Last year, on a cruise, I had the opportunity to visit the island of Puerto Rico, Old San Juan to be specific. I was astonished at how poor and ragged the city of San Juan appeared considering it was a tourist destination. But there were signs of transition as there were many construction projects underway. Our tour guide took us through the poverty stricken areas around the dock so that we could have a truer picture of island life juxtaposed against picturesque vignettes of pastel colored town homes.
While taking the tour we paused a moment and another tour guide approached our bus and spoke to our guide. It was apparent he was gay (or maybe just really happy). After he left our bus our guide said that they referred to gay men as mariposas, which is the spanish word for butterfly. I thought it was rather progressive that he was so open and friendly toward his little mariposa friend. And my heart was warmed. I was also encouraged to hear there was a palpable gay presence on the island.
And yet today I hear of a crime of unprecendented horror, one so frightening I could scarecely believe another human being capable of committing it. I speak of the murder of one Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado on November 14, 2009 in Cayey. This 19 year old kid was decapitated, dismembered and burned. It was alleged that he was a homosexual or mariposa. A detective investigating the heinous crime was quoted as saying, "if you lead this kind of lifestyle this sort of thing might happen."
I am certain the island would not want to be perceived as an island of savages of so primitive a station as to allow such a rank crime to go uncharted. The presence of such a depraved criminal who would commit this crime is a startling indictment of your island. There is no behaviour under God's heaven that would justify or warrant such a horror. Any criminologist will assert that the presence of a creature of this nature is a threat to ALL life. What tourist would feel comfortable knowing that such things are possible on your little island paradise? What citizen will walk comfortably down your streets knowing that a monster of such cruel depravity is also walking the self-same streets? To relegate this crime to the gay community is a gross error. Do not assume that the life of this young gay man was of any less a value that your own or any child of your own. A crime this monstrous deserves all your resources.
I pray that any attitudes of prejudice will be lacking as your law enforcement officials go about their business of solving this crime. I recall our tour guide saying that corruption was a real problem with the police. I pray such problems will not stand in the way bringing about justice and assuring your people as well as ours that you can deal with so gross a crime.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Sorry, Wendy, I'm Out!
We watch the Wendy Williams Show every morning at work. She announced earlier this week that she would host Chris Brown on Friday, November 13, 2009. I have to confess I was shocked and dismayed that she would allow him to make an appearance. This brought home another interesting issue: that many Black women about Wendy Williams' age (old dolls as she calls them) share her view that Chris Brown has suffered enough and that he should be permitted to return to the status quo.
I cannot imagine what kind of suffering Chris Brown has endured. Perhaps he was embarrassed to be called a criminal or maybe he hated community service or being subject to the law. Whatever the case, his "suffering" is what usually or is supposed to accompany someone who breaks the law. He was the perpetrator of a violent crime against someone who was physically smaller. He has not suffered nearly enough to justify his media tour.
There was a time when a wrong-doer was supposed to disappear when caught in a criminal act or compromising position. But it seems today when people are caught in a compromising position or a criminal act they flaunt their malfeasance and defy taste and decorum. Take Ms. Carrie Prejean, for example. She, too, has been on a media tour defending herself and refusing responsibility for her actions, instead blaming a liberal conspiracy on her woes. The fact that she violated pageant procedures is played down and relegated to insignificance.
When Chris Brown appeared on Larry King in his cute little bow tie and baby blue v-neck sweater (a move suggested by an image consultant, no doubt), he, too played down his responsibility refusing to acknowledge out right that he carried a weight upon his shoulders, the weight of wrong doing. Some mild, impotent apology was passed off on the American public and he refused to discuss the meat and potatoes of his crime to communicate to us that he truly suffered remorse.
I can only imagine the grief Rihanna has had to endure having Mr. Brown intrude upon her moment with interviews at the same time as she decides to break her silence. I must admit I thought her decision to come out ahead of her album release stole some of her legitimacy. But I decided to soften my opinion as I realized she is young and does not have the equipment to handle such a traumatic experience. I understand she poured alot of her frustration, hurt and angst into her album. Perhaps this is how she dealt with diffusing her negative energy.
But Rihanna is the victim here in more ways that one. The physical abuse, she reveals, she suffered on more than one occasion. And she returned on each occasion because she felt she was in love. This silliness of thinking you're in love when you are young is one of the vagaries of youth that eventually will, thankfully evaporate. Now Rihanna is professing a much needed public service message, one that will be broadcast and will reach women of all ages and all stations. This is what we need and should be hearing. When you have the power to reach lives there is an unspoken responsibility that comes with that. Optimus Prime said in the latest Transformers movie, "fate seldom calls upon us at a time of our choosing." It must be an awful burden to have to face the public and re-evaluate her life from the stand point of the abuse she suffered at the hands of Chris Brown, but by doing so Rihanna is giving strength, resolve and a much needed solace to untold numbers of women who suffer with domestic violence every day.
