This Week’s Word & Thought: Freedom

I was torn between “freedom” and “violence” due to all that is going on around us.  The conflict of freedom through peace versus the need to react to the violence being perpetrated on those who could not stop it.  The death of a young woman peacefully protesting or the mob beating of a young man by a group of cowardly thugs.  Take your pick, both have me seething.  I struggle with my reactions to this incomprehensible behavior.  I simply. Do. Not. Understand.

However, I cannot give up on my beliefs that to create a better world for those I love and our obligation to do so for future generations requires that be done through peace and love.  Violence and hate simply do not work.  Never have and NEVER will.

I have been reading a lot from those who inspire me most for their courage of peaceful resistance and commitment to peace.  It includes Dr. King, Aung San Suu Kyi, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Einstein, and Socrates just to name a few.  The truly remembered great humans in history are those who focused on peace.  Who understood to truly have freedom you must achieve it through peaceful methods.

To have freedom also means to peacefully fight to end poverty, to stop inequality at all levels and to stifle hatred and bigotry.  Believing in a perfect utopian world is simply not realistic.  Sadly, and inexplicably, there will always be those who hate.  My Mom, when I first came out to her, told me she was afraid for me, but told me, “Well I guess there are people who hate you because you have blond hair.  Some people just want to hate.”  Yes, and sadly, some people do simply want to hate.  I don’t get it, but that is just the way it is.

We, however, must fight this “normalization of hate” with every peaceful breath we have.  Stuff it back down where those who wallow in it realize that good and decent human beings do not stand for this bullshit!

But, NEVER with violence.  Please.

If you participate in counter rallies to all the hate filled events planned around our nation this weekend or in the near future, do so with love and peace.  I leave you with a quote to ponder.

“What has violence ever accomplished? What has it ever created? No martyr's cause has ever been stilled by an assassin's bullet. No wrongs have ever been righted by riots and civil disorders. A sniper is only a coward, not a hero; and an uncontrolled or uncontrollable mob is only the voice of madness, not the voice of the people.” – Robert Kennedy

Namaste,

Tom

This Week’s Word & Thought: Indifference

My apologies for slacking off on my writings, but sometimes I find myself worried that I am becoming indifferent to what seems like overwhelming world issues.  In between the daily routine of commuting and work, which both can be tiring, there are the stresses of finance, getting older, health, and the fears of intolerance at top of mind.  It seems very difficult at times to focus on the issues of our country, the world, or humanity in general.  I needed a little respite from it and thus my writings, which are my outlet of expression for my thoughts.

What do I focus on?  Is it the unbelievable situation we find ourselves in as Americans with the current very frightening administration?  Or should it be the bigotry, hatred and anger the previous has unleashed?  Should it be on climate change and the record heatwaves, typhoons, hurricanes, wildfires, or melting ice shelves and glaciers?

Perhaps it should be on the multiple places in the world that appear to be on the edge of war?  Like Venezuela, the Korean Peninsula, the entire Middle east, or even Russia?  Did you know that India and China have been exchanging some serious threats back and forth?  Could it be that previously said administration is going get us into a saber-rattling situation that we can’t get out of without bloodshed, usually from our country’s youngest and bravest?

Maybe it should be the fact that 1 in 6 children in the United States is worried about their next meal?  To put that into perspective, that is 16.2M children.  Perhaps I should focus on the almost 800M people in the world without enough to eat?  BTW, that small thing called “fake” climate change is killing an additional 300K per year.

Speaking of fake, should I focus on the danger of a lack of freedom of the press or maybe even freedom of expression? 

Or perhaps I should focus on what appears to be a reverse in direction in our country on the civil rights of all regardless of religion, gender, sexual identity, race, nationality, etc.?  Or maybe that there is an actual concentration camp or camps in Chechnya for gays?  That there is an ever-increasing spike in the level of violence against those who are different in the United States and abroad?

These are just some of the topics my mind seems to hone in on and at times I feel completely and totally overwhelmed and at a loss at what to do.  At times, this feeling of being overwhelmed makes you numb, or rather it can give you a sense of indifference.  This is dangerous.

Eliezer “Elie” Wiesel, a Romanian-born American Jewish writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivor put it best.

“Indifference, to me, is the epitome of evil.”

So, even when it simply feels like too much, you must write, talk, protest, fight; but, never quit and never allow yourself to stay indifferent.  Take a mini indifference vacation if you must, but come back and never quit.  Those who fight for those who can’t are all that stand between chaos and anarchy in the world.  Your singular voice and actions do make a difference.  One more poignant quote from Elie.

