Never

Never

 

When I was young

It seemed that I would never get to drive

It was all that I thought about.

 

When I was in school

It seemed that I would never get finished

It was all that I thought about

 

When I was single

It seemed that I would never get married

It was all that I thought about

 

Now I have a car

And a diploma

And a spouse

I never thought I would

 

Often it seems as if “never” will never come

But it always does

Just never when we want it to

 

Compare

COMPARE

 

I don’t like to do it,

But it comes naturally

I see this and want that

I compare.

 

I want to stand out

I want to “be me”

But, can I be different

If I need to compare?

 

Is it right?

Is it wrong?

I don’t want really want what they have

Do I?

 

Envy, Jealously, Want,

These are a part of me

It all seems innocent

As one child staring at the other’s toy

 

Which is better?

Which is worse?

Is it mine, or is it yours?

Lo! Each one is unique.

 

But as I watch them

I cannot become me

For if I am not them

Then I do not need to compare!

 

I want to shine

I want to be known

I want to make my own way

I don’t need to compare.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Small Things

                                                                  Small things:         

Thirsty Lizard

Today I saw my first thirsty lizard! I had never seen a lizard drink.  It was a magical peaceful, moment.

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              The sun shone brightly off the pond behind our apartment. Despite the summer heat, a pleasant breeze made the screened-in back porch comfortable. Nearby ducks searched the grass for food as squirrels chased each other between the trees. Everything seemed alive and fresh—the green grass, the clear water and the blue sky.  Here, surrounded by nature I liked to read.

Suddenly I noticed four potted plants resting upon the window ledge. One was dead; another had been overrun by weeds. Just two were alive, but they needed water. Grabbing a nearby jug, I decided to water those plants. It was the least I could do.

Soon a tiny pond formed at the base of these pots. I stopped pouring for I did not want water to spill over the ledge. From behind the plants, a small lizard—an anole—popped out of hiding. At about two inches long, it could easily have hidden between the plant and the window screen.

I had to watch. Somehow I had the feeling that an event was about to occur. Slowly, cautiously the anole crept to the edge of the water. It extended its neck, and reaching down, began to drink, as ripples vibrated.

For that moment everything seemed to stop. This little creature was thirsty, and, for a brief time, let its guard down. The potted plants, the ledge, and the window screen created a little world of safety and serenity for the anole. For it, this was an oasis. After a few seconds it had its fill. The anole turned around and quickly slithered behind the plants, and back to safety.

It was such a small and simple act—an ordinary ritual. Yet there was a beauty, as this made life seem in harmony. Ducks were waddling, squirrels were scampering to and fro, as this little lizard took a drink.

 Once again small things provided a glimpses of truth: life has a design. It has a purpose. Everything is interconnected—the water, the plant, the anole and myself. We all are but bit players in the cosmic play.

I felt connected, and at peace.  I returned to my book.

 

 

 

Between a rock and a hard place:

 

A reflection on conflict

Conflict is universal.  The desire to live peacefully is challenged daily by both internal and external forces.  To live ethically means putting the needs of others into consideration. This occurs on the international scale, as in the plight of refugees, and it happens on a personal scale, such as on the job. It is common to be pulled in two opposing directions.  For example, a co-worker may want your assistance with a particular project, while at the same time someone else, be it another co-worker, a boss, or a customer, asks for you to take on a different task. Thus we are often between “a rock and a hard place”, amid two difficult solutions. Conflict therefore is bound to ensue.

These decisions are made in the moment. They cannot be deferred. In situ, we live. We cannot see the whole, and even what we do see; we often wrongly interpret.  Einstein has been quoted as having said, “The more I know, the more I know I don’t know.” That has always stayed with me.  Even with the best of knowledge, humility reminds us that we actually know little.

The only choice for peace, it appears would be to live with the choices that one makes. Autonomy and forgiveness must play a role. To have the option and power to make decisions while also recognizing the unintended consequences and limitations that those decisions make, is, it seems the essence of a moral life. When between a rock and a hard place, we need to brace for an impact, then, after the conflict has ended, forgive, make peace and move on. Nothing else will do.

 

 

Today!

 

Possibly my favorite all time song is “Today”. It is a folk song made famous by John Denver—though it was written by Randy Sparks of the New Christy Minstrels. In 1964 it became a hit.

Easily sung, this song has a simple message: that this day—today—is to be our joy and our focus. Its repeated refrain, “ a million tomorrows will all pass away, ‘ere I forget all the joys that are mine today,” is a line that needs remembering. Let the problems of the past not rob us of our ability to experience the joy of a new day.

It is often difficult to remain focused on today, as fears, hopes and aspirations compete for attention. Things need to be planned for. Problems need to be processed. These take time.

We live in a society where it is very hard to relax and “live in the moment”. The fast paced world of jobs, technology and obligations leave little time for reflection and contentment.

What if others complain? What if they “get ahead” in life, or at work?

Comparing ourselves to others seems to be our curse, for there is always someone who “has it all together”; who is farther along in their career or family life. We are taught to “be all that we can be”—as an old Army commercial implored. More is always needed. More is just ahead. It is our destiny.

We are afraid to let go. Afraid that, if we do then nothing will get done. Others will be disappointed. We may even end up as a bum—with no friends, no home and no purpose.  That will never do.

So we worry and fret. Paralyzed with anxiety we seek only to endure the day. Escaping to the warm glow of the computer screen, we play our games, and try to forget.

Yet peace eludes.

But the song interrupts;  “Today is my glory. . . I’ll laugh, and I’ll cry and I’ll sing.”

With that revelation we can live. The future is coming. The past is gone. All we have is “now”.

