Each One, Let The Other One Live

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on November 22, 2019 in collaborating, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving

November 22, 2019-

I am reading the updated version of a young adult novel, “Abbie Wize: AWAKE”. It is the story of a misunderstood, isolated and battered young girl, who experiences a unique spiritual awakening. Her main nemesis is her own mother, who appears at this point in the novel as a brutal and controlling menace.

Jordan Peterson’s Rule 10 is ” Don’t Knock A Teenager Off A Skateboard”. Basically, our task as members of society is to not be so up in other people’s business, that we quash their legitimate joys, experiences and efforts. This is even true, to an extent, of parents, so long as a child is not harming self or others.

I tend to concur with that sentiment. My own parents were not brutes and I can count on one hand the number of times I was physically chastised, as a child and teen. I was not too different, as a father, in that respect.

As adults, many tend to think it is within their boundaries to prescribe to others, exactly how they should be handling their business. There is a story about an old man, a young boy and a donkey. As they went on their journey to a town that was ten kilometers away, the old man walked, while the boy rode the donkey. Some objected, saying the robust boy should let his elder ride. They switched places and kept going. Others appeared, berating the old man for making such a small child walk. The boy joined the old man, riding the donkey. Animal rights activists chided the pair, for putting the poor donkey under such a strain. The man and boy decided the activists were right, and began carrying the donkey! A group of rowdy men gathered, and began mocking the two, for being so stupid as to carry an animal. The old man and the boy decided to take turns riding the donkey, and so they went the rest of the way in peace.

Dr. Peterson’s point here is not that we should be apathetic towards our fellows, but that we should adopt a posture of seeing each other as they see themselves, and taking steps to encourage right behaviour-rather than aiming our arrows solely at what is being done wrong.

This, combined with his earlier point about listening to one’s critics, calls for a balance in our interactions with one another. I have learned to measure my criticism carefully, as well as to sift my own naysayers’ words, with a view towards continuous self-improvement.

A Humble Posture of Learning

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on November 21, 2019 in collaborating, Inspiration, Personal Values, Striving

November 21, 2019-

One of the things our parents instilled in my siblings and me is that it’s possible to learn from anyone. I took that as a dictum to listen and to draw lessons from what someone does, as well as what is said.

Jordan Peterson’s tenth rule for life is just that: “Learn from those who know what you don’t know.” Watching and listening is always a good thing, when combined with the ability to discern right from wrong. I can listen to someone describe how they snookered gullible people, in their old neighbourhood, and LEARN: 1). How not to let that person, or someone like him/her, take advantage of me; 2. How not to treat a gullible person. On the other hand, I can watch and listen, carefully, to a seasoned automobile engine mechanic demonstrate how to remove and replace the rings and valves of the engine, and maybe, given the right circumstances, perform the activity myself.

A Roma man, in Paris, after failing to con me into taking a ring that I had seen him drop on the sidewalk, decided to tell me of other tricks that his rivals, on the Right Bank of the Seine, might try on me. These tips came in handy, especially as when it started pouring rain, I only wanted to get back to my hotel. Yes, the scams included “Monsieur, look! My uncle is coming, with his pedicab!!” (There was no pedicab, as my Roma friend had told me there wouldn’t be. He had said that, if I looked on cue, two deft fingers would search my back pockets. As it happened, I had only a soiled handkerchief in my back right pocket, and nothing in my left, as my valuables were secure, elsewhere.)

One can also learn from observing others, and from overhearing them. I try to keep that to a polite minimum, but it has often been beneficial, so long as I don’t try to inject myself into their business, without cause.

The greater point is: None of us knows everything, and those who pretend as much, fool few outside of their own circle-if even them. Baha’u’llah prescribes adopting a humble posture of learning. It is that which leads me to read, to observe what goes on around my Home Base, to stay abreast of current events and to travel, when time avails itself.

The Conscious Step Away From An Abyss

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on November 20, 2019 in collaborating, distraction issues, impediments, Inner Struggles, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Spiritual, Striving

November 20, 2019-

So, it now happens that, if I want to truly understand what Jordan Peterson is trying to say, in his Twelve Rules for Life, I will have to actually read his book. The reason is the depth of Rule 9. A simple synopsis is: Understand Your Dark Side. Know exactly that of which you are capable, and resolve not to do it.