“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”

If you are not familiar with Elie Wiesel I encourage you to learn more about him.  He was a remarkable human being.

Namaste,

Tom

This Week’s Word & Thought: Only Breath

Only Breath by Rumi

Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu

Buddhist, Sufi, or Zen.  Not any religion

or cultural system. 

I am not from the East or the West,

not out of the ocean or up from the ground,

not natural or ethereal, not composed of elements at all.  

I do not exist,

am not an entity in this world or in the next,

did not descend from Adam and Eve or any origin story. 

My place is placeless,

a trace of the traceless. 

Neither body or soul.

I belong to the beloved, have seen the two

Worlds as one and that one call to and know,

first, last, outer, inner, only that breath breathing human being.

Rumi was a 13th century mystic poet and to read his words now, especially in the chaos the world is in now, shows the length and depth of the struggle to be human.  This was written over 750 years ago and I believe he was truly one of the most passionate and profound poets in history. 

He was born in what is now present-day Afghanistan in 1207 and died in 1273.  He produced his masterwork , Masnavi, or Masnavi-I Ma'navi, also written Mesnevi, Mathnawi, or Mathnavi, and it is an extensive poem written in Persian by him, whose full name was Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi, celebrated Persian Sufi poet.  The translation to English consists of over 60,000 poems and the translation above is credited to Coleman Barks, although I did take some liberties with the rhythmic flow of the prose.  If you have time, please research him.  I would venture to say Rumi was a philosophical genius.

The statement of this poem is one of the most profound and simplistic views of being human I have ever read.  We all breath.  We all dream.  We aspire to be loved, accepted, and embraced at some point in our lives.  Hate and intolerance is not something you are born with.

Sadly, there are those who are taught hatred through ignorance or violence or by both.  There are those who lost their way and have become the instruments of this hatred and intolerance.  It is up to us to not lose sight of this faith in humanity and how very much we are all truly alike.  We, meaning ALL of us as humans, share 99.9% of the same DNA.

So, I say to you centuries after the wisdom of Rumi’s words, never give up the fight and keep it simple.  Just breathe and remember that the other 7.2 billion humans are also breathing.  It is only breath.

Namaste,

Tom

This Week's Word & Thought: Letting Go

Letting Go  Author Unknown
	To let go doesn't mean to stop caring; It means I can't do it for someone else. To let go is not to cut myself off... It's the realization that I can't control another... To let go is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences. To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands. To let go is not to try and change or blame another, I can only change myself. To let go is not to care for, but to care about. To let go is not to fix, but to be supportive. To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being. To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to affect their own outcomes. To let go is not to be protective, It is to permit another to face reality. To let go is not to deny, but to accept. To let go is not to nag, scold, or argue, but to search out my own shortcomings and correct them. To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires, but to take each day as it comes and cherish the moment. To let go is not to criticize and regulate anyone, but to try to become what I dream I can be. To let go is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future. To let go is to fear less and love more. Namaste, Tom

This Week's Word & Thought: Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 10, 1948.  It’s creation motivated by the experiences of the preceding world wars.  This was the first time that the U.N. Member Countries agreed on a comprehensive statement of inalienable human rights. 

It is sad to think that almost 70 years later, we still are working to achieve some semblance of this declaration.  Although there are improvements, until the majority and powerful commit to the foundation of the ideology and support human rights in a true to one’s own spirit, we will not succeed.  It starts with each of us reading, knowing, understanding, and practicing these ideologies.  It starts with curiosity of those different than ourselves and not fear or intolerance.  It starts one act at a time. 

“Defeating racism, tribalism, intolerance and all forms of discrimination will liberate us all, victim and perpetrator alike.”  -  Ban Ki-moon

Mr. Ki-moon is a South Korean diplomat who was the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 2007 through December 2016.  He is one of my favorites to hold this role.  His philosophies towards discrimination, fighting poverty, promoting education, and working to educate about global warming and climate change have been tireless.  When you read about him, and I hope you do, you will see in him the goodness of his spirit.  It gives you hope that a difference can be made, but it takes more us to do so.  Stop procrastinating.  Stop thinking you can’t change anything.  Start making a difference.  Start by reading the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and know that your voice makes a difference. 

