Seeking peace and joy with one hot babe – Jonah Vark

 JOAN (JEHANNE) OF ARC-

SEEKING PEACE AND JOY WITH. “ONE. HOT  BABE”

So 101  years have passed since the Catholic  church  recognized  Joan of Arc as a great spiritual leader and yet some might say people of a certain gender  still struggle to get  seen as equals in that religion.  Oh  let’s take a deeper look however.... It was on this date in 1431 that this spiritual and military  leader was  burned at the stake for heresy.  Oh..not for matters of religion my friend but primarily because she dressed in male clothing. While serving in the military.  What?  She may have avoided this altogether had the King of France  who benefited greatly from her efforts would have backed her wardrobe.  Now  the 1430’s were slightly before the Age of Enlightenment where most males in high society dressed in silk stockings and wore quite opulent powdered wigs and ruffled shirts (Alice Cooper and Boy George would have envied these cats)... So it was 489 years between  her death and  her “sainthood.”  Now these folks really wanted to make sure  she couldn’t be remembered or honored in any physical way as they burned her—let’s count them—not once—not twice—but three times.  

So what’s the “seeking peace and joy angle? 

We can be pretty sure that JEHANNE didn’t figure on being a saint as some believe she didn’t even know her last name.  No one that knew her during her life  probably believed. She would be revered and honored  in this way.  

You see .. sometimes seeking peace and joy will mean that  a good deal of time will pass before some other folks might understand  your source for peace and joy.

The powers that be did not  back up her efforts even if it were in their  best interests.  Sometimes seeking peace will mean you will stand and say “wait a minute we need some rethinking and change” and people will  be more  interested in. The love of power than the power of love so “the authorities”  maybe Joan could have gone to. The battlefield with a Howitzer  under her hoop skirt yet then again maybe sometimes. We need to think about how best we can serve and our efforts will fall outside the conventional wisdom?  

Finally Joan saved the lives of many people by forming and executing her  strategy  and yet she didn’t come out ahead... sometimes seeking peace and joy will mean you create  peace or joy for others and in a twist of fate you will stumble across  more difficult circumstances.  

History will often vindicate or reveals  your efforts to help and support others —just hope you aren’t wearing a pair of Kingsford. Corduroys  or the wrong gender in a religion that  moves rather slowly.   

In short... be you  help others..don’t be afraid to seek peace and joy, yet know that immediate gratification/happiness isn’t  always the product you will experience.  

What will. People say. About  “(fill in the blank ) of (fill in your current location 600 years or so from now?  My avice— live for today and believe the rest will take care of itself.  ....eventuallye   

Build them or burn them the cascade bridge why is it Golden?

 WE’LL BURN THAT BRIDGE WHEN WE COME TO IT

Unfortunately in the past few years we have been far prouder of the bridges we are famous for burning than the ones we have built or are building.  So maybe seeking peace and joy gives us an opportunity to revisit the notion of bridges?  

Depending  upon  where you call  ground zero on the big blue marble there are probably a few bridges that seem significant  to each of us. For me... there’s the Blue Water Bridge which connects Port Huron withCanada and the Mighty Mac bridge which connects the Uppers with the trolls... and these are the current bridges however there are a few more that bring. Meaning to my experiences.   There  is London Bridge which apparently  is under the US infrastructure  plan as it. Is now and has been falling down. For as long as I can recall.  There is the Bridge. Over Troubled Waters that people have built for me and that I try to build for others.  Oh and there is always the Golden Gate Bridge the Brooklyn Bridge and that Bridge I can’t remember how to spell but these people  building it during WWII  can sure whistle a great song while marching...  T

These are all great bridges and great Bridge songs even though  thinking of them doesn’t alway leave you feelin’ groovy (you thought. I forgot didn’t you? Lol)

 The Bridges I think of most are the old MacArthur  Bridge  from Burlington to Gulfport and the bridge that holds the most meaning.of all... 

The Cascade Bridge.

