Category Archives: Social

Journey 3, Day 3: Dancing as Sharing the Spirit

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

September 2, 2023, Black Forest, CO- Kicking off her shoes, the instructor showed us how to actually dance in rhythm to a classical concerto. A group of us stepped, at first slowly, then in lively fashion, as the crescendo sounded. It looked like the dervishes go to disco, but the idea was for us to be comfortable with our own rhythm and style of movement.

Back in high school, there were only a few accepted ways of dancing. I was the model of two left feet, so I spent a lot of time watching the more graceful dancers and managed to kind-of, sort-of master one of the dance steps, by the time graduation happened.

Since then, moving to the beat has become easier. Now, the eye-rollers are men my age, as in “Leave that stuff to the kids, before you put your knees out of whack!” Actually, dancing saves my knees, as does hiking, but I digress.

Joining group activities is a means of sharing one’s inner spirit-letting people know what moves a soul. The sight of an 85-year-old William Shatner “busting a move”, or the late Leonard Cohen, tangoing on stage with one of his back-up singers, at the age of 80, gives me similar confidence, so long as it continues to feel natural.

I am one of two out-of-staters at this conference, so joining in these types of activities also gives me a connection to the otherwise tight-knit group, who are er,basically the same family members who have gathered together for twenty years. It’s good for the soul to meet new people and learn different perspectives. Besides, they invited me, so here we all are.

Journey 3, Day 2- Waltz Across Paradise

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Hiking and Nature, impediments, Inner Struggles, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

September 1, 2023, Black Forest, CO- While the hostess could barely focus, for the crowds that were making their way to her check stand, i could see that she was trying to keep it together. Such was the noon hour, at Junction Restaurant, on the east edge of Pagosa Springs.

I have been on Rte. 160, across Colorado’s southern tier, maybe two dozen times, since 1981. I have seen snow in July and bare roads in January. It has been all about navigating Wolf Creek Pass, each and every time. It has also been about an overnight in Cortez, or in Walsenburg, if I was making a return trip.

Highway 160 is the middle route, between I-40 and I-70. It is the guide to the San Juan Mountains, Mesa Verde, the Animas, San Juan and Rio Grande, the San Luis Valley, Great Sand Dunes, the Spanish Peaks-and the heart of the Rocky Mountains.

The three great rivers are hurting. Sand bars are visible in the Animas and San Juan, at Durango and Pagosa Springs, respectively, and Rio Grande is barely flowing, at Alamosa. There are no fires allowed in Montezuma County (Cortez), La Plata County (Durango), Archuleta County (Pagosa Springs) and Rio Grande County (South Fork). For the first time in memory, I saw no snow, anywhere, on the tops of the great “Fourteeners”. Colorado is parched, along with most of its fellow western states, and the its neighbours on the Great Plains.

This is the backdrop to the three days that lie ahead, at the Colorado East Baha’i School, here in Black Forest. Nonetheless, as we take pains to conserve water, be fire wise and love our host Mother Earth, all of us, Coloradans and visitors alike, are grateful for the paradise that this state presents.

I hope the blessed little lady at Junction can find some peace, this weekend.

Journey 3 Gets Moving

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Hiking and Nature, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Striving, Travel

August 31, 2023, Cortez- The Super Blue Moon is playing peek-a-boo, thanks to the intermittent cloud cover in the eastern sky. I am here in Colorado’s anchor to the Four Corners region, having just enjoyed a dinner in my favourite restaurant in town: Farm Bistro.

Setting out from Home Base, after running someone to a doctor’s appointment, I encountered no obstacles or diversions, on what is now a familiar route. The greatest part of the journey goes through the Navajo Nation. Like many areas of the country, Dinetah is gradually seeing an uplift in its infrastructure, while other segments of that framework remain challenging. Communities that were once food deserts, like Dennehotso, Shonto and Teec Nos Pos (“teese naws poss”) are seeing a resurgence in dry farming techniques and have clean, modern convenience markets. The highways are in fairly good shape, but highways need constant repair and attention, anywhere in the world. Running water, electricity and wireless fidelity have a ways to go, before becoming universal. I am always at home, in either the Navajo Nation or Ute Mountain Tribe, and always show respect for the privacy and dignity of the people, as should be done anywhere.

