Moral Courage

        Thomas Paine’s observation rings true, but more so to the consequence of self-interest as reason for a social contract.

        “Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins.  Society is produced by our wants and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affection, the latter negatively by restraining our vices.  The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions.  The first is a patron, the last a punisher.’

        What about a society that has abdicated its ownership, (accountability)?  Yes, abandoned it to the punishing methods of a negligent, often inattentive, overly indulgent shortsighted parent, (government/ authority apparatus), whose need to obtain approval and forgiveness for past excesses and slights outweighs any semblance of useful mature guidance, (dare I say leadership?). 

   What is absent in this solution to avoid responsibility is moral courage.  Moral courage is born from personal integrity absent of fear of disapproval.  Moral courage is doing what is ethically and morally in accordance with social and personal values. Revealed in the absence of moral courage is this driving, oppressive need for a substitute.  Perhaps that’s why the entertainment industry is not suffering in this current economic downturn. That is the huge deception we are being sold; to accept some reasonable facsimile to authenticity. Not where peace is the presence of freedom, but a purchased avoidance. Self-centered thinking would advocate an escape from undesired consequences to short sighted gains. Such thinking reinforces a hysterical delusion of isolation, neediness for deserving, and a general lack induced unworthy- afflictions.

Short interpretation:  Speak plain, be fair, and helpful to those we wish join us.

Abandon the necessity to threaten, coerce or punish.  Instead, encourage agreement for those who would wish to become contributing members of a society of interdependent citizens. Then make it accessible, in order to reinvigorate the spoken, American ideal.

A Good Day

In the not so distant past I recall waking up thinking “today is a good day.” Enjoying, if you will, a Phoenix from the death of the Firebird type of a fresh start; yeah, it was an extraordinary feeling.  Yet, true to my experience, the unexpected harbors forth possibilities...

So the scene developed with my wife saying, "Oh the new diffuser is working, smell the cinnamon"

"Yes, I do; how pleasant"

The subtle alarm in my mind was softly clanging away that the diffuser was downstairs. So if I were reasoning I would think that it must be a super-diffuser to be noticed upstairs in the bedroom, but I gave little notice in my sleepy-head waking of morning routine.

My wife gathered up our dog Oscar into her arms and took him downstairs for his morning business.  I began my daily ritual of making entries into my journal. I heard her voice from downstairs,

   "Oh my"

That got my attention, or I should say the silence after her comment riveted my attention.

Then,

   "What did you do?"

    It was then and there that the pieces of my mental puzzle began to fall into place. I distinctly remember my inner dialog voice saying, "I'll bet Obediah knocked over the diffuser and that's why we can smell cinnamon upstairs." I was right; in the neighborhood sort of way calamity can strike.

   Obediah had, indeed somehow got his 13lb girth into space.  He projected himself six feet out and five feet up from the table that sets at the corner of the couch.  Somehow, he made it onto the fireplace mantel; a feat worthy of mentioning and even applauding. Afterwards, as cats will wander in their victory laps, he knocked over a newly purchased harvest-cinnamon diffuser. Why-oh-why is it always a brand-new-filled-to-the brim container that gets tipped over? What I didn't know, but was soon to find out, was that the fluid flowed over the surface of the mantel and worked as a solvent to blister the paint; very close to the same effect as the alien blood had on the spaceship deck in the movie ALIEN. Not only that, but the culprit walked in the fluid and then, becoming bored with watching the progress of the syrupy substance flow to the opposite end of the mantle, he jumped down and wandered around the house with harvest-cinnamon dyed feet.  Little sticky footprints everywhere as far as the hunting eye would venture.

   Up until this episode my wife was feeling pretty confident that she had adequately prepared our home for a visit by her cousin and his wife. Everything, as she had commented just the night before, was in its place.  Well now....look at the change.

   Wouldn't you know, just as she was surveying the handiwork of Obediah it would be the very moment Oscar was inspired to play with mama? So while she tried to corral Obediah, who by the way was actively evading her attempts to catch him, (thinking, I suppose, punishment was coming) The puppy was either nipping at her heals or enjoining her in chasing down that rascal cat...whose darting about only spread the mess.

   I heard the commotion along with the increased volume of her protest. I was then convinced that I could not survive as a silent spectator. So I wisely went down stairs and joined in the mayhem.

The calamity was contained; the mess cleaned up. The mantle was repainted with plenty of time to dry, as well as rearrange the decorations on the mantel the way they were before our guest arrival.

The pets survived Mama's fury, (albeit BOTH cat's got a bath. Sorry Hershey sometimes prosecution by association is a fact of life... even if unfair)

And I?

........I avoided being blamed for it all. Yes...success makes one glow...does it not?

Something Important

What if suddenly

everything external 

ceased to upset?

utterly end influence over well being

the media lost its entitlement to affect

other people no longer irritated or provoked to dislike

what would that sound be like

children laughing?

subtle creek murmurings to take your shoes off and put your toes in?

would the light be warm?

a day fill with fresh air?

Would every aspiration in your heart take flight with hope in sharing?

No one is free, if shackled to fear

No one

not the rich

not the powerful

not anyone you care about

not anyone you ever dreamed or wished to impress

Not a single soul who seems to possess everything you ever envied

Is free from fear

 it is not a question of convincing oneself that all is well

we have the life around us to contend with.

How can I affect the market?

the poverty

 illness?

I can do nothing about those huge challenges facing our world

to fix

But I can do this

encourage

towards feeling better

yes, I can do that....one moment at a time

and sometimes that may mean

keeping my hands to myself

and letting go any judgment that things are dire.

every storm I've ever witnessed ended.

just as every summer day of vacation has since expired.

and those I've loved and liked

are not present, in a physical sense

but they gifted me with memory so that I'd recognize

a good thing when it came along

being able to love and accept my portion is a powerful reference point

I was made capable.

I wanted to do something important

I came to realize being present was far more grandiose

than doing something that changed with time.

In that, I calmed my fear of flight 

and relaxed into accepting

rainbows and the tears for their crystalline qualities

as they washed my world with marvelous colors

in order for me

to see clear