The Cascade Bridge spans about  100 yards and was built  in 1896.  Now for a little over a decade this bridge has been shut down thus making it necessary for people to travel a long way between a couple  places in Burlington Iowa.  But what’s a mile or two in a car?  Well the meaning  of the bridge isn’t always in the  car or the horse and buggy that used it.  You see I could  be in my bed with the window slightly open  and from a mile or so away hear vehicles  cross the bridge in the night.  The bridge had a sound of people making an effort to get connected, stay connected, get home from the park, or escape to it.  Even as a teen it reminded me that people were making efforts  to stay. Connected with nature and with each other.  That sound reminded  me that sometimes working to make a more direct connection was very important.   Today’s social media allows a lot of options some of which  allow us clearer connections than we have had and some that allow vague connections.  It seems worth. The time to figure out  what bridges in our lives have which meanings and which bridges need work.  I had this crazy thought that as the money is being used to reopen the Cascade Bridge it might be fun to hire a left leaning bridge crew to work from one end and. A right-leaning crew  to work from the other end with the exception that the left leaning. Crew have a right leaning  leadership group and vise versa.  We could prove that we literally have the capacity  to build bridges  in spite of  certain other things if we can agree upon  the notion that being connected  is a benefit to all of us.  

Anyway  in summary bridges keep us connected and  let us know that we are not alone.  Bridges can be built from either side of a gap and there  is little doubt that both sides eventually genefit.  If we don’t put energy into keeping bridges strong they  might crumble...on the other hand when bridges are strong there is no limit to the impact (known and unknown) they might have.  

I am looking forward to  once again hearing the  Cascade Bridge  in the heat of a summer night and knowing I’m not alone and people still want to stay connected.... Peace.

80 candles for the vandals who stole the handles

 EIGHTY CANDLES FOR THE VANDALS WHO STOLE THE HANDLES

This blog should have appeared yesterday.... yet..the time it takes to dribble out the words of this was  otherwise preoccupied  with contemplation of “the most famous nine questions in song lyric history”. If you don’t know what these are walk outside and lick one finger...reside it  into. The air and you’ll discover  it doesn’t take  the weather man to know which way the wind blows.  If this  isn’t enough to clue you in on the nine questions  well this is a tough quiz and  all you can say to the theif is “there must be  some way out of here.”  Oh I can hear some of you thinking. “You’ve got a lot of nerve”  to abuse  these words for just this pile of thoughts.  Yes. But when you’ve got nothin’ you’ve got nothin’ to lose.  Oh and losers now may be llater to win?  Anyway. The nine most powerful questions in lyric history?  The answer my friend is...—well you take it from there...and if you aren’t of a certain age well don’t think twice..it’s alright.

Ok Bob Dylan is 80...quite possibly the most influential person in my music life—ok popular star wise—but  John and Jackson are within an eyelash—

Bob taught me that you didn’t have to have the best voice if your words were powerful and a bunch of other people followed him in that way like Neil Young and Tom Petty... If you can write or deliver songs with  power a few bent notes aren’t going to stop you.... oh and that’s where. Seeking Peace and Joy comes in.  

Blowin

 In the wind is like the soul song of seeking peace and joy or one of them....

It speaks of patience and justice and equality and listening and really  observing and understanding the human experience.  

For me I’ll just take the first three questions and  illustrate the peace and joy impact for me.. you do what you want with the rest...

How  many. Roads (or different paths) must I walk down before I discover  my current purpose?  (Or get called a man?

How many seas must the white dove sail....How many journeys must I take and restart and remain viable for before I reach my final port?  

How many times must I fight for something until I know that victory will not come  through battles but by doing something else.. when will battles. Be a second or third option and when can most of us lay down the bloody sword?

These are questions that cross my mind as I experience the world and make meaning of all the gifts I call experiences every day...  

So... Happy  Birthday Bob—you have made my search. More of an adventure  than I could have imagined I will always  pray that people will make it clear that the times are. A’ hanging and I will always hope that a certain  number of us will rise up and in the jingle jangle  morning come following you

Monster truck rally on peace and joy Sunday Sunday Sunday

 MONSTER TRUCK RALLY THIS SUNDAU\Y!! SUNDAY!!!  SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!!

So as Winter turns into Summer —sure we had Spring....those three days between frostbite and heat stroke...  Well anyway it seems that repair and construction projects for streets and highways should be up and cranking.  A review of the cost projections for what seems to be simple pavement work is shocking, however there is a reasonable alternative we can explore.  

Monster  Trucks!  Quit spending money on big cement trucks and don’t make human beings stand in the road while 18 wheelers carrying hogs rumble  by leaving gifts.  In fact don’t spend any more on roads at all....Just  provide a Monster Truck for  all eligible  drivers.  

