Warning!!!! Not Your Usual Morning Post

Good morning, everyone. I do see a vacation myself in the near future...before it gets too hot.  I don't travel, but totally love sleeping in...not having to get dressed if I don't want to...and not having to go anywhere that isn't fun.  Thanks all of you for your concern.  Now, I just have to figure when.

"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat."--Mother Theresa

This is not your usual post from. Hopefully, no one finds this too strange or upsetting.  I mean, I usually try to keep this blog upbeat...aside from my occasional rants.  But, today, there is a story that has to be told.  It don't know why it has been gnawing at me so, but I just knew this is what I had to talk about...the forgotten ones....the drug addicted, the mentally ill, and the homeless who inhabit a hellish labyrinth of abandoned subway stations, tunnels, and old waterworks beneath the city streets...the "Mole People".  

It is very easy to forget that they are there  until one day you are passing near a subway grate and find yourself gagging over an overwhelming stench of urine and feces.  Then, you remember them...the thousands of homeless men and women who "choose" to live underground rather than in a city shelter system which is far more dangerous than the dark labyrinth they now call home. But they choose to live there with the rats, in the dark and gloomy stations because they trust their underground communities far more than they trust the society that lives above.  

While it is true that many are drug addicted or mentally ill, who, ravaged by illness, live like animals, others are actually very intelligent and enterprising people who have college degrees. In fact, there are a few sizable communities...complete with a 'mayor', elaborate social structures, and some even have electricity.  There are cooking and laundry facilities, teachers, nurses, and you will even find children scampering around. Some never come up to see the light of day (the real mole people)  while others (runners) come up during the day and beg for money. Others come up in the wee hours of the morning to raid the restaurant dumpsters, taking their loot back to the underground to share with their neighbors.  Amazingly, some don't even look homeless. 

What was my purpose for writing this?  As I said, I really don't know. Yes, I did walk by that subway grate yesterday, and yes I did begin to gag, but,I think, in part, I am writing this to acknowledge their existence. According to one mole man, he is content with "just being, and not being seen"...but I think, deep down we all want to know that someone knows that we are here, that in some little way, our lives meant something to someone....that someone remembers us, that someone remembers we were here.  Thank you for letting me share.


"Just to be remembered is good enough for me.  Lots of people are forgotten."--Sadie Frost

Earth Teach Me

Good morning.  Another Monday...dreary, gray...much like I have been feeling inside.  Just can't put my finger on it.  What's bothering me?  The only answer that comes is burnout.  It's really time to take a vacation...even if only a few days.  You'd never believe I have 138 hours of vacation coming to me. It's just such a bother...you have to practically beg people to cover your groups...but I really shouldn't let that stop me.

Last night I was reading one of my little Native American books, and it struck me just how similar the Native Americans beliefs are to those of the Celts. It's no wonder I always feel drawn to them. To the Celts, everything was interconnected; everything on the Earth was alive and should be treated with respect. Cherokee beliefs are much the same; they focus on the necessity of harmony in balance in life by emphasizing the following:

• Everything is alive
• Everything has a purpose
• All things are connected
• We can embrace the Medicine of all living things as we re all walking together in the Circle

That is something that we have forgotten.  All life is connected, and when we destroy one form of life, we are actually destroying a part of ourselves.  I'd like to leave you all this morning with this wonderful little prayer that I am sure many of you already know.

Earth teach me quiet,

as the grasses are still with new light.

Earth teach me suffering,

as old stones suffer with memory.

Earth teach me humility,

as blossoms are humble with beginning.

Earth teach me caring,

 as mothers nurture their young.

Earth teach me limitation,

as the ant that crawls on the ground.

Earth teach me freedom,

as the eagle that soars in the sky.

Earth teach me acceptance,

as the leaves that die each fall.

Earth teach me renewal,

as the seed that rises in the spring.

Earth teach me to forget myself,

as melted snow forgets its life.

Earth teach me to remember kindness,

as dry fields weep with rain.

 

--A Prayer from the Ute--

 

May we all remember kindness today...kindness to our fellow man, to the Earth and all of Her creatures...and to our Great Mother...the ocean.  

The Sunday Afternoon Blahs

Good afternoon.  Gosh, I can't believe it is Sunday afternoon all ready.  I've ironed, laid out clothes for the week, did my nails, and washed my hair...all set for another week of work.  Sometimes I cannot believe how monotonous my life has become...Every Sunday it is the same thing...and yesterday, I wanted to do something different and go to Coney in the evening, but, it was a cooking weekend, and by the time I shopped and cooked two weeks worth of food, I was good for nothing.  My feet were swollen and my back was aching so I didn't even try it.

