All Else Is Clutter

I saw something today that got me to thinking about the term "reality". Thought now might be a terrific time to muse on the matter, in case someone needs a nudge.

It has become annoyingly apparent that there are people on this planet who would rather stare down at their phones than be part of the world around them. Just recently I did a little experiment (and you know how I love my experiments!). Whilst I was running errands, I started counting the number of people walking on the various streets I traveled. Of those, I counted how many were actually watching where they walked compared to those who were staring at their phones as they walked. I did this several times over the course of two weeks.

{As to why I would do such an experiment, the simple answer is: because I'm curious like that.}

The numbers were startling. More than EIGHTY PERCENT of the people I saw were completely unaware of their surroundings. They were so engrossed in their gadgets they were walking into signs and falling of curbs. It was shocking to me that none of them were hit by cars. I kid you NOT.

Then, today, I saw this comment from a darling woman who wondered aloud why it is that it's "socially acceptable" for people to wear a Virtual Reality headset or chase Pokeman all over town, yet unacceptable for someone to wave a magic wand and talk to faeries. She seemed a bit disturbed by this inequity; I felt her angst the moment I read the words.

It got me to thinking about all this "technology vs. spirituality" stuff. My immediate response to the woman was to offer some gentle words to remind her that "reality" is a personal thing.

Kinda like religion.

Ask anyone who believes in a god, and they'll give you a thousand reasons why theirs is the only god. They may even be able to quote their holy book, chapter and verse. But ask them why they believe it, and most couldn't tell you.

Flip side: ask anyone who swears by their technology and most will tell you, "it makes life easier or better or more efficient". As with religious zealots, they can give you reasons that may seem logical, but they couldn't tell you how or why it's improved their lives.

{Keep in mind, these are general observations. They do not apply to ALL people. There is a point to be made, hence the "general observations".}

And the point is this:

Comparisons will kill ya. Comparisons will cause great distress when one is unhappy with one's current circumstance. Comparisons fuel bitterness. Bitterness will keep you from flying.

That is, if you happen to believe in flying.

In the end, the only "reality" that matters is the one you create, the one you believe, the one you choose to live.

All else is just unnecessary clutter.

It also keeps you from your Joy.

{Please remember: you DO have a choice.}

There Is No Try

One of my very favorite movie quotes is that of Yoda when young Luke was attempting to raise his soon-to-be-swallowed-by-the-swamp ship. Yoda was doing his Yoda best to get the boy to focus. And at some point, the young Skywalker said, "I'M TRYING!". To which wise Yoda replied, "Try, not. Do or do not. There is no try."

Never forgot that. Even though I wasn't a huge fan (I only saw the first two movies), I always loved that darlingYoda. He was, to me, the quintessential Yogi. (Gee. Ya think that's what George was thinking all along?) To me, Yoda was the absolute best of all of us. And, with or without his sword, he yielded a mighty power that, to this not-so-young-lass, still affects. I often hear his voice when I'm in a tight spot. It's a funny voice to hear, but there you have it.

What struck me most about that particular quote was that, like everything else Yoda said, its simplicity was indisputable. How can you argue with that kind of logic? I  mean, either you are going to do something or not. There really isn't any in between. You're either doing a thing or not doing it. You may be in the midst of that doing. You may be half way there. You may be struggling with it. Or not. But no matter what, you are either doing it or not. Just because you aren't finished doesn't mean you aren't doing it. See what I'm getting at here?

So then...what's all this about "trying" anyway?

