mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Willful Blindness and Inertia
May 4, 2016
sundial
As individuals and as groups we all have blind spots. We accept beliefs without knowing all the facts simply because it is impossible to know all the facts. Especially in institutional settings we excuse resistance to change as part of keeping to tradition. If we look back in history we will notice that over time what was at one time considered to be true is now regarded as folly. Tradition is one thing and resistance to reality is quite another matter. Institutions protect dysfunctional operations not out of pride, but out of lack of awareness. The set it and forget it attitude runs strong in institutions and government agencies. It takes some tragic outcome to bring about change in some cases. It is impossible to observe one’s own actions if one is willfully blind. Thus, the blindness begets more blindness, becoming contagious.
What would Sir Isaac Newton think about the conditions that prevail?
- The body at rest is our culture, willfully ignoring our real situation
- The forces at work driving our society to move are all profit motivated
- Every profit has an equal and opposite loss to the environment/humans
No matter who wins the scary American presidential election now taking place, the financial and environmental imbalance will be rampant around the world. Balance can only be restored through awareness and planning. Without a plan we will careen ever closer to entropy. The solution is pre-political. Our awareness needs to cover all the people places and things with which we have contact. This energy drain, or misappropriated energy, is needed for the good of the entire planet in order to restore some kind of equilibrium. Plug the leaks in your own boat today. We are taking on water and listing to port.
door in the darkness
Find Your Bossiness
May 3, 2016
— 4 Comments
The Judge
I was born with ample bossiness, and raised to rebel. I entered professions in which people paid me to tell them what to do. In travel (in the old days) clients planned trips with the advise of agents. I was an outside sales travel agent, meaning I worked for and found my own clients outside the agency. It was a perfect job for me because I have travelled extensively and don’t mind at all sharing my opinions. Agencies were full of very well-travelled agents because the suppliers used to treat us like royalty. If I had not been to a destination I had only to ask around the office to find someone who knew the place. It was a very cosmopolitan place to work. Everyone was very jolly until the airlines cut commission, signaling the end of supplier/agency relationships. It was very good while it lasted, and I am glad I was there for the gravy train.
I taught fitness and swimming in fancy spa settings. This required a different kind of bossiness, which required very little encouragement to bloom. The guests relinquish entirely too much power and responsibility in the spa atmosphere. The real key is not making them mind you in your presence (which they are paying big bucks to do). Success can only be measured after the student has returned to home/work/family and all the habitual triggers that exist there. When they try to integrate what they learned at the spa into real life, if they whip out the hand out you provided and do something (anything) they learned, you have succeeded in the mission. If they mind you back at home, then you are a boss.
I like the current fad to label things done with confidence “like a boss”. I agree that taking charge and speaking one’s own mind can be the difference between success and failure, and even between happiness and depression. Finding ones voice as a boss is valuable and must be done with respect and caution. Do not surprise unsuspecting members of your family or workforce with your newfound authority. Practice safe bossiness with appropriate subservients. Use your head.
- Take control of all the political calls/posts/real life discussions
- Evaluate your use of free time to find more for yourself/eliminate waste
- Polish the rhetoric used to ask for services in daily life/be particular
- Identify the areas in which you do not care to boss/make sure they are covered by a qualified and enthusiastic boss
- Focus your attention and education on the areas you intend to rule
- Explore new areas of conquest with respect to current sovereigns
Remember the fall of Rome when Caesar obviously just took on WAY too much dominance over the Romans. Don’t let things get out of hand with your bossy self. Use discretion as you boss your way around this world.
Narrow Vision
April 29, 2016
— 1 Comment
the city
Blind to either side, the galloping force chases the scoundrels with intent
Misses the ongoing story, producing poverty, lowering standards for life
Hunger, insecurity, pessimism, lack of healthy enviornment, to a growing extent
Contribute to a downward spiral for those already sinking in economic strife
Streams and creeks full of excuses mixed with social work are clogged
Water is evaporating above the ground while we sink the drills deeper for the prize
NaPoWriMo2016
Join poets around the world for #NaPoWriMo this April. Find new meaning in words.
Government Riddle
April 20, 2016
— 6 Comments
halls of justice
safe
Where is the debate avoider
Controlling decider
Heavily armed, obscuring the truth
The invading, occupying force
Following orders that arrive
Trickling down from a wizard figure
Floating out of sight in a balloon
On a vector tangential to reality
Swirling in a vortex of candy coated spin?
The government is flying high on a cloud of delusion
NaPoWriMo2016
Today’s prompt is to use kenning, a kind of riddle from Norse poetry. Since the elections are upon us during #NaPoWriMo I was inspired to write about the government. Join poets around the world this month reading and writing poetry.
