The hours point to a conclusion:

New York,
The east coast for that matter,
Has been a very restive moment for me.

True enough,
Though I live in the comfort
Of many hills,

Oddly enough
Within the caverns of the
Metropolitan eastern corridor,

I am strangely
And calmly
At home!


In leaving then
In returning thus,

I guess the thing(s)
That’s on my mind the most
Is what I’ve missed,

Those I was unable to connect with
And the feeling that
Even in departing(again),
My heart will once again

Remain behind....

Reality, is often too compicated

Oddly enough, I discovered something I knew existed,
and yet, even in seeking out the discovery,
I'm still searching for the right words to describe it.

Me, I know you.
Not because of the obvious,
for that which is known
in all honesty, is quite obscured.

For me, looking at you,
I see some of myself,
and yet, honesty tells me
what we have in common,
is not that common after all.

Words then, are going to sound different
for under it all, is not the foundation
you've come to believe existed.

Me, I'm part,
but not quite contained
within the parcel.
You, you are also unique.

Should I bridge this?
Do I even have a choice?

In my mind,
the answer is simple.

And yet,
how will you react?

Though the answer is obvious,
the leap is great!

Care to believe?

For aside from the truth,
how else can the pain reside?

Tears are wasted.
Wine goes untasted,
and still, you're alone.

Alone, seeking the truth in others
who fail to connect,
alone in the truth of the others
who refuse to accept.

Still,
your tears remind me of hope.

Why is that?

Sunday morning in the city

And there are so many sights
and sounds to remind me that I'm home.

Gypsy cabs honking on the boulevard,
Korean cooks, and Haitian seamstresses,
each hustling to earn enough to send home to their families,
far from the crush of our immediate here and now home.

NY (Brooklyn to be precise),
not the home of my youth,
or even the home where I left my children to grow up within,
but home nevertheless!

Here, in the cradle of my immediate family,
still I long to see my sons and hear their laughter,
answer their questions and wipe away their tears.

But, as is often the case,
nothing lately is ever certain about
our being able to connect this time,
and in that, there is a deepr sadness that's harder to handle than
when I'm 3,000 miles away from this home.

@ this home, a neighbor
plays a piano somewhere done the block.
@ this home, Manuel stops in to show some
of his latest work, and we reminisce together
about all the moments missed since last
we were together here,
in this other place we've learned to call home.

Home, it's nice to be here,
nicer still to be closer to those
I've been so far away from in my absence,
and yet, this home, is so much less
than what I always dream it to be,
when I'm imagining it from the
distance of my other home,
in the valley where I dream about my home!

You know how

Late at night,
you can hear my voice
in your thoughts?

I wonder about that too.

Wonder about the connection
that remains unbroken,
even though the time
and the timing
of it all doesn't always
quite feel right.

And yet,
this night,
I could sense your hearing
and in that, my voice
grew stronger.

This
I liked
as well!

Thank you......

I almost forgot(Saving Grace by Seal);

"So strange
It's funny how
We came to meet

Those eyes uncanny
Were my invitation

I couldn't wait
To hold you like a baby

Is this what it feels like
You are here now
Oh but I
Can't seem to find our state of grace
Who knows tomorrow may never come
One touch, one look that is all it takes
These things forever change us

This is the sound of a feeling
that's caught in my head
Makes me think about something you said
To take away my fears

Oh but I
This is the sound of a woken man

Why don't you tell me its you babe
I found you
You babe

Oh but I
Can't seem to find that state of grace
Who knows tomorrow may never come
One touch, one look that is all it takes
These things forever change us

Look at the past
No savoir faire
No that's not us

Oh but I
I can't seem to find my state of grace
Who knows tomorrow may never come
One touch, one look that is all it takes
These things forever change us

These things forever change us"

Just as does the natural world,

The lives of each one of us also have seasons.

Learning to embrace these seasonal changes and to perceive and enjoy
the unique and beautiful characteristics of each of the seasons your in,
is the essence of living life to the fullest.

To seek and then achieve this perspective,
enables one to absorb the present with delight,
look forward with eager anticipation upon our tomorrows,
and thus, be able look backward with simple satisfaction, and no regrets.

Thus, as you move through the remainder of this present season,
consider these thoughts;

Reflect
on your need
to control others in your life.

Work with yourself
on gradually letting go of this need
so that you can learn to live within yourself.

After all,
control is just
an illusion after all.

Trust yourself first
and then, you will
be able to trust
others as well.

Support and nurture your mind and body
with a healthy diet and reasonable amounts of exercise.

Actively encourage
the growth of your
intuitive self,
for this is who you really are.

Listen,
and then do.

