Fools Rush In

"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread" is not only a well-worn aphorism. It was a love song immortalized by Elvis Presley, who didn't float my boat; Glen Miller, who really didn't float my boat; and Ricky Nelson, who really floated my boat when I was a pre-teen.

Please consider these famous lyrics, only imagining that the object of the singer's affections is not another person but your sacred self. 

Fools rush in, where angels fear to tread
And so I come to you my love
My heart above my head
Though I see the danger there
If there's a chance for me
Then I don't care. 

Fools rush in, where wise men never go
But wise men never fall in love
So how are they to know
When we met, I felt my life begin
So open up your heart and let
This fool rush in,

And I don't care.

Fools rush in, where wise men never go
But wise men never fall in love
So how are they to know
When we met, I felt my life begin
So open up your heart and let
This fool rush in.

So open up your heart and let
This fool rush in.

Materialists scoff at the idea of abandoning worldly pursuits in search of the god within, but many "fools" over the millenia have done thus. St. Francis was a fine dandy of the aristocratic class who was one such fool that abandoned his father's lucrative business to meet his sacred self.

Not everyone is a St. Francis, not should they be, but let's hope that our collective Self takes the journey of the heart to heart.

(For a flash to the past, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyU2pGWA6Jc)

Boring is Boring

Every Tuesday and Friday I go for an infusion of glutathione, a super antioxidant that coaxes the immune system into doing its job. (An infusion in this case means the intravenous delivery of the substance.) My gambit is that this extra boost to my warrior cell friends will offset the ravages of chemo - a holocaust that almost cost my life's breath while killing off the cancer that had invaded my system.

Thankfully, I am not needle phobic and in fact this twice-weekly ritual is eagerly anticipated; a time to lie in a chaise, be pampered with soft pillows and tea, and chat with the nurse who's a sister in spirit and friend of forty plus years. 

Today she told me that she has started doing more infusions, a service she enjoys as every patient is an entire volume of unique experiences. Her keen ability to listen makes her privy to the vagaries of each and every life. As she described how fascinating every life story is, I questioned, "Everyone's life is interesting?"

She paused and conceded, "Well, maybe a few people have boring lives."

Feeling ashamed that I had dared to challenge her sparkling take on the humans for whom she cares, I said, "Even when their lives are boring, that in and off itself is an interesting thing to observe." We both laughed and proceeded to natter on about this and that for the last fifteen minutes it took for the large vial of fluid to empty into the vein in my right hand.

In fact, there is nothing more boring than people who say they are bored. Bored. What on earth is that, other than mental dullness born from a laziness of mind?  Think about it.

The Secret Friend

Belief in a being that watches over us, that always acts for our good, can bring great comfort to people in trouble, psychological or otherwise - although doesn't everything stem from perception anyway? The kindness of others can also provide soothing balm to an aching heart. And last but not least, the energy of Light has a living presence just as powerful as something onto which we put a face.

It is essential for the overall wellbeing of our species to find a way to connect to the positive energies that abound in our environment. Although the specific ways these forces interact with us humans differ from culture to culture, the function remains the same: to infuse a people with love juice, without which nothing seems worthwhile.

Whether we call this energy Jesus, Allah, Yaweh, Buddha, God, Goddess, Tara, Energy, the Unified Field or a multitude of other allocations, the impact is what counts. May we all have a secret, powerful, and friendly force to guide and support us. Nothing is more precious.

Listen to Your Own Advice

One of my dear friends provides the function of "ventee," meaning she to whom I vent. Now there is nothing wrong with letting off a little steam instead of allowing oneself to become a walking pressure cooker in danger of exploding. But occasionally, it is helpful to take a look at what is causing the buildup and see if the rising temperature has a legitimate cause.

Sometimes my buddy listens patiently and sometimes she passes a judgement or offers advice that is always perceived as innaccurate and/or unkind. (Note to advice givers - don't offer it unless asked, and even then tread lightly.)

However, one day she made a statement that has been a bell weather for all my varied states of affairs: "Just thank god you weren't born a poverity-stricken woman in Somalia."

People of all sexes and ages have suffered greatly in this unfortunate part of Africa plagued by civil war, famine, and other misfortunes over the past decades. But compared to females in Sweden, who have social parity with men even when it comes to paychecks, the Somalian woman suffers a hard lot, female circumcision being only one of many indignities suffered.

Lest I be accused of picking on Somalians, how about the North Korean state, now being compared in cruelty to the Nazis for the extent of their depravity? Or the CIA of American brand for their rendition policies?

Let's face it: the world is replete with injustices of all kinds. For those of us living in relative comfort, in a land of relative free speech and moderate governance, it is always good to express gratitude. Sure, it's frustrating to spend four hours on the phone trying to register for Medicare, or learn that your car repairman overcharged you $70, or have to wait fifteen minutes in the grocery store line so that the coupon cutter in front of you can get their two cents worth.

