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This is a sequel of sorts to last summer’s post “A Groovy Kind of Day.” A five-sense star day! A five-star sense day! Be Here Now (actually, you can't be any other place...or can you?) The choice is always...YOURS! When I do my daily walk I usually don’t listen to music or talk on the phone. Instead, I try to allow my mind to rest a little so I can experience my body’s contact with the earth under my moving feet, feel the summer breeze on my skin, welcome the sunlight into my eyes… allowing its healing rays to travel to my heart and soul. This last song started son John’s piano career. Eileen and I were at a friend’s home where she invited John to sit next to her at the piano, and showed him his part of a 4-hand version of the song. Lessons followed…then a new and wonderful teacher (Thanks, Merle!) who groomed John for: …a Carnegie Hall competition winner's performance… …a career as a piano teacher… …fun gigging with several bands…and more… Above - Merle and John reunited during last August’s Duffy family reunion/vacation in Chicago. Merle, words cannot express our gratitude for mentoring our son... Below - While there I also got to visit a now-retired Avis technician and trainer – Geoff Ciecko. He gave us a local's tour of the city and then we feasted on Chi Town BBQ. Finger lickin' good! Thanks, Geoff! We had a great time...loved your humorous and running commentary...and the delicious food you selected. Meetin’ G-d in the Hood A local sugar magnolia greeted me as I strolled... “Sweet blossom come on, under the willow, we can have high times if you'll abide We can discover the wonders of nature, rolling in the rushes down by the riverside.” --“Sugar Magnolia” – Grateful Dead Body never lies: You (mind) must decrease while I (body) must increase… G-d comes to us disguised as our lives…all we have to do is pay attention But not this day! Instead of walking my usual way (without a phone), I took out my iPhone and selected a favorite song - likely subconsciously chosen because of our current global situation – “The End” by The Doors. As I walked on alone, I went into a dream and here’s what unfolded in the short space of about 30 minutes. I’m still not sure if it was real or an illusion. That’s because… …We see things as WE are and not as THEY are. --Anais Nin I had walked only a few blocks when a wonderful aroma found its way to my air intake device. I smelled them before I saw them. As I walked further (Furthur), I came upon a child of G-d from the botanical world where it’s known as Hyacinth. Idolatry? Pantheism? Nope – just an example of how my Franciscan alternative worldview is producing altered states of religious and spiritual consciousness. Hey, Brother Son, Sister Moon…so, why not Cousin Hyacinth? The Divine Spark is in all creation! Wanting a closer walk with the(e) Groovy Gardner and in order to get up close and personal with these children of G-d, I walked onto the neighbor’s lawn and into the garden of olfactory delight, where I got down on my knees to pray. With this, the owner came out concerned that I was sick or something. “Everything OK?” he asked. I told him, “Sure. I was just listening to some ‘60’s tunes and wanted a closer experience of your beautiful and aromatic plants. I was (and still am) a hippie…you know, flower power…” He smiled. Walking a little closer and keeping in mind the 6-10 foot minimum distance rules, he looked me over and seemed to be reassured that I wasn’t going to huff and puff and blow his Hyacinth House down with virus breath. Here are some of his other children… Guardian Garden Angel Above image from the “Groovy Kind of Day” post…same neighbor's garden...and this reminder, also from that same post...if you do, you're not covered by insurance... As I walked away from my neighbor’s sacred space, I thought about flower power and how back in the day – YES, THAT DAY – I was sometimes powered by flowers…even had flowered curtains on my VW Bus. Below are 2 pix taken at the beginning of my 1973 odyssey to Callie to find myself. Those are my cousins Billie and Margie. My Dad is riding shotgun – with his weapon of choice – a camera with telephoto lens. Mom is in the back where she’ll write poetry as we travel together across the USA. We were doing the Tittmann family version of... S&G’s “America.” [I liked this uploader’s version as it evoked imagery of a young Mexican couple trying to come to this country in hopes of finding their dreams.] They’re still coming to America… Still coming…is there room in your city…in your neighborhood…in your heart…? “You’re either on the bus or off the bus” Quote origin I wrote about some of my 52-HP adventures in my Magic Bus in the following blog posts. There are plenty more... · Father’s Day 2019 · A Groovy Kind of Day · Descent into HELL-arity Who’s [sic] bus is this anyway? Ans: Correct! Magic Bus – The Who Live at Leeds Who’s next? This next one’s for nephew Mike and others Who [sic] are fans of the Doctor. Doctor Who // The Magic School TARDIS (8/6/20: Sorry - Uploader cancelled their YouTube account) Purple Haze…Purple Daze - Playing in the Dirt…while Playin’ in the Band You can view a photo of a big beautiful flower, even take a photo of “one of the little kids,” but to really GROK it, ya gotta get down and play in the dirt. Nature is meant to be experienced – it’s for our healing… Are YOU down ‘n dirty Experienced? Here's another version from the Ken Burns movie "The Vietnam War." I added this one because the above and visually-stunning Vimeo version can't be downloaded for inclusion in my YouTube playlist. More exclusionary practice - guess they're NOT EXPERIENCED IN UNITIVE CONSCIOUSNESS... Jimi Hendrix Park – Seattle, WA --below volunteers tend the garden A Gardener Comes to Terms with Violet --an artist’s perspective on this mystical color --as a child, my favorite lollypop flavors were green and purple – both colors associated with mystical experience "We become what we eat..." On Color - "It's just a pigment [sic] of your imagination..." "But we decide which is right and which is an illusion" --from their 2018 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame The Rock Gardener Riff of the day. Jimi Hendrix --According to this ol’ Brit rocker, Jimi liked the hot British food (huh?) so much, he developed his own strain of chili. Voodoo Chili? How ‘bout… Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (Live At The Atlanta Pop Festival) (Audio) Jimi’s Bio --born in Seattle…among other jobs, his father was a gardener. This explains the park and the Seattle location. All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan) feat. Warren Haynes | Playing For Change In case you’re worrying that my tale might be gettin’ a little thread bare (or like there isn’t a thread), fear not. This next section weaves the threads together perfectly… Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun… Seeing Jimi in that English garden naturally conjured up the next song… I am the Walrus - Beatles Homeward Bound... Comin’ Home --a song that can take you in several directions; hopefully, leading you home --Vimeo uploader has not enabled downloading, so I can't add this wonderful song to my YouTube playlist. As I got back near my house, with the sun warming my face, to my right I heard a woodpecker’s tap-tap-tap and that was followed on my left by the buzz of a circular saw. Sort of like a call-and-response between one ancient and one modern technology. Woodpecker…circular saw Animals and humans sharing the world And the wheel keeps turning, you can’t slow it down The Wheel - Grateful Dead BONUS TRACKS Hyacinth House – The Doors --includes photos from the Morrison Hotel period – up close, personal The Story of "Sugar Magnolia" by The Grateful Dead PLAYLIST OF ALL SONGS IN THIS POST #music #humor #art #senses #CaroleKing #SealsCroft #GratefulDead #Cleftones #Doors #Beatles #MoodyBlues #CrosbyStillsNash #Santana #HiKeyRecords #MamasPapas #SimonGarfunkel #NeilDiamond #TheWho #JimiHendrix #BobDylan #DrWho

Liner Notes: I'm using the Grateful Dead's "Playing in the Band" to reply to a Facebook post that asked the important question, "Who are we to trust?" A former associate pastor and musician posted the following during this time of pandemic virus and pandemic hatred (June 2, 2020): Original Facebook post As I laid my head down to go to sleep the chorus from an old Andre Crouch song keeps running through my head... "Jesus Is The Answer For The World Today Above Him There's No Other Jesus Is The Way." We all would do well to take this to heart and tell all who will listen. There is no other solution. "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, (and some in politicians); But we will remember the name of the LORD our God" Ps 20:7 "Jesus Is The Answer For The World Today Above Him There's No Other Jesus Is The Way." Thus ends his post. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I added the following comments to his post and then attached a link to the post on my site. My FB comments I'm taking your recommendation to continue to keep before everyone the important question you raise - "Who do we trust?" I'm doing it via a deep dive into a Grateful Dead song - "Playing in the Band" - that addresses the same fundamental inquiry. "Some folks trust to reason Others trust to might I don't trust to nothing But I know it come out right… " And before a reader accuses me of heuristic heresy, I've even included some Stones in my post... But first they have to pass the test... "If a man among you Got no sin upon his hand Let him cast a stone at me For playing in the band" That ended my comments. Now, on with the post... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ This post - continued The psalmist (and the pastor’s addition - I italicized it) surely call it accurately. Re: the pastor’s addition of “and some in politicians” In my first post, Theophilus, I wrote about leaders who mis-lead - "Out on a Limb: Of Cherry Trees & Presidents & Pinocchio’s." It had as its starting point a 2007 Lawrence Ferlinghetti poem entitled “Pity the Nation Whose Leaders Are Liars” which was based on a similar 1938 poem by Kahlil Gibran. Now for the overall question “who do you trust?” After reflecting on his post about on whose might are we trusting, I created this post as a reply. In the Judeo-Christian scriptures we are exhorted to: · Hear AND do · Pray AND act · Reflect AND respond · Contemplate AND act Full disclosure: I prefer the action half of the pairs. I continue to have to practice, like Mary and likely John, the Beloved, to sit at the feet of the Master – unveiled face-to-unveiled face; or, as one of my early teachers, Thomas Keating, says, “Mouth-to-mouth.” Divine intimacy! Contemplative practices that are helping include: centering prayer, meditation, mindfulness and mindful music. That said, let’s look at how we can put into practice active trusting. As I read the pastor’s post and the mention of Psalm 20 with its reminder not to yield to the temptation to “trust in might,” I was reminded of another song with similar references – “Playing in the Band” – by one of my still-favorite bands – The Grateful Dead. My friend Steve said once that there’s a Grateful Dead song for nearly every occasion – so let’s get truckin’ on…and join the show already in progress…because “the music never stopped…” Playing in the Band Some folks trust to reason Others trust to might I don't trust to nothing But I know it come out right… From Jericho to Mexico Observing one of the first campaigns to tear down a wall – Jericho - I’ve noted that music is a great non-violent method of protest and warfare. Musicians need a lot of courage and trust as they are on the front lines – in the case of Jericho - literally; they went ahead of the army. Other art forms serve a similar function. “Brahms not bombs.” Uh, a classic but not exactly classic rock. So, as Jerry sang in “Ripple”, “Let there be songs (not rocks and bullets) to fill the air.” Mexico? Plz see my post entitled "Cinco de Mayo - Walls can keep people out and keep people in. What kinds of walls are we building?" Excavating sacred texts The following reflections on whose might are we trusting began at the site that I often use when I’m working with the sacred texts of the Dead – and I don’t mean the Tibetan Book of the Dead…or do I? Could the Dead have had former lives? Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics Site - Home Base Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics Page for “Playing in the Band” I began my research here, continued to make some observations of my own and have combined both in what follows. FYI – There are many biblical references in GD lyrics and many folks have written about this fact. I am also writing a blog post on this subject – stay tuned… The “Annotated” site was an interactive project started by a University of California at Santa Cruz research associate named David Dodds. David got the big wheel turning (couldn’t resist : ))), then opened the project to those who read his work. He then posted their input. OK, ‘nuf preamble – let’s play the song…let’s lay some track, Casey Jones… Playing in the Band – The Grateful Dead The Lyrics – Trusting is just the beginning of this song…and our journey… Some folks trust to reason Others trust to might (Psalm 20:7 – “Some trust in chariots and some in horses…” [1]) I don't trust to nothing (no thing…things are passing away…Love isn’t) But I know it come out right (‘cause Love never fails) [1] Dave Klampert: this is the very verse you mentioned in your post. A reader sent this addition to Dodd’s first draft of his annotated version of the song and Dodd added it to the site. Say it once again now Oh I hope you understand When it's done and over Lord, a man is just a man (Messrs. Hunter, Hart & Weir, I respectfully disagree – please see Psalm 8 about man’s worth) Playing Playing in the band Daybreak (“Behold, I may all things new…” Like a new day) Daybreak on the land (2 Peter 1:19) [2] [2] “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” Some folks look for answers (sincere seekers – “What must I do to find wholeness (be saved)?”) Others look for fights (“…they said this looking to test Jesus – give him a hard time”) Some folks up in treetops (Zacchaeus) Just look to see the sights I can tell your future Look what's in your hand (weapons? Bible as a weapon? An offering of loaves and fishes that can feed 5,000?) But I can't stop for nothing (no thing…things are passing away…Love isn’t) I'm just playing in the band Playing Playing in the band Daybreak Daybreak on the land Standing on a tower World at my command (Matthew 4:5-9 – The devil took Jesus to the highest point of the temple…”) You just keep a turning (“You” could be the “devil” – see [3] below) While I'm playing in the band If a man among you Got no sin upon his hand Let him cast a stone at me (John 8 & indirectly, Matthew 7) For playing in the band (soldiers armed with musical instruments – click here to see “Brahms not Bombs” in my post entitled "A Groovy Kind of Day." Playing Playing in the band Daybreak Daybreak on the land Playing Playing in the band Daybreak Daybreak on the land [3] “You (the ‘devil’) just keep a turning” …with old lies and tricks – illustrated in the following classic… ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sympathy for the Devil – The Rolling Stones Please allow me to introduce myself I'm a man of wealth and taste I've been around for a long, long year Stole many a man's soul and faith I was 'round when Jesus Christ Had his moment of doubt and pain Made damn sure that Pilate Washed his hands and sealed his fate [Chorus] Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game I watched with glee while your kings and queens Fought for ten decades for the gods they made (don’t need no explanation – there are too many examples) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The World, the Flesh, and the Devil: The Spiral of Violence This meditation describes “demonic” as anything we believe is beyond questioning, is too big to fail…often because our lifestyles, our comforts depend on it. As Casey sings, “We have two good eyes but still don’t see…” – might be ‘cause we don’t want to… More to come in another post. #music #humor #GratefulDead #Psalm20 #AndreCrouch #RichardRohr #SpiralOfViolence #RollingStones #LawrenceFerlinghetti #KahlilGibran #ThomasKeating #DavidDodds #CincoDeMayo #walls #Jericho #Mexico

