A Response

There has been many tweets about a particular individual who gets nasty and venomous when he sees people have unfollowed him. While I have read the reports, I also did my homework and researched it myself to confirm this. There have been many requesting I unfollow this individual as well. I would like to share with these people, and all who may be interested, why - after prayerful consideration - I will not.

You are not the first to request I unfollow one person or another, due to a wide range of reasons, including that those I follow may be:

- homosexual
- pagan
- atheist
- jewish
- muslim
- republican
- democrat
- liberal
- conservative
- right-to-lifer
- pro-choice
- Obama supporter
- Obama hater
- OWS supporter
- OWS hater

... you get the idea.

As I state in my blog "About Me" - I'm an open, friendly person who gets along with any type of person and welcome anyone to converse with me on any subject. Everyone brings with them something I can learn no matter their ability, background, education, income, intellect, lifestyle, nationality, position, religious beliefs, or any other lines with which humanity tends to divide itself. The world is filled with wondrous variety and I strive to find the Light and Love that exists in each and every person.

While this particular case is about one person, I still see the trend, a pattern. The call to isolate and banish someone. I grew up the outcast one! I was the outsider! Even the kids that were picked on and beaten up by the class bullies did the same cruel things to me, just to prove to themselves they were not the very bottom of the social pecking order! I hated it. I still hate it! When I see a group rally to do that to someone I cringe. I cry.

I will not unfollow, nor will I promote what is wrong - on either side of this battle. I am here only to erase lines - not draw them. I am here to connect with all of humanity - we are all the same under the skin. I encourage people to shine the Light within and share the Love we all have inside. I will not encourage hate.

If I choose to unfollow, I only do so for two reasons: either they are not following me, and I need to free up some follows to follow others who are interested in interacting with me, or their profile page reads like an advertising column. I get enough sales pitches in my day job and on TV.

I will not condone your reasons for not following one you find offensive; that is your right and your choice. But I recall that Christ was found in the company of tax-collectors, prostitutes, lepers, Romans and those whom others found repulsive and avoided being seen in their company. I choose to follow where He leads, not where others tell me to go.

I choose not to cast a stone.

Thank you for reading this.
May Peace be found in your heart.
May you follow Love from the start.

- ESA

Prayer for the Protesters

As tensions grow, violence erupts. The scenes from Oakland are tragic and could spur open hatred.

On the other hand, watching Survivor last night, I saw prayer helped one team snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. So I had shared the prayer below with the Movement this morning.

As things continue to escalate, perhaps starting protest gatherings - or even each day - with a simple prayer can help those involved keep some important aspects in mind through the course of events.

The following is a simple prayer designed as an inter-faith request:

We gather here today, with peaceful intentions in our heart.
We ask that we receive wisdom and guidance from the start.
We ask on this day, we set aside greed and hate,
For it is a better world that we try to create.
We ask for inner guidance; let nothing be hurled,
For we are a peaceful group seeking a better world.
(~Anonymous)

Please share; a prayer may make a huge difference.

- ESA

Holiday Pileup

I can't speak for any high-end stores, as I can't afford to go shopping there, but I've recently heard about Nordstrom's decision not to put up Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving. I give that notion two thumbs up.

Starting as early as August, holiday goods are out on shelves in stores, piling up Back-to-School, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. My husband and I have a laugh whenever we pause near the mix & match conglomerate of holiday decorations. Here are a few random combinations of the audible ones we've heard:

- Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus... I want to drink your blood!
- Beware! BEWARE! ... Santa Claus is coming to town.
- Have a holly-jolly Christmas... *Blood-curdling scream!*
- Welcome to the mansion of madness... HoHoHo! Merry Christmas!
- Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer... meet my friend, bloody dagger!
- I'm dreaming of a white... night filled with terror and blood!

Yes, I think taking the holidays one at a time is a good idea.