It is enough.

 

Someone is better

Life teaches lessons we may not want to hear.  To discover that someone is better, for a competitive person, is difficult to grasp. This seems especially true when the other person seems to be getting all the luck.

I like to think of myself as an easy going person. I know that I am not that good at mechanical tasks, like fixing the car, or other typical “guy” jobs. I know that I at a loss when I need to do basic home repairs.

This does not bother me, for I have rationalized that my gifts are different. I see myself as a scientist, theologian, and artist. I enjoy studying the world, and, using my creativity, to write about it, often from a spiritual vantage point. I like to follow Descartes advice, “ I think therefore, I am”. Thinking and writing about faith and culture is what I do.

So, when I see a blog or a webpage where someone is doing that, I admit that I get anxious. Sometimes when I hear someone on television talking about such topics, I wish that I could do that.

But I do not know how to get known. Often it seems that I can write and post ideas on my blog, and make cogent comments on social media threads, to no avail.

I try to be patient—and persistent believing that if I continue along this path, someday life will change.  But, then I hear someone talk about a topic that I feel passionately about!

I wonder was there something that they did that got them on the air, or on a successful webpage. Some have written books. That, I can understand for it seems natural: you write a book and, if its good, people will read it and then want you to discuss it.

But others have not achieved that fame. Instead they went to a top school like Harvard or Yale. Others seem to get to those positions because they knew someone. I know that this is the reality, and that those people have the right to do what they did.

But it bothers me. I can do what they are doing. But they had all the breaks.

I begin to get jealous, then sometimes, I go into despair. “After all”, I say, “I will not be able to have those connections.”

I must let these feelings go. Someone may be better than me. I need to allow that to be ok.

I have always liked to be different. I have quirks and a unique point of view. But, what if I am not unique enough?

What if that person does a better job at getting their message across?

I have to come to peace with that. I need to do what I do—and not worry what the outcome will be. If I no one ever reads my posts or likes my ideas . . . if I can never make a career from writing, then what. . . .

I do not know. It will be hard. But, I must allow someone else to be better—at least at this stage.

I think therefore, I am. . so I must continue, come what may.

 

 

Perspective on Greece

The financial crisis in Greece has caught the attention of newsmakers and pundits. There is much uncertainty, as that nation moves toward bankruptcy and insolvency. At issue are the effects that this will have on the world financial markets, and especially the EURO—the common currency of Europe, as well as that nation’s continued participation within the European Community.

Blame and uncertainty abounds. For some, the collapse of the Greek economy signifies that socialism does not work; while for others the failure is due to a lack of commitment and dedication of the Greeks themselves, suggesting that the Greeks are lazy and unwilling to work.

Missing from most discussions, however,  is a recognition of the uniqueness of Greece and Greek culture. Though Greek civilization is among the world’s oldest and has greatly contributed to Western ideals, it has nonetheless remained seemingly on the periphery of modern Europe. It was not a major player in the great conflicts of the 20^th century, nor has it provided leadership to its continental neighbors. Instead, it has  preferred to remain secluded, nestled, for much of the past century between the politically democratic and  open West, and the autocratic and closed East. 

Although the cold war is past, and the delineation between western capitalism and eastern socialism have become less visible Greece is still, largely on the outside. Despite the zeal to unify the economies of Europe through the creation of the Euro and the European Zone,  Greece  remains  culturally different, from the rest of Europe.  Three main aspects of Greek life together create and foster a nation that remains distinct from its continental neighbors.

One of the first things that most people notice about Greece is that their alphabet. All of its neighbors, though speaking different languages, use one of two transnational alphabets: the Roman or the Cyrillic. The Roman alphabet is among the most used in the world, and in Europe, where it was created, it has become the national alphabet for Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish, and Polish among others. Likewise, for those travelling east, the Cyrillic alphabet, based in Russia, and used within its satellite nations is commonplace. Thus for most of Europe, rudimentary communication between nation is possible.

Not so in Greece. No other nation uses that alphabet except Cyprus—where it has dual national status with Turkish, another Roman-based language. This means that those who want to trade with or visit Greece must overcome this additional obstacle, for upon looking at Greek all they see are unreadable symbols. And although it creates unity within the Greek populace, it also makes it more difficult for Greek students to learn another language, for in addition to vocabulary and grammar, they must learn a new alphabet.

But language is only one problem. The physical terrain is also daunting. Eighty percent of the nation is mountainous. Less than 20% of land is arable, so large scale farming is, for the most part prohibitive. The undulating typography continues to the coast. Unlike France and Italy, the coastline of Greece is rocky, with few good harbors. Islands are numerous making it difficult to move freely throughout the nation.

In addition to language, Greece has a religious tradition that is different than most of its neighbors. Greece is the only nation in which Orthodox Christianity is the official religion. Eastern Orthodox though popular in Eastern Europe and parts of Asia reaches its eastern terminus in Greece. Italy just across the Ionian Sea, is the center of Roman Catholicism and, by extension, Western Christianity. Turkey to the west is predominantly Islamic, as well as those nations across the Mediterranean Sea in Northern Africa. Thus the Balkan Peninsula lies at the crossroad between not only the Islamic and Christian worlds, but also between the Eastern and Western Christian rite.

For the Greeks these distinctives have provided security and a shared community as it has kept most enemies and immigrants out. It has resulted in one of the most ethnically homogenous nations, with over 90% of its residents identifying themselves as Greek. So while Greek identity remains high the terrain makes it less accessible to others. It is easy to point out these differences, and, when coupled with political and economic problems, creates a perception that they are not like the rest of the European Union.