I've seen a lot of intoxicated panhandlers outside of Walgreens over the years, that I could probably create a whole blog devoted to the subject. You've heard of the website People of Walmart, right? Well I could do a Panhandlers of Walgreens. I'm not going to, but just saying, there's a lot of material there.
I don't know exactly why Walgreens attracts bums like flies to shit, but I'd venture an educated guess, that it's probably because of their extensive offering of cheap rot gut booze, generic tobacco, cough syrup, and mouthwash.
Today I went to Walgreens and I walked past a very disheveled older looking Mexican man, who was standing right outside the main entrance, and said something to me in Spanish, but since I don't know Spanish, I just kept walking, and attentively made my way into the store. He appeared to be panhandling, and looked drunk and disorderly, like a Mexican bandito right out of an old western film. Only thing he was missing besides his teeth was a sombrero hat, a poncho blanket, and a mule, and he would have looked like a character right out of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, or The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
It was just a quick in and out run to the store, but as I'm waiting in line to check out, a man poked his head into the store, to inform the cashier that there was a man right outside the door, the same dude I just passed before, pissing outside on the sidewalk right in full view of all the customers coming and going. Management called the cops. I got out of there without finding out the outcome, but there's always something like that happening outside our local Walgreens.
I was thinking that maybe they would cut down on crime, and the high incidence of street corner drunken derelicts hanging around shopping centers harassing customers, if they stopped selling cheap malt liquor, rot gut booze, and hobo hooch wine. It's been my experience in all the cities I've been to, that stores that sell cheap booze, attract more derelicts than those that don't.
Would it work? Maybe. Maybe not. If a bum couldn't afford their booze, maybe they'd resort to purse snatching, so they could afford it. Or they may end up overdosing on cheap mouthwash instead. Most mouthwashes contain a high amount of alcohol, but it's denatured alcohol, with added toxins to make it undrinkable, so as to avoid the alcohol tax and the need for a liquor license. But many desperate drunks drink it anyways, and is responsible for quite a few deaths every year.
Alcohol prohibition has already been demonstrated not to work, and I sure wouldn't welcome that either, but even if it's not a fool proof solution, I think fizzling out cheap booze, would help by at least being somewhat of a deterrent. Is it going to stop poor people from getting drunk ever again? No. But it may stop them from getting drunk as much, or as frequently, or in public places, like outside of shopping centers, or at bus stops. Though I could be wrong.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Future World Metropolis of Hell
Here's a disturbing trend:
World's largest cities are morphing into overcrowded 'mega regions' defined by poverty and pollution, UN report warns
The report also says that by 2050 over 70 percent of the human population will be living in densely populated urban environments, and that this "urbanization is unstoppable", but will "not necessarily be a bad thing".
Oh really? Well you know what image comes to mind when I think of this future world scenario? I think of Soylent Green the movie.
Over-population poses a serious problem for our world, not just ecologically, but also psychologically. Despite the fact that human beings are social beings, I think that there is a point where a high population density actually negatively affects social relations. That instead of improving quality of life and bringing people closer together, it actually may drive people further apart, contributing to more feelings of social isolation, alienation, and depression.
It's difficult to find community in a sea of millions of indiscernible anonymous faces, all perpetually on the go, in a hurry to be someplace else, anywhere else but here. And this feeling of isolation will only be compounded by living further and further away from green natural open spaces, locked away in this endless gray concrete prison of a global metropolis, from which there is no escape.
Have you noticed how people tend to be friendlier to strangers in small rural towns, as opposed to big cities?
Personally I would much rather live in a rural setting, that is quiet, with clean air, and few people, than in an overpopulated concrete prison. I know of many people who rave about New York City. My cousin lives there. She loves it. Yes, it's culturally rich, with many very interesting, intelligent, and often very wealthy people, but at what greater cost to sanity and health, does such a life so removed from nature incur?
Life is probably much sweeter for the wealthy city dwellers, who can afford to get away to the rural countryside, having multiple home's and vacation getaways all around the world. But what about the cities poor, who do not have such an option? I don't know how many poor people actually live in New York City, being that it's one of the most expensive cities in the country and in the entire world, but how about Mexico City, or Bangkok, or Manila, or Beijing, or Delhi?
As these world metropolis's get bigger and bigger, they must accommodate the growing poor, and as more and more people are squeezed closer and tighter together, the quality of life diminishes, along with sanitation, clean water, and clean air.
What do people do when their world is ugly and their life is hell? They often look for an escape. If there is no physical escape, or no place else to go, they may look for a mental escape in artificial environments, artificial worlds. This is where drugs, television and the internet comes in. If the physical world loses all sense of beauty, people will look for beauty some place else, if not in the real world that you can actually smell, taste and touch, then in the surreal virtual reality world of artificial pixelated digitized and sanitized sights and sounds.
