Let We Forget...

This weekend, America celebrates Memorial Day.

While there is ever-increasing focus on the military, I'd like to take a moment to also note - and thank - others who give life and limb in a different line of service.

Firefighters

Both paid and volunteer firefighters are the primary responders to fires, accidents and many other calls, ranging from routine to bizarre.

They put their life on the line many times, from entering blazing buildings and forest fires, to working at roadway accidents on rainy nights, to entering icy waters.

In addition to helping fellow man, they are also called to rescue animals from family pets, to farm livestock, to a wide variety of wildlife.

Some leave loved ones in the middle of dinner or the dead of night to answer the call, and never come home again...

Police

Police officers and auxiliary volunteers, put themselves at risk, from high-speed chases and gunfire, to domestic fights and bomb responses, from mass evacuations to search and rescue.

Many officers are killed in line of action; some even when they simply walk to help a disabled motorist and are struck by a distracted driver.

EMT and Paramedics

These ambulance crews are mostly volunteers across this country, yet they put themselves at risk on a regular basis.

They race through traffic, where impatient drivers may ignore the siren and jump out into their way; they work roadside at accidents with cars whizzing past.

Many don't realize that these dedicated men and women also go into very dangerous situations, such as over the side of a cliff or into dangerous neighborhoods to help the fallen or sick.

I didn't realize the extent of danger until a New York City Paramedic friend walked up in bullet-proof vest. She told us that on many calls where someone was shot, the bullets are still flying when they arrive...

Rescue Workers and
First Responders

This includes those who go into dangerous situations immediately following a tornado, flood, hurricane, tsunami, earthquake or similar.

They brave churning waters, collapsing debris, open gas lines, and/or flames to help complete strangers. 

In times of emergency, often these people are NOT the trained emergency responders, but simply caring hearts who first arrive on the scene and realize that someone needs help! 

And the most important...

The Peacemakers and
Human Rights Activists 

These bold hearts who stand up for others, often those who cannot do so themselves. Some face ostracization, job loss and prison; some pay the full price with their lives.

Over these recent years, there are many reports from around the world where people die protesting against unfair or inhumane leaders and/or laws. 

 We in United States should not forget our own similarly fallen. Our largest generation, the Baby Boomers, lived through a time when many people ~ men and women, black and white ~ were injured and died simply because they stated in words and non-aggressive actions that treating another human being differently is WRONG. 

Some, likewise, died on American soil while protesting for Peace during a time of war. 

On this Memorial Day Weekend, in addition to fallen military, may we remember those who have NEVER raised a hand to harm another, but lost life or limb in helping others and in making this a better world. 

Not just those in the United States, but all those around the world...

In Memoriam

~ESA

Lest We Forget

Today, America celebrates Memorial Day. While there is ever-increasing focus on the military, I'd like to take a moment to also note - and thank - others who give life and limb for the sake of others. 

Firefighters, both paid and volunteer, who are the primary responders to fires, accidents and many other calls, ranging from routine to bizarre.

They put their life on the line many times, from entering blazing buildings, to working at roadway accidents on rainy nights, to entering icy water.

In addition to helping fellow man, they are also called to rescue animals from family pets, to farm livestock, to a wide variety of wildlife.

Some leave loved ones in the middle of dinner or the dead of night to answer the call, and never come home again... 

Police, both paid and auxiliary volunteers, put themselves at risk, from high-speed chases, to gunfire-fights, from domestic fights, to bomb responses, from mass evacuations, to search and rescue.

Officers are killed in line of action; also when they simply walk to help a disabled motorist and are struck by a distracted driver. 

EMT, Paramedics and ambulance crews are mostly volunteers across this country. They also put themselves at risk on a regular basis. They speed through traffic, where cars jump out into their way; they work roadside at accidents with cars whizzing past.