Each of us has a dual nature, which is exactly why Christ endured 40 days of temptation and His Crucifixion. He wanted us to know that the path away from self-destruction lay totally in following the Teachings of the Divine, which derive, essentially, from the Golden Rule. Not only acts of goodness, but consciousness and dismissal of, the darkness within. Baha’u’llah endured the indignity of His tormentors, who included many within His own family, that we may see the two paths down which we might each go, and that we may choose the Path of Light.

I have had struggles, all throughout this life, and only after enduring Penny’s disease, vicariously- and as her caretaker; only after wrestling with left-over baggage, following her passing, and making a conscious decision to turn aside from the darkness, have I ended up in a place of Light. So, I get the gist of what Dr. Peterson speaks here. Seeing the dark, and teetering on the edge of it, is debilitating. Seeing the goodness, and nurturing it, sends the spirit soaring.

Workaday Hollywood, and The Slog

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on November 19, 2019 in collaborating, Community, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Travel

November 12, 2019, Indio-

Among my circle of family and friends, a half dozen or so live in and work around Hollywood, with a view towards making it in the film industry. I have a sense that each of them will make their mark; some being steady and modest successes and others rising to considerable fame. This is a harsh environment, both in terms of the level of competition and in the amount of stress that striving to entertain others produces. Then, there is all that comes with living in Los Angeles- Knowing how to adapt to high volumes of vehicular traffic and living among a lot of people with intense schedules and lifestyles. The same could be said of New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta or Seattle; in fact, of any large city. Los Angeles, though, has The Allure; a generally mild climate and a goodly number of laid-back people, scattered among the intense crowd.

Penny and I visited Hollywood, in the Spring of 1986, heading straight for the Walk of Fame, after having spent a day in Disneyland and the following evening at Knotts Berry Farm. This was our only trip to LA. All other California visits focused on San Diego, Santa Cruz and, once, Santa Barbara. Since she’s been gone, I’ve been in the LA area a few times, but today was my first visit back to Hollywood. This time, the Walk of Fame was not on the agenda. My purpose was a visit with one of the above-mentioned aspirants in my circle, who is one of my son’s best friends, and the venue was a small eatery on Hollywood Boulevard: Division 3.

As you can see, Hollywood, as it exists for many people who live there, is rather densely built, with parking at a high premium. All manner of people are out and about. I initially parked about a half-mile away, near a Catholic school, well off the main drag. When I.P. arrived, we walked up to my parking spot and he told me of better, closer spaces. So, Elantra ended up about two blocks south of Hollywood and Bronson.

Back at Division 3, we enjoyed about 2 1/2 hours of conversation, catching up on all that transpired since Aram had last visited Phoenix, about four years ago. As it happened, that was the length of time that the harried restaurant chef needed to fill our order. Hollywood establishments frequently get slammed with large, spur-of-the-moment orders, especially at lunch time. The fare was worth it, as neither of us happened to be in much of a rush. One touching moment was a homeless man, seemingly a bit confused, asking me where Michael J. Fox was. I told him Mr. Fox was off working for Parkinson’s research, which made him feel better. IP and I got in our Hollywood, 2019 photos. (That’s my camera case, on my right hip, BTW.)

The meet-up ended all too soon, and I was off on the last part of this LA adventure: The Slog. Hollywood-to-Rossmore-to-Wilshire-to-Crenshaw-to- I-10 was pretty much a breeze. LA to Palm Desert was far less so. It was 3:15, when I merged onto my moving home, for the next four hours. What is comforting about The Slog is that, as in Chicago and New York, people have worked it out. Public Enemy # One would be anyone who causes an accident; things are hard enough as it is. We were family in anonymity, keeping watch for those who were moving slower or faster than the majority. No one, in my scrum, was injured or inconvenienced, and by 7:15, I was in Palm Desert, stopping to visit Bill Tracey’s crew at the third branch of Bill’s Pizza. It is a large, spacious and very welcoming edifice, off Highway 111.