So as the human population continues to increase everyday, more and more people are forced into the cities seeking employment opportunities that do not exist any place else.
But I want to hear birds singing, not car horns beeping. I want to smell fresh flowers in the air, not putrid car exhaust. Problem is there are few jobs in the country, and even fewer higher paying one's. To live in the country you almost have to be independently wealthy, retired, able to work from home, or willing to commute long distances. This is why more and more people are moving into larger cities, for education and jobs. But I do not want my whole life to be about making money. Yes, you need money to live, yes you need a job to make money, but if it means giving up the beauty and serenity that a rural landscape provides, then that's almost akin to selling your soul for money. But for some people, its either that, or death.
The future sounds bleak. Overpopulation is a huge problem. More people means more mouths to feed, more garbage to contain, more pollution to control, and more natural resources consumed. Pretty soon there won't be enough resources to go around, and not enough space to safely contain and control all the pollution and waste. Then what? Wars. Disease. Natural disasters. Massive starvation. And incomprehensible suffering.
The elite know this. Who do I mean by the elite? The very intelligent and the very rich. Although it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. Some conspiracy theorists speculate that some of the elite are planning a major population reduction, forced population reduction. Some say a massive poisoning, perhaps through vaccinations, bio-warfare, genetically modified foods, microchip implants, or other toxic exposures that will either weaken immunity, cause sterility, or just outright kill you.
I'm thinking that widespread sterility would have the most immediate, far reaching, and long-term consequences, and perhaps would be viewed as being more humane than murder. Only problem with that would be how would you contain it, so it doesn't make everything sterile, like in the film Children of Men, which would defeat the elite's whole objective, by getting rid of everybody, themselves included, through the eventual extinction of the human race.
Well I'm not having any kids EVER so they don't have to worry about me.
World's largest cities are morphing into overcrowded 'mega regions' defined by poverty and pollution, UN report warns
The report also says that by 2050 over 70 percent of the human population will be living in densely populated urban environments, and that this "urbanization is unstoppable", but will "not necessarily be a bad thing".
Oh really? Well you know what image comes to mind when I think of this future world scenario? I think of Soylent Green the movie.
Over-population poses a serious problem for our world, not just ecologically, but also psychologically. Despite the fact that human beings are social beings, I think that there is a point where a high population density actually negatively affects social relations. That instead of improving quality of life and bringing people closer together, it actually may drive people further apart, contributing to more feelings of social isolation, alienation, and depression.
It's difficult to find community in a sea of millions of indiscernible anonymous faces, all perpetually on the go, in a hurry to be someplace else, anywhere else but here. And this feeling of isolation will only be compounded by living further and further away from green natural open spaces, locked away in this endless gray concrete prison of a global metropolis, from which there is no escape.
Have you noticed how people tend to be friendlier to strangers in small rural towns, as opposed to big cities?
Personally I would much rather live in a rural setting, that is quiet, with clean air, and few people, than in an overpopulated concrete prison. I know of many people who rave about New York City. My cousin lives there. She loves it. Yes, it's culturally rich, with many very interesting, intelligent, and often very wealthy people, but at what greater cost to sanity and health, does such a life so removed from nature incur?
Life is probably much sweeter for the wealthy city dwellers, who can afford to get away to the rural countryside, having multiple home's and vacation getaways all around the world. But what about the cities poor, who do not have such an option? I don't know how many poor people actually live in New York City, being that it's one of the most expensive cities in the country and in the entire world, but how about Mexico City, or Bangkok, or Manila, or Beijing, or Delhi?
As these world metropolis's get bigger and bigger, they must accommodate the growing poor, and as more and more people are squeezed closer and tighter together, the quality of life diminishes, along with sanitation, clean water, and clean air.
What do people do when their world is ugly and their life is hell? They often look for an escape. If there is no physical escape, or no place else to go, they may look for a mental escape in artificial environments, artificial worlds. This is where drugs, television and the internet comes in. If the physical world loses all sense of beauty, people will look for beauty some place else, if not in the real world that you can actually smell, taste and touch, then in the surreal virtual reality world of artificial pixelated digitized and sanitized sights and sounds.
So as the human population continues to increase everyday, more and more people are forced into the cities seeking employment opportunities that do not exist any place else.
But I want to hear birds singing, not car horns beeping. I want to smell fresh flowers in the air, not putrid car exhaust. Problem is there are few jobs in the country, and even fewer higher paying one's. To live in the country you almost have to be independently wealthy, retired, able to work from home, or willing to commute long distances. This is why more and more people are moving into larger cities, for education and jobs. But I do not want my whole life to be about making money. Yes, you need money to live, yes you need a job to make money, but if it means giving up the beauty and serenity that a rural landscape provides, then that's almost akin to selling your soul for money. But for some people, its either that, or death.