Cortez, is as ever, a welcoming, full-service community. Farm Bistro, where I have dined several times, has a bustling and friendly staff-working extra hard to serve the unexpectedly early Labor Day crowd. Looks like a four-day weekend is afoot.

NEXT: Across southern Colorado and up to C-Springs

J.R.

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Posted by on in Family, Hiking and Nature, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Travel

August 30, 2023- On the patio of a coffee house, in Ocean Springs, MS, in early 2015, the bearded sage talked of his Golden Circle-an area between Knoxville, TN and Sylacauga, AL, where he preferred to do his exploration-finding hidden gems in places he’d visited countless times before. He loved his caves-as places to wander, and his waterfalls, as places to sit and wonder. He urged me to develop a similar relationship with my own chosen Home Base, as “traveling far distances can get old”.

J.R. Cline’s idea of a long journey was a drive to New Orleans, a city he loved passionately. He took his last several trios there in his motor home, on occasion taking along the son of his closest friends-and of course, his faithful dog went everywhere with him, until the animal died. a few years back.

I saw Ralph, as his close friends called him, a couple of other times, within the bounds of the Golden Circle, once in Cleveland, TN and once just outside Knoxville. He touted what he called “Pig Wings”, white pork loin formed the way one would prepare “boneless chicken wings” and deep fried. I later had them, somewhere in Texas, and found them as tasty as their avian counterparts, though both he and I cut back on our consumption of fried foods, a few years ago. He loved his family in Knoxville and his adopted family in Sylacauga, equally well, spending his final days with the latter.

J.R. left this plane a few days ago, and left us all with the fondest of memories. On the way back from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, I will put in a visit to his beloved Rock City, in Chattanooga, in his memory and seek to offer condolences to both families, hopefully in person. I might even cheat and nibble some Pig Wings, at that place near Childersburg, Alabama.

J.R., having greeted us a few days ago, “from the ether”, let me wish you an amazing solo flight in the Great Beyond. Your life here was amazing; thanks for sharing.

Dance of Ten Crayons

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

August 29, 2023- The little boy held five crayons in each hand, carefully divided between primary and secondary colours. He sang a song of his own composing, in a rudimentary form of English, the words’ meanings known only to himself. The melody, though, was pleasant and his whirling dance juxtaposed nicely with the song. This occupied him for almost forty minutes.

Creativity is a bounteous thing, and we can learn more ways in which it may be applied, by almost anyone-regardless of their intellect or state of mind. With regard to the former, my youngest brother, with limited speaking ability, nonetheless would raise a cup of juice and call out “Achtung!”, wanting those at table to join him in a toast. (He got this from watching episodes of the TV show “Hogan’s Heroes” It sounded to him like something that would be a nice cue for a toast.) Mentally challenged people are among the most loving and generous of all humans. With regard to the latter, mankind has shown both a limitless capacity for generosity and inclusivity; on the other hand, whole museums have been devoted to the Holocaust of World War II and there are Museums of Torture in a good many cities across Europe, as well as in Chicago.

Among the items in my own wardrobe is a cap that features a wraparound shield, covering the sides of my face, my ears and neck. Of course, some find it amusing, but I am pleased with what it does for my dermatological health. Whoever designed this cap has done fair-skinned (and a goodly number of swarthy people) a huge favour, in this time of approaching Solar Maximum.

We will each have moments when we may be called upon to devise a novel solution to a problem, large or small. Let it then be a time when one’s own dance of ten crayons comes to fruition. May that dance be a peaceful, regenerative one.

All Hands In

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Education, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Striving

August 28, 2023- The pompous driver hollered, at both the city vehicle that was halfway through the unmarked intersection, and thus had the right of way, and the two disabled men who were in a marked crosswalk, with their walkers. (Arizona law states that people in a crosswalk that is not regulated by a traffic signal have the right of way). The driver’s plaint- “This would never be allowed, back home!”-rang a bit hollow to this bystander. I know the two disabled men. They are combat veterans and have earned the respect of the public at large.

It was, however, a genuinely lovely day. The students at the high school where I worked were uniformly focused on their assignment, showing respect for both the regular teacher and me. The six classes were quite large-as high school classes tend to be, yet there was an atmosphere of order-even the cut-ups were rather benign in their antics, and got to work after one warning.

