Jerome (not a Washington)
stole the horses in the night,
he took them to the highway
and set them loose,

he took them out
to the freeway
and he let them die
wild.

It’s a well-written post–a typical example of “conversion” from religion, but nonetheless one I’m happy to have read about. – Richard Dawkins, Evolutionary Biologist. http://www.RichardDawkins.net

Hi, my name is James, and I’m a Secular Humanist. I’m also a regular person, just like you. (Cue: Hi, James!)

Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.

And as a Secular Humanist, no I don’t believe in gods. Yes, this makes me an atheist, and in this piece I’d like to tell you why I think that’s okay.

Growing up in a Catholic family, I was never discouraged from asking questions about religion or faith…I just never thought to do it. We were never really devout, but we followed typical traditions like not eating meat on Fridays during lent (not even knowing why), going to church on holidays, receiving the sacraments, basically going through the motions.

When I was in college, I decided to take a History of World Religion course as an elective. I learned about all of the bible’s translations, previous religions that Christianity had gotten many ideas from like Zoroastrianism and Paganism, and the thousands of ancient religions that were created before the “big 3,” Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. I really began to think about the billions of people who performed sacrificial rituals of children and animals, self mutilation, and other barbaric traditions – and in reality, only ONE religion could be “right,” if any of them were. That’s when my doubt began, how could this be that so many got it wrong, truly believed they were right, and died for it?

Every civilization in history has believed so deeply that they had it right, that they waged wars and died for their gods. Most of those civilizations eventually dwindled, became extinct, and their gods died with the ideas of them. Not a single sign from any deity in history – yet today, with no more evidence than the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, or Romans had, man thinks they have finally figured it out, just like everyone else thought.

To save the boring details, now that I have become even more educated on the subject, atheism has become the only logical conclusion I could seem to reach. I knew it wasn’t a popular position to take, and is a bit controversial, but I decided to be true to myself and make it a public statement the best way I knew how – by putting it on Facebook under ‘religious views’…or lack thereof, I suppose.

One thing I never thought about was the negative perceptions many people seem to have when it comes to atheism. Some people think it’s ‘evil’ and we worship Satan (we don’t believe he exists either), some people think it’s some sort of a belief system or religion in itself. Saying atheism is a religion is like saying “off” is a TV channel.

All atheism is, is a lack of belief in any sort of deity. It’s saying to people: “Well, you’ve made a claim to me and asserted it as truth, but I simply don’t see enough evidence to support it, so therefore I don’t accept it.” That’s it! No fire breathing devil-dragons or running around with horns. Just regular people who base their decisions about deities on evidence. Everyone reading this right now is an atheist. If you’re Christian, you’re an atheist towards Zeus. If you’re Greek Orthodox, you’re an atheist towards Allah, we just take it one god further, and don’t believe in any of them. It’s really that simple.

The bible, over time, has lost tremendous ground in its credibility. The notion that the earth is less than 10,000 years old is ridiculous to anyone who understands even basic scientific evidence that shows 14.6 billion years of age, so there goes the creation story. The notion of the great flood (Noah’s Ark) eliminating all of humanity to start anew is debunked by no record of any gap in history anywhere else in the world. Far more civilized countries at the time such as Egypt show no gap in the reign of their dynasties to account for such an event. There is even a location in Turkey known as the “gates of hell” which was thought to be the dwelling of the underworld god(s) as it would mysteriously kill any bird that flew over it…so animal, and even human sacrifices were made to these gods. In the past couple of years it was actually discovered, and found to emit a deadly amount of carbon monoxide into the air. A previously mythical location – easily explained by modern science. We no longer need myths to explain the world around us.

Another very interesting thing is that many believers see atheists as less moral than theists. The reason I find this interesting is that they are literally saying “Since you don’t believe in a god watching over you, I believe you cannot be a good person.” What a disappointing way to view humanity, and what a depressing notion of the world if one holds the idea that if there was no god, people would run around murdering, stealing, and causing chaos. This actually makes me nervous for those asserting such a claim…do they worry that they themselves would not be able to contain their most barbaric, evil urges, if they did not fear god’s punishment?

