Barbaric Yawp!!

“Not everybody has to sing the melody.”  -Pete Seeger-

“I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable, I sound my barbaric YAWP over the roofs of the world.” – Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass -

Some of you may wonder on occasion (or perhaps not) from where the quotes I love to use come.  I wish I could tell you that I peruse volume upon volume of literary works at the local library, glasses resting on my nose, searching for just the right phrase penned by some artistic genius that pierces my heart and soul.  The truth; however, is that I have a "quote app" on my fancy iPhone.  When I have idle time, I let the phone flood my senses with quotes from people of all walks of life.  Some move me.  Some puzzle me.  Some make me think.  Some make absolutely no sense to me and I simply flip to the next one.  If it makes you feel better, picture me in the stacks of a college library, quietly pondering all the world's problems.

Today's first quote by Pete Seeger,  a musician of sorts, not only puzzled me but actually disturbed me.  Read it again carefully.  Mr. Seeger says that not everyone has to sing the melody.  WHAT?  Ok, not everyone HAS to.  My question to you is, "why WOULDN'T you?  His quote not only promotes, but practically gives you permission to just play second fiddle.  It says that it's ok to stay in the background and sing harmony.  Truthfully, if that's who you are and your soul doesn't struggle with that, who am I to suggest otherwise?  But here's the thing.  We ALL have a melody.  You don't have to sing THE melody, but I would certainly encourage you to sing YOUR melody. 

We all have a voice.  We all have a song.  We all have something important to add; to contribute.  How dare someone tell me I should just sing backup!!  I much prefer the quote by Walt Whitman which is actually the final line of his famous poem, Leaves of Grass.  I encourage you to read it.  It's lovely.  Robin Williams uses this famous line in the movie Dead Poet's Society when he is encouraging a student, who is somewhat shy, to cry out.  He's asking him to dig deep and look inside to the voice he has to share.  In this touching scene, Robin Williams' character finally pushes the young man until anger releases a barbaric YAWP!!!  Literally, the man yells YAWP!!  Beautiful.

What do you have to say?  What does the inner voice in you have to shout?  No matter how small or insignificant you feel that voice is, don't rob the world of what you have to share.  Your voice is a small part of an incredibly vast universe.  Combined with the small voices of everyone and everything else in our universe, YOUR voice is what completes the harmony in our little symphony called life.  Sing your song and sing it out loud.  Sing your melody.  Don't settle for backup.  Grab the microphone and be a rock star!

Sound your barbaric yawp over the rooftops of the world.  I can't WAIT to hear what you have to sing.

Looking Backward

"When we study, not men's rights, but men's natures and capacities, nothing is more obvious than that all men are unequal; they are born unequal, they will always be unequal; nature intended them to be unequal; and no system of government, social control , or education has yet been devised or ever will be devised, that will make them equal. Indeed, the astonishing and delightful discovery of modern psychology and biology is, that the more you educate men the more unequal you make them. The more you equalize opportunity, the more you unequalize men. The more nearly you treat men alike, the more unlike they become. Birth, talent, labor, virtue, and education are forever making differences in people. Some must command and some must follow. It is a law of life." -Albert Edward Wiggam, "Authority on Heredity" -


“Society is a complex and mysterious creation and it's extremely imprudent to believe in the face it presents you with at a given moment, let alone to consider it the one and only true face.”

-Vaclav Havel -

“The true test of a civilization is not the census, nor the size of the cities, nor the crops no, but the kind of man the country turns out.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson, Society and Solitude –

When I was a Junior at the University of Nebraska (Go Big Red) I took an Economics course as one of several electives.  Our professor, whom I remember only as "B+ Bert", assigned a book that was required reading for his course.  The name of the book, Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy, shaped the way I viewed our economy and the world at large for some time to come.  As I've become older and perhaps wiser, my view has changed. 

In his novel, Bellamy tells the story of a man with insomnia who requires medication and absolute darkness in order to sleep.  Each night, his house keeper put the man down in an encapsulated cellar, completely cut off from the outside world.  On one fateful night, the house above burned down around him.  His housekeeper, who left town for the night, as well as everyone in town assumed the dear man deceased.  Many years later, an excavation project revealed the crypt and inside, a man still entombed in peaceful slumber, but very much alive. (This IS a novel, ok?)  The man wakes to find that society has changed in a way he never imagined.  He awoke....to absolute Socialism.