We continually sweep domestic violence under the carpet. When Nicole Brown Simpson was killed domestic violence peeked its head out for a moment and over the intervening years some other instances have popped up here and there. However, I will say that every year the resources for battered women seem to be multiplying and court systems across the country have programs for victims of domestic violence. With these increased resources women should feel that much more comfortable about coming out. Where we need more work is domestic violence among gays and lesbians. This group, customarily disenfranchised are where heterosexual women were 20 years ago, afraid to come forward, hiding in the shadows with their suffering.
Domestic violence is a violation of the law and should be handled as such. One of the primary tools that have evolved has been couples counseling and/or anger management for the perpetrator. People have yet come to understand what a valuable and indispensable tool this is for each party. Obviously there are issues which haunt both parties that have drawn them together and keep them entangle in a nasty duo. Counseling can draw those issues out and allow the parties to come to healthy understanding of themselves and their relationships.
I am disappointed in Wendy for permitting Chris Brown to appear without having done any work on himself or as a matter of disrespect, to compete with Rihanna for the spotlight, in essence trying to diminish her moment; he has no right. And I cannot imagine that Chris Brown will make any statement of responsibility to Wendy, if he has not previously done so anywhere else. I am sure I am will not be missing anything. Maybe Wendy can ask him about the incident at an airport where he said she looked like a man!
I cannot imagine what kind of suffering Chris Brown has endured. Perhaps he was embarrassed to be called a criminal or maybe he hated community service or being subject to the law. Whatever the case, his "suffering" is what usually or is supposed to accompany someone who breaks the law. He was the perpetrator of a violent crime against someone who was physically smaller. He has not suffered nearly enough to justify his media tour.
There was a time when a wrong-doer was supposed to disappear when caught in a criminal act or compromising position. But it seems today when people are caught in a compromising position or a criminal act they flaunt their malfeasance and defy taste and decorum. Take Ms. Carrie Prejean, for example. She, too, has been on a media tour defending herself and refusing responsibility for her actions, instead blaming a liberal conspiracy on her woes. The fact that she violated pageant procedures is played down and relegated to insignificance.
When Chris Brown appeared on Larry King in his cute little bow tie and baby blue v-neck sweater (a move suggested by an image consultant, no doubt), he, too played down his responsibility refusing to acknowledge out right that he carried a weight upon his shoulders, the weight of wrong doing. Some mild, impotent apology was passed off on the American public and he refused to discuss the meat and potatoes of his crime to communicate to us that he truly suffered remorse.
I can only imagine the grief Rihanna has had to endure having Mr. Brown intrude upon her moment with interviews at the same time as she decides to break her silence. I must admit I thought her decision to come out ahead of her album release stole some of her legitimacy. But I decided to soften my opinion as I realized she is young and does not have the equipment to handle such a traumatic experience. I understand she poured alot of her frustration, hurt and angst into her album. Perhaps this is how she dealt with diffusing her negative energy.
But Rihanna is the victim here in more ways that one. The physical abuse, she reveals, she suffered on more than one occasion. And she returned on each occasion because she felt she was in love. This silliness of thinking you're in love when you are young is one of the vagaries of youth that eventually will, thankfully evaporate. Now Rihanna is professing a much needed public service message, one that will be broadcast and will reach women of all ages and all stations. This is what we need and should be hearing. When you have the power to reach lives there is an unspoken responsibility that comes with that. Optimus Prime said in the latest Transformers movie, "fate seldom calls upon us at a time of our choosing." It must be an awful burden to have to face the public and re-evaluate her life from the stand point of the abuse she suffered at the hands of Chris Brown, but by doing so Rihanna is giving strength, resolve and a much needed solace to untold numbers of women who suffer with domestic violence every day.
We continually sweep domestic violence under the carpet. When Nicole Brown Simpson was killed domestic violence peeked its head out for a moment and over the intervening years some other instances have popped up here and there. However, I will say that every year the resources for battered women seem to be multiplying and court systems across the country have programs for victims of domestic violence. With these increased resources women should feel that much more comfortable about coming out. Where we need more work is domestic violence among gays and lesbians. This group, customarily disenfranchised are where heterosexual women were 20 years ago, afraid to come forward, hiding in the shadows with their suffering.
Domestic violence is a violation of the law and should be handled as such. One of the primary tools that have evolved has been couples counseling and/or anger management for the perpetrator. People have yet come to understand what a valuable and indispensable tool this is for each party. Obviously there are issues which haunt both parties that have drawn them together and keep them entangle in a nasty duo. Counseling can draw those issues out and allow the parties to come to healthy understanding of themselves and their relationships.
