Sunday, September 23, 2012

I"LL TAKE YOU THERE--COME GO WITH ME

For today's entry I am using 2 songs, both of which were performed by the Staple Singers back in  either the 1970's or 80's.I'm not sure who wrote the words but to me the words are just so beautiful while being simple at the same time(which I like a lot, being simple that is). The Staple Singers came out with their first song being played on the radio and it was titled"I"ll Take You There" Here are some of those lyrics---"I know a place ain't nobody crying, ain't nobody worried, ain't no smiling faces lying to the races Help me now C'mon help me I'll take you there I'm calling calling for mercy now I'll take you there you gotta gotta let me take you there". After hearing that song I always wondered just what a beautiful place they were talking about. And after a bit of time they came out with the follow-up song which was titled "Come Go With Me" Here are some of those lyrics--"If you're ready come on and go with me, no hatred will be tolerated, Peace and love will grow between the races. Love is the only transportation to where there's total communication. If you're ready come go with me. No disaster will ever enter there, no wars would ever be declared, no economical exploitation and no political domination. Troublemaker , come go with me you better get ready now, liars, Oh I'm waiting on you, backstabbers, now come on and go with me, yeah and all the terrorists c'mon ya'll, if you wanna be free come go with me, see I'm just moving on just moving on, grooving I can't help it but I'm moving on. C'mon and go with me yeah please c'mon and go with me" Of course I loved that song even more than the first one the Staples did.And for years now I have been a believer that this place they sang about really could exist right here on planet earth if everyone would just take time to love each other, throw out all the hatred, biases, greed , and instead of being mean to one another, try and be as good to everyone as you are yourself.You say I'm a dreamer? I take your point of view and understand why you may think this "place" will never happen.But in "my" world I try my very best to be good to everyone and to treat all life with the reverence it deserves.But even if my "dream" of this wonderful place does not materialize while I am here as a human being, I will at least feel like I  have made an effort to encourage this way of living.If I may even just touch one soul in a way that helps them understand about living in peace and unconditional love then it will not have been in vain.My friends, I wish I could do as the Staple Singers said, and that is to take you there, but I know in reality that you and only you can arrive at that destination. But I can offer my hand in friendship and wish you all the very best.I leave you fine folks now with thoughts of perfect love, peace, joy, and understanding.And please, if you can, do something nice for someone right now!"HUGS" to all.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES

One of my blogger friends suggested that I put some of my poetry on here and I may just do that at some later time.But at this time in my life I have been relistening to some of favorite golden oldies songs from the 60's and 70's. Growing up during that period I was influenced greatly by those songs even tho I didn't grasp the meanings as well as I now do. With all the changes going on in the world during the "hippie" movement a tremendous amount of great music was written about love peace and people everywhere getting along and helping each other out. The song I'd like to share with you today was performed by Joe South, I am not sure who wrote the song but the words are so beautiful. I hope you will be inspired by the following words from the song Walk A Mile In My Shoes
"If I could be you and you could be me for just one hour, If we could find a way to get inside each other's mind. If you could see you through my eyes instead of your ego I believe you'd be surprised to see that you've been blind.Before you abuse, criticize, and accuse better walk a mile in my shoes.Now if your world you see around you is just a reflection  and the law of karma says you gonna reap just what you sow. So unless you've lived a life of total perfection, you better be careful of every stone that you should throw. And yet we spend the day throwing stones at one another cause I don't think or wear my hair the same way you do. Well I may be common people but I'm your brother, and when you strike out and try to hurt me it's hurting you.Lord have mercy. Now there are people on reservations and out in the ghetto, and brother there, but for the grace of God go you and I. And if I only had the wings of a little angel, don't you know I'd fly to the top of the mountain, and then I'd cry. Hey walk a mile in my shoes. Before you abuse, criticize and accuse you better walk a mile in my shoes."
 There you have it. Simple really. Whoever wrote that piece said it lots better than I ever could have.Being the dreamer I am I can conceive a world where everyone gets along and lives as one.My next post (hopefully) will focus on a couple of old songs by the Staple Singers.My hope is that some of you at least will find some hidden nuggets of wisdom in these songs that you can take along with you as you continue to be a part of the solution.I leave all of you beautiful folks with thoughts of pure love, peace, harmony and happiness. And as always please try to do something nice for someone today.Remember, we are all one and the sooner we start living our lives as such the sooner this world be one where we all get along.You are invited to join me in my dream of a peaceful loving planet full of beautiful people.Until then, be good to yourself and even better to those around you!

Friday, September 14, 2012

LET"S WORK TOGETHER

A great song from the early 1970's was one by Canned Heat called Let's Work Together.I loved this song when it came out and I was 18 or 19 years old.I have to admit tho at the time I loved it simply because of the music and the beat of the tune and not so much for the words. But as I have grown older and managed to work on my spirituality I now love to hear this golden oldie mostly for the words. A simple ditty it was but filled with much profound wisdom. The lyrics or part of them went like this: Well, united we stand divided we fall come on now people lets get on the ball let's work together and together we'll stand  every boy every girl every woman and man. Those lyrics are just so appropiate even today as it was then,  maybe even more so now. The news is filled every day with stories of wars among nations, anger against one country by others, hate, prejudice, robberies, etc.And until every one of us as humans decide to stop all the fighting and fussing and begin to really work together I'm afraid the same stuff will continue.As Lionel Richie wrote in his song called Sweet Love: If I was at a place where dreams are for dreamers and all you wished came true , I'd wish the world had all happy people, then there'd be no more wishing to do. Wouldn't it be nice if we all could begin to love each other and accept our differences and start working together to bring peace among nations a reality? Yes, I know this is a very big dream I have but I also know I'm not the only one and I will continue to dream of a peaceful world even if it hasn't arrived yet. And I hope you will join with me in this dream because it all starts and ends with each of us. We are all ONE folks and I hope we start realizing that before any more innocent folks are killed or we completely destroy the entire planet we share. I now leave all of you dear friends with thoughts of love, peace, and understanding. Hugs to all of you and if you can today do something nice for someone and start becoming a part of the solution.To you and yours I wish the best of everything now and always.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

