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Thoughts, spiritual experiences, happenings and insights
from the woman who discovered the Personal Connector Word to God
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Wednesday, January 6, 2010 WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE WEATHER?Weather is the talk all across the country. It's COLD!
Everywhere the news is full of stories about how COLD it is. But, if there is one thing this cold snap can teach us, it is
this: everything is relative and everything depends on one's perspective.
Down here in my part of Florida, we have dipped into the
low 30's--some nearby counties into the 20's--at night. During the days we have barely crawled into the upper 50's.
Brrrrrrrrrrrr! The newscasters (there isn't a single one of them who doesn't have on a turtleneck sweater pulled
up around his or her chin) are acting like the world is coming to an end down here; they keep showing videos
of the strawberries and oranges being sprayed with water to keep them warm. That's because this time of year our daytime high's
should be in the 70's and our nighttime lows in the 50's. We are 20-25 degrees below our norm.
And, I agree with them--it's almost intolerable. My "Florida blood"
curled at the sight of frost on the grass this morning (the first I've seen down here in 5 years). Going into the
unheated garage to put out the garbage brought a northern chill back to my bones--bones which had long forgot what
ice and snow were all about. The heat is turned on high in the house and extra covers are on the bed. This is Florida?
Now, folks up there in Minnesota or Nebraska or the Dakotas--or even
my native Pennsylvania--would read this account of the chilly days in Florida and want to pop me one on the head!
They are dealing in some of the northern states with 4 feet or more of snow and temperatures (not windchills) of 30 degrees
BELOW zero. We are talking 50, 60, 70 or 80 degrees COLDER than us sissy Floridians are feeling. How DARE I say I'm cold
when such a thing is going on up north?
Easy. The weather is relative. The weather depends on your perspective.
The weather depends on what you are used to. What is cold to me might not be cold to you. I remember years ago when I
lived up north coming down to Disney World in February. I guess there must have been a similar "cold snap" going on,
because all the staff at Disney had on scarves and mittens. We arrived at the gate in T-shirts and shorts, relishing
in the 50-60 degree weather (which I'm assuming it was). We pointed at the staff and laughed. We wondered what was wrong with
them. Damn, it was WARM to us! We had come from weather that was probably below freezing. Now, I am the person that I laughed at. I could easily put on those mittens and scarf now.
It's all perspective.
So what can we learn from this? It's simple. Apply the way we see the
weather differently in different parts of the country--and we see it differently for VALID reasons--to everything else in
this world. Apply it to why we see politics differently, religion differently, customs differently, etc. We view
things differently because of what we are used to, what we are comfortable with, what we know. That doesn't make us right or
wrong. That makes us human. And, we ALL are humans. And, we ALL get
cold!
So offer your neighbor a blanket (or an olive branch) and come in out
of the cold! As for me, I'm looking forward to Saturday at 7:00am. They say that at Saturday at 7:00am we have our best chance
to actually see a SNOWFLAKE down here. That would be a big deal, since the last time that ever happened was about 20 years
ago! A few flakes in the air! Isn't it a wondrous perspective to be excited about knowing the possible arrival time for a
snowflake?
Stay warm, everyone! Friday, January 1, 2010 HAPPY NEW EVERY DAY!Every year we act like New Year's Day is the only day we
can "start anew." News flash, people: EVERY DAY you can start anew. Every day is really a new day--and every day
of your life can be the start of a new year.
Each day you wake up alive is a chance to not only make new resolutions--but
to actually put new resolutions into practice. Every day you open your eyes and get out of bed, a whole "new" day awaits for
you to make it into whatever you want to make it into. You really do have that power. Your thoughts and your energies really
do manifest your reality. And you really can "start over" every day if you don't like your current life.
Every day (not simply New Year's Day) you can wake and think positive
thoughts instead of negative ones. You can seek out positive things, positive people, and positive activities--instead
of negative and destructive ones. Each day of your life you can resolve to be kinder and happier--to help others more--to
take time to be quiet and follow your inner spirit--to observe the world around you and allow God/Universe to direct you with
its all-good guidance. Because the world is good, not evil. Concentrate more on the good and the so-called evil will dissipate.
During any day and every day of 2010, we could all decide to stop watching
violence on TV. And news of war and terrorism and hatred. We could all decide to think about and watch humans engaged
in peaceful activities. We could all decide to fill our days and our thoughts with things of honor, integrity, sharing, and
goodness. We could all pick a day--any day in 2010--and make the changes that we all like to talk about on New Year's Eve
and New Year's Day. It isn't the day you choose to make changes in your life and your thinking that is important. It's
simply the fact that you finally do choose to have a diffferent perspective that counts.
So, Happy Every Day to everyone! Start anew. Then start anew again.
Then start anew again the next day. Keep starting anew until you succeed in changing your thoughts and changing your reality.
If we all do that, then we will change the world!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 WHY CAN'T EVERY DAY BE LIKE. . . THE AIRPORT???????"Why can't every day be like Christmas?" is a popular Christmas
song made famous by Elvis Presley. If you turn on the radio and listen to Christmas music, it will invariably be heard.
Elvis wonders why we all don't feel the way we do at Christmas throughout the rest of the year. The world would be a
much better place, he admonishes.
