Category Archives: Inspiration

The Road to Diamond, Day 104: Efficiency

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

March 12, 2025, San Diego- The bow-tied server had my friend and I seated, took drink orders and was on the spot to take our meal orders, as soon as we put down the menus. The meal was delivered, fresh and hot, within fifteen minutes of our orders. On the flip side, he took our plates once they were empty and had check to table, and processed, within five minutes of taking my friend’s plate. Of course, once his work for us was done, we were free to sit in sobremesa for as long as we pleased. (This is the tradition of relaxing at table, after a meal has concluded.)

The lunch at Corky’s, in Ladera Ranch, northeast of San Clemente, was a prime example of intelligently executed efficiency-not plowing ahead, almost mindlessly, but carrying out one’s task with due consideration of everyone who is affected. Alberto, our server, deserves recognition for this. He probably would say it is the normal course of his work, but there we are.

I don’t always manage to get tasks done with the intelligently executed efficiency I would like. Sometimes, there are too many moving parts for the time frame that is established or I have too many items on my agenda. If others are involved, and their decision-making process is too fluid or changeable, I have to double back and find at least one or two work-arounds, just in case the process starts to look like Whack-a-Mole. If I have not given myself enough time, or rest, to be at my peak, it looks like I have my own game of Whack-a-Mole. Things are getting better, though, with allowing more time and focus.

I learn a lot from people like Alberto, and so paying attention to how others go about their jobs has reaped me a fair number of dividends. Things like overseeing a Red Cross shelter simulation, this coming Saturday or setting up a Baha’i election, to be held in mid-April, with notices sent out within the next week or so, are matters that require intelligent efficiency. For that matter, simpler and more quotidian tasks that affect other people deserve the same.

It’s fascinating what one can learn-when own leisure is the basis of someone else’s effort.

The Road to Diamond, Day 102: Ever Magical

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

March 10, 2025, San Diego- The first sight, when I opened the door in Yuma this morning, was of six splendid palm trees, in front of a Denny’s Restaurant that is being remodeled. The sight of these iconic signs of the tropics, at that early dawn hour, lent a magical tone to the waking time.

It was like that, across I-8. Though the scenery was not spectacular-mostly sand, to varying depths and heights of dune, followed by irrigated fields in the Imperial Valley and barren foothills of the Laguna Mountains, there was a sense that only good things were afoot. People were waved through two Border Patrol checkpoints and traffic, even in the eastern suburbs of San Diego, was fairly negligible.

Here in Ocean Beach, the ambiance was for relaxation. I will have several business items, both digital and real time, to tend while here, yet there is no outrageous urgency. The tide came in, as the sun was setting, and there were dozens of people romping in the surf, along with a dozen or so on Boogie Boards. The wharf is closed, due to structural weakness, so the top of the stairs is taking on prime lookout duties. One could go over to the jetty at Dog Beach, but that is for maybe tomorrow or Wednesday afternoon.

Along Newport Avenue, there were huge bubbles from someone’s random machine and children squealing and shouting with delight. Che and Chloe are still serving up heavenly pizza, and light meals, to cook in Samesun Hostel’s kitchen, are available in Krisp- across the street. I simply get a real sense of how a community best works, walking around OB. Both residents and visitors seem to flow well together. It is, in a real sense, everyone’s little town, in the midst of sprawling San Diego.

That is what has drawn me here, for the past four years.

The Road to Diamond, Day 101: A Book In The Rocks

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Posted by on in Community, Family, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

March 9, 2025, Yuma- Many years ago, one of my students told me that it would be very worthwhile to visit Picture Rocks Petroglyph Site, on her father’s reservation: The Tohono O’odham Gila Bend Band, about 20 miles west of the transportation hub known as Gila Bend.

I spent an hour or so with my overnight hosts, talking of a variety of topics, then went to Penny’s grave site. There, I found that the water for flower vases has been turned off and the restrooms at the National Cemetery have been closed. Whether this is part of the DOGE downsizing, or merely a water conservation measure, is uncertain. I just used some water I had in the Sportage, and left the flowers in vase at my angel’s site.

I found that my excess energy needed to be brought under control-with several little hiccups occurring, while I was fueling the SUV. So, a few deep breaths later, I was good to go. Traveling along some back roads towards I-10, and over to Buckeye, then down AZ 85, I had ample opportunity to get a grip on any impatience that may have been under the surface, and managed quite well. I’m sure that those on the receiving end of my patience were quite grateful.