I did find a wonderful ocean meditation video online, however.  It was great, and I did feel as if I was participating in last night's event.  The meditation video was 14 minutes long...no music...just the sound of the waves breaking across the shore.  And when it was finished, I realized that perhaps sending healing thoughts in that way was better than going to the beach.  Coney can be packed with thousands of people on weekends...not to mention the weekly fireworks...definitely not the right atmosphere to send healing thoughts.  If anyone is interested, you can find the video here...Ocean Wave Meditation


And I actually did get to the ocean....in my dreams.  I found myself walking along the shoreline...my shoes kicked off...listening to the waves hitting the shore as they gently swirled around my feet.  I was totally alone...only the gulls, myself, and the great Ocean Mother. It was great, and I didn't want it to end...but reality called.


I'm sort of at a loss for words today...just feeling down and out.  I'll pull myself out of it...always do.  Before I close this off, I have a question for all of you.  Has anyone used this new template design on blogger?  I'm kind of a nerd when it comes to this stuff, and I am so afraid of messing up my blogs. 

I Will See You at the Water

Water covered the earth before there was land, and humans evolved from that primeval water. Water blesses us.  It blesses all of life...everything in nature...all of existence.  It is the lifeblood of the earth.  Without water, all would surely die. Through the element of water, we learn that we are upheld by the 'waters of life'.   The mighty ocean is our Great Mother; we were born from Her....our primordial womb of the Great Goddess.  She symbolizes universal life, the source of all.  She teaches us about eternity...and the ebb and flow of life. 

Yet, we, Her children, in our greed, have been destroying her.  We hunt her creatures to extinction and dump our garbage into Her depths...and now, with the manmade disaster in the Gulf, we have cut a piece of her away.  Just this morning I was reading an article that said that every fish and shellfish which has come into contact with the oil, is probably dead.  Billions of organisms have perished.  For each pelican that we save, ten or more die. The figures are staggering...heartbreaking. We sit back and mourn their loss and wonder what we, the daughters and the sons of the Great Mother, can do...and wonder if it even matters anymore.  I think it does; no, I know it does.  United we can save our Mother; united we must stand. And thanks to NoT Hannah  we have a way.

Today is the day of the new Moon; it is a time of new beginnings. The Sun and the Moon join forces to work in a partnership.  It is a time to start or renew our goals, our wishes. Tonight we will meet at the water...in spirit...loving children from all around the world...desperately working to save our Great Mother.  I'd wanted...planned to go to Her shore...to sit under the newness of the moon and place my hand in Her waters as they ripple onto the shoreline, but, it's not looking as if that can be. It's looking more and more like rain is on its way...and my body's not really up to par.  My fibro is acting up, and my ankles are like balloons from standing too long,  so I'm thinking like I will, sadly, have to stay home.  But, I will be there; I will find my way to the water.  This is something I will not miss.  I will be there in my heart and soul.  

I will find my way to the water.

Friday This and That

Hard to believe another week has gone by so quickly.  It's Friday already, and another weekend is upon us. The weeks are flying by faster than ever.  More and more people are suggesting that time is speeding up, and more and more we are hearing people say, "I never seem to have the time to get everything done." or "Where has the time gone to?"  And more and more frequently people are suggesting that time is speeding up.  Well, is it?


Einstein had once stated that time can, indeed, speed up, and now two scientists...including the Nobel Prize winner...have confirmed Einstein's Theory of Relativity...which means that, under certain conditions, time can speed up.  In fact, years ago scientists discovered that the earth gives off a pulse which has been stable for many years, but is currently on the increase.  In fact, since 1980 the earth's heartbeat has begun to speed up. What this means, I really don't know.  Some theorize that the time will come when the earth stops rotating on its axis...Some say that eventually there will be a reversal in the magnetic field and what happens after that is unclear...but enough of this.  What started as a simple statement is in the process of becoming a ramble, so it's time to move on to what I really wanted to talke about.

Don't know how many of you have heard, but the big news here in the city is that the Empire State Building has rejected Mother Theresa.  It's seems the Catholic League has requested that the building be lit on August 26th in honor of her birth, but the owners have refused.  Meanwhile, they have said "yes" to Mariah Carey, dog shows, baseball teams, and even lit up for the 60th anniversary of COMMUNIST CHINA, where, under the leadership of Mao Tse-Tung, 77 million people were killed.  For Mother Theresa the building would glow in blue and white, the color of her Missionaries of Charity Order.  This simple blue and white coloring was the same colors used for a Yankee World Series win and the Israeli Independence Day, yet they won't pay this simple tribute to a woman who was a crusader for the poor and dedicated her life to helping others.  I don't get it.

On August 26th, she would have been 100 years old. Now, I am not a religious person and disagree with many of the teachings of mainstream religion, but, in my opinion. Mother Theresa transcends religion.   Here is a woman who is known for her humanitarian work around the world...setting up hospitals, clinics, food banks, soup kitchens, shelters. She was devoted to the poor.  She has won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Medal of Freedom, and over 120 other awards during her lifetime; she was voted the most admired woman in the world three years in a row, but she is not seen as good enough to be honored by the Empire State Building.