I am disappointed in Wendy for permitting Chris Brown to appear without having done any work on himself or as a matter of disrespect, to compete with Rihanna for the spotlight, in essence trying to diminish her moment; he has no right. And I cannot imagine that Chris Brown will make any statement of responsibility to Wendy, if he has not previously done so anywhere else. I am sure I am will not be missing anything. Maybe Wendy can ask him about the incident at an airport where he said she looked like a man!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
The Messiah
In occultism (the study, understanding and mastery of that which is hidden), Jesus, the Christ, is often referred to as the Teacher alike of angels and men. He is the Master of Masters. His disciples referred to Him as Lord, Rabbi and Master. He displayed an understanding of the scriptures, which no man had previously expressed. He illustrated a mastery over the elements, over knowledge, the body and the Soul, which was unknown to the men of His time.
The life of Jesus in the New Testament is the summation and bringing together of great and powerful energies. That life was a supreme test for the man called, Jesus. He was summoned to Earth by the Love of God, an effort by God to illustrate to His creation the path that leads man back to his origins. There have been men among us who have guided humanity on a path of spirituality; the two most pre-eminent being the Master Jesus and the Lord Buddha, custodians of the Light of Life for the Western Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere, respectively. Jesus came to embody the Light of Love embodied by sacrifice and service, whereas His brother, the Buddha, embodied the Light of Wisdom, which is converted knowledge. Jesus and Buddha. Love-Wisdom.
Jesus is remembered among men because He was said to be the son of God. His fabled lineage is indeed worthy of admiration but His greatest gift was His achievement. Jesus is said to have embodied energies in a way no man had previously done. He was able to fuse the energies from the wheel of life, the zodiac, in a manner unexpressed by men. The Zodiacal energies are perhaps the most powerful form of energy man accesses (besides the exercise of his will). These energies, twelve in number, are meant to endow man with their peculiar tone and color as he passes through them.
As man passes through the zodiac, around the great wheel his consciousness changes and mutates. In Aries he says: I AM; in Taurus he says: I HAVE; in Gemini he says: I THINK; in Cancer he says: I FEEL; in Leo he says: I WILL; in Virgo he says: I ANALYZE; in Libra he says: I BALANCE; in Scorpio he says I CREATE; in Sagittarius he says: I PERCEIVE; in Capricorn he says: I USE; in Aquarius he says I KNOW and in Pisces he says I BELIEVE.
Jesus chose twelve disciples for a reason. Each disciple could be said to embody one of the zodiacal qualities. In the center of these disciples was Jesus as Master of them all, the center around which each of the energies rotated. An interesting exercise would be to go through the four gospels identifying the disciples with each of the qualities or even collating the events in Jesus life with the expression of the zodiacal energies.
Even as each of us, individually, passes through the zodiac, so too does our world pass through its august energies but on a much vaster scale, called a Solar Age. Jesus' time was the Age of Pisces. During the past 2500 years or so, the motto for humanity was, I BELIEVE. During this age we say the creation, exploration and mastery of belief systems such as religion and philosophy. We have just crossed into the Age of Aquarius, the keynote for which is I KNOW. In the next 2500 years or so man will reach an unparalleled understanding of fact and knowledge based on the exploration of physical matter. The extra-ordinary study of the physical sciences like genetics and physics will see terrific gains in this age. Even knowledge of the Soul and the Etheric body will see gains.
Jesus came because He had work to do. There was something He was uniquely equipped to do but did not finish, hence the whispers and the rumor of a return. Esoterically speaking, there were five stages in Jesus life: the birth, the baptism, the transfiguration, the crucifixion and the resurrection. These events were highlighted by sensation. The birth was foretold and folks in the know travelled for miles to see the newborn child who was lulled to sleep by the voices of angels. The baptism saw the heavens opened to Jesus and the spirit of the dove descending upon the Prince of Peace with the voice of God. At the transfiguration on the mount (transfiguration always happens on a mountain top) Jesus appeared with Elias and Moses. The crucifixion was attenuated by all manner of grief. The resurrection saw the tearing of the veil of the temple from top to bottom.
In all the tales of Jesus' life there are wonderful and extraordinary lessons to be absorbed by those willing to meditate upon His words and that life. Jesus anchored the Soul principle on this earth for us. By doing what He did, showing us that through service, work and study one may lay a path straight back to heaven, He gave birth to the Christ principle or the Christ consciousness. This consciousness is the Soul, properly speaking. The Soul is the means by which we experience God. Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life. No man cometh to the father by by me." By entering into this consciousness (through practice of prayer (speaking) and meditation (listening)) we come to know the true nature of reality by side-stepping the illusion we have come to know as life. The Master of Masters and the Teacher alike of angels and men has left within us a master and a teacher of our own, the Soul. We must, however, give birth to that consciousness through work, study and service.
It is said that "when the student is ready, the Master will appear." All over the world people are contacting reality and illusion in their daily lives and in their dream lives. This is part of the great pageant of life, the discerning between reality and illusion and the ultimate loosening of the bonds of illusion over the Soul. As our Soul begins to unfold and take hold of the environment around it, we make the world a better place, literally. "Truly, all creation travaileth awaiting the birth of a son of God."