I stopped at Picture Rocks, some 33 years after my student told me about them. It is a hidden gem, and then some. The petroglyphs are of two styles: Archaic, meaning they are primitive and were done by people who lived there before the Huhugam (ancestors of the Tohono and Akimel O’odham) and Gila, the work of the Huhugam. I walked around in amazement at the wealth of drawings on the south side of the rock mound, from its base to its summit. For whatever reason, there are no inscriptions on the west or north sides of the mound. It is fortunate that the mound is cordoned off, and visitors look at the petroglyphs from a short distance. Thus, there are no “Becca loves Jamison, 2022” and such.

Here are six of the scenes that I found at Picture Rocks.

Man vs. Bighorn sheep, Picture Rocks, AZ

A hunting expedition, Picture Rocks, AZ
View of the summit, Picture Rocks, AZ
Busy day in the village, Picture Rocks, AZ
More busy times, Picture Rocks, AZ
News from bottom to top, Picture Rocks, AZ

The scene is best viewed in person, but you get the “Picture”. (couldn’t resist).

The Road to Diamond, Day 100: Compassion in Action

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

March 8, 2025, Phoenix- The tall, silver-haired man stepped forward, as the wiry younger man with intense eyes walked up to a pair of young women who were working the management table at Farmers’ Market were doing their wrap-up work for the day. The ladies had noticed the bronzed military veteran walking about and talking to others, in a manner that seemed to make people uncomfortable. They were quite perturbed that he was still there, when there were only a few of us workers left.

The older man calmly helped one of the women, his daughter, in folding tablecloths, and when the ex-Marine asked if he might have one of the cloths to use as a blanket, replied that it was already needed for the table and, in any case, would not be very warm. For my part, I engaged the fellow veteran in conversation for a few minutes, letting him know where he could get a meal during the week, while I folded up a few tables. It was the father, keeping a careful, but calm eye out for his child’s safety, who showed the most compassion, getting the younger man a bag for the groceries he’d purchased or been comped and fetching a loaf of bread for him to take along. It was this which finally prompted the ex-Marine to leave.

We have many among us who are mentally ill, to some degree or another. I have had my own challenges, in that respect, and though I have come to function at a high level, cannot cast aspersions on those who are worse off. Of course, we need to hold other people to a modicum of civility, and not allow for abusive or overly intrusive behaviour. Women and children need to feel, and be, secure. Especially after the wanton murder of a young woman outside Mesa, a few weeks ago, my mind is all over keeping a safe environment. The man in question seemed to merely want company and to engage in conversation, even if it were in a looping manner. It was just not the right time and place for him to engage the women.

After he left, a group of us helped one of the vendors who was agitated for an entirely different reason, and took down his tents, while he tended to the matter at hand. It is always a matter of regarding people as family.

Once this was all in the rear view mirror, I got things together and hopped in the Sportage, heading down to a gathering at the home of an old friend. About thirty people gathered for dinner and a wide range of conversations about everything from spirituality to the modern circus. The ambiance, as always at this house, was one of universal compassion and love for mankind. After seeing people I had not seen for several years and meeting many new friends, I have retired to my room for the night, satisfied that it will remain compassion, rather than self-interest, that will carry the day.

The Road to Diamond, Day 98: Dribs and Drabs Again

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

March 6, 2025- There was about an inch of snow that fell here, this morning. Dribs and drabs, and gone by noon. There is a better chance of accumulation tomorrow, so we’ll see. I stopped by a coffee shop that offers a hang-out for teens, just to see what it looks like. School was in session, so there was a lone young man staffing the counter and there were a couple of ladies running the office. Three workmen were doing repairs on a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC). I got a cup of joe to go and moved along, saving the coffee for later and getting lunch at a downtown bagel shop that has several nice sandwich options. It was a good day for lox and cream cheese, with capers.

The Red Cross monthly meeting provided all the information I needed, in order to set up and run a shelter simulation-a week from Saturday. My team is poised and ready, and we will finalize the preparations next Friday. As for my acting as Sheltering Lead for this area, that will be decided next Friday, also.

I sat in on the Prescott Indivisible chapter meeting this evening. It focused on civics- helping those in attendance brush up on state government. This is something that everyone ought to know, so it was time well spent. There was not a whole lot of counterproductive bickering about personalities, which was gratifying. I see that the Governor of California has come out as opposing boys playing in girls’ sports. Personally, I think there are probably enough transgender athletes that they could compete against one another. On the other hand, there are times where girls take part in traditionally “boys-only” sports, like baseball and tackle football, so I think such matters need to be weighed carefully-on a case by case basis.

I ended the day by proofreading a paper by a Baha’i student from Indonesia, who I had met whilst in the Philippines, last month. It focused on an ecumenical ceremony hosted by some Buddhists, using traditional Javanese spiritual practices. I found the whole premise quite enlightening. It is called Ruwatan and is a means for fostering respect for diversity.