The future sounds bleak. Overpopulation is a huge problem. More people means more mouths to feed, more garbage to contain, more pollution to control, and more natural resources consumed. Pretty soon there won't be enough resources to go around, and not enough space to safely contain and control all the pollution and waste. Then what? Wars. Disease. Natural disasters. Massive starvation. And incomprehensible suffering.
The elite know this. Who do I mean by the elite? The very intelligent and the very rich. Although it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. Some conspiracy theorists speculate that some of the elite are planning a major population reduction, forced population reduction. Some say a massive poisoning, perhaps through vaccinations, bio-warfare, genetically modified foods, microchip implants, or other toxic exposures that will either weaken immunity, cause sterility, or just outright kill you.
I'm thinking that widespread sterility would have the most immediate, far reaching, and long-term consequences, and perhaps would be viewed as being more humane than murder. Only problem with that would be how would you contain it, so it doesn't make everything sterile, like in the film Children of Men, which would defeat the elite's whole objective, by getting rid of everybody, themselves included, through the eventual extinction of the human race.
Well I'm not having any kids EVER so they don't have to worry about me.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Spring Equinox
Today as you probably know is the first day of spring. It is one of just two days out of the entire year (the other being autumn equinox) when the day and night are of equal length (12 hours of daylight, and 12 hours of darkness). So if you want to be poetic about it, or romantic as I apparently am, you could say that today is a day of equilibrium, a day of symmetry and balance between the forces of light and the forces of darkness, a day of peaceful reawakening to the rebirth of spring.
Perhaps if the sky is clear tonight I will do some star gazing. It's been awhile since I've done that. I used to watch the sky on nearly every clear night, but I seem to have fallen into a sort of hibernation or stasis these past six months, maybe longer, where I've become somewhat undisciplined and lazy. Not entirely, but sort of.
I seem to be at a point in my life where everything I once was, and everything I once believed in, is no longer valid, is no longer working. I'm pretty much feeling like I need to get rid of every single thing I own, to completely move away from this place, away from the people in my life, and to start all over again someplace entirely different. Will I do that? Not today. Not tomorrow. Probably not next week, or next month either. But that's how I'm feeling today. That this is no longer working. This being the daily reality of my life.
I should be happy today. It's the first day of spring and the weather here has been absolutely perfect. I've got money in my pocket (though not much, not nearly enough, is there ever enough?), I've got books to read, food to eat, shelter, cleanliness, this internet connection, and even some beer. Am I drinking it now? No, I'm not. Not yet. I typically don't drink during the daylight hours. That's my one achievement in lieu of absolute sobriety. Drinking is exclusively a night time habit for me, usually reserved for well after ten or eleven o'clock at night.
I had no obligations today, no work, no chores whatsoever, nowhere to go, nowhere to be, the day was mine to do anything that I please. But I didn't do anything but sit outside and read. That's doing something, right? Yes, but what I mean is I mostly just sat on my ass. No walks. No bike rides. No shopping. No photos. Just sitting outside reading, listening to the birds, soaking in the sunshine, and basically just being a bum. Nothing else. Nothing new. Nothing different. The same old same old.
I'm thinking that I need to add some more structure to my life. To start compiling daily to-do lists, particularly involving my education and my fitness. Things to read. Things to write. Things to study. Etc. Benjamin Franklin always compiled daily to-do lists, to increase personal productivity, and to make the most efficient use of his time. That's what I need to do. I will work on that later, and without revealing all my secrets, will perhaps post some version of it here at some later time.
Perhaps if the sky is clear tonight I will do some star gazing. It's been awhile since I've done that. I used to watch the sky on nearly every clear night, but I seem to have fallen into a sort of hibernation or stasis these past six months, maybe longer, where I've become somewhat undisciplined and lazy. Not entirely, but sort of.
I seem to be at a point in my life where everything I once was, and everything I once believed in, is no longer valid, is no longer working. I'm pretty much feeling like I need to get rid of every single thing I own, to completely move away from this place, away from the people in my life, and to start all over again someplace entirely different. Will I do that? Not today. Not tomorrow. Probably not next week, or next month either. But that's how I'm feeling today. That this is no longer working. This being the daily reality of my life.
I should be happy today. It's the first day of spring and the weather here has been absolutely perfect. I've got money in my pocket (though not much, not nearly enough, is there ever enough?), I've got books to read, food to eat, shelter, cleanliness, this internet connection, and even some beer. Am I drinking it now? No, I'm not. Not yet. I typically don't drink during the daylight hours. That's my one achievement in lieu of absolute sobriety. Drinking is exclusively a night time habit for me, usually reserved for well after ten or eleven o'clock at night.
