YES VIRGINIA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS ©

Please tell me that it is not so! Is it, as I heard twice today. Is all the anger that we are hearing of in the news, reading of in the newspapers, and seeing at the stores, not really a rail against the retailers for saying "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas?"  Is it, as a devout Christian told me today; Christians truly believe and are upset because “They, “the Jews,” are making money from the Christian holiday of Christmas?” Please tell me, is this the true cause for all this commotion? Do Christians believe that all merchants, manufacturers, and marketers are Jewish? Are only “they,” the Jews, profiting from and commercializing the birth of Christ? Are all those that express “Happy Holidays” condescending, criminal, or coddling the Christians; or is it only Jews that do these dastardly deeds?

Is it true that in this free market society, one considered “Judeo-Christian,” and one that I thought was accepting and inclusive of more than Christians, people no longer espouse the principles that this country was founded on? Are religious freedom, free enterprise, and free speech, now a reason for protest and picketing? Are these principles no longer, as we prefer and prosper from? If this is true, than I am very confused and concerned!

Please continue reading "YES VIRGINIA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS ©"

‘TIS THE SEASON . . . WHY, BECAUSE I LOVE YOU! ©

The words wielded were . . .
“Damn you!”
“F you!”
“You A!”
“Shove it up your . . .”
“How could you?”
“I will show you,” and why, because I love you!
“I’m done!”
“I do not care anymore!”
“I am moving on!”
“Leave me alone.” Ah, the sweet sounds of love.

Sung throughout this time of year are the words, “’Tis the season to be jolly.” Yet, is it not true that every season offers reason to be jolly? Would we not feel jolly and joyful when we share with our loved ones? Would we not suppose that expressions of care would bring us peace and serenity? Would we not think and believe that sharing would be the source of such sweet feelings? One would think this to be true, however, it seems that this season brings such stress to many. We may regress, feel filled with regrets, and find reason to be reactive [fearful and hurt], rather than active [expressing with love.] Months ago I experienced a conversation, persons expressing their love through pain, and I thought . . . “Why, because I love you?” Thus, I wrote . . .

Please continue reading "‘TIS THE SEASON . . . WHY, BECAUSE I LOVE YOU! ©"

THE BEGINNING . . . BULIMIA AND BECOMING ©

It began one evening, one cold winter evening in Wisconsin. She felt so empty and yet so full. The emptiness was for her future . . . and for her past, her present. Who was she? Where was she going in life? What of her relationships, past, present, and future? Did these fill her life with meaning and or fill her with fear. She was in her senior year at the University and knew that she had pursued a study that was not her passion, not her desired choice for a profession and yet, she intentionally had chosen this pursuit because the profession that was her truer passion would place her in a situation that was too scary to consider.

She was not competitive then and she still is not. She shuns and shies away from any such pursuit. The profession that she felt more passion for than the one she pursued was that of her parents. Thankfully, her parents never pushed her; they may have had no idea that she had not chosen her purest passion. For after all, she was passionate about learning. She loved all learning and so it appeared as though she was pursuing her passion, and she was. She was pursuing learning. Nonetheless, she knew and she felt empty. Beginning her senior year and knowing or believing that graduation was inevitable, she wondered, “What would she do?” “What would she become?” “Who is she?” and “What had she done?” Then there is the “Why?” of it all.

She had eaten too much, minutes and hours earlier. She was full, stuffed, and suffering. She needed to prepare for her evening class and yet she was so physically, or was it psychologically uncomfortable, in her clothes, in her commitment, and with her concerns. She did finally dress for the cold and drive to campus. She parked four blocks from her class and began walking the dark streets. She was destined to continue on this path, [or so it seemed.] Was this the path to class, to career, or was it the path to a calamity? Had she chosen this path, the one that she was creating? Had she consciously chosen this or that path?

She was not comfortable with all the feelings, the food in her now too full stomach, or was it that she was not comfortable with all the food that filled her thoughts. She stopped. She threw it up, the food. Yes, the action was voluntary. The stomach was not reacting to illness; throwing up the food was a totally conscious choice, a decision to eliminate what was bothering her, the feeling of fullness. Now, I ask, was she full of food, or full of fear, or both.
[Chapter One in a series]

THE USE OF, “YOU” . . . THE DISCIPLINES DIFFER, AS DO WE! ©

“Invest.” [Might this imply “you need to invest?”]?
“Try!” [Possibly, this implies “you need to try, or you need try this!].
“You must” . . . think, say, do, feel, or be as the speaker believes is right and correct.

What might these expressions arouse?
What might these statements stimulate?
How might these words alter the dynamics between the speaker and the person that these are said to?
Then there are these similar statements . . .

“You need to . . .”
“You should . . .”
“Might I suggest to you . . .?
“Have you thought to . . .?”
Were these words ever said to you? Did you truly believe that the words were said with love, care, concern, and compassion? Were these words intended as constructive criticism? Might you have convinced yourself that these were expressions of kindness, knowing, or wanting to believe that they were spoken by someone that you would imagine, loves you? Did these words create a connection between you and the person that passed these judgments? Did you sense the serenity of [mutual] understanding?