Many don't realize these dedicated men and women also go into very dangerous situations, such as rescuing some over the side of a cliff. They enter dangerous neighborhoods to help the fallen or sick. I didn't realize the extent of danger until a NYC Paramedic friend walked up in bullet-proof vest. On calls where someone was shot, the bullets are still flying when they arrive...


Rescue Workers/First Responders include those who go into danger immediately following a tornado, flood, hurricane, tsunami, earthquake or similar. They brave collapsing debris, churning waters and/or flames to help complete strangers.

In times of emergency, often these people are NOT trained emergency responders, but simply caring hearts who first arrive on the scene and realize that someone needs help!

And the most important...

The Peacemakers and Those who stand up for the rights of others, especially those who do so at the cost of their own lives. The news reports deaths in other parts of the world where people die protesting against unfair or inhumane laws or leaders. We in US should not forget our own similarly fallen.

Our largest generation, the Baby Boomers, lived through and should not forget the 1960's, where many people ~ men and women, black and white ~ died simply because they stated in words and non-aggressive actions that segregation is WRONG.

Some, likewise, died on US soil while protesting for Peace during a time of war.

On this Memorial Day, in addition to fallen military, may we especially remember those who have NEVER raised a hand to harm another, but lost life or limb in helping others and in making this a better world. Not just those in the US, but those all around the world...

In Memoriam

- ESA

Lest We Forget

Today, America celebrates Memorial Day. While there is ever-increasing focus on the military, I'd like to take a moment to also note - and thank - others who give life and limb for the sake of others.

Firefighters, both pay and especially volunteer, are the primary responders to fires, accidents and many other calls (from flooded basements, to the proverbial cats stuck in trees). They put their life on the line many times from standing out at roadways accidents on rainy nights to entering blazing buildings. Some never go home from the call...


Police, also put themselves at risk, from high-speed chases to gunfire-fights. Sometimes it's unintentional, such as those officers killed when they were simply walking to help a disabled motorist and they get struck by a car whose driver wasn't paying attention.


EMT, Paramedics and ambulance crews are often not thought about on Memorial Day. But they also put themselves at risk. Speeding through traffic, where cars jump out is one hazard, working roadside at accidents another. One many don't realize is those dedicated men and women also go into dangerous neighborhoods to help a fallen or sick human being. I didn't realize this was an issue until I noted the bullet-proof vest of a friend who's a NYC Paramedic. She pointed out that some calls where someone was shot, the bullets are still flying when you arrive.



Rescue Workers and First Responders include those who dig through the debris of fallen buildings immediately following a tornado, hurricane, tsunami, earthquake or similar. They brave churning flood waters to rescue stranded motorists or people in homes. Many of these aren't trained emergency response but just the caring hearts who first arrive on the scene and realize there is someone that needs help.



And the most important...


The Peacemakers and Those who stand up for the rights of others, especially those who do so at the cost of their own lives. The news reports deaths in other parts of the world where people die during protests against what they see as unfair or inhumane laws or leaders. We in US should not forget our own similarly fallen. Our largest generation, the Baby Boomers, lived through and should not forget the 1960's, where many people ~ men and women, black and white ~ died simply because they stated in words and non-aggressive actions that segregation is WRONG. Some died for protesting for Peace.

These too, as well as fallen military, should be remembered on this Memorial Day. Not just those in the US, but those all around the world. May we especially those who have NEVER raised a hand to harm another, but lost life or limb in helping others and making this a better world.

In Memoriam

- ESA

Good News

When we turn on the news, read the newspapers, listen to the radio, or check the latest happenings online, chances are there is bad news. A lot of it. In some cases, if there is any good news at all, it's likely to be some tiny micro-feature, while the more-horrific, more-heartwrenching news gets the most coverage. If it's bad enough, you'll hear about it for days.

