Pulling Together

First a few quotes I'm contemplating:

 

“We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”—Carlos Castaneda.

 

“You never hear about truly self-actualized people, like Buddha or Christ telling people they’re stupid losers. It goes against the nature of enlightenment.”

 –Martha Beck

 

“Republicans and Democrats are today far more likely to view those members of the other party not as competitors, but as enemies, holding overwhelmingly unfavorable views of each other”—Online report.

 

“The vaccine fight, rather than an outgrowth of Trump’s divisive presidency, is just another example of how polarization is not just transforming American society — it’s literally killing people.”

 

(How? They are also voting down such systems as Medicaid, thus limiting health care. And because of mistrust of each other, they end up paralyzing Congress and the federal government.)

. 

 

The first two quotes came from an old blog post of mine. Some dear soul/ reader commented:

 

“Completely, u got this 1 down correct, man. Keeped me entertained for ages.” 

 

      

I decided to see what he was commenting from. The post was “Going with the Flow,” September 13, 2019-- my oh my, almost two years ago. So, I reread it and found I need to follow my own advice.

 

 

Don’t forget to read the True Story at the bottom of the page.

 

 

Presently, it appears that people, instead of hanging together--unified as we have done in times past, are divided. For example, during WWII, little children pushed their wagons around the neighborhood, collecting whatever pots and pans the neighbors felt they could spare. (The military needed metal for war machines.) Citizens bought war bonds to support the war. They graciously accepted the rationing of food and shoes even. Have we forgotten that? 

 

Have we forgotten that once we pulled together?

 

Have we forgotten that blacks and Native Americans fought alongside white Anglo-Saxon boys? Have we forgotten that 29 Navajo Code Talkers created an unbreakable code that helped win World War II? Although the Japanese were breaking every code the Americans were throwing at them, they never broke the Navajo code.

 

Now we are divided over Vaccinations.

 

Vaccinations, for heaven’s sake. It has become a religious fervor.

 

I’m mystified. 

 

I had hoped we would learn to stick together from this pandemic…

 

Nope.

 

I will repeat: “You never hear about truly self-actualized people, like Buddha or Christ telling people they’re stupid losers. It goes against the nature of enlightenment.” Martha Beck

 

 

How are we doing?

 

Do we want to see the people of the earth survive and thrive?

 

Biology says that we don’t need post-menopausal women because they don’t reproduce. However, psychology says we need them to keep our DNA alive and assist the next generation. 

 

Same with men.

 

Oldsters still have a job. 

 

I have quoted Richard Bach from his book Illusions many times. And I am again: “If you think your mission in life is over if you’re alive, it isn’t.”

 

We didn’t lose our hearts and minds somewhere over the years or get beaten down by the endless rabble that pounds us on every turn. 

 

We still believe in our country, except a mist has covered our eyes, and we believe the ultra-rich and the famous somehow have more smarts than we do. 

 

Yes, those who made it to the top of their game have done their hard work and had determination and a mindset that assisted the process. Success was important to them. However, it doesn’t mean they are wise.

 

Others focused on keeping the cogs working at home and with family—that was important to them. 

 

And the unsung heroes at home had dreams but felt stymied to reach them. Some of their stymied conditions were intended to keep them down. We built schools to make workers who could sit for long periods and do mindless repetitive jobs. And because of finances, we would even take PE, art, and music out of our schools. (Body, mind, and spirit fell to technological advances.) Keep those noses to the grindstone, build more gismos. Help make life easier for the populace. Slowly we were conditioned. We needed workers and consumers, so we hit the people with clever commercials. Earlier on, we had an excellent new attention device for the public—television. 

 

Early television was such fun, and we loved entertainment, and the dog-style instincts in us loved watching moving objects. And in our hearts, we believed that the ones talking were giving us the truth.

 

The people still believed in the American dream. To prove it, they were those few who popped out and achieved their dream—the exceptions proved the rule. People believed in the spirit of the country and in the pureness of people. 

 

Some remembered how Rosie the Riveter proved women could step into men’s shoes and get the job done. They remembered how the men sacrificed, missed their children’s childhood, were maimed and killed in their effort to fight evil. 

 

We forgot because it was too painful to remember.

 

Once GI Joe was considered a hero. He was a hero. In WWII, the military was filled with every man, not just career-minded ones. Or ones who liked kicking people’s butts.

 

A True Story:

 

A few years ago, we had a friend—he only left us to go to the happy hunting grounds. His name was Jack Carol.

 

He visited us often, and as he passed my kitchen window on the way to the front door, I would call out, “Hi Jack!”

 

“Don’t ever say that to a pilot,” he would answer.

 

He was a navigator during the Second World War.

 

The navigator sits behind the pilot, and according to Jack, it was the safest place on the plane.

 

That proved to be true for Jack, for he was shot down three times and twice was the only survivor.

 

The third time he was captured by a German soldier.