On the contrary, atheists (and especially Humanists), have no reason to dislike anyone else. We have no holy books telling us to kill nonbelievers. We have no vendetta against anyone because they are different than us – we simply believe in human rights, and equality for all. One could even argue the position of (a good) atheist who expects no reward is even MORE moral than those who do good for the sake of gaining points to get into heaven.

Believing that life is pointless or meaningless if there is no heaven is like saying that unless something goes on forever, it has no meaning. Therefore any relationship that ends, any delicious meal you have, any deep conversation you’ve learned from – are all meaningless, because they all ended. I would submit that the brief stint of life we have here on earth is more meaningful because it does end, so we are even more compelled to make the best of it while we are here. Eternity somehow dilutes the preciousness of something as simple as celebrating a long time anniversary with a loved one. Being temporary is what makes life special.

So, while I don’t subscribe to either position being “right” or “wrong,” I do take pride in having a logical, evidence based worldview, and being a good person who enjoys helping others any chance I get – without the want for eternal reward. If you are considering “coming out of the closet” as an atheist, I would encourage you to be true to yourself and go where both your heart, and your brain, take you. There are large communities of Humanists and atheists online who are willing to support you in your journey away from faith, and towards evidence based thought.

Remember, the more of us who come out into the open, the more people will realize that their neighbors, post office workers, plumbers, mechanics, bankers, people they deal with every day – are atheists, and are no more worse off because of it. Don’t let anyone make you feel evil because they have different views than you. By openly expressing your doubts, you may inspire those around you who secretly feel the same way, to voice theirs too.

As a final thought, if I were to meet any of the fabled gods after what I hope to be a long, meaningful life – the first thing I would ask is why he/they allowed the needless suffering of the 9 million children per year who die before the age of 5 years old from starvation and suffering. Why he gave special abilities to the actors and Olympic athletes who thank him during their acceptance speeches, but took homes and families away from so many more by natural disasters and disease. And mostly, why he has kept himself hidden and secret from humanity for literally all of recorded history, without a single sign from above.

These, I’m afraid, are questions which I have no reason to believe will ever be answered. But while we are still here on this earth, I maintain that it is each of our duties to treat each other well and with respect, and to help others when we can. To preserve the planet for future generations, and to live a life of quality that, regardless of belief, any fair or just god would approve of, if he does turn out to exist.

Your wish is thy command

as the given life you possess

is molded by your hands

like molded clay that’s caressed.

Fashioned by your needs,

and created by your sleep;

carved inside your heart,

and pieced together by what

you believe.

I’m inside of you,

though silent

but awakened when

you dream;

what you ask,

you must know;

the most worthy of wishes

go unseen.

They manifest from your search,

and become the contents of your presence

but they sneak pass the eyes,

and leave a feel of  self-reverence.

A heart trapped inside a bottle,

becoming another’s wanted wish;

every unspoken fantasy

will become another’s unscratched itch;

The wishes will never cease

unless the heart parts with the mind;

do release me from this bottle,

and wish for me a heart to find.

Feminism is one free voice; one as a whole; one woman; one man at a time.  Feminism is celebrating the space women take up in the world as women.  Feminism recognizes, establishes, and demands the equal humanity of women.  The equal humanity of women.  We are all human.  Human human human.  Is it wise to fight for such a title?  Given the human condition one might not want to associate with us, but we are, so we must.

Within our humanity we have men.  Within our humanity we have women.  Both human.  Both taking up space, breathing, creating, dying, and starting over.  I say, feminism is the equal humanity of women because when one defines feminism, as Dictionary.com does:
Feminism: the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men. 2. (sometimes initial capital letter) an organized movement for the attainment of such rights for women.  3.  feminine character, one has already put man on a higher level, that women must attain.  The assumption is that men are more human or super human or have more right to take up space than women and that women must fight to attain that same level of human-ness.  It seems by this definition, all women should want to be men when they grow up, as if becoming fully woman was not good enough.  I don’t agree with this definition of feminism.    

Instead, I think feminism is pro-human.  I don’t believe feminism should be a conflict causing idea.  Feminism is a word that expresses the right to be equally human and fully woman.   My understanding of feminism allows me the courage and freedom to accept the gift of space in this world and to be equally human and fully woman in that space.

