At 20 or so, the awareness that I am alive and conscious is a startling realization, for most. It comes with a host of additional revelations — the capacity to think freely, the ability to make plans, and the acceptance of myself as a being in the world are but a few. I then, abruptly, comprehend that I may be cognizant, but I am undeveloped, unsophisticated, and lacking in a sense of direction.
Continue reading The great joy in discovering that I am alive!
I don’t get it!
There is so much in life that I just don’t understand. Things to me that are self-evident, appear at times, to not be the same to other people. I ask, is this because of culture or ethnicity, or age? Why do I remark on events that others simply do not notice?
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The path forward
It would be fair to say that until very recently, in terms of world history, life was relatively simple. My path forward at birth was, virtually, predetermined. If my father were of the working class, I usually found employment in some aspect of the industrial sector.
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Our search for answers
Is there a God or are there gods? This is a very difficult question for some. People never seem to question something bigger than the self until, in many cases, it is too late to form a final belief – life providing unexpected intrusions, a quickly occurring finality, for example. I feel, as a sensitive being, however, it is impossible not to question the “why.” Why for everything – for the bugs, the bees, the butterflies, for me, for that matter – just why? There is no empirical (1) answer to this existential question.
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My Day from Glad
When I was young, there was a television commercial that promoted a type of polyethylene food covering. Befitting the optimism of the time, (1) it was the 1960s, after all, it was called Glad, manufactured by Union Carbide. The man who promoted it, the company spokesman, was, of course, the Man from Glad. (2) The wrap was such that it could lock scents in their respective containers, thereby allowing the refrigerator, for example, to remain odor free. (3)
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I just want to be happy!
When asked, “What do you want out of life?” many people respond with the well-known platitude, “I just want to be happy!” This is an admirable goal., I grant you. The problem here is that the vast majority of people are, seemingly, unhappy. The amount of drugs and alcohol that we consume is off the scale. (1)
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To be observant
“I think, therefore I am” is a well-known phrase from Rene Descartes, (1) said at the beginning of the Enlightenment. (2) I would add, “I observe, therefore I think, therefore I am.” The power to take notice of the world around me is a skill that must be nurtured and enhanced. I recently took a group of senior high school students on a walk to a local, prominent venue. It was a site that most would pass by on a daily basis. What confounded me were their comments on the beauty of the locale, the majesty of the towering trees, and the exciting feeling of the blustery day.
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My personal choice
If you could pick just one capacity, one realization that made your life interesting and worthwhile, what would you choose? Would you decide on conscious, awareness that came to you at 20 or so? This helped you understand who you were and what you had to do with your piece of life. Even if it was not yet fully formulated, you understood that there was a mission there — whether to act upon it or not was within your purview.
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To mothers
Dear mom: I just wanted to send you a quick note. We don’t often get time to reflect and really connect on what our relationship has meant to me. I would like to share just a few, of my many, many thoughts and feelings. From the very beginning of our relationship, I felt a sense of safety. I was protected by some supernatural force — that presence of maternal love, celestial sheltering. You gave my siblings and me values, but gosh you were a hard taskmaster!
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A search for understanding
All thoughtful people, I find, are searching for an understanding of the reality that exists around them. The world is so complex and mysterious that it calls for an explanation. And, for each individual, an interpretation does exist. What is the truth about the transcendent reality?
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