The life of Jesus in the New Testament is the summation and bringing together of great and powerful energies. That life was a supreme test for the man called, Jesus. He was summoned to Earth by the Love of God, an effort by God to illustrate to His creation the path that leads man back to his origins. There have been men among us who have guided humanity on a path of spirituality; the two most pre-eminent being the Master Jesus and the Lord Buddha, custodians of the Light of Life for the Western Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere, respectively. Jesus came to embody the Light of Love embodied by sacrifice and service, whereas His brother, the Buddha, embodied the Light of Wisdom, which is converted knowledge. Jesus and Buddha. Love-Wisdom.
Jesus is remembered among men because He was said to be the son of God. His fabled lineage is indeed worthy of admiration but His greatest gift was His achievement. Jesus is said to have embodied energies in a way no man had previously done. He was able to fuse the energies from the wheel of life, the zodiac, in a manner unexpressed by men. The Zodiacal energies are perhaps the most powerful form of energy man accesses (besides the exercise of his will). These energies, twelve in number, are meant to endow man with their peculiar tone and color as he passes through them.
As man passes through the zodiac, around the great wheel his consciousness changes and mutates. In Aries he says: I AM; in Taurus he says: I HAVE; in Gemini he says: I THINK; in Cancer he says: I FEEL; in Leo he says: I WILL; in Virgo he says: I ANALYZE; in Libra he says: I BALANCE; in Scorpio he says I CREATE; in Sagittarius he says: I PERCEIVE; in Capricorn he says: I USE; in Aquarius he says I KNOW and in Pisces he says I BELIEVE.
Jesus chose twelve disciples for a reason. Each disciple could be said to embody one of the zodiacal qualities. In the center of these disciples was Jesus as Master of them all, the center around which each of the energies rotated. An interesting exercise would be to go through the four gospels identifying the disciples with each of the qualities or even collating the events in Jesus life with the expression of the zodiacal energies.
Even as each of us, individually, passes through the zodiac, so too does our world pass through its august energies but on a much vaster scale, called a Solar Age. Jesus' time was the Age of Pisces. During the past 2500 years or so, the motto for humanity was, I BELIEVE. During this age we say the creation, exploration and mastery of belief systems such as religion and philosophy. We have just crossed into the Age of Aquarius, the keynote for which is I KNOW. In the next 2500 years or so man will reach an unparalleled understanding of fact and knowledge based on the exploration of physical matter. The extra-ordinary study of the physical sciences like genetics and physics will see terrific gains in this age. Even knowledge of the Soul and the Etheric body will see gains.
Jesus came because He had work to do. There was something He was uniquely equipped to do but did not finish, hence the whispers and the rumor of a return. Esoterically speaking, there were five stages in Jesus life: the birth, the baptism, the transfiguration, the crucifixion and the resurrection. These events were highlighted by sensation. The birth was foretold and folks in the know travelled for miles to see the newborn child who was lulled to sleep by the voices of angels. The baptism saw the heavens opened to Jesus and the spirit of the dove descending upon the Prince of Peace with the voice of God. At the transfiguration on the mount (transfiguration always happens on a mountain top) Jesus appeared with Elias and Moses. The crucifixion was attenuated by all manner of grief. The resurrection saw the tearing of the veil of the temple from top to bottom.
In all the tales of Jesus' life there are wonderful and extraordinary lessons to be absorbed by those willing to meditate upon His words and that life. Jesus anchored the Soul principle on this earth for us. By doing what He did, showing us that through service, work and study one may lay a path straight back to heaven, He gave birth to the Christ principle or the Christ consciousness. This consciousness is the Soul, properly speaking. The Soul is the means by which we experience God. Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life. No man cometh to the father by by me." By entering into this consciousness (through practice of prayer (speaking) and meditation (listening)) we come to know the true nature of reality by side-stepping the illusion we have come to know as life. The Master of Masters and the Teacher alike of angels and men has left within us a master and a teacher of our own, the Soul. We must, however, give birth to that consciousness through work, study and service.
It is said that "when the student is ready, the Master will appear." All over the world people are contacting reality and illusion in their daily lives and in their dream lives. This is part of the great pageant of life, the discerning between reality and illusion and the ultimate loosening of the bonds of illusion over the Soul. As our Soul begins to unfold and take hold of the environment around it, we make the world a better place, literally. "Truly, all creation travaileth awaiting the birth of a son of God."
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Love Is (Not) All You Need!
Tune in to the radio on any given day and you will hear a song about love: someone is falling in love; someone has fallen out of love; someone wants their old love back; someone can't believe they loved the person they loved. The lengths to which we will go to be loved and to get love are at once disturbing and charming. Yet withal our effort, we seem to miss the very point of what love is about.
Khalil Gibran, one of my favorite poets, says in The Prophet, "Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself." (emphasis added) Love is a natural substance that pervades the very fabric of creation. It is said that out of love God created the world and sacrifices Itself that the world may continue to exist. Now that's love. Love is made up of, nay, erected on the pretext of sacrifice. Without love there can be no sacrifice; without sacrifice there can be no love.
