When I was a teenager, one of my guilty pleasures was watching the soap opera “one life to live” Something about watching other peoples lives spun out in ultra dramatic format seemed glorious to me.
Its not that there was NOT my own fair share of drama, its that these people – well first they all had money, and amazing things that were supposedly to be aspired to…. Sure they had people going crazy, and people trying to kill each other, but my somewhat irrational teenage mind, while acknowledging that this was entirely a fictional show … somehow reconciled that: “Wealth brought its own share of problems”
Since coming to realize that this show was … well soap operas in general, I suppose serve a purpose — much the same as the news anymore…. they are about sensationalism, and drama.
The pure and simple fact is — I have one life to live, and its filled with one love – a pure love for everything. That doesn’t mean that I won’t be grouchy or agitated or angry at some of the things that that “one love” has brought before me….. but it does mean, my goal is ultimately to remember that I love them, at the core beneath the surface annoyance.
Sure that guy that cut us off on the road, and nearly caused a four car back up, because the guy behind us was riding our rear, as was the guy behind him, and him and him…. Maybe the guy in front really didn’t see us…. there are all sorts of rational justifications for the worry and stress he put me thru … choosing to react is my choice. Particularly when we were, ultimately, safe, and not harmed other than the “shock” of it – but then there are alot of shocks these days …. most of them are also not worth reacting to….
Its hard, when the sources of so much of the shock and inconceivable story is propagated by sources that from a society perspective – from a leader perspective are supposed to set a tone and example for “how” my behavior should be – and they are anything but calm.
But then, I think if the soap opera had just been like leave it to beaver or hazel – probably I’d have turned them off. There is a part of my personality that thrives on sensationalism. But its a balance.
There is a reason why they call it the “calm before the storm” — your supposed to get a period of calm “before” you get the shit show. I guess from a very high level view, this “is” the period of calm… and while it “seems” like its a perpetual shit show…. maybe this isn’t the real one… maybe this is the time to just be happy and enjoy the amazing things that ARE here.
To remember, the words of Bob Marley – “One Love” — Lets get together and feel all right….. “”Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right.”
Had some weird clarifications this year about some appearing divergence in spiritual thinking that isn’t really divergent at all its just perspective thingies creating the illusion of difference – as usual, practicing what you preach brings illumination. Energy is energy – its all one. Religion is about creating a banner or business to promote the delta rather than the uniformity. …. Kinda like in spaceballs when they sold canned Air, sure its possible to can it – sure its possible to can it, and for some folks that is what they need…. Just one calorie.
I love ritual and religion is chalk full of that… so I think, I’ll continue to take/embrace the ritual that works for me, and still continue to discard the labels applied by religion. …. its like the theme song for the show on Showtime – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4KfJztaJ5I (Little Boxes is the name of the song) == oddly the TV show was called “weeds” and was about selling POT. — It had alot of entertainment value for the sensationalism aspect.
I feel like maybe I’m old enough now to just remember I have one life to live, and that all I need is love – and to remember its all around me.