring some peace and joy into the  whole  process, I’ve put together. A list of lthoughts to laugh at because no matter how  perfect your new place or  maybe not so much, you will need a smile or two.

When You are Looking at Possible Places...

1. Pay attention to the stairs or stepps.  Due to  natural changes in the landscape almost everywhere steps become uneven over time.  Then when they are replaced they may be level, however there is almost always one step that is taller or shorter than the. Rest.  Once you get used to it  you will only trip on it about once a mont, but in the moving Process you’ll notice it EVERY SINGLE TIME!!
2. When you look at new  spots we imagine where the  things we have will fit in the new place.  We all do this however one of the universal rules of moving is that  YOUR STUFF NEVER FITS IN THE NEW  PLACE EVEN IF YOU’VE MEASURED IT.
3. The day  or days you can move will coincide with something you had scheduled for a long time so if you decide to move count on that
5. . 

 Things You. Will Hear While Moving and Things You will Not!

Has anyone seen  my toothbrush?

Before we do this again let’s go. Out and buy two or three  more rooms worth of stuff after all we have a larger garage here.

Everyone, grab a pillow and those marshmallows , I’ve got this hide-a-bed sectionals.  

So What’s wrong with using our pet snake as a bunny chord?

Quick hand me that Piano (thank George Carlin for that one). 

How many kids do we have again?  I left my whiskey. At the old place—is it worth going back for?  

Anyway... once you get moved take a few moments each day for a week and. Look for your tranquil or energizing spots in the new place.  Notice where people gather, and try not to run out of  toilet paper because  nobody else knows where it is either.

Opportunity Often Comes DISGUISED  WHEN UPREDICTED CHANGE MEETS CURIOUS PROBLEM SOLVERS.... 

Yes it’s time for me to “get the move on.”  

Is this Oz

Hey Toto....We’re not in Kansas anymore” 

Well much like  the mythical spinning house in Oz, many of our lives are about to land in some uncharted  territory.  So we have some choices.  We could act like the witch who got flattened and lost her Ruby slippers.  We could act like the Wicked Witch of the West who, from all. Things that  seem apparent didn’t have it too bad until she got greedy and went to  the store and bought up all the toilet paper and bread because she wanted  ultimate control over everything including the ruby slippers, or you can become aware and simply follow the yelllow brick road to peace and joy.  Dorothy had to accept a new environment, see the skills in each of her new friends, and solve the  challenges as they unfolded.  Are we going to be able to click our heels and return  home after the changes that will come?  Maybe not, however remember that the time in OZ was in color while the rest of the time was a black and white existence.  

I’m keeping this short today because I’m moving and I want to soak in the changes l as they move forward instead of sprinting  through and  getting anxious.  Anyway... the answers to my three questions from yesterday...

Yes. i knew that St. Patrick was  from Wales originally so no matter  where you are from you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and everyday.  

 I smile at about 3 people a day...but I hope I make  25 or 30 smile each day.  I would like to hear acoustic. Guitar first thing so I’d better record some and make it my alarm or play it when I first wake up.

Three more. Quback with three more questions tomorrow and some insights on moving, remodeling, and reconstructing after this little viral opportunity.

Help each other stay connected at a distance.

Here are some  questions to ponder...

Who are you going to  help or check on tomorrow?

Spring is coming... what  is do wish  the passage of time made new in or life rather than older?

What is. The smell you identify  with  your hometown?

y

Lean into uncertainty

WHAT’S THIS WORLD COMING TO?

 if it feels like you are in the battle for everything Because of so much uncertainty power up with curiosity 

Several years ago a group named. “Five For Fighting” had a hit album titled “The Battle for Everything”.”  The group was really just a really good vocalist with his piano and  the two biggest. Hits were  100 years which was on that CD and Superman which was a movie/tv show theme.  There’s some good music on the CD if you are into being curious and looking at things from  an alternative  point of view (hint perhaps the author of this blog is..LOL)

So here’s the thing.... around the world and  here in the US we are in  a whirlpool of  uncertain health matters that have the probable   Impact of an economic earthquake, and many people are  experiencing an emotional twister that makes the Grand Canyon  look like a  crack in the ground.    Okay you say...I’m going overboard—I say NO!!!!

