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 96: The Hounds of the Hoovervilles

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, impediments, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

March 4,2025- In the late 1920s, it was decided, by the Executive Branch, that the solution to the world’s gathering economic woes was to place trust in its economic elite, particularly the business titans of the United States. Granting exemptions and privileges to the “movers and shakers” was seen by the Hoover Administration as central to the nation’s, and the world’s , recovery following the Stock Market crash of October, 2029.

It proved to be too little, too late. The solution that worked proved to be the counterintuitive one-Massive investment by the government itself, large-scale programs that lifted society up by loaned bootstraps: The New Deal, a sequel to the Square Deal that was initiated by President Theodore Roosevelt, nearly thirty years earlier. That agenda increased government monitoring of business and enacted public health programs. The agenda of TR’s cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, brought government into everything from flood control and rural electrification to the basic well-being of senior citizens and control of traded securities.

That the United States was drawn into World War II added to the economy in some respects and hampered it in others. War and defense industries flourished, while the workforce was limited by the need for so many men and women to go forth in safeguarding the nation’s, and the world’s, freedom.

Nearly a century after the Crash, we face a related reckoning. The notion that the government should be far less involved in social welfare is again gaining traction. It has been said, several times of late, including by the President in his speech to Congress, this evening, that payouts to deceased people have been ongoing. My wife of 29 years died, 14 years ago tomorrow. When she had been laid to rest, and the family members had gone back to their own lives, I took it upon myself to return funds that were no longer hers and to pay back her insurers that which had been overpaid. Further, time passed and I received Survivor Benefits from the Social Security Administration-until I filed for my own Retirement, upon reaching the age of 70. At that point, the Survivor Benefits stopped. I doubt that my handling of our situation is an anomaly.

I do not understand the insistence, by people who are independently wealthy and have no need of Social Security, that the rest of us should be asked to give up our benefits. Before anyone says that is not what Elon Musk and others are advocating-please note that he referred to Social Security as a Ponzi scheme. I paid into the fund, from November, 1966-February, 1987 and again from March, 1992- November, 2020. Heck, when I work occasionally as a Substitute Teacher, I am still paying into the Fund. I am getting back what I gave. I do not feel grifted.

Between the day after the Stock Market crash of October, 1929 and the inception of the New Deal, there emerged, across the nation, settlements of displaced workers and their families. These were called Hoovervilles. They gradually closed, as the economy slowly improved and the war effort took more people into the realm of military service. The Hoovervilles, in fairness, make today’s homeless encampments seem small by comparison-even in California.

I wonder, though, what will be the end result of slash and burn? What programs do the DOGE executives have in mind for those currently being displaced? Have they thought that far ahead, or are they acting as the new hounds of latter day Hoovervilles? I can work, if need be, for the foreseeable future. As I look around at my contemporaries, however, I see that not everyone can.

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 94: Close Calls

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Family, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

March 2, 2025- Myrtle Beach was an unexpected surprise, when I was near the end of my Army Basic Training, in mid-August, 1969. I earned a three-day pass, and got to spend 1 1/2 days just enjoying a cabana to myself and the long strand of sand, with plenty of the scenery that appealed to an 18-year-old man-child. I haven’t been back there since, though I’ve been close-having visited Florence and Hemingway, as well as the Louis Gregory Baha’i Institute, in 2016 and 2018.

Myrtle Beach has grown immensely, in the past 56 years. Its popularity as a resort has kept pace with that of several other towns, up and down the Atlantic Coast. So, it was a major national concern when the city was threatened by wildfire, over the past two days. Resources have been rushed to the area, and containment of the fire stands at 30 %, as I write this.

Tryon, NC is a town I visited in 2019. I briefly considered moving there, from Phoenix, in 2011, before deciding on Prescott. Tryon and nearby Saluda are also dealing with a wildfire. It, too, is 30% contained, as of now. Tryon is prime horse country, southeast of Asheville and high upon the South Carolina state line.

I pray for both areas, knowing that there, but for the grace of God, goes our area. We expect rain or snow on Tuesday, and again towards the end of this week. It won’t do much to stave off fire, and given the current status of wildland firefighting teams, it likely falls to us volunteers to check on campsites, to make sure no embers are left to wait for a sudden gust of wind. This is exactly what brought me back from the Philippines and is keeping me close by, over most of the next six months. In a couple of weeks, our Red Cross team will be holding a dry run of a shelter set-up. A while back, I was asked to direct this exercise, and will see whether that still holds, at our meeting on Thursday.

This will be a year for many close calls. Let everyone be on the alert, that those surprises don’t overtake yourselves and loved ones.

