shawnjacksonsbs
shawnjacksonsbs
Life as seen through the eyes of Shawn Jackson.
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The 2nd one-
Shawn is:
Impatiently waiting for brotherhood in greater numbers than the world has ever known. 4-27-24
"Six months after Elizabeth had become pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee. The angel went to a virgin promised in marriage to a descendant of David named Joseph. The virgin’s name was Mary.
When the angel entered her home, he greeted her and said, “You are favored by the Lord! The Lord is with you.”
She was startled by what the angel said and tried to figure out what this greeting meant.
The angel told her,
“Don’t be afraid, Mary. You have found favor [a] with God.
You will become pregnant, give birth to a son,
and name him Jesus.
He will be a great man
and will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give him
the throne of his ancestor David.
Your son will be king of Jacob’s people forever,
and his kingdom will never end.”
Mary asked the angel, “How can this be? I’m a virgin.”
The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy child developing inside you will be called the Son of God.
“Elizabeth, your relative, is six months pregnant with a son in her old age. People said she couldn’t have a child. But nothing is impossible for God.”
Mary answered, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let everything you’ve said happen to me.”
Then the angel left her." - Luke 1:26-38 (the Bible)
There was internet when I was in college, as brief a spell as that was in my life, but it wasn't the giant, unrelenting research thing that it is now.
I took 2 courses before my relapse. One of which was a world religion class. I aced both classes, albeit the other one was an open book, open note music appreciation class. Lol
All of this is to say that I learned a new thing today that started in my Facebook feed in the comment section under a post of a guy I follow.
It seems that he recently converted from the Christian pastor I knew him to be, to a member of the Nation of Islam.
As I read the shit back n forth from everyone, I learned that Muslims believe that Jesus is the Messiah.
I already knew that they believed he was born of the virgin Mary, that he performed devine miracles during his life. I also knew that there were mostly differences surrounding his death and transcendence into heaven.
I learned today that they all are taught to be more Christ -like than anything else. To live as closely to the actual way Jesus did, as they humanly can.
They also believe he will come back to earth in the end of days to defeat the false messiah, or the "anti-christ".
They can't truly call themselves Muslim without that belief, and love and respect for Jesus and all his followers.
Jesus would still love the misguided. All followers of him should do the same.
Discrepancies in the different doctrines obviously leave it to fall on individual personal feelings for how they believe, but both Christianity and Islam call for more christ-like living in the followers of each.
Pretty big learn for me today.
Btw, they love you guys, more than they love me. Lol
Jus' sayin'
I do love being able to find, so easily . . .books, all books.
Obviously, some research is tainted or altogether fabricated, but not just going to a website or social media page filled with biases, opinions, or out-right lies is nice.
Read the words myself, some new, some as refreshers.
Read them myself.
How I long for the day when peace will overcome - amoung you all, amount US all.
Unpeacefulness, or even hate and fear, born out of an ignorance of others is the worst kind of hate.
I don't care if you believe like me, or like a Deist, or like a Christian, or like a Muslim or someone Jewish, or fully Atheist, we are all brothers in humanity. It would be nice if we all acted like it.
And to not be ashamed of how some of my brothers treat others, or think them less than, would be ideal.
I don't want to promote standing up to bullies and judgmental people nearly as much as I want to promote peace, and the unnecessarity of being judgmental at all.
Until we all arrive here though, it is the responsibility of the few to stand against the many of whom would divide us.
Please share your love and your laughter with the world around you. At large, and small, kindnesses accomplish more in one second than hate would for us in a lifetime.
Until next week; does this sound familiar to you? At all?
"[And mention] when the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary - distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allah ].
He will speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity and will be of the righteous."
She said, "My Lord, how will I have a child when no man has touched me?" [The angel] said, "Such is Allah ; He creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is.
And He will teach him writing and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel
And [make him] a messenger to the Children of Israel, [who will say], 'Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I design for you from clay [that which is] like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah . And I cure the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead - by permission of Allah . And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers." - Imran 3:45-49 (Quran)
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Live and love in the middle. 4-27-24
"Life stretches between birth and death. Distance, just a breath." - Titon Rahmawan
It's all so much more precious than most of us give it credit.
What is the point of being alive if we're not really living?
If you know the direction you need to lead your life in that will lessen or eliminate your struggle . . .why is it so hard for some of us to maintain?
Struggle in varying degrees is always a part of life, but how we take it, handle it, and let it control us is more in our control than not.
I have someone I care about that might be stepping out into this life.
I want the peace for him that's required to keep on it.
Joy and happiness are important, but without peace it's not . . .well it definitely won't be easy if it's achievable at all.
Peace and gratitude come from hope and love. Kindness falls within those, but stems from how much you want to give.
Keep my loved one in your thoughts and in your hearts these next upcoming days/weeks.
