Yesterday I received the following email.
Oh Great Spiritual Advisor of Humana, let me ask you a question. What do you do to jump start yourself when your professional life feels like it is in a rut? Every job I'm interested in I can't get an interview for, and yesterday was one of those days when I felt like the opportunity to move beyond what I'm already doing had passed me by. I feel like I no longer fit in here. Just wondering if you ever felt that way. (Humana is the company that I work for)
OK, I included the opening line of the email I received because if I had a dream job at my company, being a "Spiritual Advisor" might be it. The other dream job outside my company would be an actor in Corona Beer commercials.
I doubt if there is a person who has not felt at some point like the friend who sent me this email. Work is not always wonderful and exciting. That's why they call it WORK. The activity that many people want to engage in at work is called PLAY. Occasionally WORK and PLAY can be done simultaneously. More often than not, however, they are separated. At this time I don't have specific answers or advice for my friend. I do have some general thoughts about work and its place in our lives. People in general seem to complain about work more than any other area in their lives. I hear it everyday when I ride up and down the elevators. There are always going to be tasks that we must perform that will annoy, bore, or frustrate us. In every workplace, depending on where you stand, there will always be workers or leaders who appear to be idiots. In some cases they really are. I'm sure someone at some time has thought this about me. I got my first job when I was sixteen years old. Therefore, I have been working for 40+ years. I've seen it all. It is my opinion that many people are dissatisfied with work because they give it way too much importance. You should work to live, not live to work. We all want our work to be financially rewarding and emotionally satisfying but you can't depend on work alone to give all the satisfaction you need in life. Work is just one slice of the pie. It doesn't matter if you collect trash for a living or if you are a highly trained and educated professional person. There is more to life than work. It is equally important to play, to develop satisfying relationships, and to spend time in reflective thought. In general, work is usually about doing something. Maybe it's tipping the trash can or performing open heart surgery. To be honest, there are very few tasks that I perform at work that reflect who I am. What reflects who I am is how I perform these tasks. Writing these daily thoughts is probably the best example of me being me at work. How are you being you? In a recent employee survey, one of the questions was "At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best everyday"? I think this goes deeper than whether or not you have an opportunity to exercise a skill or talent. I think it also means "Do you have an opportunity in the workplace to be who you really are"? If you can be who you really are, and put yourself into the tasks you perform, the chances for job satisfaction increase greatly. Of course, if you hate what you do, you think the boss is a jerk, and nothing the company does meets your approval, maybe it is time to move on. It's also a reality that some places are just terrible places to work. If you're overworked, underpaid, never appreciated, expected to do the impossible with none of the tools required, get out as soon as you can. Yes, work is work but it shouldn't be a horrible experience everyday. It's one part of the rhythm and flow of life and ideally it should blend in with the other aspects of your life to create a sense of wholeness. Work should not take over your life or break your spirit.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Steve Winwood And Tom Petty Concert
Blazing hot sun + 90 degree temperatures + high humidity + rain + sauna like conditions = my night on the lawn at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati on Tuesday night. Add the sum of this to being with some of my best friends and hearing great music and it all equals a wonderful time. Being part of a rock and roll partnership that qualifies me as a professional fan and concert attendee, I was sitting in my favorite spot in plenty of time before the music started. It's all in the planning people. You can't show up at the last minute for a sold out concert. Riverbend Music Center is literally on a bend of the Ohio River. From the lawn you can see the shores of Kentucky. This is my favorite outdoor venue. Normally it is a very laid back and stress free experience. Rarely is there a hassle. Tuesday night was a little different. I have never seen so many people there in all of my previous visits. A observation of the crowd indicated that most of the people on the lawn were young people. They were there to see a bunch of musicians hovering around the 60 year old age mark. The music got off to a great start. The legendary Steve Winwood casually walked on stage and, with no introduction, eased into a mellow groove with African rhythms and jazzy flute percolating with a rock and roll beat. He would have to play all night for fans to hear all of his best work. In the time he played we were given a nice overview of a very long career. Not long