What the man discovered, basically, was that each and every person on earth (or was it his country?) received exactly the same pay annually, regardless of vocation.  Doctor, lawyer, Walmart Greeter, common laborer; it mattered not.  EVERYONE was payed exactly the same.  Some chose to spend their annual allotment (via debit-like card) on a big house.  Others chose to drive fancy cars.  Still others took elaborate vacations.  Everyone was paid alike, but it wasn't required that you SPEND it alike.  Healthcare, retirement, etc was all government-funded.  Every single person was "the same".  There was no "status", no symbolism, no looting in the streets.  It sounds so............so..........perfect, doesn't it?  And it would be perfect except for one minor detail.  We AREN'T alike.

You can call it God's plan or the Universe's plan or just plane ole evolution, but each of us is born (ok, MOST of us) with an innate desire to improve, achieve or create.  Every single one of us is different.  And I'm not just talking about Americans.  I'm talking about the human race.  There are no two human beings alike.  To TREAT each of us alike would be, not only boring, but unfair.  The effect technology has had on our society is a topic for a whole other post, but suffice it to say that at least some of the technology we have today is a good thing.  Peoples quality of life is improved by invention and creation.

If you take away the incentive to be different, or remove the feeling of being unique, or rob people of any type of recognition that makes them feel special, you begin to kill the human spirit.  And THAT spirit isn't put there by experience.  It's born in us.  Truly, how good do you really think doctors might be if you take away the incentive to improve surgical techniques or cure cancer?  You could argue that if everyone actually made the same salary, incentive wouldn't be necessary.  But I beg to differ.  Take away a person's innermost need to feel special and you kill the very spirit that lives in him. 

Having said that, let me be clear that I DO think everyone should be afforded the same opportunity.  In this country, nearly everyone is given the chance for a quality education.  Most have a shot at a decent job and a way to make a living.  Does it take work?  Does it take some effort?  Of course it does!  THAT is what makes it special!  Almost every week I hear someone complain about the fact they were denied some opportunity based on race or religion or status or whatever.  You know what?  That excuse is old and tired.  It's lame.  It falls under the category of lazy that comes from the saying, "life isn't fair".  (Credit to Nick for that one!)  If you run against a snag and quit because it's just too hard, that isn't the governments fault or society's fault.  It's yours......any way you spin it.

So what once was a fantasy of an equal and safe and balanced society, gave way to the realization, that for all it's faults, a free market is a good thing.  Capitalism is better than the alternatives.  Check out an earlier blog on free market.  It'll fix alot more problems than it creates if you just let it.  Obama is not a Socialist.  He can't create socialism.  I don't care who you vote for or how much government control they persue, Socialism in the purist sense, has never, does not now, and WILL never exist.  The human spirit simply won't allow it.  Stop worrying.  Obama isn't a Socialist.  He's a Democrat. 

So go to work or school tomorrow and let your spirit soar.  You may never make as much money as Bill Gates, but that's ok.  You can still try.  And the fact that you CAN try is what makes being free so special.

Midlife "Crisis"

cri⋅sis  /ˈkraɪsɪs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [krahy-sis] Show IPA noun, plural -ses  /-siz/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [-seez] Show IPA ,

3. a dramatic emotional or circumstantial upheaval in a person's life.

I would love to embark on a historical search to determine just who, exactly, coined the phrase, "Midlife Crisis."  My guess is the person was some sort of pessimistic pychologist who needed a label to go with some poor saps malady.  It's only a guess.  I have no way to substantiate the claim.

My point is this.  Why is it necessary that changes we make throughout life have to be labeled a "crisis".  On more than one occasion over the last ten years or so, someone has asked me if I was going through just such an event.  It took me quite some time to realize that midlife isn't a crisis.....it's an AWAKENING!!  Most all of us are at least vaguely familiar with the old adage, "youth is wasted on the young."  It wasn't until I reached the age of 40 or so that I came to learn exactly what that term meant.

At "midlife" (which surely is defined differently for everyone.  We don't KNOW how long we're going to live) we become painfully aware that life on earth, as we know it, is finite.  The door is swinging out, not in. That's not a BAD thing.  For me, it was a GOOD thing.  "Why?", you may ask.  I'll try to explain. 