It's always stressful, wondering if the love will hold them in here.
That's it.
Please remember to share your love and your laughter with the world around you.
Until next time;
"Beginnings are usually scary, and endings are usually sad, but its everything in between that makes it all worth living." - Bob Marley
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I get to . . .
4-20-24
"Eudaimonia, often translated as "flourishing" or "well-being," originates from the Greek words "eu" (good) and "daimon" (spirit or inner self). It's more than just feeling good or experiencing pleasure; it encompasses living in a way that fulfills our potential and aligns with our true nature. At its core, eudaimonia emphasizes the cultivation of virtue, personal growth, and the pursuit of excellence." - Don S.
I get to.
God Damn that never gets old.
I promise you that the old me would never believe who the new me has become even if you showed him live video footage. I mean it.
It's wild. This ride . . .
I'm with family this weekend. Not that that's much different from any other weekend, but I get to be here.
My niece's wedding.
No, I'm definitely not a member of the wedding party, but the time I get to be involved in all types of family functions . . . has me reflecting on just much how I missed out on before.
Don't get me wrong, I miss events from time to time these days too, but not nearly as often, and the reasons are too often understandable. Valid enough for a fleeting sadness but not long, purging with overwhelming guilt. These days, they're generally reasons, not excuses. So there's that.
So I'm extra-especially grateful for the ones I get to . . .
Its all because of the life I've decided to live, intentionally, which comes as close to embodying the virtues I hold in my heart, as is humanly possible.
It's not only better, but easier to live here.
Although that took some time to learn.
I'm grateful.
Sick of reading me say that? I don't plan to stop anytime soon.
I'll close now, guys. Time I get my day started. Ya know?
Congratulations to my niece, and soon to be nephew. May your journey provide eudaimonia for you both as you step out into your togetherness.
Remember to share your love and your laughter with the world around you and be kind. Your kindness could be the best and only show of it some unexpected person gets to witness this week.
Until next time;
"In essence, eudaimonia invites us to transcend the pursuit of mere pleasure and material success, urging us to strive for a deeper, more meaningful existence. It reminds us that true fulfillment comes not from external circumstances, but from living in alignment with our values, cultivating virtues, and nurturing our inner selves.
As we navigate the complexities of modern life, let’s not forget the timeless wisdom of eudaimonia—a guiding light that illuminates the path to a life of flourishing and well-being." - Don S.
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"Far be it from me, and forgive me for asking, and I don't mean to pry, but would you consider yourself a happy person?" 4-13-24
"How many of us, I wonder, can recall a childhood moment when we experienced happiness as a state of being? That single moment of untarnished joy. That moment when everything in our world, inside and out, was all right. Everything was all right. But, now, we've become a colony of adults and everything is all wrong, all the time. It's as if we're on a quest to get it back and yet the more we focus on our own personal happiness, the more it eludes us. In fact, it's only when we are otherwise engaged, you know, focused, absorbed, inspired, communicating, discovering, learning, dancing, for heaven's sake, that we experience happiness as a by-product, a side-effect. Oh no. We should concern ourselves not so much with the pursuit of happiness, but, with the happiness of pursuit." - Professor Coreman from Hector and the Search for Happiness
I watched.
I watched Hector expecting, eh. . .
but he ended up finding his silver (-ish).
I learned, what most probably already know, most of us don't have the money or the means to go all- eat, pray, love in the search for happiness.
We have to try and find it here, in our . . .stuckness, which is inherently part of the problem in itself.
A little traveling and moving can work wonders on those of us who needed a journey of discovery to find our truth.
I am one of the fortunate ones in that respect. I think I'm somewhere between the poor inner urban kid/poor white trash kid from the country - and that eat, pray, love shit. Lol no lol
~some notes, not edited:
Writing all the time letting you all know how I found it.
May not even work for some of you.
Do you even know what makes you happy?
And are you a happy person?
~more, unedited:
Happiness, just like the rest of my emotional states are . . .varying and in bouts, with peace and joy at the pulpit.
~even more:
Happiness as a state of being probably hasn't existed inside of me since before the fear of knowing "life's not forever" really took hold of me.
Early childhood, probably. It's been bouts ever since.
What is happiness?
Are you happy?
Ask me as a question looking back on a limited amount of my time, and my answer will be yes . . .now.
That wasn't always so.
In the now, it may or may not be, but inevitably, it's always on a rising curve, for grading purposes. At least it has been for about the last 10 years or so. Lol no lol
Ever changing, ever learning, ever growing, and of course, ever grateful.
Almost, always, like as almost to always as you can get without being actual always, I am at peace.
It feels so . . .always most of the time.
Its close enough to constant for me to say, always.
~end of notes.
