Desiderata

o placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

Perspective

I was sitting at an outdoor pub with a buddy the other day, and in walked a young couple with their dog. The dog had one leg that was being dragged along like a rubber attachment, and hobbling along on the other three. Rather skeptically, we began commenting on how cruel it was to drag the dog around like that, why don't they take it to the vet, etc. A few others were watching as well with mixed reviews. A self-proclaimed animal advocate, I felt very righteous in my belief they were being so cruel to this dog.

The couple sat across from us at a table in the next row -- think outdoor beer garden style pub, with many rows of picnic style tables with long bench seats. The dog jumped up on the bench seat without a hitch and began taking treats from the man's hand. The dog was rather energetic and quite friendly. Being a dog lover, I began interacting with the dog, who jumped down and came over to our table to check us out and introduce himself in true dog fashion.

I thought to myself, "Ok, he seems to be getting around pretty well, despite the three-legged thing plus one wobbly attachment."

"Hey there little guy!" I announced, while being greeted with a lick on the hand.

He then spins around and jumps back over to his table for more treats from his human. We began a conversation about the dog, and they told us how they rescued him as a pup, but had a dead nerve in his leg that prohibited him from using it, but he got around just fine despite it.

A little twinge of consciousness began swelling in the back of my head. I know where this is headed, and I already felt a little like a jerk.

They continued on about how they've seen the vet, but there's nothing they can do. They planned on having the leg amputated to alleviate the constant injury and infection that comes with having the leg dragged around like that.

Ok, I'm a really big jerk.

Meanwhile, the dog is just running around being a dog, concerned only with dog things and the non-stop supply of treats he was happily receiving. I really liked this dog and the cool people he was with.

My friend commented, "Man, that's a lesson in perception right there."

The whole scenario reminded me of an Annie Dillard essay I read in college about our preconceptions and seeing the world through filtered thoughts and vision. It went on about removing those filters and letting what you see in to you, seeing things for what they really are, instead of looking outward with projections of preconception, applying labels and already learned identities to catalog the world in our mental database. I highly recommend her readings if you interested in such things, especially "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek." They highly influence my own thoughts and writings.

Then it hit me. I was trying to put my preconceived notions on the world, instead of just being in the moment and taking it in and seeing it for what it was. I was projecting my preconceptions instead of receiving reality, and that is a closed off way to live. It certainly is no way to learn about the world around you. It makes you closed off, judgmental, and, well, a bit toxic.

The idea I am conveying is to stop labeling and identifying with preconception the next time you encounter something. You'll find, just like me, that it is quite likely not anything like you thought it to be. Stop for a minute and take the moment in. Learn their story. Learn of their successes and failures, then apply that to the reality of what you just experienced, good or bad. That is living in the moment. That is learning. That is living.

Living in Glass Houses: a New Perspective

So, I had this dream last night. In this dream, I had moved into a rather dated street-level studio in the middle of a rather hip location in the city. It was desperately in need of renovation, so not wanting to live in that ramshackle space, I decided to hire a friend (who I am friends with in real life, albeit very loosely, which I find odd) to tear the place down and renovate. We had a brief discussion, bouncing ideas back and forth, and he suggested I rebuild with glass walls. I was unsure, but it sounded like a pretty unique and cool idea. I've seen a lot of architecture lately with large panes of blue glass, sometimes encompassing entire walls, so I asked how much, and I gave him cash on the spot (yeah, right, but it's a dream.) He proceeded to build away.

Now at first, I was disturbed by all the noise and visuals of seeing everyone outside, hearing their noise, and having them looking back at me. I would go outside and complain about the auditory intrusion, proverbially casting stones from my glass house. Noise from pinball machines in some arcade across from me would loudly blare around my living room. It was all so overwhelming. I was wondering if it would get too hot in the summer with those glass panes amplifying the sun's heat, in what would essentially become a gigantic greenhouse.

Then I noticed bamboo shades all around the place in layers. Some the size of the exact tiny pane of glass that was tiled into larger panes along the wall. Others were layered over those, and covered larger areas, entirely covering several smaller panes behind. When I drew down the shades, I commented, "wow, it's not so bad in here now. I can see out a bit, and people can see there's life in here, but not specifically what's happening. It's semi-private." The outside noise and activity became less stark, and wasn't so bothersome. 

Then I noticed that one of the doors actually went to a legal office next door. I don't have any idea why a legal office, but it's a dream, maybe it's the troubles I've been involved with in my past. My bad side so to speak. God knows I have one. But I remember being in a state of semi-panic, fervently trying to fix that door, as it wouldn't lock, and people were wandering into my place trying to make copies and doing other day-to-day office activity. One particularly attractive office assistant, with straight brunette hair, beautiful eyes, and dressed in a warm grey wool skirt suit, wandered in, and looked around with a confused "Hmph." Unable to find a trash receptacle, she set down an empty plastic Ziploc bag on my dining table. Slightly annoyed at my private home being turned into a trash bin, I politely spoke.

"That's my dining table! You can't be in here! This is my place now." I said.

"Really?" said the assistant.

"Yeah, just bought the place and renovated it." I said with a hint of pride.

"It's nice." she said with a smile as she slowly turned around back into the office, taking her bag with her.

I looked at that broken lock some more, worried others would just walk in at will, especially if I wasn't around to guard the place. Then, realizing I couldn't fix it, I stopped worrying about it. I stopped trying to fix the door and just accepted it. I would let people know as they wandered in, as I had done with the assistant, and it would eventually stop. The blinds gave me privacy in any configuration I needed to create privacy and shade as I saw fit at any moment. The outside hustle-and-bustle wasn't so bad either. I can go out and join it, or open my blinds and let it in when I wanted to let it in. Suddenly, it was peaceful, and I loved my new place.

So I think the lesson I am putting out there is this. Open yourself up. Get rid of that old, musty space your soul is living in and build a glass house. Cast no stones. You can draw blinds to create some privacy where privacy is needed, but still stay open to the world around you. Accept your troubles. You can't hide from them or keep them out. All you can do is become one with them, and tell them, "No more."

Nihilism at It's Finest

What in the *&%$ is going on in this world? Really? Song lyrics? People are losing their minds. Forget motive, evidence and due process. Heck, forget constitutional civil rights. The police trail goes cold, so due to pressure to close cases we're now cutting every legal corner to get some prosecution numbers? I'm sure there's a bit more to this, but overall, I seriously can't take modern trends in thinking. We live in a world where Teen Mom gets glorified and made a millionaire (along with a blooming career in porn), and nobody learns the merits about educating themselves in college (heck, or even high school), or learning a valuable trade to intelligently contribute something worthwhile to society outside of its decline. Ain't nobody got time for that. Too busy poppin' bottles in tha' club. So much frustration. I think I need to revive this blog and start writing again. Maybe I can pop bottles like Hemingway.

Link again HERE.