August 4, 2025- Another cancer patient of long-suffering winged his flight to the Spirit Realm, this morning, as I was preparing for a day of service. Like my friend who died yesterday, this man had been receiving the emotional, spiritual and material support of many, who were hoping against hope for a cure. Like my friend, he was simply suffering too much and called to the Divine for release.
Each day brings a passage of sorts to each of us. One either gets stronger, or weaker, or holds the line, in the course of the passage. Each change in body, mind and spirit happens according to which life lessons have been absorbed by the soul. Sometimes, as the body has earned its rest, the spirit goes on to a higher realm. Other times, as there are still life lessons to be absorbed and actions that must be taken by the individual, physical life continues. This is my limited understanding of the process.
I, like Robert Frost’s protagonist, in “Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening”, “have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep”. The promises kept today were serving as Blood Donor Ambassador at a Red Cross drive in Prescott Valley and serving at the Monday evening Soup Kitchen. There will be several others, locally, that encompass this month. September and October’s promises go further afield; November’s will be fulfilled back here; December’s will be a mix; next year’s fall between the Philippines, Texas and Arizona. “Promise not that which ye don’t fulfill”.
We essentially engage in passages, so that those who paved the way for us might feel fulfilled and those who are following after us might see an illumined path. If I can do both, this life will continue to be well worth each day. My forebears watch from the next world and my progeny look on expectantly. I feel a lot of encouraging energy.
August 3, 2025- A friend, who was a First Responder, passed on today, after a lengthy bout with cancer. The circumstances of his job most likely led to a build-up, of toxic materials, over time. This may very well have led to his untimely passing.
Many don’t think of the sacrifices that police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians give, each day. Their loved ones know, first hand, of both the long hours on the job, and the uncertainty of their return home at end of shift. We, the public, experience these realities on occasions such as the collapse of the World Trade Center, in September, 2001 and the wildfires in Yarnell, AZ and in El Dorado County, CA. (2013 and 2014, respectively).
For so many other First Responders, death is not immediate, but happens as it did with my friend, with a painful slowness. Over a thousand firefighters and police officers involved in the response to September 11, 2001’s horrific carnage have died from the after effects of that incident.
Their loved ones carry their pain as well, and suffer themselves, both along with the victim and long after his/her passing. It is worthwhile, for their sakes, and in honour of the services made, for each of us to be discerning, in our own dealings with First Responders, especially at the local level.
August 2, 2025- Half of the large and amazing farm family were gathered under the little tent, enjoying the artificial, but soft, “grass” and managing to stay out of the heat, whilst enjoying the afternoon breeze. They stayed long after the crowds had departed the Market, but none of us on staff were eager to displace them while there was other work to be done. They are avid supporters of the Prescott Farmers Market and themselves run a family farm, about twenty-five miles north of here. They were, therefore, allowed to stay and relax, until “their” tent was the only thing left to put away.
I am one who will gladly give people the courtesy of lingering, so long as my teammates and I are not taken for granted. The family mentioned above would be mortified if they felt that they were being inconsiderate. (I have visited their homestead several times, and they are most gracious.) Conversely, on Monday evenings, I wait long enough so as not to rush Soup Kitchen guests through their meals-but 5:30 p.m. is the limit set by those on the team who have worked since 10 a.m. So, sometimes it means things might get a bit tense, with those who have little sense of time. It is important to show them that courtesy goes both ways.
We have reached a point where those whose primary value is self-reliance and those who cherish achievements as a group have somehow separated from one another. There is what I consider an artificial division between the two, largely fueled by our culture of anonymity, the overvaluing of personal opinion and of course, the wirepullers- opportunists who alternately whisper and harangue. When I go about tasks of service, working with some at various points along the political spectrum, I find that when the goal is understood, the results are the same.