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 92: Plotting Course

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, distraction issues, Education, impediments, Inner Struggles, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

February 28, 2025- Just before waking, this morning, I dreamed that I was climbing up a ladder made of tree branches. At a certain point, a key rung in the ladder snapped off. Unable to safely continue up the ladder, I got off and followed a dirt path, that wound around towards my home. I was walking contentedly along the path and came upon two groups of youths who were tussling and wrestling, in front of a primitive lean-to, thatched roofed house. I felt composed and detached from what was going on, and kept walking-at which point I woke up.

I now feel somewhat composed and detached, regarding the current back and forth between liberals and conservatives in our nation. I know that I am not willing to kowtow to anyone who seeks to impose their will, in an ad hoc or ex-oficio manner. I have noticed people on both sides, “yelling” online-typing responses in capital letters and cursing at people they deem to be not meeting their expectations. That is the mark of a desperate soul, expressing fear of the “other side”. I have also seen people on both sides expressing their opinions in a calm, but firm, tone of voice, not yelling-but not giving way, either.

I covered a few small classes today, with little to do other than take roll and remind one or two people to not use their cell phones during class. While the students were working on their Chrome Book lessons, I read some initial chapters of a book on the German Army, 1933-45. It was instructive to find that Adolf Hitler did not, initially, take the full reins of control over the Armed Forces (Wehrmacht) and that he initially trusted the commanders to build up their own fighting force, even pushing aside his paramilitary force, the SS. He seized control, of course, around 1938, and the result was the horror that the world experienced, until 1945.

Technology,and the pace of events, has quickened in the past 80 years, so it is unlikely that we will see any leader bide time and leave matters to chance. The course of human events, moreover, will proceed at a rapid clip, in some ways, and whipsaw back and forth, in other areas. This is why it is best to keep an open mind on many issues, and not assume that those expressing points of view other than one’s own are somehow to be taken sharply to task and fiercely set straight. We do ourselves an injustice by plotting our own courses using a route of fear and trepidation.

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 90: Water is Preferred

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, distraction issues, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

February 26, 2025- Back in 1978, over 900 people died at the Jonestown Compound, Guyana, many after drinking a cyanide-laced punch. It was administered at the instruction of cult leader Jim Jones, who himself committed suicide, after watching his followers die en masse. This horror gave rise to the expression “drinking the Kool-aid”, in reference to a sizable group of people accepting a leader’s propaganda, without question. It has been directed at Leftists by Rightists, and vice versa. It is itself reflective of unquestioning loyalty-to an opposing leader.

Every household needs deep cleaning, at least once or twice a year. The larger the house, the deeper the cleaning that would seem to be in order. In the case of large operations, it means review of procedures and of staff performance. It cannot, however, be done in a willy-nilly manner.

No concerted governmental action that is done, within the bounds of law, is ever totally off-base. To wit: Over 100 employees of our national intelligence services have been dismissed, after having been found to have engaged in illicit messaging. That this behaviour puts our nation’s security at risk is quite obvious to the average citizen-and thus justifies a reasonable and systematic review of agency and department staff performance. That review is being directed by a seasoned military commander, who is now a civilian. So far, the review looks to be quite fair and unbiased. As a law-abiding citizen, I trust that this review and the resulting corrective actions, will be emulated by all those department heads who claim to be interested in rooting out corruption.

Just so we’re clear, I prefer water and nothing stronger than coffee, in any case. Be discerning.

The Road to Diamond, Day 89: Gift Bags

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, distraction issues, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

February 25, 2025- We ran out of razors and toothpaste first. Toothbrushes and shampoo were the last things left. Even so, 50 bags of toiletries were assembled by seven people, this afternoon. It’ll be a small contribution towards lessening the want and uncertainty that faces the homeless/unhoused community, each day of the week, in a great many cities and towns, across the nation and the globe.

Prescott and vicinity have a fair share of people with no permanent residence. There are various meal programs in several churches, in both Prescott and Prescott Valley. Shelters are available in both towns. Food banks tend to those who are worst off among the populace.

The situation may get worse, before righting itself, as the national governmental focus is on giving support to an entrepreneurial class, believing that this will ensure investment in the well-being of the less fortunate. There could be some of that, but if the last such effort (2017) is any indication, most of the money sent back to the wealthiest citizens by Congress will be invested in the things that make those citizens’ lives ever more comfortable.

So, we gather items for gift bags, support thrift stores and staff serving lines at soup kitchens and other feeding stations, around the planet. We alternately discourage people from begging, while imposing means testing as a way to separate the “worthy” from the grifter. The ranks of the unemployed may rise, due to the shake-out now going on at the Federal level. Will entrepreneurship rise to the challenge, and set a private enterprise hiring boom in motion?

It will take far more than gift bags and food pantries to get through this current set of challenges. Stay tuned.

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.