Hector and the Search for Happiness did play me. I shouldn't have prejudged. I hoped it would be good and it surpassed that. I really liked it.
Instead of one final quote at the end, I'm going to share Hector's list from his journey. If you get a chance go watch the movie. Let me know whatcha think.
Remember to share your love and your laughter with all the rest of us.
And please be kind as always as possible. Civility is only the back up plan. Lol
Until next time;
"1. Making comparisons can spoil your happiness.
2. A lot of people think happiness means being richer or more important.
3. Many people only see happiness in their future.
4. Happiness could be the freedom to love more than one woman at the same time.
5. Sometimes happiness is not knowing the whole story.
6. Avoiding unhappiness is not the road to happiness.
7. Does this person bring you predominantly a. up b. down?
8. Happiness is answering your calling.
9. Happiness is being loved for who you are.
10. Sweet Potato Stew!
11. Fear is an impediment to happiness.
12. Happiness is feeling completely alive.
13. Happiness is knowing how to celebrate.
14. Listening is loving.
15. Nostalgia is not what it used to be." - Hector
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Second hand, second thoughts? Or just another plea. Seriously tho, WWFRD? 4-6-24
"When all religions combine, a modern human is born.
Without integration, there is no dawn, just endless mourn." - Abhijit Naskar
I didn't know what to write about at first. So, I started to work on my description for Pawpaw's Storytime.
I figured I know what I'm reading, so being able to write about it in a related fashion would be . . .easier(?). Right? Lol
With Ramadan wrapping up in the next few days, I'm going to read a story called Max celebrates Ramadan. So I started looking up quotes, and I ran into this beauty.
I'll use it as my ending quote for this entry.
I don't know if it's popular or if I'm odd man out, but with my incessant push for better inclusion in every part of my life, I thought it was cool and my blog was the perfect spot for it.
Some days are more diary entries, others are requests for peace, and still others are my way of offering ways to places I've come to. All are me, pieces of the entire me.
The same peace and gratitude that I try to pass along to you, I want for others too.
Sometimes it's sharing a poem, or a story of art, or life, or . . .
I guess I'll wrap this one here.
This take is different, but as you read, do you not sense the urgency?
I am not alone, we are not alone. The only ones who are alone have chosen that, against their will, or just accepted.
As per usual, I'd love to hear, thoughts. And please be kind, and remember to share your love and your laughter with the world around you.
Until next time;
"Chrismadan (The Sonnet)
What happens when two ancient cultures come together!
They create a spectacular specimen called dervish advaitin.
When mistletoe and menorrah combine, heart shines brighter,
Beyond belief 'n disbelief, there's a land most enlightening.
Keep your outdated sectarian identities to yourself,
I am Jewistian, Hinduslim, or simply Human Universal.
Be the next civilized step of humankind's evolution,
Not just another savage vessel of mistakes ancestral.
Revitalized by Ramadan, humanized by Christmas,
Let's celebrate Chrismadan, as well as Hanukkawali.
Instead of carrying on as second-hand savages,
Habibi come, let us start living with humanity!
When all religions combine, a modern human is born.
Without integration there is no dawn, just endless mourn." - Abhijit Naskar
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Getting to the meat of the deal. 3-30-24
"Once our idea of Heaven meant
all the dead relatives waiting
on the kept lawns of the many mansions
as if, suddenly sinless, they had nothing to do." - Deborah Digges
I have finished my self-imposed prerequisite reading material, the Age of Reason by Thomas Paine, and the Simple Faith of Mister Rogers by Amy Hollingsworth.
I have lots of [new] notes already, too.
Both were very good reads in their own rights, plus they played a kind of balancing act with my mind as I went back and forth with them in sections, so, I wouldn't unintentionally lean harder in one direction more than another.
The open-mindedness needed for the next part is gonna take everything I got to stay on point, and how . . .and why. Lol
Now, I am to start the bible portion of this project. Starting at the beginning and reading all the way through while collecting scriptures, in note form to be used in the new book, specifically omitting all parts debatable. So that only those that would transcend . . .all beliefs, or lack of belief, are what's left and usable.
I'm already at my first, dilemma, or my first struggle of a decision.
Although I will be reading every word from 2 different versions, a New King James Version (NKJV), and the C.S. Lewis New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) I wonder where to draw my line in the sand.
Practically, I imagine I could leave out some whole selections as the probability that the whole book, such as Genesis, or whole groups of them found in the Laws as example, won't be found agreeable,
or
I skip to the verses that could be not seen as . . .superstitial(?). So I'd start with like;
Genesis 1:13, So the evening and the morning were the third day.
Then to;
Genesis 1:19, So the evening and morning were the fourth day.
Then;
Genesis 1:23, So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
Etc, etc.
I struggle with even adding things historical from some of this because it's not, all . . .believable.