Sometimes, a day full of dribs and drabs works out quite well.

The Road to Diamond, Day 97: Ties That Bind

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Education, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

March 5, 2025- Today marked the 14th anniversary of Penny’s passing. I kept a low profile, mostly reading, talking with Aram on the phone, then gratefully getting and replying to a message from Kathy. In the afternoon, I joined a couple of friends in prayer, then watched an interesting podcast, an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience that focused on those who communicate non-verbally, either by spelling out words on paper or through telepathy.

The presenter, Ky Dickens, is also known for her series, The Telepathy Tapes. She has worked with several non-verbal people, both high school students and adults. Ky described her experiences in verifying her subjects’ telepathic abilities. One student was able to read Portuguese and Japanese, without having actually studied the languages. The student could also decipher hieroglyphics, with accuracy verified by an Egyptologist. Another could accurately describe what Ms. Dickens was thinking, on several occasions, from a distance of ten miles.

Joe was quite intrigued by the evidence that Ky Dickens offered, allowing plenty of room to consider the ties that bind us, as an energy field. We ourselves are likely energy fields, not dissimilar to gravity and magnetism. The discourse branched out from that comparison, to the subject of animal awareness. Joe, an avid hunter, noted what he has observed deer and wolves. Mule deer have evolved as a species of alacrity, ever alert to the presence of mountain lions, their primary predator. Wolves have developed a strategy of one of the pack chasing predators while one or two others lie in wait further along the way. Any dog or cat owner knows that animals have a sensitivity to the energy emitted by their humans. Horses, likewise, have a multitude of sensitivities to magnetism and electricity.

There was finally a consideration of how society could develop sensitivity to the non-verbals, and draw out their talents, not regard them as mentally deficient, as has often been the case in the past. Joe also cautioned against allowing people with telepathic sensitivities to be manipulated by unscrupulous forces.

Both he and Ky agreed that unity is the most basic manifestation of love, and that non-verbal people show a greater capacity, in that respect. Having worked with autistic and Downs Syndrome children and teens, I heartily concur with their assessment. Ky also welcomes viewers to watch her series, and to ask reasonably skeptical questions, in order to research the subject on their own. I think Penny would agree.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-telepathy-tapes/id1766382649

The Road to Diamond, Day 95: Un-central

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

March 3,2025- The Department of Homeland Security is exploring a policy of having its staff members fan out over the country, with considerably fewer people stationed in Washington, DC. This would seem to be a far saner course of action, than the scorched earth approach being taken by so many other agencies and departments, in seeking to save taxpayer dollars.

In the few executive positions I have occupied, in my educational career, it has been my greatest joy to meet people in the various communities I served. Spending some time in the office, or with my supervisors at headquarters, can hardly be avoided, but when I noticed co-workers playing Solitaire on the computer or having paper airplane tossing contests, it just confirmed to me that it was best to get out and visit people where they lived.

There were a couple of agencies where my getting out of the building was neither approved nor appreciated afterward. Those particular supervisors had need of a coterie of supporters, seated and waiting for instructions. It did not surprise me, when they found themselves being ushered out the door by the Governing Board.

With that, I would say that our nation is best served by the Federal government in a less-centralized manner, overall. Federal law enforcement, the IRS and FEMA would be much better understood and more appreciated on the ground, rather than viewed, and speculated about, from afar. This is similar to the model of community policing, and while it, like the neighbourhood cop, is something to which it would take some time for people to adapt, it is the best antidote to conspiracy theories, which arise when people don’t have a sense of transparency from their government. Constant contact also offers the opportunity for those who might feel alienated to be consulted, as to ways in which government service might improve.

The day will come when there will be a worldwide executive. That body will need to have a strong decentralized support system in place, well before it is established. The time to begin decentralizing is now.

The Road to Diamond, Day 93: Ruby Road Beckons

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Posted by on in collaborating, Family, Inspiration, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

March 1, 2025- The tall, strapping man with a strong, pleasant voice and a genial manner kept about sixty of us captivated for two hours, with songs and stories. Tom Chapin has done this for over fifty years, sometimes alongside his late brother, Harry and younger brother, Steve. Towards the end of last night’s session, Tom mentioned that he would be celebrating his eightieth birthday, in two weeks.

That sparked a chord in me, being nine months shy of 75, and keeping on a relatively straight and narrow health regimen-not really cutting out anything, besides highly processed food. ( I guess that counts for a fair amount). I have an overall game plan of service (continuing here in Prescott, at least for the next six months and wherever I may be, after that) and of travel (Europe, and maybe East Africa, in the early autumn; a project-centered return to the Philippines in December-February; some parts of Latin America for a few months, later next year and wherever I feel directed, after that).