I had no obligations today, no work, no chores whatsoever, nowhere to go, nowhere to be, the day was mine to do anything that I please. But I didn't do anything but sit outside and read. That's doing something, right? Yes, but what I mean is I mostly just sat on my ass. No walks. No bike rides. No shopping. No photos. Just sitting outside reading, listening to the birds, soaking in the sunshine, and basically just being a bum. Nothing else. Nothing new. Nothing different. The same old same old.
I'm thinking that I need to add some more structure to my life. To start compiling daily to-do lists, particularly involving my education and my fitness. Things to read. Things to write. Things to study. Etc. Benjamin Franklin always compiled daily to-do lists, to increase personal productivity, and to make the most efficient use of his time. That's what I need to do. I will work on that later, and without revealing all my secrets, will perhaps post some version of it here at some later time.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Environmental Awareness for Self-Defense
Did you hear about that jogger who was killed by a crashing airplane, who allegedly never saw or heard it coming, because he was so absorbed in the music streaming out of his iPod?
This is a very good example of why it is smart not to listen to music while jogging, or even while out and about in any public place. Because even though music may be stimulating and enjoyable to listen to while on the road, it can also be a dangerous distraction. By disabling your ability to hear what's going on in your immediate surroundings, listening to headphones while jogging makes you more vulnerable to injury or assault.
I know that a lot of people like to listen to music while exercising outdoors, or while using public transportation, and there are plenty of good reasons for doing so, but it is important that you also be aware of the dangerous risks involved.
Twenty years ago I was a Kung-fu student. For two years I attended formal classes, and besides being schooled in various forms, weaponry, and offensive and defensive fighting techniques, I was also given lessons in environmental awareness.
A very important part of self-defense involves being aware of your surroundings, utilizing all of your senses, and minimizing any distractions and personal vulnerabilities.
I learned that certain types of clothing and jewelry can make you more vulnerable to attack. For instance, necklaces pose a choking hazard, earrings can be ripped out of your ears, noisy or bright clothing makes stealth impossible, slippery impractical shoes makes running and balancing more difficult and the chances of falling more likely, and wearing headphones impairs your ability to hear your surroundings.
So I only listen to headphones indoors or in a secured yard. And when taking the bus, or when walking or running or cycling, or when in any public space, I never listen to headphones, and I no longer read in such places, because I want to be fully aware of what's going on around me. So instead of reading or listening to music I pass my time by observing my surroundings, and being aware of each and every person, animal, or vehicle within my field of vision.
I find this to be a very smart form of self-defense, and recommend it to all who read this.
This is a very good example of why it is smart not to listen to music while jogging, or even while out and about in any public place. Because even though music may be stimulating and enjoyable to listen to while on the road, it can also be a dangerous distraction. By disabling your ability to hear what's going on in your immediate surroundings, listening to headphones while jogging makes you more vulnerable to injury or assault.
I know that a lot of people like to listen to music while exercising outdoors, or while using public transportation, and there are plenty of good reasons for doing so, but it is important that you also be aware of the dangerous risks involved.
Twenty years ago I was a Kung-fu student. For two years I attended formal classes, and besides being schooled in various forms, weaponry, and offensive and defensive fighting techniques, I was also given lessons in environmental awareness.
A very important part of self-defense involves being aware of your surroundings, utilizing all of your senses, and minimizing any distractions and personal vulnerabilities.
I learned that certain types of clothing and jewelry can make you more vulnerable to attack. For instance, necklaces pose a choking hazard, earrings can be ripped out of your ears, noisy or bright clothing makes stealth impossible, slippery impractical shoes makes running and balancing more difficult and the chances of falling more likely, and wearing headphones impairs your ability to hear your surroundings.
So I only listen to headphones indoors or in a secured yard. And when taking the bus, or when walking or running or cycling, or when in any public space, I never listen to headphones, and I no longer read in such places, because I want to be fully aware of what's going on around me. So instead of reading or listening to music I pass my time by observing my surroundings, and being aware of each and every person, animal, or vehicle within my field of vision.
I find this to be a very smart form of self-defense, and recommend it to all who read this.
Monday, March 15, 2010
What I'm Reading: March/April 2010
My mood and state of mind is very much influenced by the books I read. I'm always reading something, so I guess I am a bookworm, but not a pasty faced bookworm, no way, far from it, I get plenty of fresh air, sunshine, and exercise. So it's not all books, but they are an important part of my life. If it's a great book, it tends to make me feel great, inspiring and energizing my entire outlook, stimulating a Renaissance of fresh ideas and insights.