- Happy Halloween / All Hallow's Eve / All Soul's Day
- Happy Thanksgiving
- Merry Christmas
- Happy New Year

Now can someone pass the pumpkin-glazed turkey stuffed with candy-canes before the ball drops at midnight. :P

- ESA

Furry Fun

Some of my readers may read the title and think cute little pets. Not quite. I am a fan of anthropomorphic (animals and other non-humans that display human characteristics), otherwise known as "furry." This past weekend, my husband and I attended a furry convention known as FurFright. It was a great time; I saw a few old friends and met many new ones. Most of all, I got my batteries charged and my creative writing got a good kick in the derriere.

Before some of you may think, "Oh, like the one on the TV show CSI?" No. Definitely not like the CSI episode. While I cannot speak for all furry conventions, I would like to take some time here and show you what I see and experience, hopefully giving you an idea of why I enjoy FurFright so much.

Acceptance: This is one of the biggest things that draws me to furry fandom. People accept each other, regardless of outward appearance, background, world location, economic level, sexual preference, religion, political affiliation, nationality and many other lines which humanity divides itself. When you see a wolf sharing a hug with a rabbit, or the lion and ram sitting down in a friendly conversation, it gives hope for the rest of us. We can go beyond the social divisions and see the person deep within, regardless of outward appearances.

Hugs: Growing up, hugs were rare in my life, even among family members or good friends. I find a friendly hug a good thing. It lifts the spirit, shows that you care and others care about you. There is even evidence to indicate that hugs help heal. Even if you are not into being hugged, you can't help but see them at this conference. The people that attend are open, friendly and good-natured. If one doesn't get their share of hugs there, they are purposely keeping to themselves.

Creativity: The furry fandom has a plethora of creativity, in every possible avenue one can imagine. Artwork, costuming and writing are the three biggest ones, and there are many panels on these. Then there are others: film-making, animation, voice-over, sound-effects, podcasting, dancing, drumming, music-making, make-up (costuming, not the stuff from women's magazines), photography, videography, origami, kirigami, wood-carving, sculpture, soft-sculpture, etc. - even ham-radio operations and classic cars that I saw this year. Given our nature, we're very generous with sharing what we've learned with others - furry and non-furry.

Playful: In a world of social rules, regulations and restrictions, it's good to find a place where one can relax and let their playful side out, without the need of drugs or alcohol. At FurFright, one did not need either as an excuse to "be a kid" - even the "gray-muzzles" like myself that carry an AARP card. There is something in seeing the world through a child's eyes; those who have kids or spend time showing kids the world can understand this statement. Even as an adult, we can shed the "worldly weight" of years and be a kid again for a short time. Even the hotel staff were wearing costumed ears by the end of the convention, including the manager. :D We seem to learn more, accept each other more and get along better when we are child-like. That's "child-like", not "childish." Temper-tantrums weren't part of the convention. ;-)

Inter-generational Sharing: Since I mentioned "gray-muzzle" in the prior paragraph, I should add this point here. One morning while I was in the lobby, I got into a conversation with those seated there. One person commented that he was getting too old to stay up all night. I commented that he was still young, to which he adamantly rebuked me with "Well I'm 20 now! I'm not that young any more." LoL Joking aside, what transpired next is what touched me inside. The younger generations actually listened to what the older ones shared, not just in fandom experiences but in life. And then the 20-somethings shared with us what they saw and the nuggets their own short life has brought them, such as a suggestion that every new driver should go out on calls to accidents before they get their full driver's license. What's even more amazing; the older generations LISTENED to the younger ones too. We don't see that often; it's something that should be done though. Age brings wisdom, but every generation has something to contribute. None of us are too old or too young to share and we should be willing to listen to all ages.

Generosity: Sometimes it seems those who have little, give much. While many in the fandom cram four or more into a hotel room to save on the costs of attending a con, very few are stingy in donating. Each furry conference that I know has a non-profit charity to which they donate. Not just a cut of the admission/membership costs, they hold charity auctions where others contribute goods to auction off. FurFright even has a bucket-brigade that goes around and asks for pocket change; it adds up. Most furry conventions sponsor animal-based charities, such as no-kill shelters, greyhound retirement/adoption, aide-dog organizations, wolf park and other natural reserves. FurFright sponsored War Dogs this year, more of which can be found here.