For in this way,
I can hear you as well.

from George H.W. Bush

"If all you do ever is
all you've ever done,

Then all you'll ever get
is all you ever got!"

Which I think reveals the man that his is,
and was always to become!

I sang (my own song)on my way to work:

The beauty of life,
is that for those who are living,
it was a free gift.

To enhance this gift,
we must reach beyond the dream
and build upon the moments of now
a foundation to carry us, forever!

The beauty of life then,
for those who are alive in it,
is that it can become
all that we're willing
to achieve, within it!

In the between;

Love, and longing
as you grow....

The weekend begins:

In believing
In understanding
in participation even

Life can happen!

In believing that which is not real though,
Confusion and disappointment can reveal
The true intention of our beliefs

And in that, there can be peace!

For in believing that which we can recognize
Always, we are able to see the truth before us

And in that,
I can find peace too.

I'll be home this weekend;

Even in the distance that seperates us still, often I wonder why.

Not that I lack an understanding,
for you know how my mind works.

More than that though,
I think that time and timing has placed a wedge between what I know is real,
and what I believe you've yet to reveal.

And yet, no matter!

For If it feels better this way to you,
then maybe I missed more than I thought.

Forever revealing,

I only ask because it truly makes a difference:

"The problem with communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished."
George Bernard Shaw

Last night, I was thinking;

Even though it's the unique capability of language(s) that allows us as human beings to alter the course of our lives, expand our boundaries and enhance our relationship(s), for some reason, everything we do, that is truly done, is not often contained "in connected conversation".

Why then, with this powerful tool available, do our lives so often embody such unnecessary conflict, and needless misunderstandings? Sure, the potential for conflict is inherent in every conversation and relationship we participate in, and even loosely, in the use of language itself. And yet, we're still often limited in reaching our full conversational potential by how (or not) effectively we manage life's inevitable conflicts.

Wouldn't just be easier to do as we're asked, willingly and with the real desire to please,

without any struggle, when we know that's the best solution?

Sure, to have misunderstanding is human, but to see what's needed in order to grow, and still not do it, well that helps no one. For me then, it's time to learn to use the power of language to get the most out of our unique potential. Whether it's to bring resolution to a specific conflict we've encountered, or to develop enhanced skills for managing conversations more constructively, my goal this week, is to see how I can more effectively pursue conversations, that lead to peace.

Joy then and the thrill of caring for and about another should instinctively be conflict free.

For without that hallmark within my life, I'm truly unsure how I'd be able to continue moving forward, with or without another in my life!

Share Compassion.

Rejoice in Peace.

Replenish and Enhance.

Love while enabling Love.

Me, I'm traveling this week.

Think kindly of me as I go along the way……....

An American diatribe:

Looking off in the distance, I still believe I can see the hazy outline of the American experience as it meanders of in yet another new direction

For some, like those who seem to talk the most, the American experience must be some kind of structured environment where rules and order are the foundation upon which dreams and aspirations are built. By using the setting of a suburban high school to exemplify their positions, some are presupposing that their experiences as students within the walls of privilege, is somehow reflective of the more common, or normal American high school environment.

Though when looked upon at face value, the positions taken do hold some truths about what the average child attending any large high school in America today is seeing and experiencing the true essence of what it's like to be an American.

For nowhere are the class boundaries and economic differences more prevalent and acute, than between the walls on an average American high school campus!

School bought, or bag lunch?Government voucher or correct change?
At almost any juncture, who you are, how you got here,
and where you come from,
is readily on display in High school.

Not unlike the lots at any job site, or the office park where others work; what you drive, and if you drive at all, is the bench mark you are judged by. New car, or older, foreign or domestic, the American way of determining your status within the group, is often your vehicle of choice.

As is the de rigueur, everywhere in everything American, some will always fit readily into groups of one stripe or another, but being the land of many faces and backgrounds, often between the boundaries of what is acceptable behavior and community involvement, lie an awkward or shy, non athletic or tone deaf individual who finds no place in which to develop his or her standing.

No way to measure up to the standards set by our overall societal norms and silent agreements, due to language, cultural and physical limitations.

Just like in high school, America in general has many places to belong, but far too many rules
that limit who can be (come) a member!

So then, when looked at globally, the American experience is no more or less than what you take and make from it. Is it not the American experience to live below the poverty level, or to be chronically underemployed? Or is the American experience to serve in the armed forced and become an amputee for your country?

For while some are living upon the hills above town in mini mansions, still others live within the valleys below in single wide trailers. Who then has the firmer claim to living the American experience? Or is that just the point; to be an American allows you the freedom to do and to be anything that you are able, and as long as you can afford it.

For America is, and will always be, the place where no matter what or who you've become, you are always going to be, just a one, of the vast many, with an opinion.