If we’ve ever had a chance for becoming curious about about how we allocate public resources, private generosity, and most important  our collective and individual time— now is that chance.  We have a beautiful opportunity to  do some social experimentation. On how to  care for communities rather than individuals.  We have  a perspective on the interweaving of our workforce/government/ creative problem solving, and logistics efforts as a country and a planet.  No one  is likely to worry about their fellow citizen if that  citizen is asking what needs to change instead of  do you think it’s time for a change?  As things break, we are going to learn what we take for granted, which of our system are Most resilient  and which ones have outlived their utility.  As Yogi Berrra says you can learn a lot just by looking at something” —and this is our chance to  use our curious minds to look at may things.  We don’t need to be asking “are things going to change. After this?’  The question is  how are things going to change and who is going to  be at the table with courage and curiousity fueled ideas?  Who is going to struggle with fear and try to claim nothing  needs to change?  

So I was walking through the store today—-yesterday there was toilet paper!  However, no potatoes and no bread.... So what to do?  Seems to me tortillas can.be the bread element and so we bought some of those and  if you want buns?  Well frozen biscuits of course!   So you have to cut them in half...oh well.  Plenty of Cake mixes on the shelf and as a former. Leader in France once. Said after hearing the peasants  complain  about not have. Bread...”let them eat cake!”  The point is...it only takes a few minutes to release. Your mind and you can find all types a of “bread” at the store.  Pancakes—they are bread.... Waffles (another form of pancakes just designed to hold more syrup...they are bread... so if you have mix for these things you have bread!  

In summary we have sone great opportunities to learn a lot about ourselves (more so if we don’t have to take time  assigning  blame to  people for how things got to be this way) and We have a marvelous chance to experiment  in all areas including our kitchen.  

This whole situation reminds me of the old comedy lines...This is no time to panic?  No this is the perfect time to panic!—However... this is also the perfect time to become ultra curious... this is the time to unleash  your creativity and let curiousity blow holes in any walls of ear..... 

People are wondering if and when things will return  to “normaL?”   Perhaps it is time time to ask the. Question does peace and joy depend upon or bloom in the soil of “normal?  Can we step outside the lines and  see what may be possible?  

Now when some of us feel  the most vulnerable, it is time for the leaders inside us and amongst us to be strong with our  curiosity—provide  an abundance of  community caring to serve as an example of  getting connected while staying physically apart.  

You have spent  enough time on reading this today so it’s time for some action... 

Find three questions. In. The universe and seek the. Answers and share them with someone else. Today.... I’ll be doing the same.

My Questions—-

1. How many people know that St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish?  
2. How many people do you  smile at every day?
3. What’s the first sound you would like to hear in the morning?

You’ll have my answers. Tomorrow..

Be a soldier of curiosity  In the army of Change!

Who is to blame? – An alternative answer

THE CREATION QUESTION

Okay—if you are looking for the single authoritative proof for creation according to Genesis or the Big Bang Evolution model, what follows doesn’t even crack the shell on which came first—the chicken or the egg?  It is an interesting  question and human beings seem to need to know from whence (don’t you like that word whence?—we came.  However as I like to tell ancestry and 23 and me— I don’t need to spit in a tube to know who I am.  

So if this post isn’t about that—what is the creation  question featured here?

The creation question related to seeking peace and joy is—

HOW DO WE MOVE FROM WHOSE TO BLAME TO PROBLEM SOLVED?