I know it's Christmas time and I should probably be blogging about
the CHRISTMAS spirit, but I would much rather blog, instead, about the AIRPORT spirit. I don't mean the cancelled flights,
the frustrating delays, the lost luggage or the rude clerks. I really mean the AIRPORT SPIRIT--the wonderful feelings people
feel and display in public when they see their loved ones either coming down a ramp toward them or else disappearing
through a gate away from them. In many ways, the AIRPORT spirit rivals the Christmas spirit for its pure exhibition
of uninhibited love, and the way our human souls recognize for a brief moment what really matters in this world.
Several weeks ago I was sitting in an airport, waiting to pick up a
friend, and I had the chance to observe people. A mother and her two children (perhaps 10 and 8 years old) were waiting for
someone, and the anticipation was starting to almost "bubble" out of them. They were bouncing around the seats nearest the
"ONLY TICKETED PASSENGERS BEYOND THIS POINT" sign, staring down the hallway to the gates, trying to discern which little speck
at the end might be their loved one. "There he is," the mother finally said happily, as she tried to restrain her kids
from going beyond the ominous "DO NOT ENTER" sign. Then she looked at me and said, "After 17 years of marriage, I know his
walk!" Sure enough, when the specks got bigger and came into view, the family rushed to meet the father with open arms,
kisses and hugs. The smiles on the Dad, the Mom, and the kids were bigger than any smiles I've ever seen on a family
during Christmas, or any other time for that matter. I don't know if the father had been away for 2 days or for
2 years--it was irrelevant--because the greeting would have been the same. That's the thing about airports--the love pours
out, unabashed, from people who might otherwise avoid public displays of affection, or even private displays of affection,
and for folks who have been away a short time or a long time. The airport does that to people. Not seeing a person for awhile--which
is what an airport is all about--has a way of making us better appreciate that person. Or maybe it's the thought that planes
go down and you may never see the person again that helps squirt the emotions right out of you when you do see them again.
I'm not sure exactly what causes the AIRPORT spirit, but it is definitely there.
And it is the real McCoy. These folks aren't acting. You see it in
their eyes, their smiles, the warm touches on the sleeves--and in their tears, if the traveler happens to be "going" and not
"coming." I watched the same scene play out over and over again.
Two elderly sisters (they had to be sisters they looked so much alike), their two gray heads almost fusing into one as they
hugged "hello." Fathers and daughters. Girlfriends and boyfriends. Brothers and sisters. Friends and friends. All hugging.
All kissing. All glowing. All happy beyond belief to see their loved one coming down the ramp from the gates. Staring and
straining for that first glimpse. The positive energy was so thick that it could have called down the angels.
Then there was the mother and the adult daughter. At least, that was
my guess. The daughter was leaving and the mother had walked her right up to the very point where no unticketed persons could
enter. They talked, they teared up, they hugged, then the daughter picked up her hand luggage and turned. . . then they talked
some more, hugged again, teared up again, and then the daughter took two steps. . . then they talked some more, hugged
some more. . . well, you get the picture. The two found it so hard to part. The emotions were raw and were public. A lot of
"I love you's" were said. In fact, the number of "I love you's" said in an airport, I'll bet, are far greater
than the number of "I love you's" said on Christmas morning around the tree.
Yes, Elvis asks why every day can't be like Christmas. My hope for the world, however, is much greater than
that. Why can't every day be like the airport? Because if every day were like the airport, what a wonderful world
this would be!
Monday, December 14, 2009 WE CREATE THE "NOISES" IN OUR LIVESI believe in the concept that our thoughts do indeed create our reality.
Because of that, I also believe that whatever "noise" we attract in our lives, it is "noise" that we have
caused. "Noise," as I use it here, means any unwanted disturbance that is upsetting the applecart of our lives.
This concept was recently brought home to me in an interesting, and funny, way.
I was in the garage and I was looking through 3 plastic storage boxes where I keep my tools, nuts, bolts and assorted fix-it
items. I had not shut the lid on one box completely, and I put another box on top of it. While I was looking through the third
box, I leaned on the other two boxes to keep my balance. Then I began hearing a "hiss." A strange and curious "hiss."
I immediately looked over at the hot water tank, fearful that I might have a gas
leak or something. Then I looked at the two cars. Was something leaking from them? I picked up my arms and began moving
in their direction. The "hiss" stopped. That's odd, I thought. I stood and listened for a moment--nothing. So I returned to
my previous position and my previous task of hunting through Storage Box #3. No sooner had I done that, when I heard "hiss."
There it was again. Hiss. Hiss. I jumped back up and started looking around the garage, determined to find the source of this
annoying noise. Perhaps it was a ghost? A dead relative trying to tell me something? But, when I moved, the noise stopped. It was silent.
What was it that George Bush once said, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice....uh,
huh, uh"? LOL Well, the lightbulb went on in my head and I returned to my storage boxes. I watched and listened as
I leaned my weight on the the two boxes piled atop each other. When I did, there it was: hiss. I immediately took Box #2 off of Box #1 and removed the lid that I hadn't put back on correctly. There
it was: a can of WD-40, without its cap on, its valve sticking out of the box just enough so that when the crooked lid
went down and hit it, from the pressure of my weight on it, it discharged its oil with a hiss. No ghost. No gas leak.
Just an open can of WD-40 with me leaning on it! Despite the greasy mess that had to be wiped off the lid, it made
me laugh. I was the source of the strange "hiss."