Human beings are creatures of compromise, not sacrifice. If we can take a shortcut to get to what we want, we are there. Only, love is not one of those things to which a shortcut can apply. We contact or have the ability to tap into the natural substance we call love, but as with most things that pass through our being we subject it to compromise: shave a little off here, cut a corner over there, a pinch here, a pinch there and voila! Love becomes what we want it to be instead of what it is.
What something is or is not (reality, for instance) is shaped by what we think or believe we need. We have the ability to conform our little corner of the universe as seems fit to us. This, if we could but realize it, is a powerful attribute that only begins to display itself in the human kingdom and is mastered in the superhuman kingdom. But because our reality is skewed by our wants and desires and not shaped by truth what we create for ourselves is often crippled and wanting.
Because we create lives built on falsehood we misunderstand or misapprehend the truth of love, that it bears sacrifice, that it is unity. Most of us are not interested in sacrifice or unity and so we need more than just "love". We need all that other stuff that distracts us from one another to prop up and buttress our relationships. We do things together; we go places; we group with other couples; we have our "own space"; we have children. We live lives that say love is not all you need. In our ignorance we need more, we want more. We also come to relationships with the very real purpose of getting someone to fulfill our personal needs, to take care of us, to comfort us, to heal us and fill that inexplicable void inside us.
The closer we come to truth the clearer will be our understanding the relationships are based on unity and sacrifice, that one cannot exist without the other. Each is necessary for the existence of the other. This symbiotic relationship is integral to the proper functioning of love. It is, however, not of the nature of a dependency. Each of us, even in his or her fullness is incomplete. We unconsciously seek union with each other or with the Absolute, we are driven toward it. But we must be prepared for this union. Even as the bride prepares herself on the wedding day to receive her groom, so too must each of us prepare ourselves, compose our selves so that we are worthy of the truth of love and not seeking another person to substitute or stand in place of what is absent or wrong with our lives.
When we learn to identify our needs and nourish ourselves, when we learn to honor and respect others we fit ourselves to be lovers, to be one half of a whole. Then, living in that truth we come to understand, love is all you need.
Thomas
Khalil Gibran, one of my favorite poets, says in The Prophet, "Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself." (emphasis added) Love is a natural substance that pervades the very fabric of creation. It is said that out of love God created the world and sacrifices Itself that the world may continue to exist. Now that's love. Love is made up of, nay, erected on the pretext of sacrifice. Without love there can be no sacrifice; without sacrifice there can be no love.
Human beings are creatures of compromise, not sacrifice. If we can take a shortcut to get to what we want, we are there. Only, love is not one of those things to which a shortcut can apply. We contact or have the ability to tap into the natural substance we call love, but as with most things that pass through our being we subject it to compromise: shave a little off here, cut a corner over there, a pinch here, a pinch there and voila! Love becomes what we want it to be instead of what it is.
What something is or is not (reality, for instance) is shaped by what we think or believe we need. We have the ability to conform our little corner of the universe as seems fit to us. This, if we could but realize it, is a powerful attribute that only begins to display itself in the human kingdom and is mastered in the superhuman kingdom. But because our reality is skewed by our wants and desires and not shaped by truth what we create for ourselves is often crippled and wanting.
Because we create lives built on falsehood we misunderstand or misapprehend the truth of love, that it bears sacrifice, that it is unity. Most of us are not interested in sacrifice or unity and so we need more than just "love". We need all that other stuff that distracts us from one another to prop up and buttress our relationships. We do things together; we go places; we group with other couples; we have our "own space"; we have children. We live lives that say love is not all you need. In our ignorance we need more, we want more. We also come to relationships with the very real purpose of getting someone to fulfill our personal needs, to take care of us, to comfort us, to heal us and fill that inexplicable void inside us.
The closer we come to truth the clearer will be our understanding the relationships are based on unity and sacrifice, that one cannot exist without the other. Each is necessary for the existence of the other. This symbiotic relationship is integral to the proper functioning of love. It is, however, not of the nature of a dependency. Each of us, even in his or her fullness is incomplete. We unconsciously seek union with each other or with the Absolute, we are driven toward it. But we must be prepared for this union. Even as the bride prepares herself on the wedding day to receive her groom, so too must each of us prepare ourselves, compose our selves so that we are worthy of the truth of love and not seeking another person to substitute or stand in place of what is absent or wrong with our lives.
When we learn to identify our needs and nourish ourselves, when we learn to honor and respect others we fit ourselves to be lovers, to be one half of a whole. Then, living in that truth we come to understand, love is all you need.
Thomas
Friday, October 30, 2009
The Revelation
Last night I dreamed a dream, a rather dreadful, disturbing dream. The part I recall is that I was sitting on a porch with my mother and some other folks. It was in the evening and we were watching a meteor shower. As we watched the shower it became increasingly active. I noticed a light that seemed to be moving against the meteor shower and yelled out, "UFO". A galaxy appeared and the UFO seemed to vanish into the galaxy.