I exist…

exist among the day, a dream;

your eyes close, the body is induced,

and the heart unfolds.

All of your mind becomes a wick;

it begins burning with a flame, and inside it,

the emotional wax drips;

touching a calling heart’s lips.

Slip…slip… into thy abyss,

relinquish your hidden desires,

and let the soul embrace what its’ missed.

I exist…

exist among the thoughts you manifest,

the racing beat inside your chest,

and the want that sweeps you from your nest.

I exist.

Photo Credit:

: wordfromthewell.com

I had a lot of elders to revere. My grandfather was fearless,protective, loving, wise and hilarious.

We shared the same heart. So no one had to tell me to respect him. Like loving him, it was a no-brainer.

As good a man as my grandfather was there are old men who are just as bad.

Albert Fish looked like a grandfather and was a horrific, hell-spawned monster . That’s one elder demon.

There are more social and political retainers in the halls of Congress. They’ve taken naps with speakers on the floor.

There are several ‘career’ members of Congress over 80 years old possessing their seats for decades!

Granted, they are elected. Still, why do they continue to run? Both parties are guilty of this.

Classy ladies and gentlemen know when to bow out gracefully and pass the reigns to young forward thinkers.

There is no shame in this. Elders can become advisers and teachers rather than wielders of power.

Is it fear of change that imprisons elder statesmen? Is it your mother’s words  that dictates your vote?

The elders are chronologically superior and hopefully wise enough to know themselves and society.

Much has happened since my last posting. Of greatest consequence is what I got for myself out of reviewing the Advanced Course at Landmark this past weekend. For those who don’t know, Landmark is transformative education that grants you the privilege of examining what it is to be a human being and how it is that we can live extraordinary lives of integrity, authenticity, and contribution. The Advanced Course is particularly about making a difference with others, going beyond yourself, ascending to the heights of humanity, seeing to it that others win.

All others. Even the so-called “Other” who in my last entry I imagined to be separate from myself. This foolishness was brought to my attention while I was in the course and actively, physically resisting being in communication with the man I love. In our customary surroundings, in which our friends are primarily those loving people who agree with us, I could’ve went on with my resistance and stinginess and received affirmation for it. In the Landmark environment, in which “strangers” are primarily those loving people who stand for us to be our true Selves, holding on to my resistance was simply not an option.

And that is why I chose to be there. I knew I wasn’t being true to my Self. I know that to shut down anywhere is to shut down everywhere. I shut down my love for a person who I deeply respect and wholeheartedly value, someone who continually contributes to my growth. Instead of reaching out to him to share that I was sad, I chose to be completely out of touch and to create a narrative in support of this decision. Seek and ye shall find. I sought and found that I really did miss myself. That was completely honest. The lie was that I didn’t miss him.

The truth is that I cannot be my true Self while shutting down to anyone and especially not to someone who I love infinitely. I cannot be my true Self if my behavior is a reaction to what someone else said/didn’t say or did/didn’t do. That makes my behavior conditional upon the actions and inactions of others. That’s not who I am. Who I am is someone who loves no matter what, someone who gives and keeps on giving no matter the outcome. It’s not about the outcome. It’s about the interplay of the out-come and in-come. When loves flows out of me, love flows into me. To pretend that it can be any other way is a fool’s errand. And I’m thrilled to say that I’ve stopped running!

I’ve started loving instead. I choose to return to my Self and to extend a public apology to the man I love:

I can’t believe I am doing this, but I am about to defend the devil.  After the state of Florida bobbled and blundered the Casey Anthony trial, failing to hold her responsible for the death of her infant, they have decided to try to prosecute him again. Unfortunately for the state of Florida, and well people everywhere, they already had this opportunity and blew it. She was found guilty of negligible death and sentenced to 3 years in jail, which she didn’t have to do because of time previously served while in custody.

Casey Anthony and her lawyer

For the state to attempt to correct their mistake by trying her again violates her Constitutional rights. First of all it falls into the category of double jeopardy, meaning one can not be tried twice for committing the same crime if they have been tried for it already.  It is true that they are changing the charges, so that it doesn’t “really” fall under the double jeopardy provisions, but the spirit of the law is being perverted so that they can do this.  That is just as bad as if they were breaking the law themselves.

