Staying My Course

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on April 20, 2020 in collaborating, Community, distraction issues, Education, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving

April 19, 2020-

Sitting in my comfortable abode, I am pondering the various reactions to both COVID-19 and to the policies that have arisen in its wake. I base my own responses, to the cacophany of ideas, pleas and outright demands that people are making, of one another and of the powers that be, on my inner voice and on the messages from my spirit guides.

1. Isolate, or sally forth- Many say: Stay put, you’re old and at risk! Others say: Don’t let the “guvmint” tell you what to do. Get out and enjoy life!! Me: I have lots to do around Home Base, for now. I can get out, just a bit, support restaurant friends and the Farmers’ Market, with take out orders, wash my clothes and take a nature walk, now and then. I will hang close to home, until at least June 1.

2. Get tested, or lie low- Mainstream health activists say: Get tested! Some add: What’s so terrible about getting microchipped? Others say: Don’t trust Big Pharma-or the Gates Foundation!! Diet and exercise will suffice. Me: I will get tested, if the public health experts mandate testing for the whole populace. I would only get vaccinated IF there was a guarantee that no human body parts were used in the serum, not to mention any heavy metals (Mercury, lead, etc.) . I will never agree to be Microchipped. I do have a predominately organic diet, free of GMOs and use only natural supplements, derived from therapeutic grade essential oils.

3. Open society back up, or extend restrictions- We basically see that ultraconservatives and people of colour are in rare agreement, in demanding that society open back up, immediately. Watching white supremacists and Native American activists say the same thing is quite fascinating. The Other Side says everything from: “Give this two or three more months” to “Whatever we do, let’s not open schools back up until the vaccine is ready-even if it’s August, 2021. In fact, let’s keep everything shut down until that day comes.” This scenario-partly pragmatic, but mostly fear-based, is wishful thinking, and would probably require martial law in order to be effected. Me: I go with 1-2 more months, with society gradually opening up, in the meantime. Schools ought to carefully re-open- one month late, in places, in September, of THIS year.

These are my humble responses, or additions, to the cacophany.

Point of the Arrow, Tip of the Spear

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on April 13, 2020 in collaborating, distraction issues, impediments, Personal Values, Spiritual, Striving

April 13-

My most cherished action figures in the entertainment world have been archers. Their pursuit of quarry entails perfect accuracy. The arrow and its manually-propelled cousin, the spear, must land on point, in order to be effective. So must it be with those seeking justice.

In a matter that has drawn the attention of some who are investigating sex trafficking in this country and in other parts of the world, an unsettled man has chosen a delicate moment to renew charges of cannibalism in the U.S. food supply, charges which were raised, and swiftly debunked, in 2014. This is, simply put, a time when many have raw nerves. Many want to believe the most lurid of charges, perhaps as a salve to their more concrete insecurities.

Baha’u’llah teaches us to investigate truth independently. This is hard for human beings, especially those who crave approval. It is hard for others, in a different way. People who see things through a different lens than most, also need to have at least SOME others take their views seriously. So, we see those who view life as to be lived independently, without a group determining what goes and what doesn’t, finding high crimes and misdemeanours as being committed exclusively by liberals and progressives. Those who believe that life needs to be lived collectively, see conservatives and reactionaries as the villains.

What actually seems to be the case is that there are heroes, and villains, on both sides of the aisle. Rather than ideology tripping up an individual, it is one’s view of self that brings a person down. There are elitists and miscreants, galore, all along the political spectrum. No ideology is a guarantor of sainthood.

My own view, such as it has evolved over the years, is that justice needs to not so much be blind, as to be laser-focused. There are conspiracy tales afloat that have turned out to be true, debunkers who are fraudulent and vice versa. Much in the mainstream is verifiable; other parts of it are sheep fodder. Some of what seems insipid balderdash, turns out, upon closer examination, to merit a closer look.

In the past two weeks, I have listened to claims that, six months ago, I’d have dismissed out of hand. The Epstein affair changed a lot of how I view such matters, though there is still a smell test that needs passing. The most odious behviour in the world is the sexual abuse of children and teenagers. Close behind is sexual abuse, in general, followed by the practice that engineers both: Human trafficking.

All three merit the most intense and unrelenting investigation and prosecution. All three have no one, amongst their perpetrators, who is above the law. The point of the arrow and the tip of the spear should find their way to any deserving target. ( I mean this figuratively, of course. As tempting as it is to put pedophiles and sex traffickers out of their misery, we must maintain the rule of law.)