I don't think anyone denies that there was a third day, or a fourth day, or even a fifth, regardless of where they drew their conclusion.
So . . .?
Decisions, decisions, decisions.
I imagine I have several more, relative struggles awaiting me in the upcoming weeks? months? years? Yikes.
How long does it take to read the Bible straight through, especially, with slow starts, transcribes, pit stops, and rereadings. Lol This is gonna be a lot.
I wonder if I'll feel like it was worth it when I'm done, like I feel like it is now as I start.
Wish me luck.
I'm gonna need it. Lol
Until next time;
"I have identified so many times that sudden
earnest spasm of the throat in children,
or in the jaundiced faces of the dying,
the lower eye-lids straining upward.
Fear needs its metaphors.
I’ve read small helplessnesses make us material. . ." - Deborah Digges
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Once you are real, you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand. 3-23-24
“You become.
It takes a long time.
That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept." - Margery Williams
The opening and closing quotes, are the same piece from the Velveteen Rabbit. A book which I have not yet read. Yet!
I felt the quote in my core when I saw it though.
The body of this entry is another piece that made me . . .feel something deep.
But the words belong to William Shakespeare, not me. Lol
They make me recognize, again, that mercy is usually better given when grace is better acknowledged.
~"The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'T is mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown:
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's"~? !!
That's it for this week guys. No long hanging, words of wisdom or inquisitive hangups, that are rarely received. My hope is that you got even a small amount of the feels from this as I did.
Now, keep up with the kindness, reflect and seriously find your gratitude, and then of course, be sure to share your love and your laughter with the world around you.
Until next time;
"Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.” - Margery Williams, from the Velveteen Rabbit (both quotes)
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A later, bonus
Maybe part B (?)
A central theme to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood ?
Should be the theme for everybody's neighborhoods. 3-16-24
"He made it clear that it's less about determining who your neighbor is (i.e., who it is you're supposed to love, according to the biblical command) and more about establishing yourself as a neighbor by your show of mercy to others. Jesus transformed the question, "Who is my neighbor?" into the directive, "Be the good neighbor." - Amy Hollingsworth
Seems like the central theme through the New Testament, on how to treat others, has less and less to do with them, and more and more to do with you, the more you read and learn it anyway.
Weird, right?
What helps me get to know me? Like really!?
[If I know who I am, really know, then I don't need to hate.]-inspired in part by those I learn from.
They all help to teach me, about me. I learn alot, and regardless of the length of some of my entries sometimes I struggle with finding . . .right words.
"It also carries with it the idea that we become who were intended to be, by design, not just who we think we should be."
The more I learn, I feel hypocrisy, so the more I try and understand it, the more I learn what I think it means that too many others miss.
It's to be grace on lost deservingness.
I already feel undeserving constantly. So . . .
That stolen phrase, that I love;
I'm living a far better life than I deserve.
It feels true whether or not it actually is I don't really know.
The only difference is, I'm grateful for it, this life. Probably on a much deeper level than most people realize.
Had I not stopped that life all this years ago, I assure you I would not be here writing what you may, or may not, be reading.
I get that I get to.
Shut off hearts and closed up minds to those who don't live the way that they "should" . . .miss out on so much of the deepening that comes from understanding or trying to understand those that are different. All the while, I'm becoming more me than ever before.
We can learn a lot from each other if we turn down the hate and judgment and turn up the love.
Again, like always be kind, learn gratitude, and what if your god is that person you're judging and I'm treating them better than you and I don't even believe in your God.
Both of us at the pearly gates, can we say . . . awkward. (Granted, it'll be awkward for both of us, but man for totally different reasons) Lol
Your love and your laughter can only truly come from inspired reason or by faith. Choosing the latter is ok with me, as long as it's genuine.
C'mon.
Until next time;
“I think your mythology would call them fallen angels. War and hate are their business, and one of their chief weapons is un-Naming – making people not know who they are. If someone knows who he is, really knows, then he doesn't need to hate." - Progo from A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L’Engle
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Part- a, earlier
Cogito, ergo sum 8-8-21
“I think therefore I am” - René Descartes
Everything(s) that we do is just that. Literally a thing, that we do. It's a way of passing through our very short time here. From painting the Sacellum Sixtinum, to coaching little league baseball, to staying up all night smoking crack in a basement surrounded by people who correlate the word struggle to mean a way outside of themselves, but it's more about the -what- we do rather than the -what for-. Which, for those of us lucky enough to want more out of this life, perhaps it comes about at a later time as an internal journey, like it did for me, and millions of other . . . soul searchers. Soul searchers? Yeah, soul searchers.
I am because I can see that I am?
Yes, but no. I am because it’s obvious that I can see that I am now, but I am . . .even before I knew that I was too.