In fact, it's a sure bet that if a winged unicorn landed in Central Park, starting farting rainbows so everyone there started to smile and laugh in joy, and there was a single pickpocket in the South Bronx (a neighborhood that has, sadly, seen a lot worse) -- and that was the ONLY news in New York City that day -- every single newsperson would be in the South Bronx covering the pick-pocket story. Our media LOVES to report bad news; that is what they tell us we want to hear...

How much of this non-stop bad news colors our perception of our world? We see so much criminal activity, heinous acts, violence, heartlessness, lies, cheating and down-right "evil" - in the hearts of all mankind. It's no wonder so many people are looking forward to the world possibly ending this December.

The truth is that while there is bad news, there is a far greater amount of good news. We just don't see it. We don't hear it. We don't tell it... If you had two bits of news - one good and one bad of equal weight - to tell others, which would come out of your mouth first? Unless we were trying to sell something, chances are the bad news would be told first.

Why not change that?

Why not share all the good news you find around you - everyday - and put dampeners on the bad news? Yes, there is bad news in the world, but what does it serve to share it unless you plan on doing something about it? If you are going to make a positive impact, share THAT news. Tell people how others have helped.

Following last year's tsunami in Japan, share the news that there was global turnout of aid and support. Recall how there was no looting or price-gouging immediately following the quake; or how the elderly volunteered to work at the damaged reactors to spare the young people the radiation exposure.

Following the devastating storms the US saw last year, how many times do we share the inspiring stories of neighbor-helping-neighbor, about people traveling hundreds of miles to rebuild towns? After a hurricane, the residents of a Vermont town that was completely cut off from the world met each day on the town green, went to harvest the fields by hand together, and had a community meal with what they gathered day-after-day until normal resources were back in place.

The more we focus on positive aspects of our lives, the more positive news we find around us. But if we continue to focus on the negative, we spiral downwards and close ourselves from our brothers and sisters, from our neighbors and see only an evil world. The world is our choice. Much of what we see, hear, and experience in this life reflects what our focus is on. If we focus on good news, we find many more blessings in our life.

Yes, that is true. Ask many a psychologist. Ask the One who made us. But if you still don't believe it; try it. You may surprise yourself.

Even the word "Gospel" means "Good News."

On Friday evening, I worked late and picked up pizza on the walk home. The local pizzeria was packed and the take-out line started at the register in the back of the dining room and stretched two-thirds the distance to the front door. The wait was over an hour. And yet... as I left after getting my pizza, I must have dropped my wallet. Someone spied it and gave it to the staff. One of the waitresses literally ran out the door after me shouting my name to return it to me, despite the crowd of people inside. No one complained; a few smiled. And I was very grateful for the actions of both the person who turned it in and the waitress. When I got home, I shared the good news. Despite the long wait for food, the evening felt brighter.

It's a new year; it's a new start.
Focus on the positive.
Find a better world.
- ESA

Ben Stein Commentary

This is a copy of a commentary I found recently that I wanted to share with the posts above and below. This was written and read by Ben Stein on CBS Sunday Morning.

- ESA 

 __________________________________________________________________________

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees "Christmas trees." I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.
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It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. it doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

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I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat!
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Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
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In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
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Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her, 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentlemen He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
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In light of recent events... terrorist attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeline Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
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Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem. (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide.) We said an expert should know what he's talking about. We said OK.
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Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'We reap what we sow.'
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Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send jokes through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
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Are you laughing yet?
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Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list beacuse you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
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Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
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Pass it on if you think it has merit.
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If not, then just discard it...no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
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Ben Stein

Andy Rooney on Prayer

The following was forwarded to me in an email, and I wanted to share it with my readers. Please read with the next two (above) blogposts with this.

- ESA

_________________________________________________________________________________

A very big amen to this:

Pray if you want to!

I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his Theory of Evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.

But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue.

Yes, and this is the United States of America and Canada, countries founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect -- somebody chanting Hare Krishna?

If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.

If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.

If I went to a ping pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.

And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome...

“But what about the atheists?” is another argument.

What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer!

Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.

Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.

God, help us. 

And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me.