But I think the true nature of our generosity showed a few years ago, again at FurFright. One day security was notified that someone had stolen the head of a costume. Many in the furry community know these heads are handmade and can go for several thousand dollars. But those at the convention were actually shocked; we could barely conceive someone stealing the head. In the fandom, that is equivalent to stealing a person's character. It wasn't an attendee but a hotel staff member that stole the head. While it was the last day of the three-day conference, and many of those attending were "flat broke," a bucket-brigade went around and most turned out all the free money they had and collectively donated it to the head's owner. As each head is completely unique, it would never replace what was lost, but it helped toward getting a new one. When one of us is in need, we give all we can indeed.



Mature content: To some, "furry" is synonymous with "porn." I'd like to clarify something here. It's NOT. While there are some artwork or writings with mature content, the society in general does adhere to strict guidelines: no one under 18. Period. Even in the panels, we checked around the room to ensure that there was no minors. If there was, even our discussions were "G-rated."

Spiritual: There is also a spiritual side to the fandom, including a panel on Furry Spirituality. The fandom follows many different world religions, including Christian, Jewish, Pagan, Neo-Pagan, Wiccan, Druidic, Shamanistic, Buddhist, Taoist, etc. We don't judge each other and even learn more of each other at this con. I would like to share something I took away from this year's panel. We - humanity - are not the body others see in this world. That does not define us. We are the spirit within the body. We are interconnected to each other and this world. And we are far, far greater than what many think being "human" is.

There are some that turn to furfandom, otherkin, Harry Potter or the growing trend of vampires and werewolves because they believe being "human" is just what they see - greed, corruption, cruelty, war, hardship, bullies, and all the evils they see of the world from the news reports. Let's face it, if a winged unicorn landed in New York's Central Park and started farting rainbows and a mugger attacked someone in the South Bronx, and that was the ONLY two events that happened in New York City that day, every news person would be in the South Bronx to cover that story. The media covers all the worst parts of humanity. There are many, many more beautiful things that happen, many bright moments of humanity, but they so often are lost amidst the noise that the media puts out. What we are - what humanity is - is something that can do great good or great harm. It's our choice. We can reflect the darkness, or let our light shine. Some need to step "outside" human perimeters because they only see the darkness there; I don't blame them. Let the light shine where it can, and that light will be brought back to the rest of humanity when they are ready to accept it.

- ESA / (Miss Cellaneous Mouse)

Lion & Little Mouse (Story)

With the fall colors shining bright, my mind brings this fall story to light. I wanted to share it with my readers. Written in 2008.... feel free to copy/paste & share, as long as you do not receive funds for it anywhere. :D

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Lion and Little Mouse

One day a little white mouse was scurrying about trying to prepare for the cold dark winter days ahead. She was a tiny thing, even for a mouse, but she had a very big heart. Before making her own preparations, she stopped to help others first. By the time she started her own preparations, there wasn't much left in reach.

The little mouse ranged further and further from the safety of her home looking for what she needed to survive the cold dark winter days ahead. On one of these long journeys, she broke through the tall golden autumn grass and found herself practically nose to nose with a lion that had been resting there. Her whiskers quivered in fear and a piercing startled squeak leapt from her throat on its own volition.

Her squeak must have awakened the sleeping lion for he opened his golden eyes and gazed calmly at her. Realizing she had just disturbed the King of all the Animals, the little mouse hunkered down and lowered her round white ears. "I- I'm sorry, Your Great Majesty, for disturbing your rest," she timidly squeaked and quickly turned to scamper off.

The lion's quick paw came down gently but firmly on her little white tail pinning her there, regardless of how fast her paws scrambled against the ground. The poor little mouse was now terrified and she froze in horror with the realization that she was now trapped.

The lion smiled gently and picked the little mouse up by her tail and lightly placed her on his other paw, bringing her closer to his penetrating gaze. Though sunlight sparkled from his own whiskers, the little mouse couldn't peel her eyes from the sharp white teeth that were now clearly visible.