afterwards Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers hit the stage and the energy level went through the roof. Like Steve Winwood, Tom Petty has a long resume and many well known hits. Most people in the audience seemed to know all the words to every song. He flat out rocked and was cookin' all night long. My friends and I had a discussion on the way home about how exhausting a concert can be. Of course, none of us are as young as we used to be. As strange as it may sound, concerts can be very emotional. First of all you are hearing many songs that are often part of the soundtrack of your life. Secondly, when you are in a large crowd, whether it is a sporting event or a concert, and the people are really into what is happening, there is a tremendous amount of energy. You cannot help but be carried along and even consumed by it. When it's over and you walk to your car...assuming you remember where you parked...you feel like you just put in a hard day at work. This is why I always take a day off afterwards. Yesterday I spent a few hours on my couch. All of this reminded me to appreciate and celebrate life and friendship. Family is great but close friends are special and they provide much warmth in a world that is often cold.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
On The Road Again Enjoying Music With My Friends
Later today I will once again be heading up the rock and roll highway to Cincinnati to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers along with Steve Winwood. Most people are familiar with Tom Petty. Back in January Tom Petty was the half time show at the Super Bowl. He's been around since the 70's and has many classic and well known songs. My favorite is called "Running Down a Dream". He was also part of a group called the Traveling Wilburys that included Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne of the Electric Light Orchestra, and Roy Orbison. The opening act may be less known now but he has a very impressive musical resume. It was Steve Winwood, as a 15 year old prodigy, who sang "Gimme Some Lovin" with the Spencer Davis Group. This was a huge hit in its day and can still be heard on a regular basis on any classic rock radio station. He eventually formed his own band called Traffic. Traffic is well know and respected by all music afficianos. They blended rock, jazz, and folk music into a unique sound. Their biggest hits were "Dear Mr Fantasy" and "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys". In between different versions of Traffic, Steve Winwood was also part of a legendary band with Eric Clapton called Blind Faith. The debut performance of Blind Faith was played in front of 100,000 people in London's Hyde Park. He also has a number of solo albums/CD's, most of which are very good. I am really looking forward to these shows because it is the first time I have seen either act. Once again I am sitting on the lawn and once again thunderstorms are predicted. Let's hope some of the magic I experienced last week in Indianapolis happens again and I experience beautiful weather. If not, I will be "Running Down a Dream" in the rain with my friends. That's OK, too, because I will have my lawn chair and L. L. Bean rain parka! This was today's rock and roll history lesson.
It's a little difficult to segue from rock and roll history to Chinese philosophy but we will do it anyway......
Verse 20 of the Tao Te Ching is rather long so let me quote just a bit of it. I personally identify with much of what Lao Tzu says.
Most people have too much; I alone seem to be missing something. Mine is the mind of an ignoramus in its unadulterated simplicity. I am but a guest in this world. While others rush about to get things done, I accept what is offered. I alone seem foolish, earning little, spending less. Other people strive for fame; I avoid the limelight, preferring to be left alone. Indeed, I seem like an idiot: no mind, no worries.
I often live my life with the attitude of a visitor or guest in a strange and wonderful place. Sometimes life seems mundane but I often walk around lost in wonder. I am reminded of a trip I made to France a few years ago. It was my first and only trip to Europe so far. Most of the time I was there I was wide eyed and smiling. I kept pinching myself thinking, "Wow, I'm in France". Perhaps some of you have traveled extensively. I have not so it was a very big deal for me. The whole time I was there I kept thinking, "I am a guest here and I may never come this way again. Enjoy every moment". I try to have this same attitude in my everyday life. As the Tao Te Ching says, "While others rush about to get things done, I accept what is offered". In other words, don't let your life be consumed by busyness. Life will give you much without you chasing after it. Other times in my life I have been criticized for what appears as a lack of ambition. In the ways of the world, the only values seem to be the accumulation of power, prestige, and possessions. I have avoided these things intentionally. I prefer to influence rather than control. I enjoy a good reputation but do not like to be the center of attention. I like things but would rather need less than want more. Again, as the Tao Te Ching says, "Other people strive for fame; I avoid the limelight, preferring to be left alone. Indeed, I seem like an idiot: No mind, no worries.