I wanted to set up a survey along the sidebar, but I have not yet become that savvy in blogland, so I am posing the question here.  What's your thoughts on this?  Do you think she should be honored? 

A Hero Is......

 "A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself."--Joseph Campbell.

There are many heroes in this world, many people who have selflessly given of their life and their time to something much bigger than themselves.  Our soldiers who fight for our freedom are heroes.  The volunteers who are working right now at the gulf are heroes. Our fireman, our police officers, are heroes. On 9/11 we saw many heroes.  Yes, they all truly are heroes...and there are so many more that the list could go on and on.  I am truly thankful for each and every one of them...

I've been reading "2012 and the Galactic Center: The Return of the Great Mother" by Christine R. Page, MD.  It's one of those books that I start and stop, only to pick up months later and start again.  I've never been able to make it through the book.  Not that it's boring; don't get me wrong,  it's not.  It's just that something always seems to come up and I end up putting the book down. So, I've picked it up again and after skimming over what I read before to brush myself up, I have come to a chapter called "The Hero's Journey".  I wanted to share a little of what I read.

According to Joseph Campbell, the hero lies within us all. It is that part of us that will step out courageously and enter into the unknown; it is that part of us that enjoys adventure, overcomes whatever obstacles are placed before us, and strives toward commitment.  The truth is, heroic acts do not always follow stereotyped patterns....especially when we view them from our soul's perspective.  In fact, courage comes in many forms...and the spiritual purpose behind our actions may lie hidden from our conscious awareness.  The author, Christine Page, provides a number of examples of which I have chosen the following few:

• The black sheep of the family who owns the darkness that the the other members of the family may experience the light.
• The strict and aggressive parent who, on a soul level, encourages his/her offspring to stand up and be strong in their own right.
• The mentally ill sibling who possesses the chaos in order to bring stability to the rest of the family.
• The absent parent who chooses not to adversely effect the decisions of his/her children.   

Although I know not all of you may believe in reincarnation, but I believe this is an interesting concept in regards to those family roles that simply defy explanation...such as, "Why does one become the 'black sheep' when they have all of the same opportunities as their siblings?"  In fact, while reading this chapter, I began to think about my own family...my mom and dad who had always been so cold and unemotional.  They were always so wrapped up in their own lives that they never had any time for me, and I grew up literally raising myself. In today's world, it would have been considered neglect to have a 9 year old child taking care of herself.  I loved them, but I didn't like them, and I vowed that I would not grow up to be like them...and, I didn't.  In fact, I grew up to care so much and wanting to do so much for others, that there were those who crossed my path who took advantage of me...There were many who did, but I never lost my 'heart'..no matter how many times I was hurt.

I made sure that my children never suffered the way I did.  I was always there for them...helping with homework...participating in activities. They were never alone.  The cycle of loneliness was broken. After reading "The Hero's Journey" last night, I began to question..."Was my parents coldness, their distance and lack of love deliberately chosen prior to my birth?  Prior to their birth? Was this what they chose so that I might learn how to live and love?  Did they deliberately hide their love so that I might learn to stand up and be strong?
We're they, in fact, heroes? Can you imagine what courage it takes to be the one who is resented or plays the part of being docile so that another soul can grow?   Interesting concept.  


Think back over your own life and ask yourself, "Who was my greatest teacher?"

Circle of Life

"You have noticed that everything an Indian does in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything and everything tries to be round.

In the old days all our power came to use from the sacred hoop of the nation and so long as the hoop was unbroken the people flourished.  The flowering tree was the living center of the hoop, and the circle of the four quarters nourished it. The east gave peace and light, the south gave warmth, the west gave rain, and the north with its cold and mighty wind gave strength and endurance.  This knowledge came to us from the outer world with our religion.


Everything the power of the world does is done in a circle.  The sky is round and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball and so are all the stars.  The wind, in its greatest power, whirls.  Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours.  The sun comes forth and goes down again in its circle.  The moon does the same and both are round.  Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were.  

The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.  Our teepees were round like the nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nation's hoop, a nest of many nests, where the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children.
                             --Black Elk--

Circles are all around us.  When we were young, we spun ourselves around in circles and gleefully laughed when our dizziness caused us to fall. When we find ourselves unable to think straight, we say that "our head is spinning".  When we are lost and cannot find our way, we say that we are "going around in circles".  We form a circle in our rituals; the moon and the planets "circle" the sun.  

Birth, life, death, rebirth...Life is like a wheel, a circle.  The wheel...an ancient symbol which combines the meaning of the circle as wholeness or completion with the element of movement or the passing away...such as the changes of seasons...that is captured in the wheel's turning.  Daily life occurs at rim of the wheel; it is a state of perpetual change....and it is change that takes us where we want to go...Just as the wheels on an automobile spin and take us on our journey, so does the wheel of life which spins about as we journey through life.