A gentle chuckle rose from the lion's broad chest. "Don't be afraid, little mouse. I am not hungry nor do I toy with you. What brings such a little mouse so far from her home?"

"Oh, please, Your Majesty! I was just preparing for the dark winter days ahead. All the supplies within reach were already gathered near my home so I had to go further out this year seeking what I need. Please just let me go and I'll be on my way. I did not wish to disturb you."

"And why did you not gather what you needed before now, little mouse?"

"I helped some of my friends and neighbors to make sure they were ready for the cold dark winter days ahead. That is why I had a late start. Again, kind Lion, please let me go and I'll be on my way."

"Not so fast, little mouse. Why did you not seek help of your friends and neighbors when you set out to gather your own supplies?"

"I am still young and able. I do not wish to be a burden to anyone as long as I am able to do for myself."

"Ah!" commented the lion. "But now you are far from home and alone. But you are not truly alone; for I am here. I will help you."

"You?!?" squeaked the mouse curling her tiny ears back along her head. "Why would the King of all the Animals want to help a little mouse like me?"

The lion smiled knowingly and lowered the mouse to the ground. "There may be a day when I need your help."

Puzzled the little white mouse tilted her head back to look up at the lion that towered over her; the sunlight danced in his noble mane so very, very far above her. "If there is ever a time when you need my help, I am willing to do so. But you do not need to help me now, Noble Lion."

The lion's smile broadened and his golden eyes sparkled with a secret knowledge. "Even if you believe that now, little mouse, I will help you. It will make your quest easier and you will be ready for the cold dark winter days ahead."

And so the lion helped the little white mouse, lifting her high so she could reach what she needed to survive the cold dark winter days ahead. He even carried the little mouse and her supplies back to her home.

"I thank you, friend Lion," squeaked the little mouse from her doorway. "And if you ever need any help that I can provide, I will gladly do so. But I still cannot think HOW a little mouse like myself will be able to help the King of all the Animals."

The lion smiled knowingly and nodded his acceptance of her thanks and timid offer of help. "We shall see what the future holds."

Some days later, the lion was out on patrol. The nearby man's village was growing and pushing the animal’s territory into a smaller and smaller area. It was near sundown on this day, and the construction site had been abandoned by the workers for the day. Curious as to what they were doing to the land that was once lived in by the animals he ruled, he wandered among the buildings and poked his whiskered white tipped nose here and there sniffing.

It wasn't long before his great forepaw came down on a small steel roofing nail. At first it didn't hurt as much, but the more he tried to work it out, the deeper the nail bit into his paw. At last the pain was too great and an agonized roar escaped his throat.

All the animals heard their King's roar of pain. They all ran, scampered and trotted toward the sound. But each and every one of the animals stopped at the edge of construction site. None would dare enter where humans have tread, even to help their King.

The lion by then was in such pain he couldn't walk the distance back to where the animals were. "Please, help me!" begged the lion. "The nail has bitten deep into my paw and I cannot get it out!"

None of the animals moved, but the crowd observing their King's pain grew as more and more animals arrived at the scene.

At last the little white mouse also arrived. She had to weave in and out of all the other animals to see what the commotion was about. When she saw her lion friend hurt in the middle of what man had made, she turned to the other animals. "Can't you see he's in pain? Why has no one gone to help him?"

"Foolish little mouse!" growled the black panther. "That's man's world. Even I will not go there. If that lion decided to enter into man's world, he's on his own. We will not risk own hides to help him."

The little mouse's whiskers quivered in rage. "How can you say that? Isn't he your King as well as mine? I don't care where he is, I'll go over there and help him." With a swish of her long white tail, she scampered over the embankment and entered the construction site.

In a few minutes she was once again before the lion, her sides heaving from the long run. The lion looked down at the little white mouse with pain in his golden eyes and he looked back across the way at all the gathered animals. "Why is it only you who has come to my aide?" he asked.

"They don't want to enter man's world; they're afraid." She looked around herself with wide panicked eyes. "I'm a bit frightened too, but I remembered my promise to you. I'll help if I can. But I'm so little I don't know if my services will do you any good."