Here’s  the pattern our. Society has adopted as the default.  Problem A exists or emerges.  So the first step is  to find out who benefits from making it known or defining the problem in one particular way or another.  Then once that has been controlled things move forward to “who is to blame for things  being this way?”  Of course the next step is confirming that those at fault cannot be trusted to solve the problem.  So those “not to blame” then choose whether. Or not anything.needs to or will change because  they have the upper hand on those to blame.  Before. They lose that advantage they propose some solution expected  to be applied and if those who were blamed don’t. Get 100% behind this solution they can still be blamed at least for some period of time.  If the problem persists  there will come a time when the question of. Blame get reviewed and maybe the “not my  fault” side loses out and then the cycle starts over again.  

So that’s. How the pattern looks most the time now and creation occurs in the “defining the problem so someone else is to blame phase—of the defining phase and less so in the possible solution phase because the problem has been stated in a restricted  and binary way most of the time.  

For me, peace and joy really doesn’t exist  in that model of. Things and here is where I try to go instead.  

Starting. With. A challenge exists.  When the river is rising does it really matter where it snowed upstream?  Only if  we can change. How the water flows everywhere in the river.  If we aren’t willing to attempt that  then  don’t worry about  where the water is coming from switch immediately to who has a boat or a raft or a house on stilts?  It takes energy to create solutions and the more that is spent on polarizing  definition processes and maintaining  those constraints, the less  energy. There is for creating  different  solutions that can be tested or reconstructed.  So first say yes there is a challenge.  Next. Go to what are two or three possible  acceptable solutions and maybe more than that?  This is where the creativity really needs to flow.  What solutions can work for the most people regardless of where they stand now?  Can we work on two or three solutions at once?  Are there some that can be worked on by. Most people?  Then  we are not  looking at who is to blame anymore, we are looking at who can we work with to  explore solutions and create them?   Many people  find peace in doing something about an issue and find joy in building solutions and I am one of those.  

Well... the last few posts have  highlighted. Some ways to reframe very real questions in a way that I feel impacts seeking  peace and joy.  Moving  from why me to why not, moving from how do I spend time to. Where do I use passion, and moving from who is to blame to what can be done and who  can do it? Are  all parts of the seeking. Peace and joy equation for me.  Doing this is not always  simple or as elegant as. E=mc-squared  (Happy Birthday Albert E), however attempting this seems to explore a lot, learn a lot, and do a lot and not to fear so much or hold on to  the past—two  things that  have very little peace and joy for many including me.  

Next topic?  Music and Me (and you). For now let’s get out there and infect each other  with hope, creativity,  caring, and commitment to community.

More Soon

Does saving time save your soul?

Do You Have the Time?

Quick question—What time is it?  Next question—how many chances each day do you. Get to know to the minute what time it is?  Since earlier this week we turned the clock forward an hour to keep our calendar.in synch with the forces that  spin our planet around and around, the whole notion of how much attention  we give to time.  So I’ve got time on my microwave and time on my stove.  The TV and my phone have all sorts of time indicators.  On my smart phone I can find out what time it is anywhere on the planet, determine how. Long it took to walk a mile, set a timer to tell me how long to boil water (or do other  cooking tasks.  My washer and dryer both have ways of setting how long  I want them to wash, rinse, and spin.  Nearly everyone I know can tell me when their birthday is, what year it is, and how long it takes. To get to dozens of. Locations near and far, however if they don’t know that last one their GPS can tell them.  

On top of that most of us work a set number of hours based upon salaries per/hr.  When  work or school isn’t going well enough we get lectured on time “management.”  I could go on and on and on, but you don’t have that kind of time.   Now  let’s stop a minute—really a minute?  Why say that ?  How about let’s stop until some perceived  future. Now becomes now?  Or  put more straight  forward let’s use the next few  moments (however long that is) to examine this whole time question in two different ways.

Experiencing Time

Have you ever  been in a car accident or witnessed one where  things seemed to move in slow motion?  Have you ever sat in a medical. Facility waiting room anywhere in the universe?  Is the time before your first child comes into the world the same as the time after that has happened?  Have you ever expressed a risky emotion and waited for the reaction of someone else?  How well does your microwave or smart phone account for that “time?”  If these time trackers don’t  seem relevant at those moments....wellmaybe we aren’t managing time so much as letting  an outside source dictate our values and actions.  In short does time manage/control us?  How often are we in a hurry because  we saw a clock not because  we wanted to rush through something. Or know exactly how long something seemed to take according to somebody including us?  