Namaste – Tom

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

 Preamble

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable

rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice

and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous

acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world

in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom

from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common

people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last

resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be

protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between

nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their

faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person

and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote

social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation

with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of

human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the

greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, therefore,

The General Assembly,

Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of

achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and

every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by

teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by

progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and

effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States

themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are

endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a

spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration,

without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion,

political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political,

jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person

belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other

limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be

prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment

or punishment.

Article 6

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal

protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any

discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such

discrimination.

Article 8

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals

for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent

and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any

criminal charge against him.

Article 11

1. Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed

innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he

has had all the guarantees necessary for his defense.

2. No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or

omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or

international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier

penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal

offence was committed.

Article 12

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home

or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has

the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13

1. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the

borders of each State.

2. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to

return to his country.

Article 14

1. Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from

persecution.

2. This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely

arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and

principles of the United Nations.

Article 15

1. Everyone has the right to a nationality.

2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to

change his nationality.

Article 16

1. Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality

or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled

to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.

2. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the

intending spouses.

3. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is

entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17

1. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with

others.

2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right

includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in

community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in

teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes

freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart

information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20

1. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

2. No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21

1. Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country,

directly or through freely chosen representatives.

2. Everyone has the right to equal access to public service in his country.

3. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government;

this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall

be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by

equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled

to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in

accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic,

social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development

of his personality.

Article 23

1. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and

favorable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.

2. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal

work.

3. Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable remuneration

ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity,

and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

4. Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of

his interests.

Article 24

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of

working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25

1. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and

well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing

and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security

in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or

other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

2. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All

children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social

protection.

Article 26

1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the

elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be

compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made

generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all

on the basis of merit.

2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human

personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and

fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and

friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further

the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be

given to their children.

Article 27

1. Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the

community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and

its benefits.

2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests

resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the

author.

Article 28

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and

freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29

1. Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full

development of his personality is possible.

2. In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only

to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of

securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others

and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the

general welfare in a democratic society.

3. These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the

purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or

person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the

destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

This Week's Word & Thought: Reflection

I recently read an article and watched a video of a young man coming out to his family and friends.  I believe it was intended more private than public; however, it was so moving it went viral, which led to the article.  Here is the article on the young man as well as the video. 

http://www.outsports.com/2017/6/6/15717310/preston-cope-weightlifting-ohio-gay-coming-out

It helped drive home to me the importance of self-acceptance and love as well as causing me a great deal of reflection.  Reflection on this version of me and how I got here.  This version I am comfortable with although not completely satisfied, wish it was a few years younger, but hey, wisdom has a price.  Hopefully we never become so complacent or egocentric that we stop growing and evolving as a person.

The most important thought in my reflection was how multiple times during my life, I had to be my own support system, especially growing up in a home where violence was the norm and not the exception or when I came out as a gay man. I learned to know it was ok to be me even at times when I thought I must be the worst human being on earth.  Learning to forgive those who hurt me or learning to understand that I was not defective and allowing myself to just be me which in turn has allowed many beautiful and loving people into my life.

I say to anyone out there who has dealt with violence, bigotry, or hatred, “Hang on!”  It does get better.  Know that there is always someone who will give you a hug or listen if you need a shoulder to cry on or be still and just listen.  Get rid of the haters, even if family or professed friends.  Reach out to those who consistently reach out to you.  Be the best version of you that you can and let know one tear you down.  Don’t dwell on what’s in the past and don’t dwell on what if.  Focus on the here and now, reflect on who you are and fight to be you!

Over 500 years ago, a very wise man, Leonardo da Vinci, wrote this:

“I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection.  ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.” – Leonardo da Vinci

Now, go kick some ass and let your freak flag fly!  Just be you.

Namaste,

Tom

This Week’s Word & Thought: Poetry

As someone who loves the arts, creative endeavors, the written word especially, and pretty much any form of non-violent expression of the human state, I believe we neglect segments or genres of the arts.  Art is this dynamic reflection of society at that moment in time.  It is a combination of the current life struggle, of the stresses of daily life, including work, family, friends, money, society, etc., etc.  It reflects someone’s self being.

Poetry is one of the most wonderful tools of expression for a modern society.  It has also evolved a great deal since its inception before actual literacy and was used to communicate oral history, genealogy, and law.  Checkout this Wikipedia on the History of Poetry.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_poetry

The attraction to me is the brevity of poetry.  Its mission to poignantly express an idea, feeling, or state of being. My professor of creative writing while attending university would tell me, “If you can’t say it in one sentence, you never will be able to write poetry.”

