Fear is one of the greatest problems in life. A mind that is caught in fear lives in confusion, in conflict, and therefore must be violent, distorted and aggressive. It dare not move from away from its own patterns of thinking, and this breeds hypocrisy.
J. Krishnamurti “Freedom From the Known”
violence
Things That Make You Go “Hmmm…”
Saw this in the parking lot at Costco.
My daughter and I were perplexed.
Thoughts?
Job security?
Hero complex?
Conflicted?
Peace, Not Passivity
There’s a lot of political strife and fear going around. I keep hearing about people losing sleep over the recent events in Virginia with the supremacist groups and the death of an innocent protestor.
I offer this: Take a deep breath. Do not expect others to feel the way you do. Do not get frustrated and scared. Instead, think of one SMALL thing you can do to feel effective and do it. You’ll feel better. You might even sleep better.
Lead by example.
Show up. We need people to show up for what they believe in.
But fighting and arguing are only going to get defenses up.
And, for your insomnia, I offer this YouTube video of Byron Katie speaking with someone who feels the way you do. Trust me, you need to watch this. It’s magic.
This is not a call for passivity. You need to feel the inner peace before you can help create the peace outside of yourself.
Beltway Bullies
They are the highway betta fish
angry – ready to fight
acting on a baffling death wish
looking to find a bite
outrage is a mirror to fear
but what is there to dread?
perpetual thoughts prompt a sneer
on these lawless hotheads
they won’t stop, those rude road ragers
they’re projecting their mood
when there’s no need to brood
their perspective is skewed
I Must Confess
I detest guns. I’ve never even held one in my hand but I hate ’em. I read headlines about gun violence every day. This one was buried in AZCentral.com, but it just goes to show you that gun violence doesn’t even earn front page real estate anymore.
I wish there were no guns. But I know they’re not going away, not in this country. So I’m not rallying to take gun rights away.
I’m writing tonight to confess.
The new Bourne movie came out and I went to see it. It is FILLED with gun violence (stabbing and choking, too). I couldn’t help it. I am a huge fan of Matt Damon’s. And I like action movies. I like intrigue and psychological thrillers.
But people, it’s FANTASY.
And I think that is where some of us are going wrong. It’s a movie about bad guys vs. good guys/gals – the oldest story structure of all. And some Americans believe – truly believe – they are the good guys and with guns, and that they can fight and win a (gun)battle against a bad guy.
But more often – way more often – the good American gets fearful and shoots his wife/girlfriend/child/neighbor. The disgruntled employee shoots his boss and co-workers. The embittered, bullied student shoots his classmates. A 5 year old shoots his 2 year old brother. And too many bad guys have guns. Too many mentally ill people have access to guns.
So, I confess. I gave into a guilty pleasure. I supported a movie that glorifies gun violence and I know that’s bad.
I’m going to repent by teaching kids really well this year.
Kismet 