The team at this evening’s dinner at Solid Rock was determined to show the two managers, both out of state, that they can get the job done, on their own. There was a healthy competition to pick up trays from those diners who were finished, with one of the diners himself picking up empties from his mates. A recycling program also started with tonight’s meal-cans, plastic bottles and small cardboard sheets went with the evening’s ad hoc manager. There is a definite pride that the team takes, from all hands being in focus, to give the homeless citizens of our community a balanced, well-prepared meal to start their week.

Everyone does something to help out in our community, and in the world at large. I have learned to not take it on the chin, when someone yammers and squawks if I’m not available to do what they want- often on the spot. I understand that everyone has needs and that frequently those needs are spontaneous. If I can help, so much the better-but there are no apologies forthcoming because I have other acts of service scheduled, some of them in places other than this community. ( I do dislike the overuse of “vacation”, to mean any time away from one’s home area, but I digress.) My friends sigh, or groan, or shrug their shoulders, and when I get back to Home Base, they are still my friends. The users just gripe and move on.

The best case scenario, though, is all hands in-like the classes I covered today, and the dinner at Solid Rock.

The DACA Picnic

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, distraction issues, impediments, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Striving

August 27, 2023- Close to fifty people were gathered in Granite Creek Park, early this afternoon, when I went over for an event organized to assist people registering with the government, under the terms of the Dream Act, for another two years of relative safety, as legal residents of the United States.

It was a well-organized, if low key, event-with a few people playing games and practicing Tae Kwon Do, despite the heat. Most of the Boomers in attendance were gathered under the ramada. I got my food and went to sit and watch the kids of various ages, who were engaged in the fun activities. The samosa vendor from Farmers Market was providing her delicious East African filled dumplings, as the protein item in the light lunch that was given to each of us. I took one of the chicken samosas, some Veggie Straws, a navel orange and some sparkling water.,

This brings me to the whole immigration issue. I read a post, this evening, by someone I thought knew better, saying that all the changes taking place in the world right now are organized by some shadowy group that wants to buy up as much land as they can get away with (thus, the wildfires in Hawaii, Canada and around the Mediterranean region), lock everyone down again (thus, the recent outbreaks of ad nauseam subvariants of Covid) and crash the U.S. economy (thus, the BRICS Group’s expansion). Similar fears are being expressed about migration, a phenomenon that far predates our system of nations and borders, and which will far outlast its present iteration- and for one reason: People will go where the work is.

I am personally in favour of a Guest Worker program, which would allow people to enter this country legally, for the purpose of filling those positions which American citizens choose not to occupy. While they ought to be able to drive, again as licensed operators, subject to all laws, including the holding of an adequate insurance policy, and should be able to find housing, their children be educated in U.S schools, etc., I do not favour granting other perquisites, such as welfare or unemployment insurance payments-especially as there are many American citizens who go without such benefits. Homeless citizens should be first in line for affordable housing, which is a human right. Citizens who are ill should be first in line for affordable health care-also a human right. We have the wherewithal to do right by our fellow Americans AND, in an organized manner, help our fellow humans who come to us from other nations.

Jumping back to the BRICS question, the very organization of that group is a direct nconsequence of colonialism. Every member of BRICS, except Russia, is a country which was once administered, and/or had its resources extrmeriacted by, one or more nations of Western Europe. It is NOT a cabal that wants to destroy the United States. If anything, the nations want to copy the better aspects of the American model, and why wouldn’t they? Seeking to level the playing field requires a gradual spread of genuine democratic practices-and even China is going to find that to be to its benefit, if it hasn’t realized that already.

BRICS ties in with DACA, in that the only way to prevent the monstrous cabal, that so many fear, from taking over, is to empower the Global South, and its citizens, in place-so that there is not an accelerating and unwieldy wave upon wave of people overloading the nations of North America and Europe, far beyond anything we are experiencing now. Both development in place, and a well-managed Guest Worker program in the developed nations, are needed, and urgently.

The Giant Rubber Duck

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, impediments, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

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Style and Substance

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

August 25, 2023- The little boy greeted me, in late morning, with a warm hug. The angry woman, later in the evening, with much the opposite.