The Slog is hardly something in which I will be partaking, frequently. It is an ungainly use of energy, time and space, necessary, for the foreseeable future-but crying out for alternatives. Surface roads help out some; yet mass transit and more regional urban villages need to be a greater part of the mix.

I am stopped for the night, at Western Sands Motel, in this easternmost edge of LA’s Metro Extension. Tomorrow, I head back to Home Base and preparations for what may turn into an early winter-snow is part of the forecast, next week and the week after.

The Wilshire Finger Points East

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on November 18, 2019 in collaborating, Community, Historical, Inspiration, Social, Travel

November 12, 2019, Santa Monica-

There are any number of iconic streets across the country, and in the Los Angeles area, in particular. U.S. Route 66 ends (or begins) here, a scant few blocks from where I stood just moments ago. Several of the streets around this quadrant are enshrined in my childhood memory, albeit from TV ( Sunset Boulevard and Strip remain in the Long-Term Bank, thanks to Edd “Kookie” Byrnes, who was the king of smooth). Route 66 itself was the province of George Maharis (“Buzz Murdock”, Kookie’s heir apparent).

It is Wilshire Boulevard, though, which has the most cachet- It starts here, overlooking the beach and hosts some of LA’s great museums. Wilshire leads the visitor to UCLA’s turnoff, to Hollywood and, eventually, to Koreatown.

At its western terminus, St. Monica herself is the traffic icon, standing between Wilshire and the long drop down a steep cliff.

I chose to walk, from the far end of Third Avenue’s Promenade, to this overlook.

So, the true glory of Santa Monica, these days, lies in how the city is making itself pedestrian-friendly. Third Street Promenade, like other urban pioneering efforts, is a well-planned and relaxing venue for people, of all walks of life, to re-center themselves. My first order of business, after checking out of Rest Haven, was to find breakfast. That matter was resolved by Santa Monica’s branch of LA’s Le Pain Quotidien. Mini-pancakes and cafe au lait sufficed, as there will be a lunch meet-up with a family friend later on, in Hollywood. LPQ is my kind of spot, though, with a long communal table that goes against the “keep away from my turf” ethic that is so prevalent in many American establishments. Strangers here are truly “friends you haven’t met.”

These are just a few of what LPQ offers.

The long row does have its share of kitsch, in the form of dinosauria. At least, it’s imaginative kitsch.

Bella, another signature cafe, would have been my breakfast choice, had not LPQ stared me in the face, when I first left the parking garage.

Walking towards the beach overlook, I was captivated by a small boy, who was re-arranging these chess pieces, under his mother’s watchful eyes. I sat a few rows away and pondered his “strategy”. For a four-year-old, the little guy was doing quite well.

Such is life, in one of Los Angeles’ most eclectic satellite communities. Now, it is time for me to head to yet another of those: Hollywood.

Canalside Ruminations

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on November 17, 2019 in Community, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Inspiration, Social, Striving, Travel

November 11, 2019, Venice, CA-

As I set out to walk alongside the canals of this down-to-earth beach community, I noted that its namesake, in Italy, is at serious risk of sinking into its swampland underpinnings. California’s Venice has its own concerns: Earthquakes and a large homeless population being two very different such points of focus. This is a part of Los Angeles where it is not unusual for people to set up impromptu “shops” along South Venice Boulevard, across from the north entrance to the Canal Walking Path. There are many who sleep where they can, around the village.

The canals themselves are lined by eclectic houses, which seem to have many students and artists, in residence. The quirkiness of the district is as much of a draw as the serenity that radiates from an early morning, canalside.

I chose to walk mainly along Grand Canal, which is the western boundary of the District. My route took in the bridges of Carroll, Linnie, Howland and Sherman Canals, at their juncture with Dell Street.

Here is a long view of Grand Canal.

I turned left at Carroll Canal, looking to cross the bridge in the foreground.

From the Dell Street Bridge, here is a view towards the Eastern Canal.

A couple of Little Egrets were on hand. Here is one, grooming herself, along the Grand Canal.