The silent majority has been silent too long. 

It's time we tell that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast majority doesn't care what they want. It is time that the majority rules! It's time we tell them, "You don't have to pray; you don't have to say the Pledge of Allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right; but by golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away. We are fighting back, and we WILL WIN!"
.

God bless us one and all... especially those who denounce Him, God bless America and Canada; despite all our faults, we are still the greatest nations of all. God bless our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.

Let's make this the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions. And our military forces come home from all the wars.

Keep looking up.

9/11 Memories & Thanks

While many news stories cover memories of Americans from the terror that struck us one decade ago, I'd like to share a few stories recalled from those days - and thanks to many non-Americans.

When all traffic was grounded, several inbound flights were re-routed to our neighbors to the north in Canada. Canadians opened their hearts and opened their homes to displaced Americans who just wanted to get home to their loved ones after hearing the devastating news. Some even got into their cars and drove hundreds if not thousands of miles to get people home.

In Europe, not only did local residents share the news with visiting Americans and offer their heartfelt support on that day. A few days later, they held a three-minute moment of silence for us. One-minute is standard; three-minutes is unprecedented. And they didn't just bow their heads a moment. People eating lunch, put down their cups and utensils. People driving - local road and highway - as one pulled aside, stopped and gave us the full three minutes of silence. People stopped talking; radios were silent. This wasn't just in America; this was in Europe FOR America.

These are just two stories I've heard in the last 24 hours. There are many, many more cases where we were supported by others around the world. As we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of 9/11. Let us not only share our memories, let us be thankful for the support and heartfelt compassion shown by others around the world.

- ESA

Blessing Beyond the Grave

I have been hearing about this wonderful story all week, and I wanted to take a moment to share it with my readers too. Nine-year old Rachel Beckwith had a special wish for her 9th birthday. She didn't want any presents but, instead, she asked people to donate to Charity Water.

In her own words: "I found out that millions of people don't live to see their 5th birthday. And why? Because they didn't have access to clean, safe water so I'm celebrating my birthday like never before. I'm asking from everyone I know to donate to my campaign instead of gifts for my birthday. Every penny of the money raised will go directly to fund freshwater projects in developing nations. Even better, every dollar is 'proved' when the projects are complete, and photos and GPS coordinates are posted using Google Earth. My goal is to raise $300 by my birthday, June 12, 2011. Please consider helping me."

June 12th came and went. She was only able to raise $220 of the $300.

Then this past week, young Rachel died in a 13-car pileup on Interstate 90 in Bellevue, WA. Since then, both the news of this young girl's generous wish and her campaign has been given fresh wings.

Not only was the $300 target met, as of this writing 15,409 people have donated $539,539 ~ and growing!

Rachel's wish and campaign have touched countless hearts and lives across the nation and around the world. It is truly a Blessing from Beyond the Grave. :D

It only takes a bit of love
Found in a child's heart
That can change the world
From a humble start

- ESA

Lest We Forget (Non-Military Fallen Heroes)

Today, America celebrates Memorial Day. While there is ever-increasing focus on the military, I'd like to take a moment to also note - and thank - others who give life and limb for the sake of others.

Firefighters, both pay and especially volunteer, are the primary responders to fires, accidents and many other calls (from flooded basements, to the proverbial cats stuck in trees). They put their life on the line many times from standing out at roadways accidents on rainy nights to entering blazing buildings. Some never go home from the call...


Police, also put themselves at risk, from high-speed chases to gunfire-fights. Sometimes it's unintentional, such as those officers killed when they were simply walking to help a disabled motorist and they get struck by a car whose driver wasn't paying attention.


EMT, Paramedics and ambulance crews are often not thought about on Memorial Day. But they also put themselves at risk. Speeding through traffic, where cars jump out is one hazard, working roadside at accidents another. One many don't realize is those dedicated men and women also go into dangerous neighborhoods to help a fallen or sick human being. I didn't realize this was an issue until I noted the bullet-proof vest of a friend who's a NYC Paramedic. She pointed out that some calls where someone was shot, the bullets are still flying when you arrive.



