Category Archives: collaborating

The Difference Made

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Family, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

November 3, 2024- On February 24, 1981, I called my mother and told her that I had become a member of the Baha’i Faith, letting her know the basics of the then-138-year-old religion. The most important of these, to her, was that use of mind-altering substances, including alcohol, was prohibited. Baha’u’llah teaches that presence of mind is essential and that anything which interferes with such mindfulness is to be avoided.

He was born Husayn Ali, to Mirza Abbas-i-Nuri (Mirza Buzurg) and Khadijih Khanum, on November 12, 1817, in Teheran. Despite being a member of a noble family, Husayn Ali eschewed a life of privilege, and became associated with a new religious movement, based on the teachings of al-Bab, which taught that “One greater than Myself” would appear and unveil teachings that would in turn unite mankind. When al-Bab was imprisoned, and subsequently executed in 1850, Husayn Ali became a leader of the inchoate Babi movement and was Himself incarcerated in a dungeon known as Siyah Chal (“Black Pit”). While there, shackled among a hundred or so others, many of whom were violent criminals, and with no personal space, Mirza Husayn Ali had a vision. A maiden-like presence appeared to Him and revealed that it was He to Whom al-Bab was referring. The title Baha’u’llah was conferred on Him, in that moment.

Over time, through three exiles, the last of which brought Baha’u’llah and His family to Akka, in what is now Israel, and through the ministries of His eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Baha, and of His eldest great grandson, Shoghi Effendi, the Baha’i Faith grew to several million people, spread over all six inhabited continents. When Shoghi Effendi died in 1957, without leaving an heir, the Faith was briefly led by a council of stewards, known as the Hands of the Cause of God, until a nine-member Universal House of Justice was elected in 1963. This last was in accordance with the terms of Baha’u’llah’s Will and Testament, also known as Kitab-i-Ahd. The Universal House of Justice has been elected by the members of Baha’i national assemblies every five years since 1963. It remains the Head of the Faith.

Getting back to my own situation: In 1981, I was at the tail-end of a long personal struggle. Baha’i teachings have gradually guided me to shed lots of personal baggage. It has not been a walk in the park. Change involves a lot of work-physical, emotional and spiritual. As with any transformative effort, there are successes and there are setbacks. I was blessed with the love of a good Baha’i woman, until her passing in 2011. I am blessed with a son who has grown into a strong, well-balanced man. I am also blessed with many friends, across the United States and around the globe, including a woman who has captured my heart. I am, most of all, blessed with the transformative power of a Messenger’s Teachings that have given me the strength to shed baggage that has bedeviled me since childhood.

I have taken ‘the road less traveled and that has made all the difference’. (apologies to Robert Frost)

Emergencies Ascending

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Family, impediments, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, service, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

November 2, 2024- The appeal came, as I was preparing to help break down the Farmers Market operation, just after noon. There was an urgent need for someone to supervise a shelter in Roswell, twelve hours away by car and about six hours away, by a combination of air and road vehicles. I had a week, no more, to assist, and even that involved reneging on prior commitments closer to Home Base. After a fair amount of discussion, back and forth, between the decision makers, someone else stepped up, and offered two weeks of volunteering. I am grateful to that person, as I’m sure the people of Roswell will be.

Across the Pacific, in the Bicol region of eastern Luzon, thousands suffered from the wrath of Typhoon Kristine, late last month. I was in Manila, at that time, and maintained contact with a friend who had been helpful to me, when I was navigating between Naga and Daet, in October, 2023. She lost everything in the typhoon’s wake, so I will help with two essential aspects of her recovery. For the bulk of the regeneration, though, the community must rise up and help one another.

That is the way it will need to be, worldwide, over the next many decades-both for the rest of my earthly life and well beyond (like 2050, or 2060 to 2100.) Each of us, no matter how young or old, has a role to play in facing emergencies. My dearest wrote me, this morning, about an emergency she is helping to mitigate. These can be large or small, but will be faced by a heart connection and judicious pooling of resources-financial, material, physical and social. Backing all of that is spiritual energy. When things seemed direst, with regard to the disaster in Roswell (flooding and its aftermath), spiritual pleas went up and the volunteer was found, who could serve as needed. Collective prayer can alleviate the effects of pending disaster, and help gather forces to deal with turmoil that is unanticipated.