There is plenty of kitsch here, as well, including a Pink Flamingo paddle boat.

Linnie Canal is the next feeder to Grand Canal, going north to south.

As is seen in a previous paragraph, Halloween has a lingering presence, in the Canal District.

Howland Canal came next, on my southward jaunt.

These peace-infusing homes are at the junction of Grand Canal and Howland.

This Gingko Tree nearly overwhelms the towpath.

An upside-down dinghy strikes a pensive mood.

Various messages appear, along Grand Canal, between Howland and Sherman.

Canalside gardens also tend to be polychromatic.

Here is a view of Grand Canal, as it bends towards Sherman.

As I crossed Sherman Canal Bridge, and was walking northward again, I caught this Little Egret on its way to “safer” perches.

This mural, outside the Canal District, depicts some whimsical creatures out of Dr. Seuss’s lesser known tales.

With a peaceful counterpoint to the noise and energy of Venice Beach, I felt ready to take a look at Santa Monica’s vibrant Third Street Promenade.

A Day of Small Parades

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on November 15, 2019 in Assistance, Community, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Travel

November 11, 2019, Santa Monica-

For the first time in several years, I was not in Prescott for Veteran’s Day. The three-day weekend coincided with key events that I have already described and with a long-standing visit to Orange County and Los Angeles. I honour my fellow veterans and my own service, almost on a daily basis, in thought, word and deed. Coming by other communities’ parades, if it came to that, would not be such a bad thing.

As it happened, a few veterans were at Gramma’s Country Kitchen, when I took a seat at the counter. We quietly enjoyed our breakfasts, the regulars gathered in their group and I headed off, towards Hemet, Menifee and Lake Elsinore. Traffic in the Riverside County suburbs was rather light, for a day of considerable commercial activity.

I chose the winding Ortega Highway as my route to the coast. There were clusters of commuters, for whom I pulled over, as my first order of business was checking the water level of the reservoir for which the city of Lake Elsinore is named. It looked to me that the lake is hurting, a bit, which is surprising, given the high water levels of reservoirs north of Los Angeles.

The views from the bluffs east of town were nonetheless impressive, though.

There is a face, of sorts, chiseled into the limestone bluff, in the middle.

Winding along Highway 74, as the Ortega is otherwise known, I came upon El Cariso, a wide spot in the road, which hosts the California Wildland Firefighters’ Memorial. It was initiated to honour the six firefighters killed in the Decker Fire, in 1959. There is a trail from the memorial plaque to the actual site where the men died. As I was due to meet a friend at Crystal Cove State Park, the trail was put off for another time.

Here are some scenes from the Memorial site.

These scenes show the general area where the tragedy took place.

My next stop, a bit north of Laguna Beach, was Crystal Cove, a state park which features beach cabins, in various states of disrepair-especially on the north side of the park. My friend, J, who lives about an hour away, has visited the site several times. I’ve been with her on four such visits, and am always interested in the progress, or lack thereof, in the renovation.

It appears, this time, that the work is being done in earnest.

There were scattered birds looking for their meals, as the tide was out. This little one appears to be a kind of sandpiper.

Some children had compiled a cross between a cairn and a rock castle. The stone on the front left reminded me, a bit, of Spirit Tower, in northeast Wyoming.

With that, our table ringer vibrated and we went to lunch at Beachcomber’s. The problems of the world, or at least our individual corners of it, were resolved over a fresh repast. I even was given a second bowl of tomato soup, whether by mistake or because I was wearing an American Legion t-shirt, is open to interpretation. The meals were great, in any case, and I made dinner out of what was left, this evening.

On the way north along the coast, from Crystal Cove, I stopped in Lomita, where I had stayed at a reasonable motel in the past. I found it had become a residential motel, whose owner would not accommodate anyone staying one night, and that it was a cash only operation.

I continued on, past the South Bay beach towns and Long Beach, opting to stay in Santa Monica, at Rest Haven Motel, as Venice and Santa Monica are on my itinerary for tomorrow. Rest Haven’s staff are very kind and accommodating. This day has been a full one, but also very affirming.

