The Great Anticipation, Meeting Sister

Oprah did it again!

She cannot be touched. Her unquantifiable contribution to the world is unmatched. Her energetic drive to unselfishly give of herself is phenomenal. The unconditional love she shares and produces will never be reduced or eliminated.

Oprah Winfrey is a Legend.

She is doing what each of us can do:

We don't need her money to do it! All we have to do is keenly focus on how we want to be remembered, and live accordingly.

With great anticipation, the world waited for Monday's show. Then as the world watched the heroine did something that has made so many of us pause, reflect, and become village investigators. We began to investigate our family trees, or should I say we began to dissect our webbed families. We became intrigued with family. And, we became passionately tangled up with thoughts of what we will find in the near future or tangled up with what we have found in the past four days.

An atmosphere has been framed for people to compassionately think about family and what family really means despite the dynamic complexities: infidelity, molestation, incest, skin complexion division, choice of religion, substance abuse, money, and various other developments that may cause familial breakdown.

Surprisingly, many of my confidants have pledged not to use "half sister and half brother" any longer. That in itself is a rejuvenated beginning. The necessary beginning of mending hearts and removing pain. Oprah Winfrey has us rolling with a purpose, and with an expectation of irreplaceable:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A2QkgMvTtM

We are familiar with this song. It is an unfortunate – but - accurate indictment on men from all walks of life that decided to lay up any and everywhere. Leaving his seed pleasingly planted in the wombs of God's Greatest Creation:

The Female
Therefore, resulting in Papa becoming daddy to girls and boys all over the world. Also, resulting in brothers and sisters never meeting. While I do not condone this reality, I do support that element that has been missing for such a very long time:

The Search for Brother and Sister

Some will stay focused on the Papa was a Rolling Stone paragraph with negativity, and with undeniable pain. The pain is understandable. I acknowledge that!

What I recognize and accept too is the possibility of reconciliation and restoration. We have to restore what has been broken. Torn-up and destroyed. We have an opportunity to reconnect or connect with the seeds that have become Flower Children. We have to forge a bond with the sister and brother we never knew. We have to honor the legendary moms that endured, pressed on when Papa rolled out.

Ultimately, we have to learn from this week's Great Anticipation.

Wasn't it worth it? Don't you feel good? Aren't you ready to be ONE with your sibling(s)?

Seek out, find, and love what was lost - and remember that you are Half of NOTHING.

-Touched

Did Your Snow Days Bring Darkness?

I am so surprised by the number of people that have expressed how "tired they are of being stuck at home". The disclosure has been more than the usual cabin fever itches. I certainly understand the want and need to receive the daylight. The people that I have communicated with are actually uncomfortable with the solitude, the loneliness, and the quietness. That in itself speaks volumes about the shallow depth of human psyche. Sadly, it also indicates how much we have moved away from Aboriginal traditions. Meaningless Modernity (reality television) has conquered Spiritual Simplicity (meditation).


The mind can recklessly wonder when there is nothing to do. It can play tricks on you too - but the plus that should be gained during Snow Days is way more valuable than having something to do. Also, it has been noted for years that a whole lot of sexual intercourse is had during inclement weather. I remember while serving in the Eastern Caribbean how the population rose nine months after a hurricane. Go have sex!

Returned Peace Corps volunteers talk all the time about their service abroad...Sometimes too damn much! The common denominator in their story telling is their initial struggle with 'having nothing to do'. That Nothing has been known to early terminate the experience of living and serving overseas. However, in time while truly living in small villages in Botswana and other Peace Corps host countries the returned Peace Corps volunteers grew to appreciate The Nothing. It is during those very moments of Nothing that these men and women from all walks of life conducted an inventory reflection. For some that Nothing has literally made them better and/or saved their lives. For me, my life was finally put into context with the help of Buddhist Chant and Meditation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1evxMA7yYw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR3dM-GlZK8&feature=related

When was the last time outside of two minutes after the clock striking midnight on New Year’s Eve that you 'took some stock'? Really examined the inventory within your life reservoir? This is always a challenge for me!

Like the Peace Corps volunteers serving all over this world - as I typed are doing and as you read - we (us bored Americans) should sit in the dark. Actually, some Peace Corps volunteers live without indoor plumbing and electricity for 27 months or more. They are living like the people:

Then you have those ‘pussy-foot’ volunteers who lived LARGE:

That would be me…

Sitting in Darkness is Doing Something. It is an opportunity for us to make every attempt to SEE ourselves in the Dark.

What did you see over the past three Snow Days? Or, did you avoid The Darkness? If you did, you may have just missed out on Doing Something.

Oh! You could have used your imagination too; I went for a swim.

Muata Nowe