Small Town!

 I've been hearing the John Mellencamp "Small Town" song in my head ever since the latest internet "let's all get offended & call each other nasty names" made for social media event.

"This successful life we're livin' got us feudin like the Hatfield's and McCoy's"...Waylon Jennings.

Probably because my love & knowledge of Country Music stops somewhere in the mid 80's with Willie, Waylon and Hank JR. So I know absolutely ZERO about the "famous" singer and/or singers involved & care less than zero.

"I had the right to remain silent. But I didn't have the ability"... Ron White

In order to not be labeled racist, libtard, inbred or far right wing QAnon or far left wokester I should just remain silent. After all I take most of this crap about as seriously as I take the flat earth "controversy."

But as Willie says "I didn't come here and I ain't leaving." so imma give my own opinion. Kind of.

"People talking without speaking. People hearing without listening.".. Simon & Garfunkel. 

Seems like people these days talk at each other & yell over each other. We dehumanize each other by yelling "babie killer, thug, colonizer, white privilege, black babie momma, anti vaxer, murderer because you voted for Trump, America hater because you voted for Biden, and of course the clincher "Racist" because you don't see the world in "pun intended" black & white.

For just a moment I want to say something. The only thing that really bothers me is censorship. If someone I don't agree with can be shouted down and their speech be made illegal then so can mine.

No. I haven't watched the whole video or listened to the song. Because music is something personal to me. I'm not a good musician. But I am a musician. It's something I either feel in my soul or I leave alone. I have no interest in "Rap, Modern Country, Progressive Rock or Classical Music." 

However, in principle I support the free expression of them all. 

Before I retired a fellow social worker told me a story. There was an old couple that came into an agency. They needed food and a little help with bills. One of the younger workers refused to help them. Thankfully my colleague who happened to be black helped them. But why did the first one resent them?Because the old folks were white & therefore responsible for slavery, lynchings & all the evil throughout history.

I can also tell you similar stories about poor Hispanic & black folks being mistreated. Somewhere down the line somebody convinced poor white folks they had more in common with the Donald Trump's of the world than their equally poor black neighbors. Someone, somehow convinced poor black people that they had more in common with the rich, white raised Barrack Obama than with their poor white neighbors.

So the truth is (for me.) I hate censorship. I will always want to hear that song you tell me not to listen to. I will always read that book you tell me to burn. I will always defend free expression. I won't always agree. But I'm old school American! 

So that's all I got to say about that.

"No, I cannot forget where it is I come from. I cannot forget the people who love me. Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town. And people let me be just what I want to be."...John Mellencamp 

Peace!

Spiritual journeys

 You who are on the Road. Must have a code that you can live by...Crosby, Nash, Stills & Young.

Books have always fascinated me. From my childhood I would devour comic books and books about sports hero's. As I grew older horror and then police procedural and then non fiction. I remember asking people what they knew about their faith or their worldview or their opinion. I found most people simply believed what their parents believed or what they saw on TV. 

She's got electric boots, a mohair suit. You know I read it in a magazine...Elton John

But I want to say this. I've known a lot of wise people that rarely if ever cracked a book. Simply reading is like simply going to college. You might be book smart but "some folks are educated way beyond their intelligence." Jerry Clower the great country comedian made that statement.

Still some of the smartest people I've ever known read books. I don't know how you even have a worldview if you never read a book. Still in my old age I find that I don't read as much as I used to. Matter of fact if it were not for Kindle and ebooks I would hardly read at all these days. I just don't have the focus I once had. And I go from one thing to another on the internet.

He got joo joo eyeball

He one holy roller

He got hair down to his knee

Got to be a joker

He just do what he please...Lennon & McCartney

So this isn't a "boy ain't I smart because I read a book" post. Also, these are not necessarily my favorite books to read. 

But this is a list of books I read in from my youth. Read in means I didn't always read every word. They helped shape or at least were a part of my inner spiritual life. Only one of these is from recent years. The others are from my teens through my 20's and maybe into my thirties. But if so it wasn't far into my 30's.

Old man look at my life. I'm a lot like you 

were...Neil Young 

But that's when worldviews are mainly formed. By your mid life you often are already pretty much into your views with  few tweaks and maybe some awakening to follow. Autobiography of a Yogi is the only one on this list that I came to later in life. However apart from the bible it's the oldest book on the list.