On the other hand if the book sucks, well then, it just sort of sucks out my entire enthusiasm and creativity for the day. So often times when I'm feeling uninspired to write, or am having a blogging dry spell, it tends to coincide with a series of disappointing reads.
Books are food for thought. Just like I need good quality nutritious food, I also need good quality thought provoking books, providing me with nutritious brain-food and creative stimulation. And if I'm creatively inspired, then so too can I hopefully do the same for you. This is one way I'm not selfish. I genuinely want to share what I know with others, to inspire others, while also inspiring myself. I take pleasure in it.
And although I may not be very educated, and will likely never again set foot in a classroom, I consider myself to be a lifelong student, and will be a reader for the rest of my life. I like books. Like to be surrounded by them. But not just any books. Great books. Classics. Books of Practical Knowledge and Wisdom. Intellectual Antiquities of Esoteric Studies and Alchemical Mysteries and Magic. I just made that one up, like the way it sounds. People say I should be a librarian, but I don't want to be a librarian. I don't want to work in a library, I just want my own library, filled with great books, antique maps and astronomical charts and Pre-Raphaelite paintings gracing the walls, and globes and statues and fresh flowers and plants beside every row of shelves. I had a dream of this library. Maybe it's my yogic astral travel dream library, where I go and read in my sleep, waking up with all sorts of profound new knowledge, intuitive realizations and mystical revelations of the highest order.
I plan on reading everything by Rudolf Steiner at some point. That's one of my long-term projects. Thanks Zee. But for now, I have a new pile of books from the library, and for the sake of keeping the continuity of this blog going, I thought I'd list them here, as these books will pretty much be my main influence over the next month or two. I've already read Walden back in high school, but I need to read it again. And I've pretty much read most of a Brief History of Everything, but I think I need to read it once more, because I was having major sinus problems and splitting headaches (all last week) throughout most of it, so consequently my retention and understanding of it is a bit cloudy.
1. A Brief History of Everything. Ken Wilber.
2. History of Beauty. Umberto Eco.
3. Worldly Wisdom: Great Books and the Meanings of Life. James Sloan Allen.
4. Ancient Philosophy. Sir Anthony Kenny.
5. Pilgrims to the Wild. John P. O'Grady.
6. Transcendentalism: A Reader. Joel Myerson.
7. Walden. Henry David Thoreau.
8. The Four Yogas: A Guide to the Spiritual Paths of Action, Devotion, Meditation and Knowledge. Swami Adiswarananada.
9. The Complete Essays of Montaigne. Translated by Donald M. Frame.
10. The Writing Life: Writer's on How They Think and Work. Marie Arana.
On the other hand if the book sucks, well then, it just sort of sucks out my entire enthusiasm and creativity for the day. So often times when I'm feeling uninspired to write, or am having a blogging dry spell, it tends to coincide with a series of disappointing reads.
Books are food for thought. Just like I need good quality nutritious food, I also need good quality thought provoking books, providing me with nutritious brain-food and creative stimulation. And if I'm creatively inspired, then so too can I hopefully do the same for you. This is one way I'm not selfish. I genuinely want to share what I know with others, to inspire others, while also inspiring myself. I take pleasure in it.
And although I may not be very educated, and will likely never again set foot in a classroom, I consider myself to be a lifelong student, and will be a reader for the rest of my life. I like books. Like to be surrounded by them. But not just any books. Great books. Classics. Books of Practical Knowledge and Wisdom. Intellectual Antiquities of Esoteric Studies and Alchemical Mysteries and Magic. I just made that one up, like the way it sounds. People say I should be a librarian, but I don't want to be a librarian. I don't want to work in a library, I just want my own library, filled with great books, antique maps and astronomical charts and Pre-Raphaelite paintings gracing the walls, and globes and statues and fresh flowers and plants beside every row of shelves. I had a dream of this library. Maybe it's my yogic astral travel dream library, where I go and read in my sleep, waking up with all sorts of profound new knowledge, intuitive realizations and mystical revelations of the highest order.
I plan on reading everything by Rudolf Steiner at some point. That's one of my long-term projects. Thanks Zee. But for now, I have a new pile of books from the library, and for the sake of keeping the continuity of this blog going, I thought I'd list them here, as these books will pretty much be my main influence over the next month or two. I've already read Walden back in high school, but I need to read it again. And I've pretty much read most of a Brief History of Everything, but I think I need to read it once more, because I was having major sinus problems and splitting headaches (all last week) throughout most of it, so consequently my retention and understanding of it is a bit cloudy.