Anti-Racism Educator Jane Elliott: ‘There’s Only One Race. The Human Race' (0:03:30) SUMMARY: How I was led to get involved with the Poor People’s Campaign and Campaign Nonviolence movements for change. Reflections on the roles of contemplative practice and nonviolence in preparing us to do the work of reconciliation and restoration needed to heal first our own hearts and then our nation’s heart. I’m gonna let the musicians have the floor and warm up our audience…Hear [sic] are some opening vibes to help us all open our hearts and minds to receive the messages of reconciliation, so we can move forward – playin’ for change & groovin’ and dancin’ - as one human family… Behind The Song: "Skin Deep" (part 1) | Playing For Change Skin Deep featuring Buddy Guy | Playing For Change | Song Across America --Buddy introduces the “Golden Brown” version of the golden rule… “I sat my little child down when he was old enough to know I said out there in this big wide world You're gonna meet all kinds of folks I said son it all comes down to just one simple rule That you treat everybody just the way You want them to treat you Yeah Skin Deep Skin Deep Underneath we're all the same…” Everyday People feat. Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Keb' Mo' | Turnaround Arts | Playing For Change A Better Place | Playing For Change | Song Around The World Celebration | Playing For Change | Song Around The World HOW This next section on “HOW” was part of my post on “Nonviolence.” I’m including it here because it plays such a crucial role in any work for change we’ll undertake. HOW we do something is as, if not more, important than WHAT we do. We first need to take stock of our interior landscape – are there areas of hatred, mistrust or fear of some class(es) of people that we deem as less than us? From this space of getting our own house in order, we can then move to the outside. HH Dalai Lama has said that inner peace must come before outer peace. Similarly, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that our inner attitudes and states are the real sources of our problems, preceding our outward behaviors. We need some form of contemplative practice to enable us to see in “wholes” rather than “poles.” Otherwise, we just take sides and spend all our energy defending our side and attacking the other. For me, contemplation is helping me see the “other” as “me” – at the level of soul, we are one. We need training in nonviolence – the world of church and state has been run largely by white males, seeking power and control. They conveniently overlook Jesus’ clear teaching on nonviolence and love for enemies. Because of this bias from the top, we need to listen to different voices that show us – those at the bottom - how to think and then live nonviolently and compassionately with one another. How I came to Poor People’s Campaign (PPC) Richard Rohr from the Center for Action and Contemplation (cac.org) recommended in recent Daily Meditations that we get involved with the PPC. He and those to whom he’s introduced me, write and teach extensively about social justice issues. So far, I’ve shown up at the PPC’s national, NYS and LI Zoom’s and am starting to work with their Arts & Culture Committee.. His and similar organizations that work to balance action and contemplation are critical for times like these. We need a lens that sees deeper and wider than our small, self-serving, self-protecting egoic consciousness. The theme for this year’s Daily Meditations is “Action & Contemplation” and uses the following as chief text: “What does God ask of us? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.” —Micah 6:8 “Franciscan Richard Rohr founded the Center for Action and Contemplation in 1987 because he saw a deep need for the integration of both action and contemplation. If we pray but don’t act justly, our faith won’t bear fruit. And without contemplation, activists burn out and even well-intended actions can cause more harm than good. In today’s religious, environmental, and political climate our compassionate engagement is urgent and vital” (from this year’s emailed Daily Meditations). See also “Thomas Merton’s Letter to a Young Activist” at the end. On Saturday July 25 I participated in a 4-hour online workshop entitled “Reckoning with our Past – Transforming Racial Pain in America.” It was sponsored by Illuman of Ohio. I’ve included some of their resources in this post and more will follow. Illuman is a men’s organization that grew out of the pioneering work of Richard Rohr in the field of men’s spirituality and wholeness. In this week’s Daily Meditations that focus on “Nonviolence,” Richard encourages us to participate with a group known as “Campaign Nonviolence.” He is one of the featured presenters. On August 6, 7 & 8 they are offering workshops and events on this important practice - nonviolence. I’m signed up! This can be very helpful in teaching us HOW to engage. Lean on Me – Bill Withers Center for Action and Contemplation One of the reasons Richard Rohr began the Center for Action and Contemplation was to help folks find a way to balance the ego’s natural desire to demonize and resist “the other side” – those people and policies with which it doesn’t agree. In his Daily Meditations he recommended that we all participate in the Poor People’s Campaign. His recommendation was enough for me to sign up. Through Richard I’ve been introduced to prophetic spiritual voices including women and people of color. Each emphasizes the importance of balancing action AND contemplation in our daily lives as we work to create a more just society for all people. In fact, Richard often emphasizes that “AND” is the most important word in the Center’s name. Cynthia Bourgeault Mirabai Starr Barbara Holmes Rev. angel-Kyodo williams Barbara Brown Taylor Howard Thurman Brian McLaren To give you a sense of Richard’s worldview, here are four recent weekly summaries, two of his Daily Meditations (or “medications” as I like to call them) and a short video explaining contemplation. Within each weekly summary you’ll find a short excerpt from each day’s larger meditation and a link to the complete meditation. Each summary also includes a contemplative practice to help us embody the message. What do we mean by contemplation? (5-min video) Radical Solidarity (Excerpt) “A contemplative lens is the only frame through which we can recognize and address the three sources of evil: the world, the flesh, and the devil. When we remain in egoic consciousness, evil (especially in its first hidden forms that look so much like goodness), will take over unchallenged. This is exactly what Brazilian archbishop Dom Hélder Câmara (1909–1999) said many years ago when he talked about the ‘spiral of violence’: institutional violence provokes a violent response, which in turn is met with “necessary” repression, [1] and then the same pattern repeats, each level growing more and more violent without really resolving the underlying problem (or evil).” Contemplative Activists: Weekly Summary (7/18/20) Contemplation and Racism: Weekly Summary (6/13/20) Alternative Community: Weekly Summary (6/6/20) Community: Weekly Summary (5/9/20) Additional Richard Rohr Resources Systemic Evil Richard has been teaching on the subject of systemic evil for years. He reminds us that we are dealing more with evil systems than with evil people, but we’ve wasted a lot of time and energy on the individuals, allowing the systems to continue unchallenged. Here’s one meditation that’ll give you an overview: Spiral of Violence: The World, The Flesh & The Devil (10/21/15) --the following image is a quote by Brazilian Archbishop Camara who was citied in this meditation Nonviolence: The Third Way (2019) --“Walter Wink (1935–2012), with whom I taught at several conferences some years ago, wrote a brilliant book, Jesus and Nonviolence, on a third way between fight and flight. I can see why Jesus calls it ‘a narrow path,’ as it’s not the ego’s default or preferred method. Read on. . . . There are three general responses to evil: (1) passivity, (2) violent opposition, and (3) the third way of . . . nonviolence articulated by Jesus. Human evolution has conditioned us for only the first two of these responses. . . . Jesus abhors both passivity and violence as responses to evil. His is a third alternative not even touched by these options. . . .” Nonviolence: Weekly Summary (9/23/17) --(from Sunday) “I sense the urgency of the Holy Spirit, with 7.5 billion humans now on the planet at the same time. Our future is either nonviolent or there is no future at all.” Radical Politics (7/12/18) -- “In his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus directly says that our inner attitudes and states are the real sources of our problems, preceding our outward behaviors.” Illuman.org Illuman is a men’s organization that grew out of pioneering work in this field done by Richard Rohr. I belong to three different monthly groups – no bullshit zones, where I can be honest and vulnerable enough to talk about what needs work and also share my gifts with my brothers. On Saturday July 25, I participated in a 4-hour online workshop “Reckoning with our Past – Transforming Racial Pain in America” that was hosted by Illuman of Ohio. The two presenters described how white supremacy developed out of racist philosophies like the Doctrine of Discovery that empowered church and government to combine and enslave whole races and classes of people. It was history that was never told to me. I’m 72. They will be offering a follow up in late fall. RESOURCES The next 2 resources were inspired by the Ohio Illuman racial reckoning event: What is the Doctrine of Discovery? --from the Unitarian Universalist Association – a group actively involved in promoting social justice. This site includes the following 14-minute video. Watch it with your children and grandchildren. The truth will set us free… The True Story of the Colonization of the United States of America The next 4 resources were provided by the Ohio Illuman presenters as preparatory material for our event: This History is Long; This History Is Deep – OnBeing Podcast with Isabel Wilkerson “Go to the doctor and they won’t begin to treat you without taking your history — and not just yours, but that of your parents and grandparents before you. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson points this out as she reflects on her epic work of narrative nonfiction, The Warmth of Other Suns. She’s immersed herself in the stories of the Great Migration, the movement of six million African Americans to northern U.S. cities in the 20th century. The book is a carrier of histories and truths that help make sense of human and social challenges at the heart of our life together now.” ‘Notice the Rage; Notice the Silence’ – OnBeing Podcast with Resmaa Menakem “The best laws and diversity training have not gotten us anywhere near where we want to go. Therapist and trauma specialist Resmaa Menakem is working with old wisdom and very new science about our bodies and nervous systems, and all we condense into the word ‘race.’ Krista sat down with him in Minneapolis, where they both live and work, before the pandemic lockdown began. In this heartbreaking moment, after the killing of George Floyd and the history it carries, Resmaa Menakem’s practices offer us the beginning to change at a cellular level.” “1619” – NY Times Documentary on Slavery: Episode 1 – The Fight for a True Democracy “Four hundred years ago, in August 1619, a ship carrying more than 20 enslaved Africans arrived in the English colony of Virginia. No aspect of the country that would be formed here has been untouched by the 250 years of slavery that followed. ‘1619,’ a New York Times audio series hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones, examines the long shadow of that fateful moment. This episode includes scenes of graphic violence.” Site contains links to other episodes. How to Be an Antiracist – Brené Brown Podcast with Ibram X. Kendi “I’m talking with professor Ibram X. Kendi, New York Times bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist and the Director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University. We talk about racial disparities, policy, and equality, but we really focus on How to Be an Antiracist, which is a groundbreaking approach to understanding uprooting racism and inequality in our society and in ourselves.” The following are offered to further assist you in your own healing & discoveries… Thomas Merton’s Letter to a Young Activist – by Jim Forest --Correspondence between Thomas Merton and Jim Forest, a lifelong peace activist who founded the Catholic Peace Fellowship in 1964. Jim worked on the staff of the Catholic Worker community in NYC, alongside founder Dorothy Day. Thomas Merton - What Is Contemplation? (0:06:22) --reading from the opening pages of Merton’s “New Seeds of Contemplation” Richard Rohr in the Media --He’s been a guest of Oprah (Super Soul Sunday-several times), Krista Tippett (On Being Project-several times), Jim Wallis of Sojourners and has been interviewed by many other major media sources. Recognize the Other Person is You: Mantra, Music, Meditation & Global Sadhana --My kundalini yoga practice offers this mantra as a way of affirming and strengthening my foundational connection to everything: my True Self, all others and the Infinite. Here’s my favorite recording of these transformative, healing, awakening sounds: Humee Hum - The Other Is You – Mirabai Ceiba (0:12:03) Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder, John Legend perform "Lean On Me" at the 2015 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Tom Tittmann: Blogger on our shared journey through life Website: asoulinwonder.com Blog page Blog Posts with Social Justice Themes Nonviolence --As divisiveness rises, Gandhi & Dr. King courageously applied Jesus' teaching on nonviolence. Bastille Day: Have Fun Stormin’ the Castle But Don't Get Fooled:The revolution will/not be televised --All revolutions must begin in OUR own hearts. Contemplative practices create space where unity can emerge. Primary Day - Exercise the Preferential Option for the Poor --Thruout history the Source of Love has sided with the poor. Reflections from Abp. Camara, Richard Rohr, others Musical Ammunition-1: Intl Reggae Day (July 1)/New Video For Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry" --Social change is fought on many fronts. Here's front man Bob Marley delivering his prophetic ammunition... With G-d on Our Side: Sanitized History - “Purified” with Hand Cleaner & Whitewash --The "bottom line" is: We've ignored our prophets in order to heap up profits. Dylan, DMB, Neil Young, more Who is my Neighbor? --The priest: what will happen to me if I stop? Samaritan: what will happen to the man if I don't? Out on a Limb: Of Cherry Trees & Presidents & Pinocchio’s --When leaders are liars the people suffer. Now is not a time to kill our prophets or stone those sent to us. Cinco de Mayo - Walls can keep people out and keep people in. What kinds of walls are we building? “We’re all just walking each other home…” Ram Dass “All we are saying is give peace a chance…” John Lennon “Peace” like Christianity hasn’t really been tried yet… As G.K. Chesterton once said, “The Christian ideal [1] has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” [1] For me, “the Christian ideal” does not refer to dogmas, doctrines and complicated theology, but rather to the justice and mercy that Jesus & Martin Luther King & Dorothy Day & Mohandas Gandhi and others preached and lived and invited us to practice. “True religion is to look after, visit and make a difference in the lives of the homeless and loveless in their distress; to help children who have no parents and to care for women whose husbands have died…”(Acts 1:27) Lean On Me (Bill Withers) | Playing For Change | Song Around The World PLAYLIST OF ALL SONGS IN THIS POST Peace, tOM #racism #music #PlayingForChange #MartinLutherKing #JaneElliott #BuddyGuy #nonviolence #contemplation #DalaiLama #KahlilGibran #PoorPeoplesCampaign #CampaignNonviolence #RichardRohr #BillWithers #CynthiaBourgeault #MirabaiStarr #BarbaraHolmes #RevAngelKyodowilliams #BarbaraBrownTaylor #HowardThurman #BrianMcLaren #DomHélderCâmara #Illuman #IllumanOhio #DoctrineOfDiscovery #OnBeingPodcast #IsabelWilkerson #ResmaaMenakem #1619Project #NYTimes #BreneBrown #IbramXKendi #ThomasMerton #JimForest #MirabaiCeiba #GKChesterton #Gandhi #RamDass #JohnLennon

“I sense the urgency of the Holy Spirit, with [over] 7.5 billion humans now on the planet at the same time. Our future is either nonviolent or there is no future at all.” --Richard Rohr Summary: 8/6-8/8 Nonviolence: training, annual conference & Hiroshima commemoration-all online Nonviolence resources are included below for before or after the above events Jesus gave clear instructions about love for enemies that we’ve conveniently ignored Gandhi and Martin Luther King were courageous enough to apply his teaching Nonviolence begins at home – in each of our hearts Our egoic, small, fear-filled selves are the source of nearly all violence We need some form of contemplative practice to get connected to our True or Higher Selves and then to learn how to live from this expansive, self-and other-loving space We need training to know HOW to access this True/Higher Self that’s already with each of us, so we can love unconditionally Once accessed, the True Self enables us to see that, at this deeper level, we are intimately connected to EVERYTHING: ourselves, other people, our shared earthly home and our Divine Source, known by whatever name we choose. I hope that these resources will help us all on our own journeys to nonviolence… Step 1: Begin with Ourselves We are living in a time when violence – of words and actions - seems to be the only method for dealing with issues that are larger than us and with people who are different from us. Violence gives us the illusion that we are in control; when, in fact we are out of control. NOW is the time to embrace and begin to practice the Teacher’s life-saving, Earth-saving, relationship-building wisdom in the Beatitudes and Sermon on the Mount which addressed: love of enemies, forgiveness, reconciliation, judgment, and harboring hate in our hearts. A few courageous folks who practiced this wisdom included Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Because of this lack of nonviolent role models, we all need training in HOW to be so. HOW we do something is as, if not more, important than WHAT we do. We first need to take stock of our interior landscape – are there areas of hatred, mistrust or fear of some class(es) of people that we deem as less than us? From this space of getting our own house in order, we can then move to the outside. HH Dalai Lama has said that inner peace must come before outer peace. Similarly, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that our inner attitudes and states are the real sources of our problems, preceding our outward behaviors. We need some form of contemplative practice to enable us to see in “wholes” rather than “poles.” Otherwise, we just take sides and spend all our energy defending our side and attacking the other. For me, contemplation is helping me see the “other” as “me” – and realize that at the level of soul, we are one. We need training in nonviolence – the world of church and state has been run largely by white males, seeking power and control. They conveniently overlook Jesus’ clear teaching on nonviolence and love for enemies. Because of this bias from the top, we need to listen to different voices that show us – those at the bottom - how to think and then live nonviolently and compassionately with one another. Gandhi on the importance of training in nonviolence for individuals and nations “But if it is necessary for the individual to be trained in nonviolence, it is even more necessary for the nation to be trained likewise. One cannot be non-violent in one's own circle and violent outside it. Or else, one is not truly non-violent even in one's own circle; often the nonviolence is only in appearance. It is only when you meet with resistance, as for instance, when a thief or a murderer appears, that your nonviolence is put on its trail. You either try or should try to oppose the thief with his own weapons, or you try to disarm him by love. Living among decent people, your conduct may not be described as a non-violent. Mutual forbearance is nonviolence. Immediately, therefore, you get the conviction that nonviolence is the law of life, you have to practice it towards those who act violently towards you, and the law