Let us work together, unceasingly, to tame the whirlwind.

Saintly

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

November 1, 2024- I am the last person on Earth who should be called “saint”, and that is not a statement of false modesty. I’ve done a fair amount of good, especially in the past twenty years, but have also made some world class faux pas.

Today, in many Roman Catholic countries, people are observing All Saints Day, in honour of the canonized icons of the Church. Other countries honour their moral titans at different points during the year, and this is all a good thing, overall. The thing about the canonized, though, is that they are also mortal beings, subject to human frailty, and therefore fallible.

Everyone deserves to be held to account, but also to be assessed on the balance of what they do. The former helps us grow and the latter keeps us honest. There is, essentially, no one living today who is perfect. The Messengers of God were perfect, and ‘Abdu’l-Baha was a perfect Exemplar of thought and behaviour. A few people, like Mohandas Gandhi and Coretta Scott King, have served as long-suffering, but stalwart, proponents of social justice, who were also willing to take themselves to task and work to resolve personal failings. Others have been promoted by the media as near perfect human beings, only to have independent researchers find out differently, after the individual’s death.

As Americans decide tho will be our next President, it seems a good idea to not place too much stock in the perfection of one’s choice or to place too little, in the ability of the other side to also do some good. I’ve known many conservatives and progressives who are exemplary human beings. I’ve also known less than savory characters, at both ends of the political spectrum.

Trickery

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, distraction issues, Inner Struggles, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

October 31, 2024- The recent stunt, in which a candidate for President drove around in a garbage truck,left me a little cold. It would have been mildly amused, had he done donuts or peeled out-on an empty street, mind you. The impetus for this was the current President’s remarks, in response to an off-colour joke about Puerto Rico at said candidate’s recent rally, in Madison Square Garden, that used a possessive pronoun that sounds like the noun that is the plural of “supporter”. One cannot hear an apostrophe, so the quick and dirty conclusion is “He’s talking smack about us, just like the candidate did in 2016.” That’s a shame.

Those who have arbitrary and exclusionary solutions to social problems will very often try to divide those whom they either openly or secretly regard with disdain. Thus we have Project 2025 and USA.INC, as comprehensive and arbitrary solutions to problems which are best resolved by a careful blend of conservative love of family and individual initiative with progressive concern for the well-being of even the least among us and collective sense of hearing everyone out.

I’ve already voted, and in any case, have not been fooled by the jumping around, half-baked rhetoric and name-calling, back and forth. All the noise is best moved beyond, by reading the candidates’ position statements and deciding what most accurately fits your world view.

It’s time to call out trickery, wherever it is found.

Intensity

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Family, impediments, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

October 30, 2024-I dreamed of Manila, and of Kathy, most of the night. Maybe those are just residuals from the visit just ended, or maybe they’re a harbinger. When I got up, it was time to focus on getting back into the swing of things here at Home Base, so I walked, happily, downtown and sat for a while in Wild Iris, then came back and briefly discussed a few matters with my landlord. I have told him my time here is getting shorter, and he thinks I need to follow my heart. At dinner this evening, with another long-time friend, I got the same message.

I’ve been in Prescott for 13.5 years, continuously, and 15 years all told, more than any place other than Saugus (20 years, all told). I could easily call this Home Base for the rest of my life; the Southwest is a place of endless beauty and opportunities. There are two other factors, however-My little family, now in Texas, who will be the prime foci of my time in the U.S., should they bring forth children of their own and the second great love of my life, who, as I keep saying lately, is the prime focus of my time and energy, overall.

I’ve sometimes been told that I am far too intense for my own good-and perhaps that is true. I love deeply, which won’t change, for the simple reason is that I don’t see enough love in the world. My friends and family understand this. Kathy is coming to understand it more, just as I am coming to understand her need to show her love in subtle, sometimes opaque, ways. Intense love, however, is needed to deflect and counteract intense hate. Subtlety, on the other hand, is a soothing balm for those times when intensity rubs things raw-and a healing period of rest is needed. It also helps ward off dementia-(just an aside).