Just because they didn’t like the outcome of the first trial does not mean they get a second crack at her. The law is very specific in this regard. Second, if we are to believe that are justice system works, which we are all, myself included, very cynical about, then we have to stand by the findings of the jury down in Florida.  It doesn’t matter if we think she is guilty, if the court system says she isn’t, then she isn’t.

This is not just about Casey Anthony. I think she is a vile, reprehensible human being and quite possibly proof that demons do exist on Earth. That being said, if this perversion of justice is allowed to transpire, then we might as well rally in the streets like they are doing in Turkey and burn this country down. Everyone who is an American citizen has rights guaranteed in the Constitution and protected by the laws that govern our great nation.

If we allow them to change laws and manipulate the system any time one desires, as we have with every other part of our society, then we might as well stop lying to the world and ourselves that our system works, because it doesn’t. We give the outward appearance of a fair, vigilant, incorruptible justice system, but when we don’t like an outcome we will change it. That is not justice, that is not equality, and it is not a country that can claim to uphold the rules and laws that govern it. If we continue to allow these kinds of perversions to happen, we are no better than any dictatorship or monarchy that exists in the world today.

Chad Johnson and Judge Kathleen McHugh

Another example of the perversion of our justice system by the purveyors of justice themselves is Broward County Circuit Judge Kathleen McHugh.  You might recognize this judge’s name as she was the judge who decided to through out an agreed upon plea bargain and place Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson in jail for 30 days because she “felt” like it.  She felt he had disrespected her by slapping his lawyer on the butt for a job well done when he found out that he wasn’t going to have to spend any time in jail.

The legal system in this country DOES NOT WORK. Like every other agency in America, Wall Street, our education system, Congress, welfare, insert government agency here, it has become tainted by corruption and ceases to function in the manner it was originally created to.

If anything should come from the outrageous verdict in the Casey Anthony case, it should be a deafening call to overhaul our court system. But to retry her in the manner they are attempting goes against everything I believe in, what this country stands for, and what the American public should accept. In no way does finding her guilty now mark any kind of justice. Things need to change in America. We have had warning after warning, sign after sign, and yet no one pays them any mind.

Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman

If my favorite author, Mark Twain, were alive today he would liken our false veneer of a successful America to the false sense of prosperity that the South boasted leading up to the Civil War. Our system was laughable even in his day.

“We have a criminal jury system which is superior to any in the world; and its efficiency is only marred by the difficulty of finding twelve men every day who don’t know anything and can’t read.”  This has never been more prevalent than what we saw with the jury selection process connected to the Trayvon Martin case.  Once again in Florida.

We are just one more major malady away from collapsing in on ourselves. It is time we were angry enough to do something about it. But we need to do so with the system that is already in place. We just need to create a watch dog organization that will chart the decisions that every judge makes.  That way we can hold them accountable for all their little perversions and idiosyncrasies they try to pass off in the “kingdoms” they call their courtroom.  I still believe America is worth saving from itself.

To Philanthropists

Discussing which undeveloped country to save

Next.

Nihilarians sighting homeless, swallowing hope

And doubting possibility of accomplishment.

Artistes floating past pedestrians

Too caught in aesthetics to be concerned

With Location.

Sesquipedalianists formulating poems

Grandiloquent

But

meaningless.

I believe that Nature turned me into the person I am today for these reasons:

1.  While I was always easily able to make friends, I was bullied for a very long time.  I had to find my voice, wit and strength to stand up and defend myself without any type of protection from other people.

This made me a hot headed and defensive person.  Once I was able to fight off the bullies, I found myself easily provoked and ready for a show down.  I realized that I was now eager to show my strength to any person who dared to hurt me (mentally or physically).  Although I can pick and choose my battles, to a degree, I still am that way.

2.  I have a younger sibling who is the complete opposite of me.  She is sweet, caring, loving and compassionate.  She is able to show affection and sympathy for other people, even    if she doesn’t know them.  We were raised the same way and by the same people.  Yet, we are nothing alike.