This isn't an attempt to change or argue with anyone. I'm just at that age where I look back on things and make my old fart lists of stuff. So here's a list.

The Bible: you can't be born into the family I was born into and the part of the country I was born into and not be affected by at least someone's interpretation of this "book." The reason I put quotation marks around book is because in really it's a collection of books and writings. I read it because I was always told I should and being stubborn I decided I would. I slept through Deuteronomy and a few others but believe it or not the prophet's woke me up. 1st Samuel was a clinic in getting quiet. John was a revelation (no pun intended) on spiritual communication and made me think of issues like talking to God and Spirit. I came away no longer comfortable with my religion because of certain old testament stuff. But with a real appreciation of listening for that still voice inside.

Autobiography of a Yogi. Paramhansa Yogananda.: I came later in life to this book. It's considered a spiritual classic. I listened to a lot of it on Audible while walking or doing chores. I also read some in the ebook. This is the only book on the list that I read in ebook format or listened in audio book. I have most of the others in ebook now. But there wasn't any such thing as an ebook when I first read them. Chapter 43 The Resurrection of Sri Yukeswar (i probably spelled that wrong) made a huge impression on me. Not because I believed every word of the account. But because something in me knows that there is a greater truth in this account. Anyway, I still go back and listen or read and meditate/ think on this chapter from time to time.

The Road less traveled. M. Scott Peck:   I came across this book in my youth. I was a young man struggling with faith. Prayer and my faith was important to me. But I found myself wondering if I was stupid for having hope in a reality beyond what basic science classes stated. Here was a very intelligent Psychiatrist saying it wasn't stupid. That spiritual growth and realty is legitimate. I found it at the right time for me 

Out on a Limb Shirley Maclaine: Similar to The Road Less Traveled this book hit at the perfect time. I've had A snippet of what I consider to be A past life memory since childhood. This book written by A well respected actress at the time gave me permission to go out in my own limb. It took years back and forth but this was A gentle shove forward at the time.

A bed by the Window M Scott Peck: This book showed the strength of love and inner strength in the teeth of hate and malice. It somehow reminded me of some issues I had back in middle school. 

Communion Whitley Streiber: even though it's popularly called an alien book it isn't. It's an account of some really odd occurrences that were also shared by visitors to the Streiber cabin in Upstate New York if memory serves

Passport to Mangonia Jacques Vallee: This is story after story of the interweaving pattern in our myths and folklore that Vallee connects with UFO sightings and alien abduction. I don't really like this type narrative because after so many accounts my eyes glaze over. But the message is plausible and it's a classic.

20 Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation Ian Stevenson: This is an academic tome. Written by a psychiatrist who interviewed and meticulously wrote up case after case of children who remember past lives. I honestly have not read it but have read in it and about it over the years. But if you are a stats & numbers person or an academic this is a classic in its field.

Flim Flam James Randi: This is by The darling of the materialistic atheist. Nothing paranormal is true and even if it seems to be it really isn't. Another book I read a little in during my journey. After all I was searching for The truth. I don't think this crusty old magician had it. But, if you know anything about skeptics or care then Randi is a classic.

The Key Whitley Streiber: Oh yeah. I said most of these books I read in my youth. But this one I came across recently. So I have to add this. An older man visits the author at a very late time of night and drops some wisdom on him. Was he real? Was he from our time? I don't know but Whitley feels he was specially sent. I got lost reading this one in the bookstore. I didn't quite finish it But was to cheap to pay full price for it. So I'm waiting for the Kindle version to drop into one of those "Dailey deal" things.

Heading Towards Omega Kenneth Ring: This is classic. After the Moody book Kenneth Ring did some awesome work. It was Ring that I first heard talk about blind people seeing during the near death experience.

Life after life Raymond Moody: The first time the term Near Death experience entered the public consciousness. The experience itself is ancient. But starting with Plato Dr. Moody brought it to the forefront with this book.

Return from Tomorrow George Ritchie: This one about a Korean war American soldier who died and was if memory serves taken to the morgue is awesome. He saw ( although I think all experience is personally unique in some ways) Jesus descending into hell or dark places to speak and rescue people. But they wouldn't look up and realise there is still hope. Anyway it's an awesome book and highly recommended.

