Wild Pleasures in Pennsylvania

There comes a time when we all need to embrace the darker side to our nature. It is this time of year when I think of travel to foreign lands, seeking the fruits of our spaceship Earth. Looking at travelocity, from Baltimore, USA to Argentina South America, round trip ticket is $649.
Yet, some of the nicest pleasures do seem to occur on the Eastern United States this time of year. Blue fin crabs are flowing in the brackish waters of the Chesapeake Bay, and in tributaries of Virginia, and North Carolina. Spring Green beans, Broccoli, and peaches are riping. Another sweet fruit mostly growing wild are the Black and Red Raspberries of Pennsylvania. Ahhh!
There is nothing more natural, satisfying, and pure then taking a small pale or container then gathering berries. Eating a few while picking is also a nice bonus.
Standing out in the cool afternoon breeze with someone close to you is an even better way to spend a day picking berries. Its special moments like these that will last me a lifetime. Maybe Argentina can wait until January. When it will be summer there.
Good Times,... Good times,...

Bumbas,...Happy Trails!

George Carlin - Humanist

Carlin was born on May 12, 1937. Passed away June 22, 2008.
He lived by questioning conventional social norms, and won.

Old Dreams for New Employees

The goal should always be for balance.

I talk of trust, honor,and dignity, none of which seem to barely survive in these times of tests. These are the things that built nations, territories and modern civilizations. As Americans we believe the values of these little notions, but in the information age have very few examples. Our society is severely divided between the the 'haves' and the 'have-nots'. We watch television to calm our thoughts and weep when we see goodness. Murder, theft, and misfortune are now commonplace we barely get upset when our political leaders cheat, lie and steal. The very things that used to be a summons for revolution only now get a glance of mention. The reason for all of this numbness is exhaustion.
The majority of American wealth is controlled by less than 3% of its people. Which means that the other 97% are working harder than ever before. When the nation of United States was founded many of its inhabitants all had equal chance for prosperity. At the same time, many people grew up with the knowledge of skills necessary for basic survival. If a person did not have the talent for living in modern towns, they could always go into the wilderness for food, and shelter. In today's modern society, there is no more wilderness, and too many rules to follow for basic living. When the people traded their lives of self-sufficiency for lives of electricity and grocery stores, liberty and freedom of choice became harder to find.
Yet, liberty is not today's problem that most people face. The ability to get basic needs, to feed, clothe and educate their children. are harder to obtain. More importantly, pride, dignity, and the sense of self worth.
Many people today work long hours at under paying, thankless jobs. Yet, they are grateful because of fear of losing anything less. Television and marketing have convinced people to maintain a certain lifestyle, and to live anything less would be disgraceful.
At the same time, television also paints pictures of dreams. It shows other people who have managed to succeed in living their dreams. We teach our children that to value their lives and to dream beyond the four walls for which they currently live in. The reality is that sometimes in order to get their dreams means living in the sacrifice of their personal beliefs. Often the quickest way to success is to go along with anyone one who is power of influence regardless of the values for which they live.
This sounds terrible, but it is the sacrifice many people make because no one wants to be made an example. The alternative for independent thinking is banishment from the community, economic hardship, ruin of reputation through lies, or all of the above. It is an punishment of the old world, meant to take away a person's pride. Their dignity, their self-worth. For people with children it is to high a price to pay when just going along will pay the bills.


Then, there are the dreamers, people who believe in honesty. The people who still believe that hard work is still the only way to success. They believe that treating people with respect is still a way to make friendships. Yet, for those people pride is a vice, and something not born from the status of their jobs. Self-worth is much deeper emotion. It comes from faith, and from self knowledge. To get this type of dignity requires each person to live a life free of guilt or regret. This form of pride comes from living each day with integrity and with truthful honest intention.

Working for companies and working for others is necessary for many who do not have the opportunity to live self-sufficiently. Yet, everyone has the ability to make a choice to find work that is fulfilling. By fulfilling I refer to work that may not pay the most, but a job that allows a person to be themselves without repercussion. A position within a company that allows for friendships, and the possibility for time off without worry of being replaced. One time not so long ago, working for others was a means to contribute to the community. It is this balance of family and work that most people want to achieve. It is the promise made to each child born in America. Yet, as with most promises some sacrifices must be made. People must sacrifice personal time with time spent in groups and community projects that hold elected leaders accountable for their actions against the community. People must sacrifice buying things that put them into debt for the sake of maintaining a lifestyle. People must sacrifice personal comforts for living a life with little or no carbon footprint. This is what most working people dare to dream.

The dream of a life lived in balance is never as far away as it sometimes may seen to be. It just requires a little effort to find.

Bumbas, ...Happy Trails!

Babylon and Limbo

How do we get there from here?

Sometimes I don't rightly know. I have always seem to find this place called limbo, and though being able to rest, relax, and smell the flowers is always preferable there are times when I just want to move. I don't mean literally, but in the cosmic sense of the world, and word, but I also know its out of my control.
I can push, but I might end up off track, and that's not a good place to be. I am patient, but when the car is in a gear and not in park, it can really mess up the clutch.
Right now small pockets of joy, just don't add up to lasting fun. Positivity is somewhat annoying, and the negative biscuit eaters are circling like buzzards. Its times like this that I can implode, or worst explode.

How long do we wait?

As long as it takes.