Right after this an enormous, gargantuan image began to appear in the sky. It was a skeleton. It seemed to be sitting on its buttocks with its knees drawn toward its chest. It was as if a man were sitting on the earth. It looked sort of like an x-ray image. The area around the skeleton began to fill in so it appeared like an x-ray image where the bone is distinct but the flesh is vague. There was a fire on the forehead of the image. When I saw the fire I thought it was God. At this moment everyone began to panic as we realized in an instant that God was real. As the image continued filling in it became apparent it was a woman. She was enormous just as a human would appear to ants, she appeared to us. She held a baby out in her arms. The infant had a turban on with an image imprinted on it. Suddenly the woman appeared to be angry or disappointed and the image on the child's forehead lit up.
When the image lit up a tidal wave of fire and flame swept over the land. It was not conventional fire and flame but it was like a prism of color that swept over everything in its path. Once it was upon us it lingered for a moment and after it passed over us we realized we were "marked". We began to leave the house as if driven toward some place. By this point the skies were black and grey. Everyone was in a state of panic and disbelief. My mother and I were walking toward this place. She had a kid with her and I had a child with me. My mother was praying and I was just in complete shock thinking this was not happening.
The whole scene was like refugees fleeing the scene of a war; there were people everywhere. We arrived at the place with thousands of people sitting and standing around. I kept telling myself this was just a dream, it was just a dream. But even as I spoke I could feel the chill in the air and it seemed so real. But I just kept chanting, "this is a dream, this is a dream." That chant lead me back to reality.
I was disturbed for quite a while and could not get back to sleep as the whole scene replayed in my mind over and over again. I had several dreams last night. There was also a dream with water. But the revelation really weighed heavily on me.
I have actually had dreams like this before where the earth was being destroyed and a group of people, a remnant if you will, were travelling to a place. In light of the release of the movie 2012 I am starting to wonder. Dreams are so ephemeral, as an intellect I keep telling myself there are just dreams. But I also have an emotional body and these dreams affect that body deeply. I have a hard time realizing that sometimes it is just a dream. But there are times when I wonder if they are more than just dreams.
Right after this an enormous, gargantuan image began to appear in the sky. It was a skeleton. It seemed to be sitting on its buttocks with its knees drawn toward its chest. It was as if a man were sitting on the earth. It looked sort of like an x-ray image. The area around the skeleton began to fill in so it appeared like an x-ray image where the bone is distinct but the flesh is vague. There was a fire on the forehead of the image. When I saw the fire I thought it was God. At this moment everyone began to panic as we realized in an instant that God was real. As the image continued filling in it became apparent it was a woman. She was enormous just as a human would appear to ants, she appeared to us. She held a baby out in her arms. The infant had a turban on with an image imprinted on it. Suddenly the woman appeared to be angry or disappointed and the image on the child's forehead lit up.
When the image lit up a tidal wave of fire and flame swept over the land. It was not conventional fire and flame but it was like a prism of color that swept over everything in its path. Once it was upon us it lingered for a moment and after it passed over us we realized we were "marked". We began to leave the house as if driven toward some place. By this point the skies were black and grey. Everyone was in a state of panic and disbelief. My mother and I were walking toward this place. She had a kid with her and I had a child with me. My mother was praying and I was just in complete shock thinking this was not happening.
The whole scene was like refugees fleeing the scene of a war; there were people everywhere. We arrived at the place with thousands of people sitting and standing around. I kept telling myself this was just a dream, it was just a dream. But even as I spoke I could feel the chill in the air and it seemed so real. But I just kept chanting, "this is a dream, this is a dream." That chant lead me back to reality.
I was disturbed for quite a while and could not get back to sleep as the whole scene replayed in my mind over and over again. I had several dreams last night. There was also a dream with water. But the revelation really weighed heavily on me.
I have actually had dreams like this before where the earth was being destroyed and a group of people, a remnant if you will, were travelling to a place. In light of the release of the movie 2012 I am starting to wonder. Dreams are so ephemeral, as an intellect I keep telling myself there are just dreams. But I also have an emotional body and these dreams affect that body deeply. I have a hard time realizing that sometimes it is just a dream. But there are times when I wonder if they are more than just dreams.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
CITIZEN
In the first installment of the insect flick, Starship Troopers, the individuals who are enlisted in the armed services speak about becoming a citizen. Whenever they speak of this "citizenship", they speak of it with awe and inspiration as if they were talking about being appointed as a supreme court justice. One gets the impression that in their time and place, to be a citizen is something all earnest individuals aspire to and hold in the greatest esteem.
In their works, The Social Contract(Rousseau) and The Republic (Plato), both philosophers speak about the responsibilities and duties and privileges of being a citizen. Plato was more sophisticated and elitist about citizenship whereas Rousseau was more utilitarian and populist. It has been years since I read the works so I am but working from a faint resonance. In both works I can recall I was impressed by the idea of citizenship as something an individual had to become worthy of. Citizenship was not a mere birthright or heritage but an honor and achievement.