There are many modern writers of you're interested in the paranormal. Tricia Robertson does a great job of presenting accounts. Jeffery Mislove has a podcast called New Thinking Allowed that is awesome. Buddha at the Gas pump is another. TOE by Kurt Jimengal and the writing and any podcast with Donald Hoffman is great. But I have to admit I can't just sit and listen to a podcast. I have to be walking or doing chores or puzzles or coloring. But there is a treasure trove in YouTube these days. 

Anyway, thanks for reading my old farts list of things that impacted or are impacting my walking through this wonderful, horrible, blessed and tragic journey.

Peace!

The Road

 You, who are on the road. Must have a code that you can live by....Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

 I once read a book about the afterlife based on the author's experience but written in fiction form. One of the most intriguing things in the book was a road the main character walked after dying in this world. 

He was walking on a road that was eternal. He could stop along the way and manifest a beautiful mansion or a seaside cottage or a mountain dwelling. But sooner or later he was back on the road. Because as he walked along the road he would encounter people, pets & places from the life he had just lived.

On this two lane highway 

Is going my way, moving fast

Two lane highway

Is taking me home, home at last...Pure Prairie League

I think the image of the road has always intrigued people. I know it has me. I was born in Gadsden, Alabama but I spent much of my childhood in rural Altoona/Walnut Grove, Alabama. The sight of a blacktop road or highway in the sunshine leading around a tree lined bend and through the woods has always fascinated me.

A dirt road in the country leading up into the hills and beyond. Roads could be heading anywhere. Maybe around the next bend will be a town or city you've never seen before. Magic could be just beyond that hill over there. Or even right up there on a Alabama summer day where the blacktop is shimmering in the hot sun.

 I had a friend who I used to walk some of those country roads with. He was a gentle person but country tough. A simple dude not highly educated. Socially awkward but loyal to the end with his friends and family.

Religion and his own inner loneliness killed his hope in this world. An angry god who could send and leave his loved ones in eternal torment along with the self righteous church folks pretty much convinced him that there was no real hope. 

The message of unconditional love that never fails just couldn't compete with the hellfire of the frozen few. So he took his life. I think about old friends and my family that have gone before me these days.

 So the image of a road where I can look over and see my friend walking beside me again is a wonderful thought. To stop at my grandparents house and sit with my granddaddy around a pot bellied stove one eternal morning. 

The character of the book also came upon a neighborhood store from his childhood. How fun would that be? I could walk into my neighborhood store in Walnut Park which was my old neighborhood. Get a coke for a dime a bag of barbq chips for a dime and get a candy bar for a nickle and sit on the bench out front with my friends the Hooks brothers. 

Roads are always a symbol of freedom. But the best road is the one that leads home. It's evening and you see that bright yellow light shining through the window as you approach home. The place of sanctuary and peace. 

Rest up and enjoy familiar surroundings and sooner or later get back to exploring. Because the road goes on forever.

The long and winding road that leads to your door. Will never disappear I've seen that road before...The Beatles

I've heard a lot of opinions about what happens when we die. I have my own ideas and some life experience  to draw from. But this isn't my opinion on what we will encounter when we drop this body. 

This is simply a rambling thought process of "what if?" I don't think the afterlife is a static road but there might be a road that goes on forever involved.

 

After all. All roads eventually lead home. I don't do religion these days. At least not a one size fits all. I still have my faith though. I think eventually love wins! 

Peace!

Thoughts

 I was "doom scrolling" on my Fire tablet this morning. Meaning I was reading the news on the internet app "Hotsheet." which connects to newspapers & political blogs across the political spectrum along with sports & other stuff. So when I click on Drudge Report or Huffington Post or other sources and scroll down I think of that as doom scrolling. I stole the term from a Stephen King tweet. My favorite author is rather guilty of hysterical tweets himself lately. But, I digress.

I turned 66 this year. I know! I couldn't believe it myself! Crap! Can't I get up out of a chair these days without passing gas? Hey! You kids! Stop riding your bikes in front of my dog! Now where was I? 