When profit, a worthy pursuit to the extent that it provides for the well-being of many people, is allowed to exceed the public weal in importance, there is an imbalance. When one’s stated opinions, valuable to the aggregate of the community, are given more importance than the views of others, there begins a process of stagnation. I believe that, once views are stated, they belong to the group to which they are directed. They become part of what is hopefully a healthy conversation and ideally contribute to a solution.
I believe that, big tent or small, there is room for many.
August 1, 2025- Sydney Sweeney is not a plaything. The marketing of clothing, using homophonic words that could be construed as subliminal references to their lexicographic “mates”, is unfortunate, and may or may not be intentionally so, or even a source of double-entendre. The last conclusion that should be drawn from this matter is that it is “okay” to cast aspersions on a human being, because of her/his legitimate work. I would hope that Ms. Sweeney would quickly and forcefully stand up for herself, if these advertisements continue to be taken the wrong way.
For the record, I do not personally find any one ethnicity, age group or phenotype any more inherently attractive than any other. I hope Sydney takes pride in her appearance and takes care of her overall health. I hope the same for anyone, of any age. That wish is just basic human decency. I hope each person is also able to realize his/her dreams, so long as these are not hurtful to others.
None of us should be viewed as a toy or object to be manipulated, by anyone else. If that desire to manipulate is a challenge for someone, then it is something for that person to overcome, much like a physical addiction. It is not something for a target or victim to just “endure”. That is my take on all of the physical/sexual abuse allegations and scandals that are current.
July 31, 2025- Every so often, in places I’ve lived or in jobs I’ve held, there was a feeling of being fully occupied and my presence was justified, but there was no real connection. This is an actual emotion, called Mal de Coucou. It was most common for me in the early ’70s, when many groups engaged in performative camaraderie- and in the marketing “clubs” of the 2000s, where people engaged in similar pretense of teamwork.
Paro, the sense that I am not getting anything right, has hit more times than I can count. The inner nagging stopped, when I came to the realization that more good things were happening on my watch than their opposites.
Jouska, the playing out of imaginary conversations, was a bugbear of my autism, in adolescence and even into young adulthood. The key to getting past this was making actual connections, making Jouska an outflow of Mal de Coucou.
Ecstatic shock is a sudden jolt coming from even so much as a brief glance, from someone you have not seen before. For me, this has happened a half dozen or so times, exclusively from women. One was with me for 29 years afterward. One still connects with me by Instant Messaging, once a week or so, until I can see her again.
There are ten other emotions with names not commonly used in American culture. They may be seen below. All make perfect sense, in their context. How many have you felt?
July 30, 2025- One morning in late May, 1975, I awoke at a camp site, in Mount Greylock State Reservation, centered on Massachusetts’ highest peak. After getting myself together, I walked down to a spot where several teenagers were chatting, they having camped after their senior prom. After a fashion, I was asked why I wasn’t more friendly. I had no real answer at the time, other than “I just haven’t had my coffee yet”. (Cue the eye rolls). It did set me to thinking, though, as to just how important other people were to me, at that stage in my life. Gradually, over the past 50 years, being congenial has assumed importance to me at some times more than at others.
This afternoon, I came across an article about the range of interactions between customers and workers, at grocery stores and restaurants. Some, in both roles, are geared more towards an exchange mindset-more focused on getting the business done. Others are more relational, in their interactions. They enjoy small talk, visiting, hobnobbing-just getting to know people better.
I could say that I am somewhere in the middle of that continuum. There is, though, more of a foundation of being relational in my interactions. Everyone, it seems, appreciates being asked how their day is going and to be wished well, at the close of the interaction, no matter how cut and dried a business exchange it is. Some lonely people need more time, and it can be hard to ease one’s way loose, when there is pressing business at hand. I have managed the tightrope act fairly well, especially in the past twenty years.
Penny taught me the skill of deferred attention, i.e. “Hold that thought, while I take care of this other matter” or “Let me get back to you on that.” It has reaped dividends over the years, and yes, I do get back to people-even if it takes a week or two. Sometimes, they are surprised when I do get back to them, as it may have slipped their busy minds as well-but the continuation, or the closure, is much appreciated.