Well, it occurred to me recently that for all the insanity that has been my Life for the past six years, the one thing that never changed was my unyielding determination regarding the end result. That is to say, I'd gotten both a diagnosis and a prognosis. Neither of which I accepted. I refused to believe what "they" said it was or how I would "end up" (in a wheelchair!) None of it made any sense to me. Nor did it feel right when I thought about it. Somewhere inside me I just knew that there was something off. At first I fought. Hard. Then I realized that I could negotiate with my own beliefs until I found a balance between what "they" were saying I should do and what I thought was right for me. Little by little I found that course corrections were going to be a part of this whole adventure. Rather than saying, "Well, I'm going to try to do this or that...", I just took each segment of the journey as it came. I wasn't trying, I was doing. I didn't realize when it all began that it would take me all the places it has. Nor did I realize that it would affect so much of who I am. It took a long while to see that the whole of the journey would be just that: a Journey. So rather than drive myself off the bridge, I just toodled along until I got the hang of it. Kinda like when you're learning how to ride a bike. Sure, you're going to crash every now and then. But before too long, you're cruising along as if you'd been riding your whole life. It's not about trying, it's about doing. Even if you're doing it badly.

Now, it may seem that there is a bit of ambiguity here (regarding the actual matter at hand) but I do this purposely. Because, as with most things, it is not about the subject matter, but rather about the attitude one has while experiencing whatever it is that one is facing. Whether you are facing a dis-ease or a financial challenge or a broken heart or the loss of a loved one or...any number of icky things we all face during our lifetimes. No matter. What matters, from onset to end, is that we realize we have choices...and we make them according to what feels best. Choosing to be terrified is your absolute option. As is laughing in the face of it. Or hiding 'neath the covers. Or drinking yourself into a stupor so as to avoid it altogether. We all have choices to make each and every day. It isn't about trying, it's about choosing. Choosing a Joyful path is one way to make things a bit less terrifying and a lot more fun. 'Course, that's a choice too. Either way, there is no try. Do or do not. 

Your choice.

It's All Relative

Dogs have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. They were there when I was growing up and they were an absolute essential when I moved out on my own. As far as I can recall, there was never more than a three or four month stretch when I didn't have a dog in my home. Those times (without) were mostly about my own healing time when one or the other left the planet for that place on the other side of the Bridge. All I'm saying is, I've almost always had a dog. Don't like life without 'em. They just bring too much Joy to deny myself, ya know? Anywayz.....

Lately there've been some outside influences that have made me more aware of just how prejudiced some of us can be when it comes to the size of the dog. What I mean is, there are folks who've always had "big" dogs and don't get the whole "small dog" thing. I know about this particular prejudice. Used to be one of 'em.

That is, until I met Bruzer.

A short aside: for those of you who have been here before, you know who he is. For those of you who haven't, you might like to step back and have a look. The most recent posting about Bruzer was in April. He's the curly little guy with eyes brighter than the moon.

When I was first introduced to the BruzerBoy, I was quite put off. I'd never had a "small" dog and had never understood why anyone would. To me they were mostly just a lot of noise without the benefit of bad-ass. What good was a dog if it couldn't protect me? What good was the dog if it was just going to make a bunch of noise, jump on everyone who walked through the door, eat, poop, and never "earn" its keep? Such was the mentality of this "dog lover".

GEEZ.

But time and evolution have their way of teaching and I am no exception (praise the gods!). The kind, more evolved woman who called me to meet him knew that we were meant to be. Throughout our very short time together, that Critter taught me more about life, and myself, and Joy than any other Critter I've ever known. Still, nearly six months after his passing, I cannot even begin to tell you how much his presence (and absence) have affected my life. And as each day passes I am more convinced that he remains; he is here, with us (that "us" would be myself and the "new" critter, whose name is Sophie) and guides me to more understanding, more patience, less judgment, less prejudice....simply put: MORE of the ME I am meant to be.

I pose this to you now because I believe there is a very important thing to learn by letting go of our preconceived notions about what is "big", what is "small", what is "useful". When we maintain these ideas of what any creature may or may not provide based on its size or gender or breeding, we lose the ability to see who they really are. And here's the kicker. If we do this with CRITTERS, do you suppose we do NOT do this with other Beings? Do you think that our biases are relegated to one species only? Do you really think that if you think a small dog is useless, that your opinions thereafter are limited to only that small dog? Can you see where there may be perceptions that are keeping you and those around you from the Joy of Who You Really Are?