Let’s Look at the promise of this automotive alternative.  

One of the most common traffic  problems in our country and in others is the “rush” hours and home commute traffic jam.   

Monster Trucks can either go off road  making the freeway 60 lanes wide if necessary and if this width isn’t enough the Monsters can just start rolling over the slower and broken down Kias.  

Speed? 

Some might worry that  Monster Trucks don’t have  much speed as they are generally  built with  only  a couple forward gears.  However...the assumption about speed is not warranted.  A Monster pushing methane  through a super high compression motor hit 60mph in a fraction  over three seconds.  

Uses Methane... It seems every mammal on the planet is a good source of Methane and if my diet is any indication supplies are nearly endless. 

Fuel Consumption—well that could be a bit of an issue  as their highest speed many of the trucks cruise at about 246 to 400 feet per gallon when doing tricks.  

One last  cool thing about Monsters... 

These days all the different models of trucks are built so that body parts can just be switched  so that it appears that two super-trucks are at the rally when actually one might be.   And that leads me to the peace and joy search letting Big Foot and The Gravedigger lead the way

Seeking peace and joy often means getting yourself engaged in forming the meanings of things and doing this leads down some pretty rough emotional and cognitive  paths.  Some of these paths are little more that a small mud strip through the woods and some  are 12-lane clover leafs through  a sqrawling suburb featuring  the outlet mall where you can get slightly flawed LlL. Bean cargo pants at a low low price.  

Anyway sometimes you are going to adopt the monster truck  attitude and slowly climb over the traffic that has you stuck little by little.  

Sometimes you’l have to go off the ramp and hope you will get high enouhg to reach your goals in seeking peace and joy...with a Monster Truck the record  ramp-assisted  jump reached a  height of 33 feet.  Yes.. a truck was three stories off the ground. 

Sometimes you will feel yourself a bit out of control  while seeking peace and joy...Well... Monster Trucks  are designed to land our their. Wheels regardless of  their path of tumbling nad speaking of tumbling. A few of these trucks  have landed  a double-back flip.  

In the end we are talking about adaptive  machines and seeking  peace and joy is a very lengthy chain of adaptive  experiences and reflected meanings.   So... every now and then strap on the big seat belt climb into thatMonster Tuck and just inch and crunch you way ahead... and you may see that. The 

CROWD GOES WILD!!!!

Snake Allie the straight scoop on a crooked street

 SNAKE ALLEY: THE STRAIGHT SCOOP ON A CROOKED STREET (the P&J Perspective)

So a good deal of research has been conducted over the last century or so regarding “the crookedest street in the world.”  Now of course word choice and order. Are important here.... You see a person could say Wall Street or Pennsylvania  Ave and this might be greeted with a nod of the head...that is if you are thinking about the street with the most crooks lurking around.  But NO!!!!

We’re talking architecture—geometry—distance traveled between point A and point B...

Few things have remained  constant in the world that date back to 1894–hell not much has stayed constant since 1984...but there is 6th St. between Columbia and Washington in Burlington, Iowa and it is  and remains the most crooked street in existence.  You can Google  this historic  little lane that tied in North Hill and the Downtown in a manner that horse-drawn carriages  could take the step hill to a bustling city.  Now, some rigs had a hard time going back up the hill so this street was deemed “one-way” for safety purposes.  When I was a kid—no not in horse-drawn carriage days...but not four score after those days  I counted among foolish accomplishments sledding down the sidewalk on Jefferson street  until gliding  along the curb all the way  from Burlington Junior college. To the Wonder Bread Bakery and Riding my 10 speed down and back up Snake Alley 3 times  without stoppping...why ?  Young and Dumb —enough said?  

So what I didn’t recognize when I was 15?  I didn’t understand that there was an important lesson  in those limestone and blue clay bricks... What lessons might I gained?

Well on the path of life and seeking peace and joy a straight line can’t be done... you must do a little weaving this way and that.  You can pretty much go in the direction you  think is best, however not being patient and following  what’s in front of you might be hazzasrdous.  Second, sometimes once you’ve gone down a road you can turn around and appreciate where you’ve come from, and yet, you can’t really expect to go back very often without upsetting  things a great deal.  