In the United States, we, who are fortunate enough to be born on its soil, take our citizenship for granted, lulling and basking in the rays of the freedoms gained by our ancestors and forefathers. We believe we have the RIGHT to do and say whatever we want, whenever we want, with whomever we want. The level of immaturity for the average American in startling. The inability to distinguish license from freedom retards our growth as individuals and as a nation. License grants the ability to do whatever, whenever, with whomever. Freedom has the knowledge that yes, whatever, whenever and with whomever is possible but not desirable. Just because you can, does not mean you should.
In 2004 I went to Paris, France for my birthday. And though I have a level II knowledge of the French language, I felt adrift without adequate knowledge of the customs, the colloquialisms, where to get info, where the hot spots were, what to do in case of an emergency, how to get certain information or needs met... It was not my country and I felt what a foreigner must feel in the United States; the impatience and curtness (the French, were in my case, largely amiable and cordial) of natives as they listen to you butcher and misinterpret their language, etc. After returning home, I thought more Americans should go abroad and be subject to those feelings so that they can truly appreciate what it means to be a citizen in THIS country; truly appreciate the freedoms and rights that have been secured over the last 233 years of history.
I believe the United States of America has a special place upon the world stage. And it is not a position of authority derived from power. All countries have a destiny to fulfill and a role to play upon the world stage. To the degree and extent that everyone is cognizant of their role and understands that role relative to the other characters on the stage will be the success of the production. I believe in the United States of America as it should be, not as it is. IT is what its people are. And right now, we are suffering from the immaturity and naivete that come with adolescence and young adulthood. The eminent Swiss Psychoanalyst and one time colleague of Freud, C.G. Jung, once said something like, "Society is the sum total of individuals in need of regeneration. If the individual is not regenerated, then society cannot be regenerated either." America has a dirty history, blackened with all manner of malevolence. But harmony comes out of conflict. And beauty comes from harmony. One day our true spirit will shine forth as America, the Beautiful.
In their works, The Social Contract(Rousseau) and The Republic (Plato), both philosophers speak about the responsibilities and duties and privileges of being a citizen. Plato was more sophisticated and elitist about citizenship whereas Rousseau was more utilitarian and populist. It has been years since I read the works so I am but working from a faint resonance. In both works I can recall I was impressed by the idea of citizenship as something an individual had to become worthy of. Citizenship was not a mere birthright or heritage but an honor and achievement.
In the United States, we, who are fortunate enough to be born on its soil, take our citizenship for granted, lulling and basking in the rays of the freedoms gained by our ancestors and forefathers. We believe we have the RIGHT to do and say whatever we want, whenever we want, with whomever we want. The level of immaturity for the average American in startling. The inability to distinguish license from freedom retards our growth as individuals and as a nation. License grants the ability to do whatever, whenever, with whomever. Freedom has the knowledge that yes, whatever, whenever and with whomever is possible but not desirable. Just because you can, does not mean you should.
In 2004 I went to Paris, France for my birthday. And though I have a level II knowledge of the French language, I felt adrift without adequate knowledge of the customs, the colloquialisms, where to get info, where the hot spots were, what to do in case of an emergency, how to get certain information or needs met... It was not my country and I felt what a foreigner must feel in the United States; the impatience and curtness (the French, were in my case, largely amiable and cordial) of natives as they listen to you butcher and misinterpret their language, etc. After returning home, I thought more Americans should go abroad and be subject to those feelings so that they can truly appreciate what it means to be a citizen in THIS country; truly appreciate the freedoms and rights that have been secured over the last 233 years of history.
I believe the United States of America has a special place upon the world stage. And it is not a position of authority derived from power. All countries have a destiny to fulfill and a role to play upon the world stage. To the degree and extent that everyone is cognizant of their role and understands that role relative to the other characters on the stage will be the success of the production. I believe in the United States of America as it should be, not as it is. IT is what its people are. And right now, we are suffering from the immaturity and naivete that come with adolescence and young adulthood. The eminent Swiss Psychoanalyst and one time colleague of Freud, C.G. Jung, once said something like, "Society is the sum total of individuals in need of regeneration. If the individual is not regenerated, then society cannot be regenerated either." America has a dirty history, blackened with all manner of malevolence. But harmony comes out of conflict. And beauty comes from harmony. One day our true spirit will shine forth as America, the Beautiful.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Do You Work Here?
It should not go without saying that I am a terribly sophisticated, temperate and forgiving individual, qualities which, I believe make my person good-natured. I am not one to make a stink over something, particularly if it can be deemed inconsequential. I think the world owes a good deal to us good-natured folk, although at times it delights in taking advantage of those good-natures.