The truth seems to be that, even in business, a purely exchange-oriented stance will not reap long-term benefits. Elon Musk’s comment that “Empathy is a weakness of Western society” does not augur well for continued success in living. One can’t be tethered to other people’s private lives, but neither can one be totally unmoored.
I rather enjoy both the pleasure of many friends’ company and the satisfaction of accomplishing honest deeds, both of commerce and of service.
July 29, 2025- A friend, who I visited today, has been a paragon of perseverance, over the past three months. After suffering severe injury, while on a trip abroad, he has endured multiple surgeries and lengthy periods of lying down, along with intense physical therapy. His wife, as is only natural, has been his rock. It was clear to me, during and after the visit, that he is going to make it through and show the right way to resilience.
Shades of 2004? Perhaps, with today’s 8.8 earthquake, off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Penninsula, generating some tsunami activity. Much of this may affect the islands of the Pacific Basin, the west coasts of North and South America, the east coasts of Asia, from Russia and Japan to the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia and the north and east coasts of Australia. A lot was learned in December, 2004, so people are already headed inland or to higher ground. With wisdom and learning from experience, communities and nations can stay strong.
Here in Home Base 1, our main concern is watching a wildfire that is 200 miles away, and keeping one eye on the extended period of dryness. So far, we have made it through the fire season locally, without much difficulty. Rain is falling to the east and may well be here again by Thursday. Even when “putting up with” extended sunshine, we need to focus on staying strong.
July 28, 2025- On the way back from Coffee Klatsch, this morning, I passed the scene of an accident, at a surface street intersection. There were six bystanders helping, so I kept on going. A police car was en route to the scene, as I reached a block south. To be clear, I would have stopped and rendered what aid I could, had I been among the first on the scene. We make room for other people in our lives, without crowding theirs.
Towards evening, I witnessed a conflict between two men. Larger men than I stepped in and separated the two. One was escorted out of the building and the other stayed around, and cooled off. I later talked with the guy who stayed. I learned that he has been pushed around by people in the community, for some time. He also expressed gratitude for those of us who have treated him well. We are seen as more important, in his life, than the bullies-some of whom I know for a fact have been pushed around, themselves.
We are at a crossroads in our social being. Many have found themselves in a position where they are not sure whether their long-held convictions even make sense anymore. Some will just double down on those tenets and see where that leads. Others will seek to expand their mindsets, even turning their backs on the tried and true. In each case, though, none should merely be set aside nor should they be banned from expressing selves.
I could expand on this further, but for now, let’s just say that I am hard-wired to support the Big Tent. It’d be a sadder world, if everything were streamlined and homogenized-or even brought into a state of limited and forced-choice. Anything that doesn’t lead to the hurting of innocents or the vulnerable is on the table.
July 25,2025- I have often wondered if a young friend, who is seemingly in perpetual good cheer, ever experiences a downside. It’s a ridiculous musing, as no one escapes periods of downheartedness or disappointment. This morning, she had something of a disagreement with another person, while I was present, and thus my musings were answered. With steady support from a few of us, she shortly thereafter bounced back. Her underlying emotional foundation is solid, the signs of open-heartedness.
In my own experiences, over the past fifteen years or so, the same principle has kept me afloat. I can hardly say that life has been letter-perfect, but even the loss of my wife in 2011 did not result in a severe tailspin that might have ended my own well-being. We can see that there is another level of existence, beyond this one, and I still feel guidance from her spirit, as well as those of many others.
There were two Baha’i gatherings today: A small study session, this afternoon, focused on the purpose of prayer. It is clear that the main purpose is to open one’s heart to the Divine, and thus make possible the means to continued spiritual growth. The second session, this evening, looked at what is meant by “The Kingdom of God on Earth”. Likewise, that state of affairs will come gradually, and will be more realized when the majority of humanity turns to the Divine, and away from the trappings of ego. This may be a long process or one of intermediate length, but I sense that our species is on its way.