 

There was a lot of noise going on around the crash site, with shells going off and shots being fired, and the German soldier was leading Jack away from the turmoil. Jack felt he was going to be shot.

 

As they walked through the forest, Jack tripped, and as he did, he pulled the gun from his boot, slid it up his body, and laid it on his shoulder, and fired. He didn’t know if his bullet connected with the man behind him or not, but he ran and escaped.

 

He hid during the day and traveled at night, and he said he witnessed an aerial dog fight at times. Meaning planes, you know, as in Curse you Red Baron. 

 

Jack caught cold and developed pneumonia but ended up at a French woman’s farm. (Yeah, I know this sounds like a movie. She was not a young gorgeous French woman, but an older French woman with a heart of gold.) She was alone and living off her land, which wasn’t much. He said she wore a dress that was woven together out of cellophane. She hid Jack from the Germans and shared her meager fare with him. One day the US Military front advanced to her door. 

 

Jack came out of hiding, gave his credentials, and told the group of GIs how this woman had saved him. 

 

The following morning a US jeep appeared at her door laden with goodies—food and clothing.

 

And Jack was taken into their care.

 

He lived many years In San Diego. He didn’t fly anymore when we knew him, but he was still fascinated by flying objects.

When Did We Become Weird?

Many people have taken on religious fervor, the very thing we have championed against in earlier years. 

We have global warming where we can divide ourselves and beat each other with our viewpoints. Some say, “Pollution has done it.” Others say, “It’s the natural earth cycle.” Oh yes, there is another: it doesn’t exist.

 We have vaccinations where one side says it will save us from this blasted pandemic. We have another side that thinks the vaccination will turn us into zombies, implant devices into our bodies to be controlled by whoever has their finger on the button.

 We seek out material, especially on the Internet (Well, that’s where we can find it), that supports our point of view. In the process, we become enmeshed into a rock-solid belief system.

How far can we go down that rabbit hole?

 If we watch the news on TV, we will be swayed by rhetoric that deliberately slants toward the horrific, the fear, and the desire to keep us watching--thus ratings. (Do you see any bias here?)

 We know some of these things like fear sells, that’s common knowledge, but still, we can get pulled in. I don’t know why that is so; it’s something about our makeup. We hate that car wreaks happens, but we can’t help but look if there is one.

 We’re drawn to the drama, the excitement, the adrenalin rush. I guess we need it. Our lives are too enmeshed in the minutiae of life. (I suppose there was more value in the hunt than bring home the bacon. Perhaps the thrill of the hunt kept the hunters hunting and the village fed.)

If we continue to be stimulus/response individuals, we will be programmed.

 We need to get back some healthy debate, to consider that maybe, just maybe, we are driving our own evolution, and we have a choice as to where it is going. 

 Perhaps the “truth” lies somewhere in the middle.

 Maybe you do have a point that the earth is naturally warming.

 Maybe we are driving it faster with pollution, emissions, hair sprays, aerosols, and etc. 

 It scares me when I see a picture of the earth from space, and it shows how thin our atmosphere is. Heavens, we can’t climb the highest mountain on earth without carrying oxygen with us or heaving and puffing, with little energy to climb to the top. I remember being a kid where our family would drive up toward Mt Hood in Oregon for a picnic. I would get out of the car and wondered what was happening to me that I could hardly climb the embankment. After I acclimated, I was okay. Doesn’t that tell us something? Like maybe we should all work together to ensure that thin film stays surrounding us. (Like not exploding bombs in it.) and we ought to make sure those life-giving elements continue at a ratio beneficial to all life.

 Would you prefer to look at a desolate planet like Mars and consider a colony there when we can play on this gorgeous planet?

 If we pollute the oceans, we’re goners. 

 If we don’t look at the coral reefs and realize they are telling us something, we are stupid. There is a phenomenon in corals caused by the warming ocean and the pollutants, where the coral blanches white. If it stays white, it will die. However, in its desire to survive, corals can produce a sort of sunscreen to help them recover. It will recolor. But given enough stress, that will fail.

 Not interested in coral reefs? Not into scuba diving? The purpose of corals to not to provide us with beautiful photographs but to support life. 1,500 species of fish live within the coral reefs. 

 They are called “Barrier reefs” because they form a barrier to protect the live-forms that live within the reef and are protected by it. Reefs stabilize the ocean floor so grasses can grow. Those grasses feed large creatures like manatees who nurture their babies within the protection of the reefs. 

 Over 500 million people depend upon the reefs for their food. Not only is food sustained there, but medicines have been made from the coral to treat heart problems and for human bone transplants. 

 You know about the food chain. And we ought to know about the ocean. For example, plankton provides 50-80% of our oxygen. One photosynthesizing bacteria within the plankton, Prochlorococcus, produces a whopping 20% of the earth’s oxygen. 

 While we are speaking holistically, dust from the Sierra dessert blows across the African continent, is dropped into the ocean, and fertilizes the plankton that grows there. 