Finally others may imitate. Your path and journey even people in big cities like San Francisco and yet in the end your path will always be something special and like Snake Alley you can’t bring the whole world with you on the path...but those who share your experiences are important. Souls in your universe.  ....

As I said  I might have been better off had I known the lessons of Snake Alley—and then again I’ve met a lot of wonderful people on my crooked  journey and seen the world from a lot of interesting perspectives.  so if you get the chance... maybe you should head down your own Snake  Alley from time to time but remember. Those  skinny little 10 speed tires and those narrow little seats on those bikes won’t make for the most comfortable  ride... and then again sometimes getting from.here to there  can shake you up a bit and be a pain in your. Backside so to speak.... but for  my money...it’s worth every turn and Snake Alley is like that song telling me there is season...turn, turn turn

 

Fall from Grace? Dare to fly!

 MID-WEEK  MELODY?

So some weeks ago this blog featured the “chorus” for this song and as songs sometimes do the rest of the song took some time to come around.  Then  once the other words melted their way into something the chord progression Ifell apart so some experimenting was called for.  

Next  there was a thought about making this a piano song and for a heartbeat is was...and then nope...back to the six string version.  So now for the seeking peace and joy part....

Sometimes seeking peace and joy means exercising  some flexibility  and considering meanings outside the trapezoid— no “outside the box” assumes  too little change...

So this set of lyrics speaks about some things that seeking peace and joy might  include and while the song isn’t “finished”  it’s time to set it free for  the public.  

Here are the lyrics ... click the Play arrow below to hear the tune.... 

Coming. Later this week—The Monster Truck meets the Mystery of Peace and Joy  & 

The Legacy of Snake Alley...it’s not what you may Think 

Dare to Fly (the resilience Song) Lyrics by Jim Whalen

V1

You’ve got to have adventures before your story’s told

Learn to play old maid before you grow too old

Learn to play Gin Rummy  with or without Gin

You may not know where this winds up but you know where to begin

Pre-chorus

Right  Here Right. Now

Right Her Right Now

Chorus 

If you can learn. To laugh with a tear drop in your eye

Learn how to admit what most folks would deny

Learn to love and forgive without  knowing why

Then you can fall from Grace

And Still Dare to Fly..still dare to fly

V2 Know there will be waiting  at places  on the way

Understand that patience  is a price we all must pay

When it’s time to stand up  and give the wheel a spin

You can’t know where this winds up but you know where to begin

Pre- Chorus

Chorus

V3

If you reach for the ceiling that others just don’t see

And you keep believing  in the best we all can be

If you can stumble  often and get up once again

You won’t know how this ends up, but you’ll know where. To begin

Pre-chorus

Chorus 

Chorus.

https://youtu.be/AC_57sXyJlU

How to move up on the ladder?

 A PEACE AND JOY LOOK AT LADDERS

A couple. Month back this blog  discussed  how the corona  experience has disrupted  several career ladders and  how changes in the world of work will continue. To do that  at a faster pace as time moves forward(?)  Basically  there seems to be a high probability  that some ladders  within organizations will no longer have the expected number of rungs for people to climb and advance. In careers so if you are trying to measure your progress in those terms it will become very confusing and difficult.  If that’s how you prove your growth....well good luck.  

However, let’s say  you still trust the ladder idea as you want to make step by step progress.  Well if that provides the symbolic energy. Needed to confirm your decisions are getting you on the path toward your values...then so be it.  Then here are a couple of things to consider.  When we think of ladders and climbing  we often picture  ourselves —okay I picture myself— climbing up alone.  Seeking peace and joy  for me rarely  means a walk down a path by myself..... At the very least  it would be wise to think about climbing with. At least one other person  holding the ladder  steady.  It helps if that person  is paying attention and understands where you  might be headed and can move the ladder slightly if needed especially if you are climbing up to put out  a fire or to reach a book on a high shelf that is just a bit out of  place.  

The other image I have  regarding ladders is that  of a ladder leaning against a barrier or a wall.  In seeking peace and joy it seems you had better do some  reflecting on  the walls around you.  It’s so often we climb all the way to the top  of the ladder called success or happiness  just to realize our ladder was leaning  against the ladder of economic status and not community  improvement or family togetherness.  In short be prepared to cling a lot and be aware that your ladder. May not always be leaning against. The right wall.  