There will, no doubt, be shocks and setbacks ahead; however, the hearts of more people are increasingly being opened-either by their own choice or by dint of life taking hold of them, and imparting deep lessons.
July 24, 2025- There are days when a common thread wiggles its way through the ether, and draws in other threads, which become fastened to it, through a process not immediately comprehensible. Today was such a day. The common thread was my task of getting documentation for possible shelter venues for the American Red Cross.
I had completed the first visit, to Page Unified School District, yesterday, and had made it back to Flagstaff, after a stop at Cameron Trading Post for a Navajo Taco meal. Saving about half of it for a second meal, later today, involved some positioning of the container in what is arguably the world’s smallest refrigerator. American Motor Hotel, where I spent last night, is a space-themed gem, looking somewhat like the brightly- painted lodging establishments now fairly common in the Los Angeles area. The in-room refrigerator is, well, unique and “interesting”. It is designed to hold maybe one or two cold beverages, and a couple of sandwiches. I got the meal container in there, by temporarily removing the shelf and inserting the container vertically.
All in all, though, Americana is a great place to spend a night or two, or even make a vacation of it, as there is an outdoor pool, a funky Mexican restaurant on site, a large outdoor patio area with shaded round tables and room decor that is both amusing (a blue orb that shines and rotates, when plugged in) and thought-provoking (framed posters). The congenial desk staff seals the deal, with cheerful attention to every guest and offering reusable metal water bottles as welcome gifts. Thus, my overnight in Flagstaff became a mini-break from the business at hand. Breakfast at an old East Flagstaff favourite, Miz Zip’s, was a further delight, with homemade corned beef hash as a well-enjoyed choice. Sedona, the lone server when I first came in, was cheerful and attentive to all, even as nearly twenty people showed up after I came in and sat down. Mz. Zip’s has lost none of the ambiance it had when I lived here in 1980-81.
East Flagstaff has its share of fun places, but it was time to head out towards Native American Baha’i Institute, a three-hour drive eastward. The ride was smooth, and traffic moderate, especially once I got past Winslow. I got there, greeted those present, in the Navajo way, with a handshake and “Yaa’tey” (Good day), and went over the requisite forms for a Shelter Survey. Then, it was time for a mini-birthday celebration for one of the elders, with cake. A discussion followed, about non-Navajos hunting elk on the Reservation, by using helicopters. It doesn’t surprise me that this is being done, but I expressed my view that the Navajo Nation Council should be the arbiter of such practices. The elders agreed, and one of them has already filed a complaint with his councilman.
Wanting to get back to Home Base by early evening, I bid farewell to the Dineh friends and drove back towards I-40. Close to the entry point, I encountered a lady who said that a car was on fire up ahead. Lo and behold, a Navajo Police officer had parked near the vehicle that was indeed on fire. Saying a silent prayer for the safety of all concerned, I thanked the lady and turned around, being able to warn another driver about the situation, before taking the detour to the highway. A fire truck and water tanker came by, just before I hit the road.
That brings me to the next unanticipated thread. I gave a ride to a Dineh man who was heading, via circuitous route, to his granddaughter’s birthday party, far to the south. Turns out, he has been working for a modular home manufacturing company, which closed its factory in Page, just this week. The situation is complex, but here is a man, one of many, who is being left high and dry. This is the first I had heard of the situation, but it would not be the last. I heard him out, and got him to a location, south of Holbrook, from where he could catch a further ride. The rest of the drive home, via Winslow, Clints Well and Camp Verde, was serene and in fairly light traffic. I enjoyed the rest of the Navajo Taco in the comfort of Home Base I.
Thus did the thread of my main effort, getting the process going for Red Cross shelters in two more localities, find itself interwoven with wildlife conservation and protection, the housing industry’s woes and their effect on workers and their families and the pleasurable lodging and dining options on Flagstaff’s east side. It was a good 48 hours.
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A Sagittarian Seeker 