Wednesday Wisdom

 

And before my Christian friends get their panties in a bundle...

Open minds make way for growth and learning.

John

Happy Spring!

It is spring in SWMO and the temperature just broke into the above freezing zone. Looking at the long-range forecast and it doesn't look like we'll see freezing temperatures again until the fall. 
Yay!

There are still some cool nights ahead and it will be a little while before I stow the sweatpants and flannel shirts, but spring is here and I am happy. I am not ready to extinguish the pilot light on the gas fireplace just yet, but I hope that there won't be many more indoor morning coffee times or late evening reading by the fire times. 
I will not miss mornings by the fire, but Groucho the cat might. She doesn't know how few mornings like this are left.

Of course, she is also a fan of sleeping in the morning sun on the deck, so...

I am looking forward to connecting to my Creator through spending more time with creation (nature). I wouldn't exactly say that nature is my religion, but I am pretty sure that my beliefs about life, community, and caring for each other is grounded in the world around me. It is where I find my connection to God, where I find my connection to our planet, and even where I realize that I am connected to others. 

I don't think I have ever felt as connected to God in a church service or gathering of believers as I do when I am alone in nature. It's obvious that being in nature would connect me to earth, but actually feeling connected to the energy of creation is different than just walking in the woods or digging in the dirt.
It is that connection to nature that helps one connect to or find your true self. And finding your true self is really necessary in order to connect with others.

It's kind of weird how this awareness has made me feel like more of an introvert and at the same time it has made me feel more connected to and aware of the energies and personalities of others. 
I recently read an article about a lone-wolf personality that has the appearance of an introvert, but also has some dominant traits of extroverts. I don't know. Maybe that's me; maybe it's just bs.
No worries.

In another week, the hummingbirds will begin to show up and the rest of the MLB will be underway.
It's spring!

John

The Clash of the Seasons: a free verse poem

Winter will not go quietly.
As the Spring sun gently warms the earth,
Winter blasts with cold winds from the north.
She tries to send a final covering of snow,
But Spring's warmth turns it to rain.

The plants yearn for warmth and light.
They look forward to displaying their bright colors.
The animals are ready to play in the fields.
The birds are returning to soar through the skies.
But Winter drives them back to their dens and nests one final time.

Winter declares, "I'll not leave!"
Spring whispers, "Be patient. I am coming."
Winter howls and tosses its remaining dead leaves and twigs.
Spring waits and will soon declare her own presence with showers and flowers.
"Tomorrow," she says.

Silently in the night,
The earth glides past that imaginary celestial line in its annual orbit.
We wake up and the night is over.
With the morning, comes Spring.

Wednesday Wisdom

Read a book.

That's it.
Find a book and read it.
Fiction, history, biography, self-help, educational, hobby related -- it doesn't matter. 
Read a book.

Read for entertainment.
Read for education.
Read for relaxation.
Read for fun.
Read to learn something or experience something new.

I am currently reading a special ops thriller The Doomsday Medallion. It is my tenth book of the year.
I'll get back to some non-fiction, enlightening kind of reading when I'm finished with this one.

What are you reading?

John

Face Time

Early on Thursday, March 20th, the earth will cross that celestial line that marks the spring equinox for the northern hemisphere. For the past few years, it has also marked the date when I shave off my winter beard. Right now I kind of like my beard and mustache and am debating on whether I'll shave it, trim it, or wait a little longer since there are still some cold weather nights ahead.

I have to admit that there is something satisfying about shaving off the winter face with a straight edge razor. It's a little tricky since I am definitely out of practice with the straight razor. In the past I have used the straight razor for a first pass and then cleaned up with a safety razor. I'm not sure why, it just feels like the right thing to do.
I've never really felt compelled to shave daily and probably won't through the spring and summer months, but neither have I felt some attachment or identity in having a big beard. Maybe I'll end up shaving it off a few days early. I'm comfortable either way.

And really -- being comfortable with yourself and your look is what's important, right?
Or maybe you are more interested in dressing or looking a certain way to please others. I guess that's okay, too. Personally, I am way past the point of feeling like I need to impress or please others. I can dress up and be comfortable when the occasion warrants it, or I can be comfortable in shorts, a t-shirt, and barefoot. I'm pretty much the same, easy going person either way.

I'm not sure why I am thinking about shaving this morning; maybe it's time.
Neither am I sure why I'm writing about it. I guess I just felt like writing something this morning. It's like self-talk but with a keyboard.

I hope that you are comfortable with who you are.
Have a grand weekend.
I am ready for spring!

John

3 Rs -- Reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic

As I am doing more reading, I am doing less writing. I don't think I can do less arithmetic. 
I really am liking my little Kindle reader, much more than I expected I would. 
At the beginning of the year I set a very modest and attainable goal of reading just two books per month for a total of 24 books for the year. I'd say I read fiction to non-fiction at around 4 to 1. 
I am currently way ahead of pace and should probably adjust my total to somewhere in the 40-50 books for the year. I am also at about 1 to 1 on the fiction/non-fiction right now.