Okay I have this small step ladder in my living room  I might  dol well to figure out  why it’s there and what my next steps are...

More. Soon

Which is wizards in Kings all my

 FROM FALLING HOUSES TO FREEDOM IT’S A LONG AND WINDING ROAD

Okay calm down...it’s not my fault the house fell on your sister”  “I neither have the time.nor the crayons necessary to explain this to you” “what would you do with a brain if you had one?”  “You know OZ never did give something to the tin man that he didn’t didn’t already have”

These are all slightly snotty remarks I’ve used or thought this week as reflections of seeking peace and joy across history and culture have floated by.  

On the 12th history marked the 806th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta.  If you want a full description and the text of this fine document you can Google it or there are a few copies still floating  around.  Like  my high school year book from my sophomore  year there are words in the Magna Carta there are words that have  not been in common use for  quite some time so I’m not going to quote  it here.  It is sufficient to say that if you look really close at the Magna Carta you probably won’t see “I’m the first one to write in your crack” anywhere and yet you may see some things that seem out of place and comical today.  The point is... this document marks “western civilization’s” original statement of the rights of a group of persons other than the king or emperor.  Now this paperwork  did have some remarkable ideas in it about  civil rights and 806 years later we are still working on that.  Maybe by year 900 we will get. To a better place?   On the other hand  if we just look back to the founding of this  nation  in light of pre-Magna days you might appreciate the progress in human rights and civil liberties  we fight for and enjoy.  Also in the course of human history we might realize just how short the history of the United States is.  In seeking peace and joy it’s tempting to want to experience. The perfect world right away yet the universe has an entirely different  meaning for the term “right away.”  

The lesson? Time? Depends  upon your frame of reference and it is often possible to change that.  

So in addition to it being  Magna Carta week it’s also as of today, the 15th,  the birth day of the author of the Wizzard of OZ.  I’ll refer to him as Franky B... I, knowing  of some his opinions on humanity find it difficult to use his full given name.  I do respect parts of his ramble through Munchkin land.  Now  it does seem the Emerald City’s version of the WHO (Wizzard’s Health Organization)  might have worked together with the CDC  and issues clear “falling House in a tornado” guidance and thus we might have avoided an intractable disagreement  regarding foot ware ownership.  But. It’s complicated you know.  Short version of th “seeking. Peace. And joy in the land of oz/“. 

1. House falls onWitch which is sister of  another which and as is the case in many families somebody wants something before the corpse. Is even cold.
2. As often. Happens people outside the family get involved and really  complicate the situagtion and  have motives that do not appear to be congruent with  the family.  Lot’s of people are around to give the  main actors advice and they can’t keep their squeaky little voices out of the fray oh and will eventually tell somebody where to go —like “follow the yellow brick road.”  
3. There will be some lower level  snot who tries to play the gatekeeper or door man. And stop progress but after some badgering you can usually get  to a decisaion maker.  Now you will find out the decision maker had the power to fix things all along, however he had to give you the runaround first.  Eventually you will pick up on the false hope of this guy as after a while the fact that he is hiding behind a curtain of nonsense become evident.  
4. Finally you will wake up from your nightmare with a headache and surerounded by a support system you already  had.  
6. Okay in terms of seeking peace and joy?
8. The road  will lead you through some strange places and won’t be straight forward.  You will meet some strange people that will have some flaws, yet can be tremendous friends.  Sometimes  they will have gifts that they  have not yet recognized so it’s a good idea to look for the positive parts of everyone.  You will meet a few  folks who aren’t what they seem and some of the people who get in the way  of seeking  peace wand joy  are all wet and will indeed. Melt away.  It is usually  a good idea to include a certain amount of singing and dancing along the way. When seeking peace and joy and it never hurts too consult with the meanings found in the heavens from time to time to stay aware of  matters.  
9. Oh let’s see and watch out for winged-monkeys and don’t piss off the trees...you might find out they are a good thing for your survival......
11.  

The trip trilogy divorce and thank you

 THE FORCE WAS WITH ME-AND CAN BE WITH YOU—THE TRIP CONTINUES...