What  Are We Really Spending?  

What would happen if instead of keeping a calendar we started to track our experiences on an energy/passion grid instead of 24 hour. Blocks lined up in 28, 29, 30, 31, and 365 or 366 days?  Instead of asking. “How much time will this take?”, what if we asked how much energy  do I choose to give this thing I’m doing?  What’s my level of. Passion and focus need to be to  fully. Experience things  or help others do so?  What if we asked, “do I need to alter the amount of energy given to something rather than set aside  a certain amount of time.   What if we asked a child what are you learning today instead of the “how old are you?” Standard inquiry?  What if we did that with  each other?  What if instead of asking people to tell us about their  job or tell us where they work, we asked what two or three activities in life really. Increased their energy level?  In short,what if we were more concerned with energy enhancement and engagement  rather than categorizing  how people “spent” their time?  

To sum it all up seeking peace and joy for me is not a reflection of  controlled time spent in some linear fashion.  I choose to ask myself a couple times a day, “what really gave me energy instead of taking it. Away?”, or what was I doing when I lost track of time today?”  In keeping with changing the question as the other posts this week have. Focused on this is changing the question...how did I spend my time?” To “What  do I do to grow, use, and produce—-and then repeat?

Speaking of repeating... I have one more of these transforming questions posts and then my energy is going to be used  pondering about  my relationship with music for a few days and how that moves  my world toward peace and joy.... 

Until then...let time do what it does, but feel your energy move you toward peace and/or joy

  

Do we really need to worry about this?

What  Do We. Really Need to Worry about?

Let’s start with  this question.  If  there was something or anything you could do to stop or  slow down this nasty  virus would you do it?  

Second, do you know the serenity prayer?  If not, I’ll. Paraphrase — 

God/ultimate being/great spirit/(insert whatever wise and positive force. You wish here) give me the strength to change what I can.   Give me the courage to surrender what. I cannot.  Give me the wisdom to know the difference.”  

Well... can it really be that simple...yep.  

In  reality it comes down to  some simple ideas.  

If you  will do what you can then  don’t worry about doing it wrong or at the right time.  You will change what you do when you know for sure and only. You can know for sure when you know for sure...you have complete control over that.  —So no need to worry.

Now the things you cannot control you cannot control.  You can work toward accepting them however do you worry about  how tall you are?  Do you worry about. The fact. You like pizza?  Do you worry  about  the fact that when you drink a lot of liquids you often  need. To use th3 bathroom? In short if you don’t really have much control over something does  it really worry you? 

Now if you can have  enough faith in yourself to  change when things move from  what you can control to what you can’t, how much does knowing the difference at all times really matter?  

So a question most people are asking today is “should I be really worried about.....?”   Well my friends you are already worried because you are worried about. What you should or shouldn’t be worried about.  Well that  question is stepping right into the vicious  cycle and so today’s post is about encouraging you. To think and feel differently if possible.  

You see the challenge is not in the worrying or being right it is in the  changing as what becomes evident changes.  

So then the question to ask is what support do I need to  change?  This is a question that only you need to answer and there is no wrong answer.  The task becomes  who can help you think about these things and if the answer is   No one you are probably  underestimating. The abilities of others to help you in your thinking and then in your action. Processes.  

For example, the people act the gym probably  help you  stay motivated to work out.  The people at the AA meeting help each other not to surrender to alcohol etc... Before you  go to either. Of the same for the first time, do you know any of those people?  Just a  thought.    Now. Keep thinking forward...who  might. Benefit from your experiences or presence in their efforts to prepare for and execute  changes in their. Thoughts,  actions, beliefs etc... ?