How to Showcase Your Ignorance
April 19, 2016
— 1 Comment
Ignorance
Set your own priorities with no regard for reality or truth
Walk backwards into situations, the blind back of your head leading
Make sure you ignore the voices pleading, the garden in need of weeding
Blame poorly informed decisions and disruptive behaviors on the youth
Take no responsibility for the results of your actions, causes or effects
Turn your face in both directions speaking platitudes while thinking even worse
Ethical boundaries destroyed and forgotten by superstitious unconscious curse
Thoughts drift in the back door of imaginary enemies and fraudulent respects
NaPoWriMo2016
Join the poetry fiesta all month in April at #NaPoWriMo . Submit your own poems and read the work of other poets.
Impending Storm
April 14, 2016
— 1 Comment
sunset
shadow
Return the wagon to the stable, sitting still while the wheels look like speed
Red paint and chrome polish reveal a strong need to be admired in the crowd
Having taken up the badge of a hero, our tasks must constantly offer risk
To quiet the spectators, sharpen the sword, and to make the unconscious heed
A supercilious voice shrill, screeching, full of bold preaching, for crying out loud
Beneath the shelter of oblivious patrons of civil duty and artful tax evading dodge
The storm is brewing at the core of the society, hail falls steadily, wind is brisk
Tightrope strung in the path of a tornado, stars stream backdrop, time forgot
NaPoWriMo2016
Today I took the prompt to write a san san, a form from Chinese involving an intricate pattern. Find your place in a world of poets during April. #NaPoWriMo is the place to look or submit your own work.
Politics vs Reality
March 20, 2016
— 2 Comments
Palm, symbol of victory
I think most people vote based on the state of their own economic situation. If they are feeling confident about their prospects and security they tend to choose the party that is in power at the moment. When insecurity and unhappy circumstances arise political elections become a way to express unease. This election year is full of wild rhetoric and many dramatic moments. Citizens are freaking out in all directions. The focus on our elected officials and policies of the government is never so intense as it is during the presidential season. Tension builds and money is spent like water on all sides. Anger, suspicion, and all the worst in our society, rears its’ ugly head to predict the future. We all think we know how the future will be if we elect one candidate or another.
We do not know what will happen after any election, and this time we seem to know less than ever. Many of the public institutions that have crumbled and decayed will need a total reform or rehab in order to once again serve the public. Politicians tend to protect and defend status quo, just because they exist within it, and that is the easy way to go. A body at rest tends to stay at rest. The GOP is finding it difficult to stay at rest, being challenged from within and by the candidacy of Donald Trump. In this era we do not remember any politics this rowdy or malicious. It is impossible to predict the outcome.
The reality is that after the election we will all go about our business without the suspense or the drama of politics in our faces. The only real change is managed on a personal local level with constant and uninterrupted effort. Figure heads and governing bodies have only so much power to implement or enforce laws and systems. The grass-roots, named for the front yard, is where either weeds or lush green comfort is cultivated. It is a mistake to put so much emphasis on elections while we turn away from our own neighbors and local issues. Like Smokey says, “Only YOU can prevent forest fires.” I believe this philosophy applies to reality and politics just as well. Only YOU can prevent the dismemberment of society, gentle reader. Think small, local, and real. Don’t let these political loonies stress your mind. Act like you want others to act, do unto others what you want done to you.
yellow rose, symbol of joy
Authority, Use and Abuse
March 3, 2016
— 2 Comments
When we were in grade school it was obvious that we had little control over our circumstances. This is appropriate for children leaning to be part of a larger society. Still some of us questioned the system wondering where the teachers/parents/school officials got off being so threatening about some rules and regulations. Some of us used our own immature logic to question authority. Some of us even spoke up about what we considered to be abuse of our rights. Others quickly conformed to fit in and get the brownie points for behaving the way we had been instructed to behave. I was naturally part of the first group, those of us who felt oppressed unnecessarily by silly rules.
My nature was never very compliant without seeing the purpose of the rules. One such rule was my mother’s idea of fashion for little girls. I fought tooth and nail over cutting my bangs, putting permanent waves in my otherwise fabulous hair, and, most of all, the wearing of white ankle socks. The whole look was atrocious, but I was physically too small to fight off the stinky hair solutions or the bangs scissors. All I could do was take of the hideous white ankle socks once I had left home for school. It was my only available form of resisting authority that I saw as fascism. My parents were very strict, believed in beating children to a pulp with a belt, and fought back hard. I saw this was obvious sign of weakness, the need to physically bully a child into wearing white socks. If they had thought about what they were doing they might have made more reasonable rules and fought more reasonable battles, but they were out of their minds with power. They belonged to the Republican Party.
They voted for Barry Goldwater for president and loved war and police brutality. They were animated fans of the Viet Nam war, which was truly the last straw. They saw America as entitled bully, and I saw them as entitled bullies. Our political paths would never cross once I was old enough to vote. There was no discussion because my dad would blow his top so wildly that it was out of the question to question his opinions. I just wore a patch on the back of my jeans that said “War is not healthy for children and other living things” and they voted a straight Republican ticket. I have a letter my mother wrote to my father when Kennedy was elected bemoaning the fate of the world. They were truly nuts.