On a greater scale, we will need intensity-of thought, of energy, of commitment and of meaningful action. I will say more on what I think is needed for the country to thrive, over the next few days.

Technical Difficulties

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, impediments, Inner Struggles, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

October 27, 2024, Seattle- “In 30 minutes, we should have a resolution to this technical problem.” So said the captain of the jumbo jet that was taking us to T’aipei, from Manila. Four hours later, we took off and had a smooth flight.

The day was pretty much like that, all along. I had a warm send-off from Ola! Hostel, the staff saying they hoped to see me again, next time. I joined a group at the Baha’i Center a bit later than they had wanted me to be there. The laundry service’s schedule and process kept me waiting and then, I had to pack. This was lost on a few of the Baha’i friends, and the last session there seemed a bit cold. They did help me get a ride to the airport, and the driver showed up minutes later. I had no time to really tell a certain person verbally, how deeply I feel about her. It was all rush-rush.

The ride to the airport was smooth. Once there, I waited at the EVA Air section, the line moving fairly swiftly and no problems exiting through immigration or security check. We were checked in and seated on the plane, with minimal difficulty. Then, the wait started and went on and on.

Fortunately, once at T’aipei, the authorities had held our Seattle-bound plane for the same length of time that it took EVA to resolve the technical issues on our plane in Manila. The Taiwanese processed us with lightning speed and we were seated on the second plane, which took off in short order.

I slept for about four hours, on board the aircraft crossing the Pacific Ocean, otherwise watching a forgettable Hong Kong police drama and a heartwarming film about a minister and his wife, who adopted several children, and encouraged members of his congregation to follow suit.

By 8:30 p.m., we were on the ground here. By 9:30, I had passed through immigration and customs. Now, at 10:15, I am in my room at Days Inn, ready for a few more hours of sleep, before my phone alarm goes off, at 3:30 a.m,, and I catch the motel shuttle back to SeaTac.

Another chapter in the Seeker Saga is drawing to a close.

A Tanay Excursion-Part II

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

October 26, 2024, Manila- With a successful extraction from the muddy road behind us, the five adventurers took to more settled sites-the joys of central Tanay. First off was a fairly new church, Padre Pio Chapel. Here, the ladies indulged in another pose. Kathy could pose forever, and it would not get old.

Tres amigas, at Padre Pio Chapel, Tanay

We got directions from there to a chicken restaurant, Mang Inasal, in Tanay Town Center, where we enjoyed chicken inasal- grilled breast or leg. I covered this part of the meal. K bought us all Halo Halo, a treat that layers shaved us and frozen condensed milk, with bits of fruit.

Following that delectable capstone to today’s journey, we headed over to San Ildfeonso de Toledo Catholic Church, built in 1563. There, we watched a procession of clergy and parishioners, quite common in the Philippines, following Sunday evening Mass.

Procession outside San Ildefonso de Toledo Church, Tanay
Courtyard of San Ildefonso de Toledo Church

After the procession cleared, we made our way over to Tanay Wawa Park, where a small lighthouse stands on the north side of the brackish Laguna de Bay Lake, actually an inlet of Manila Bay. The lake itself is a rich fishing haven, with sea grass and water lilies in abundance, adding a relaxing air to the park.

Wawa, a thriving fishing village, south of Tanay (Above and below)
Tilapia, freshly caught: To buy or not to buy. K and I concluded that lack of a cooler was a problem.
We were satisfied with the decision.
After talking with the fisherfolk, and my climbing the steps up to the top of Tanay Wawa Lighthouse, we headed back towards Manila-but not before stopping at Opus Mall, one of Pasig City’s most opulent. There, a “personal need” became the pretext for more photos. You have to know, I am a willing photographer.

Thus ended one of the sweetest days of this journey.

A Tanay Excursion-Part I

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Posted by on in collaborating, Hiking and Nature, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

October 26, 2024, Manila- The ants came marching, ten by ten, and the little one did NOT stop to do it again. The little black sugar ants were all over a piece of bamboo fence. When I rested my hand on the fence, they were all over me-and my camera. They don’t bite, but I brushed them off anyway. I warned Kathy about them, as she was about to put her hand on the same area. She wasn’t concerned, as they are not biters; but she also didn’t put her hand on the fence.