Lessons from Flubs

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on April 2, 2020 in distraction issues, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Striving

April 2, 2020-

Never let it be said that I have it all together. Each day brings its share of little victories, but there are also those times when I’m all thumbs. Each flub, though, brings a lesson.

This morning, I found myself in front of my laptop screen, trying to take part in an online Yoga class, while keeping myself visible on the Zoom screen AND Keeping the laptop plugged in. It was a comedy of errors, which I’m glad the instructor could not see.

SOLUTION: For the next session, whenever that is, I will simply bring the laptop and power cord over to my floor-based power strip, and make myself both visible and ready to roll.

I was up until midnight, waiting for a Facebook Live, which never showed, so my equilibrium was a bit off, and I napped longer, mid-afternoon, than I had planned, thus missing a Zoom call that WAS showing.

SOLUTION: Don’t stay up until midnight, for a definite maybe. Find someone who was on the call, OTHER THAN the host, and get an update.

I kept forgetting what Zoom call was going to be when.

SOLUTION: The big whiteboard that I had bought in December, for travel planning, is now my Zoom Calendar board. I also keep a Google calendar, for good measure.

Small matters, but they do impart lessons, for what may become larger events, when one has to be “on-game” much of the time.

Stop the Squeeze

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 23, 2020 in collaborating, Community, distraction issues, Historical, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Striving

March 23, 2020-

I watched a video last night, which, while not made by a Baha’i, explains Baha’u’llah’s vision of a unified planet, perfectly. The part that is most relevant for what we are seeing now is this: Earth is in the beginning stages of cleansing, with simultaneous earth quakes and a huge humanitarian crisis forming the physical manifestations of that cleansing. What is most needed, for us to build out of these calamities, is true unity of the human race. This is starting to appear in several countries, with the United States conspicuous in its absence from their number.

Instead, what we are seeing is the same intense squabbling over details of a national response that has been part of the American scene since the Constitutional Convention of 1781-88. Back then, there was no real nation, so the states and territories had time to sit and hash things out. The governors and legislators, back home, had matters pretty much in hand.

Governors and legislatures have things in hand today, as well, to varying degrees. At the Federal level, though, no such luck. The two “sides” have pretty much continued throwing bones to their bases, forgetting that, in a pinch, liberals and conservatives left to themselves, without being poked and prodded from above, can get along quite nicely. I have friends on all points along the spectrum, and do not think of any of them as worthless or a waste of DNA. Everyone has a piece of the truth.

The jigsaw puzzle, though, is being kept unfinished by perfectionist wire-pullers, for whom a solution would be like poison. For them, being in positions of power is the most critical state of affairs. Unity, in their view, would lead to wisdom among the populace, who would then cease to follow the leaders.

More’s the pity. Unity among the people would only enhance the grand national economy, cherished by conservatives. Unity would decrease, drastically, the number of marginalized people, a major concern of liberals and progressives. It would show that “white nationalism” is a myth made up out of whole cloth and would also diminish the need for a the trappings of a Nanny State-so counterproductive to human dignity.

It can be accomplished in either of two ways: Leaders showing the resolve to put the country ahead of any personal or partisan ambitions, and encouraging people to work together OR fed-up groups taking matters into their own hands, with a possibly long and bloody conflict, that would make the Civil War look like childsplay.

It is time, past time, to stop squeezing the bases. Let it be known that love of country and its people, at long last trumps ambition.

The Tide

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 20, 2020 in Assistance, collaborating, Community, distraction issues, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

March 20, 2020-

I awoke today to a sky that was mixed, in its promises for the day. As it happened, clouds came and went, allowing a basically sunny day. I spent much of the day reflecting on a piece that I had written in 1996, which my brother forwarded me, early this morning.

The day stayed mixed. I was not surprised to learn that work is delayed until April 13, at the earliest. Swinging by Raven Cafe, one of my hangouts, I ordered delectable mushroom soup and a lamb burger with sweet potato fries, as a take-out meal. Enjoying the soup, sitting outside, whilst watching the antics of a trio of dogs and talking with some of my mates, was arguably the high point of the day. I took the lamb burger and SPF home, so as not to be a canine tormentor. It tasted every bit at home,as it would have in public.