At 40 years old, I purchased my first Harley Davidson motorcycle.  I'd wanted one since I was a kid, but was just too dang responsible to purchase such an elaborate toy.  Because of that purchase, I've been able to experience the trip of a lifetime with good friends.  At 48, I continue to work out almost daily.  It hurts when I run.  My knees ache and I just don't have the stamina I once had.  When I lift weights it sometimes feels like my shoulders are about to come out of the socket and I'm clearly not as strong as I was when I was 25.  But I do it.  Why?  Because I can.  I've come to appreciate the fact that life is for the living. 

I recently made another "irresponsible" purchase.  Without exception, everyone I know has said, "Wow, I wish I could do that."  My question to them is, "Then why don't you?"  If not now, when?  I've made an enormous number of mistakes in my life.  I've been married more than twice (we need not delve into a math lesson).  I don't have a big house.  My credit isn't in the 800's.  In fact, I don't think it's even in the 700's.  I've taken big trips, bought elaborate toys and spent on impulse.  Why? Because I can.  Many people I know are living in much nicer homes and are going to have much more comfortable retirements.  But that's just money.  I'm betting I'm going to have a lot more fun!

I'm not suggesting that the answer for you is leaving your wife/husband and buying a Ferrari.  I'm only suggesting that as we actually see there is, indeed, an end to THIS life, it becomes sweeter.  I allow myself small luxuries I wouldn't have in my 20's, because I don't feel the weight of society's rules about responsibilities on my shoulder.  I guess I just care less what people think. Have you ever noticed how elderly people clearly speak what's on their mind?

At every turn since approaching "midlife", I've learned new things, faced new challenges, and slayed new dragons.  It truly has been an awakening.  And as long as I live, I pray that every day will be some form of awakening for me.  Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or Atheist, I think we can all agree that there is only one of these lives, in this body, on this earth.  As you live your life, awaken your spirit to new possibilities. 

Life is a garden.  Dig it.

Aliens Have Landed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZs8k4pJcyk

Disclaimer:  This post may not be fit for young children or for those who are sensitive by nature.  This message may carry a slight edge to which you are not accustomed.  I'll try not to swear, but I can't make any *%$^^^ promises.

Just two days  ago I posted an entry regarding fear.  Well, let me tell you something.  If anger is equal to fear, then I'm scared to death!!!  Watch the above youtube link.  It will only take three and half minutes of your time.  Watch it twice.  Watch it three times.  Watch it over and over and then tell me what you think.  If you aren't standing there with your mouth hanging open, finally sick to your core with bullshit propaganda and bipartisan rhetoric, then I'm sorry, but the Aliens have landed and dropped stupid-gas on our planet.  I would love to say "ignorant", but I truly think we're past all that.

Let me clear something up.  Our founding fathers were WAY ahead of their time and purposely envisioned a two-party system of checks and balances that ensured we stayed somewhere midstream.  I can't imagine in my wildest dreams that they EVER imagined this kind of Kindergarten bickering and backstabbing.  It's mindboggling.  It's immature.  It's just plain sad.  And you know what?  The people publishing this backstabbing bullshit are our government officials!!!  These people are RUNNING.......(did you hear me???)..... RUNNING our government. 

Do I think Obama is doing a good job?  How the hell would I know?  He's been in office a year!!!  You think things got this f'd up on HIS watch?  It's the culmination of decades of our government doing a piss-poor job of governing.  Through no ones fault but our own, our government is in our business in a very big way.  You honestly think that's Obama's fault?  Wake up and smell the coffee folks.  It's OUR fault.  We keep electing these bozos, and I'm not just talking about the President. 

So the video says Obama broke campaign promises.  If you truly are shocked by that, then please disregard the video and look at the picture instead.  Join that kid in the corner.  Everyone breaks them.  Our government is dynamic.  The rules change every day.  The Constitution is there for a guideline, but people that have never even read the damn thing are screaming about their rights!  You think Obama is a Socialist?  For the love of God, PLEASE!!!   HE.......IS......A......DEMOCRAT!!!! Every Democrat since Kennedy has been a Socialist.  If Obama is a Socialist, then George W. Bush was one of the great orators of the modern world. 

