Someone asked what I meant by “cleaning house”? In the context of these writings, it sounds like a pretty “sweeping” call to arms, and I guess it is…albeit peacefully. But let me explain.
When we decide to change houses, it becomes a time to assess things. Re-evaluate. Decide what will, and will not work in a new space. The old couch may just be wrong in the new living room. Out! What about that treasured heirloom? No need to disrespect it, but maybe put it in a private place as a valued memory. Certainly, it’s time to look around for a few new things.
Are you getting the picture? Some of what we’ve been holding onto as a race…well, we’ve got our house backed up so badly we’re choking on the mess. In fact it’s killing us…that is, if we don’t kill each other first. It’s even gotten beyond saying things are “right” or “wrong”, ‘cause even that argument will kill us eventually. No, what we’re doing—politically, socially, ecologically, financially, even religiously—is simply not working. Not if we want to get to that place of do-unto-others mutual respect which truly IS sustainable. It’s not only time to clean house; it’s time to move!
So, what to put into that metaphorical new house--the beautiful world we long for? What one-size-fits-all kind of basic thing will actually work that embraces everyone’s individuality and still makes us want to get along? What is a fundamental belief so all-inclusive, so obvious that we can all actually agree on it? Something that will work with us; that will adapt and function to be sustainable as we go forward?
Well, folks, it’s simple and it’s “sweeping”: We’re all One. If we get our heads around that and act accordingly, we will change the world…naturally! Let me add, too, that I’m not suggesting any kind of uniformity. Quite the opposite. The beautiful and amazing part about Life is that its parts are not the same, and never will be. Change and diversity are the very Process itself! But we are all individuations of that One Thing called Life. We’re as one with the stars as our eyes are with sight, and our fingers are with touching. And we’re all One with each other. To the extent that we resist this innate fact (of life!), we’ll have the accumulating mess we’ve got right now. Consider peace. It’s so simple.
About Me
- Stephen Jerrome
- Los Angeles, CA, United States
- I am a writer, photographer and musician living in Los Angeles. In the last few years, new written work--numerous plays, screenplays, and two novels--have demonstrated this to be the most productive period of my life. The journal I have also kept for thirty-five years has, of late, become a personal sounding board for my thoughts on peace and the state of the world...about which I remain hopelessly optimistic! My writing here will be in tandem to video "Peace Talks" I have recorded, and which will be released throughout 2011. You're welcome to visit my website, the "Studio 5" link, to see my photographs. As a classically-trained pianist, I have been composing music all my life. Two guitar re-mixes of piano music are attached here, as well as several music videos, including "Consider Peace" the title track of an up-coming CD. Balancing writing, photography and music has been a long and challenging path...not to be recommended! Yet this very Aries diversity reflects an enthusiasm for the modern world of which I feel very much a part.
Haunting you with your own words: "Not if we want to get to that place of do-unto-others mutual respect which truly IS sustainable. It’s not only time to clean house; it’s time to move!" time to prove what "doing into others" means to every man in his own mirror: does he like what he sees? A vision of mutual respect?
ReplyDelete"Well, folks, it’s simple and it’s “sweeping”: We’re all One. If we get our heads around that AND ACT ACCORDINGLY ["shout" added], we will change the world…naturally!Well, folks, it’s simple and it’s “sweeping”: We’re all One. If we get our heads around that and act accordingly, we will change the world…naturally! Let me add, too, that I’m not suggesting any kind of uniformity. Quite the opposite. The beautiful and amazing part about Life is that its parts are not the same, and never will be. Change and diversity are the very Process itself! But we are all individuations [individualizations]of that One Thing called Life. We’re as one with the stars as our eyes are with sight, and our fingers are with touching. And we’re all One with each other. To the extent that we resist this innate fact (of life!), we’ll have the accumulating mess we’ve got right now. Consider peace. It’s so simple." . . . so hard to co. Th very Process itself!
addendum
ReplyDeleteshow for shoe
end line: so simple . . . to say, so hard to do ...etc.
(i.e., Th[e] very process itself.