After catching up with my photo scanning project, on behalf of a longtime friend, I got a call to head out on a project for a revitalized Yavapai County Angels, delivering food boxes to an elder, picking up more supplies for further deliveries, over the next several days and visiting one of our local grocery stores, as my teammate was hoping against hope for paper products and loaves of bread to give to other elders. I found three fresh-baked loaves (packaged loaves went the way of toilet paper and most other items. These will go to some fortunate senior citizen.

The matter of the near future arose, as it always does of late. There is an ominous feeling, among many of the people I encountered. Everyone was rattled, to some extent or another, so I kept a low profile, though my saying that grocery stores were still open in states that were on lock-down provoked a furious response.

The tide is roiling. We can perform random acts of kindness, as many are choosing to do, or we can sequester ourselves in racism and intolerance of any divergent opinions, as even some close to me are starting to do. This is not a “Chinese” virus, or even an Asian virus, as the president and a few others keep claiming. It is a worldwide threat, no matter who, or what malevolent force, unleashed it. The whole of humanity has to move, in unison, to fight it.

I will continue to help in any way I can, for as long as my 69-year-old self is allowed, and as long as those who are committed to forcing drastic measures, such as martial law, are not allowed to hold sway, we will make progress, acting as a community.

Certitude In A Time of Pestilence

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 16, 2020 in collaborating, Community, distraction issues, impediments, Inner Struggles, Personal Values, Social, Striving

March 16, 2020-

In the Turkish Netflix series, “The Protector”, the complex villain tells the title character how easy he made it for her to both subject the populace of Istanbul to an epidemic of plague and to subsequently present the people with a “cure”, which had consequences he couldn’t foresee.

The current reaction of many people to the menace of Coronavirus 19 is similar to that of the Turkish masses, in the SciFi drama. Fear has led many to either abandon trust in the ability of government, medical professionals and humanitarian organizations or to cling even more tightly to shopworn ideologies and biases, vis-a-vis ANY intervention by those in authority, while confronting this pandemic.

Magical thinking, and trust in the platitudes of populists and demagogues, both in the TV series and in much of the American scene today, has replaced logic and fortitude. See someone whose politics they dislike, and the bleats go up-and on.

I have to observe, and evaluate, the efforts being made by ALL responsible parties, and never mind their ideologies. Any less, and the pandemic will not see its “curve flattened”; rather, it will continue to spike, again and again-like the Plagues of the Fourteenth and Sixteenth Centuries. The experience of Europeans, during the first plague, is instructive for us now. Relying on the words of the ignorant will only reap horror.

Certitude, in this current time of pestilence, can only be found in placing trust in competent physicians and proactive government officials-regardless of one’s own ideology.

“I’m Up Here”

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 9, 2020 in collaborating, Community, distraction issues, Personal Values, Social, Striving

March 9, 2020-

The above statement is often made by a woman who is reacting, in a gently upbraiding manner, to having a man (or boy) focusing his attention on her torso. I haven’t had that sort of correction being offered me, up to now, though it’s been a self-teaching process, over the years, to direct my attention to a person’s eyes, as we are engaged in conversation. My autism had me looking down, anyway, so I recognize the imperative of eye contact- if for no other reason than to establish trust. Besides, it takes three seconds to ascertain if someone is physically attractive; there’s no reason to stare.

It seems to be working, especially these past fifteen years, and definitely of late. The ubiquity of those who are either wearing tight clothing, or are “scantily clad” is something I’ve come to regard as mostly for the person’s comfort. I find Millennial and Generation Z females both more modest in their interpersonal behaviour and more assertive with regard to their rights in the public sphere, than many of my generation were at the same age. That may not be everyone else’s conclusion, but it’s what I see, in the course of my work, in my travels and at musical gatherings, such as the one I attended yesterday. Then again, there is the fact that my relationship to the rising generations is one of mentoring, affirmation and overall support.

I like to engage people “up here”.

How Far?

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 2, 2020 in collaborating, distraction issues, Family, impediments, Inner Struggles, Personal Values, Social, Striving

March 2, 2020-

Chris Matthews retired as host of the news show, “Hardball”, with this evening’s broadcast. He’s not someone I have watched very much, if at all. Talking over one’s guests isn’t something that would have gone over well, when I was growing up.

He comes to mind for a different reason, though. One of the things he is reported to have said this evening, is that he was sorry for constantly telling the women on his program that they were beautiful.