Just a couple days later, I was re-hanging a bulletin board that had fallen off the
laundry room wall. This bulletin board is where we hang our car keys, as well as notes, doctor appointment cards, and
important telephone numbers. I took some items off the board and placed them
on top of the clothes dryer, then turned the bulletin board over so I could work on the back, replacing the hanging hooks.
As I did so, I began hearing a "beep." It sounded like the beep that comes from a smoke alarm battery that needs replaced.
I stopped my task, stepped into the family room and listened. Which room was it coming from? But, there was no more
beeping. Thinking it was my imagination, I returned to working on the bulletin board. Beep. Beep. There it was again!
This time it sounded like it was coming from the garage.
I swung the door to the garage open and listened. It was quiet and dark. I turned
on the light and looked around. Nothing. That's odd, I thought. I returned back to my bulletin board task. (Now, don't
get ahead of me here, people! LOL) Yes, when I returned to my task, I was reminded of my previous encounter with the errant
WD-40 can. Was it something I was doing to cause this disturbance? I lifted the bulletin board up, and under it I saw my car
keys with the remote to lock and unlock the car doors. I began laughing. I picked them up and hit the lock button. Beep.
Beep. I swung open the door to the garage and could still see the parking lights going out. Once again, I had been
the source of this "noise" in my life.
Gets you to thinking. Before blaming someone else--or ghosts, or dead relatives,
or live relatives, or even God--for the disturbances, upsets, and "noises" in your life, look instead to YOURSELF. Perhaps
YOU are the real cause of the "noise." Maybe there is an easy fix for that "noise," as well, if you just recognize
the cause. Cause and effect. That is what creating your own reality is all about. Change your thoughts and your actions to
clear the "noise" out of your life. Stop the "hissing" and "beeping" that you cause yourself daily. You have more power over
things in your life than you realize.
Sunday, December 6, 2009 QUICK NOTE ON A "QUICK VOTE"Here's the "Quick Vote" on CNN's on-line site
today:
Quick vote
Thursday, December 3, 2009 TIGER WOODS: A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVEI don't think that anyone should judge Tiger Woods for
what he does or does not do in his personal life. That's between him and his wife, and between him and his God.
What I do find interesting, however, is that Tiger Woods--the highest
paid athlete in history (mostly due to endorsements)--feels that he is entitled to "privacy" regarding his actions.
It's something that all celebrities seem to fail to realize: you didn't get your millions or in Tiger's case, billions,
because of what you have DONE or can DO. You are getting the compensation because OTHER PEOPLE are willing to pay to SEE you
do it. When that happens, your "privacy" is gone. When you exchange "being watched" for money, then you lose control over
when you are being "watched."
If Tiger Woods performed his so-called "athleticism" in his back yard,
with no one watching, would it mean anything? If people weren't willing to pay to watch him or to buy products endorsed by
him would hitting a little ball in a hole mean anything at all in this world? No. Of course not.
Let's say that I managed, through focusing my time and energy
(similar to Tiger's lifetime of focusing his time and energy on hitting a golf ball) on some equally pointless activity
to where I became the best in the world at it. Let's say that I managed to be able to flip a piece of round plastic with
my foot into a small garbage can some 50 yards away so expertly that I could hit it 90% of the time. Amazing, right? Wonderful,
right? How athletic of me to be able to control my foot action and coordination to the point of accurately flipping a piece
of hard round plastic into a small cylinder some 50 yards away. No one else could match me! So, does that make me worthly
of a billion dollars in tournament prizes and endorsements? Remember--it's a damn difficult task and I focused on it for years!
Surely, it is of equal value to Tiger's feats?
One problem, though. No one would pay me a billion dollars to do this thing that is arguably as amazing as Tiger's. Why? Because
no one else is spending Sunday mornings doing this same pointless activity--just me. No one else will gather to watch
me do this pointless activity--it's just me. No sponsors will pay me to endorse products because I have NO REAL AUDIENCE.
So, it isn't Tiger's SKILL that gets him money, it's simply that people will pay to WATCH him. Tiger is only Tiger because
of his AUDIENCE!
Let me repeat this: Tiger Woods is not PAID for hitting a golf
ball expertly. Tiger Woods is PAID because there are people and sponsors who will WATCH him hit a golf ball expertly. Without
an audience, Tiger Woods is no more wondrous than I would be with my foot-kicking magic.
Let's face it. Tiger Woods basically has been rewarded for doing nothing
more than hitting a little white ball around and getting it into a hole. It does nothing for humanity in general. It is not
altruistic. It does not move society forward. And his daily striking of golf balls does nothing for his fellow man. Whether
Tiger makes a hole in one or hits his ball into the lake does not feed or clothe another human being, stop violence, improve
society or affect me (and most everyone else on this earth) in any measurable way. It only benefits Tiger. When an activity
is done for only your benefit, it does not lead to spiritual growth. And in the end, what you give out to the world is what
you get back from the world.
So, when Mr. Woods adamantly states he is due his "privacy," I would
gently remind him: You traded it for money, Mr. Woods, a very, very long time ago. Ask yourself instead how you can
change your life and your thinking so that you can get yourself back on a spiritual path.
Monday, November 30, 2009 ALL THINGS GREAT AND SMALL Tuesday's theme at Blogdumps is "What is your favorite picture or image?" I took this photo of Mount Rainier in Washington state quite a few
years back. The chipmunk in the foreground was not placed there on purpose. It is a natural shot.
I think this photo says it all. God makes mountains and God makes chipmunks.