WELL... this more or less concludes the “Trip Back Trilogy”. Now there have been lot’s of trilogies in recent memory...or my recent memory... Back to the Future...not bad... Lord of the Rings—originally 6 books following  the Hobit—Hunger Games... and The Matrix—no need for the second and third and speaking of no need....Star Wars?  You see the original three movies were enough...well maybe. Not enough money, not enough merchandise, not enough in-home  sales?   AnywayI’m calling theStar Wars thing a trilogy because it suits my purposes here—mainly that I want to use the “force” as an acronym for the final part of my recent trip and some thoughts related to peace and joy and the seeking of it.  So buckle into your land speeder young Jedi...and let the”force” be with you.

So as always when leaving behind family and being aware that time takes no prisoners I say my “see you laters”—and good-byes and roll to the depot where the train is on time and headed North toward the city of big shoulders.  This nickname for Chicago makes me wonder  what tag lines might go with other cities if they were body parts?  California kinda looks like a “slightly  bent elbow and Michigan looks like a hand in a mitten and Florida....well this. Is a PG rated blog so maybe  this segment stops here.  

Anyway headed to Chicago and getting there on time I had some time to sit and think waiting. For the Blue Water Express?  In some ways my thoughts slid back and forth between the moment and days of yore and things that happened long ago in places far far away and reminded me that parts of my existence happen  in very different universes or at least strange separated galaxies.  

So as I’m sitting in the Union Station  and getting on the red cap cart to go to the train for the final part of my trip the cart driver says  hold on we’re going to hyperdrive...Now he’s weaving  a cart that is 3 feet wide through a space that is four feet wide, dark and has cement pillars in it so I’m thinking asteroid field...  and well we made it just fine so while exiting the millennium  golf cart I said thanks and “may be the force be with you.”   This guy smiles and says “gotta trust the power of the force” and snickers a bit.

So I climb aboard the train and start thinking about my “force”.  The Force I try to trust that will be with my always... and here is the sum of these reflections that were solidified on my journey ...to date.

F is for Friends... 

I have friends in all types of galaxies from my “home” town to the East and the Left Coast.  There are folks who read this and listen to the sister podcast who call 14 or 15 countries home... I consider  you “friends” in some odd sense so one thing that guides. Me and provides energy is the learning I get from and do with all of you...you are part of my force.

O is for Opportunities/Obbstacles.

Now a lot of self-help folks say we “should” consider obstacles opportunities,yet in my world obstacles  define decision points while opportunities are the product of solo and joint creative efforts.  Every day I stumble upon, look for, and sometimes act upon Opportunities to create communities and cultures.  That adds to the energy I contribute  to the force.

R is for Rigid

Somehow I have avoided the temptation and perhaps the need to become rigid.  Maybe it’s luck—maybe it’s comfort with ambiguity. What I have concluded is that if I have not become rigid by now it’s not going to happen and while “rigid ness” doesn’t add to the energy  in the force the dead ends that it promotes have rarely darkened my door and I’m grateful.

C is for Curiosity 

Being relentlessly curious has added much to my process of seeking peace and joy, my quest for questions, and my gusto for growth. I  have been guided to the stance that curiosity  and love  have more power than fear and hate where change is concerned and curiosity fuels action for me.

E is for Empathy

This trip placed a cavalcade  of characters and contexts before me and exposed a broad range of contexts where it became fruitful to expand empathy when possible.  Some people  along this and other journeys are stuck because they experience extreme empathy and overlook that this empathy cannot change the course of those who choose not to change.  There were some who just couldn’t extend a little more empathy... For me... I learned to monitor my empathy a little more closely and to be more forceful in reminding others that the power of love is more important than the love of power.  

Well... that was the trip... and with this post my blog will hit the 20,000  view/download mark...now that’s quite a trip for me...

Thanks to you all...I’m sure. Some of you have enjoyed reading  just about. As much as I have  enjoyed writing and yes

AS THE SAGA CONTINUES...

MAY THE FORCE  BE WITH YOU!

From off-Broadway to breadcrumbs thoughts about small town and the future

 BROADWAY, BAR ROOMS, AND BREAD CRUMBS

So we’ve revisited  the park and the lessons learned there, however other things emerged on the most recent trip to my old stomping grounds.  Where does that term come from?  Why did we do so much stomping  back then?  It seems that everybody had some stomping grounds...didn’t we dance, and skip, and jog, and hopscotch, and just plain walk in days of yore?  Heck I even remember a cartwheel or two.  