I have completed Tom Brokaw's book about the Sixties entitled "Boom! Voices of the Sixties". I highly recommend it to the following people.
It's a little difficult to segue from rock and roll history to Chinese philosophy but we will do it anyway......
Verse 20 of the Tao Te Ching is rather long so let me quote just a bit of it. I personally identify with much of what Lao Tzu says.
Most people have too much; I alone seem to be missing something. Mine is the mind of an ignoramus in its unadulterated simplicity. I am but a guest in this world. While others rush about to get things done, I accept what is offered. I alone seem foolish, earning little, spending less. Other people strive for fame; I avoid the limelight, preferring to be left alone. Indeed, I seem like an idiot: no mind, no worries.
I often live my life with the attitude of a visitor or guest in a strange and wonderful place. Sometimes life seems mundane but I often walk around lost in wonder. I am reminded of a trip I made to France a few years ago. It was my first and only trip to Europe so far. Most of the time I was there I was wide eyed and smiling. I kept pinching myself thinking, "Wow, I'm in France". Perhaps some of you have traveled extensively. I have not so it was a very big deal for me. The whole time I was there I kept thinking, "I am a guest here and I may never come this way again. Enjoy every moment". I try to have this same attitude in my everyday life. As the Tao Te Ching says, "While others rush about to get things done, I accept what is offered". In other words, don't let your life be consumed by busyness. Life will give you much without you chasing after it. Other times in my life I have been criticized for what appears as a lack of ambition. In the ways of the world, the only values seem to be the accumulation of power, prestige, and possessions. I have avoided these things intentionally. I prefer to influence rather than control. I enjoy a good reputation but do not like to be the center of attention. I like things but would rather need less than want more. Again, as the Tao Te Ching says, "Other people strive for fame; I avoid the limelight, preferring to be left alone. Indeed, I seem like an idiot: No mind, no worries.
I have completed Tom Brokaw's book about the Sixties entitled "Boom! Voices of the Sixties". I highly recommend it to the following people.
People who grew up in the Sixties and wonder, "What happened"?
Children of people who grew up in the Sixties who wonder, "What's up with Mom and Dad? Why are they so weird?"
Parents of children who grew up in the Sixties wondering, "Where did I go wrong"?
Anyone interested in history who has an open mind. Brokaw's book presents the reflections and stories of many people, i.e., male and female, African Americans, Hispanics, Caucasians, liberals and conservatives, hippies and non hippies, Democrats and Republicans, as they reflect on what was right and wrong about everything that happened in that decade.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Do You Make A Difference In The World?
I had a mostly quiet and very appreciated long weekend. That extra day off seems to make all the difference in the world. Most weekends seem rushed and busy as I feel forced to cram in all my personal chores and obligations. Yes, my own children are grown up and require little from me but now I have a granddaughter that I want to spend time with plus three elderly parents, two of whom are in retirement/nursing homes. Its not that I mind having obligations. I want to do the right things and to be what I should be for those in my life. Its just that sometimes I feel squashed by time restraints. I'm sure some of you, especially if you are my age and have similar obligations, know what I mean.
It was a good and balanced weekend. I spent time with myself, my immediate family, some of my extended family, and my father. My father is in a new nursing home and I went there for the first time yesterday. It seemed like a very acceptable place as far as nursing homes go. It isn't as big or as fancy as the last one but when you are in my father's condition most of that is a illusion that doesn't really mask the fact that these places are full of people in their last days and most of them would love to fast forward the end. As I sat in the dining room while my youngest brother fed my father, one of the other elderly people kept yelling out. Another elderly person kept telling them to "shut up"! Later, as I stood outside my father's room with my brother as the nurses attended to him, the man across the hall wheeled out of his room. My brother and I said "Good afternoon"! He looked at both of us and responded "Whatever"! At the other end of life, my weekend was also filled with the joy, wonder, energy, and occasional tantrums of my four year old granddaughter. She tried my patience a couple of times but I quickly forget that when she sits on the kitchen counter scooping coffee into the coffee filter to "make coffee for you, Pa Paw" or when she puts her little hand on my shoulder shaking me awake early in the morning and greeting me with a smile that melts my heart. I live somewhere in the middle of these bookends of my life. Both bring tears to my eyes. I have the joy of a beautiful granddaughter on one side and the sadness of my father on the other side.