God makes all things, great and small. Powerful and vulnerable. Big and little. Rock and life. And everything--everything--is
under His/Her watchful eye. God cares about this little chipmunk as as much as He/She cares about the mighty mountain. They
have equal power since both are made of the same God-stuff. The chipmunk seems to know that--he has his trust in the
divine. He's not worried about falling off this cliff. He's not worried about human beings a few feet away from him. He's
just living in the moment. We all could learn from this little chipmunk.
Saturday, November 21, 2009 CREATING YOUR OWN REALITY CAN GIVE YOU THE CREEPS!I am a firm believer in the "new thought" concept that
we create our own reality. Some people even attribute my Personal Connector Word to God experience as me simply focusing on
the word "Georgia," so then it appears. (I know, however, that my PCW goes way beyond that simple explanation. There is a
universal force--I believe it's a divine force--that actually leads me with my PCW. It is more than the simple "law
of attraction.")
But the "law of attraction," itself, is a very interesting (and often
amusing) phenomena. That is why movies and books about "The Secret" or by Esther Hicks hold such appeal for people. Most
people who take the universal law seriously, and truly understand it, find that it is a life-changing concept. I know
it has been for me. It is very freeing to believe that you have the power to change your life with your thinking. And if you
study the concept of "creating your own reality with your thoughts," you quickly find out that it has been around and understood
by others for years and years. James Allen, Ernest Holmes and Jesus are just three humans who were "into the Secret" before
"the Secret" was cool.
Now for my most recent amusing experience with the "law of attraction."
If you read my previous blog entry, you will see it is all about
reptiles. Reptiles are not something I particularly like or ever think about, and I must say I have very few encounters with
the creatures. Maybe a gecko here and there, because, after all, I do live in Florida. However, while writing my blogs
about aliens being depicted as reptiles, my mind--and emotions--began to focus on reptiles. Snakes and lizards and frogs--I
mentioned all of them in my previous blog.
So, since that is what I had been thinking, is it any wonder then that
THE VERY NEXT DAY after writing my blog, that the reptiles began materializing in my world? I stepped out my front door
on my way to the mailbox and something rustled in the plants. Right in front of me appeared a black snake that slithered on
the grass where I had stepped, nearly between my feet! I jumped back, startled. Oooooh. Creepy.
As this weren't enough, when I reached the mailbox and opened it, there
was what I thought was a DEAD frog stuck to the back of the inside of the mailbox. I got a paper towel and reached back to
remove it. Only it wasn't dead, it was very alive. It hopped erratically inside the box, then leaped out at me, hitting me
in the shoulder! Startled again by a reptile! (Or are frogs amphibians? Whatever.) Oooooh! Creepy!
When I came back into the house and looked out at the pond that borders
my backyard, I wasn't surprised to see--not one, but three--turtles up on the bank, sunning themselves. I've seen them before,
of course, but not in such numbers.
Did my thoughts and emotions from writing my blog about reptiles and
amphibians being the "low-life" of the planet cause them to all appear in my real world in such rapid succession? Some
would say it was just a coincidence. A creepy coincidence, but a coincidence, nonetheless. But, I know better! My thoughts
created my reality!
Thursday, November 19, 2009 WHY ARE ALIENS ALWAYS DEPICTED AS REPTILES?This blog is not going to be about whether there are aliens
or not, nor am I going to debate whether they are here now, in our midst, or not. When all of pop culture starts "preparing"
us for their arrival; when most other nations have de-classified and released all their UFO documents; when reputable pilots, military
personnel and other authority figures around the globe hold a conference on UFO's and invite the press; when the Vatican,
for God's sake (no pun intended), comes out and announces it's OK for all of us to believe in aliens; when a former astronaut
who walked on the moon says he doesn't think there are UFO's, he knows there are UFO's. . . . well, a thinking person has
to start thinking that perhaps there is something behind all of this. Perhaps the jig will be up soon. Maybe
that is why Obama is making his global rounds to leaders. Who knows?
What I would like to blog about, however, is the new TV series "V."
Apparently it is based on an old TV program by the same name with the same premise. (I didn't see the old one.) "V" is for
"visitors" and in this TV series the aliens have INDEED arrived and have been among us in "sleeper cells" for quite some time.
What I find interesting about "V" is that like many old movies and TV programs depicting visitors from outer space, the aliens
turn out to be reptilian. Oh, they have cleverly "covered themselves" in skin and look just like us. But, underneath that
fake skin, lies one ugly reptile. Or amphibian. It's often hard to tell. Even when they don't cover up and appear to be friendly
(think ET), they usually are ugly suckers, often with green skin and bulging eyes. Reptilian.
Why do we assume that if intelligent life from another planet has the
smarts to get here and has technology that would make ours look like tinker-toys that they would resemble the lowest of low-life
on this earth: lizards or snakes or frogs. Why? Because reptiles give us the "creeps" and most people abhor them. Thus,
if you want to portray "outsiders" from the beyond, it seems best to equate them to an earthly animal that is stupid, scary
and abhorrent. Because, after all, if aliens do arrive here on earth it can only be to do us harm. Right?
The only movie I recall that portrayed aliens in a "good light" (pun
intended) was "Cocoon." In this movie, when the fake skin is stripped away from the aliens, it reveals a golden light
form. Just pure golden light. That's how I'd like to think of advanced beings from another planet. That's what I think aliens might
be: enlightened beings. Perhaps even angels. Or spiritual beings. And they wouldn't necessarily be arriving from another
planet, but from another dimension or plane. That might explain UFO's "coming and going," popping in and out of sight so quickly.