Oh yeah. I was going to say something about the culture war. I think we are all being distracted. While everybody is trying to cram religion, secularism, chicks with dicks, & trying to force young women to have a baby even if they are raped or are 13 years old our society is crumbling.

So smart butt Stevie has some answers. Your milage may vary and of course there's a chance I could be wrong.

Also. Full disclosure: Even though I'm from "The Deep South!" I hope y'all heard a deep condescending voice of a Northeastern American white news anchor reading off a teleprompter when you read that. But, again I digress.

So anyway as I was saying when I so rudely interrupted myself. Even though I'm Southern, white, old, baptized and fondly remember Pony Miller's and wacky terbacky I'm trying to be totally objective. Which of course is impossible but I try.

Wow! People get mad on the interwebs these days. Calling each other Nazi's and baby murderers and racist killer's! And that's just discussing college football.

 So let me say what I'm basing my opinions on. My own life experience and gut instinct. That's it! Full stop! This isn't based on religion, country, skin color, sexual preference (although if there is a tribe of tall blonde amazon women that want to abduct me and do unmentionable things to my body I'm available.) I'm old but I ain't dead yet!

 Sorry! Where was I? Oh yeah. I remember. I was giving my disclaimer. So anyway here's my thoughts as of this morning after one cup of coffee on the culture wars of the US and the world. Which like most Americans I'm pretty sure revolves around us.

Abortion: I Hate it and fully support a woman's right to choose. If men had babies you could get an abortion pill out of a vending machine. Y'all know it's true. But, I do get tired of certain far left people on TV acting like it's a holy right to decide the life inside you isn't something you want to be responsible for. It really is a potential child that when your old and your tattoo looks like a surgical scar and men no longer hover about you the adult child will still love their momma. But, sometimes a young woman is raped, or the baby Will be horribly deformed and has no real hope of a viable life. Sometimes the mother is in abject poverty and those so called pro life folks want to withhold medical and housing care. And sometimes a woman just doesn't want to carry a child.

So while I think young women should be informed of the truth and not be told they're a social warrior for women everywhere. It's still their choice. Not your church's choice, not your feminist choice. Their choice. Sorry. It's just true.

Privilege: This is a big one because it's based on lies! Being born white does not mean you automatically have an easy life. Being born black does not automatically mean you are oppressed and helpless. I knew a white child born with cerebral palsy. He had to be fed clothed and pushed in a wheelchair. I knew another child born black. He was handsome, strong and his parents loved him. So who had privilege? Please stop! We are all in our unique journeys through life. Some were born on third base and think they hit a triple. Some are born behind the foul line and honestly have a hard row to hoe. But most of us in this country are still able to go where we want, when we want and live the way we want. At least to an extent. 

Black lives matter: Yes they do. You know when else they matter? They matter when single mothers have to grieve when a gang member shoots into an apartment because he was disrespected. They Also matter when kids on the streets of Baltimore or Chicago or Birmingham or Tuscaloosa are getting killed.

But Joe Biden ain't visiting those folks and Al Sharpton ain't "saying their name." because there's no pub and virtue or late night tv hosts patting them on the head.

 No old white devil to blame it on. It's something that both black and white politicians could fix but they won't.

 Obama bailed out General Motors. Bush bombed a third world country back to the stone age. Congress gives billions of dollars to foreign countries everyday. But we can't build hospitals and mental health facilities and drug rehabilitation resources. 

 We can build more jails though. We can expect cops to deal with mental illness and poverty and drug addicted people which they don't have the training for. And it's honestly not what they should or even want to do. 

Gay Rights: I fully support people being who they are. Period. Joe wants to marry and leave all his worldly goods to Bob? Fine by me. None of my business. Your church doesn't believe in gay marriage? Fine. But understand that this is a nation of many people and religions and no religion at all. 

Marriage is only sacred if the married couple make it sacred. That's between y'all and God. But marriage in a free country is a legal binding of two adults. Stop splitting hairs and grow up.

Transgenderism: I sometimes think society loses the thread here. I always thought if you're a dude and you dress in women's clothing then you're a transvestite. Meaning you like women's clothing. Not my thing and not my business. 