Now for the national debt.  We're spending 65 million dollars a DAY in Iraq and Afghanistan!!  The cost of the war is over a trillion dollars now.  And lets be fair.  This is no longer a war.  It's a government-run money machine for big oil and government contractors.  Can you spell Viet Nam boys and girls?  And you're going to stand there and tell me that it's Obama's fault we're so far in debt; that he needs to quit spending?  If he'd bring home the troops we could cure hunger and pay off the debt of every third-world country on the planet!!  We'd have allies upon allies upon allies.  NO ONE would wanna mess with us again.  If this is war, then turn the damn place into a sheet of glass and lets get it over with.  THINK about this people.

Having said all that, let me say this.  When Republicans were in office, Democrats used the same ridiculous tactics.  I don't identify with either party, because frankly, neither party is in any condition to change a thing.  The problem is too big to fix from where we are.  There are too many special interest groups running the show.  It's a money thing.  And sadly, there are very few among us (myself included) that have even one ounce the balls to change the way things are in Washington. Hell, I haven't even run for School Board!

My bottom line is this.  Quit passing this kind of crap around like idle gossip,  All this "he said, she said" stuff solves absolutely nothing.  It only breeds anger, which as we know now is fear.  And if people are afraid enough, one of two things will happen.  We'll either cower down or rise up.  Can you smell the revolt coming?

Again.....ONE people, ONE planet.  We're all in this together folks.

Faces of Fear

"Anger is merely the manifestation of fear" - Unknown -

"Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path.  Those that do not recover are those that cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program; usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves."  -The Big Book -  (No, not THAT big book)

I can still clearly picture myself standing before the man who shared the first quote with me.  It was nearly fifteen years ago now, but I still remember it clearly.   I was seething with anger and approached him to tell him about the person or thing I was angry about.  To which he calmly asked, "What are you afraid of?"  With my mouth dangling open, my eyes bugged out and a look of undying perplexity on my face, I asked of him, "Didn't you hear me?  I am aaaaaaaaaangry at her/it."  To which he again politely asked, "What are you afraid of?"

Ok, so now I was reeeeeeeally angry......at her/it AND at him.  I double checked and indeed discovered I had been speaking English.  It wasn't the Queen's English, but close enough he should have understood.  As it turns out, he understood perfectly.  And soon, I would too.

As he so eloquently pointed out, all anger is born of fear.  It took a while for the concept to soak in to my thicker-than-normal skull, but I was, indeed afraid.  I was angry because I was afraid I didn't have control over the thing I was angry about.  I was afraid things might not go my way.  Things might not turn out the way I planned.  I feared LOTS of things, but it took this seemingly benign conversation to make me think about things in a different way.

For example, I'm slightly prone to becoming irritated at drivers who are traveling "too slow" in the passing lane.  I don't reach a road rage level, but I can feel the temperature rise as they casually make it impossible to get around them so that I can get where I need to go at the speed I think is best.  But of what is that anger born?  Fear.  Fear of not arriving on time and how that might look.  Fear of giving control to another driver.  Fear of...................well, you get the picture.  Since the day of that conversation with the man who didn't understand, every single anger-event I've ever experienced can be traced straight back to fear.  There are no exceptions; at least not for me.  How about you?  I'm gambling that if you could be completely honest with yourself, you'd find the same to be true for you.  It just takes a little practice.

Of course, there are other types of fear and they paralyze each of us in different ways every day.  Some fears hold us back from something we really want.  Other fears motivate us to DO something.  Are you afraid to ask that pretty girl (or handsome guy) for a date?  What are you afraid of?  Have you always wanted a Jeep?  (yeah, yeah I know).  What's stopping you?  Fear of the payment?  Fear of the criticism; the practicality?  Want to climb a mountain or learn to scuba dive or maybe even take Salsa lessons?  You can use time and money for an excuse, but if you look veeeeeery closely, the root is fear.

Here is a question I was taught to ask myself.  Take it for what it's worth.  "If I do ____________(fill in the blank) what is the WORST possible thing that can happen?"  Hmmmm, well let's see.  I've always wanted to ask my boss for a raise.  If I do that he might get angry and fire me.  Then I'll lose my house, live on the street, starve to death and eventually die.  That is the WORST that can happen.  If I can live with the worst, and expect the best, then it's time to make a move.  The truth is, maybe I'll just get that raise.   In fact, I EXPECT to get it.  We can play this little game all night long, but you can apply the principle to nearly anything.