Maybe they have to lower their energy vibration just to get "down here" with us.
And if they do come or are here, unlike the premise of "V," I think
they'd be less likely to do us harm than we would be to do them harm. After all, they are more intelligent, right? And if
WE were more intelligent, we would finally get past our behaviors of wars, greed, and violence. So, in my opinion, I
don't expect to see giant lizards arriving from the great beyond in space ships intent on wiping out humanity. I
expect, instead, to see enlightened beings, full of love and peace and harmony, who might gently guide us to
a new age--one that rids the world of barbaric practices--one that unites, not separates.
Of course, if they look like geckos, well that would be all right,
too, I guess. At least geckos are reptiles that are cute. And little. Not as comforting as golden light forms, but intelligent
little geckos buzzing around in flying saucers would be acceptable. Just as long as they don't try to sell me car insurance!
Monday, November 16, 2009 TWO RANDOM THINGS ABOUT MYSELF?Tuesday's theme on Blogdumps is to share two random
things about yourself.
Could I, or anyone, really blog about "two random things"?
My spiritual path has shown me, time and again, that nothing in this Universe is "random." "Random"
implies that I (and others on Blogdumps) will write something that has "no specific pattern, purpose or objective."
I believe that everything in our lives--everything in the Universe--does indeed have a specific pattern, purpose or objective.
All things are connected. All people are connected. All experiences mean something, and all aspects of our lives are there
for a reason. Thus, whatever each of us CHOOSES to put down as two random things won't really be random at
all. They will be choices we have deliberately made in order to share something about ourselves.
Let's say I really want to go for "random" in a big way. So, I will
write the following two things about myself: 1. My big toe is itchy, and 2. My sprinkler system will come
on in about one hour. Pretty random, wouldn't you say? Not
really. Because if I choose to write those superficial and generic things about myself in response to Blogdumps theme,
then it is probably because I don't really want to reveal anything of importance about myself. They're not really random things, but deliberately flippant and meaningless things.
If I want to share some "random" aspects that might make me look intelligent,
however, I might choose these instead: 1. I began teaching high school at the age of 20, and 2. I wrote
grant proposals for universities and colleges for 20 years resulting in millions and millions and millions of dollars.
Then again, these so-called "random" things have a good chance of making me look like a braggart--and the last thing
I want to project on my spiritual site is that I am all-knowing and arrogant. Writing those would be much too self-serving.
More importantly, they are from my past. Spiritually, I've learned to focus on the present, and the future. So, please
just scratch those last two "random" things.
Well, then let's shoot for neutral, but personal. That may be the best
"random" route to go: 1. I recently visited Branson, Missouri, and 2. I am 5' 7" tall. How's
that? I think that might be better. Not random, of course, since I just admitted I was going for "neutral, but personal,"
but not bad, given the complexity of this whole topic. See my point?
Gee, I wonder what my poor Blogdump friends are thinking about their
own posts by now. Wondering, perhaps, what their two "random" things will really reveal about themselves? (Too
late, you already posted them! LOL) Hey, perhaps next week's theme should be: what did you REALLY learn about your colleagues
on Blogdumps from their posts about the not-so-random things about themselves. Wouldn't that make for an interesting topic?
(Just kidding. Hey, that was one "random" thing I could have posted about myself here: I have a rather offbeat sense
of humor!)
Thursday, November 12, 2009 MORE COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, BUT LESS COMMUNICATIONI like technology and all the advances it has brought.
If I didn't, I wouldn't have my own website and this blog. But, every thinking person should stop and ask herself an
important question: Have our communication devices resulted in BETTER communication or WORSE?
Lately, for me, the WORSE answer is surfacing more often.
Let's start with e-mail, an amazing communications method that has practically put the U.S. postal service out of business.
Yesterday I emailed Harvard Press with a simple question: Did I need copyright permission from them on use of a specific
poem by Emily Dickinson? I didn't even know if they were the ones to ask permission from; what's more, this particular
poem was said to be in the "public domain" and I just wanted to be sure it was. A simple yes or no answer. That's all
that was required. Yes, submit to us for permission. No, we don't hold any copyright over that item. The wonders of email:
I got a response the very next day!
The horrors of email: the response (from an actual
person named David) was offbase and moronic. David obviously gives the same response to everyone who dares to email him
with a question. David said I had to submit all permission requests following a laborious procedure. Then he attached a copy
of that laborious process. David then gave me his "Best Regards."
David, I wasn't asking HOW to ask for "permission"--I was simply
asking if I even HAD to. Why would I submit a lengthy application to you when I don't even know if you hold a copyright
on the item in question? When I hit reply to ask David this, the email bounced, of course. You couldn't "reply" to David.
David did not want to be replied to. David was not interested in two-way communication, only one-way communication. David
had a set procedure and couldn't use his own brain to read and interpret a situation.
Then there are cell phones, the marvel of 21st-century communication.
Texting is the new trend. It's fast, it's simple and it has revolutionized communication. Or has it? Parents tell me
that it is often the ONLY way they can get their children to answer them. Think about why that is. When I was a youngster,
my parents used to cross-examine me about my whereabouts--in person. They'd look into your eyes and could tell if you were
lying or about to get into some mischief you shouldn't. When we moved to cell phones, the part about looking into your kids'
faces to determine what was going on went by the wayside, but you could still judge from their voices and background noises.