Thursday;

And the sun shines bright across the foothills.

Oddly enough, I was thinking about you.
Thinking about your children,
your family,
and then I wondered,
who are you thinking about?

Have you called those far away?
Have you reconnected with those
whose distance is emotional, and not physical?

I know, but as I said, I was thinking.

Thursday, and the weekend is due for some.
For others, the week has just begun, and yet,
neither changes the season.

In love,
as in life,
sometimes,
we have to reach past our own borders.

Reach past the pain and
dissapointment(s)that we harbor,
and reach into a new perspective.

Me, on this Thursday,
I'm thinking of you.

And you, who are you thinking about!

Free your heart,
and be blessed.....

Last night, while the stars were dancing in the sky

The moon and I were talking about you.

Not that he told what he saw, for he can see us always,
but, he was kind enough to tell me how he wiped the hair from your brow,
and how you purred in that way that you do, when you can fell love is near you.

The moon and I, we talk alot.

Mostly we talk about him,
but every so often,
we'll talk about the ones that we know together.

Those that we each can see need a hug,
and we pray about the sun.

Odd that,
but the moon and the sun don't always get along.

But last night,
we mostly just talked about you!

What if you changed your thinking:

Have you ever been excited about something new you've learned or a new and exciting direction you wanted to move in your life into, but for some reason, that seems to be happening less and less as you get older? Well then, you just may be getting slightly jaded.

For most of us, as we get older, it gets tougher to find new things to get excited about, primarily because we've had our hopes and dreams dashed to pieces so many times in the past. Unfortunately, we then fall into the trap of shutting ourselves off to new things simply because this perceived never ending hope dashing, is just too painful.

Oddly enough, I'm hearing a version of this now
as we get ever closer to electing a new National Leader:

"We've heard it all before."
"All of these politicians are just lying crooks

who won't really end up doing anything."

Of course, if you buy in to the "Law of Attraction", then you'll agree that we
create a self fulfilling prophecy with all of these comments, thoughts
and feelings do have a way of ending up getting us the leadership we deserve!

How sad.

So, what is the secret to staying positive, upbeat, approachable, mentally and
emotionally fresh throughout life?

Here are a few ideas:

Always be about learning something new.

Understand that your interpretation of a situation is based on your
Perceptions, therefore, always question your perceptions!
Why do I believe the way I do and where did these perceptions come from?

Learn to never criticize anything unless you completely understand what is going on and have developed an alternate solution. Do you have some thoughts about the price of gas and what to do about it? Are they based on economic reality? Is there something you can do personally and locally to make a difference with your ideas?

Approach every situation you find yourself in with the attitude that
there is something you can learn, and/or there is someone you can help with your knowledge. Always, and but that, I mean always, expect the best and most complete graciousness from where you are and who you're with right now.

Make a daily list of everything you are grateful for.

In this way, the positive your thinking about,
can affect the thoughts that you’ll be having as the day progresses.

Life, like the thoughts of those around us,
can be influenced by the positive energy, within us!

So, be Positive.

What face do you present to the world?

How do others know you?

Do they see the same person you know yourself to be?
Do they see your fears, your hopes and dreams, your successes, your pain, all you’ve learned, all you haven’t?

Or do they see a mask that you’ve put in front of your face to hide that which is deep inside you, so that you can “be” somebody else instead?

These are some of the pressing questions that confront us as we seek to live more authentically. Considering them takes time. Going more deeply, how do you see yourself? Are you aware of the difference between the real person you are on the inside and the person you show to the world?

Do you know you wear this mask?
Do you even know who the “real you” is?

Heavy questions. If you haven’t turned aside by now with the discomfort it may evoke in you, congratulations.
Discomfort is one of the strings that holds the mask on.
What to do now? Two steps can move you toward a more genuine life:


Understand. It usually helps to have a mental picture of what’s going on inside you. From that, you can develop a first-hand experiential picture (see below). Think of two circles, one inside the other. The small circle in the center is the genuine, free, honest, heart-centered you. The much larger, outer circle is made up of all your life lessons, fears, pain, discomfort, opinions and judgments -- about yourself and about life. Because the inner circle (you) is hidden inside the outer one, the “face you present to the world” is made up of stuff that isn’t even you. It’s your mask. It’s how others see you. It may even be the person you think is the real you. On to part 2.