I always thought if you decide to have surgery and hormone therapy that you are transgender. You don't simply say you're a woman. You literally have your dick removed (OUCH) and go through the medical procedures. Again. Not my business. Not my problem. Live life and be a decent person I don't care what you identify as. But, don't let minor children have life altering surgery that can't be reversed. You can't drive legally at 12. So support, love and affirm. But don't try to artificially stop nature and body changes in a minor child. It ain't that complicated folks.

But, while I fully support peoples right to attend and put on a drag show I do draw the line at sexualizing children. Schools have no right or obligation to discuss sexuality with minor children. Sex education such as function and consequences of active sexual lifestyle? Yes. In middle school and high school. Being confronted At 5 or 6 years old by drag queens or worrying about the religious philosophy of the First Baptist preacher? NO. See? I fixed it for ya. 

Bathrooms: if you're a parent and you let your 8 year old go into ANY public restroom alone boy or girl then you're a damn idiot! If you have a dick use the men's urinal and if you have a vagina then I assume you know what to do. If your dressed as a man or woman then use a water closet of the gender you're dressed as. Or build unisex bathrooms or quietly use your own judgement. This is so rare that I truly believe politicians should be working on more pressing needs. This is just a distraction.

Pronouns: Dear God! 

Who gives a chit? If you want to be called zer or Zey or them or they I don't care. I'm a decent human and if you ask me nicely to call you something I'll give it my best shot. But, at the end of the day Imma just talk so if I misgendet or mispronoun you and you get mad then that's a YOU problem.

Immigration: I think most if us are fine with people having a path to come to America. It's amazing how the media is no longer worried about children on the border or cages or mean old border patrol. Hmm. 

But, let me say this in defense of folks coming across the border. Most if them are trying to build a better life for themselves and their family. So take that into account no matter your politics when you see a person who is here "illegally." That doesn't mean you can't demand border security. It just means be a good human being. Be kind.

Politics: When I was younger I wasn't really concerned much with politics. Then as a young man in my mid 20's and 30's I was strongly conservative. I was a card carrying, Limbaugh listening dittohead. If you don't know what that is then Google is your friend. 

 Then around my late 30's and into my 40's I started becoming more liberal. By my mid 40's I was a born again left wing liberal. 

Then as I got older I started really looking and by my late 40's until today I have become middle of the road leaning a little left especially on social issues. 

I'm old school liberal when it comes to censorship. I hate it! Nobody should be shouted down without a fair hearing. No book should be banned or edited for "correctness." 

CNN & FOX: I just use those two because they are so well known. During the Trump presidency we honestly needed the CNN perspective because FOX was acting like a dictator's news source. In the Biden presidency we honestly need FOX because CNN is acting like a Soviet era mouthpiece for the Democrats. 

Truth is we need the truth. Not echo chambers. Thanks to the internet we can check a wide variety of sources. 

Also, thanks to the internet we can retreat to our echo chambers and continue to be mad & self righteous and yell over each other. 

Oh well. Good luck.

Final thought: A young man asked an old terminally ill man how it felt to think about dying. The old man answered "How does it feel pretending you're not?"

Life's short. Be kind. Eat the chocolate cake when you can.

Peace!

Spaceman Spiff!

 loved the X-Files! In the early 90's or as Dean Koontz said back then "on the cusp of the millennium." Cindy and I would be glued to the exploits of Mulder & Skully. By the way speaking of "Millennium" that was a very underrated show itself. 

I'm a boomer. I'm one of those born in the late 50's who missed Vietnam by a hair. Not quite old enough to be an actual hippy but close enough to understand the life style. At least a little. I started school in the day when America was rushing to get to the moon before the dreaded Soviets. We were taught that Israel might have been the chosen people but America was the Apple of God's eye. 

Into that atmosphere I dove into Batman & Superman comics. But I also had another passion. Space! Jules Bergman was an American journalist. When NASA launched The Mercury Spacecraft I would sit spellbound as he used a toy or model rocket and would detach different parts to show the way the rocket would launch, orbit & return to earth. In serious, wonderful black and white I watched raptly. 

Added to this I would get a library card and be amazed at the science fiction section. Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and Ben Bova. Covers depicting rockets and planets and meteors. I wouldn't read the books much Because I was young and Asimov despite the covers bored me. But I would get comic books and watch all the science fiction movies that "Dialing for Dollar's" on channel 6 or 13 out of Birmingham would show. 