Like so many days, this one began light and airy-and ended with a thud. I woke, sensing that the energy around me was shifting in a positive direction and that, in advance of the journey that begins at the end of next week, my path in what remains to be done here in the meantime would be free of obstacles. The work day reflected that, with the children energetic and cooperative, and my colleagues just happy to see another Friday, though they do enjoy their work. Everyone likes a rest, or change of pace, after a week at a job well done.

I visited Rafter Eleven, and was treated like a king-an extra mocha java was delivered to my table, as a token of appreciation for consistent support of this marvelous enterprise, over the bottom of the past eight years. A little bee was also attracted to my light meal, and to the drink, eventually finding its way to the bottom of the glass. Unfortunately, the poor animal perished from the still icy condition of the vessel-or maybe from the caffeine.

After leaving my friend’s establishment, I chose to join an in-person meeting, instead of going back to Home Base and signing onto Zoom. The hosts and the presenter were congenial, and the information quite illuminating. Not everyone was glad to see me however, and after a fashion, I found it best to excuse myself and head out-easy enough to do, as it had been a long, if lovely, day up to that point-and I needed rest.

There have been, every so often, people in my life who do not take kindly to my manner of speech or style of explanation. I try to learn what I can from such a person, for a time, and if it makes me more well-rounded or expands my knowledge, so much the better. Style, however, tends to reflect the substance of a soul. An angry, wounded soul will be abrupt, castigating and intolerant. I have not done well, in the presence of such people and this evening was no exception.

For my part, I know that I do not think well on my feet at the end of the day-and frequently, I do not engage well in debate, even when rested. This means nothing to the disquiet person, and is often viewed by them as an excuse. The whole trigger this evening was my statement that I like to back up my comments with the words of Baha’u’llah or ‘Abdu’l-Baha, not as a proselytizing mechanism or as a substitute for good deeds, but as the glue that holds my own words and deeds together. That led to an outburst of anger, and I chose to leave, rather than exacerbate the situation.

For a time, once back in the apartment, I pondered whether this is an indication that my time here in this community is getting short, that maybe the bloom is off the rose and I need to move on. The counter to that, I know, is that the part of myself that triggers anger in disquiet people will only spark the same, at the next place, if I move along. It’s better to keep this Home Base for now, get my journeys done in September and October, and resume work here from November through mid-May.

With that, I am headed to sleep, and hope for a peaceful weekend.

On Quality

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Education, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Striving

August 24, 2023- While working out on a stationary bicycle, this evening, I caught an episode of “Shark Tank”, a program in which would-be entrepreneurs approach Mark Cuban, and four other judges, and pitch a proposal, which is to garner the proponents a cash advance, for which, in return, the judges each get a percentage of ownership in the start-up.

Watching one of the pitches, in particular, I had to say, with Mark Cuban, who knows a thing or two about start-ups and expansion, that selling the initial unit of the business, for half of what was originally paid, and asking the “Tank” to fund three units of a nationwide expansion of the concept, was a non-starter. I say this, knowing next to nothing about business, yet having this idea in my head that, if I did have a start-up, based on an appealing concept and backed by a solid business model, I would want to have twice what I paid for the first unit, in the bank-before even thinking about a second unit, much less a third or fourth. I would want to have a track record of quality-and I would not sell off my initial unit. Had the entrepreneurs known the process of thinking things through, they’d have not made that mistake.

In a competitive world, quality is king. Not so long ago, if I had been offered a Marvel comic book persona, I would have been The Veneer. While I had, and still have, lots of heart, my understanding of what made for a quality offering was rather stilted. In teaching, and in making group presentations as a counselor, I was big on content-facts and figures. People- students, colleagues and interviewers-wanted depth, hooks, gravitas, a sense of what mattered.

Thank the Divine for the Internet: For Google, Bing, Safari, Siri and Alexa. Not feeling the need to be a walking encyclopedia is a fine thing. My focus, for the past decade or so, has been on encouraging thought, and showing how to ask the right questions. Quality of focus and of what will be important, fifty years from now, is essential in education, in business and in public discourse. Students need to be guided in that area, far more than they need to be passive recipients of things they could find on their own.

Independent investigation of truth is the wave of the future. Having learning be a quality experience mandates that that process be encouraged now.