And, more importantly, when you had them on the line, you could ask questions. You could clarify. You could have a TWO-way
communication. Why do you think kids like texting so much? They've just made two-way communication with their parents into
ONE-way communication. Short and sweet. No follow-up questions. No reply needed. Just like David and his email, kids with
their texting have taken control of the communication mode, and by doing so, they have literally STOPPED communication. They
have stopped questions or clarifications. Is this better communication? Not if you are a consumer; not if
you are a parent.
We have all experienced the frustration of calling a bank, a cable
company, or nearly all entities these days--and getting their "automated answering system." Press 1 for this. Press 2 for
this. Press 3 for this. And when you do, another menu comes up with more choices. You spend 5 or 10 minutes trying to wing
your way through the maze of their offices, hoping eventually that you get a "real person" with some knowledge. Even if you
are lucky enough to get to that point, it rarely results in an answer to your "simple question." Either you get the
wrong person, the wrong office, or someone who has been trained in a "script" that they can't think beyond. Has this communications
technology made for BETTER communication or WORSE? Who does it help? Certainly not the consumer. It only makes the company
save money on employees.
The purpose of COMMUNICATION is to get two individuals to understand
each other. In order to do that, it has to be two-way. It has to allow for follow-up questions, clarifications, and problems
outside the box. It has to be a give and take. Often it takes TIME. And guess what, it results in a relationship! You get
to KNOW one another. Apparently, we are exchanging SPEED for quality outcomes. David was fast with an answer. Texting is fast
with an answer. Unfortunately, the answers don't really answer anything at all. Communication is more muddled now than ever
before. All our devices haven't made human beings "more in touch," they have actually led to more isolation and ambiguity.
For all our communication advances, people are more lonely and misunderstood than ever.
There is one communication, however, that is immune from all this nonsense.
And that is our communication with God. By discovering your Personal Connector Word to God, you will connect with the
most important entity of all: our divine source. And God doesn't have an automated answering system. He doesn't text
message short and curt responses. God really listens to you. Then, He/She clearly guides you with his/her responses.
God believes in real two-way communication.
Unfortunately, most of us are trying to do with God what we are doing
with others via email and texting. We are trying to make it a one-way communication. We are going for speed. We "pray" and
"ask God" for this or that, but we don't take time to see God's answers or directions. We are busy, after
all. How can we discover our Personal Connector Word to God or all the other signs God sends us each day when we have
reduced everything important in life to a 140-character Tweet?
News flash, folks: God doesn't tweet. He/She is not in a hurry
and loves us too much to reduce our relationship with Him/Her to 140 characters. God's interest in us is genuine and deep.
Sometimes I think the Universe is purposely leading us all into this
sterile, speed-driven, technology-inundated communication. I think God might be purposely taking us over the "communications
edge." Because, sooner or later, we are going to miss REAL communication between REAL human beings. Sooner or later, we are
going to pine for understanding, deep conversation, two-way exchanges and an investment of time in others we care about. Sooner
or later, Youtube videos and blogs will not satisfy our souls. It is then, of course, that we will finally turn back to God.
Sunday, November 1, 2009 IT'S NOT FUNNY, JAY LENOI used to like Jay Leno's Tonight Show, so watching his
new 10 pm show is very disappointing to me. Jay has decided to go the route of "young men aged 17-28," apparently. That means
mindless humor that humiliates people, deals a lot with sex, and has as the ultimate joke anything that deals with a penis.
Unfortunately, for Jay, none of it is funny or even approaches funny.
According to the Internet, Jay's new show is bombing, and to me, it
isn't a surprise. Whether Jay realizes it or not, his AUDIENCE was NOT 18-49 year-olds (who TV-land mistakenly has identified
as the best consumers), but has always been the over 55-year-olds, and a lot of them women. And, to be frank, to them,
Jay's new show stinks.
Why does it stink? It's simple. It just isn't funny. Jay has taken
to bringing on "new young comics," which frankly, are not new, not comic, and barely meet the criteria of being young.
Their humor is not only NOT funny, it's not even understandable. It's lame. Then Jay has abandoned the things that used to
be amusing--Jaywalking, interviewing people we could actually recognize, and amusing commentaries on life--in lieu of his
NEW ideas, like White Moments in Black History. These excerpts are not only NOT funny, but actually border on being pathetic.
Jay should have realized that he should KEEP to the things that made people watch him when he was on at 11:35pm. Instead,
he's trying to pander to a group of pimply-faced boys who are NOT watching him at 10 pm., but are instead playing their mindless
video games. No one thinks Beer Pong videos are funny, or even mildly amusing. Jay, it's SENIOR citizens who were watching
you. Now that you've decided penis jokes are the way to go, we will STOP watching you. There will be no one left!
It's really sad to watch Jay Leno now. He's out of his element, and
he's very uncomfortable. He has celebrities racing Ford cars that no one cares about. He sits out from behind a desk and doesn't
know what to do with his legs. He brings on young "stars" that no one can even recognize. He makes penis jokes until you want
to scream and say, "Enough already. We are tired of hearing about what is dangling between men's legs." He just isn't funny
anymore. We are embarrassed for him. He has stooped to such a low, that we hurt for him.