I remember when the U.S.A. won the race to the moon. It was just a matter of time before we would have moon bases and flying cars like the Jetson's cartoons. 

Somewhere in all that as I got older the paranormal merged with UFO lore. The spacemen became  interdimensional. A movie based on a book called Chariots of the God's came out. What if our ancient myths and legends were actually brought here from somewhere else? 

Then I discovered an actual serious researcher named Jaques Vallee. Stephen Spielberg would base the French scientist in Close Encounters on him. In the late 60's and early 70's Vallee had written "Passport to Magonia." it was an extensive study of flying craft, The Fae (Faerie folk of Europe) and African, Egyptian and Native American stories. He made and still makes the argument that the presence has always been with us. Appearing as fire and Angels or The Fae to spaceships in our modern times. 

In the 80's an American author that my little bookworm self was familiar with from a horror novel called The Wolfen wrote a book called "Communion." Whitley Strieber like so many before & since was attacked and called crazy. Just a failed horror writer trying to make it big.

The problem was Hollywood had already turned two of his novels "The Wolfen and The Hunger" Into popular movies so "failed" was not a term to use regarding him. 

Anyway this was right in my sweet spot. The boring Star Trek soulless universe was giving way to endless possibilities of unending space, life, consciousness and discovery. It wasn't the Klingon (Space Russian) or the ever so logical Vulcans that would make first contact.

It would be our forbearers. Spiritually wise and eternal. That had guided us not simply from a more technological earth from outer space but also from infinite inner space.

So now I am older. I have my own experience with spiritual and practical matters. I have an inner life and it is at times a dialog with The Divine and sometimes a crazy mess. I don't subscribe to ancient aliens or the sterile little blue ball with no meaning either. I've become or am becoming someone that has no label. 

I don't do much social media. A few Facebook memes and jokes and a few people I love and respect I keep in touch with on messenger. As a respectful older dude I stay off Tic Tock, Discord and most any other sites. I do however use Twitter. 

Back in the day I got the nickname "Tweet." I was young and I guess I reminded someone of Tweetybird from the cartoon. So when Twitter started up I had no choice. I had to grab Tweetybird as my profile pic and open an account under the handle TweetSnead.  So even if nobody else on Twitter gets it I have my own little inside joke. The revenge of the little guy. Call me a funny name & I turn it into an inside joke.

But, I discovered something on Twitter. A whole subculture of UFO nuts like me. So I post occasionally and read regularly at #ufotwitter. Most of us have a great time nerding out. But alas there are those true believers and true stick up their butt skeptics that fight and argue all day. 

Now honestly and not just because I love the possibilities. The so called skeptics are the worse. Calling names and demanding an accounting for why every light in the sky isn't swamp gas and the planet Venus. I've gotten to the point where the minute I hear a "skeptic" attack a person's character instead of honestly discussing I just skip over it.

I'm not a true believer in anything. I know what I've personally experienced and I meditate and ponder those things. Because all we know at any given time is our own inner life. 

But I love to think "what if?" when I look at the stars, moon and planets. I love to close my eyes and let go of trying to figure it out and just explore inner space. 

I figure at my age another 20 years or more if I'm blessed to see it and I won't care if a Democrat or a Republican is president. I have enough life experience to know the baton is passing no matter how much I want to keep running the same race.

But, when that day comes "What If?" So I'll keep watching the skies and inner space. I believe Paul said something like I wait all my life until my change comes!

I don't do religious dogma. I'm still religious in my own way. I just don't think I or anybody else has all the answers and one size doesn't fit all.

I've always been a book nerd. But as I've aged my attention span has shortened and my eye has floaters and I don't see well unless my nose is right in the print. So podcasts, YouTube Audible & ebooks are how I follow my interests. My Kindle can be adjusted for light and font and switched to dark mode. So I have quite the collection of UFO ebooks these days. I even read them from time to time. Once a book hoarder always a book hoarder. But at least ebooks don't take up much space.

Space. Oh yeah. This is where I came in.

Peace!