So ...the previous post asks. Us to move from  “why me?” To “why not?”.   Today the experiment is can we move from “should I worry?”  To “how do I support change (mine or. Someone else’s)?”  

Should we worry—-no...should we think and feel—yes Then should we act—of course.  If we are wrong should we change?  Yes Can we help others. Not to worry by helping. Them to. Change  with us or  with our  support?  I  find peace and joy in  looking  at worry that way.  

This may have seemed like a circular route, but I’ll count on  the words in a graduation speech that gained much notoriety a few. Years ago.  In so many words it shared the following  bit of philosophy . 

“Don’t worry too much—or worry, but know that worrying  is about. As effective as chewing bubble gum to solve an algebra problem.”

From why me to why not?

FINDING THE QUESTIONS TO THE ANSWERS YOU  MIGHT HAVE

It’s been  said that  if you do the same things in the same way expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. On the  other hand, I sometimes wonder if we do the same things in the same ways to build a positive habit are we putting the building blocks for  al little insanity in place?  Maybe that’s why experimenting  with change is not a bad idea.   

So here’s  where this sort of leads.... We all have ways of thinking about problems/challenges and solving problems.  We often.develop patterns. Of behaviors when we are. In the company of certain. Groups of people and that works—-until it doesn’t and then what?   

Let’s  use an example that  could happen.   You are  two days away from pay day and  you are getting.ready for work.  Because you. Are in a hurry, you have decided that getting dressed quickly is your best  course of action.  You find your clothes and put them on.  You know your favorite socks to wear with this outfit are  in the dryer.  You open the dryer and find  one of the socks fairly easily, but as you all know there are  sock eating trolls built into all major  washer and dryer brands and the other sock is not  anywhere to be found.  You run to your dresser grab the second best pair and  put them on.  You are now a minute further behind.  You grab your shoes, jam them on your feet and start tying .  You’ve tied your shoes a bazillion  times so you start thinking about  heading out for work—until—-pulling the last rabbit ear and you hear a small  pop that signals the breaking of that shoe string.  Now you have to  either tie this string together somehow or find a different  footwear option.  You are getting a little frustrated.  You head out the door and head your  Volvo to work, when that little man carrying a gas can comes on dashboard fuel meter.  Luckily you make it to the Speedy Mart and  get enough gas to get through  the week, however, as you pull the nozzle  from your. Gas tank, a little left over fuel spills out right onto your freshly repaired shoes.  By the time you are climbing into the car you are asking yourself “why me?

Now maybe this exact sequence hasn’t happened to you, so substitute finding a small stain on your favorite shirt, spilling your “drive-through” coffee, getting a flat tire, or a toothache etc and bingo we’ve all had that day happen to us right?  

Now  of course Mr. Spoc would  tell you it was just a matter of chance that these things happened to you and that there was no conspiracy.  After all, we all lose socks in the dryer.  Reebok did not schedule that string to break at 7:42 AM on March 5th.  The gas pump wasn’t designed to spit out  an extra pint of gas on every 4th person who used pump 3 that day.  How2ever, this certainly seemed like bad karma.  

In seeking peace and joy “why me? Is not  a quesation you  want to focus on.  So here’s a little chant  I use to help move from that question to some other questions that  are more productive and uplifting to answer.  

Moving From Why Me to Why Not....

Here’s the  chant..

Why me. Why me 

I  never thought’d  this be

These things are not all possible

I don’t deserve. This don’t you see

But if unfortunate  things to me this day just has  brought

I need to  look real hard at what can happen —what cannot

For maybe  what’s. Now possible is changing quite a lot

So can I change my question from why me into why not?

Anyway I have some other  self-qquestions to address in the next  few days, however for now remember the  dark side usually has a light side...so when the world asks. Why me.. feel free to ask back why not.