must apply to nations as individuals. Training no doubt is necessary. And beginnings are always small. But if the conviction is there, the rest will follow.” Christian nations have NOT followed the Teacher’s ways “Christians are usually sincere and well-intentioned people until you get to any real issues of ego, control power, money, pleasure, and security. Then they tend to be pretty much like everybody else. We are often given a bogus version of the Gospel, some fast-food religion, without any deep transformation of the self; and the result has been the spiritual disaster of ‘Christian’ countries that tend to be as consumer-oriented, proud, warlike, racist, class conscious, and addictive as everybody else-and often more so, I'm afraid.” ― Richard Rohr, Breathing Underwater As G.K. Chesterton once said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” (Source) Nonviolence Training Workshop, National Conference & Hiroshima & Nagasaki Annual Commemoration – all online – Aug. 6-8 Campaign Nonviolence National Conference & Hiroshima Day Events August 6-8 Online – Info, Presenters & Tickets here --Presenters from all faiths and walks of life – including Franciscan Richard Rohr THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020 - HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI COMMEMORATION ONLINE AT 8 P.M. EASTERN/5 P.M. PACIFIC. LEARN MORE HERE. FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2020 - NONVIOLENCE TRAINING ONLINE 3 P.M. EASTERN / 12 P.M. PACIFIC SATURDAY, AUGUST 8,2020 - CONFERENCE ONLINE BEGINNING AT 12 P.M. EASTERN/9 A.M. PACIFIC “THE CAMPAIGN NONVIOLENCE NATIONAL CONFERENCE EMBRACING THE NONVIOLENT SHIFT MARKING 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF U.S. BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI In this time of great transition ushered in by a worldwide crisis, nonviolence offers us what we need right now: a vision, strategies, and practices that will equip us to live and lead in the direction of personal and societal transformation. At this conference, you will experience the wisdom of nonviolence visionaries, scholars and practitioners who will share their expertise from a wide variety of fields. They will offer concrete pathways to build the transformed world our hearts long for, a world free from the violence of racism, poverty, war and the environmental crisis. Join us in embracing the nonviolent shift, connecting with each other and committing to creating a just, healthy and sustainable world for all.” RESOURCES TO HELP US PARTICIPATE Being Peaceful Change (a week of meditations on nonviolence-click links for full meditation) Saturday, August 1, 2020 Summary: Sunday, July 26—Friday, July 31, 2020 Gandhi’s spirit of non-violence sprang from an inner realization of spiritual unity in himself. —Thomas Merton (Sunday) Authentic spirituality is always first about you—about allowing your own heart and mind to be changed. (Monday) Nonviolence is the greatest and most active force in the world. The more you develop it in your own being, the more infectious it becomes till it overwhelms your surroundings and by and by might oversweep the world. —­Mohandas Gandhi (Tuesday) When you understand, you love. And when you love, you naturally act in a way that can relieve the suffering of people. —Thich Nhat Hanh (Wednesday) We are called to assist the Earth to heal her wounds and in the process heal our own—indeed, to embrace the whole creation in all its diversity, beauty and wonder. —Wangari Maathai (Thursday) Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can only be done by projecting the ethic of love to the center of our lives. —Martin Luther King, Jr. (Friday) Practice: A Settled Body Resmaa Menakem is a therapist and trauma specialist whose work focuses on how we carry our pain and fear in our bodies. We pass it along to those around us, and we pass it down from one generation to the next. We cannot hope to bring peace to the world if we are not at peace within ourselves. Menakem explains how we might begin the peacemaking process within our own bodies: Few skills are more essential than the ability to settle your body. If you can settle your body, you are more likely to be calm, alert, and fully present, no matter what is going on around you. A settled body enables you to harmonize and connect with other bodies around you, while encouraging those bodies to settle as well. Gather together a large group of unsettled bodies­—­or assemble a group of bodies and then unsettle them—and you get a mob or a riot. But bring a large group of settled bodies together and you have a potential movement—and a potential force for tremendous good in the world. A calm, settled body is the foundation for health, for healing, for helping others, and for changing the world. . . . Over time, I learned to access a settledness that is always and already present. I usually call it the Infinite Source, but it doesn’t require a name, or an explanation, or a belief. This settling of nervous systems, and this connection to a larger Source, is vital to healing. . . . You’ll recognize some of these practices as things I’ve described my [Black] grandmother doing; as things many small children do intuitively; as things parents often do with their babies; as things enslaved people did as they worked together on plantations; and as practices from many religions. Almost all of them [such as belly breathing, slow rocking, humming, singing aloud, or rubbing your belly] have also been proven to work in controlled lab experiments. Here, Resmaa Menakem offers a practice called “Breathe, Ground, and Resource,” which can be done standing, sitting, or lying down, with eyes open or closed. Take a few deep breaths. Let your body relax as much as it wants to. Think of a person, an animal, or a place that makes you feel safe and secure. Then imagine that, right now, this person or animal is beside you, or you are in that safe place. Breathing naturally, simply let yourself experience that safety and security for one to two minutes. Afterward, notice how and what you experience in your body. “The undigested emotional material of a lifetime is stored in our bodies.” --Thomas Keating (my paraphrase of hearing him say this on many occasions) “If we don’t transform our pain, we will transmit it.” --Richard Rohr Personal example: In recent years, I’ve been developing a growing awareness of how my body holds tension and learning practice that enable me to release the tension and relax. This is critical, because I lost my colon to stress (30+ years of ulcerative colitis) and I’m not sacrificing any more body parts! These practices began 15+ years ago with centering prayer and grew to include kundalini yoga, mindfulness, time in nature and listening to music. Nonviolence: Stanford - The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute “True pacifism,” or “nonviolent resistance,” King wrote, is “a courageous confrontation of evil by the power of love” Both “morally and practically” committed to nonviolence, King believed that “the Christian doctrine of love operating through the Gandhian method of nonviolence was one of the most potent weapons available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom” King called the principle of nonviolent resistance the “guiding light of our movement. Christ furnished the spirit and motivation while Gandhi furnished the method” King’s notion of nonviolence had six key principles. See article for details. Nonviolence: The Third Way --“Walter Wink (1935–2012), with whom I taught at several conferences some years ago, wrote a brilliant book, Jesus and Nonviolence, on a third way between fight and flight. I can see why Jesus calls it ‘a narrow path,’ as it’s not the ego’s default or preferred method. Read on. . . . There are three general responses to evil: (1) passivity, (2) violent opposition, and (3) the third way of . . . nonviolence articulated by Jesus. Human evolution has conditioned us for only the first two of these responses. . . . Jesus abhors both passivity and violence as responses to evil. His is a third alternative not even touched by these options. . . .” Nonviolence: Weekly summary Sept. 2017 --(from Sunday) “I sense the urgency of the Holy Spirit, with 7.5 billion humans now on the planet at the same time. Our future is either nonviolent or there is no future at all.” Radical Politics -- “In his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus directly says that our inner attitudes and states are the real sources of our problems, preceding our outward behaviors.” Nonviolence and Peace Movements: Crash Course World History 228 (0:12:48) --easy to follow summary outlining history of nonviolence & peace movements --includes Leo Tolstoy’s (War and Peace author) influence on Gandhi A New Story of Justice: Nonviolence and Restorative Justice (0:03:30) --presents benefits to victims & offenders of two forms of justice: Retributive (an eye for an eye) Restorative (aims for mutual healing of relationships) --[The retributive justice system] is the most powerful stimulant of violence that we have yet discovered. ~ James Gilligan --Mass incarceration is one of the most painful issues in our society. The Neuroscience of Restorative Justice | Dan Reisel - TED (0:14:35) Nonviolence Playlist – coming soon, check my YouTube Channel Peace, tOM #nonviolence #Gandhi #MartinLutherKing #RichardRohr #TrueSelf #EgoSelf #Beatitudes #SermonOnTheMount #contemplation #GKChesterton #CampaignNonviolence #Hiroshima #Nagasaki #AtomicBomb #NuclearWeapons #ThomasMerton #ThichNhatHanh #ResmaaMenakem #ThomasKeating #CenteringPrayer #yoga #mindfulness #LeoTolstoy #DanReisel #WalterWink #CrashCourseWorldHistory

“The feminine spirit is rising deep in the hearts of creation, to heal our battered world and bring new life.” --Mary Southard, CSJ, artist July 22 – Feast day of Mary Magdalene Correcting over 2,000 years of misinformation, I hope you’ll be able to see that Mary is NOT the “sinner” that anointed Jesus feet with oil and wiped them with her hair. Instead, she is, as St. Augustine called her – “The apostle to the apostles.” She was the only recorded person to remain with Jesus from the cross to the grave and from the grave to the garden tomb on that First Day of the Week. This week, Richard Rohr is focusing on this courageous woman who has been relegated to the backrooms of church history. In her place, the front stage has been given to men – who didn’t go all the way with Jesus in his hour of need, abandoning him for the safety of the upper room. Mary chose the lower room – at the foot of his execution station and outside the tomb that could not contain him. For her faithfulness, she was rewarded with being chosen as the first person the Risen Teacher appeared to on that first day of the week. He whispered her name, “Mary.” Above: Artist Janet McKenzie’s portrayal of Mary Magdalene alongside Jesus Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations – Weekly Theme: Mary Magdalene --above image used as the banner image for this week’s meds (Rx’s) Love and Knowing Become One Sunday, July 19, 2020 Go Back to the Gospels Monday, July 20, 2020 She Does Not Run Tuesday, July 21, 2020 Faithful to the End Wednesday, July 22, 2020 Great Love Thursday, July 23, 2020 Come and See Friday, July 24, 2020 Click here for the weekly summary & contemplative practice. In Tuesday’s meditation, Richard notes: “[1] Though it may seem like a small victory to some, I think it’s significant that in 2016 Pope Francis decreed that Mary Magdalene’s feast day, July 22, is “to be ‘celebrated’ liturgically like the rest of the apostles.” See https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2016/06/10/160610c.html. Janet McKenzie – Artist Janet McKenzie artist – Home Page Hope – video shows her artwork being used to raise awareness of current social issues --see “Liberation Theology” below Her “Jesus of the People” project McKenzie’s portrayal of Jesus as a black man (above) got her death threats. William Paul Young was similarly criticized for his depiction of G-d as a black woman in his classic book “The Shack.” Art can bypass our overly-opinionated & defended minds & penetrate our souls So far, I haven’t been treated the same as McKenzie, Young and other artists for my artistic interpretation of Jamaican Jesus in my post about Jesus as a musician: “I Must be about my Father’s Business” – if Jesus’ dad was a Musician That said, I WAS censured for an email I sent to some church folks in which I portrayed Jesus praying in full lotus position. Question: You’re a Sunday school teacher in a foreign land. How else would you present the Prophet, the Divine Lover, to local souls, including children? If he is to be accepted, it’ll help if he looks like one of them. FYI – I looked online and was not able to find a dark-skinned version of the above. Artists know what Paul knew when he said that he wanted to be all things to all people (1 Cor. 9). The Kingdom of G-d is like…a lotus blossom… Jesus and Krishna Jesus and Ganesha “If you’re hungry, I’ll come to you as bread and feed you with my very self.” --Jesus & Gandhi For more on unconventional sacred imagery, see my Holy Thursday post: Holy Thursday - Do WHAT in memory of me? “What if it’s simply to be together around the dinner table, perhaps a last meal together for a particular family member, who might be going away to school or moving to another state to start a new job, or getting married, or dealing with a serious illness, or……………..?” Vulnerable Masculinity: Kitchen Table Spirituality As a young man at parties, I often gravitated to the kitchen to hang out with the women. As I remember it, they seemed to go deeper than the macho world us guys inhabited. By deeper I mean able to be vulnerable enough to express the things that were troubling, stuff we hadn’t figured out and were wrestling with. Women seemed to do this naturally. Thankfully, through the years, I did find a few guys that were comfortable in these scary and culturally off-limits places for men. One of these safe places to be the vulnerable warrior with an exposed Achilles heel is in the groups to which I belong as part of the Illuman men’s organization – a male spirituality process that grew out of the pioneering men’s work of Richard Rohr. You can read more about this on my website. Jimi Hendrix (& Tom) on Mary Magdalene The Wind Cries Mary – Jimi Hendrix Knowing that Jimi wrote a poem about Mary (see “The Story of Life” further down), I re-listened to his “The Wind Cries Mary” and offer some reflections [in brackets] for your consideration… THE WIND CRIES MARY After all jacks are in their boxes And the clowns have all gone to bed You can hear happiness staggering on down the street Footprints dressed in red [the religious and political leaders (“clowns”, “jacks”) with bloodstained feet are rejoicing that their “problem” (Jesus) has been eliminated] And the wind whispers Mary [“wind” is a common metaphor for Spirit – here the Spirit whispers her name] A broom is drearily sweeping Up the broken pieces of yesterday's life Somewhere a queen is weeping Somewhere a king has no wife [“broken pieces of yesterday's life: the old – Mary’s & everyone else’s - has gone, the new is about to be risen…] [“queen” could be Pilate’s wife who, after having a dream about Jesus, sends Pilate a message urging the ruler to release him] And the wind, it cries Mary [“Cries” – a now more forceful Spirit utterance…Mary hears it in her heart of hearts…and waits…] The traffic lights they turn a blue tomorrow And shine their emptiness down on my bed The tiny island sags downstream 'Cause the life that they lived is dead [“'Cause the life that they lived is dead” – a rephrasing of “broken pieces of yesterday’s life” – the new life of the risen Jesus replaces what came before – the old life] And the wind screams Mary [“screams” – Spirit is even more forceful, more demanding…more inviting…and Mary waits…by the tomb…] Will the wind ever remember? The names it has blown in the past And with its crutch, its old age and its wisdom It whispers "no, this will be the last" And the wind cries Mary [Over 2,000 years of history – and the winds of time - attest that because of Mary’s courage and faithfulness, her carrying of Jesus’ message to the apostles, that, “YES, this will NOT be the end of this message of love and reconciliation] [finally, recognizing the person she thought to be the gardener, Mary’s eyes receive Jesus’ loving gaze, as he gently whispers her name…] Let me know what you think of these reflections… On the night before he died…he took paper and blessed it with words…words that he never got to sing…Jimi’s farewell poem – “The Story of Life” These would be Jimi's last lyrics - composed in London, 17th of September 1970 – the night before he died. Later, Curtis Knight, who co-wrote songs with Jimi, recorded a version of “The Story of Life.” The Story of Life – by Jimi Hendrix and Curtis Knight. A Prophetic But Long-Forgotten Song The Story of Life - Jimi Hendrix THE STORY OF LIFE The story of Jesus So easy to explain After they crucified him, A woman, she claimed his name The story of Jesus The whole Bible knows Went all across the desert And in the middle, he found a rose There should be no questions There should be no lies He was married ever happily after All the tears we cry No use in arguing All the use to the man that moans When each man falls in battle His soul it has to roam Angles of heaven Flying saucers to some, Made Easter Sunday The name of the rising sun The story is written By so many people who dared, To lay down the truth To so very many who cared To carry the cross Of Jesus and beyond We will guide the light This time with a woman in our arms We as men Can't explain the reason why The woman's always mentioned At the moment that we die All we know Is God is by our side, And he says the word So easy yet so hard I wish not to be alone, So I must respect my other heart Oh, the story Of Jesus is the story Of you and me No use in feeling lonely, I am searching to be free The story Of life is quicker Than the wink of an eye The story of love Is hello and goodbye Until we meet again Mary in songs and a movie Go Tell the World (Mary Magdalene's Song) – Philippa Hanna --be sure to read the songwriter’s testimony Lights of Magdala – Kris Kristofferson Mary Magdalene Movie Trailer Regardless of its historical accuracy, this portrayal shows a courageous woman facing her fears and the social restrictions her society imposed on her because she was a woman. As I’ve written before, the literal, black & white versions of sacred texts can only take us so far. To go deeper into the heart level of Mysteries, we need the help of mystics who offer themselves as artists, writers, sculptors, poets, musicians and other storytellers. “The Kingdom of G-d is like…” …a musician looking for his soul… Rev. Dr. Cynthia Bourgeault on Mary as a wisdom figure Rev. Dr. Cynthia Bourgeault talks about her book – “THE MEANING OF MARY MAGDALENE” Jesus and Mary Magdalene: Wisdom Teachers – Rev. Dr. Cynthia Bourgeault Mirabai Starr on Mary as prophet Inviting Mary Magdalene into the Altar of Your Heart: Insights into a Woman Prophet + Guided Visualization with Mirabai Starr Sr. Joan Chittister on Mary as faithful friend The friend of Jesus – Sr. Joan Chittister --an article about friendship &, in particular, the one between Mary and Jesus. The icon of the saint is below. An Easter Message – Sr. Joan Chittister “Easter confronts us with the greatest challenge of them all: faith in darkness. Just because we know that what we’re doing is right does not mean that it will be easy. It certainly does not mean that even our best efforts will prevail. It finally does not mean that what we live for will happen in our lifetime.” “Mary Magdalene is our model. She was one of the women who, according to Luke’s Gospel, ‘followed Jesus, supporting him out of their own substance.’ She banked her whole life on the fact that the vision of this Jesus would come to fullness.” “Sisters of True Charity” on Mary as friend of G-d and prophet In the News - Nuns on the Bus, July 24, 2016 --article presents women religious who are actively working for peace and justice. It fits in with this post in that it includes both a meditation on Mary Magdalene and artwork by Mary Southard, CSJ, whose quote opened my reflections. Mary’s name used in vain & in pain Joni Mitchell - The Magdalene Laundries (Live Toronto 1994) --In the first 2:30 Joni begins by telling the story… For over 230 years in Ireland, the church and government operated asylums for the reputed purpose of reforming women: prostitutes, rape victims, unwed mothers, those too pretty to look at (potential temptresses), and others deemed unfit for society. They named these places of slave labor “Magdalene,” incorrectly associating Mary with the “sinner” who anointed Jesus feet. At these workhouses, they labored long hours for free and were subjected to all forms of abuse by the nuns who acted like prison wardens. In many cases they were stripped of their very identities and given new names. This horror became front page news in 1992 when the religious order (Sisters of Charity) that owned one of these places sold land to a developer who, subsequently, unearthed mass unmarked graves. The order could not produce death certificates for most of the bodies. Subsequently, all of the religious orders involved have refused to disclose records or contribute to the victims compensation fund established by the government. "And you never ask questions When God's on your side" --Bob Dylan Wikipedia Article How Ireland Turned ‘Fallen Women’ Into Slaves (history.com-2018) These Women Survived Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries. They’re Ready to Talk. (NY Times-2018) Pro-life Hypocrisy The above article points out the inconsistency of Ireland’s pro-life policies. While they maintained a constitutional ban on abortion until 2018, they also supported these horror houses and “the systemic practice of forced and illegal adoptions, often without records, which preserved an illusion of Catholic chastity while depriving unwed mothers of their children and children of their birth identities.” See next link. Irish Leader Apologizes for Adoptions That ‘Robbed Children’ of Their Identity (NY Times-2018) Another reminder about the need to reform our American penal system with its profit-driven, retributive justice model – that’s historically ineffective. Liberation Theology Deserving a post of its own, here’s a short meditation that helps provide some context to the themes of this post about Mary Magdalene. Liberation Theology Sunday, March 20, 2016 One of the great themes of the Bible, which begins in the Hebrew Scriptures and is continued in Jesus and Paul, is called “the preferential option for the poor”; I call it “the bias toward the bottom.” We see the beginnings of this theme about 1200 years before Christ with an enslaved people in Egypt. Through their history God chooses to engage humanity in a social and long-standing conversation. The Hebrew people’s exodus out of slavery, through twists and turns and dead ends, finally brings them to the Promised Land, eventually called Israel. This is a standing archetype of the perennial spiritual journey from entrapment to liberation. It is the universal story. Moses, himself a man at “the bottom” (a murderer on the run and caring for his father-in-law’s sheep), first encounters God in a burning bush (Exodus 3:2). Like so many initial religious experiences, this happens while Moses is alone—externally and interiorly. The encounter is nature-based and transcendent at the same time: “Take off your shoes; this is holy ground” (see Exodus 3:5). This religious experience is immediately followed by a call to a very costly social concern for Moses’ own oppressed people, whom he had not cared about up to then. God said, “I have heard the groaning of my people in Egypt. You, Moses, are to go confront the Pharaoh and tell him to let my people go” (see Exodus 3:9-10). There, at the very beginning of the Judeo-Christian tradition, is the perfect integration of action and contemplation. First, the transformative experience takes place through the burning bush. Immediately it has social, economic, historical, and political implications. How did we ever lose sight of this when our Scriptures and tradition begin this way? The connection is clear. There is no authentic God experience that does not situate you in the world in a very different way. After an encounter with True Presence you see things quite differently, and it gives you freedom from your usual loyalties and low-level payoffs—the system that gave you your security, your status, your economics, and your very identity. Your screen of life expands exponentially. This transformation has costly consequences. Moses had to leave Pharaoh’s palace to ask new questions and become the liberator of his people. I believe the Exodus story is the root of all liberation theology, which Jesus fully teaches and exemplifies, especially in the three synoptic Gospels (see Luke 4:18-19). Jesus is primarily a healer of the poor and powerless. That we do not even notice this reveals our blindness to Jesus’ obvious bias. Liberation theology focuses on freeing people from religious, political, social, and economic oppression (i.e., what Pope John Paul II called “structural sin” and “institutional evil”). It goes beyond just trying to free individuals from their own particular “naughty behaviors,” which is what sin now seems to mean to most people in our individualistic culture. Structural sin is accepted as good and necessary on the corporate or national level. Large organizations—including the Church—and governments get away with and are even applauded for killing (war), greed, vanity, pride, and ambition. Yet individuals are condemned for committing these same sins. Such a convenient split will never create great people, nations, or religions. Liberation theology, instead of legitimating the self-serving status quo, tries to read reality, history, and the Bible not from the side of the powerful, but from the side of the pain. Its beginning point is not sin management, but “Where is the suffering?” Our starting point makes all the difference in how we read the Bible. Jesus spends little time trying to ferret out sinners or impose purity codes in any form. He just goes where the pain is. I dare you to try to disprove that. Resource for Sacred Feminine Spirituality Mother's Day & the Sacred Feminine in the World's Spiritual Traditions PLAYLIST FOR SONGS IN THIS POST Benediction… …Pax, Pais, Paz, Peace… tOM #art #music #JanetMcKenzie #MarySouthard #RichardRohr #MaryMagdalene #WesNisker #ThomasMerton #WilliamPaulYoung #Krishna #Ganesha #Gandhi #Illuman #vulnerability #JimiHendrix #CurtisKnight #PhilippaHanna #KrisKristofferson #CynthiaBourgeault #MirabaiStarr #JoanChittister #JoniMitchell #MagdaleneLaundries #BobDylan #LiberationTheology

To: Jim & Deb and all who read this tale…may you remain forever young… A comment on the title: the man who hired me out of the auto repair shops and into Avis Rent a Car's WHQ uttered prophetic words like these to me shortly before he retired. His actual words were, "Tom, if I could do my career over again, I'd spend less time trying to prove I was right, and more time developing relationships." My own ledger or "inventory" for 12-Steppers like me, is unclear on how I've measured up; SO, I just look to the present and try to be in right relationship whenever possible - beginning with those I live with - Eileen and John. As I've paraphrased before, "G-d comes to us disguised as our wife (life)." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ This post began as a celebration of the 40th wedding anniversary of my brother-in-law Jim and his wife Debbie. As I thought about their relationship, mine with Eileen, and those of other couples I know, I began to see our roles as married couples from a larger perspective. Follow me there… This is an attempt to tell a story about the fruits of committed relationships. Using lots of music, especially Bob Dylan's, it interweaves related threads: Storytelling – how and why we pass along to our children what matters most to us. Even before synagogue, temple, church, ashram, mosque or nature shrine, our homes - in fact, our very selves - are where we sit before the Presence – hopefully, like Moses, with unveiled faces – face to face – or as Thomas Keating liked to say, “Mouth-to-mouth.” Divine intimacy! Marriage – and other forms of committed relationships are one way that we pass on our stories from generation to generation. Hope for the future… Reverse Aging – In “My Back Pages” Bob Dylan sings, “I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.” Like many of his verses, paradoxical for sure. I now see this imagery as his way of saying at least two things: o As we age with OPEN eyes, ears, hearts and minds, we grow in wisdom and grace and are enabled to see past, present and future with renewed vision. In this expansive place, there is no time as we normally conceive of it. There is only NOW – this present moment…this present moment…this present moment… o We’re only as old as we think – to the extent that we can evolve and grow and adapt to the inevitable changes that life presents - especially in our relationships - we will remain forever young at heart and forever young in mind. ---->We will remain "neurally plastic." “Forever Young” – For me, this Bob Dylan classic describes the results of neuroplasticity. I had this tune in mind when Eileen, John and I were doing our segment of your anniversary video compilation. It seemed to sum up how I see you - Jim & Deb - individually and as a couple. Deb & Jim (& you readers - my extended family): -->Here’s a link to Dylan’s song as it was performed at a NYC synagogue in 2016 as a tribute to Bob for his Nobel Prize in Literature. Inter-generational Teaching – CSN&Y’s song “Teach Your Children” describes a back and forth cycle, whereby parents first teach their children; and, if they’re open, they in turn can be taught by their children – and this cycle repeats to their children’s children. History Lessons in Music – Told as we’ve experienced them – not necessarily as they were told to us and to our children. This is where music, particularly songs about real issues that feature color-filled, not whitewashed, language – is a great teaching tool. Using the songs that we grew up with and marched to – we teach the next generation. Our discography forms our sacred texts NEW: Here's a playlist of all the music in this post. ON STORYTELLING…PASSING ALONG OUR HERITAGE As I was finishing my morning centering prayer meditation, the following imagery came to me. The wisdom scriptures from our various spiritual traditions are given to us as a sacred trust – they are for us now and for our children and our children’s children. This successive passing on of what we’ve been entrusted with is to insure the continuation of our human family. As has been said, those who don’t know history are bound to repeat it. The literal level of interpretation is usually the least helpful and the one over which wars – of words and bullets – are most often fought. The deeper levels of meaning – the contemplative, the mystical, the allegorical – are the ones that speak perennial wisdom to the soul and the ones that can unite us as a human family. Stories that house hidden truths emerge from this deeper well of meaning. In the Judeo-Christian tradition in which I was raised, storytelling examples include: Nathan the prophet’s confronting David with the story of the poor man and his ewe lamb. I noted similarities in this story and that of Thomas More’s confrontation with King Henry VIII, as told in the movie “A Man for all Seasons” that Eileen and I just watched. Later, Jesus used parables – stories – that often began with “The Kingdom of G-d is like…a wedding feast…a vine…fine pearls…a seed…” (how appropriate for this post on your wedding anniversary) What kinds of stories are we telling our children as they observe our interactions as married couples? So, I’m going to tell a story – a story that I believe contains something for everyone. And, like many tellers of tales, I’m gonna’ meander along with side trips and backtracks, as I share what’s been given to me. In his acceptance speech for the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature, storyteller, poet, prophet and mystic, Bob Dylan says pretty much the same thing. In trying to unpack why he was given an award in the literature category, he says that he will go about it “in a roundabout way, while hoping that what he will say will be worthwhile and purposeful.” I hope to do likewise… ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MARRIAGE - ONE WAY WE PASS ON WHAT MATTERS Both Moses (in the Torah) and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (in their sacred songs) agree that we have a responsibility to teach our children – WELL. “The next time your child asks you, ‘What do these requirements and regulations and rules that God, our God, has commanded mean?’ tell your child, “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and God powerfully intervened and got us out of that country. We stood there and watched as God delivered miracle-signs, great wonders, and evil-visitations on Egypt, on Pharaoh and his household. He pulled us out of there so he could bring us here and give us the land he so solemnly promised to our ancestors. That’s why God commanded us to follow all these rules, so that we would live reverently before God, our God, as he gives us this good life, keeping us alive for a long time to come.” “It will be a set-right and put-together life for us if we make sure that we do this entire commandment in the Presence of God, our God, just as he commanded us to do.” (Deuteronomy 6:20-25 The Message) Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Teach Your Children (Official Music Video) "Powerful animated collaboration between song writer Graham Nash and celebrated filmmaker and animator Jeff Scher. The imagery frames the youth-led liberal activism of 2018 against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement and Peace demonstrations of the 1960's, providing a powerful visual aid to Graham Nash's relevant-as-ever appeal to teach not only our children but also our parents well." “I wrote Teach Your Children because we have much to teach them. Conversely, I believe we as parents have much to learn from them as well. I think that Jeff Scher did a wonderful job of animating my lyrics and positioning the song in a contemporary setting." - Graham Nash (2018) REVERSE AGING “I hope I die before I get old…” --The Who: My Generation …that is, old in my heart and head…I want to be forever young... MAY YOU BE FOREVER YOUNG: AN INTER-GENERATIONAL MESSAGE Deb & Jim: Hi! I hoped you had as much fun and full-heartedness as you viewed your anniversary video compilation - as we did in doing our small part of your larger celebration. You are loved by many – because of who you are. Mike (Jim & Deb's son): You had a wonderfully creative inspiration for this gift of remembrance! May you all be forever young… After Michael asked us to join in, I began thinking of what I’d like to add. But my heart took over and, as I thought about you guys, I kept hearing the words, “Forever Young.” This imagery seemed to capture both of you individually and as a couple. I then planned to use that as a soundtrack for our family’s video tribute to you. Well, that didn’t get in the can, as the idea fell to the cutting room floor. But, like a possible Disney animation inspired by “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” the discarded film came dancin’ back to life. Here’s the scene – “Picture yourself… …in a boat on a river With tangerine trees and marmalade skies Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly A girl with kaleidoscope eyes Celluloid film (Cellophane flowers) of yellow and green Towering over your head Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes And she's gone” Last minute add: A Rock & Roll History Lesson from a Mouse – MARRIAGE: A Magical, Musical Mystery Tour Seeing Mickey, I remembered another mouse – a graphic artist known as “Mouse” or “Stanley Mouse” who did artwork (album covers, concert posters) for 60’s and 70’s rock bands. He collaborated with other artists like Alton Kelley and Rick Griffin. “The pair (Mouse & Kelley) are credited with creating the skeleton and roses image that became the Grateful Dead's archetypal iconography, and Journey's wings and beetles that appeared on their album covers from 1977 to 1980.” Here’s the Wikipedia article about Mouse. And here are some Dead [sic] flowers to celebrate your anniversary… Grateful Dead Play the Rolling Stones (audio only) OK – I’ll add a link to the other...the original, one and only (naw, that's Beatles)...Dead Flowers --not about a positive relationship…but a helluva song and in an intimate setting – real up close and personal Speaking of hell…the rising smoke during this performance