But come on, isn't it better than being a political prisoner in North Korea, or a war refugee in Syria, or a woman in Somalia? In this relative world, the panaromic view will always serve to elevate our consciousness beyond the pettiness that can sometimes overwhelm an ordinary life.

Your Spirit Is Yours to Keep

Last night I watched a documentary about the uprising in Egypt that the media fondly term "the Arab Spring." Sadly, the blistering, torturous heat of summer was to follow all too quickly.

The footage was graphic in regards to mangled bodies and frightening repression. Of course when we conjure up torture, the first thing that comes to mind is the pain that must be endured, perhaps leading to permanent injury or death. But another thought arose as I watched a man with his arms tied behind his back being punched in the face, as one by one each policeman surrounding the fellow took a shot at him.

It was his dignity as a human being that was the real target of the attack. When a child is born, care is taken to keep him or her warm, fed, safe, and able to grow into a mature human being capable of self-care. When a person is arrested and subjected to the opposite - a deliberate attempt to destroy the bodily temple - the very heart of humanity risks being destroyed along with the flesh.

However, in truth the only aspect of a human in captivity that cannot be definitively subjected to debasement is the spirit, the soul, the higher self, the god within, the enlightened mind - whatever term relates to that experience which transcends physical material. Yes, the adept torturer will try to break the spirit and drive a prisoner insane, but that is an intangible. Easy to image breaking a bone, but a little trickier to break a spirit.

What this means is that the stronger our relationship to the inner intangible core, the harder it would be to obliterate. Many tales abound of wise, strong people who withstand unbearable conditions to emerge with a victorious spirit, unbroken despite an oppressor's best efforts. In fact, the best defense lies in a powerful relationship to spirit...god...enlightened mind. When we are at home in that zone, no one or nothing can destroy us forever. Your spirit is yours to keep.

Dream Body Coming In for a Crash Landing

Both Franklin Roosevelt and Christopher Reeves have something in common, besides being Supermen and having gone beyond. They were paralyzed to varying degrees, only able to remember the freedom to which they had been accustomed in the earlier parts of their lives. Forced to adapt to life in their prime with severe disabilities, they pressed on with determination to maintain a full life.

One salient confession expressed by these two men: upon waking from the world of sleep, where their dream bodies could go wherever thought took them, they landed back in their bodies and awoke with deep depression. Both men relate that it took them hours each morning to shake off a horrible melancholy about their physical reality in order to psyche themselves up for a full life managed through an obstacle course.

They came to mind when I woke up today feeling as if everyone I know had disappeared and the only one inhabiting my house besides me were the ants and spiders. It struck me as odd because in fact my lovely daughter was sleeping in her room peacefully, my husband was outside reading the paper and breathing fresh air, and to my knowledge all my loved ones are blessed. Adding insult to injury, the night before was filled with fascinating new experiences and good dreams. Go figure.

The only fathomable answer is that we are beings with sensory perceptions that far exceed our conscious knowledge. Complex forces pass through us like liquid through a strainer, leaving in the wake the residue of their presence. So instead of freaking out about freaking out, my mind directed itself to brief prayers, and after my feet hit the ground, a few cups of espresso and a resolve to do the laundry got me cranking.

For all of you who wake up happy and joyful every morning looking forward to the day ahead, you are indeed blessed. And for those of us who wake up wondering why we are back in these heavy bodies, you are not alone. Help is on the way. I would advise three cups of espresso, but in Southern California that might be viewed with horror. So drink your green smoothie, or green tea, or matte, or soy chai, or organic black tea, or run three miles, and take heart. You will notice the birds singing in the trees in no time.

Tribalism versus Universalism

Lions have prides, dolphins have pods, wolves have packs, and humans have tribes. Members of these groups are quais-relatives, usually related by birth and genetic affinities.

Although this has the advantage of providing protection, co-operation for food resources and procreation, among other things, the downside is dire. Outside this ring of mutual identification, sentient beings who are not part of that the community are viewed as "the other."

The idea that an individual or animal is somehow not entitled to the same courtesies as a member of the clan has been the cause of fighting on a scale large and small since the dawn of recorded history.

Have you ever heard of siblings who almost kill each other within the confines of their homes, but if someone threatens one of the members from the outside, the family immediately bands together to punish the intruder? Happens all the time except in fanatical societies where the young are sacrificed at the alter of shame, death, or banishment for being victimized by an outsider. (Certain sects of Islam and Judaism, our biblical siblings, practise this horrific crime.)

The only answer to virulent tribalism is to understand deeply that everyone is a human being with a desire to be happy and live in peace. Within each person, that sweet spot could be brought to the fore under the leadership of wise ones with skilled methods of mediation, penetrating discourse, and an action plan to cement mutual empathy for "the other."

It's been done all over the world with enough succes to hope that were this a policy in place, and enforced on a regular basis (especially with the young), we might emerge from a Darwinian struggle into a world of unity and harmony.