I now thank them for the training I had early in life to see that some authorities use power for evil (I still think permanents are evil and probably cause brian cancer). Some authorities are just ignorant, and must be opposed in order to save the world from fascism. The political scene we face today is clearly one of treacherous consequences. I thought most of the violent crazy people were already dead, but I was completely off course. This sentiment is alive and sick. It has never been more important to vote and become aware of the rights we still have in this country to shape our future. Please inform your self, gentle reader. Consider the possibilities very carefully, and then VOTE!!!
Banking on Bernie
January 23, 2016
— 1 Comment
This election of 2016 gives us an unprecidented opportunity to change our federal government for the better. The American people have been through the economic ringer while banks “recovered” nicely with taxpayer assistance. The real estate market where I live is still on a very slow track to recovery, and the stock market is tanking right now over the price of oil. Ordinary tax payers have felt powerless and probably resentful to see the way our government conducts itself and spends our treasury’s money. Various movements from #OccupyWallStreet to #BlackLivesMatter have coalesced to express rage against the system. As these feelings and political movements grow the ability to share our thoughts has expanded exponentially.
This election may be televised, but the instant power of twitter has changed the way the candidates compete. The playing field is more open to view than the games in the past that decided our national political future. Anyone with a twitter account is free to comment, disclose, and persuade. It reminds me of the University of Texas tower (site of the very first famous mass shooting by a veteran at a school), which says “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32) Truth and freedom have been generally under siege from all corners. Each of us has personal truth and freedom, but it gets very gnarly trying to decode the nation’s truth and freedom. These words evoke talk of war and the military, always used to protect our national freedom. The irony now that the veterans of our freedom wars are in bad shape and need care and attention sends a signal that all is not well. All is not revealed. Truth about what happens to our troops, and in our wars has been buried under a giant pile of PTSD. The brave men and women of our armed forces have taken the biggest hit to their freedom and security. Someone has lied to us about the entire nature of this war business.
The economy may or may not be in peril for banks and the super wealthy Americans. The economic outlook for the middle class looks gloomy to me at the moment. Poverty is spreading among the senior population and children. Homelessness and addiction is common for the hero veterans we sent to fight for our “freedom”. These truths should motivate the voters of this nation to look for a better solution. I endorse Bernie Sanders for president because #WeAreBernie. I believe the truth will set us free from unreasonable government, but we need to face the truth together to make this happen. How do you feel, gentle reader? Do you think we can come clean and make the government work for the people? No matter what you think I hope you will vote and make your voice heard.
UT tower
Digesting the Past
January 20, 2016
— 2 Comments
fermenting beverages
Our bodies alert us to imbalance and disease long before a diagnosis can be made. I have always had excellent digestion, but a couple of years ago I had to make some dietary changes to stem some new symptoms I had acquired in my digestive tract. My thermogram showed inflammation all along the digestive system, but the real issue was that I felt bad. I had become a burping bubbling mess. I eliminated wine and beer, which made a huge difference in the problem. I also decreased, but did not totally stop, my consumption of bread. These changes, together with some attention to adding the foods that heal the spleen, helped me conquer my indigestion.
During the time I was studying my spiritual path as it coincided with all this unexpected indigestion in my body. I believe there is always some soul element of every physical manifestation. Indeed, I had unresolved, undigested issues about my home and environment that had serious consequences. Stress from trying unsuccessfully to put a stop to crime in our neighborhood had become a permanent drag. I was really sick and tired of reporting crime with no response and no effort made by authorities to stop it. The culture of willful blindness had won the day, and no progress was possible. Now there is a breakthrough!!!
This week our new police chief, Chris Magnus, starts his job running the Tucson Police Department. I have very high hopes that his new energy will uplift the community and bring people together to improve conditions in our Tucson neighborhoods. His reputation for community policing and success in reducing violence precedes him. We need to improve the working relationship between the cops and the citizens here. His experience should prove very valuable to improve the culture of TPD.
My new hobby is fermenting raw foods. I have tried concocting several beverages that are super simple to make and taste great. They have the added benefit of probiotic culture which boosts immunity and assists digestion. Over time the healthy bacteria growing in my beautiful beverages will improve my health, but for now I just love the flavors. At the moment I am fermenting some red cabbage kraut juice, a batch of swizzle, and a batch of ginger beer. When the ginger beer is ready I want to try a second fermentation to add more fizz. The possibilities of delicious new ways to digest the past are endless. Here are directions for you if you want to try making your own switchel, packed with electrolytes from the apple cider vinegar. To your health, gentle reader!!!