brought to mind another classic… Sympathy for the Devil --very imaginative visual imagery – a helluva video! Stay Tuned Movie Trailer – John Ritter, Pam Dawber & Eugene Levy – A film about relationships - diabolical and not... --as long as we’re hovering around permanent warmer climates – and I’m not referring to global warming – Eileen and I just watched this movie last night about a couple in a relationship that needs HELP and gets some from HELL. Hell-arious! "It's heaven all the way to heaven" (Catherine of Siena) - to which others have added: "It's hell all the way to hell." All of this imagery unfolded, as I started doing a short Facebook post for you guys. What followed was pure musical sorcery – witch [sic] brings me to my most important wish for you - I hope you feel loved. This post will be a keeper on my blog of remembrance. Stardate: Tuesday – July 7, 2020 As Eileen and I were talking that morning, the word “Steamroller” got used in a sentence. Immediately, I remembered that there was a song with this word. As you probably know from my blogging, at this time in my life, almost ANYTHING can trigger a musical connection and subsequent adventure. Yogi YouTube, my musical guru, served up the following JT tune: Steamroller Blues – James Taylor Knowing how much you both like Tanglewood and James Taylor, I looked for a version at that venue – and found a few - but I liked this one because JT tells the story of how he came to write it. I then started steam rolling “Tanglewood” around in my mind (“it’s such a fine mind” – see “Encores” at end), and came up with the next two songs: Tangled Up in Blue – Bob Dylan --it sort of fits in, seeing that it’s about relationships – and all relationships that have lasted as long as yours – and ours – surely involve struggles. If we try and we try, and we try, and we try…, we can work it out. (Rolling Stones & Beatles mashup) "Tangled Up In You" - Staind – Lyrics --another and more positive view of relationships. You Two Are Forever Young And, now back to my soundtrack for your “This is Your Life” anniversary remembrance. I begin with this wonderful 2016 version performed at Manhattan’s Central Synagogue as a tribute to fellow Jew, Robert Zimmerman, aka, Bob Dylan - on his 2016 Nobel Prize laureate in literature. Central Synagogue - Forever Young (Bob Dylan Tribute) Forever Young – A Children’s Book by Bob Dylan (publisher’s promo) --I put this one next because I believe, as Psalms tells us, that children are a heritage from the Lord. They are sent here to help us learn how to love. It’s a cyclical relationship…we teach them…then they teach us…and, if both parties stay awake…this cycle will keep repeating – both within this present generation and on to subsequent ones. Forever Young – Mrs. Callahan Reads This video has a kindergarten/first grade teacher reading and turning pages from the complete book. I took this next screenshot because I see in this wonder-filled book your sons Michael (guitar) and Glenn (sax) playing their instruments. Plus, I saw a clarinet in the Central Synagogue video above and that reminded me of another member of your musical family – Glenn’s wife Jeannette. As Mrs. Callahan turned the pages, I saw images that reminded me of other family members: My sister Mary – a Callahan and a school teacher and devoted mom of 4 children, who is also celebrating an anniversary (July 12) with her husband Dennis – 40 years young! My nephew Brian’s wife Maggie - The following illustration includes a VW bug, reminding me of how I got my start fixing cars – and shows a storefront for a music shop named “Maggie’s.” Maggie, married to Brian Callahan, is the daughter-in-law of Mary & Dennis. She just did a similar family video compilation that celebrated Mary & Dennis’s 40th knot-tying anniversary (July 12). Maggie & Brian Callahan also happened to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary yesterday – July 11. Ian & Grace Bethany ("extended family") also celebrated their 5th on July 11. Glenn & Jeannette Duffy are also celebrating 5 years together on July 11. GRANDPARENTS/PARENTS/AUNTS/UNCLES, ETC.: Mrs. Callahan Reads – a kindergarten/first grade teacher - just joined YouTube earlier this year and had uploaded several other books that she reads aloud. Enjoy them with your young family members. Here’s her YouTube channel. Tips for Tellin' Tales: If you have the opportunity to tell stories - from your lives and the lives of others - to your grandchildren/children, pretend you’re Peter Falk reading to Fred Savage and add your own touches. “Become like a little child…to enter heaven” --Jesus HISTORY LESSONS IN MUSIC What Really Happened? See "Alternative History" at the end for posts I've already done on this topic. If we don’t learn from our history... GENERATIONAL PROGRESSION: From “The Greatest” to the “Talkin’ ‘bout” Generations My father and many of yours (or your grandfathers) were part of what history now calls “The Greatest Generation.” We’ll I’m part of what I’m calling the “Talkin’-‘bout-my-generation generation.” You might ask WHO wrote that song – to which I’d say, “YES.” Hmmmm FYI - "WHO" could also stand for World Health Organization - IF, you think like me and others and view the music of my generation as good for the health of our bodies, minds and souls... Me and my generation have a responsibility to “Teach our Children.” And this includes also listening to them…so we, in turn, can be taught by them. LAUGHS…ENCORES…EXTRAS…BONUS TRACKS Marriage is no laughing matter…or is it? Spaceballs Marriage Scene Princess Bride Marriage Scene Robin Hood Men in Tights Wedding Scene Super Compilation of Movie Wedding Scenes Alternative History – the Real Truth…so help me, G-d Musical Ammunition/International Reggae Day/July 1/New Bob Marley Video Primary Day: Exercise a Preferential Option for the Poor With G-d on our Side: Sanitized History Purified with Hand Cleaner & Whitewash I Don't Trust to Nothing - I'm Just Playing in the Band Our Times Call for True Elders, Not Mere Olders Out on a Limb of Cherry Trees, Presidents & Pinocchio's Cinco de Mayo: Walls Can Keep People Out & Keep People In - What Kinds of Walls are We Builfding? More music and inspiration…to help us stay FOREVER YOUNG Forever Young – Bob Dylan (w/lyrics in English and Spanish - song repeats at 5:00) --I liked the two-generational imagery in this version The next two videos about a Pete Seeger version of this song were produced with Amnesty International – USA. Both contain images of a “human rights passport.” Here’s a link where you can view a version from the UK. Here’s another human rights passport version. The Story Behind "Forever Young" by Pete Seeger Forever Young – Pete Seeger Bob Dylan’s Acceptance Speech for the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature Ends with: “Sing in me, O Muse, and tell the story.” He begins this story with a experience at a Buddy Holly concert where, like Elijah and Elisha, the mantel of musical prophecy got passed from one soul to another. He goes on to tell how his influences in classic literature influenced his life’s work, including: Moby Dick by Herman Melville All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque The Odyssey by Homer Nobel Prize site’s version of Bob’s acceptance speech with on-screen text Why Bob Dylan Matters – Case Western University w/ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Bob Dylan & The Band “Forever Young” Tribute to Bob Dylan Contest for alert viewers: In which time frames does Bob meet Moses? Rod Stewart – Forever Young --with his young daughter Rod Stewart - Forever Young --with his adult daughter Ruby and her band “The Sisterhood” – with their introduction of the fiddling and Irish jig interlude – they were “Rockin’ and Reelin.” Neil Young – Heart of Gold (live at Farm Aid 1985) --ALL READERS: keep searching for your heart of gold…and you'll stay FOREVER YOUNG “For I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now” Bob Dylan 79th Birthday Special - Old Man Forever Young --compilation of Neil Young’s “Old Man” and Bob’s “Forever Young” --I imagined it as both the young and old Bob Dylan’s meeting and singing this as a duet – one from a place at the beginning of his life and the other from farther down Highway 61. (note on "61" - I picked a version where you can understand the lyrics without the need for Google's "DylanTranslate." My Back Pages - Bob Dylan The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (October 1992) --Bob Dylan, Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, George Harrison George Harrison - His Complete Dylan tribute (October 1992) Lise Dellac joue et chante "My Back Pages" ( Dylan) --emotional rendition combining melancholic female voice plus NYC photos I close this story with images of a book I was given by my sister-in-law Debbie. She got it for me at a talk by the author and asked him to inscribe it. What a beautiful prayer and wonder-filled gift! “May you always know the truth And see the light surrounding you” --Forever Young – Bob Dylan Shalom…Peace…Namaste #music #art #humor #BobDylan #NeilYoung #RodStewart #PeteSeeger #GeorgeHarrison #NobelPrize #LiseDellac #JamesTaylor #CrosbyStillsNashYoung #MrsCallahanReads #StayTunedMovie #RollingStones #GratefulDead #StanleyMouse #AltonKelley #RickGriffin #Spaceballs #PrincessBride #RobinHoodMenInTights #SethRogovoy #Staind #Disney

Remember: As you storm the castles in your life – whether they’re seats of political, religious or corporate power or simply someone’s heart you want to win over – remember, that “the Other Person” is like you – made in the image and likeness of the Creator. Treat them with the respect that is due them – the same way you’d want to be treated. Rules of Engagement: Love one another as we are commanded to love ourselves. How can we do this? With a change of mind...a change of heart...we can be transformed from fear to love... Our ego minds give us a fearful, self-protective stance toward anyone, any way of life that's different from ours. It divides the world we see into good or bad, black or white, safe or dangerous. While this is helpful for crossing the street, it can't take us all the way to the experience of unity that our Creator desires for all her/his children - union with the Source and with one another. Read on to learn more about how to move beyond the constrictions of our egoic, small-self-defense system to the corresponding expansiveness of living in unitive experience of our True Self. Contemplative practice is one way to cross over to the other side - from fear to love. Meditation to help open our hearts to unity The Sun Shines on Everyone - Snatam Kaur Jesus' version of the above song “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” (Matthew 5: 43-48 The Message version of what's now called "The Beatitudes") Bastille Day - 14 Juillet July 14th Bastille Day is celebrated in remembrance of a fight for freedom against a tyrannical system of oppression. Like many revolutionary movements in history, the change suffered from its own flaws. Often we simply do a political version of military golf on our way to the (w)hole: Left…right…left…right…left…right…elephant…donkey…elephant…donkey… We DON’T need more swinging of the same ol’ pendulums... It’s time to wake from our illusions that either party is gonna’ save us… Apéritif or THE Song for the Revolution (“Drink with me…” – pretend you’re in a scene in “Les Mis” back in the French Revolution) Won’t Get Fooled Again - The Who (Live at Kilburn 1977) "We'll be fighting in the streets With our children at our feet" Readers: What would your ONE song be for the revolution? The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again (Glastonbury Festival 2015) --Our musical leaders, led by General Peter Townshend: “Meet the new boss Same as the old boss” So, unless we change the way we’ve been doing things, nothing significant really changes…the rich get richer while the poor get poorer… “Insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results.” Often incorrectly attributed to Einstein, here’s a site that looks at potential origins – several of them in the recovery rooms of A.A. My own life and the wisdom of the 12 Steps – tell me that’s enough evidence for me! I don’t care who said it or (from above “Who”) – IT’S TRUE! The Middle Way/Narrow Road/Third Way as Replacement for Military Golf (L-R, L-R) Deserving a post on its own, I just want to introduce a practice that can help us come to a place where we do, in fact, see the other person as connected to us, by virtue of their connection to G-d or Higher Power, or whatever you choose to name her or him or it. That practice is contemplation…Also see below - “Contemplation: A Life’s Journey” The Third Way (excerpts from this meditation) “Our religion is neither solely detachment nor attachment; it’s a dance between the two. It’s neither entirely isolation, as symbolized by the desert, nor is it complete engagement, as symbolized by the city. Jesus moves back and forth between desert and city. In the city, he feels himself losing perspective, love, and center; so, Jesus goes out to the desert to discover the real again. And when Jesus is in the desert, his passionate union with the Father drives him back to the people in the city.” “The contemplative stance is the Third Way [neither fighting nor fleeing]. We stand in the middle, neither taking the world on from another power position nor denying it for fear of the pain it will bring. We hold the hardness of reality and the suffering of the world until it transforms us, knowing that we are both complicit in evil and can participate in wholeness and holiness. Once we can stand in that third spacious way, neither directly fighting or fleeing, we are in the place of grace out of which genuine newness can come. This is where creativity and new forms of life and healing emerge.” Le Plat Principal (main course) Revolutions sometimes begin in coffee houses… Down the block from my house is a neighborhood gathering spot known as “Witches Brew.” Here are recent photos I took of some of their mindful signage. Seems like more than coffee’s brewing here. FYI – They are OPEN – for business and conspiracy (from the Latin, the word literally means “to breathe with or together”). And this involves breathing of the One Spirit than fills all of our lungs. There aren’t separate Spirits for black, white, female, male, gay, straight, or any other distinctions. These distinctions are superficial and merely Skin Deep as this next song portrays. It features the song writer, Buddy Guy, accompanied by the Playing for Change Band. …It’s failed us and… …The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - Gil Scott-Heron (Full Band Version) The partial lyrics shown below recall Tom Waits’ “Step Right Up” about the deception in the advertising world. Both songs are about deceptive worlds - politics and advertising – both promising more than they deliver. “The revolution will not be right back After a message about a white tornado, white lightning, or white people You will not have to worry about a dove in your Bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl The revolution will not go better with Coke The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath The revolution will put you in the driver's seat The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised Will not be televised, will not be televised The revolution will be no re-run brothers The revolution will be live” Divertissement (entertainment) “Garcon, Un autre café et une bouteille de vin por mes amis…” (Scene: somewhere in a French café over 250 years ago) Les Misérables (2012) - I Dreamed A Dream Scene “Do you hear the people sing?” “Drink with me" Les Misérables (2012) - One Day More Scene JEFFREY FAMILY: Thanks, Jim, MaryLou and the rest of the Jeffries family for not only introducing my family to this memorable story, but also performing the songs for us! Counterpoint: The Revolution WILL be Televised…on NETWORK’s TV Deuxième Cours (2nd course) Howard Beale – Network’s Prophetic Messenger is Still Speaking Truth: “I'm Mad As Hell and I'm Not Gonna Take This Anymore!” "The World is a Corporation" (Network, 1976) Look at that CEO leading Howard Beale into the boardroom like a lamb to the slaughter… Advertisers today lead all they can deceive into the slaughterhouses of big box stores, prescription drugs and voting booths. “The Tube Lies” “It's the Individual that's finished” Dessert sucré (or “Dolce” for my friends from Italia) In the spirit of “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,” I offer this lighter look at the serious business of mindful revolution. Have fun storming the castle… --Billy Crystal & Carol Kane scene from Rob Reiner’s “The Princess Bride” Remember, the most important revolution is the one that happens in your own mind and heart, as Paul says to the people of Philippi (Chapter 4: 6-9). Digestif Some things to ponder while you’re sipping your coffee…at Witches Brew, your own neighborhood joint, or “the joint” – where you have time…because you’re doing time for activism – against evil systems that enslave. “You who are about to be jailed for social activism, we salute you!” Richard Rohr’s Weekly Theme: Contemplative Activists (7/12/20-7/18/20) Sunday: Contemplation: A Life’s Journey (I’ve included the full meditation below) Monday: Peace and Advocacy for the Poor (Dorothy Day (1897–1980) Tuesday: Civil Rights Contemplative (Fannie Lou Hamer 1917-1977) Wednesday: Defender of Liberation Theology (Jesuit priest Pedro Arrupe (1907–1991) Thursday: Mysticism and Nonviolence Friday: Two Revelations of Faith Saturday: Contemplative Activists: Weekly Summary Contemplation: A Life’s Journey I believe that the combination of human action from a contemplative center is the greatest art form, one that takes our whole lives to master. When action and contemplation are united, we have beauty, symmetry, and transformation—lives and actions that heal the world by their very presence. Jesus is the perfect example of this, but we can also point to the lives of many saints, mystics, teachers, and even people we know who share this gift. For most people, the process begins on the side of action. We learn, we experiment, we do, we stumble, we fall, we break, and we find. Gradually, our thoughts and actions become more mature, but it is only when we begin to question our own viewing “platform” that we begin to move into the realm of contemplation. The contemplative side of the soul will reveal itself when we begin to ask, “How can I listen for God and