Just wondering.

What I Cannot Do....

It all started whilst watching my dog, Raja, play with her raven friend. Yep. She had a raven friend. Really. This raven lived in one of the big trees on the property where we lived. And when I say they were friends, I mean it. Whenever Raja was hanging out in the yard, especially when she was snoozin', Magick (that's what I called the raven) would fly down and land very close to her, squawking and fluttering his shiny black wings, making a ruckus large enough to wake her and send me to the nearest window to watch their antics. Each time this happened, I'd watch with awe as the two of them chased each other around. It was a delight to see these creatures play. Magick had an obvious affection for Raja. And she seemed to feel the same. Her tail would be a-waggin' and she'd have this grin on her face the whole time they played. A sight to behold. 

Anyway, on this particular day I happened to be sitting on the front porch, sipping some wine and watching the world go by. Raja was on the grass just below the porch steps, about to fall asleep. Her eyes were just barely open and her breathing was slow and even. We were both enjoying the sunshine and the smells that always follow a good rain. And then...

Magick came zipping down from out of nowhere, screeching to the high heavens, and landed not more than two feet from where she lay. Raja jumped up and the Big Chase began. Round and round they went, back and forth in front of where I sat. Each time Magick would land, she'd run toward him and at the very last moment, when Raja was maybe a foot away, he'd fly up and away. Raja would do her best to jump but she wasn't all that agile and her verticals weren't high enough to catch him. This went on for nearly half an hour. Raja was runnning out of steam and her dashing turned into a slow jog. Magick must have noticed because at the last touch down, he sat for a while longer, talking to her as she sat panted. Then, the moment she stood up again, he took off. She chased. When Magick reached the fence he flew up and over, leaving Raja to either jump or stop. She jumped. In fact, she jumped so high it looked to me like she was trying to fly. 

I was laughing so hard I nearly dropped my glass. And then I said, "You big silly dawg, you can't fly."

The moment the words came out of my mouth I was sorry I'd said them. She looked at me as if I'd really hurt her feelings. It was a sad, disappointed look as if to say, "How could you say such a thing? How do you know if I can fly or not?"

{Please don't talk to me about anthropomorphizing. Critters talk. You just have to listen.)

Well, that look gave me great pause. I got to thinking about that word "can't". She was right. How did I know if she could fly or not? I ran down to the fence and dropped to my knees, hugging her and apologizing for what I'd said. I promised her I'd never say it again. The whole incident got me to thinking even more about "can't".
Every year, around the beginning of December, I begin a process of reevaluation. I don't do 'New Year's Resolutions'; rather I prefer to have a look at my Life and see what I'd like to change. What would serve me best over the next year to enhance my Life, to reach new heights, to grow more of who I am? To this end, I take time to really look at my Self. It has proven to be a very valuable practice.

The incident with Raja and Magick had not left me. So that year, as I sat with pad and pen to begin my annual evaluation, I thought about what had happened. "Can't" was the topic of the day. What is it that I can't do? Why do I think I can't? How many things can I list that I know for certain I can't do?

The list started out pretty long. I didn't take time to really question anything on the list. I merely listed what I thought I could not do. After a few weeks, I sat with my list and, one at a time, gave each item my full attention. There were things like 'live forever', and 'cure cancer', and 'change the world'. And, of course, 'fly'.

As I sat with each item on my list, I began to see that almost every single thing was something I'd either not given my full efforts to or things I hadn't tried at all. How did I really know I couldn't do these things? How could I be sure that I could not if I'd never tried? Who was to say that I could not fly? Or change the world? Or live forever?

When I finally finished with my list, I'd crossed off all but one item. Because when it was all said and done, I really didn't know for sure that I could not do any of them. If I gave my full attention to any one of them there was every possibility that I could. The one thing I didn't cross off?

Sire a child. Not with the body I currently use to house my Soul. I am a woman. I can grow a child. But I cannot sire one. All the rest remains to be seen.

As for the flying thing?

Well....
I'm still workin' on it.