 I notice, this year, that while the flowers are abundant, they came, flourished beautifully, but are gone within a day or two. I’m not sure the apple tree kept its blossoms long enough to be pollinated. No flowers, no bees, no apples. It could be that we have drought conditions, and they know it. And strange that one of the first things affected by change is the reproductive cycle. If we don’t have enough food or water, we don’t have babies or fruit or vegetables.

If a polar bear doesn’t have enough food to grow her young, she holds a fertilized egg in her body until such a time that conditions are right. Better to not have children that to have them starve.

 In our lack of having a holistic approach, we forget that one thing affects another. Even doctors will treat that one booboo without thought of how it is affecting the entire organism. (Some insurance companies will forbid the doctor from addressing more than one issue.) Now, I ask you, is that good doctoring?

 There is pollen in the air,” you say, “It gives me sniffles and itchy eyes. Take an allergy pill, and get with the program. (See, technology can help us be more comfortable. It can cure diseases and thus make our lives more enjoyable. Maybe that’s why God gave us a big brain. It’s up to us the help make life easier for its inhabitants. And don’t get after me for using evolution and God—I believe in both.) You know the grasses need pollen. You like grass-fed beef, don’t you? You like corn and grain, and pasta, and muffins. You like fruit and many other foodstuffs that require pollination. 

 I’m an earth child, as you can see. I want to see it thrive. I’m not waiting for aliens to come and save us or to find another planet to colonize. (Living on Mars would drive me crazy.) We need to focus on our own home. Oh yes, the earth can outlast us—it’s gone through a molten stage and evolved into the beauty we now enjoy, but we don’t want to go back to barren moltenness. (I make up words too.) 

 What about walking around, breathing clean air, drinking pure water, laughing with our neighbors no matter where they came from, what color their skin is, or how rich or poor they are? 

 We are primates—sorry, all the creationists that will be offended by this, it is no insult. I’m honored to be an animal. They have a loving side like us, but they can fight and kill--like us.

 We are getting smarter now. We know some of these things, and we can dialogue with each other too. And why in the world, when we lighten the pandemic controls, crazies go out and shoot somebody? We’re not taking care of the crazies either—but then that’s another story.

 It used to be the printed word was the way people attained knowledge. They found the news of the world in the printed word. And perhaps you stopped reading after the first paragraph—that’s common in books—but then maybe they are boring. 

 Now, most information is presented visually. (Maybe I need to get with the program—maybe I’m old-fashioned.) I know that we are frenzied, angry, upset, nervous, and taking tranquilizers—well, Jo, you have a glass of wine in the evenings. Yep, I do. 

 I also know that reading is a quiet venture. It gives us a moment to pause. You can rail back at the printed word, throw the book, disagree or cry over the wonder of it. However, it gives us time to do that. Have you ever laid your book on your chest and looked out the window and thought of not much, simple things. You look to the horizon and give your eyes a rest. You come back to the book to feel a warm glow encircle you.

 When we try to keep up with a talking face, we are deprived of that moment. Another frenzy to add to our discontent.

 I know I laid out a lot here, and I thought I had nothing to say.

 Probably I have not said things you do not know already. If you’re anything like me, though, a reminder once in a while works wonders. I’m taking a course where I know most of the information, but it can get me fired-up.

 Do I meditate when I know it is good for me? Not much. Do I stay positive when I know that is the best way to live? Ha.

 I want the earth cared for, such as the seventh generation the Native American’s spoke of. We thought they were ignorant savages. Ha.,

 I want happiness for the people. I want them to see that we are little energy packets walking around affecting their surroundings and each other, and that snowballs to all of us. I’ve heard that we are all together in this, but many times people won’t even give you the time of day. Of course, I don’t meet those people.

 Our attitudes, thoughts, actions have some effect on our electrical/magnetic field. We are in touch with the Great Force that surrounds us, sustains us, and is affected by our wishes. Don’t believe me? Give it a try.

 I heard a wonderful story last week. There is an elderly man working at one of the Retirement communities who escaped Germany during WWII. He told the story of 300 Jewish people who escaped a concentration camp. They overpowered the guards, confiscated their weapons, and left. Not all the prisoners left, they were afraid. And they were all killed.

 This is true story that was hushed up by the ones who wanted to maintain control. My daughter verified in on the Internet.

 Be courageous.

 

 Here is my week in pictures. I am grateful to see all of them.

This old pink dogwood, in our backyard was chopped back to a stump and basic limbs when we moved here. I didn't know what sort of tree it was. Now, look at it. 

Apple blossoms
Duckies at the Farm Store

One coon hound who knows how to get his inspiration..

Lilacs in back yard

Crains in Coburg, Or.

I tried to show the humungous moon we had about a week ago.

How did you read this? On the side of a Pub in Springfield, OR

Live long and prosper,

Jo

P.S. What in the heck is "Low Fat Half and Half?" The store caught my husband trying to buy good old high fat half and half. Daughter inadvertently opened in. I can't take it back. Yuck.