"Yes, you can help, little friend." The lion stretched forth the forepaw. "There is a nail in my paw and it hurts something fierce."

The little mouse scurried over the great paw and tilted her white head as she studied the nail. "It's such a little nail. It's actually a bit smaller than I am." She stood up on her hindpaws and gripped the nail with both forepaws. Then she pulled with all her might.

The lion hissed a moment as the nail pulled free and then sighed greatly in relief. "Thank you, little friend. That is much better." He lowered his shoulder to the little mouse. "Get on my back, little mouse. I will carry you home. You have come a great distance to help me."

She gratefully hopped on his shoulder and climbed the rest of the way to his spine where she comfortably settled herself at the base of his golden mane. As she rode back through the construction site, she noted the look of all the gathered animals. They were not happy. Though they did not want to help the lion, they were not happy that she received special treatment because she did. She felt even more timid and her tummy started to flutter. "Friend Lion......" she began hesitantly.

"Yes, little mouse?" answered the lion as he gazed over his shoulder at her.

"Can I ask something of you... I'm very grateful for all your help before and for the ride now, but what I did was such a small thing. Please don't treat me any differently than the other animals."

The lion paused and fixed the little white mouse with his golden gaze. "But you are the one who came out to help me where no one else would go."

"To me it doesn't matter. I'd help you out of friendship, not for a reward. Please, Your Majesty, I'm just a little mouse, shy like all my kind. Don't you see the way the others glare in my direction. I'm not comfortable way up high like this. Just let me be me and free, that is what I desire."

"If you are certain, so shall it be, my little friend."

So once again, the lion carried the little mouse to her home and let her scamper down to her front door. "I shall not forget this, friend, even if everyone else does. Call on me if you ever need help again."

The mouse smiled warmly. "Thank you, friend Lion. And if I can ever help you again, don't hesitate to call on me."

And they were good friends ever since.

- ESA

Over the Wall (True Story)

With recent news from the Walk On Wallstreet/99% Movement, there is an old story that came to mind. It is a true story dating back to either the 1940's or 1950's in New York City's Central Park. My grandfather was a "cop" who literally walked the beat in those days. I do not know if he was part of the following event, or heard about it in his precinct. But the event is reported as true... and not that uncommon an occurrence (at least in those days).

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Late one night, two cops were walking the beat along the perimeter of their precinct in Central Park. One of the boundaries between two precincts was this wall that reached just over their heads. Huddled at the foot of this wall, the two cops found a homeless man, wrapped in layers of all the clothes he had with his meager possessions piled around him. They could tell from the snow falling on him, that the man was dead, and the body cooling. His passing must not have happened that long ago as rigor mortis had not yet set in.

The two cops held a quick consultation about what to do. The protocol was to bring the body back to the police house and process it. However, tonight was Christmas Eve and their shift was just ending. If they brought in the body now, they would be there for HOURS filling out all the paperwork, waiting to see if anyone would I.D. the body, and so on. Kids would be waking up early to unwrap presents and wives were waiting at home. There was no time for this.

So one took the shoulders and the other took the feet and, together, they tossed the homeless man's body over the wall into the other precinct.

Well, it just so happened that on the other side of the wall, two other cops were also walking the beat. There was a cry of protest. A scuffling. And a moment later, the homeless man's body was seen sailing over the wall back into their precinct. The others didn't want to extend their shift either.

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Some may find this funny. I know my dad did. He would laugh as he told it, often after drinking a bit too much. When we were kids, he taught my siblings and I to laugh at this too.

Now I find it deplorable!

This was a man - a fellow human being - who died cold and alone on Christmas Eve! They callously threw this man's body back and forth over the wall like an overstuffed ping-pong ball.

I do not know what my readers think when they observe the recent protests. It also doesn't matter if you side with them or not. I hope you, like I, take this as an opportunity to take a good hard look at how we treat others around us, particularly the BOTTOM 1%.

What would you have done on that Christmas Eve?

Do unto others as you would have done unto you.

Do not do unto others as you would not have done unto you.

Whatsoever you do to the least of these, that you do unto me.

- ESA