Over the weekend a local activist, that I have always considered the Martin Luther King, Jr. of Louisville, died unexpectedly. He name was Rev. Louis Coleman. I never met him although I had seen him in public. I admired him from a distance. He was a person loved by many but who agitated and annoyed many more. Of course, this is what prophets do. He didn't completely change the world, or even my city, but he did make a difference. After hearing the news of his death I found myself asking the question, "Do I make any difference in this world"? We should all be asking ourselves this question. Admittedly, we are not all called to be political activists or prophets but I do think all of us are called to make a difference in the world. Some people make the world a worse place for others but, hopefully, most of us make the world a better place. Perhaps we won't change the world or end up in a history book but we can make a difference in the lives of the people we touch. I am just an average person living a mostly quiet and uneventful life. In spite of that I sometimes wonder how many lives I have touched in 57 years of living. In how many of these lives have I made a difference? In some lives I may have made a difference and not even been aware of it. Sometimes you make a difference and you know it. A close friend once said to me, "You have so enriched my life". I'm not completely sure how I have done that but it makes me happy that I have. We are all catalysts for goodness and for making a difference. There are many little things you can do. A kind word and a smile are excellent places to start. As I have written before, I believe an exchange of energy occurs when two people encounter one another. You either give positive energy to another or you may suck the life right out of them. A good way to make a difference is to be positive and optimistic and hopeful and life giving to those you meet and not just to the people you care about. Some of us may be called to be prophets like Rev. Coleman but it's not fun being a prophet. Most of them get killed because people don't want to hear what they have to say. There are times, however, when even the meekest of us are called to speak out and give voice to the truth even if it does make others uncomfortable. I can't remember who said it but somewhere I read "It's better to be a lion for a day than a sheep for your whole life". If you're not making a difference in the world, today's a good day to start.
It was a good and balanced weekend. I spent time with myself, my immediate family, some of my extended family, and my father. My father is in a new nursing home and I went there for the first time yesterday. It seemed like a very acceptable place as far as nursing homes go. It isn't as big or as fancy as the last one but when you are in my father's condition most of that is a illusion that doesn't really mask the fact that these places are full of people in their last days and most of them would love to fast forward the end. As I sat in the dining room while my youngest brother fed my father, one of the other elderly people kept yelling out. Another elderly person kept telling them to "shut up"! Later, as I stood outside my father's room with my brother as the nurses attended to him, the man across the hall wheeled out of his room. My brother and I said "Good afternoon"! He looked at both of us and responded "Whatever"! At the other end of life, my weekend was also filled with the joy, wonder, energy, and occasional tantrums of my four year old granddaughter. She tried my patience a couple of times but I quickly forget that when she sits on the kitchen counter scooping coffee into the coffee filter to "make coffee for you, Pa Paw" or when she puts her little hand on my shoulder shaking me awake early in the morning and greeting me with a smile that melts my heart. I live somewhere in the middle of these bookends of my life. Both bring tears to my eyes. I have the joy of a beautiful granddaughter on one side and the sadness of my father on the other side.