Rescue Workers and First Responders include those who dig through the debris of fallen buildings immediately following a tornado, hurricane, tsunami, earthquake or similar. They brave churning flood waters to rescue stranded motorists or people in homes. Many of these aren't trained emergency response but just the caring hearts who first arrive on the scene and realize there is someone that needs help.



And the most important...


The Peacemakers and Those who stand up for the rights of others, especially those who do so at the cost of their own lives. This year's news reports deaths in other parts of the world where people died during protests against what they see as unfair or inhumane laws or leaders. We in US should not forget our own similarly fallen. Our largest generation, the Baby Boomers, lived through and should not forget the 1960's, where many people ~ men and women, black and white ~ died simply because they stated in words and non-aggressive actions that segregation is WRONG. Some died for protesting that we should not be at war.

These too, as well as fallen military, should be remembered on this Memorial Day. Not just those in the US, but those all around the world - especially those who have NEVER raised a hand to harm another, but lost life and limb in helping others and making this a better world.

In Memoriam

- ESA

Elephant Story (Story)

There is a destiny that makes us brothers,
None goes His way alone.
All that we send into the lives of others,
Comes back into our own.
-Edwin Markham

All of us are interconnected to each other - whether we want to be or not. We can delude ourselves by believing that we are safe in our own niche and whatever "bad things" are outside our little comfortable space.

Break through that wall of illusion and let some Light shine in! No matter what lines we divide ourselves with - religion, nationality, political or family ties, economics - therein lies the lie. We are one race of people -- humanity -- living on one very insignificant mudball spinning through the vastness of space.

So many times I hear or read statements that reiterate the same thing: Sure, I'll agree we are one, but I'm the one that's right. They have to come around to my way of thinking.

There's a story I like to share, an elephant story:

---------------------------------------------------------------

Five blind men approached an elephant for the first time in their lives.

The first blind man reached out and touched the elephant's trunk. "The elephant," he described, "is like a long flexible hose with a tough hide."

The second man reached out and found the elephant's ear. He agreed that the elephant had a tough hide but he argued that the first man was wrong. "The elephant is NOT like a long flexible hose but rather like a large thick parchment."

The third man approached the elephant's side and told the first two they were wrong. "Clearly," he debated, "the elephant is some huge immense beast for it goes on beyond my reach in all directions." When he placed he ear against the elephant, he could hear the elephant's thunderous breath. But, he conceded, the elephant had a tough hide.

The fourth man approached the elephant carefully, after hearing what the third had to say. He was a bit surprised when he found the elephant's leg. "The elephant isn't so huge," he laughed at the third man, "for I can wrap my arms around it. But the elephant is strong, feel the muscle under the tough hide."

By far the most curious now, the fifth and final blind man approached the elephant and stretched out his hand, completely uncertain what he would encounter. His hand touched and grasped the elephant's tail. Feeling it in detail, the man paused in wonder. "Why, this is no more than a flexible stick with a tough hide and tuft of hair on it's end, not too different than a paintbrush."

Which blind man truly saw the elephant?

-------------------------------------------------------------

Thus it is with humanity, we've been blessed that we are allowed to see things from many different perspectives. Only through collaboration and cooperation can we all come to understand things fully.

All five admitted that the elephant had a tough hide. There is, likewise, common ground we all share - we smile, we cry, we laugh, we love. We can either use the different perceptions we have to divide us or let us grow in mutual understanding of something much, much greater than ourselves.

One Light. One Love.
Many ways through which humanity is touched.
Do we continue to draw lines?
Or do we open minds?

- ESA

In the NOW

There exists a sweet moment when my mind and my being are completely in the NOW - in the moment, connected with all that is around me and aware of what flows through me.

