Spirituality

I recall, very specifically, thinking about my spiritual development and what that would mean for me here in Ohio. I started thinking about it once it was clear that I was leaving home and moving lock, stock and barrel to Ohio.

My dearest friends gave me a shirt as a present "Friends Don't Let Friends Live in Ohio." I loved it.

Anyway, I recall thinking how this relocation of my life, in many many ways a fish way outta water, would put my spirituality to the test. If I can live the thought in Ohio, then I am truly on the path to enlightenment.

I was only beginning to sorta feel like I owned my spirituality once in a while, so moving to Ohio was going to really be the make or break for me. My spiritual journey has been a long slow road, with many beloved teachers and experiences along the way.

A few weeks ago I had the occasion to speak with a very well educated, and very astute woman who is the ED of a nonprofit. I told her my situation here in Dayton, and she looked at me and asked how it was that I was smiling and not seriously depressed.

Now, for all my pissing and moaning, which you KNOW I love to do for fun, I do smile quite often here, and I am not depressed. Worried, yes.

Driving in a total downpour (alien in SF) at about 25 mph on the highway today, I realized just how well I was doing with my spiritual beliefs, and how well that was serving me. Amazing what a good downpour will do.

I felt pretty good about it too, as I don't have a support system here to keep my spiritual path clear. It is pretty easy in the Bay Area, as so many folks are on some sort of a similar path, or have a level of awareness around some of the ideas.

The few Ohio folks I have attempted to engage in conversation just kinda looked at me with that plastic face of politeness, and at the first opportunity switch the subject.

Alien.

I sometimes struggle with Levi-Strauss' theory of binary opposition. Yet, I have also accepted it as a basic premise in my spiritual life.

As you come to know the inner workings of my mind via this blog, you will come to realize that I live in a perpetual paradox, not only in my spiritual nature, but in my thoughts and ideas about many many things. Don't get me started on culture... even if you weren't a drinker before, you will be, well before my tongue tires.

Every moment in life I am in a position to make a choice. To live in "love" or to live in "fear" - whilst far from perfect at this... I live in love far more often than I live in fear.

To those for whom this concept, or approach to thinking about life, might be new... it means in a very simple example, that when approached by an unknown person, I can choose the path of fear and expect something negative about or from the encounter. I can choose the path of love, and expect something positive from the encounter.

A bit of a self fulfilling prophecy.

We live in the world we create for ourselves.

Focus on the negative, and that is what you will see and feel for your life.

Focus on the positive, and that is what your life will have and be.

I still love dearly a quote by a 17 year old girl from Bam, Iran. The ancient city of Bam, was leveled by an earthquake on Dec 23, just 2 months before I was scheduled to visit. She, like most other survivors (est dead was about 26,000) lost almost every one of her relatives. Rural Iranians and small city dwellers typically live surrounded by close relatives. As the ancient homes crumbled, entire families were taken. This girl was 12 at the time of the earthquake, she writes poetry and shared this thought...

"Life is beautiful for those who seek beauty,"

I can hear the sounds of all the IF critters outside my window. In years past, this would have been an irritant. A fear based choice I made.

Now, in love, I simply listen. I feel blessed to have the ability to hear them.

I listen. I hear beauty. Life is indeed beautiful.

so, as I shove off for bed, serenaded by the IF Symphony, I wish for you the ability to seek beauty, and have a beautiful life.