Here's the thing.  Next time you're angry, be brutally honest with yourself and look to what you fear.  There is where your answer lies.  Do you have an unfulfilled dream?  I'd bet my next paycheck (raise or not) that if you're again brutally honest, you'll find that fear in some form is holding you back.  Don't let that happen.  I beg you.  Live your dream.  Dig deep and expect the best.  It's going to happen for you I promise.

Just face your fear.

Secret Code

"What would religion do without the devil?"  - Alan Cohen -

"You find as you look around the world that every single bit of progress in humane feeling, every improvement in the criminal law, every step toward the diminution of war, every step toward better treatment of the colored races, or every mitigation of slavery, every moral progress that there has been in the world, has ...been consistently opposed by the organized churches of the world..."  - Betrand Russell -

Of late, its seems my mind wanders often to questions of religion; to questions of spirituality and of our universe.  It's a daily game my mind plays and I never seem to be short of things to ponder.  But as with nearly all my writings, my thoughts on today's topic are truly a Rambling.......a "thinking out loud."  I have many more questions than I have answers.  Keep reading.  You'll see.

I guess I should start by stating clearly that I abhor religion.  Religion is the catalyst that has led to war upon war.  It has separated families, wrought fear upon the masses and taken billions of dollars in the name of God.  Every time I hear someone condemn Muslims for the deaths of thousands, I'm reminded of the Crusades where hundreds of thousands died at the hands of Christians.  But we've forgotten about that, haven't we? 

I'm not alone in this viewpoint.  If you're a Christian, take out your bible and read the Gospels.  Jesus himself hated religion in a very big way.  "Wherever two or more are gathered in His name, there I will be also".  But Jesus was talking about "the Church", NOT religion.  Not rules and judgement. Not fear and condemnation.  As someone recently pointed out, Jesus really taught three things.  Love God, love yourself and love your neighbor.  Simple.

Spirituality is another matter.  I'm not suggesting that people who adhere to organized religion cannot be spiritual.  Quite the opposite.  But I do believe that "religion" clouds the vision of those who might otherwise follow the teachings of Jesus.  Love, love, love.  I think that was a Beatles tune, but I digress.  Bible studies and tithing and building a bigger sanctuary become more important than carrying the message.....whatever that message happens to be (I'm not supporting Christianity).  I get the concept of having a bigger place to bring in more people and save more souls, but again, I refer you to your bible.  Jesus challenged all Christians with "The Great Commission" whereby all believers are to carry the message of salvation to others.....DAILY.  Lets face it, if each and every Christian did that, a bigger church wouldn't be necessary and you could actually feed the hungry with the millions spent on solid oak pews.  I think what I'm trying to say is that religion makes believers lazy.  (I know I'm overgeneralizing.  I'm only trying to make you think.)

Likewise, I wonder if it's possible that we leave to the church that which we should be doing ourselves; teaching our children.  Are they learning all their values and beliefs from Robert Tilton, or are they learning them from their parents?  Again, I think the larger institution lends itself to laziness.

That being said, (drum roll, please) I think religion has it's place.  GASP!!  I think everyone needs something to believe in and something or someone to look towards as greater than themselves.  I think those things are largely where people find hope.  And if you're unable to find your own spiritual path, then religion serves a purpose.  I myself, am yoked to no particular set of beliefs as defined by Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, etc.  So I ask myself every day, "from where do my set of standards come?"  Ok, so those of you that know me know I haven't always been the epitomy of intergrity, love, or even honesty.  Yet I DO have a conscience.  Where does that come from?  Am I born with it?  Did my parents teach it to me?  (Not likely).  Was it the church?  In other words, where do I get my "code"?  How do I know what standards to live by?

These are questions for which I hope to spend a lifetime searching for answers.  Take some time in the near future.  Take a look at history and see if maybe, just maybe, religion was really formed as a way to bring order to a disorganized world.  Is it at least possible that the concept of "hell" is really a scare tactic of religious lore?  Again, I don't have the answer to that.  I do know this.  If I'm wrong, eternity is a VERY long time to be shoveling coal in an infinite furnace.  But for me, I know I'm safe. 

As promised, the entry lives up to the title of the blog.  Talk it over with your friends and family.  Where DOES the moral code or compass you live by come from?  Wherever it is, it's important we all excercise some kind of ethical compass, lest we all die a painful death at our own hands. 

Happy hunting.