1. A Brief History of Everything. Ken Wilber.
2. History of Beauty. Umberto Eco.
3. Worldly Wisdom: Great Books and the Meanings of Life. James Sloan Allen.
4. Ancient Philosophy. Sir Anthony Kenny.
5. Pilgrims to the Wild. John P. O'Grady.
6. Transcendentalism: A Reader. Joel Myerson.
7. Walden. Henry David Thoreau.
8. The Four Yogas: A Guide to the Spiritual Paths of Action, Devotion, Meditation and Knowledge. Swami Adiswarananada.
9. The Complete Essays of Montaigne. Translated by Donald M. Frame.
10. The Writing Life: Writer's on How They Think and Work. Marie Arana.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Finding Beauty in Nature
The point of my last post, was not to deny or close your eyes to the wrongs of the world, but to simply not lose sight of the beauty that does exist in the world. Many people do not see the beauty in nature, but nature is quite beautiful.
Though nature is certainly not all about beauty, since death, disease, destruction, and foul weather are just as much a part of nature, as are all the pleasant manifestations of nature. But the point is to not overlook the beauty to be found in our world, in nature, often in the most simplest places, right before your eyes.
I talked about that before about how I used to have to wait for the city bus in a seedy area of town, engulfed in a sea of garbage and filth and unpleasant sights and smells and sounds, with very little beauty, but even here amongst all the ugliness, there was beauty to be found in a wildflower growing through a crack in the sidewalk, in the beautiful deep blue expansive sky overhead, and in the comfortable outdoor temperature, where every now and then a pleasing breeze would caress my face, momentarily clearing out the air and purifying the moment.
So there was beauty to be found in these simple manifestations of nature, simple blessings that many are totally unaware of.
It's much easier for me to find beauty outdoors. But much more difficult inside enclosed buildings, especially at work, or out shopping, where everything is artificial, the lighting, the air, the smells in the air, whether it be from a mixture of too much perfume, sweat, fast food, room refreshers, or from the synthetic upholstery and electronic equipment, it's very hard to find beauty in such a place. At least for me. That's been one of my most difficult struggles, finding beauty in the workplace. Very difficult. Thank goodness for breaks, ideally spent outdoors, otherwise I'd probably never make it.
Even if I like the actual job, it's difficult for me working in synthetic windowless environments. Need to breath fresh air, feel the sunshine on my face, surrounded by plants, and flowers, and natural lighting. No pesticides. No synthetic cleaners. All natural. Fragrant. Aromatherapy. Natural beauty, healing medicine for the soul.
I've always been very sensitive to my surroundings, which is probably why I'm so attuned to natural beauty in the landscape. But I also seem to have developed chemical sensitivity over the past couple of years. Especially to car exhaust, bleach, Ajax cleaner, artificial room fresheners, hair dyes, hair spray, and strong colognes. Breathing in those things makes me feel really sick, dizzy, short of breath.
The biggest problem is the car exhaust, because I can't avoid it. I guess I live in too big of city, there are just too many cars here, a lot of air pollution. Okay, there are certainly places much worse, it's not as bad as Phoenix, or Chicago, and nowhere near as bad as LA, but still it's bad, and getting worse. I live near a busy road that see's over 60,000 vehicles a day, and just about every intersection I have to pass through to get anywhere in the city is just as busy, just as polluted. The only way I can avoid it is by heading out of town, going up in the foothills, by the washes, or in ranch country, though not too many jobs out there. Those are pleasure excursions, but absolutely necessary to my sanity and health.
Anyways, the point is that despite all the ugliness, corruption, and wrongs of the world, there is still much beauty to be found in the world, in yourself, and in nature, that if you simply look for it, you will find it. And once you clearly recognize what is most beautiful in the world, not just in appearance, but also in essence, you can try to emulate those qualities, helping to beautify the world by living beautifully, impeccably, authentically, courageously, with love, grounded in truth.
Beauty, not just a look, but an outlook, an internal essence, of beautiful thoughts made outwardly manifest. You don't have to look like a supermodel to be beautiful. Beauty is not merely an appearance, its an essence. No matter what you look like, beautiful thoughts will manifest themselves outwardly in your appearance, beauty glows, beauty shines, beauty reveals itself most strikingly in the eyes, in the personality, and in your overall disposition and aura.
Though nature is certainly not all about beauty, since death, disease, destruction, and foul weather are just as much a part of nature, as are all the pleasant manifestations of nature. But the point is to not overlook the beauty to be found in our world, in nature, often in the most simplest places, right before your eyes.