I guess to give you an example of what I mean, let’s talk about large scale incidents.  Hundreds or thousands of people are killed because of a psychopath or because of religious beliefs.  Do I feel bad that innocent people were killed?  Yes.  Would I wish that on anyone?  No?  Do I wish awful things on the murderer who took the lives of innocent people?  Yes.  But what makes these people who were killed any more special than the next person who was stabbed to death or shot and didn’t make it to the paper?

3.  Why do I have more compassion for animals than I do for people?

I truly hate people in general.  I hate that people don’t take responsibility for their actions and try to make excuses for their mistakes. I hate that most people don’t use common sense and get themselves into “sticky” situations and expect sympathy from others.   I hate that many people are inconsiderate.  I hate that people are lazy and try to live off the government while others work hard for their money.  People are nosy and conniving and are liars.  Why do you care of a politician (e.g. Bill Clinton or James Edward McGreevey) had an affair or is gay?  What does a person’s love life have to do with their career?  Why is it that you can count your true friends on one hand?  There are many more things I can list that I despise about people.  But to cut it short, these are some of the reasons why I have no faith in humanity.  These are the reasons why I hate people.

Animals on the other hand are basic in their needs.  They seek food and shelter and when needed, they mate.  Yes, some are more advanced than others such as wolf packs and their need for dominance or Bees and Ants who build colonies, but it’s expected of them to behave a particular way.

There are people who have had a less than ideal childhood and there are those who have had a “normal” or “spoiled” childhood.  Is it society that changes them into something better or worse or is it the way they were raised?  Although Nurture does have some influence, Nature, in my opinion, has a larger effect on how a person is shaped than Nurture.

“Squeezing the Sponge.”
Witchcraft runs on neurotransmitters. Just like any other mental attribute, the brain cannot make Magic without the fuel it needs. Examine your diet, note your allergies, and take a few moments with a high-rated page on “Brain Foods” to augment your mental health, strength, and stamina.

You can’t squeeze a dry sponge without hurting something

It does not matter that the woman said “Holyrood” (pronounced Holy-Rude)
and that the old fella heard it “Hollywood” and was at first astounded.
All that matters is me walking past, and sitting back at my desk,

and knowing 12 years ago, some poet wrote about his
apologies being like thorns, hoarded and kept in a mason jar
to solve some unknown “X” immunity, that basically
“the roses didn’t mean shit” in a bizarre dollar store notebook

where someone has written in as large as the letters can fit,
“what’s that shit smell” in bold, obviously meant to convey silent rage, letters.
Or maybe it’s just meant to be a joke, left over from some cranked out night.
Maybe it’s meant to be another of those things that doesn’t count.

But all you know is all I show, and that’s what counts.
So know that safe in heaven, dead, they all have notebooks too.
And keep going. And fill this one, too.

This is obsession. These are the rules.

Charlie Chaplin’s inspirational final speech in “The Great Dictator”

One of the most inspirational speeches in recorded history was given by the famous Charlie Chaplin in the movie “The Great Dictator.” This is the only time I’ve ever heard him speak, and what a memorable experience it is…

Certainly a piece of media worth sharing, and watching more than once.

Later I was a prolific babysitter, my weekends full of watching cousins and neighbors and my mom’s friends’ children. I loved all those little kids: the angels and the troublemakers, the lively ones and the meek. (Or rather, I loved almost all of them – we won’t talk about the spoiled 12-year-old who locked me out of her house.)

I especially loved my cousins, and later my nieces: The children whom I loved not because they were cute or sweet (though of course they all were), but truly for their own sake. They were born and with us and part of our family and I loved them. It’s as simple as that.

So it’s not like I entered motherhood as a complete novice in the baby department. I felt prepared for the work involved in caring for a child and I was aware that there would be a tremendous emotional strain to deal with. I also knew that I would feel a love for my own child that would be different from any I had yet experienced.

But I wasn’t prepared for my infant son to teach me something about the whole of humanity. Or for him to give me a humbling, awe-filled glimpse into the heart of God.

So many nights, I sat in the rocker and nursed my baby boy. I studied his perfection: smooth, clear skin; long eyelashes; soft, round cheeks; creases at his wrists and thighs; dimples on his hands; wispy, fair hair; chest moving gently as he breathed his sweet breath; heart thump- thump- thumping in that reassuring way… I could go (and I have gone) on. At any rate, I can provide the images, but I can’t express the depth of the love I felt in those moments.