More  Soon

Make like a tree and leave or grow toward peace and joy

GROWING TOWARD PEACE AND JOY

On the very edge of a small branch on a very  young tree I saw a little  greenish bud.  Yes it’s a sign of Spring, and if it was only a sign of  Spring that would be a symbol of the annual seasonal cycles we experience reminding us that we have a chance to  live through constant change and do so without  too much trauma.  Yet there is a bonus in the observation and that is what this post is all about.

What is a tree?

Is the seed that falls. To the ground or goes spinning through the  air inside one of those “helicopter droppings a tree?  Well maybe—because that is where the tree begins or is it where the tree ends?  Let’s just say it’s  the end of one tree and the beginning of another.   So is the seed the  most important  part of a tree...well sometimes it is.

Then  from the seed the roots spring forth and take hold and  start to connect with. The soil to gather  the building blocks the tree will need to grow.  The soil has those  goodies for. The tree because other trees have created shade so that. Water falling in the form of  rain or snow did not  evaporate too quickly to make the soil rich.  These roots will be the source  of food for the  tree until the leaves can convert sunlight into food for the. Tree maybe years from. Now.  The  roots  will be the foundation  for the tree, so are the roots the most important  part of a tree?

From the roots grow the trunk and the main branches.  These  become the structure that will  hold the leaves and eventually the fruit.  These parts of the tree carry  food from the soil into the tree and collect the food made by the. Leaves.  The trunk and the branches are the circulatory system that carry the liquids. Of life for the entire life of the tree and at some point in the. Life cycle of the tree these parts may be  cut down and used to. Build shelters and furniture, and provide heat for homes,, so are they the most important  part of the. Tree?

From the  branches emerge the leaves and the fruit.  The leaves provide  shade, turn the sun’s energy into  living matter and  help create oxygen that animals need to stay healthy.  Fruit contains the seeds that are needed for new trees and a load of things that animals of all. Sorts can use to stay alive.  Surely these are the most important parts of the tree?  

Okay...most of you probably know s what I’m going for here?....Right?  Well maybe—maybe not—read on and let’s find out.  Here are. Some things  this little green bud  brought into my awareness with regard to trees.  

It doesn’t make any sense to think about trees in terms of which of these parts  are the most important.  Comparing importance in terms of the tree doesn’t make much sense.  The important part is that  these parts all find their roles and do. Them for the entire tree and for the good of the Forrest and the environment.  It’s not important that the seed is not a branch or that the trunk.does not sprout fruit.   Maybe  wee can look at life experiences and learning in that same way.  Maybe the the things wee learn through good or bad experiences are the seeds from which our wisdom grows and these sprout to form the roots of new experiences (trees of meaning).  Maybe  from this foundation we form a trunk of values and have the courage to “branch out” to see how  we  might live those values in many ways not knowing which may  give us  fruit or exactly  when.  Maybe we can become the leaves of a tree and be a symbol of growth and a provider of  energy. For the members of our. Networks and community that form the  trunk and branches of the tree.  Finally maybe we are the fruits that feed things, fall off and start new things.  Maybe in different parts of our lives we. Are different parts of the tree and  maybe even different parts in different trees.  Part of being human (or a tree) is knowing the timing of when to play the needed part without having to be the most important part forever.  

In summary maybe we can look at the tree and see that change is going to happen and that every part. Played in that growth and change is important.   Maybe that will lead to a sense of peace when we understand we cannot or do not want to play every part all the time.  Maybe  we can understand that in parts of our lives we are  planting seeds so that other  people can. Grow from the roots we share and that they extend.  Maybe we can understand that the tree grows at its right pace when we do our part and therefore we can trust that we have value in our growth process and especially in the growth , learning, and bearing of fruit. In the experiences a of others.  finally maybe we  will stop  worrying about. Our importance or if we have the potential to be important.  Maybe when you see  a tree near you it will remind you that you are a valuable part of many environments and your obligation is to contribute not to compete.  When some of these things become evident maybe you can find some  peace and joy being who you are right now and  knowing that you too will grow how and when needed if you are aware of  your “tree ness.”  Well it’s time for me to “leave” for now