Of late though, I find that as I approach my 42nd birthday, the world's impinging upon my good-nature is creating breaches and tears in that good-nature armour. Case in point: as I was coming back from lunch yestersday I parked in the parking garage, as per my habit. As I walked out I noticed two White women standing at the entrance. One of them, I'll call her the old White prune, asked if I worked there. Interestingly enough the woman she was with, a few years younger, said, "no, he doesn't work here." I responded "no" and kept walking as I always do when a White woman asks me this question. As I continued walking the old White prune said, "you'd better be glad you don't work here because if you did I would be very upset at you." WTF?!?!?! "Oh, no she didn't!!! Mind you, I exited the garage in my trademark black leather trousers, a thin black crew neck sweater over top of a black and white pinstripe, button-down oxford, courtesy of Ralph Lauren. I sealed this deal with some black leather boots by Coach. I suppose to the old White prune, this get-up screamed parking garage attendant.
What I found interesting about this little scenario was the two mind-sets of the two women. One assumed because I was a Black man, regardless of my physical appearance, that I must be the parking garage attendant. The other knew instantly that I was not the attendant. I suspect the old White prune knew as well that I was not the parking attendant. The question that begs to be answered is what, in her constitution made her go forward and ask the question, though she knew the answer. The fact that her friend already knew and did not ask reveals the serious discrepancy here. Was the friend MORE intelligent? Was she RAISED better? Did she have better SENSE? Did she have better eyesight?
I cannot tell how many times a White woman has asked me, "do you work here?". I have been shoppping myself. If I get to the point where I need assistance I look for someone. I look for someone who has an identifying characteristic like a name-tag, an apron or some marker that has the store's name on it. Once this is found I proceed to ask my question. Most stores take the time to identify their employees. This is just plain common sense. But apparently there is a breed of White woman out there who is severely deficient when it comes to common sense.
What makes these White women think all Black men they encounter in a store are warehouse or shelf stockers, cleaners, movers, laborers, etc. On my next encounter (and you can be certain there will be one) I intend to find out! Until now I have taken the higher road and choosen to ignore the insinuations of "do you work here?" I always choose the higher road. But Thomas is tired. The low road is starting to look rather appealing. I want to go off on someone, to have the wicked and delicious sensation of slicing them down to the molecule.
When I was coming up we had an expression, "to show your Black ass". It meant acting "black"-to display the worse qualities of Black folk-i.e., loud and wrong and profane with attitude to boot. If these White women keep it up they sho gonna make me sho my black ass!
Of late though, I find that as I approach my 42nd birthday, the world's impinging upon my good-nature is creating breaches and tears in that good-nature armour. Case in point: as I was coming back from lunch yestersday I parked in the parking garage, as per my habit. As I walked out I noticed two White women standing at the entrance. One of them, I'll call her the old White prune, asked if I worked there. Interestingly enough the woman she was with, a few years younger, said, "no, he doesn't work here." I responded "no" and kept walking as I always do when a White woman asks me this question. As I continued walking the old White prune said, "you'd better be glad you don't work here because if you did I would be very upset at you." WTF?!?!?! "Oh, no she didn't!!! Mind you, I exited the garage in my trademark black leather trousers, a thin black crew neck sweater over top of a black and white pinstripe, button-down oxford, courtesy of Ralph Lauren. I sealed this deal with some black leather boots by Coach. I suppose to the old White prune, this get-up screamed parking garage attendant.
What I found interesting about this little scenario was the two mind-sets of the two women. One assumed because I was a Black man, regardless of my physical appearance, that I must be the parking garage attendant. The other knew instantly that I was not the attendant. I suspect the old White prune knew as well that I was not the parking attendant. The question that begs to be answered is what, in her constitution made her go forward and ask the question, though she knew the answer. The fact that her friend already knew and did not ask reveals the serious discrepancy here. Was the friend MORE intelligent? Was she RAISED better? Did she have better SENSE? Did she have better eyesight?
I cannot tell how many times a White woman has asked me, "do you work here?". I have been shoppping myself. If I get to the point where I need assistance I look for someone. I look for someone who has an identifying characteristic like a name-tag, an apron or some marker that has the store's name on it. Once this is found I proceed to ask my question. Most stores take the time to identify their employees. This is just plain common sense. But apparently there is a breed of White woman out there who is severely deficient when it comes to common sense.
What makes these White women think all Black men they encounter in a store are warehouse or shelf stockers, cleaners, movers, laborers, etc. On my next encounter (and you can be certain there will be one) I intend to find out! Until now I have taken the higher road and choosen to ignore the insinuations of "do you work here?" I always choose the higher road. But Thomas is tired. The low road is starting to look rather appealing. I want to go off on someone, to have the wicked and delicious sensation of slicing them down to the molecule.
When I was coming up we had an expression, "to show your Black ass". It meant acting "black"-to display the worse qualities of Black folk-i.e., loud and wrong and profane with attitude to boot. If these White women keep it up they sho gonna make me sho my black ass!
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