Inquire. The way to set the real you free is to dismantle the mask, the “false face” you are presenting to the world. The way you do that is to start to get to know yourself very well, possibly for the first time. It doesn’t matter so much right now how the mask got there, but it came from all the “lessons” you were taught about how life is, and from the fears you took on as a result of those lessons. Your mask protects you from your fears (but denies you authentic living). Perhaps on your own, and more likely with outside help (a coach, maybe) you can learn to observe your own thoughts, behaviors, feelings, and body responses -- all clues to pieces of your mask. Here is where the value of experiential lessons comes in: when you can see and feel your own reality in new ways (despite the admitted discomfort it causes), you’ll easily be able to take action in new ways, ways that help you let go of the parts of you that just “aren’t you,” exposing that genuine self to the world.

It turns out that, even if you are unconscious of wearing a mask, it still drains a huge amount of your energy. Not being your genuine self drains you in the way of frustration, resentment and dissatisfaction with life.

Once you let go of the mask, truly accept the real you underneath, and allow yourself to live from the depth of your own heart and truth, life gets easier and easier. Instead of fighting with life, you merge with its natural rhythm and flow.


A River Runs Through It [Life lessons offered by rivers]

A river seems to have many faces. It may be a raging torrent in the springtime. It may overflow its banks after a heavy rain. It may be an early-summer mirror, lazily reflecting deep-blue sky and puffy clouds. It may dry up with the summer’s heat, exposing its bed to the world. Yet no matter what face it presents, a river isn’t covering up for something, hiding from part of itself. In every day of its life, a river is just working (genuinely) with “what is.” Perhaps it is this authenticity in rivers that evokes such peace in us, and offers us that connection in life that we long for so deeply inside. Perhaps the river is there to help us believe in that same power in ourselves.

Words for the weekend

Fill your moments with action,
and there will be little time left for worry.

Fill your moments with meaning,
and there will be little time left for despair.

Fill your days with discovery, and you will fill your life with valuable knowledge. Fill your hours with caring, compassion and respect,
and you will fill your world with love and friendship.

Fill your thoughts with positive possibilities,

and the best things in life will surely be within your reach.

Fill your words with encouragement and enthusiasm,

and you'll often find people and circumstances lining up in your favor.

Fill your efforts with purpose, persistence, diligence and integrity.

And your life will be filled with valuable achievements.

Fill your heart with a love of truth and goodness.
And your soul will be filled with the treasure of wisdom.

Your life is a most precious gift.

Fill every corner of it with the best that you can.

Love ends, and you breath again(trust me!):

How will I stand

If you turn out the light

That shines over me

And how will I live

If you take all the give

That you have given me

How will I love

If you take all the life

From out of me

Right from out of me

Tell me,

how will I live

If you take all the give

That you give to me

Love so fast

Yet still we remain'

Cause we'll live

And we giveToday

Tell me then,
how will I live

With anyone but you

With anyone but you?

(Seal)

Me, I'm not blaiming it you!

In all honesty, I do write every day, but it’s a habit that I don’t always release these words that are my crystallized thoughts for those moments.

Some see them, and others do not.
In this way, I feel safe.

And while I’m confessing these word related sins,
I sometimes neglect to even capture my written thoughts at all!

Even those that I know I should, but honestly, I remember them still.

On any given day then, a one will come to me, and inspired by our exchange, I’ll write something to them (or about them), but I won’t allow myself to save and/or share it with others, for not unlike my verbal expressions,
some of my written words can often go too deep as well.

Clarity:

Therefore, the reason why I’m saying all this, is that yes, I allowed a comment to remain posted (and no, I’m not saying it’s a new thing, or something that I’ll continue to let happen from others), but enough have noticed and then questioned me about it, that I thought it was best to offer an explanation now, then have to confront it at a time,
when I’m in the mood for confrontation.

Words:

Me, I love.
I share my love,
And I’m open to new love
Which is how we
Got to be friends.

But also within me,
I’m not responsive to all,
And in particular
I exclude those who
Are rightfully so,
Connected to me.

In this way
I choose in whom,
I want to be related to.

And yet,

A one has come from that place
And I’ve chosen
to reveal myself to her.

And in doing so,
She is revealing herself
To us both.

In that
I see a love
For awareness,
Awakening

And so,
I’ve chosen
To not turn away.

In this new way then,
I don’t perceive
That I’m changing

But I like
The growth
Nonetheless.

Change with me
If you like,

But don’t expect

The change
To effect

Who we’ve
Become,

To each other.

In that
I think
is truth!

In the future:

How about a life that makes the living better?
Love that includes your whole life.
Passion that wakes you up @ night.

And the best part is, in the future,
you'll never have to wonder if you're being loved.
Plus, your whole family is invited.

Now all you have to do,
is want such a life.

For when we're ready for anything, ideally,
that should include somethings that you'll want more of.

Sort of like good sex!

When the power is right,
the surrender is that much more complete.

In the between, sleep!
But remember,
it's a long holiday weekend,
so be safe,
and remind your friends to be as well....