I talked about that before about how I used to have to wait for the city bus in a seedy area of town, engulfed in a sea of garbage and filth and unpleasant sights and smells and sounds, with very little beauty, but even here amongst all the ugliness, there was beauty to be found in a wildflower growing through a crack in the sidewalk, in the beautiful deep blue expansive sky overhead, and in the comfortable outdoor temperature, where every now and then a pleasing breeze would caress my face, momentarily clearing out the air and purifying the moment.
So there was beauty to be found in these simple manifestations of nature, simple blessings that many are totally unaware of.
It's much easier for me to find beauty outdoors. But much more difficult inside enclosed buildings, especially at work, or out shopping, where everything is artificial, the lighting, the air, the smells in the air, whether it be from a mixture of too much perfume, sweat, fast food, room refreshers, or from the synthetic upholstery and electronic equipment, it's very hard to find beauty in such a place. At least for me. That's been one of my most difficult struggles, finding beauty in the workplace. Very difficult. Thank goodness for breaks, ideally spent outdoors, otherwise I'd probably never make it.
Even if I like the actual job, it's difficult for me working in synthetic windowless environments. Need to breath fresh air, feel the sunshine on my face, surrounded by plants, and flowers, and natural lighting. No pesticides. No synthetic cleaners. All natural. Fragrant. Aromatherapy. Natural beauty, healing medicine for the soul.
I've always been very sensitive to my surroundings, which is probably why I'm so attuned to natural beauty in the landscape. But I also seem to have developed chemical sensitivity over the past couple of years. Especially to car exhaust, bleach, Ajax cleaner, artificial room fresheners, hair dyes, hair spray, and strong colognes. Breathing in those things makes me feel really sick, dizzy, short of breath.
The biggest problem is the car exhaust, because I can't avoid it. I guess I live in too big of city, there are just too many cars here, a lot of air pollution. Okay, there are certainly places much worse, it's not as bad as Phoenix, or Chicago, and nowhere near as bad as LA, but still it's bad, and getting worse. I live near a busy road that see's over 60,000 vehicles a day, and just about every intersection I have to pass through to get anywhere in the city is just as busy, just as polluted. The only way I can avoid it is by heading out of town, going up in the foothills, by the washes, or in ranch country, though not too many jobs out there. Those are pleasure excursions, but absolutely necessary to my sanity and health.
Anyways, the point is that despite all the ugliness, corruption, and wrongs of the world, there is still much beauty to be found in the world, in yourself, and in nature, that if you simply look for it, you will find it. And once you clearly recognize what is most beautiful in the world, not just in appearance, but also in essence, you can try to emulate those qualities, helping to beautify the world by living beautifully, impeccably, authentically, courageously, with love, grounded in truth.
Beauty, not just a look, but an outlook, an internal essence, of beautiful thoughts made outwardly manifest. You don't have to look like a supermodel to be beautiful. Beauty is not merely an appearance, its an essence. No matter what you look like, beautiful thoughts will manifest themselves outwardly in your appearance, beauty glows, beauty shines, beauty reveals itself most strikingly in the eyes, in the personality, and in your overall disposition and aura.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
The Beauty of the World
Do you ever feel sad, upset with the state of the world, or discontented with your life?
I have my good days and my bad days, but when things go bad and I'm feeling blue, I look for the beauty of the world to uplift my mood. I mostly feel strong, and even when alone, I never feel lonely, because I find great comfort in the beauty of the natural world. I feel a part of the world, connected to everything around me, above and below, within and without. Seriously. These are not empty words, embellished to sound good. This is how I really feel. This is how I approach the world.
We live in nature, and we are a part of nature. Not separate, but connected to, and integrated with. Our world is neither dead, nor devoid of spirit. What is spirit? A non-material energy, the animating force of life, illuminating intelligence, the underlying energetic essence permeating the physical world. Without spirit, we'd just be a pile of dead meat and bones, without consciousness, without life.
The world is beautiful. Yes, it is also ugly, with so much cruelty, pain, suffering, and injustice. But there is also beauty, a glimpse of the divine here on earth, a beauty of the world that is in perfect harmony and balance, permeated with the spirit of sacred sincerity. It doesn't lie. It has no need for masks or pretension.
There is love and beauty and truth, and there is also ugliness, hate, and deception. It is your choice which you choose to align yourself with. When you are filled with dishonesty and hatred, you are filled with ugliness. When you align yourself with honesty and love, you are beautiful.
So I seek to find and connect with the beauty of the world. To contribute to the beauty of the world. Kindness is beautiful. A flower is beautiful. The birds singing are beautiful. Beauty is cleansing, healing, and uplifting, is both transcendent and immanent, of the earth and beyond the earth, as above and so below, as within and so without.
Feeling sad? Look for the beauty of the world. It is all around you. Can't find it where you are? Then go someplace else. Or how about find the beauty within yourself, so that you can beautify the world right here, right now, wherever you are.