I rarely pay for books anymore. I make good use of my Kindle Unlimited subscription (I guess that's kind of paying for books), I use free e-book sites, and I use our local public library for both printed books and e-books. Our small library is still pretty limited on available e-books and often has a long waiting list for newer releases. 

Doing less writing

Yeah, I'm not really sure how I feel about that. 
I enjoy writing, but rarely feel the motivation to do it these days. I'm not sure if it's the bullshit political environment and the general decline of human decency in the US or if it is something else that has me in a writer's funk. Maybe my personal isolation is shifting into my blogging world and I have less motivation to be seen here, as well.
I thought the regular weekly posts like Monday Meditation, Wednesday Wisdom, and Thursday Theology might force me to write or at least post regularly, but that doesn't really seem to be the case anymore. Oftentimes, I'm sure it has to do with changing and poorly defined thoughts that I am not yet ready to put into words. And sometimes, there just are no words to express my frustration or outrage with people and processes.

Doing less math

It's pi day! 
3.14
That's my math contribution for the day (or the week, or maybe for the whole month)!

I think I'll add a 4th R -- resting
I'm good at that one!

John

Thursday Theology: Taking a fresh look

I need to take a fresh look at Christianity -- not the Christianity that I've been taught by Catholics or evangelicals, but the type of Christianity that one would have from actually following the teachings of Jesus, the Christ. I have a basic set of morals that I follow and I realize that they come from my religious upbringing and evolution, as well as from societal norms. I feel I need to examine those foundational basics in a way that I really haven't done in the past. 

I, like many others in the recent past, have been critical of conservative Christians that profess to follow Jesus but act out in ways that are contradictory to his teachings as I understand them. 
What if it turns out that I am not that different?

Just thinking that it is a possibility makes me wonder what I might do if that is the case.
Do I continue to think of myself as a follower of Jesus -- except in cases that I'm not?
Do I adjust my beliefs and behaviors to come into line with what Jesus teaches?
Do I decide that I am no longer a follower of Jesus? 
And if that is the case, from whom or from where do I gather the thoughts and ideals that form my basic beliefs on life and living?

I don't think this is a journey for the timid. 
My greatest concern is that I end up being my own god -- determining for myself what is right and wrong in the world based on what works for John. We have more than enough self-gods in our world that have little or no concern for the rest of the world around them. I don't want to be thought of as just one more.

I truly believe that we are connected to one another and to the earth and wildlife around us. How we treat the environment and how we treat each other affects us all. 
How does that square with what Jesus teaches?

I guess I'll find out.

John

Wednesday Wisdom

 

Happy Monday!

It could be just another day in the life of a retired guy, but this Monday seems like the early coming of spring! With the freshly acquired later hour of daylight (which I happen to think is stupid) and some warmer temperatures this week, it does, in fact, feel like spring has arrived.

However, it is only the tenth of March and this is SWMO, so one would be foolish to believe that winter has completely left us. I will enjoy these warmer days while keeping the sweatpants and flannel shirts handy for the cooler days that will surely reappear. 

As for the Monday Meditation thing --
I've been thinking about stuff lately, the kind of stuff that we get attached to and brings us both joy and suffering.

Buddhist tradition teaches that stuff (or the attachment to it) is the source of suffering.
Mesoamerican mystics believe(d) that we are addicted to suffering.
Jesus referred to it as worry and asked -- Why do you worry about everything?

How much of my daily existence is connected to and defined by stuff?
(By the way, you can include people and relationships in with stuff as those are also a part of joy and suffering.) 
What stuff would I be better off getting rid of?
Are attachments or connections to certain things or people a cause of stress or suffering in my life?
Am I addicted to suffering? Has it (suffering) become a way of life?

Just stuff I've been considering lately.

John

What's the point?

I've been spending less time on social media and I have refrained from posting here at Out of My Hat for some time. It's a strange conundrum -- I don't really want to be silent about the stupidity and injustices that are happening in our country, but neither do I feel like writing about it is going to change anybody's mind and there is more than enough negativity in the world without adding to it.

I am much more of a pacifist than an activist, but I have contacted the local Democratic party committee. Maybe there is something I can do to oppose some of the bullshit that is taking place. Social media isn't the place for education and correction of misinformation. The misinformed just double down on their stupidity and continue to spread their lies.

Honestly, I feel like staying in my isolated little world of experimenting with my smoker, planting flowers, smoking cigars, and sipping bourbon or tequila. However, watching the world burn from my privileged place has an elitist feel that I really don't care for. I'm in a place where I really don't know what to do or even what I can do. I live in a deeply red area and all of my elected representatives, both state and federal, are Trump supporters or at the very least -- party first supporters. Writing or calling their offices is merely an annoyance and is likely more annoying for me than for them.

What are you doing to cope?
Wait and see?
Happy about how things are going?
Wringing hands and clutching pearls?
Checking out the expat life?
Or just enjoying your privilege and living day by day?

John