It's a moment when my heart is open to Love and open to loving all that is around me.

My head isn't thinking about what will be, isn't making plans, isn't looking back on the past but is only observing and taking in what is here in the NOW.

My awareness extends beyond myself to touch all that is there - the tree, the grass, the bee dancing among the blueberry flowers, the people waking up in the apartments, the ones driving by in their cars, the child struggling on the grass as she learns to ride her two-wheel bike... and the overwhelming feeling/understanding that God is there touching/within/with/through all of these and more. It's a connectedness beyond words.

Sadly, I can only catch rare glimpses of these moments and my mind is distracted and pulls me away - to a thought, to a memory, to a worry, to respond to the greetings of a neighbor walking by. But at the same time, I know God is still there, even when I am unaware.

Such sweet moments,
More precious than pearls.
And they happen anywhere in the world.

- ESA

One of Them

In addition to the previous post, I'd like to mention another response to Avatar.

In the movie, there are bio-technological hybrid bodies, called avatars that a human can remotely control to interact with Pandora's indigenous humanoid race. While the concept of remote-mind-controlled devices isn't new (especially in science-fiction), I recall wishing I had one too to go in and help the locals.

As I sat in the theater, caught up in the movie, I found myself longing to be part of that world. Not just a visitor, but like Jake Sully, able to be ONE with the people, learn their ways, interact with them on their level in a body just like theirs...

Then something blossomed in my mind. What about this world?

Am I not a part of this world? Have I not learned the ways of this world and interact with the indigenous humanoids of this world? Do I not already possess a body just like theirs?

What, then, is the difference between going several light-years away and helping another race of humanoids and staying right here and helping the ones in this world? There exists here the same corruption, corporate greed and overuse of military power here as what was shown in the movie.

What is stopping me from trying? Why do I long to help another far away, but run and hide from the same here?

- ESA

Connectedness

In seeing the movie Avatar yesterday, I left the theater with several things rolling through my head. Among them was how everything on Pandora was connected, not only spiritually but also through a "vast bio-botanical neural network."

I found it fascinating that the native humanoids, the Na'vi, could connect to life around them not only in a spiritual way alone, or by the touch of a hand, but by interconnecting a part of themselves with a similar part found in both plant and animals of their world. This ability to physically and psychically connect with other life likely developed a culture that holds a great respect for all life. They believe there is a life-energy that flows through themselves and every other life form, interconnecting them.

My husband noted that those who work closely with nature may better understand how a life can be connected to the non-human life around you: the chickens laying eggs, the plants growing in the fields, the bees needed to pollinate those plants, and all other insect, plant and animal life that may help or hinder your efforts to procure food or goods from the land. He speaks of a thankfulness one feels for all that contributed when it’s harvested and ready for consumption or use.

As a child, my food came from the supermarket, not the fields. Many times I've said a prayer before the meal, but never associated what was on the plate with "life." While I learned differently since childhood, scenes where the Na'vi did not let another life suffer needlessly and thanked their kills for the food, brought it home again inside me.

There is another aspect of connectedness I took from the movie as well. I believe we're connected to all other human beings in this world. Much as we separate ourselves from nature behind shuttered windows, walls and doors, we also strive to separate ourselves from each other in this world. We draw lines on a map, categorize what "race" or ethnic-background with which we identify ourselves, amplify gender-gaps, box ourselves in organization charts, divide ourselves by religious beliefs, etc.

But we are all human beings. A smile is a smile, readily exchanged with another. We are all one race on one small planet. And we are not the only life in this world.

When was the last time I walked outside my door to connect with another life in this world? Another human being? The fact that I have to think to answer that question is sad. And is something I should remedy...

One human race.
One small world.
Connected.

-ESA

Ripples

Short one today
Fever makes my mind sway
And thoughts go astray... :P

When you reach out, reach out to every person you come in contact with no matter who they are or what they have to offer you in return. You may never know who you will be touching or how you will affect their lives.