I have my good days and my bad days, but when things go bad and I'm feeling blue, I look for the beauty of the world to uplift my mood. I mostly feel strong, and even when alone, I never feel lonely, because I find great comfort in the beauty of the natural world. I feel a part of the world, connected to everything around me, above and below, within and without. Seriously. These are not empty words, embellished to sound good. This is how I really feel. This is how I approach the world.
We live in nature, and we are a part of nature. Not separate, but connected to, and integrated with. Our world is neither dead, nor devoid of spirit. What is spirit? A non-material energy, the animating force of life, illuminating intelligence, the underlying energetic essence permeating the physical world. Without spirit, we'd just be a pile of dead meat and bones, without consciousness, without life.
The world is beautiful. Yes, it is also ugly, with so much cruelty, pain, suffering, and injustice. But there is also beauty, a glimpse of the divine here on earth, a beauty of the world that is in perfect harmony and balance, permeated with the spirit of sacred sincerity. It doesn't lie. It has no need for masks or pretension.
There is love and beauty and truth, and there is also ugliness, hate, and deception. It is your choice which you choose to align yourself with. When you are filled with dishonesty and hatred, you are filled with ugliness. When you align yourself with honesty and love, you are beautiful.
So I seek to find and connect with the beauty of the world. To contribute to the beauty of the world. Kindness is beautiful. A flower is beautiful. The birds singing are beautiful. Beauty is cleansing, healing, and uplifting, is both transcendent and immanent, of the earth and beyond the earth, as above and so below, as within and so without.
Feeling sad? Look for the beauty of the world. It is all around you. Can't find it where you are? Then go someplace else. Or how about find the beauty within yourself, so that you can beautify the world right here, right now, wherever you are.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Phantoms of Cyberspace
I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this whole phenomenon of blogging, of communicating with strangers, and forming friendships with people online, where in many cases you don't even know the person's real name or what they really look like, but despite that, you've formed these quasi online friendships with people you've never actually met in person, and will probably never meet in person.
Isn't that a bit strange, to form friendships with people you can't see or touch?
What does that remind you of? To me it reminds me of a dream. You know where you have dreams where you are interacting with people in your dream, and the whole thing seems very real at the time, but then you wake up and everything vanishes, and you realize the people you were dreaming about were just ephemeral phantoms, figments of your imagination, lacking any real substance or depth.
Of course the people you interact with here on the internet, in public forums, and social networking sites, are real people, with real names, real faces, and real lives, but once you turn off your computer, the people you only know and interact with online whose friendship only exists online, fade away like the phantoms in a dream, having no real physical substance in the reality of your life away from cyberspace.
It's very strange to me. The strangeness of it all has been sort of weighing down on me lately, where everyday I wonder if I should just stop blogging once and for all. But again, I keep coming back because I like exploring these types of ideas in this format, and also it has become such a habit, that it would perhaps feel even stranger to completely stop then to continue.
So in other words, for better or worse, I'm addicted.
But I have been taking a break from commenting on other peoples blogs, and so like most people, I've just been lurking, reading what people have to say, as if it were a print article in a magazine, rather than an interactive forum. And also instead of debating people online, like I used to have a terribly unproductive and disheartening habit of doing, if I read anything disagreeable to me that I feel the need to comment on, I'll just do so here rather than there, like I did in my previous post.
Isn't that a bit strange, to form friendships with people you can't see or touch?
What does that remind you of? To me it reminds me of a dream. You know where you have dreams where you are interacting with people in your dream, and the whole thing seems very real at the time, but then you wake up and everything vanishes, and you realize the people you were dreaming about were just ephemeral phantoms, figments of your imagination, lacking any real substance or depth.
Of course the people you interact with here on the internet, in public forums, and social networking sites, are real people, with real names, real faces, and real lives, but once you turn off your computer, the people you only know and interact with online whose friendship only exists online, fade away like the phantoms in a dream, having no real physical substance in the reality of your life away from cyberspace.
It's very strange to me. The strangeness of it all has been sort of weighing down on me lately, where everyday I wonder if I should just stop blogging once and for all. But again, I keep coming back because I like exploring these types of ideas in this format, and also it has become such a habit, that it would perhaps feel even stranger to completely stop then to continue.
So in other words, for better or worse, I'm addicted.
But I have been taking a break from commenting on other peoples blogs, and so like most people, I've just been lurking, reading what people have to say, as if it were a print article in a magazine, rather than an interactive forum. And also instead of debating people online, like I used to have a terribly unproductive and disheartening habit of doing, if I read anything disagreeable to me that I feel the need to comment on, I'll just do so here rather than there, like I did in my previous post.
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