I read somewhere that the main function of our physical being is to haul the mind from appointment to appointment, that from the neck down we are just a means to an end. True? I mean maybe, even for me to see it.
The heart that I so passionately write about using and/or trying to use better, isn’t actually in your chest by the way. It's in your mind. The ability to reason, the ability to feel, etc, is from the organ inside your head.
The beat in your chest, which is absolutely important too, that implies purpose, is hyperbole, in my opinion. The only heart I'm concerned with when writing and living as an example of how to be kind, why to love my neighbors, and to objectify my gratitude, is the one found upstairs behind my eyes. Trust and believe that.
We can only love life in direct correlation to our level of perception, and that ability to reason that I always talk about. The heart and the mind are one and the same my friends. Parts, or pieces of the whole.
1 part heart + 1 part mind = 1 whole Shawn
I think that all those years I spent lost, and the more recent years that I've been trying to decipher ways of aligning them {the heart and mind}, were just to realize now that I was looking at them all wrong. They are not separate, except maybe as ideas. That realization is how I blended them together. It's a process. I still have a ways to go of course, but . . . It's why I believe it gets easier for me all the time. Because I know the connection between thinking and feeling is the source of our light. It's too important. And the level of brightness, or dimness, is up to us. Up to us to better understand that connection for ourselves. Patiently waiting for others to arrive is another lesson in, and of itself.
This learn•ed move, means that even though you couldn't see it before, because actions speak louder than words, that that feeling inside of me that has always been there, has, in fact, been me the whole time. Granted I had to change me but still . . . me nonetheless.
I am sorry, so very sorry for all those I hurt before, and as unfortunate as it is, the pain of me hurting over the pain of hurting others brought me to this point right here, limiting those deathbed regrets, and living life for love and hoping each day my journey helps me discover and uncover new and exciting things, mostly within, but hey . . .how I feel inside is why I am to you. That’s a thing to behold too. Lol Why I am to you, or why you are to me. Life should be lived as meaningfully as possible. Don’t you think?
Reconciling the heart and mind, is even more important than say that of the mind and body. I'd argue that without the former the latter isn’t completely available.
This reconciling holds actual resources used to differentiate between feelings, and how we feel about everything to include other human beings. Don't waste your resources on mindless, empty bullshit. Remember that life is a limited time offer. Compassion and empathy, for example, would seem like all heart, but without our ability to reason and judge, how would we know it means to care right? Its both. One compliments the other, in almost all of the most important aspects of our lives as humans.
The collective human race has such low expectations of one another these days that it's hard to evolve as a whole though. Individually we stunt growth as well because alone we are limited. We need others. Plain and simple. When we start to do better by each other, we'll be able to start holding higher expectations. Not the other way around. Better standards should be earned, like respect. Right? We show respect first then expect respect in return. Do better for better. We share this little planet and our time here with so many people. Why then is there so much hate? It’s crazy right?
If more people understood, and cared, what others feel, and not just about themselves. . . oh the changes that could happen. So, let’s continue to be kind, or at the very least be civil, and share your love and your laughter with the world as a whole. Then, together, we can light the way for more.
Until next week;
“I feel therefore. . . I really am” – Shawn Jackson
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"There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met." 3-16-24
"Why is it that when people die, we make such an effort to turn them into saints? Especially when the entire reason we love them so much in the first place is because they weren't." - Alison Angrim
Now, just hear me out.
I know that I write a lot of different things here, from my feelings on organized religion to promoting kindness to just expressing how I feel about the previous week and what happened with me, but I'm not really gonna do that today. Not unless you count the opening and closing quotes.
This week, I was wondering about a universal type of manifestation. But for it to be universal, I'm gonna need your help.
I want this for my grandlittles as much as I do for me. For that matter, doing it now ensures it's around for other future generations. It could possibly change the course of history, maybe for the better . . .
But I imagine we'll have to start with like comments, maybe some sharing and some think tanks (if that's you, please get on it).
It's important that they know them individually first. That's probably our step one. Then we start the push.
There's no doubt in my mind that if a "crossover" or team-up happened that it would be awesome 😎!
I don't know who to contact, or who could do it, but this needs to happen.
As always, your thoughts are welcome here. Please let me know how you feel, and then tell others.
#onedayordayone?
Help.
Please be kind to everyone you meet, even those not as enthusiastically welcoming of this idea.
Some people aren't here yet, and still some may never be, but we can't let that stop us from trying.
Remember to share your love and laughter with the world around you.
Until next week;
"You're a little monster with a big heart. You wear your emotions on your sleeve and always help your loved ones do the right thing, but that doesn't mean you can't be tough when necessary." - Grover
&
"That one thing that you must remember, or nothing that follows, will seem wondrous." - Gonzo
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And for fuck's sake, share your smile with that love and laughter. In that, you're already being kind to the world around you. 3-9-24
"Humans aren't as good as we should be in our capacity to empathize with feelings and thoughts of others, be they humans or other animals on Earth. So maybe part of our formal education should be training in empathy. Imagine how different the world would be if, in fact, that were 'reading, writing, arithmetic, empathy." - Neil deGrasse Tyson
I love you.