I have enjoyed many poets over the years.  My favorites include Maya Angelou, Robert Frost, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, W. B. Yeats, just to name a few.  There are so many favorites!

But when was the last time you read poetry?  Have a completely quiet morning, meaning no television, computer, phone, etc., to distract, and just read poetry?  Maybe some light music or outside to listen to nature and a cup of your favorite coffee or tea?  A bit of “you-time” to relish in a bit of someone else’s thoughts.  A rare and privileged glimpse into their being, soul, spirit, energy, or whatever you wish to call it.

While researching modern poetry simply because I wanted to see what was out there, I kept coming back to slam poetry.  I have also listened to shows about slam poetry and I am usually blown away by its power and timeliness.  It has a raw and real-life quality to it that makes it relevant and moving.

I stumbled upon a young poet whose work is nothing short of moving and powerful.  His work deserves to be read, listened to, shared, and most importantly, felt.  I am not sure of his “real name”; however, he goes by Digital Poet.  Here is a link to his website “about” section.  Someone you could pass on the street or see anywhere with all this wonderful talent.  http://www.digitalpoet.net/about.html

Here is one of his poems that is probably my favorite.  It is very relatable for many of us with our internal struggles to be a more authentic version of who we are or want to be.  I hope you enjoy and I hope you take time to look at the rest of his work.  Art in our society is what truly allows humans to be more than just alive.

I Am The Me You See...Now

I am only the me that you see.

Standing here,

Average everything.

An eye witness couldn't pick me out of a fuckin' lineup.

A chameleon.

I'm not particularly tall

Or short enough to joke on.

Look-wise,

I fall somewhere on The Pitt-Pacino spectrum.

I'm not too built

But I ain't frail,

Voice isn't deep,

Nor too shrill.

No noticeable scars,

At least not that you can see.

Just,

Average everything,

But average is only flesh deep,

The real tattoo is

Beneath the outer sheath,

In this heap,

This concrete reef

of  hardened,

Crystallized,

Protected,

Hidden...

Darkness.

It's a poem.

A poem I've been writing inside for years,

But it has no words.

It has no words,

So I can be the me that you see.

Let me ask a question.

Have you ever taken a 2-Liter Coke,

And shook it with all your might,

But not opened it?

Then just watched the bubbles,

Enraged,

Confused,

Violent,

Completely untempered and without direction,

They have no release,

No escape

and no control.

See inside,

Beneath my surface,

A ruthless carbonation scrambles

Like field mice at night,

Always in jeopardy.

Inside,

There's a poem that I just cannot write.

It's been writing itself for years,

But the worlds won't transcribe.

It's a can of worms,

A Pandora's box,

A real fucking doozy.

Inside,

A phantom haunts my opera.

There's a poem that I just cannot write.

It's been written,

But not scribed,

I've imbibed It,

Lived It,

I breathe it,

Silently,

It silences me,

And controls every moment,

Untraced,

So that I can be the me,

That you see.

The words to this poem,

Change everything.

The entire trajectory of my existence

Would be thrown off its cosmic path,

My planet would crack on its axis,

The dreams,

Of people mistakenly hiding behind my facade,

Will shatter to waxes.

I must keep being the me that you see.

This poem I've been writing

Is one of both truth and lies,

One of deceit,

And ultimately its about making a decision.

The decision to release Infuriated demons

That lerk so superficially close to the skin's surface,

Even I

Am amazed they don't seep.

This poem,

This poem that's been writing itself with no words for years,

Is a mistake.

It is secrets revealed,

Which,

According to some,

Might mean I'm being healed,

But even the best medicine has side effects.

This Necrophiliac poem eats at my insides,

I'm internally lifeless,

Eternally frightened,

don't know what life is.

But I cannot write this poem.

I shouldn't even write about having this poem,

This poem that I cannot write.

See, I am only the me you see right now.

But if the right letters

Appear in the right succession,

If the words I fear

Are written and read in

a certain direction,

This poem would materialize.

If this poem materializes,

I have

No more poems.

There are no more words.

I am no longer the me that you see,

No longer average.

And no longer hidden.

If you wish to draw, paint, write, sing, etc., then do so!  Let your inner self fly, even if it’s a little freaky or raw.  Just be you.

Namaste,

Tom