The love which, of course, I continue to feel. We just celebrated my son’s third birthday. These days when I kiss my boy’s forehead, I think more on the funny and imaginative things he says; on his hugs for his brother; on his flushed, sweaty face and bright blue eyes when he runs around the playground; on the way he likes to kiss both of my cheeks, like the little French boy he isn’t. And the feeling is the same. Stronger, perhaps.

A couple of years ago I sat in a different rocking chair, listening to a C-SPAN Booknotes interview with Iris Chang on her book The Rape of Nanking. I won’t describe the horror of the event on which the book is centered; I will only say that I was horrified. More than horrified: I felt a pain that seemed to go straight to my soul.

I sat there rocking my baby as I listened and I had this powerful image in my mind of all those other women who had rocked their babies – the babies who grew to become the victims and perpetrators of this most terrible of crimes. I thought of how I stroked my own son’s skin as I held him, how I smoothed his hair and absorbed the feeling of his weight against me. I treasured my son. I saw him for the precious, important being that he was – a human life and a child of God. Surely, those mothers must have felt the same about their babies. They must have known exactly how precious those lives were.

And yet some of those lives were treated with contempt. They were brushed aside, abused, degraded. I felt like screaming, “Didn’t you know how important those people were?!” Others were degraded by their own actions. Their mothers rocked innocent babies who grew to do grave evil. I can’t imagine that any mother would want such a future for her child.

So it goes on. I hear about atrocities and I think of mothers rocking their babies: The Holocaust, the Rwandan Genocide, the rampage in Afghanistan, the murders in Newtown. I think of the victims, but I think of the perpetrators too. I can’t hate them. I mourn for them and the damage they did to their souls. I mourn for their mothers’ sakes. I mourn even for Kermit Gosnell, who took those most unfortunate of babies: the ones whose mothers did not protect them, did not rock them, did not realize how very precious they were.

But I firmly believe that someone else knew exactly how precious those babies were. I believe that God valued and loved those babies from the moment they were conceived. All of them: those of Nanking, the Holocaust, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Newtown, Gosnell, and so many other tragedies. And us too. We may think that we live normal, unremarkable, run-of-the-mill lives, but I believe that God views each and every one of us as unique and infinitely precious.

When I remember rocking my babies and I ponder the intense, indescribable love I feel for them, I think to myself, “If I love my boys this much, how much more must God love me?” When the answer sinks in, when I get that small glimpse into the heart of God, it just about takes my breath away. I am full of awe and gratitude and a keen awareness of how little I deserve that love. But I also know that I don’t have to deserve it. My boys don’t have to do a thing to earn my love. And there’s nothing they could do to stop me loving them.

I think most mothers would say the same. Through all of history and across all the world, mothers love their babies. They hold them tight and rock them. They treasure them. In them they see individuality and worth and promise. And all the while, God looks over their shoulders. He gazes at each and every one of us with a parent’s love, but greater. He loves and values us when our own parents fail to, when other people make victims of us, and even when we damage our souls with acts of evil.

Feeling that love, letting it all sink in and settle around you as you rock your child on a quiet afternoon, that’s a love that changes you.

Source: http://carson1umc.org/

Still, it was bound to happen.

I’ve feared it would and it finally did. I messed up the Lord’s Prayer. And I don’t mean I substituted trespasses for debts forgetting the tradition of this particular congregation. (There are many slight variations of the prayer.) I mean I jumped from the first lines to the end of the prayer. The congregation confused by my mixup, sat in silence and I had to return to the beginning of the prayer to get back on track.

I guess this kind of thing is why I consistently find reassurance from Paul’s letter to the Romans. Writes the apostle about prayer,

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27 NRSV

As one who is often called to lead public prayer, the experience of forgetting lines of a prayer so well known is a humbling experience. It is also a reminder that it is not the words I speak but the content of my soul that reaches God. It is also an opportunity to display my humanity before my congregation and give them the opportunity to love me and forgive me through my human flaws.