Somewhere along the line, some idiot decided that the economic spending
demographic was with "18-49-year-old's." I find that amusing. All the 18-49 year-olds that I know are either broke, in credit
card debt up to their butts, or bankrupt. These people don't have any money, Jay. NO, they are not the demographic with the
disposable income. News flash TV people: the people with the dough to spend are the OVER-55-year-old crowd. They are
the ones who have the money. And contrary to your 20th century thinking, we do spend money and we DO change brands. And your
18-49 year-old's--who do you think they are getting money from? Their parents and grandparents, of course. They have none
of their own. They are unemployed, underemployed or barely getting by.
Jay Leno, you are sinking. You are sinking because you believe marketing
experts who are all wrong. You are sinking because you are abandoning what originally made you funny. You are sinking because
you no longer believe in yourself and your own instincts. You are pandering to a younger generation, Jay, who don't give a
damn about you, only about themselves. How sad. Use your humor to reach your OWN generation, and you may still yet succeed.
Keep trying to be something you are not, and you will continue to fail.
That's a lesson for all of us. Be yourself. Be true to yourself. Act
your age. And God will provide.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 "CHRISTIAN WOMAN NEEDS A SMALL LAWN MOWER- $50"This was the ad under "Wanted" on Craig's List in my local
area today. It got me to thinking. If I had a lawn mower to sell for $50 or less, would it matter to me that I would be selling
it to a Christian woman? If I had the choice to sell my small lawn mower to a Christian
woman as opposed to say, a Buddist man, would I choose the Christian woman? Better yet, what if the ad had
said, "Muslim woman needs a small refrigerator" or perhaps, "Atheist needs a small dehumidifier." Would I rush to sell my
small appliances to the Muslim woman or the Atheist--or would I, instead, hang on to them, hoping soon to see a similar ad
from a Christian woman?
The Christian woman's ad, of course, is absurd. What is scary, however,
is the fact that in her pursuit of a small lawn mower she actually thinks saying she is a "Christian" has
some kind of relevance to the matter. One can only shake one's head at a so-called "Christian" whose misdirected
sense of her own religious importance has caused her to announce on Craig's List that she is a Christian and in need of a
lawn mower. Perhaps she thinks that those of other religious beliefs do not have grass that grows. Or perhaps she thinks the
title bestows upon her some extra consideration or honor. Or perhaps she doesn't have a clue what it means to be a "Christian,"
and therefore panders it about like it's some kind of spiritual calling card for free goods and prizes. Perhaps she is hoping that someone, knowing that she is a "Christian," will sell her a $200
lawn mower for only $50. Who knows what her reasoning was.
No one has more respect and admiration for Jesus than I do. He was
a man who figured it all out and what's more important is that he applied it, he lived it. Notice that I said he was a man,
not a God. Christians, of course, would quickly disagree with me. They worship Jesus as a God, but few FOLLOW Jesus. Few can
do what Jesus did, despite his saying "that what I do, you can do, and more." I can't imagine that Jesus would have
ever placed an ad for a lawn mower, with a footnote saying, "Oh, by the way, some think I am the son of God. So, does
that entitle me to 50% off?" Jesus would have simply thought that the grass would be cut or believed that the grass
would not grow--and, lo and behold, it would have obeyed him. Jesus knew about creating his own reality. Apparently,
the Christian woman in search of a lawn mower doesn't--she can't pray her grass away.
Which leads me to the point of this blog--what does lawn mowers have
to do with Christianity? Nothing. Just as so many other things today have little to do with "being a Christian." Saying you
are a "Christian" really doesn't mean a damn thing. Saying it on a Craig's list ad for a small lawn mower actually makes a
mockery of what being a Christian really is.
Want to show the world you are a Christian? Then emulate Jesus. You
show the world that you have the Christ in your heart by trying to follow Jesus' teachings, Jesus' ways. If we all remembered
that, we'd all not only be better Christians, but we'd be better people.
Saturday, October 24, 2009 TOO MANY OF US ARE "ASLEEP AT THE CONTROLS"This morning's newspapers reported three stories with something
in common. Two pilots near Minneapolis flew right by the airport without landing. A couple in Sarasota, Florida, found
a 5-inch knife in their Subway foot-long. And a construction worker near Pittsburgh got killed when a concrete slab fell on
him after a crane hit the floor above him. What is the common thread between these three stories? In all three, someone
was "asleep at the controls." Not necessarily literally "asleep," but certainly distracted--non-observant--unfocused--not
paying attention to detail.
It is almost incomprehensible that two pilots, responsible for over
140 lives, could "get lost" and "out of touch" for over an hour in the sky. It is equally incomprehensible that a Subway worker
could be so "non-observant" that he would actually bake the measuring knife right into one of the foot-long buns. (You think
maybe he got an "important" text message at the time?) And one would hope that the operator of a heavy-duty crane, that can
demolish concrete pillars, would be 100% focused on where he was swinging that crane. One would hope. . . that's the problem.
It used to be a given that folks doing dangerous (piloting, crane-swinging) jobs and even not-so-dangerous (baking buns)
jobs paid strict attention to their tasks. After all, it was their job. It was not only a matter of pride, but it
was EXPECTED. Apparently, these days, that's no longer the case.
Who do we have to blame for this increasing "lack of focus"? Some might
point to the fact that we have glorified the individual to the point that it is "all about me," and no longer about the job.
Or about other people. Some might cite that we are in the age of information overload and excess sensory stimulation.