Like little ripples on a pond, what you do does affect the lives of those around you. If you reach out in a positive way, an encouraging word, a helping hand, you may never see it returned from that person.

But if you watch carefully, you can actually see how your action does affect others. Your ripple sets off another set of ripples; positive thought and loving act is shared by the person you touched, who in turn touches and helps others.

Wouldn't it be amazing if you could watch how every thing flows from person to person and somehow even makes it back into your own life in a whole new and enlightening way?

You'd never know until you start the whole thing off and watch.

Reach
Ripple
Round the world

- ESA

Elephant Story (Story)

There is a destiny that makes us brothers,
None goes His way alone.
All that we send into the lives of others,
Comes back into our own.
-Edwin Markham

All of us are interconnected to each other - whether we want to be or not. We can delude ourselves by believing that we are safe in our own social niche and whatever "bad things" are outside our little comfortable space.

Break through that wall of illusion and let some Light shine in on the truth! No matter what lines we divide ourselves with - religious groups, nationalities, political or family ties, economics - therein lies the lie. We are one race of people -- humanity -- living on one very insignificant mudball spinning through the vastness of space.

So many times I hear or read statements that reiterate the same thing: Sure, I'll agree we are one, but I'm the one that's right. They have to come around to my way of thinking.

There's a story I like to share, an elephant story:

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Five blind men approached an elephant for the first time in their lives.

The first blind man reached out and touched the elephant's trunk. "The elephant," he described, "is like a long flexible hose with a tough hide."

The second man reached out and found the elephant's ear. He agreed that the elephant had a tough hide but he argued that the first man was wrong. "The elephant is NOT like a long flexible hose but rather like a large thick parchment."

The third man approached the elephant's side and told the first two they were wrong. "Clearly," he debated, "the elephant is some huge immense beast for it goes on beyond my reach in all directions." When he placed he ear against the elephant, he could hear the elephant's thunderous breath. But, he conceded, the elephant had a tough hide.

The fourth man approached the elephant carefully, after hearing what the third had to say. He was a bit surprised when he found the elephant's leg. "The elephant isn't so huge," he laughed at the third man, "for I can wrap my arms around it. But the elephant is strong, feel the muscle under the tough hide."

By far the most curious now, the fifth and final blind man approached the elephant and stretched out his hand, completely uncertain what he would encounter. His hand touched and grasped the elephant's tail. Feeling it in detail, the man paused in wonder. "Why, this is no more than a flexible stick with a tough hide and tuft of hair on it's end, not too different than a paintbrush."

Which blind man truly saw the elephant?

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Thus it is with humanity, we've been blessed that we are allowed to see things from many different perspectives. Only through collaboration and cooperation can we all come to understand things fully.

All five admitted that the elephant had a tough hide. There is, likewise, common ground we all share - we smile, we cry, we laugh, we love. We can either use the different perceptions we have to divide us or let us grow in mutual understanding of something much, much greater than ourselves.

One Light. One Love. Many ways through which humanity is touched.
Do we continue to draw lines?
Or do we open minds?

- ESA

Worth

Every person in this world has worth. Too often when we look at the people in our lives -- or even strangers half a world away -- and we analyze them; who they are or what they have. Then we categorize people into two groups.

In one group we place people we believe have value. We review their skills, abilities, knowledge and contacts and wonder what does that person have that can help me? In this world, society constantly encourages us to improve ourselves and our positions. So as we look out on our world, we are constantly seek people who will help us climb to that next step.

In the second group, we see people we can help - the poor, the homeless, the downtrodden, the disadvantaged, the ill, the disabled, children, elderly. We volunteer our time and efforts or donate money. Let's admit, it makes us feel good. Then these people are forgotten and we work on culling value from the first group.

Sadly, the people in the second group also have much to offer this world, if only we would take the time to discover that. They have talents and skills. They have experiences from which we can learn when we take the time to do so.