learn God’s voice? How can I use my words and actions to expand and not to contract? How can I keep my heart, mind, and soul open, even ‘in hell’?” Contemplation is a way to bring heaven to earth, but it begins with a series of losses, largely of our illusions. If we do not enter the learning process deeply, with curiosity and openness, we will use our words and actions to defend ourselves. We will seek to protect ourselves from our shadow, and build a leaden cover over our soul and our unconscious. We will settle for being right instead of being whole and holy, for saying prayers instead of being prayer. True contemplation is really quite down to earth and practical. It does not require life in a monastery. It is, however, an utterly different way of receiving the moment, and therefore all of life. In order to have the capacity to move the world, we need some “social distancing” and detachment from the diversions and delusions of mass culture and our false self. Contemplation builds on the hard bottom of reality—as it is—without ideology, denial, the contemporary mood, or fantasy. The reason why the true contemplative-in-action is still somewhat rare is that most of us are experts in dualistic thinking. And then we try to use this limited thinking tool for prayer, problems, and relationships. It cannot get us very far. We cannot grow in the great art form of action and contemplation without a strong tolerance for ambiguity, an ability to allow, forgive, and contain a certain degree of anxiety, and a willingness to not know—and not even need to know. This is how we allow and encounter Mystery. This week the Daily Meditations feature contemplative activists who encountered Mystery and felt called to live out Jesus’s prayer that God’s will be done “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Their lives embody the beautiful struggle that is revealed when we seek to hold heaven and earth together through our love and faithfulness to God, humanity, and creation. Changing systems and dealing with systemic evil is best done with help from similar minded folks – Comrades, fellow conspirators (conspirare – to breathe together – to “inspire” one another [from the same root word as conspire])) On the day I took the photos at Witches Brew I did a selfie by the apropos sign: Nowadays, when people ask me if I need any help, I quickly reply, “At this point in my life I’ll take all the help I can get!” Usually brings a smile to their faces. Besides help from likeminded friends, Yoga helps keep me balanced (read my shirt!). So does the 12 Steps – all 12 but especially Numero 11 – Prayer and Meditation. Resources for the Revolution Poor People’s Campaign (national) Poor People’s Campaign (NY) OneEarthLive (music and more uplifting content) (from the site) In a time of unprecedented global crisis and social isolation, it is more important than ever that we inspire feelings of hope, love and community connection. ONE EARTH LIVE is a collaborative response to our time. Modeled as an “online transformational festival” that celebrates global unity and community connection; people around the world were invited to immerse themselves in a 2-day celebration of music and uplifting content that will inspire, engage and open the heart. The entire 2-day event is now available online - for free! One Earth Live includes multiple stages featuring a diverse mix of programming representing many nations and disciplines. Included are conscious artists and DJs, global visionaries and solutionists, Indigenous elders, youth activists, community leaders and more. All share a powerful message of positivity and hope, direct from their personal homes and places of shelter. Revolution – John Lennon & The Beatles "But when you talk about destruction Don't you know that you can count me out" "But if you want money for people with minds that hate All I can tell you is brother you have to wait" "You tell me it's the institution Well, you know You'd better free your mind instead" Our Differences Are Merely Skin Deep Took this next photo yesterday after shopping in Jandi’s in Oceanside. NY. Great place – healthy food, good vibe and great music (not elevator-friendly : )))) The car’s owner told me that she’s in the skin care business but had never heard of Buddy Guy or Playing for Change. She started taking notes – including the address of my website, where, I told her, I often blog on the topic of this song. Hmmm…wonder if her website will be getting a face lift with some uplifting sounds. This is why we’re here – to walk in the light - to be light – to delight… Adieu Second Blessing… The following greeting - along with bowing slightly with hands folded by your chest - simply expresses our awareness that the G-d in me recognizes the G-d in you. NAMASTE! Namaste - The Divine Spark of Peace - "Devotion of Love" PLAYLIST of all songs in this post Paix (peace), tOM #BastilleDay #TheWho #pendulums #revolution #Einstein #children #MiddleRoad #NarrowRoad #ThirdWay #RichardRohr #Buddhism #WitchesBrew #yoga #BuddyGuy #PlayingForChange #GilScottHeron #TomWaits #LesMis #NetworkMovie #PrincessBride #Philippians #PaulRobeson #DalaiLama #contemplation #activism #ContemplativeActivism #PoorPeoplesCampaign #PoorPeoplesCampaignNY #OneEarthLive #JohnLennon #Beatles #NamasteTheSparkOfPeace

For years we’ve had a monthly Thursday evening gathering at our home where we hang out and share life with a few friends. It was initiated by a friend who wanted to meet to discuss Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations – or as I call them “daily medications." Grandparents/Parents: At several places in this post, I’ve placed advisories about whether certain songs/sections are appropriate for children. So, read/listen on and use your discretion. Dew [sic] to the themes in this post, I’m suggesting we start with a song to help us all chill…and serving up a song that was birthed in the Caribbean and offered here by a Masta of Rasta – Jerry Garcia… “Stop that Train” – Jerry Garcia Band FYI - A playlist of all 30 songs in this post can be found at the end...of the line Thought I was done adding songs... when I just typed the above words after publishing the post, I remembered this great traveling, railroad song: End of the Line - Traveling Wilburys R.I.P. George, Roy & Tom: It may be the end of the line here, but I'm hopeful you're still making music "there" after you climbed the Stairway to Heaven. Reason I'm hopeful...I got some free tickets for your new gig. I know the guy that owns the venue. That makes 30! OK – let’s proceed down the line - now at a mellower speed… Karmic driving wisdom: When Eileen sent out a reminder for our July meeting, one of our regulars replied saying she’s been very busy at work, comes home feeling fried and would not be joining us. As my mind heard “fried,” a thread within it unraveled: “Out of the frying pan into the…” “When work & home are both uphill Visit with us and find some chill” --my rhyme was inspired by the following cartoon As the thread happily rolled along – now freed from the confinement of the spool - a pub song was added… The Frying Pan Song --One listener added these unedited comments: “This song remindes me when my wifes Irish temper got the better of her, i ran a mate to football and promised i would not play, i did and when i walked into the kitchen she said nothing just picked up the pan of spuds and threw them at me. i was lucky, her aim wasnt as good as in this song. still love her though” Okay…let’s see what else is out there (inside my head)… Unraveling…the Grateful Thread gets free... Said the adventurous loop to the others, “I know where the hook (in my mouth) is gonna take me…I’m getting’ off to see where I can go on my own…” Mr. Krinkle - Primus --A commenter said, “Somewhere out there, an alien is watching this saying " Nah, let's skip this planet". Thank you, Les, for saving us from alien destruction.” Readers: Reply, letting me know if you think Google connected my “fried” inquiry to French fries – crinkle cut variety?) Couldn’t resist the temptation to see what else this group served in their kitchen…and found this one: John the Fisherman (from the album “Frazzle Fry” – see my “fried” thread’s still connected : )))) Comments under this video: “Nobody just ends up here you have to search for primus😂” And this one: “Thanks God I'm on this part of the internet again” And this charmer: “90's primus songwriting: Les on weed Early 2000's songwriting: Weed on weed 2011 songwriting: Les on lsd and luckycharms 2017 songwriting: Lsd on lsd” “If you eat too many Lucky Charms, you’ll end up farting rainbows…” My own review of Primus: A moving & musical collage of Mardi Gras, Frank Zappa, Dr. John, Cirque de Soleil and Kentucky Fried Movie…served with a side of Colonel Sanders. Grandparents/Parents: You can bring the children back into the room now for the next song. Today’s thread rolled into a children’s Bible, where it connected me to another John who was a fisherman and a fisher of men & women & kids. Here’s a song that was one of my favorites when I taught Sunday school. I especially liked the singer – Rob Evans, nicknamed “The Donut Man” – for the great rapport he had with the children around him as he sang AND his love for donuts – truly holey [sic] food. Here’s a photo of Rob and friends… Peter and John Went to Pray (song) Grandparents/Parents: Here’s a suggested intro to this next concert video… “Grandchildren…let me tell you about the days when we used to gather together all in one place and hear and feel the music while dancing and swaying and rollin’ together…here’s an example…” Rollin’…Rollin…Rollin…down the river [1] (Jordan?) [1] Due to social distancing, I selected this video to give us all some feeling of the live concert experience. But first…a brief and mindful pause…inspired by the donuts (see, my thread’s still connected) Grandparents/Parents: You decide whether or not your children are ready for some or any of the next songs or images. Fillmore “East” Yoga Studio Seeing the above image I had saved in one of my stashes, I felt sad for the forlorn cruller, sad that she was missing the crème from her center. So I put on my superhero gear...see below (this is my alter ego outfit - I'm a female G-d. Think of Octavia Spencer playing G-d in "The Shack." I'm simply adapting Mel Brooks' classic line from "Robin Hood Men in Tights," "It worked in Blazing Saddles." I put on my gear, complete with sugar-laden, coma-inducing donut weapons... ...and went to the store so I could reload and got some for her…and it fit right in with the rollin’ thread… Rollin’ & Tumblin’ – Cream As I was listening to their version of the Muddy Waters’ classic blues riff, I focused in on the combined rhythm of the drum & bass lines and pictured a locomotive rollin’ down the line – which fit right in with the lyrics. Follow me down the tracks – but not of my tears – but of the railroad tracks, as I keep rollin’ and following the threaded tracks to another connection point, another station, along our musical journey. You can get off here, if you like, to catch your breath… Locomotive Breath – Jethro Tull Been a train lover all my life, so here’s another version with a Buster Keaton train video. Now, when I was at that last station with you all and catching my own breath, I remembered another train I like to travel on – the one to Glendale. This might have been inspired by some lyrics from Tull’s song that mention a guy named Charlie – possibly an engineer: “Old Charlie stole the handle And the train, it won't stop going No way to slow down Oh, oh” Glendale Train – The New Riders of the Purple Sage w/Jerry Garcia on steel pedal guitar --this version also features a train robbery film from 1903 See "Side Trips" at end for an article on the frying pan guitar. Is history Dead? Sure is...the way I saw it... Back in the day, not quite the old West, when I went to a lot of Dead concerts, the New Riders of the Purple Sage used to open for the Dead. I always thought it was so cool how the night would start with NRPS band warming up the crowd, getting the beach balls bouncing around and then e…v…e…rrrr sooooo sloooowly and one-by-one they’d morph into the Dead. Despite what they say, “If you can still remember the 60’s, you weren’t there,” as I remember it, the Dead would one-by-one take the places of the NRPS crew until just the Dead were playing (in the band). Cool! Well, some lyrics in that NRPS song: “Charlie Jones was the engineer He had twenty years on the line” …got me a free transfer to another iron horse steered by an engineer with the same last name as poor ol Charlie… Casey: Better watch both your speed and your cocaine! So, like the other song says, "STOP THAT TRAIN!" Get off at STOP 11 - Prayer & Meditation (Step 11) instead. That way, you WON'T be "better off Dead." Casey Jones – Grateful Dead Rollin’ along my currently one-track mind, I selected this offbeat video because it featured steam train footage. The video was created by “OnLineJones” and combined footage from an historic and now unused English train line and the uploader’s mountain bike ride along a trail that followed the old line. He got some of the idea from knowing that the GD’s Bob Weir was an avid mountain biker. Casey Jones - Grateful Dead (1978) I added ths version so I'd have one for this post's playlist. The above one was from Vimeo and couldn't be added to the YouTube monopoly. Grandparents/Parents: You can bring the kids back for this next song. It’s a lullaby rendition of “Casey Jones” and contains no drug references. Casey Jones - Lullaby Renditions of Grateful Dead - Rockabye Baby! FYI – This outfit makes other lullaby tracks for different bands. --above image is from an 11/7/69 Soundboard recording of an entire Fillmore West show. Begins with “Morning Dew”…a song with lyrics that include “Roll away…” …We’re still connected… Casey Jones on Uke [sic – not a typo] – for my friend Tom – an accomplished player of this instrument and a member of the Long Beach, NY Ukulele Orchestra. As long as Casey’s still at bat, here’s a political version someone uploaded in 2020: Hard On Ukraine - Trump Impeachment Theme Song --just slipping this in to see if I’ll get cards and letters…and emails and dislikes…and to see who’s gotten this far…out…in my post Grateful Dead 8/29/69 complete set list (“Casey Jones” leads it off) done to Merry Melody cartoons --The cartoons are based on the songs from a 8/29/69 show that took place at The Family Dog at the Great Highway in San Francisco. The Grateful Dead and Trains (article) Personal Jesus (on the mainline) – Reverend Freakchild --a bluesy version of the Depeche Mode tune. Here are the lyrics to their version. --Relax, thread's still connected: "mainline" IS a railroad term Here’s the Reverend live at a radio station in Hillsborough, NC. Hey, Steven Cummo, this anywhere near you? His album art shows a skull and rose - more threaded connections to the Grateful Dead and this post. So, stay dialed in... As we get close to the end of this post, the next song was inspired by the name of our monthly group – “The Gathering.” As you listen to the lyrics near the end, you’ll see that my thread’s still connected… The Night from Nights in White Satin – Moody Blues After rollin’ along a typically long and cosmic Grateful Dead set and traveling beyond time with the Moody Blues, we recall that Jethro Tull locomotive song that routed us all down that long and winding branch line - or mainline, if you're a fan. Tull’s song inspired (breathed) this next one… Breathe – Pink Floyd --video is breathtakingly appropriate Grandparents/Parents: If you’d like to introduce your little loved ones to the groups that formed you, here are some ideas for presents. But, remember, your PRESENCE is what matters most. For little feet... Cradle Rock - Pink Floyd - Breathe Speak To Me / Breathe – Rockabye, Baby Babies Go Pink Floyd. Full Album Comfortably Numb Lullabies For Babies Goodbye Blue Sky – Lullaby Baby Trio For bigger feet... The Nike SB Dunk Low "Grateful Dead" Receives an Official 2020 Release Date (article) Video for above A few more un-bearably great idea threads… Mouse pad…artist Stanley Mouse approved There are a wide & weird assortment of collectibles from Beanie Babies... to... Bobbleheads. Here’s an interactive toy that helps baby develop her or his loco-motor [sic] skills. From the site: “Delight your little one with the Grateful Dead Dancing Bear Plush Toy from Daphyls. Inspired by the classic, peace-loving band, this adorable bear features a rattling head, squeaking belly, and crinkle paper feet.” (Sound like anyone you know?) Or, if you’d like to introduce them to another Bob (Marley), here’s one I call Grateful Dread. If you’re into Bob, here’s a recent post: Musical Ammunition-1: Intl Reggae Day (July 1)/New Video For Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry" One more dread thread… The Grateful Dread performing “Roll Away the Dew” at Martha’s Vineyard --how appropriate that the lyrics include “roll….” …leads to another… “Stop that Train” was done by several bands, including a few from Jamaica. (Wikipedia article) “Stop that Train” - George Wesley's Grateful Dread Experience “Stop that Train” – Jerry Garcia Band Just look at Jerry’s Chesire-Cat-like smile of contentment. He knows something… WOW! What a laid-back track…for chillin’ to (words from my opening verses) Jerry’s a Rasta Masta! One more for this never-ending ending to this post He’s Gone – Grateful Dead Tribute for Bob Marley the day after his death Grateful Dead Live at Veterans' Memorial Coliseum on 1981-05-12 (May 12, 1981) While song was written for another reason, the Dead chose it to honor the memory of that great musical prophet – Bob Marley – the day after he died. --more train lyrics – Why am I NOT surprised?… “Now, he's gone, now he's gone, Lord, he's gone He's gone, like a steam locomotive Rolling down the track, he's gone, he's gone And nothin's going to bring him back, he's gone” The whole universe is one huge interwoven thread of connection… SIDE TRIPS...BUT DEFINITELY NOT DETOURS Frying Pan Guitar (Wikipedia) Rickenbacker was involved... Pawn Stars: 1934 Rickenbacker "Frying Pan" Steel Lap Guitar (Season 4) | History Extra Tracks (pun intended) As Curtis Mayfield and others have said, "You don't need no ticket ...you just get on board... Exception to his wonderful lyrics: There IS room for the hopeless sinner Please see my Good Friday post about this. It presents what I call "the really good news" that's offered from the perspective of Franciscan spirituality. It contains my last will and testament, or what I'd want to leave with you if I or you were on our death beds... Soooo many people covered this song...here are a few I selected for you... People Get Ready - Newsong --first one I sampled...ripping version...lots brass + cool train footage & nature images People Get Ready - Rod Stewart --"Gravelly" - in Rod's voice and the ballast on the tracks (with train footage) People Get Ready - Rod Stewart & Jeff Beck --like two modern day hobos, riding the rails, guitars in hand (great train footage) and helping us all get ready One Love (People Get Ready) - Bob Marley People Get Ready - Ziggy Marley People Get Ready by Ziggy Marley: A Tolerance Movie People Get Ready - Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions Recessional hymn... One Love (People Get Ready) - Playing for Change (Songs around LA) Playlist of all 28 songs in this post Have a nice Fried-day – no matter what day of the week it is...it's always time for music... tOM #music #humor #art #Gathering #RichardRohr #GratefulDead #JerryGarciaBand #FryingPan #Primus #DonutMan #CreedenceClearwaterRevival #yoga #MelBrooks #Cream #JethroTull #NewRidersPurpleSage #CaseyJones #Trump #trains #ReverendFreakchild #MerryMelodyCartoons #MoodyBlues #PinkFloyd #lullabies #bears #toys #GratefulDread #BobMarley #CurtisMayfield #Impressions #Rickenbacker #guitars #TravelingWilburys #LedZeppelin #ZiggyMarley #Newsong #RodStewart #JeffBeck