Ramblings of an Adam West Fan

 I never had to say I was Batman. I just showed up and everybody knew who I was...Adam West

  I've seen a lot of changes on my journey this go round. I didn't know how fast 6 & 1/2 and counting decades could go by. But I've learned a few things. Never apologise for being here. You have as much right as anybody else to breathe no matter your age, skin color, sexual preference, politics or religion.

We all play the game and when we dare to cheat ourselves at solitaire. Inventing lovers on the phone. Repenting other lives unknown...Janis Ian. "At Seventeen"

So after all these years I finally know better than to present myself for the approval of other's. In return I don't demand others present their "paper's" to me either. But I did want to ramble a little about this old world and it's changes. At least one man's observations. My credentials to talk? Life, being born, death (when it comes) and wherever the journey leads beyond this wonderful, tragic, cruel, loving world.

Religion: 

I had the right to remain silent. But I didn't have the ability...Ron White

I was raised "in the church" as we say in the South. So when other people especially younger people tell me to read the bible I have to laugh a little. Now don't get mad! I don't mean laugh in a derisive way. I just mean I was brought up on the bible. I've read it cover to cover. I'm found inspiration & comfort. I've done what most Christians do and halfway shut my eyes on the "kill every man, woman & child including the cattle" parts. 

But, I also read about the bible. It's not a book! There were ancient stories, wisdom, truths, parables & myths including accounts of war passed from generation to generation & finally written down & translated into many languages and cultures.

Then some "men" from Rome under the popes. (No girls allowed) who decided which of those writings were holy & which were not. 

Then some other men decided Rome wasn't the church after all and called themselves protestants but then called Rome false while keeping the Roman Catholic councils as "church fathers."

So as I grew older & read and prayed and thought about life I realized that God whoever and whatever He/She/Ground of all being is was most likely not bound to a religion or set of rules or a bunch of writings that men in funny hats decided was the inerrant final word of God. 

So I take the religion of my youth seriously because the idea of God becoming flesh and walking through this old world is awesome! I won't go into how and why I call myself a Jesus Follower and continue to pray and meditate because I'm not trying to convert or convince anyone of anything. I think the best we can do is to treat all creatures the way we want to be treated. You don't have to follow a religion or a belief to do that. Just be a good human.

And because I share the trait of having the right but not the ability to remain silent I have one more thing to add. 

In my younger days I was working at Popeyes Chicken. One of my jobs was to drop the Chicken in a big vat of hot grease. We kept a lot of flower on hand both to batter the Chicken but also when the grease would splatter. Because one little drop of that grease on your arm or your face would be unbearable. So we would grab a handful of flower and put it on our skin to soak up the spot of grease and get relief. 

One day I was thinking of a certain bully from middle school. General Forrest Jr. High in Gadsden, Alabama. This kid was cruel. Not cartoonist big bully. No. This one was flat out relentlessly mean! But I thought if I had that bully and I could. I still would NEVER place even the tip of his little finger in that hot oil. Not even my worst enemy would I do that to. 

So suffice it to say that I don't in anyway believe a God who is really The Source of all being and the incarnation of love could leave any creature in eternal torment. If it works for you that's fine. Just don't expect me to agree with you.

Final thing I'll say on this subject. No. I'm not an atheist. No. I don't attack Christianity. Yes. I still love Jesus. Yes. I still pray. No. I don't think you have to be any certain religion or any religion at all. No. I'm not going to argue my life or your Life on social media.

But I'd be honored to sit down one day over coffee or lunch and discuss your ideas respectfully. Just not on Facebook or social media. I follow certain groups & blogs and interests on Facebook & Twitter but I like my own page to be friendly, funny and a place to talk with old friends and make new friends. 

Homosexuality: I'm ashamed of the times in my youth when I could have been understanding and kind but chose silence and even a little casual meanness instead. You know the old Hollywood movie of the nerdish but still cool kid that doesn't fit in But yet accepts other's? Well that wasn't me. Sadly that isn't most humans. Those of us with ravaged faces or abusive homes or social awkwardness didn't automatically protect the other outcasts. Because in our deepest hearts we wanted to be accepted too. So we laughed or at least I did. At the jokes and slurs directed at gay people in order to be accepted by the cool kids. Also if their derision was focused on the gay or goth or other outcast then it wasn't focused on me. 