Everyone wants to feel useful. Everyone needs to feel needed. Everyone has something to contribute. We should not dismiss someone as having no value because they don't have the money, education or background we believe is valuable.

At one time in my life, I lost the roof over my head and a friend who couldn't afford to pay her electric and phone bills took me in and gave me a place to sleep.

A family I knew that had so very little still insisted on sharing their lunch with me. I can't tell you how much I appreciated that half of a tuna-fish sandwich.

A 9-year-old showed me how to navigate on YouTube; then I taught my 68-year-young mother.

A 16-year-old told me that I was the first adult who honestly wanted to hear his opinion on something.

I listen and learn from everyone I can.

In fact, the more a person's experience differs from ours, the more that person has to share with us. For you see, each of us can only live in this world for such a small period of time. We cannot experience all there is to experience. The world is too vast and there are innumerable paths to life here.

But we can learn much more by reaching out to ALL fellow human beings and learning what they have to share with us. What they share can be far more valuable that you'll ever imagine.

Reach out.
Share.

-ESA

Erasing Lines

The world as we have come to know it is a large, vast place full of wondrous variety and diversity. But sometimes the nature in human beings to classify, to list -- to pigeonhole comes out in us all. With this we draw lines - circles, boxes, squares. We separate ourselves and create a we/them dichotomy that creates alienation, segregation, separation, war, feelings of loftiness and even hatred.

There is a poem, I often quote:
They drew a circle to shut us out.
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout!

But Love and us had the wit to win,
We drew a circle that took them in.
- Original by Edward Markham

In the late 1960's, humanity saw something that it never saw before, pictures of our world as seen from a vast distance: one blue-green world with white lacing; no borders marking countries, no name tags on cities. This is an image that stuck in the minds of many who had the fortune of being around in those days -- we're one world.

Then we went back to our borders, our religions, our races, our cultures, our political beliefs, our myriad ways of separating ourselves from our fellow human beings. "We are not like them," we told ourselves. "They are so different and strange." And wars continued; prejudices still thrived. And we kept telling ourselves that our little circle was the ONE TRUE circle and all others are wrong.

The "if you're not with us, you are against us" mentality still exists today as it has for thousands of years. We never really changed, even when we saw with our own eyes that we are of ONE WORLD.

Now over four decades later, people are seeing the world through different eyes once again. The internet has allowed us to step outside of our little circles and explore what exists in others. In doing so, many have come to see "Hey, we're not so different." In fact, many have reached out and befriended others around the world, regardless of country, religion or politics. They find they share common interests and some common beliefs even if they are expressed differently within the circles they were brought up in.

Language barriers that often were an overwhelming hurdle are now simply overcome as more and more online translators make communicating with others easier. People are able to hold conversations with people anywhere in this world - in real time (if they are awake at the same time) or within mere hours - with someone who doesn't speak the same language.

We still find the old adage is true: a smile is still a smile; a laugh is still a laugh; and a tear is still a tear, regardless of where we are and what language we speak.

My hope is that this is the time when many will come forth with not pencils and mark "This is ours; that is yours," but will turn that instrument of destruction around and erase those lines!

We are all human beings. We are of one world surrounded by the vastness of space. When we continue to squabble like spoiled siblings in a household, we will fail to reach our true potential. It's only when we reach out and take each others hands, erasing the lines between us, can we discover how much common ground we really have. And it's on this common ground, we can build the foundation to a better world.

Can one person do this? No. But one person can make a start, reaching out to anyone to whom (s)he contacts. In turn, those people can do the same. Little steps lead to bigger ones.

I was born in the year man first set foot on the moon and looked back upon the Earth. Before my time is done on this world, I'd like to see it reach the point when one person looks at another, all they see is a fellow human being. One who shares the common ground of living in the same world, and may have many other things in common as well.

All one needs to do is reach out and discover them.

Stop drawing lines.
Start erasing.

- ESA