Okay then..On this visit I did some reflection  on places  I’d spent some time and visited some of them.  I did not stop by my elementary school/church or house/neighborhood in West Burlington on this trip, however it was on my mind.  Now my thoughts  were of “uptown” in WB where there was a bank a general store and grocery store a gas station a bar a drug store and a post office and... of course the criminal justice and public safety hub—or better known as the water tower where “Barney” Herald L.  Parked the cruser some of the time and where the noon whistle marked the days.  I’m pretty sure there was a new and used furniture. Place and a barber shop but one of our neighbors. Had a bowl and set of clippers so our hair stylist needs took place in their basement and that was fine.  

As I recall there were essentially  two or maybe three neighborhoods  in that little town.  More accurately there were two Catholic neighborhoods and some other people  who existed only on the margins of our consciousness..   

Anyway... I have a million memories about that small town, yet what came to mind is the irony of one of today’s concerns—privacy.  Now we think Google and Facebook track our activities and whereabouts?  Every one of the Catholic moms in that town could give a master class in tracking kids and passing that info  along the network immediately.  News traveled blocks in microseconds and if you were in trouble in school your whole neighborhood knew every detail before you were half way home.  When the streetlight came on you’d better be on the way home and everyone  knew what every porch light meant and which. Mom expected what response when she or he yelled.  Some kids could yell back “what” when hearing their mom, but others had to yell “coming” and better be on the run.  There were no global satellites, but you were being tracked 24/7.  So this concern we have about privacy...well a little late for some of us I’d say.  

By the way “Broadway” was the Main Street in that small town and I’m giving my regards to it right nowWe lived on Spring Street and the next Street. Over was Summer... then I guess they got tired of seasonal names.  

Now for the Bar Rooms ... I visited a couple while  in B-town  and of course there are some micro-brewery type places that aren’t bad and some bars that  have been there forever... I don’t really have a favorite but by and large the beer was cold and the drinks were healthy... so they met my standards.  I really noticed I can’t drink as much as I used to—then again nobody can.... 

finally...bread crumbs...

You know the old children’s tale where the kids leave bread crumbs so they can go back from where they came?  Well I realized that I hadn’t really put down many bread crumbs in some of the places I’ve been and couldn’t really ever go back even. If I wanted.  I wasn’t aware.  Now  I am and feel like seeking peace and joy may require  marking parts  of my journey for review and maybe revisiting.  Maybe I can bring some new meanings to these places and experiences if I take the time to build better relationships that can be connections to memories that haunt  or amuse me.  When I was young. And my heart was an open book so to speak I didn’t want to leave the crumbs wither for me to go back or to feed those  who might follow.  Well I missed some opportunities  to retrace and learn more so while I won’t live in the past I can learn.  From now on I will leave a few crumbs here and there.  

One last post about my trip ...coming tomorrow and then it’s back to the future. Doc. 

How to let it slide and other lessons from Crapo Park

 LET IT SLIDE—IT WILL BE OKAY

So there I was at the top of the slide -not just any slide the double slide at Crapo.... and since it had rained earlier the double-humped speed demon was not quite blazing.  That being the case it called for an empty Sterzing’s bag as a rocket booster.  Three, two, one—go!

The speed was magnificent, the thrill was complete and in seconds I was picking myself up out of the small puddle  at the bottom of the slide and ready to climb the steps for another take off.  And that my friends was the memory  that floated  through my mind  on my trip through the park recently.  I remembered the roller skating rink, the put put golf course, the various routes I logged hundreds of bicycle miles over and a slow roll through the centenary brought back other  ghosts.  But that trip down the slide... that’s where the lesson was... There was joy in letting go.  There may be a bit of discomfort at the end, but that didn’t spoil the trip.  There was an acceptance that the emotion of the slide would be temporary and there would be more climbing of steps soon, however in the moment when the air zipped. Past me there was no concern for the work and waiting to follow, there was only the moment of the slide and the bumps in the deal were anticipated so they were enjoyed.  Somehow I wish I would have known then what was to be learned.  

After all in seeking peace and joy won’t there always need to be some letting go?  Why  in life do we get upset when we have to pick ourselves up and start  again?  Isn’t the case that we so often must  take step after step to almost reach peace and joy and yet we need to let go of something to actually make it happen?  