This was our introduction to Daranak Falls, which was officially closed, due to the effects of Typhoon Kristine. The caretaker let us take a few photos from the overlook and from just inside the walkway to the shuttered tourist huts. As you will see, there was no waterfall today. That is what severe typhoons do to rivers.

Tanay River, where the Falls usually hold forth. (above and below)
Four friends on a bouncing bridge (We didn’t jump around)

Next, we headed to a nearby cave attraction.

We all wore plastic hard hats, during the tour. That didn’t faze my favourite lady.
or the rest of us, for that matter.

Now, here are some views from inside the cave.

Near the entrance
Stalactite time
Into a crevice
In the Great Room
A goblin hangs out
A pillar has formed(Fusing of a stalactite and a stalagmite)
One last scene in the cave,
and one at the far entrance. We could not exit the cave here, as there was waste-high water in the final cavern room. So, we went back the way we came, and circled around on the surface. You can see how disappointed we all were.

Going back into Tanay City was its own little adventure. Being told by villagers that the short-cut to the main road was washed out, it took the four of us going to the back of the van, in order for the driver, Arjun, to back it up a hill and turn around at the small store.

In the next post, we look at the in-town delights of a church that was built in 1563 and a small park, on Manila Bay, that is centered on a lighthouse.

After Effects

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

October 25, 2024, Manila- Today produces a short and sweet note. The lingering effects of Typhoon Kristine have left museums shuttered, due to staff being asked not to travel and parks closed for maintenance, due to debris everywhere and fallen trees. So, I got to hang out and catalogue my photographs from Ayala Museum and Dumaguete.

Kathy has organized one last outing for this visit, to a town northeast of here, in a mountainous region. That will happen tomorrow, and four other ladies will join us. Group outings have long been a Filipino tradition and I have seen only joy and laughter coming from groups that travel in this way. We’ve had some great times together, both last year and this. I will do whatever I can to make sure this continues.

The after effects of love and kindness are more love and kindness. Those of hardness and distancing are either more hardness and distancing, or a mature soul saying “Enough” and showing the way to a kinder, gentler way of dealing with each other. The after effects of a persistent, but humble way of generosity and caring are a gradual softening of the resistance put up by someone who has suffered much in the past.

These are just some of the thoughts that run through my mind, on this lazy day after the latest typhoon.

Sky Way

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal goals, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

October 23, 2024, Manila- The area between the entrance to Terminal 3 and the taxi stands, at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, is rife with touts, every one of whom wants to charge double or triple the fare charged by metered taxis, or even GRAB (Uber-type) vehicles. I have learned to walk straight ahead, saying “Excuse me!”, in a firm tone. The lady who mocked, saying “Get out of way!”, was a GRAB imposter, who still wanted twice the fare. I told her no, and went over to the meter booth.

The driver took me to Ola! Hostel, via the Skyway, for which the passenger (rightfully, in my view) pays the toll of 35 PhP (Philippine pesos) on top of the fare. It is a much nicer drive, with little slow downs and, at lunch time anyway, no gridlock. I arrived at Ola! seventeen minutes after leaving NAIA.

It has just been that sort of day. I was very warmly welcomed back to the hostel, and to the Baha’i Center, in late afternoon. My darling had news of her own: She has landed the job that she had sought, before last week’s loss of a dear Baha’i community member and this past weekend’s art gallery opening ( by K’s good friend), which I missed for the sake of connecting with an old friend from Mesa, AZ, who now lives in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental.

She will be busy for several months, and that’s a good thing. I will also be busy, once I get back to Home Base I. There is a lot going on, just before the election and immediately afterward. November and December promise to pass with lightning speed. Through all of it, I will be encouraging Kathy, every day. I will see her again in February, during a short visit here, that will focus on a few important tasks.

Picking up on the ways to navigate this sometimes chaotic, but vibrant, society is coming to me organically. There are aspects that will also be very useful in the months to come, back in the United States.