How can we keep focused on "boring tasks"--or even, why should we? Who wants to or can stare at boring airplane instruments
all day? Who wants to or can measure dough and put it into a baking oven all day? Who wants to or can keep focused
on crane controls all day?
This website is attempting to get people to notice God's signs. God
is placing markers in front of all of us each day to help guide us through life. Included is something called a "Personal
Connector Word to God." Yet, if we don't notice we've flown past an airport--if we don't notice we just baked a knife into
a bun--if we don't notice our crane is going to hit a cement pillar--how in the world will we ever notice signs from
our divine source?
It's time we awake. It's time we get back to watching the controls.
It's time we take our jobs seriously enough that we FOCUS on them. (Wake up, people; it's not all about being on American
Idol, being the next "balloon boy," or getting your e-mail read on Wolf Blitzer.) Perhaps when we start paying
attention to the DETAILS of life again--the BORING DETAILS of life--maybe we'll notice something even more miraculous. Something
even more fulfilling than getting on a reality TV show. Maybe we'll see God's signs. Maybe we'll re-connect with our divine
source. Maybe we'll experience real euphoria.
Sunday, October 18, 2009 WHAT'S WRONG WITH TODAY'S NEW AGE GURUS?What's wrong with today's new age gurus? It's pretty
simple, actually. GREED. And, unfortunately, it makes for bad publicity for the rest of the people who believe in and advocate for
"new thought" concepts.
The Sedona sweatlodge deaths of three people have put "new age spiritualism"
into the limelight and not in a good way. I have a feeling that James Arthur Ray (who headed this event) probably started
out as someone who believed in "new thought" spiritual concepts and only wanted to share those beliefs with folks looking
for a new way. He probably wanted to help others on their spiritual paths. But, somewhere along the way, he ended up in the
blockbuster hit "The Secret" and gained some fame. Suddenly, his little spiritual insight business became "big business."
Suddenly, he turned into someone who thought it appropriate to charge folks $10,000 a pop for his "great wisdom" and
for things like starving for a day and a half, then sweating in a tent. Somewhere along the way, James Arthur Ray's ego and
the fact that he could make millions got in the way of his spiritual messages. Too bad Mr. Ray didn't understand his own advice
about things like karma and the universe returning to you what you send out.
I used to be a big fan of Deepak Chopra. I found his books to be not
only fascinating, but life-changing. Here was a man, I thought, that had delved into the spiritual world and had found some
answers. A holy man, I thought. But, alas, this new age guru, just like James Arthur Ray, got a taste of fame and money. Suddenly,
he was sporting red-framed glittery glasses and appearing on talk shows. OK, that's OK, I thought--he's just spreading "truth"
and he's leading people on their spiritual paths. It is all good. However, when I caught ol' Deepak on a Bill Maher Show (late
at night on HBO) shortly after "The Secret" made it big, my opinion of him plummeted quickly.
You see, ol' Deepak got left out of "The Secret" movie. I suspect it
was because he wouldn't do it for no compensation, which apparently was required of all the participants. Deepak
apparently turned down the Secret folks, and now that they were in the limelight and he was left out in the cold, he got a
tad bitter. Bill Maher (who is an atheist and thought the "Secret" was nothing but bunk) invited Deepak on his show to help
him make fun of the Secret. Deepak was only too happy to oblige. (After all, I'm sure he thought, my followers would certainly
not be watching Bill Maher.) Well, maybe so. But Deepak didn't count on people like me. I was watching. There was this
spiritual guru helping Bill Maher laugh at the things in the Secret--never once admitting that he, himself, had advocated
almost all of its concepts previously in his own books! Maybe it was just jealousy. Maybe he was mad that he had written most
of this stuff before the Secret talked about it, and he was getting no credit. Sourgrapes, as they say. Deepak had been
left out, so he sat there in Bill Maher's studio acting like he hadn't pushed the exact same concepts himself for
years.
Even that wouldn't have been so bad, and certainly understandable,
except he said one other thing that made me take all his books to Goodwill the next day. When introduced by Bill Maher as
a modern-day prophet, Deepak grinned from behind his red glitter eyeglasses and said, "PROPHET? Yeah, Bill,
I'm a prophet, spelled P-R-O-F-I-T." That endeared him to Bill and Bill's audience. But, that ended my respect for Mr. Deepak
Chopra.
I could go on about other so-called new age gurus (Wayne Dyer comes
to mind) who have made millions and millions professing to have the "keys to spiritual awakening." (The fact that Dyer's wife
left him is perhaps a little clue that he's still missing a few keys.) Again, I think Dyer and others like him started
out with the right intentions, hoping to help humanity move to a new level of understanding and happiness. But, along the
way, the money and fame got in the way. In the end, these spiritual gurus not only turned out to have feet of clay and be
very human, they actually turned out to be farther BACK on the spiritual path than most of the rest of us. How can they lead
us when they have yet to apply the concepts to their own lives?
I wrote a previous blog entitled "What Would Jesus Charge?" and that
phrase came to mind again today when I read that a third person died at Ray's $10,000-a-person sweat lodge experience. The
sad thing is that these money-chasers are obscuring the true message of spiritualism, the true message of "new thought." This
is the exact reason we revere Jesus, the way-shower, so much today--more than 2,000 years after he walked the earth. Jesus
not only understood the concepts, he lived them. Apparently, given what we are seeing with the new age gurus
of today, that is a VERY HARD thing to do.
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