These days I see people as people and what they do privately as their business as long as they aren't hurting children or other vulnerable people. I have very little else to say on this subject. 

Trans: If you have a pee pee But dress like a woman you are a dude in drag and there is nothing wrong with that. Have fun. If you get your pee pee removed and have hormone and surgery treatments Then you are trans and there's nothing wrong with that. If you want to play sports and can pass a purely biological physical with a doctor there's nothing wrong with that. But, if you are biologically male then you don't get to compete against a biological female and there's nothing wrong with that.

No. We don't all have "the right" to play in certain leagues. Otherwise my little 5'3 butt would sue the NBA because only people who are really good at basketball get to sign an NBA contract. Is that fair? No! Okay. It's common sense. That's in short supply these days. 

Should drag shows be illegal? NO! Grown people have the right to entertain the way they choose. Should drag queens read to children? Not if it's a group of men with their junk showing and trying to talk about sexuality to a five year old. But, I wouldn't want a playboy bunny or a Chippendale model reading with their hoo ha or junk hanging out either. Common sense folks. Don't need government issuing far right laws or celebrating far left lunacy. Just common sense 

Race: it ain't that hard. We are all one race. The human race. We are all unique within our own beings. One size doesn't fit all so treat people the way you want to be treated.

Anyway. I hope I didn't offend too many people with this little ramble. It was just a little mental exercise and not meant to be a silly Mic drop echo chamber moment. 

Peace!

The Bardo

 In Buddhist teaching the Bardo is the place or state between death and rebirth. I'm not Buddhist and I don't subscribe to the Buddhist philosophy. But, as in most and maybe all ancient wisdom there is a seed of growth and truth there.

This is the time of year when my mind turns to thoughts of rebirth and new beginnings. But, the thing with beginnings is for something to begin or restart something else has to die.

I've given a lot of thought to what is going on with me. The great American sage Stephen King once wrote that in your 60's the bodies expiration date is really close to expiring. I was born in 1957 so you do the math if you want. I personally am not as interested in counting these days. 

I was watching a spiritual guru or teacher on youtube. No. Not my guru. I don't do guru's. I use the word in mild sarcasm here because he ( Eckhart Tolle) doesn't call himself a guru. It's just the audience was hanging on his every word. He does have wisdom mixed in with the natural human follies and along with Alan Watts & some people like Donald Hoffman I find much to learn from and much to toss out. But, I have the same human follies so what do I know?

Eckhart was asked about the near death experience and I was interested in his take. However he basically recited the " we are one consciousness experiencing itself and the ego dies." Which I call Buddhism 101. Nothing especially new and honestly it's just speculation. Which is something I'm good at. I can pull stuff outta my butt like nobodies business. Matter of fact my most aha moments have been when my mind is racing to make sense out of this horrible, wonderful, tragic, beautiful experience we call life. But then again I've also flipped cars, stopped by the police and been drunk, stoned and stupid a lot so again. Take anything I say with that in mind. I had a very misspent youth. And years of ongoing healing.

I do agree with Eckhart and the Dali Lama that we are part of the one indescribable and unknowable ( at least in this side of life) consciousness or beingness that all being comes from. Now you might think brain chemistry answers it all but it doesn't. You might think a pissed off old dude in the sky answers it all. It doesn't. Any God that can be regulated to earthly temper tantrums and one size fits all answers isn't the whole of God or ground of being. That type being is more like Thor or Superman. 

I tend to agree with Jesus in that the kingdom is within and we are all a part of The One. Actually so do Buddhist, Hindu's and Eckhart Tolle. But, as Christ was saying before Rome and the church interrupted him. "God is love and love never fails." So for me the death of the body doesn't equal the annihilation of my being or ego. It frees this particular child of God to continue on the journey of becoming. 

I have become a universalist in my old age. Of God (however you can conceive if him/her/they/it is truly love and love never fails then somewhere there is a reunion of all the love and a reconciliation of all the pain and hate that has been out along the journeys. 

I have my own reasons for suspecting reincarnation is a real mechanism for our evolving soul on this planet and maybe throughout the universe. I don't what death is but I think it's a transition. Anyway just some thoughts tonight after listening to a deep thinker and trying to honestly sit with my own thoughts. 

Peace.