NEXT: Canalside Reflections

A Pre-Trip Trifecta

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on November 14, 2019 in Community, Inspiration, Personal Values, Slow Food Prescott, Social, Spiritual

November 10, 2019-

The past three days have featured a wondrous series of memorable events, here in Home Base. The first of these will long stay with me: The wedding of one of my best friends’ youngest daughter. I have already paid homage to this wonderful young lady, who will continue to show the world just how much can be accomplished by knowing that one is able to achieve, and that one has the unconditional support of one parent, who is, in turn, greatly loved by family and friends. L has been very dear to my own heart, for several years now, and will remain so.

Saturday evening, I headed over to a planning meeting of Slow Food Prescott, that was to be preceded by a vegetarian potluck. It turned out, I was told the wrong time of the event’s beginning, so as I entered, the planning was in mid-session and there was enough food for one other late-comer and me. We got the gist of the planning, and enjoyed a pleasing meal.

Today, before setting out for a few days in southern California, I attended a memorial service for a restaurateur who had established, and built up, three restaurants here in Prescott, as well as two pizzerias in the Palm Springs area. His widow, child and successors in business were all in attendance. Many had delightful stories, and though I never met him in life, I feel like I know his goodness, based on my satisfying experiences in his restaurants here in Prescott. The name “Bill’s” in front of an eatery’s name has come to signify quality. I promised to stop by at least one of his namesake pizzerias, on my way back from the coast.

Thus, a busy and very crucial sets of events set the tone for my mini-break in “SoCal”.

NEXT: A Veteran’s Day with No Parade

Blamecasting

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on November 13, 2019 in distraction issues, impediments, Inner Struggles, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Spiritual, Striving

November 10, 2019-

In examining Jordan Peterson’s remarks on what he sees as the Eighth Rule for Life, essentially “avoid vengeance”, it occurs to me that the basic issue stems from being other-focused, with regard to the quality of one’s life.

This is a recipe for disempowerment, in the sense that giving people, even those we love most, responsibility for what is good and bad in our lives. Christ used the construct He called “Satan”, or “the devil”, to illuminate the lower nature which leads people to act in ways that are of a disservice to self and others. People have taken that construct and used it as a scapegoat, as an actual being outside themselves, on whom to blame when they make bad choices. God, Himself, also gets blamed, when there is misfortune in the lives of many people.

The choice, that those who give others control over their affairs often make, following a misfortune that is laid at the feet of another, is taking revenge. This, of course, prolongs and most often deepens the agony. I can think of no problem that I ever faced, which was solved by blamecasting or looking outside myself for resolution. Indeed, when Jesus was tempted by His own human lower nature at Gethsemane, He gave us a road map for overcoming such weakness, with the words, “Get thou behind me, Satan!”

It is, simply put, up to each person to put the lower nature behind them-not often an easy task, but one which must be done.

Fulfilling vs. Expedient

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on November 11, 2019 in collaborating, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Striving

November 11, 2019, Santa Monica-

A few days ago, back at Home Base, I found that some javelinas had knocked over a couple of neighbours’ trashcans. Although it was early morning and I was in relaxation mode, there was the element of “We don’t have to live like this”, which has long been my mantra, with regard to tolerating a squalid environment. I went outside and picked up the entire mess.

Jordan Peterson’s seventh rule for living is “Do what is fulfilling, instead of what is expedient”. My mother never let us slide, when it was time to get a task, chore or school assignment done. God knows, there were plenty of times when I would have loved to hang loose and slack off. It is a blessing that I never got away with it.

Many times, people have said to me that I do things “the hard way”. Mostly, if I do such things, it is so I can remember how to do them properly, the next time. As for not being necessarily expedient, I have found that cutting corners almost always returns to haunt me. It’s better to go the extra mile, the first time.

That is also the way of the veteran, whose service rarely, if ever, allowed for expediency.

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A Sagittarian Seeker

Sharing a life of inner and outer journeys

A Humble Posture of Learning

The Conscious Step Away From An Abyss

Blamecasting

Fulfilling vs. Expedient

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