Altogether, not a bad experience.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Mila moves into a small town to try and move past the accident that killed her father and caused her to lose her memories.It isn’t until an accident that she begins to question who – or what – she is. Soon people are after her and her “mother” explains that she is a clone, and completely mechanical. She is the perfect weapon. But when Mila is taken by the people who made her, it becomes a fight of survival, saving her mother and finding a way to make them pick her over her other, more favoured clone. 

It was really good. If you like this sort of stuff, you might also want to try the Originals by Cat Patrick, which I read not to long ago, about three clones who were originally raised as triplets but now live different shifts of one girl’s life. That was also really good. 

S.

I’ll find a flower in hopes it never regresses

(next thought)

A beautiful life, 

tempered with strife.

Composition of love,

a story untold of.

(next thought)

To work for a future 

That consoles humanity

No ifs to be thought

There is only “it will be.”

(final thought)

Who knew a fable 

Is a reality with a label.

Twin flames who found

each other abound

A sea of a race

Who forsakes this very place

(end thoughts)

The Irreducible Primary
© Rob Taylor, 2011

Kuan Yin is the bodhisattva of compassion.

Compassion is the understanding or empathy for the suffering of others and helping them to come out from the suffering.

You can imagine what someone is going through and have sadness for them and in turn comfort them, but to go through a similar experience yourself, turns that sadness into compassion.  Your personal experiences that caused you pain and suffering are not in vain, if then you are able to have true compassion for others and help them through your story.

Everything that we have been through in our lives, especially the dark moments, have been our biggest opportunities to grow. The moments that take us out of our “comfort zone” and push us through situations that we would much rather avoid are the ones that make us who we are, shape our character, and make our paths clear.

In this dark world we live in we must find compassion for others.  For what affects one of us, will eventually affect all of us.  No matter someones outward appearance, nobody should be judged and everyone should be treated with compassion.  We shouldn’t change once we know their struggle.  Assume that they have had their struggles or that they are soon to come.  Nobody is free of tragedy or pain in this life.  That is the purpose.  I often find that the ones that seem to have it all are often the ones that have had many struggles.  The higher elevated a person is, the more that can occur and how we respond to it gives us the opportunity to reveal more light or go through it again.

So know that the day is going to pass whether we laugh or cry ,so you mine as well laugh.  Laugh together and have compassion in our hearts for all living beings.

*Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.- Dalai Lama

   In one of Gretchen Rubin’s recent posts http://www.happiness project.com/happiness_project/2013/06/who-are-your-patron-saints-here-are-mine/ she encourages her readers to ask themselves, “who do I admire?”, or in her words “who are my patron saints?” For her, one key to happiness is self-knowledge, and in identifying inspiring individuals or heroes of humanity to mirror ourselves after, one can “build a happy life” on “the foundation of one’s own nature”. 

   Whether this inspiring individual is a historical figure such as Rubin’s much admired Winston Churchill or Therese of Lisieux, by identifying individuals that we admire, and who we would like to emulate, we can more fully become the person we were meant to be.

Just as they touch our lives with their stories, their words of wisdom, or even their silent strength, in striving to learn from them, we can learn to imitate them, and in doing so, hope to touch others with our example, as they did for us!

   Some of my heroes of humanity include Audrey Hepburn, whose beauty and grace was most evident in her kind words and actions, The Confessions’ St. Augustine who transformed his life from drunken revelry and promiscuity to become a renowned philosopher, and others such as Dr. Seuss and C.S. Lewis. As a young adult, I can look to these individuals as examples of true goodness and heroic humanity.

In our unspoken efforts to grow and become more like these heroes of humanity, we might perhaps recognize the qualities we might SO wish to just instantaneously absorb, but rather can choose to practice daily acts or thoughts which will help us grow more like these much admired individuals.

  For example, Rubin found Therese of Lisieux’s written work to be so beautiful because her words illustrated for Rubin the love that she desired to complete every action with, no matter how small. She exemplified a love for her fellow man and a love for hearts which Rubin found to be a great example of being truly human and truly happy. In working to imitate this inspiring person, Rubin constantly reminded herself to do everything, even the smallest of things, with love.

So, today I challenge you to these same questions:

  Who do you admire? Who are your heroes of humanity whom you look to in order to inspire yourself to love, to grow to be a presence to others, and to challenge yourself to become the best version of You?