It took many years, but a former student of mine pointed out, a bit sarcastically, that this is not the first thing a woman, or a girl for that matter, wants to hear about herself, first. I began, at that point, to think more of the actual skills the person has, and of how to compliment those. Beauty is not a skill, so however attractive I might find someone, the sensible thing is to focus on what can keep her in the loop, can help her grow.

We might think, in this month that celebrates Women’s History, of just how far we have come, as a species, in the area of gender relations. My grandparents’ generation would have been mortified, had women gone out on the street in slacks, less-than-full length skirts or, God-forbid, shorts. Women rarely drove cars.

My parents’ generation saw women exercising more options, when it came to dress, and certainly most women drove cars. Working outside the home was one area on which progress was a bit lacking-other than teachers, secretaries, cashiers and nurses.

There was a lot of “break-out”, both socially and vocationally, with my generation. The Women’s Liberation Movement took me aback, when I got home from Vietnam, in 1971, though it might not have. Young Vietnamese girls were telling us that they heard “Mi “(American) girls were thinking more for themselves, and therefore they, the Vietnamese, expected to do the same. There was an incident where a girl told me I was not her type. The other guys at the table about fell out of their seats. I left her alone; then again, I did that routinely in the States, so it was nothing new, for me. For a girl in southeast Asia, though, it was a big step forward.

When women started opening doors for men, letting us board buses first and talking fiercely about not wanting to be on a pedestal, it began to sink in that this Movement was resulting in lasting change, however maudlin it appeared. It was the beginning of the end for “Prince Charming”, who actually ended up being a villain in one of the more contemporary Disney films.

That has suited me just fine. I was married to a woman who eclipsed me, intellectually, and, since her passing, have preferred the company of women friends who have clear goals, and make no excuses for their dreams and their drive-in fact, who make no excuses for anything in their lives.

While there is much to be done, as yet, I would answer the question, “How far have we come, in the area of gender relations?”, by saying how proud I am to be in the company of so many who are sure of themselves and can be persistent, with no fear of being pushed back into the corner.

By What Measure?

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 1, 2020 in collaborating, Community, distraction issues, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

March 1, 2020-

This month has not come in like a lion, at least not in Arizona. Our forecast had called for rain, but bright and sunny, it was. It may, or may not, rain/snow tomorrow, and that’s the celestial version of Arizona’s independent spirit.

Today was the first day of the Nineteen-Day Fast, during which every Baha’i between the ages of 15-70, who is in good health, is not traveling and not doing heavy manual labour, abstains from food and drink, from sunrise to sunset, for a period of nineteen days.

With my 70th birthday coming in November, this is my last time of such abstaining. My work schedule is truncated, this spring, for reasons of my own keeping a mission to help a disabled teen. Thus, the sacrifice appears, at first blush, to be minimal-but we’ll see what transpires.

I spent a couple of hours, this evening, with a small group of college students, whose own mission is to work at building a sustainable society. This is another passion of mine, one which does not depend on ideological divides or limiting one’s circle of friends, unnecessarily. The group is led by a confident and forthright young woman, who is close to her family, and by a very independent young man, who lives in his car-by choice. The two could not be more opposite, yet both represent the commitment to facing the issues being inherited by the three rising generations.

The six of us who gathered at Sustainability Lounge watched the film, “Princess Mononoke”, an anime story about the seemingly inherent conflict between industry and nature. In it, a minor Japanese noble is wounded by a demonic creature which is attacking villages in a hateful rage. The nobleman kills the demon, but not without cost to himself. He embarks on a journey, to find the source of the demon’s rage, fighting and killing samurai and meeting a cryptic “monk”, along the way.

Eventually, the nobleman finds himself in the home area of the Spirit of the Forest, as well as being brought to its opposite, a dingy industrial fortress, where iron is smelted by a mix of lepers and rescued prostitutes. It is run by a warrior woman, who reminded me obliquely, of Tina Turner’s Auntie Entity, from “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome”.

The predictable ultimate battle takes place, with sub-battles occurring between competing groups of animals and humans alike. The nobleman meets a young woman who has been raised by wolves, and the two form a tentative, problematic friendship. There are severe losses, and new beginnings, for all the major characters in the story.

This all begs the question: By what measure do we determine what is beneficial and what is detrimental?