I do.
All I've ever really wanted is for you to love me too.
Granted, the "who" I've wanted to love me has changed over the years, but from infant to right now, this very second, I've always wanted love.
My messed up past proved lots of wrong ways of dealing with the feelings of not getting it the way I thought I needed, or proving I loved in alot of similarly wrong fashion, but it's always about love.
Even that . . . wanting . . . acceptance . . . is a form of longing for love.
My capacity to love and receive love, healthily, has grown a bit in the last several years of my life.
Except now, the part that's changed is this :
I love you.
I do.
And I just want you to love me too.
Until next week;
"True love is like some infinite way of being that we become part of: a flowing energy of willingness, an eternal yes resounding with every heartbeat." - Gerald G. May
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A Peace of the Project, possibly. 3-2-24
"Unity to be real must stand the severest strain without breaking." - Mahatma Gandhi
I've come to believe that those of the religious persuasion don't truly recognize themselves as religion-affiliated.
They think that, since what they feel seems more spiritual in nature its better classified as a . . .spirituality.
And I mean that in the deepest and strictest sense of the word - a direct connect to the spirit.
The same spirit that they believe makes them who they are as a person(s).
To them, that spirit is an all or nothing. It's why you'd find it exhausting to try and talk then into, or out of, something that they feel goes against what they believe, even if that person only has the faith of a mustard seed.
You're not going to get a piece of their spirit, as it were. You might as well be asking them to give up a finger or an arm.
I mean, there are some pretty positive benefits to giving up an arm. In the immediate, a weight would be lifted, literally. No more 10-15 pound arm holding you back. That sounds pretty freeing. And think about no more having to write with that arm, feed yourself, etc, etc. But . . .even if all the benefits of getting rid of the arm outweighed the benefits of keeping the arm, they'd never get rid of a healthy arm, intentionally.
In this lies, conflict, aside from the burden of maintaining that.
But, so, is there another way through?
I believe we have options if we want them. If we're open to them.
One of which is . . .you guys never have to hold each other's hands if you don't want to.
I'll hold theirs, and I'll hold yours so that we can all still walk together.
~Atheism/Deism agnostic(?) Missionary Outreach
Please no LOL'ing. LOL
I get how that sounds like kind of a stretch, but . . .
The piece that might be of the project-
{I can't, fundamentally or otherwise, help lay the "common ground" work for this road of human connection, and truly love others, all others, without having, at least some respect for the fact that believers believe.
Not necessarily for who or what, but just that they do, in fact, believe.
Although, if I'm being entirely honest, I feel like the understanding of their individual when's, where's, how's, and why's could possibly strengthen the grip of all the hands we could hold, as we walk together down that road, toward our final destinations.}
Hmm, you got thoughts? As always, I'd love to hear them.
This project isn't free for me. It costs time, energy, and mental and emotional labor.
I believe it to be more like paying in on an investment that's worth its weight in gold before it evers pays its dividends, though.
High risk/high yield. It is for me, too.
Please keep sharing your love and your laughter with the world around you and always be kind first, ask questions later.
Until next week,
"We are each other's harvest; we are each other's business; we are each other's magnitude and bond." - Gwendolyn Brooks
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Swifty? Or Swiftie?
Or
WWTSD? Hmm . . . 2-24-24
"Just because you understand the path you're on doesn't mean you won't feel the pain of it." - Patricia J. Hutchings
Since the entry I posted last week . . .
I saw the Bob Marley movie, One Love.
I felt the pain of my friends losing one of theirs, literally after he fell off.
Had an old friend find his way back to a good fellowship group (fingers crossed).
Had the transmission go bad in my work truck, while simultaneously having the means, and love to get it repaired.
Another member of my grandparents' generation passed. That number is super limited, and dwindling.
I watched Miss Americana, which made me like her even more. She's climbing the ranks of people I aspire to be like, love, respect, and why. (And she might be a superhero soon too, I mean, c'mon, could the universe be anymore obvious?).
I knew I was about love and peace, even gratitude, but am I Swiftie?
I mean, so far . . .it looks good.
~ full stop
Catching back up. I wrote that above the other day.
As an added bonus, I have granddaughters who adore her- Taylor Swift, I mean.
Her and her music, and who she is as a person, she obviously doesn't need my approval, but she has it.
Haters always gonna hate, but she is playing, and winning, I might add, and the only thing I'm seeing that we don't see eye to eye on is probably her religious affiliation.