DANCE OF THE HUMMINGBIRDS

I love Mother Nature! So many wonderful vistas, sunsets, sunrises, full moons, gentle breezes, thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornados, oceans, outer space, animal and plant life, etc. I could go on forever about Mother Nature even when it seems out of control (hurricanes,tornados etc) but today I would like to write about hummingbirds.I have always loved watching them, So tiny with little wings aflutter and a really long needle like beak which allows them to enjoy the nectar of the flowers. My beautiful wife has a flower garden right along our driveway which she keeps looking so great all spring and summer(she puts in quite a bit of hard work to do this) and I am able to sit on the back steps and watch all the birds and other life that makes this garden come alive.I watch all kinds of plant and animal life doing business in the garden on a daily basis.It really is a world unto its own which goes unseen by all but my wife and I.There are so many great stories I could write about this haven for wildlife but today my subject is hummingbirds.We keep a feeder stocked with sweet nectar for them and it seems as if we are blessed by at least 3 hummingbirds which come and go daily.But over this past summer I have watched more closely than usual and I am amazed at just what goes on with the birds.Now this feeder is fairly small and it has I think 6 different openings around the bottom so in theory 6 birds should be able to get all they want of the nectar at the same time. But as I have learned this summer it just doesnt work this way.Time after time I have watched as the early bird comes first and drinks quite a bit and then just sits away from the feeder on a small plant branch and keeps watch. And its just a quick moment til the other 2 birds arrive at the oasis. As soon as one of them tries to get a sip of the sweetness the one who is guarding the feeder will swoop down and chase him away. While he is doing this the 3rd bird will dart down to the feeder and try and get a quick sip before the other 2 come back.A small sip and he is then chased away by the "guardian" of the feeder, who in turn again swoops to the feeder and chases the 3rd one away again.Then it seems all 3 of them fly away chasing each other and remain gone for a moment or so. Then the 1st one arrives again and sits at the feeder and drinks all he can til he gets full and then goes and sits on the branch once again and waits for the 2nd bird to show.In a quick dart the 2nd bird arrives and lands at he feeder. As he tries to quickly get a sip the "guardian" comes and chases him away. While this goes on the 3rd one stops and gets a quick drink before being chased away once again.This pattern seems to go on and on all day long.Im guessing that when they are all away from my wife's oasis they are in someone else's garden spot repeating the dance of scurrying for a drink.All this reminds me of just how akin us humans are to the animal world.Now I know animals are born with an innate sense of doing what it takes to stay alive and to procreate their species.And about the only thing that seperates us humans from wild animals is the ability to "see" right from wrong. But then again thats an entirely different subject matter.I mean after all, what is right and what is wrong? Again those illusions come into play.Maybe Ill write about that later. But for now back to the hummingbirds.The "guardian" bird I suppopse was the first to find the feeder and staked his claim to it. Then along came bird 2 who decided it was ok for him to share in the good stuff also.Ditto for bird #3. Now even tho bird #1 drank til he was sated he still did not want to share his bounty so he fought hard and long to "defend" his domain.But 2 and 3 figured hey what the heck # 1 has more than enough so we are gonna get our share also even if it means having to fight for it. They decided he didnt need "all" of the sweet stuff so they felt justified in fighting to take some of it away for themselves.I think you are probably beginning to see how all this is happening all over the world in our "civilized" world of humanity.One of us humans finds an "oasis" of good stuff and lays claim to it. Then quickly there are many who rush in and try to take some of the good stuff for themselves even if it means fighting and killing others.And all this goes on when there is more than enough for everybody if only we were to learn the art of pure "Unconditional Love". It would only take everybody being wise enough to take only what they truly needed than share the rest with others who are in need.Like the sweet nectar from our bird feeder there is always enough, it is being replenished daily, just like the things we need as people are replenished daily by Mother Nature.If only we would take what we need then feel good about sharing the remainder with all of humankind.That would be a great state of humanity. Will this ever come about when we share the world with all? I sure hope so but Im almost sure it will never happen unless we all decide to work together as a unit and stop being so damned greedy! I mean how much does one person need to be happy and content? Probably not as much as you would first think. Yes I am a dreamer but I will go to my grave believing that humanity is worth "saving" and that one glorious day all of us will awaken to that fact and then we will at long last be on the path to real "enlightenment". In closing this entry I would just ask you to stop for a moment and ask yourself "Would you be just as content drinking only enough of life's nectar and then sharing freely the rest with all of humankind'? I believe you would be more content if you did this instead of taking and then being so adamant as to guarding your own personal oasis. If you would take a moment right now and try to think of someone you love but have not heard from in  quite some time. Then make a phone call to them just to say hey I was thinking of you and wanted to let you know I still love you.Leave your "oasis" unguarded long enough to do this then come back and see if there is even more "nectar" awaiting you.I leave all of you wonderful folks with thoughts of love peace and joy."HUGS"