Possibly, when words such as these are said to you, you feel that the speaker is outside your mind, heart, body, soul, and spirit; they could not possibly know what is best for you, or why you choose as you do. Did they consider that you had thought of these possibilities prior to their sharing? Did they ask? Do they truly care or know of your thoughts, feelings, experiences, or did they simply state what they believe is best and therefore desirable [for them]?

Please continue reading "THE USE OF, “YOU” . . . THE DISCIPLINES DIFFER, AS DO WE! © "

ARE WE THEM . . . ARE WE MEETING OURSELVES IN THE MIRROR? ©

US AGAINST THEM, OR ARE WE THEM?
As we read of, hear of, speak of, and view the most recent fighting in Iraq, as we consider the reported conquest over the Iraqi insurgents in Fallejuah, might we also ask . . ?
How can we profess peace and then pounce, punitively?
Might we also ask: Are we fighting these persons in the name of freedom?
Is the falling of Fallejuah our folly or have we fixed what we consider a flawed system?
Are we fighting in the name of democracy, “of, by, and for the people,” and if so, which people?

Throughout my life, I am struck by how often we meet ourselves in the mirror. We meet our image, see our reflection, and yet we believe that our reflection is the reverse. We do not realize that we are as they are.

In the spring of 2004, I wrote a poem after, again, experiencing this possibility. I had participated in what was purported to be a peaceful protest. During this event, and during this past political season, there seemed to be numerous persons meeting themselves in the mirror and yet, not realizing this. Might this be titled, “WHEN WE ARE THEM,” or . . .
With the intention of provoking thought, might we ask . . ?
ARE WE THEM . . .
ARE WE MEETING OURSELVES IN THE MIRROR?

I wonder and ask . . .
Are we marching in the name of peace and love?
Are we marching to create greater awareness?
Are we marching to express our belief that . . .
“No one has the right to tell another what they should, think, say, do, feel, or be?”
Yet, when we march,
Are we indeed telling others what they “should, think, say, do, feel, or be?”

Are we marching to honor peace and love for all others equally?
Are we marching for choice?
Are we honoring the choice for all to think, say, do, feel, and be, as they believe is best [for them]?

I wonder and ask . . .
Are we asserting that any unilateral attacks, occupations, and aggressions are not healthy?
Are we addressing and acknowledging freedom, freedom of speech, choice, religion, and thought?
I wonder and ask what of our actions?

I wonder and ask. Is it them, or is it us that labels others, negates others, or denigrates others?
I wonder and ask. Is it them, or is it us that considers others as evil?
I wonder and ask. Is it them, or is it us that discriminates against others?
I wonder and ask. Is it them, or is it us that would wish to fight for what is right?
What is right? Is right truly synonymous with correct or is it only a sense of winning?

I wonder and ask . . .
They label us left, liberal, progressive, radical, revolutionary, agitator, propagandist, and . . .
We label them right, reactionary, conservative, dogmatic, rigid, arrogant, and propagandist.
They impose and force their beliefs on us in subtle and severe manners.
Do we impose and force our beliefs on them in subtle and severe manners?
I ask us to reflect upon our words, our actions, our reactions, and ourselves.

They unilaterally attack their enemies with weapons and words; they are aggressive.
We speak of peace and love and yet, let them question us . . .
Do we at times unilaterally attack them as though they are our enemies?
Do we wish to consider another as our enemy?
Do we attack with words wielding as weapons; are we aggressive?
Who among us acts aggressively, inciting, instigating, and intentionally inflaming?
Is it they or we?

Is it they or is it we, that assaults another and does this in the name of justice?
Is it they or is it we, confronting the other as though they are our adversary?
Is it they or is it we, wielding weapons of our choice?

They powerfully practice facilitating freedom through force.
They “Storm”, they “Shock” and they “Awe.”
They profess patriotism.
To protect; they create policy.
They dismiss civil rights in the name of security.
Through their speech they demand and then . . .
Do we defiantly demand, with expletives deleted?
Are we creating peace?
Do we love or are we too “storming,” “shocking,” and “awing”?

I wonder and ask . . .
Are we meeting ourselves in the mirror?
Do they have the power?
Are we the power?
What is the power?
“Power to the people!”
Is the power within and apparent through our actions?
Is power of, by, and for the people, and is the power within all people, equally?
“Equally,” I wonder of them and I wonder of us?
I wonder; will we get what we give, give what we get; are we meeting ourselves in the mirror?

I wonder and ask; believe as we might that we are insightful, independent, informed individuals . . .
Do they not believe the same of themselves?
Are we each the other’s reflection in reverse?
As insightful and informed individuals, I ask if we are truly independent.
Are we isolated, insulated, separate or solitary?
Do we effect no one and does no one effect us? Is this true?
My experience is that we are eternally exchanging, engaging, enticing, and effecting.
I wonder and ask; are we evolving when we mirror what we claim to disdain?
My hope is that we will choose to evolve together.