Oh and like at the park there are many types of  slides.  We have all started straight down. A path and found it to be a curly-Q  journey where we can’t tell exactly where we are or where we might be next.  Then of course there  are other things in the park like the teeter-totter  where we try to keep moving and maintain some balance—sounds like life again—right?  Let’s not get started on the “monkey bars” where often  we bang our heads on iron bars trying to get to the top and then fall bruising ourself and knocking others down as we crash  into the ground.   Of course, let’s not forget the Merry-go-round all that needs to be said is  “automated customer service call?” 

Maybe the most important lesson  gained from my trip  back through the park was  the people  I had spent while making that trip.  Most of us were care-free and ready to let it slide down the slides and willing to wait our turn and were willing to share the secrets of going faster.  

My most recent  trip to the park was very meaningful as a reminder that life has lessons all the time if we are willing to be open.  

Well ... that was another part of my recent trip revisited... A couple more entries  are still on tap... 

If you ever get to Burlington take your kids to the park.  The slides  may not be the same... but your lessons await.... and make sure you find the spot where the guns are pointed at Illinois  just waiting to be brought to life in case the Gulfport Commies go on a rampage.  

Anyway more about the trip  coming soon.

Is the force with you or Mayer be

 MAY THE FORTH BE WITH US?

So depending upon when you are reading—yesterday, today, tomorrow, or some other day was or is “Star Wars” day.  If you are unfamiliar with Star Wars—the Movies—the saga—the merchandise—there is no way what follows makes any sense...or as Yoda says... makes  no sense to you it will.  

In so many ways Star Wars fits right in with seeking peace and joy as we search from within and in all that is around us  and attempt to find meanings that bring us in line with the fundamental forces of our universe...in my view... peace and joy.  Is there a dark side?  Fear and Hate.  When are we most powerful?  When we join with others to share positive thoughts and acts, when we believe that what we do can be bigger than our individual purposes, when we move beyond what  exists to explore what may be possible.  Also seeking peace and joy is an end in and of itself...you don’t try to seek—you seek so as Yoda reminds us “you seek or seek not” there is no try?  

So let the force be with you and more importantly listen to the light side of the force on May the 4th and on all days—

And now for the first part of my “trip trilogy”. Like Star Wars the rest of the adventures are pretty much added on just for money.  

Two weeks ago I rolled  on the train to a place  far far away- the place I spent my youth in a time long, long ago.  When  returning  to the places  I once roamed and built parts of the story I still live by it becomes possible to reflect and to determine which pars of the experiences I have really carried forward and which ones are no longer valuable to me or others  who provide the positive force I seek.  Clearly some  people are seeking the light side and some have fallen to the dark side and are trying to drag me there.  

So on my first night back my old guitar...the one  I leave there...my hometown light saber so to speak gets broken in a freak accidnet and that causes a disturbance in my universe.  On the second day there is rest. On the third day there is some exploring in the galaxy which is now downtown and a visit to the intergalactic  catina otherwise known as the casino.  I think most people enter the casino with a “new hope”  and sometimes  they win, however  many, many  more times there’s a win and then the “empire strikes back” and winnings disappear and the looks on the faces of people  show the anxiety and sadness  of watching  the wheels spinning without having  control over the consequences.  This is much like being guided by greed, jealousy, power, and a sense of want...as most people sitting there do not think about who they might help if they win.  So in many ways the players  have a hard time avoiding the lure of the dark side....and as a witness...it becomes a bit disturbing.  

Thus the forces of hope and the forces of greed come together. In the casino every single day and in seeking. Peace and joy I hope  folks walk out of the casino , take a breath, and recapture. Hope before they move ahead in their day.   

Well that’s enough of the story for today.... 

Tomorrow we will explore a “light side” day on my trip.... 

But before  I leave I want to invite you to listen to the next installment of my podcast.   It has  a Star Wars theme as it features the “Light Saber Academy”. This is local grou that teaches “saber battling skills and much more.  It helps people connect with their. Inner skills and bring a positive  frame of reference to their actions.  Am I saying Star Wars  followers have captured the force to make a positive  impact in our community’s culture—that’s exactly  what I’m saying Skywalke

If you are still reading this tomorrow...Obiwwan Kenobi  has taught you well.

r... 

Click on the link below to the podcast and look for the link all week.  

Thanks for reading...O