Fr. Joe, Musicians are a gift from G-d! “Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.” ― Kahlil Gibran PROLOGUE Consider this my birthday gift to you… This is dedicated to the one I love (see link at end) for, among the many musically-creative things you’ve done (Christmas Choir & Living Nativity, playing at Citi Field, etc), you served up Tax Man (link at end) at a Sunday service in April 2019. I wasn’t there but got my info from my Secret Agent Man (link at end) – son John - who was on keyboard that day. You put the fun into tithing! Beatles Birthday - 1962 --you were 6 Beatles Birthday – Moscow 2003 --you were 47 (USSR) Mac in the USSR Included here because of the HUGE rabbit hole that opened before me, once “Moscow” entered “my my my my my my my my my mind.” In this case, I wasn’t led there by a WHITE rabbit but by a RED one. A must read article whether you’re a Beatles fan or simply a fan of the human race. (BTW – Who’s winning THAT race?) (From this article) “Banned in 1964, The Beatles never set foot in Russia. Sir Paul McCartney finally flew in this summer (2003), playing Red Square. In this OMM exclusive, he talks us through his picture book.” Beatles Birthday - Dodger Stadium July 13, 2019 --you were 63 --for comments that appeared under this video see below under “ENCORE” …and now you’re…What comes after 63…? “Give me your answer, fill in a form (soon the Medicare ones), yours sincerely taxing away…” Here’s a creative version from a Russian woman (how fitting for this post/greeting) – showing, among the various imaginative messages that… ”Age improves with wine” This video somehow reminded me of the “Drink with me" scene in Les Mis. Thanks, Jim, MaryLou and the rest of the Jeffrey family for not only introducing my family to this memorable story, but also performing the songs for us! When I'm Sixty-four - Marriage Proposal - Paul McCartney - Albany NY - 5 July 2014 --from the “You can’t make this stuff up” department – For a few minutes Sir Paul dons his vestments and becomes the Very Reverend Paul. Check it out! INTERMEZZO - Comedic Intermission Like any good performer that has an audience, I don’t want to leave the stage, even if, like Billy sings, “The microphone smells like a beer.” So, here’s a quick story about a magician who was warming up the crowd before the Grateful Dead came on stage. Me and some buddies were in a baseball stadium in NJ. The guy on stage was doing a bunch of lame magic tricks. At one point, he stopped and loudly boasted to us, “Now for my next trick, I will…” Before he finished his sentence, we all started shouting in unison, “Disappear! Disappear! Disappear!” With that…he disappeared from the stage and the Dead began their own brand of magic. This disproves Bp. Craig’s quip, “If you can still remember the 60’s, you weren’t there.” Hmm, technically, it was the 70’s, so maybe his quip still applies. Most of his other wise one-liners – called “Bishop-ism’s” have always stood the test of time. Musician’s version of “Is there baseball in heaven?” joke: You know the premise of the baseball version, so here’s the musician’s one: two old rockers, let’s call them John and George, are hanging out…one says to his band mate, “Let’s make a pact that whoever plays their last gig first, will come back and tell the other if there’s rock music in heaven. OK? Deal! So, John dies. Saddened, George recalls their pact and begins wondering if he’ll be able to get to play any gigs after he dies. To his amazement, as he’s wondering about his fate, John appears to him. Overjoyed, George hugs him and they sit down to reminisce. Eventually, George gets up the courage to ask John about their pact. George: “Is there rock music in heaven?” John: “Do you want the good news or the bad news?” George: “Give me the good news first.” John: “Yes, there is rock music in heaven and plenty of available gigs. And, you won’t have to play for change – as you’ll already be changed – in the twinkling of an eye.” George: “So, what’s the bad news?” John: “Tomorrow, we got a gig together.” ENCORE…ENCORE…ENCORE…OK, I’ll do another set… 2019 Dodger Stadium Birthday Song Before jamming, Paul dedicated this song to anyone having a birthday that day…then he graciously extended his wishes to everyone having a birthday that year. Check out the opening - lots of flag waving (it was close to July 4th – our nation’s birthday) and the raising of wine glasses. Reminded me of a Bastille Day party or the “Do you hear the people sing?” scene from Les Mis (Again, Thanks, Jeffrey family!) Flags of many nations can lead to a United Nations or Divided Nations A thousand people in the street (Ooo-ooo-ooo) Singing songs and a-carryin’ signs (Ooo-ooo-ooo) Mostly say, "Hooray for our side" (Ooo-ooo-ooo) --For What It’s Worth - Buffalo Springfield Comments under 2019 Dodger Stadium Birthday performance Proving once again, the world’s filled with all kinds of folks and blokes…to protect their privacy (pronounce the “i” like the Brits do - where it doesn’t sound like “eye.”), I’ve given them my own apropos names: My glass’s half full: “Happy Birthday, Paul! You sound and look fantastic! My grandson’s birthday is July 13th and mine is July 15th. We’re all moon babies! Take care, God bless, and keep on rocking!!!” My glass’s half empty: “Sad to hear that it´s not Paul who is hitting the high notes...” There is no glass: “That's not Paul ,it's Faul, the fake paul (Billy shears). The real Paul DIED in November 1966 ...R I P .....” Multiple-choice test on this last comment: This person could be: A. A conspiracy theorist B. A Buddhist C. On drugs or crazy D. All of the above Ans.: _____ TUNES Tax Man --Clever video Dedicated to the One I Love --I got introduced to The Shirelles in high school (Power Memorial Academy in NYC) by Victor Davila who was the president of their local fan club. FYI - I was there (1961-1965) when Lou Alcindor played center for our basketball team. He went on to UCLA and then the Lakers, where he was known as Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Secret Agent Man --automobile fans: check out this link about an alleged connection between the Batmobile and Pontiac’s Bonneville and Catalina offerings White Rabbit --Extended version from a 1975 concert at a true high church of music – Winterland!!! Includes an amazing 5-minute guitar into. For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield Before the Very Reverend Paul from Liverpool…there was Paul from Tarsus. They both sang a similar song: · 1 Corinthians 13 · All You Need is Love - I selected this choir version because of the wonderful Intercessor Choir you’ve led for all these years. BTW - You were quite fortunate to work with two former choir members that are now singing in that great choir in the sky: Mattie Albert and Jeannie Tomaselli. I’m sure they’re putting in a good word for you. There were also two John’s who preached similarly: John the Evangelist’s Gospel John Lennon's Good News MOVIE All You Need is Love movie trailer ARTICLE All You Need is Love: The Gospel of The Beatles From the article: “When I turned 64 this year, it came as no surprise that I would receive several texts of the Beatles iconic numeric song from my kids. I’m glad to confirm that they will still ‘feed me’ and ‘need me.’” “What I didn’t see then, and am only seeing now with the eyes of faith, is how the evangelization of Jesus permeates their songs. The Beatles and God Reflected in Nature Now I’m not referring to the way that one would play the album backward to hear a subliminal message. Nor was there any intent, at least what we know, by the Beatles to preach about the Kingdom of God and Jesus. What has changed is the listener, me. The filter through which I see, hear, and observe all that is in the world is now more tuned into the Kingdom of God which is all around us.” Tom: This underlined principle is a MAJOR point and one I often post about, once I began experiencing it in my own life: “We see things as WE are and not as THEY are.” CODA To Fr. Joe - the Chief Musician: “Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.” ― Lao Tzu Happy Birthday, Fr. Joe!!! Well done, good and faithful musician!!! Added 7/15/20: Illustration courtesy of illustrator David Tommasino. Here's his Instagram site. #music #humor #Beatles #Intercessor #LesMis #BpCraig #GratefulDead #cars #DavidTommasino

This post is part of reflections I shared this morning on a Zoom meeting with guys I normally see in person at a monthly men’s gathering in Bay Shore, NY. See end for more info on these meetings. NEW: See end for YouTube playlist of all songs in this post. Let’s begin with a moment of silence for friends and loved ones who’ve been impacted by the virus and/or the widespread injustices that are becoming more evident every day. A few deep water questions are better than a lot of shallow water answers… Who are you? Who am I? Who is my neighbor? Volumes of books have been offered in search for answers. One of Francis’ biographers says he used to wander the streets of Assisi at night calling out to G-d asking, “Who are you and who am I?” Gradually, he saw G-d in the faces of those Jesus calls “our neighbors” and served his G-d by serving them. I’m simply placing them before you as grist for your prayer and meditation times. How you wrestle with these timeless invitations helps determine how you’ll answer just about every other important question that arises. Wrestling an Angel – Carolina Liar Jacob wrestles with the angel --imaginative compilation of images and soundtrack The following are a few of the deeper questions I sent prior to our meeting to help us prepare for our time together this morning and for the times ahead. What has this time been showing me? (Quarantine Covid 19) What am I being invited to look at in new ways? What to keep? What to let go of? What's my new normal going to look like? What am I afraid of? Love & Fear We’ll only trust someone we know loves us… Please allow me to reflect on her quote: · We come into this world from eternity - our eternal life where G-d says he [sic] knew us before we were born (Ps. 139) · If eternal life is a fact - if it’s truly eternal – then it doesn’t have a beginning OR an end · We enter as a “free Spirit” as Miten sings below in “Ashes to Ashes.” · Other names for this Spirit include: soul, true self · However, incarnation has its costs that include suffering and eventual death – basically, not getting everything we want · Our ego is formed as a survival mechanism to help us recognize potential threats and dangers. It’s not bad, it just can’t get us back to the Garden – to that state of constant intimate union with our Beloved that we had before we left the Garden · So, as we mature along the path, our task – our hero’s journey – involves learning how to live from the True Self, the free Spirit with which we entered this life. · Much of this learning involves unlearning, in order to make room for the truth of who we really are, Whose we really are. · A major unlearning involves the lie that we are, or ever have been, separate from our Lover. Here’s my favorite song that speaks to this truth. It uses the appropriate imagery of sleeping and dreaming to describe how we get deceived and need to awake from our sleep, as Jesus said on several occasions. You can relax now – Shaina Noll “We hold the key to love and fear all in our trembling hand…” (The Youngbloods) Richard’s Daily Meditations have focused us on “Wisdom in Times of Crisis.” What follows are excerpts from this week’s Daily Meditations (or “medications” as I see them). Click the links to view the complete meditation for each day. Entrance/Offertory Hymn: Deva Premal , Miten, Manose and Friends "Ashes to Ashes" As I was finishing this post after the Zoom meeting, I recalled this hauntingly beautiful song that seems to sum up the spirit of the wisdom contained in these meditations. I have enjoyed these artists and their peaceful presence in concert and have asked to have this played at my memorial service. Ashes to ashes Sermons in stone, oh how time passes We're here and then we're gone And all that remains When we're free of our chains Is the love we shared The love we shared Sunday: Change Is Inevitable The word change normally refers to new beginnings. But the mystery of transformation more often happens not when something new begins, but when something old falls apart. The pain of something old falling apart—chaos—invites the soul to listen at a deeper level, and sometimes forces the soul to go to a new place. Most of us would never go to new places in any other way. The mystics use many words to describe this chaos: fire, dark night, death, emptiness, abandonment, trial, the Evil One. Whatever it is, it does not feel good and it does not feel like God. Inevitable – but we resist… Bob Dylan Updates "The Times They Are A-Changin'" for 2018 The Days That We Die – Loudon Wainwright III Monday: Sustained in God’s Love In the light of eternity, we’re here for a very short time, really. We’re here for one thing, ultimately: to learn how to love, because God is love. Love is our origin, love is our ground, and love is our destiny. —James Finley What is the practice that matters now? A practice is any act habitually entered into with our whole heart that takes us to the deeper place. Some of these practices, we might not think of as prayer and meditation: tending the roses, a long, slow walk to no place in particular, a quiet moment at day’s end, being vulnerable in the presence of that person in whose presence we’re taken to the deeper place, the pause between two lines of a poem. There are these acts that reground us in the depth dimensions of our life that matter most; so if we’re faithful to our practice, our practice will be faithful to us. . . . Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood - Presence of the Lord Tuesday: The Wisdom of Job Theology does not by itself provide wisdom in crisis. All theology must become a living spirituality to really change us or the world. It’s disappointing that we Christians have emphasized theology, catechism, and religious education much more than prayer and practice. The biblical book of Job is probably one of the greatest books on prayer that has ever been written. It breaks our stereotypes of what it means to communicate with God. If we view Job’s story as a journey into an ever-deepening encounter with God, we keep the question of suffering from becoming an abstract debate observed at a distance. It is a text that only fully makes sense to those who’ve felt suffering, been up against the wall, at a place where, frankly, God doesn’t make sense anymore and we no longer believe “God has a plan.” The Book of Job - Seatrain Wednesday: Dying Before We Die CAC faculty member Cynthia Bourgeault addresses a fear that motivates all of us on some level—the fear of death. It is a matter of true wisdom to know how to face death wisely and courageously, which is why every religion and culture since the beginning of time has tried to “make sense” of it in some way. What is the wisdom that matters now? For me, it’s the Paschal Mystery [the passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus the Christ]. . . . Simply, the one who would save his life or her life will lose it and the one who’s willing to lose it, will save it. In all great religious traditions, this is the eye of the needle. Everything that’s good, everything that’s abiding, everything that’s worthy, everything that’s generative about a human being arises on the other side of our fear of death. . . . The whole tradition we’ve had of “dying before you die” sounds like martyrdom from the outside, but what you really discover is, it’s the gateway to freedom. "I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it." - Mark Twain “Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.” - Mahatma Gandhi “Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose” (Me & Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin) “When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose” (Like a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan) --Playing with the Rolling Stones as in this clip, going from acoustic to electric, to gospel, to touring with the Grateful Dead…Bob is always evolving…always changin’. Thursday: Our Spiritual Health Brian McLaren, a member of the CAC Living School faculty, reminds us why it matters that we pay attention to our health, not only physically but spiritually and ethically as well. In these challenging, difficult times, we are discovering a wisdom that we needed all along, and that wisdom is that we are all connected. We are not separate. We used to think that we caught diseases as individuals: “I’m sick; you’re not.” But now we realize, no, we catch diseases as individuals who are part of families, and families who are part of cities, and cities that are part of states and nations. We realize now that our whole species can become infected, and that our whole globe can be changed because of our interconnectedness. . . . Sly & The Family Stone - Everyday People (Official Video) Sly & The Family Stone Everyday People Live 1969 Everyday People feat. Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Keb' Mo' | Turnaround Arts | Playing For Change Friday: Social Renewal as Spiritual Practice CAC Faculty member Dr. Barbara Holmes points us to the interwoven nature of love— love of God, of self, and of neighbor. We cannot keep the Great Commandment without fully engaging in all three. In her wisdom, she sees this time of crisis as an opportunity for a great re-imagining of our society and how it might function for the good of all. Barbara says: The practice I’m focusing on is self-love and love of neighbor. We tend not to be very good at either one, but during this time of isolation, we have equal opportunities to rest and to heal, to love and be loved. . . . For me a spiritual practice that matters includes social renewal. Instead of blaming others about the state of our union, instead of blaming one political party or another, we actually can reflect on our own complicity and support of systems that abandoned the poor, warehoused our children in failing schools, and failed to provide adequate health care, even under normal circumstances. As a spiritual practice, we can wake up to the possibility of building a new order. We can improvise those possibilities; try them out in the creative microcosm of a shared public life, realizing that our way of life before the pandemic was not perfect. It could be improved so that all members of the society thrive. We’ve received reports that COVID-19 is disproportionally impacting communities of color. There are many reasons for this outcome, including the fact that people of color often have chronic health problems that make them particularly vulnerable to the disease as a result of poverty, poor or nonexistent health care, and economic disparities. Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror (Official Video) Saturday: Weekly Summary Practice: The Wisdom of Poetry When I consider the call to contemplative awareness and solidarity offered by CAC teachers this week, I cannot think of a better practice than the exquisite poem “Pandemic” from poet and minister Lynn Ungar. It was written in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States before most of us were asked to stay at home. Even in those first moments, she envisioned a way of responding to the crisis with love, not fear. The wisdom of this poem goes far beyond the circumstances of the pandemic. May it serve as a guide as we embark on the work ahead of us— striving to eradicate the “viruses” of white supremacy and systemic injustice in the United States and the world. Pandemic What if you thought of it as the Jews consider the Sabbath— the most sacred of times? Cease from travel. Cease from buying and selling. Give up, just for now, on trying to make the world different than it is. Sing. Pray. Touch only those to whom you commit your life. Center down. And when your body has become still, reach out with your heart. Know that we are connected in ways that are terrifying and beautiful. (You could hardly deny it now.) Know that our lives are in one another’s hands. (Surely, that has come clear.) Do not reach out your hands. Reach out your heart. Reach out your words. Reach out all the tendrils of compassion that move, invisibly, where we cannot touch. Promise this world your love— for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, so long as we all shall live. —Lynn Ungar 3/11/20 Processional chill out hymn You can relax now – Shaina Noll This video was created by the songwriter and is different from the previous one. Same lyrics. Shaina has other YouTube videos for connecting to Presence. FOR FURTHER REFLECTION The full set of CAC faculty videos “Wisdom in Times of Crisis” (Center for Action and Contemplation: 2020) is available for free on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiBbqGAOPnXMeKh7QaqCf9HU5ShaAEzeH NEW: YouTube Playlist of all songs in this post. Men’s Gatherings Here are additional links to learn more about these and similar men’s meetings held in the US and several other countries (for my Facebook friends). · https://www.asoulinwonder.com/post/illuman-men-transforming-men-through-a-power-greater-than-ourselves · https://www.asoulinwonder.com/mens-journey Who is my Neighbor? A blog post Shalom…Namaste…Peace tOM #music #RichardRohr #CAC #MartinLutherKing #TheYoungbloods #FrancisAssisi #MensMetings #Illuman #JamesThurber #wrestling #angels #Jacob #CarolinaLiar #MarianneWilliamson #love #fear #DevaPremal #Miten #ShainaNoll #BobDylan #LoudenWainwrightIII #EricClapton #SteveWinwood #SlyFamilyStone #PlayingForChange #MichaelJackson #LynnUngar #JanisJoplin #Seatrain

UPDATED 7/10/20 I sent the following in an email to some friends from over 40 years ago that I reconnected with between 2018 & 2019, as a way of passing along something that's been helping me live an authentic life. I invite you to eavesdrop... We are men transforming men through a power greater than ourselves. Brothers: Here is some information about a men’s movement I've been part of for over 4 years - one that’s helping me learn how to live as an authentic man. By this, I mean illuminating my gifts and my shadows, my light and my darkness, so I can learn how to live as a free child/man of the Light. I got involved because I was looking to meet other guys who were trying to live life more consciously. I had heard about this gathering of men called Illuman, which had grown out of the men's work begun years ago by the man I consider my spiritual father - Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, and went looking online for more information. BTW – Mikey liked it! Mike went with me to a recent Whitestone meeting when he was here in NY. You can ask him about his experience. Steve: I’m including you because I thought you might find the Native American influences interesting. This movement started in the Southwest – Mike’s country. All: If you’re interested in scoping out one of these gatherings, let me know so I can notify the person that orders the breakfasts. Also, let me know and we could carpool. BTW - the Bay Shore group has coffee and a breakfast sandwich and it’s coffee and bagels in Whitestone. The New Hyde Park group doesn’t have any physical food, believing that “man does not live by bread alone...” : )))) Richie: I gotta play that Johnny Cash song you mentioned to me for the New Hyde Park group. I might even suggest a topic for them – “eating as a path to God.” : )))) And for visuals and some tasty hands-on, I’d include bagels (“eternity” – no beginning and no end) and donuts (“soul” - the best part is [the crème] in the center). All: How I got involved My introduction to the Illuman process came a few years ago when I went online and found an event at Brooklyn Bridge Park on the Brooklyn side of the East River. It was there that I met Brian - a bear of a guy in his 40's. It was a beautiful summer day. What I remember most was a ritual in which Brian said some words, reached for his water bottle and poured some of its cool, refreshing contents onto my hands. Baptism! Initiation! Ritual is very powerful - penetrates much deeper than words. Since that first transformative encounter... Through monthly meetings and several weekend retreats I am being enabled to see the blockages I’ve either placed myself or allowed others to place on the path to spiritual growth and deeper relationships with G-d, myself and others. This time with other committed men allows me to hear their stories – both their successes and their failures. Their no-bullshit-zone honesty encourages me to connect more deeply with my own story and also with the Spirit within me that’s trying to help me recognize and then overcome what's in the way and thus walk a more authentic life of loving service. I always take something from the topics that are presented and from the things the guys share afterward. As an example, during this summer, one man led us in an exploration of how the game of baseball can be seen as a path to G-d. Lots of funny stories were shared. For me, I went back to my baseball days in Smokey Park and on the streets of Richmond Hill, playing stickball, stoop ball and baseball. We also played handball against the A&P wall on 117th Street & Liberty Avenue, stopping only when Levinson’s deli dumped the wooden barrel of kosher pickle brine into the gutter facing our court. “I’m not hitting THAT smelly ball!” Hey, I just realized we could have invented a new game – matzoh ball. At another Saturday gathering, we looked at the story of the potter and the clay and then got our hands dirty molding clay. This reminded me of a former pastor's self-effacing humor when he'd tell us that he had clay feet...that started at the neck. Local Council Meetings I participate in three monthly meetings: 1st Saturday – 9:30-11 am in Whitestone 2nd Saturday – 8-9:30 am in Bay Shore 3rd Saturday – 9-10:15 am in New Hyde Park Each monthly meeting is about 90 minutes and, while keeping to the overall guidelines, varies somewhat from location to location and from month to month. The presenter will usually bring a topic and may include an appropriate piece of music, a poem, a sacred reading or something we can get our hands around – like the clay. Afterwards, we are invited to share with the group what we heard and felt, utilizing The Four Intentions of Council: Listen from the heart. Speak from the heart. Be spontaneous and authentic. Be lean of expression. Here are a few links: Illuman Home page Way of Council "We understand the Way of Council as a communal contemplative practice. It affirms the importance of listening and speaking from the heart within a circle of men. Describes the recommended format for all times of gathering. This teaches us how to speak and more importantly how to deeply listen." Click link for more. Journey of Illumination Helpful page describing the larger scope of this vital men’s work. "This process challenges you to show up and pay attention daily to the need to overcome the weight of your routine in order to realize a full, intense and well-grounded spiritual journey. Doing so is not easy, but it does involve clear elements." Click link for more. Virtual Council Meetings This page lists the various virtual meetings where men can connect with others that are seeking a deeper experience of Life. Men’s Rites of Passage Click the link to learn about this 5-day, 4-night journey of transformation. 5 PARTS OF THE JOURNEY OF ILLUMINATION CENTERING Show Up and Observe "Each day challenge yourself to make contact with your true Source.We are men grounded in the power of the here and now." Click the link for more. GATHERING Show Up and Get Together "Regularly look for support and accountability with other serious brothers.We are men who listen deeply to each other’s stories." Click the link for more. CONNECTING Show Up and Share "Challenge yourself to find spiritual disciplines that keep your mind and heart open and connected, your body centered, and your emotions grounded." RELEASING Show Up and Let Go "Living in the present moment requires us to release the past. Solitude and silence are traditional ways of allowing this to happen." SERVING Show Up and Act "Find some way to give it away. To have it for yourself is to lose it. The 12-Steppers call it the 12th and necessary step." #Illuman #menswork

Can hot dogs bring us together? I offer some humor and deep wisdom to help balance the overwhelmingly contentious nature of our public debates - debates that are resulting because we are under the ILLUSION that we are fundamentally different from one another. Both science and religion agree that we are more alike than different, and under our divisive dogmas and doctrines, beats ONE HEART with many faces. ONE SOUL with a rainbow of representations. BTW – This post is another example of what happens when I’m in the middle of writing some serious posts about unity…AND…life intervenes…and I put down my serious pen and pick up my feathered quill…hopefully tickling you into laughing, thereby taking yourself and the rest of our world a little less seriously… Today’s Hijacking of my Serious Self… Short version: Was out walking with Eileen and got bit/scratched by a dog and ended up in the ER. Details are below in Part 2. Of Mogs and Men (sort of Steinbeck) What’s a Mog? Part 1: Man Bites Dog and Barfs Nathan’s: Silo’s for America’s Deadliest Missiles (from this 1972 article) FRANKFURTER can be found just below Frankenstein in the dictionary. It can also be found immediately beneath contempt in Ralph Nader's vast lexicon of villains. To Nader, the ABM and the smart bomb are scarcely more lethal than a chain of processed sausages. Hot dogs, insists the consumer advocate, are "among America's deadliest missiles." New York City's Consumer Affairs Commissioner Bess Myerson agrees: "After I found out what was in hot dogs, I stopped eating them." This people's entrée, this frank companion of alfresco meals and ball games—can it really be a finger-shaped...[the free part of the article ended here] 7 Million Pounds Of Hog Dogs May Contain Bone Fragments (2018 article) Now for a lighter look on this debate Despite Everything, America Remains a Nation of Hot Dogs (from this July 2019 article) Hot dogs may not be powerful enough to erase national divisions; sometimes they just end up feeding our grudges, like everything else. But at a time when Americans find little to agree upon, there’s still something to be celebrated in the fact that, briefly, 150 million of us manage to share one delicious and terrible thing. REVENGE --e coli Montezuma’s Revenge - Gringo (song) Ay Chihuahua! Santa Mierda! Audio’s rough but you’ll get the idea. Check out the bedpan guitar and the musician pulling toilet paper out of his pocket. Reminds me of my first trip to Mexico in 1969. I was with my surfin’ buddies and we headed over the border to TJ (Tijuana) on our way to a “secret spot” in Baja. We stopped to eat our first Mexican food. On the table was a seemingly innocuous red sauce and tortilla chips. Hungry – we were twenty-something’s who surfed all day and partied all night – we were always hungry. I started scarfing up the chips and dip…and soon my mouth started to burn. That’s all I remember tasting that day…or the next two. But that didn’t discourage me, as my love for this south-of-the-border-experience continues to this day. When I’m really hungry, nothing satisfies like a packed bean burrito that I need two hands to lift to my waiting mouth. Ole! “Ah Ha Baja” I typed this because I remember a Three Stooges scene where Curley (?) utters these words. But what I found instead was this very personal story from a fellow wonderer/wanderer. I’ve walked in her shoes…and am still trying to follow the pathless path… Spend some time with yourself in nature, as you let her words and images wash over you… My Google search for “Ah ha Baja” also returned these images… This first one reminds me of a post I wrote called “Aliens Among Us – Part 1.” Check it out and see if you agree that it could have belonged in that post. Slightly modifying the old NY Times byline “All the news that’s fit, we print,” I say, “All the news that fits, we print.” “Ah ha, Maja” As I was reading this back to John tonight before we watched Marvel’s “Black Panther,” I remembered the Three Stooges reference. Simply turning the “B” to an “M” gave me the correct reference…no, not “BM” although that would go well with Montezuma’s Revenge. What I correctly recalled were the words “Ah ha, Maha,” from a skit called “Three Little Pirates.” In this comedic farce, Curley plays the bogus Rajah of Canarsie. The transcript is in the "Three Little Pirates" link. Part 2: Dog Bites Man Today, I was out walking with Eileen and got bit/scratched by a dog. Met a local guy walking 4 dogs. Stopped to play with them. Got bit/scratched. Called the guy’s vet. Took me 30 minutes to get through. Likely, many pet owners were calling to get their pets’ Prozac Rx’s refilled after the 4th of July explosions. The vet’s representative told me the man’s dogs’ shots were all up-to-date and I didn’t have to worry about rabies. But she added, “If you wake up in the morning and are scratching behind your ears…” Seriously, she actually said that. For a related and VERY funny Carol Burnett skit, see “Second Helpings” at the end. The urgent care place I once used was closed, so I went to the ER. Got a parking spot right down the block and was cared for by a wonderful team of folks. Compared to my last two ER trips this one was a breeze. For starters, I wasn't greeted by the crash cart and a multitude of probes weren't stuck up my... They patched me up and I left, thanking them all for being on the front lines…of Covid-19 and dog bites. Returning home, I proceeded to write this tail [sic]. Does Your Dog Bite? Barf Extra Helpings The Three Amigos – Trailer --seeing the guys in their sombreros in the Montezuma’s Revenge band video instantly brought Steve, Chevy and Martin to mind. Vet “Bites” Man: Dog's Life from The Carol Burnett Show (full sketch) --Thanks to Eileen for this add. She’s now a fellow collaborator. Jose Montezuma’s Hot Sauce Facebook Page Montezuma’s Revenge – Sort of history Cortez the Killer – Neil Young A Tale of Two Nathans “Son, what do you want to do – make a profit or be a prophet?” Nathan Handwerker decided to make a profit – selling hot dogs. Nathan – the Old Testament prophet, opted for the other career path and spoke for G-d. As I read a Wikipedia article on him, I saw a comparison between King David’s life and that of Francis of Assisi. Both initially misunderstood their tasks: · David thought he was to construct a building for the Lord, instead of allowing G-d to build a dynasty through David. · Francis thought the same when G-d told him to rebuild His church and started renovating the old church at San Damiano. G-d actually wanted Francis to allow G-d to use him to bring a radically different interpretation of the Gospel that spoke of restorative instead of retributive justice. This is part of one of the serious posts I’m now working on. So, hope you enjoyed some laughs. Remember, all of our differences are, as Buddy Guy sings, only skin deep. Let’s try to love one another. Skin Deep – Buddy Guy and the Playing for Change Band American Humane Society Advisory No animals (or humans) were harmed in the production of this post. #music #humor #HotDogs #Nathans #dogs #ThreeAmigos, #CarolBurnett #ER #Eileen #NeilYoung #BuddyGuy #PlayingForChange #Mexico #MontezumasRevengeBand #Spaceballs #Barf #RalphNader #VWBus #ThreeStooges #VisionQuest #shaman #nature