I remind myself that I am suppose to be learning something valuable. Feels like I'm wasting time. I was enjoying the rest spot, and as usual I don't stay nearly long enough to soak it all inside. Maybe if I learn to relax, I can retain the lesson. I know I will be here again. I'm a rock in the sense that I just cant see the picture staring right at me. I want to, really I do want to see, understand, and grow to the next level. I want to let go,...heel,...and feel again.
Yet, what I want isn't always what I need,...
What I need is to stop pushing, stop trying, stop moving,...give in, but not up,...
I'm saying all the right things, do I believe anymore,...if only others would let me be for a while, let me feel this out, give me the time to listen,...so much interference,...so much un-necessary noise,...so much negativity,...too much talking.

It is still the same after all these years,...

Bumbas,...Happy Trails!

Texting our way to Preparation H

How disconnected are we becoming?
I sat and watched a group of high school aged people sit in a restaurant together at one table. Six of the group of ten were texting each other from across the table. Talking to each other but instead of using their mouths they did it with their fingers. I do use texting, but,...
Maybe it a generational thing, yet it seems sad. They all went out together, but they are as away from each other as it gets. Electronics have replaced direct interaction with spacial interaction.
How numb are we going to get?
I read an Internet article warning about dangerous domain names to avoid. It also identified various countries domain Id's, and where to and where not to shop for Prozac. Internet pharmaceuticals, I guess is very big business and this was an article on how to get drugs without getting your computer hacked. Obviously, so we can by more drugs later.
How long?
There is a new trend going on in clubs where male are rubbing their bodies with Preparation H. Apparently, it not only treats hemorrhoids, but tightens the skin. Guys are using it to look more buff to meet girls.

When I wanted to meet a girl, and wanted to dance, I asked. Then once I got her phone number instead of texting her I used the phone to talk to her, and when we went out we talked so more. To get notice I went with my friends and laughed very loudly. We played pool or darts, and talked with the other people around us. I would sit at a bar or along the counter in a diner, and meet people. I interacted, and sometimes it was awkward, and a little uncomfortable. It was always about being open, and really in tune to the environment that I was in. It takes practice, maybe a little courage, but I would practice sitting at the dinner table with my family, and sometimes by going out to dinner with friends.

I guess talking to others on a personal level is truly becoming an art form. It may explain the need for all the Prozac.

Bumbas,...Happy Trails!

Stonehenge and the power of Peace

Life 5000 years ago wasn't great, but wasn't bad either. In Egypt the first pyramid was being built in honor of the death of its king and to its deity of the gods. The Chinese were building a wall to keep people from invading from the north. In the middle east people were inventing writing to help organize a fair exchange in trade goods. In Meso-America the first temples were being built to honor the gods and the planets. In North America mounds of earth were being built to honor the sun. All the people of the planet lived by sticks, wood, fire, and earth. On the Island of Great Britain, the united group of its people marked the height of its civilization with the building of Stonehenge.
All civilizations then lived a life in harmony with nature, and recognized that life was a celebrated gift, and that death was always just around the corner. Death from hunting, tribal warfare, or by accidents occurred just as naturally as it does today. Only today we live blinded by our technology and tend to take this life of ours for granted way to often. We entertain ourselves with acting, plays and skits on a wired framed box. At times that box educates us, and keeps us connected to others across the globe. Other times it perpetuates fear, and is used for propaganda to keep us in our homes and afraid of other people just outside our neighborhood or city. Stonehenge was a marvel of achievement not only because of its size and the unimaginable task built by using simple hand tools, but because of what it teaches about civilized people at that point in time. In some ways they were more civilized than we are today. The effort that took to build Stonehenge required a united group of people with a single minded purpose, all believing in the same ideas and done within peaceful cooperation. Soon after Stonehenge was built, new technologies were made, and ended the age of stone putting in place a world civilization of copper, gold, and iron. The eras of metal. Eras of greed I call them.
The area now known as Stonehenge was a sacred site site used by the people of 3000 B.C.E. to celebrate the seasons and honor life and death. The entire island of Britain would come together in summer and in winter to celebrate the solstices. They had built a wooded monument area for this purpose to celebrate life. The monument marked the seasons and was aligned with the rising and falling of the sun during the summer and winter solstice. It was a celebration marked with great feasting, and most likely just a chance for all of the 'British' people to come together as one nation. I say British because that is how we know them today, and I say nation because they were a people united in beliefs, and customs. At some point their tribal leaders organized an idea to build a stone monument. This monument would outlast the wooden one, and would honor the leaders who died, that taught the people how to live in harmony with the earth and nature. To honor this life, and because it gave all of the people a reason to celebrate their togetherness.
The truth is that once all a peoples necessities are achieved, life gets mundane or boring. It is as true for today as it was then. People all reach a point where life becomes comfortable, back then food was grown or hunted, and people prospered. When people have time to celebrate, life is a good thing. People also need to be inspired, by keeping busy, people are happier, and live with purpose. For whatever reason, most people need some sense of purpose sometimes they create things like crafts or art. If not they get into trouble or just unhappy.
The building of monuments, temples, or mounds, gave groups of people a purpose. It was also a way of leaders to lead. To push people in positive, productive, 'constructive' ways instead of destructive activities. Like war. Its the positive nature of being human. That is the 'WHY' things are built. The 'How' is the amazing part!
The most 'Important' part for us to learn, are the lessons from our common ancestral past. Life IS a celebration. Life is not to be feared and IS to be lived with purpose. We, as individuals, can choose that purpose, that 'thing', that gives each of us joy. When we achieve that 'thing', we become happy and can lead positive, inspirational lives. When we do that 'thing' in peace with others, we can build monuments.

Bumbas,...Happy Trails!