Waiting......waiting.....

Ahh.....it arrives as scheduled.

                   And with it......the oil is moving inland.

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One day.....(upon a time).

3171 days in Afghanistan...shooting at ghosts and being killed by rocks (that explode).

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At home and on the road.....with less.

Think 1930's.....think about folks packin' and leavin' with hope and a dream of a fresh start.  If your patch of dirt has lost value and you cannot sustain yourself.....just pack up your home and move on.  This has all been done before.

Eventually there will be a significant migration.  The catalyst may be economic, climate change, or differences in State by State freedoms....but folks will move.

Those that stay will carve out an existence that they can afford.  They will possess skills and tolerance.

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Local landscapes....

He is often reminded that it is not the geographic distance away from the daily that matters, but rather the psychological space away from the norm that recharges us.  Of course a scenic natural area, with scents and sounds that juice the primal....certainly helps......

Recently, during his respite, he went out walking, searching for such places.  In the northern part of the named territory, right within reach, is the highest point and most tremendous view in this half of the state. 

This area requires a bit of bush whacking to get to the peak......but way worth the effort....with tremendous views of the lakes to the south and hills to the north. 

All needed to survive another nights sleep in the suburbs.

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Rainy days and rainy nights....

Not sure why but he certainly remembers when.....when he discovered the joy in rain walking. After just his second pair of shoes he was constantly hanging in the garage watching it pour and darting in and out of the fall. 

Later, when age gave him the upper hand,  he dressed in ways that allowed him far more time out when no one else was.....that is key....the opportunity to be alone in the most prized natural areas and blending in among natures participants....for they seemed to not notice him squatting down at the base of the tree with an umbrella overhead.

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To each his own......strong ego...bad medicine!

"You ask me if I will not be glad when the last battle is fought, so far as the country is concerned I, of course, must wish for peace, and will be glad when the war is ended, but if I answer for myself alone, I must say that I shall regret to see the war end"  .....................George Armstrong Custer

 'I want to tell you that if the Great Spirit had chosen anyone to be the chief of this country, it is myself"
                                                                                                             Sitting Bull

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Minute by minute....hour by hour

Our addiction started here.....

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Ear on the track east......

Although the Western portions of this land have always pulled at his bootstraps, he has recently been awed by the history and complexity of the human spirit that arose in the the East....particularly in the early years of the union......Walt Whitman seemed  to have a lot to say during his 15 minutes.....

...and considering his contribution to humankind (see Leaves of Grass, 1855 for example)  perhaps he did...

..........only in time to be buried into the side of a hill.







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Before our very eyes......

 

Things have changed.  We are no longer just following the person in front of us, grabbing the diploma and stepping along till we stumble down 6' under.





People are carving out lives (albeit involuntarily in some cases) that better reflect their true nature. This is obvious in the current "young" generation, but is also evident, and perhaps derived from the ebbs and flows of the Boomers.

We certainly will not live as outwardly affluent lives as we were accustomed to the last three decades, but others may actually see the true value in one another by the deeds, the reads, and the rumble in our paths wake.

Here's to gettin' on down the trail....livin' large in spirit.

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A place for the night.....

Many....many...many nights on the road.  Sleep is inevitable.  A quiet safe place to park not so.  He actually avoids rest areas when possible....aims for church lots, and if needed a Walmart. 

Sunset over the lot can end the day in style....reading by flashlight...wash up....and ahhh....sleep.

Waking from a great sleep calls for a stretch and a walk ....which allows one to view the neighbors......typically overweight cigar smoking truck drivers.....RV families with a case of eye avoidance....or grumpy homeless dudes whose wife sent em packing...

But not always!



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Another day.....

They walk.  They don't run.  They walk.  They don't drive or take a bus. Of course we all know the growl of early morning hunger.  You climb off the mattress, slip on your shoes and start walking down the street. And along the way you notice your neighbors walking also.  No one speaks.  No one smiles.  You are hungry and so are your children. 

So you keep walking block by block to the location that hands out the generosity in bags of food.  You are long past pride and wide with need.  You don't look directly into the eyes of giver, yet you acknowledge them for helping you eat just one more day.

Walking home you carry the bag and carry the scarlet letter P on your forehead, but no one really notices, or cares.  Each for himself.  Another day.


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Surf's up....

Strange scene indeed...folks relaxing on the beach in the foreground....watching the workers clean up the mess, while the rigs in the background keep pumping the needed crude.

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On the threshold......

We may have always had a view of the earth and it's inhabitants as evolving into something better....or perhaps we see it all as deteriorating...the planet, the culture, our way of life.

Consider though your study of history...only encompassing the significant events and deep cultural shifts, while excluding the day to day patterns that inevitably mount up and drive the change.  We are seeing it all now before our very eyes.  The history discussed years from now will likely center on now as a vital period in the transformation of this living rock we call home. 

You can hide your face in the same old sand but many are awake and aware that the economic, environmental, and collective consciousness are the three legs of the proverbial tripod.  And this tripod that supports the weight of our lives is re-leveling itself, threatening to spill off those that miss the many messages available that articulate a different view of ourselves, others, and the remaining resources available for our sustenance.
What a view we have....what an opportunity.

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Finger on the trigger.....

excerpt from another......

I rarely raise my hand when Sensei asks questions, but once when he asked why we were sitting there in his dojo, I raised my hand and replied in a clear voice, "I don't know." "Ah," Sensei said. "Finally someone with an honest answer!"
"If you don't know why you're here, why waste your time?" he asked.

"Well," I replied, "studying Aikido helps me understand that a lot of what I think I know doesn't hold up when put to the test, and a lot of what I do in life, I have no idea why I do it. Aikido is a mirror that helps me look at myself and realize my inadequacies as well as my strengths."

Sensei smiled and said, "Not a bad answer. It's good to realize there's so much you don't know, as long as you're confident in your ability to learn."

"Everyone comes to class wanting something," Sensei said. "Few students come with the idea of giving. When you're filled with wanting, you feel empty inside, and don't want to give away the little you sense you have. A hungry man hoards what is his, and doesn't share it with others. On the other hand, if you're already feeling full from all the knowledge you have, you won't have the hunger to learn something new."

 Are you comfortable with not knowing? You need to pay attention, while understanding you won't know exactly what to pay attention to, until after you've found it."


by Charlie Badenpop   

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Journey to the past......

At some point thinking, writing, and developing ideas pales in the same room with action.  It has occurred to him that every action, regardless how small or seemingly insignificant, originating with intention, and performed deliberately for the common good, or greater good, overwhelms the thinker.  The doer has moved back in control of our evolving progress as humans relating to each other, and for the care of the nest.
Time to train...time to work....time to stop pointing the finger and lend a hand.

Really............ it feels good to shut up.....and get to work.

                     

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The grand illusion....

Nothing is as it appears….then again….everything is as it appears at that moment…never to be duplicated again. The reasons become obvious when contemplated, but elude the pursuer. The morning light shone on the tavern floor and left the night’s many moves elusive.


The good time, the good work, and the good heart dissipate into the steps needed to live on another day. We remember faintly and will soon forget as our needs engulf us and the time clock marches on.

Perhaps memory is not useful or even practical. There is much to do in this moment much less the last. Keep moving…..


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