But so, guess what she's in good company there, because she has that in common with a lot of my other inspirations(?), aspirations(?).
Calling them heroes seems mockingly pushing it, but maybe role models. Then again what's a hero to you? A champion? Maybe.
Looks like my grands have once again shown how truly smart they are, and if they continue to follow her, and people like her, and her ideals, I believe it'll take them far.
I'm even a fan of a few of her songs, and her ability to pull them into existence.
~another stop
Look, I have struggle in my life still, just like most everyone else, but. . .
But, I'm still at peace, even grateful for most of the struggle.
And my deathbed regrets list stays small.
Wishing a similar perspective for everyone else, is still the life I'm striving for.
Life is wonderful, and life is short, and a lot of people will never understand too many of its . . .relevancies(?). They wash over and dilute what they think they need for them to get through.
It's the hardest pill to swallow.
The young though, they are our hope.
And, and I love that she finally came around to using her platform to encourage others to see life, similarly.
A little outta left field with this entry?
Maybe?
Idk.
Idc.
Just keep sharing your love and your laughter with the world around you, and I'll do the same.
And remember that being kind is one of the greatest things you can ever be.
The combination of my granddaughters liking her,, and them Chiefs (lol), and if I'm being honest (the haters hating), all made me a fan of Taylor Swift.
Swiftie? Well, only time will tell.
I did read a short story about her during last week's Pawpaw’s Storytime, for those of you that follow. If you get a chance, go check it out. Lol
May be a special bonus tomorrow as well. 😉
Until next week;
"No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind." - Taylor Swift
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A personal revolution (?)
Maybe that's why. 2-17-24
"I believe we would be happier to have a personal revolution in our individual lives and go back to simpler living and more direct thinking.
It is the simple things of life that make living worthwhile, the sweet fundamental things such as love and duty, work and rest . . .
~The true way to live, is to enjoy every moment as it passes and surely it is in the everyday things around us that beauty of life lies" - Laura Ingalls Wilder
Some people aren't here, and some will never make it.
Although, I'll never give up on "them", I need never lose my place in the world, and in this life.
I worked hard to get here. "Hard" being relative to how I went through things more than what I went through.
I still have vague recollections of the old me's way of thinking.
Some ugly, some innocent, all naive. I understand how the ones that never find their way out . . .can't, more than don't or won't.
Examples are key for any following . . .even the plantings of seeds will never take hold properly without it.
Examples of right living in concert with love, patience, and boundaries are still our best way.
I'm all ears for any other rational approaches.
But the whole point is to not lose my focus along the way.
My journey can include outside offers, but they'll be nil and void if I lose sight of my peace.
Knock on wood, that hasn't happened. And don't see that being a thing, like a real thing ever.
It's always, and forever, just this moment. Stop stringing extra days with ya. Yesterdays and tomorrow are away from today for a reason. Let them be in their own place.
I feel a weird connection, not just because of the morality of the show Little House on the Prairie, but also because of her little farmhouse museum in Mansfield that we visited.
I have childhood memories of family having similar family farm houses, same style, decor, even the same smell.
It's weird how nostalgic it feels. I don't know if I even know a better word to describe it.
I do appreciate that part of me that reads, or watches something new and can connect . . .with its goodness(es). That is definitely a character trait I grew into these last 10 years or so.
I wouldn't trade what's in my heart now for just about anything. Unless, it was a trade from my heart to that of every other person to know and accept the same...parts that connect us, for real.
It's super early in the week, and of course, a little day time reading brought it out in me again, so . . .remember to share your love and your laughter with the world around you. Giving kindness is a gift for all parties involved, maybe even some not involved.
Until next week;
"Right seems to be obscured and truth is difficult to find but if the difficulty of finding the truth has increased our appreciation of its value, if the beauty of truth is plainer to us and more desired, then we have gathered treasure for the future.
~We lay away the gleanings of our years in edifice of our character, where nothing is ever lost. What have we stored away in this safe place during the season that is past?
Is it something that will keep sound and pure and sweet or something that is faulty and not worth storing?" - Laura Ingalls Wilder
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I wonder.
I really do.
(Bonus entry) 2-16-24
"Anybody who unconditionally loves another human being for the goodness of their heart and nothing more is already on the right side [of God]." - Suzy Kassem
I wonder, a lot, actually.
I wonder a lot.
I wonder a lot about things like . . .
Let's suppose there's a person of faith. It probably doesn't matter which faith, as most of those we know of are pretty intolerant to people being gay.
If you are of this idea and/or belief system, I'm not necessarily here as an attack or an affront on what you yourself believe. We're allowed to disagree, so long as you keep it over there, but. . .
My point-
Let's say you feel like being homosexual should be regarded as less than in . . . rights, moral appeal, societal responsibilities, etc, etc.