For the longest time, I’ve looked at my potential ninth decade of life as a cypher. Seeing so many, admittedly more sedentary, friends and family become less active and facing health issues has given me pause. That I have met someone who means a great deal to me, even if she is no more than a dear friend, is an incentive to stay active and keep my health regimen. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind reaching the century mark-provided my quality of life is at least close to what it is now. That is not necessarily a pipe dream. Mom made it to 95.5. I hold her own wish to live to see 100 in my heart.

So, one day at a time-yes; but for Kathy, Aram & Yunhee (and any children they may have), my siblings and their children, and for all my dear friends, I look to the diamond mark, then to ruby, granite and 10-Carat Diamond. Whatever is the Will of the Divine.

The Road to Diamond, Day 91: The Way Home

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

February 27,2025- I spent part of this morning talking with a community member who is looking to head back to her previous place of residence. Grandchildren are the impetus, making it feel like home. They are certainly a powerful draw and I would have to strongly consider being close to any grandbabies who might bless my life.

A few online friends have somehow gotten fed up with my meanderings and have cut ties, after saying they hope I find what I’m seeking. That is somewhat reasonable, since “seeker” is part of my site name. To the extent that search is my primary motivator, though, home is not the object. Truth is certainly an object, and it may be found anywhere-whether one wanders or not. Friends are a motivator for search, whether meeting with those who are online chums or re-visiting long real-time friends. Whatever the reason for a journey, there is always something to be learned.

The thing about the word “home”, for me, is that it is a place of mind, as well as heart. I am not searching for home, since it’s everywhere. The “way” home is as simple as relaxation and as intense as focus on what is right in front. It is also a matter of realizing where one is most needed, and wanting to be there, more than anywhere else.

Those facets of my being have determined where I’ve been, on any given day, pretty much since 2011. There have been a few brain burps and hiccups, where I haven’t quite gotten the location, or the mission, right. Those have been corrected in relatively short order, and with as little damage to self and others as possible. That is what I aim to continue, no matter the challenges that lie ahead.

The Road to Diamond, Day 88: Our Elk Are Still Bugling

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Posted by on in animal and plant life, collaborating, Community, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

February 24, 2025- My friend at Zeke’s mentioned having seen a young bull elk, on the hill across from the shopping plaza where the trusty diner is located. Despite the work on creating a “much-needed” travel center, on some of the roadside property on the north side of AZ Highway 69, there is a considerable wildland that is presently off-limits to development, especially the hill above the travel center site. That hill is where the elk, and other wildlife, reside.

The male elk are still bugling. So, too, are the citizenry who don’t wish to have their lives dictated by a small elite-either of the Right or of the Left. We are keeping watch on the present headlong rush towards cutting staff, “in the name of efficiency”. My take: If two people are indeed doing the same job, and it can be effectively done by one person-then make the cut, in as humane a way as possible. Finding an alternative job for the one who is being let go would be the best of all possible options. Slashing costs for the sake of cutting taxes for the uber-wealthy, on the other hand, is NOT a relatable choice. Most people I know bring in $250,000 a year or less. Is there anything in this for us? So far, I haven’t seen it.

It’s been said that man has an infinite capacity to rationalize. This capacity has been put to full use by partisans of every President, since I’ve been reading and watching the news (that is, since 1956). It has been used to excuse everything from Project Wetback, in the 1950s, to the January 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol. The upshot is “If our guys did it, it’s being blown out of proportion by the other side.” I heard this, tonight, and from someone who is living on the streets, but worships the ground our current President treads.

My siblings and I were raised with a conscience. When we did something wrong, Mom and Dad accepted no excuses and certainly didn’t offer any on our behalf. They defended us against legitimate threats, but otherwise expected us to behave responsibly. Now that we are on our own, we hold each other, and our children, to the same standard, and on it goes.

I can recall, when the Watergate scandal was brewing, in 1973-74, raising the issue of misfeasance at my godparents’ kitchen table. They were Republicans, and while my aunt kept her opinion to herself, uncle was furious that I would criticize the President of the United States. I was cordially invited to leave. That was in October, 1973.

In August of the following year, uncle remarked to my father that I had been right all along. He felt betrayed by Nixon-and Agnew, as well. He was not sympathetic when President Ford pardoned his predecessor. We had long since made our peace, mind you, but it was quite a revelation.

We the People will continue to speak out, as we see fit-and that goes for all along the political spectrum. Those who see no problem with what is going on across the country have a right to their viewpoint, but should the decisions being made affect them adversely, there is a safe space waiting for them-across the way. The bugling will go on, in the meantime.