Then one day you are at a religious affiliated group time, like a service at your local "home" church, synagogue, mosque, or wherever, or maybe it's doctrine study like a Tuesday night Bible study, whatever.
Now this a "family" type get together, so there's kids there, younger kids. Whether or not they're yours makes no difference, but for the purpose of this, they are.
Main topic, or side conversations are on homosexuality, and as hard as it is to stay on tactical point, (and some try), still disgruntled hate and opinionated judgment from most of the people are aired.
Pick your statement.
We all know what I mean here.
Conversing continues, maybe a leader tries to rectify how the approach is, or maybe they share in it, or maybe it's light enough to everyone present it isn't frowned upon.
Maybe it's just a sermon.
Your kid hears, some or all of it. Takes in some or most of it, and it resonates with them as you'd probably expect it would with a kid.
Now you're at home. Maybe it's a holiday or private family function.
Your or your spouse's gay brother or sister is coming over. You think to yourself, "It's whatever."
You know you don't agree with their lifestyle, but you love them in your own way, and you'd never actually treat them differently.
But your kid, or that kid, didn't understand that's a part of it.
They're confused because they loved their auntie or uncle with all their hearts.
Now they're acting different around them, to them. In their confusion, they act out a little bit. You honestly have no idea why.
After everyone leaves, you have a talk with them, and it turns out they heard and think they know they aren't supposed to like them.
You try to set them straight with a talk about "We disagree with their choice, but we don't treat them differently."
Loving the "sinner" but hating the "sin" doesn't sit in the same place for a child.
Their relationship with that special family member is forever tainted, and their little open mind (and heart) starts to close as they follow along with the most important people in their lives, their parents.
If my dad is a drug addict, chances are I'll be trying drugs, at the very least, at least once.
Children are impressionable beyond understanding.
If your intent is for this to be your kid, well, good luck with that turning out well. I feel for your kid so much that it hurts my heart.
If it isn't, CHANGE something before it's too late.
If you're the one making that impression and it's not your kid, then in your ignorance, intolerance, and bigoted judgment, you are still responsible, even if no one holds you accountable.
I know, that not everyone is here yet, some may never be, and I will never stop trying to reach for more of the common ground and to respect the difference, diversity, and beauty I find around me, but some of that shit needs checked.
Poisoning the minds of our young is a whole different thing to me.
Believe me, I'm working on things now that will be my contribution to that one day, but if I ever see that ignorance directly, or indirectly filling the mind of a child I'm allowed to approach they will know the other side of that hate if I have anything to say or do about it.
Rant over.
It just builds sometimes, and for so long without "fleeting" that if I don't let it out, it will consume me.
You can't really love a person that is doing something you "hate", if the thing they're doing is who they are.
Regardless of what you say, to them, and most of us, watching, you are saying that you hate them. 💯
As it turns out, there's just enough room in my heart for a little bit of hate, because I hate . . .hate.
Hate the hate, but love the hater? Is that a thing?
Learn better.
You're allowed to hate or feel hate, but why do you want to so badly?
Is that really one of the things you want to pass on to the young?
Please be more. Please.
Until tomorrow;
"Children who never learn to respectfully challenge authority or trust their own judgment grow up struggling to set boundaries, say no, and speak up for themselves. – Shelly Robinson
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The way it's supposed to. . .
Geez. 2-10-23
"The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance." - Nathaniel Branden
Everything happens the way it's supposed to . . .right?
At least, that's what I tell myself.
Maybe it's because my notes were starting to show some biases that I do have, but, but maybe I shouldn't.
Maybe even more so, I shouldn't be including them in this project. Maybe? Or should I?
Needless to say that I lost all my notes I had in my phone when it fried out at the end of last month.
No data retrieval possible, so. . .I swallow that frustration and pity and now, I start fresh.
Maybe I'll re-read the first half of the books I'm using to fuel the startup,
"The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers" by Amy Hollingsworth and "The Age of Reason, the Complete Edition" by Thomas Paine, a founding father.
Maybe since I'm writing this note in my messenger first, I might scroll back through and see if I can find any other "lost" pieces.
This is where I am, aside from work being in full swing.
Other than losing the phone, things are going pretty well.
Although, to be fair, I feel like things are ok most of the time, like a lot of the time.
Either it's ok, or I damn sure know it will be soon enough, always.
It's not the end of the project. It's a new, new start.
I might have needed a mental regrouping. Only time will tell.
To train the brain to look forward to start over . . . That's a learned behavior I should have down cold.
Am I right? Or can I get Amem! Lolol
Anyways, that's it. I'm unloaded for the week. Thinks for thanking of me, and stopping by guys.
Be kind.
Be grateful.
Do the next right thing and share that beautiful smile of yours, along with your love and laughter with the world around you.
Until next week;
"Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune." - William James
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