Over the weekend a local activist, that I have always considered the Martin Luther King, Jr. of Louisville, died unexpectedly. He name was Rev. Louis Coleman. I never met him although I had seen him in public. I admired him from a distance. He was a person loved by many but who agitated and annoyed many more. Of course, this is what prophets do. He didn't completely change the world, or even my city, but he did make a difference. After hearing the news of his death I found myself asking the question, "Do I make any difference in this world"? We should all be asking ourselves this question. Admittedly, we are not all called to be political activists or prophets but I do think all of us are called to make a difference in the world. Some people make the world a worse place for others but, hopefully, most of us make the world a better place. Perhaps we won't change the world or end up in a history book but we can make a difference in the lives of the people we touch. I am just an average person living a mostly quiet and uneventful life. In spite of that I sometimes wonder how many lives I have touched in 57 years of living. In how many of these lives have I made a difference? In some lives I may have made a difference and not even been aware of it. Sometimes you make a difference and you know it. A close friend once said to me, "You have so enriched my life". I'm not completely sure how I have done that but it makes me happy that I have. We are all catalysts for goodness and for making a difference. There are many little things you can do. A kind word and a smile are excellent places to start. As I have written before, I believe an exchange of energy occurs when two people encounter one another. You either give positive energy to another or you may suck the life right out of them. A good way to make a difference is to be positive and optimistic and hopeful and life giving to those you meet and not just to the people you care about. Some of us may be called to be prophets like Rev. Coleman but it's not fun being a prophet. Most of them get killed because people don't want to hear what they have to say. There are times, however, when even the meekest of us are called to speak out and give voice to the truth even if it does make others uncomfortable. I can't remember who said it but somewhere I read "It's better to be a lion for a day than a sheep for your whole life". If you're not making a difference in the world, today's a good day to start.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
A Long Holiday Weekend...Freedom!
Tomorrow begins a long holiday weekend. If it doesn't rain too much, I, like millions of other people, will be at a family cookout. The biggest event of the weekend, however, is not the cookout. The biggest event is on Sunday. Sunday is Chloe's birthday. She will be four years old. I cannot remember time before Chloe entered the world. She is growing up so fast. Chloe has changed my life. Her birth was one of my life's significant events. Chloe was the inspiration for me to begin writing my daily thoughts. The first thoughts that I ever sent out were about her. In my eyes, Chloe is perfect and the center of the universe but I am speaking as her Pa Paw. Of course, she is also a real child and occasionally acts like one. I don't care. I will love her no matter how she acts. She and I have a mutual admiration society. She adores me and I adore her. Being her Pa Paw is the highlight of my life. With all due respect to my own children, it's a lot more fun being a grandfather. Chloe is the sweetest and most loving person I know. She thinks I'm a very funny guy and maybe a little crazy. If I am in the room, everyone else gets ignored. I love her child's sense of wonder and I try to encourage it whenever I can. I am more patient with her than I may have been with my own children. Plus, she's special because I never had a daughter. I assume that sometime over the weekend she will want to climb on me and stand on my head. By the time she goes home I will be exhausted. She will wear me out!
Tomorrow is the 4th of July. On this day Americans celebrate their independence. This year it will be 232 years since we won our independence from the British in 1776. Today they are our best friends. Unlike many people in the world all I have ever known is freedom. I try not to take it for granted. Every night when I watch the daily news and I see all the war and famine and tyranny in the world, I am grateful for my freedom. I am grateful for the freedom to live where I want, work where I want, worship where I want, associate with whom I want, and think as I please. Freedom, however, is not free. Many have paid the price for the freedom we enjoy. It is easy to understand why so many people want to be part of our country. Although it is still more difficult for some than others, I believe anyone can be whatever they want in this country. It pleases me to see people of every race, gender, ethic background, and religion, able to succeed and pursue happiness. Life is still not always fair but the freedom we enjoy is the best game in town. Think about this tomorrow as your grill you hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs and chicken, and drink your ice cold beer with your family and friends.
I share the following story again. It seems a little more meaningful now with the references to gas and concert ticket prices from the past. I wish I still had this car!
It is difficult for me to think of the 4th of July without remembering the largest concert event of my life. On a 4th of July weekend in 1970, my friends and I piled into my non air-conditioned 1962 Volkswagen Beetle and headed for a city called Bryon, Georgia, deep in the South, during an extreme heat wave. Approximately 500,000 other young people from all over the place did the same thing. We were free if only for a weekend. For a few days we escaped the tyranny of parents, schools, employers, and the draft. We were surrounded by our peers, people who probably had more hair than sense, but for a few days anything went and the best music of the day played endlessly. I think gasoline was approximately twenty cents a gallon. I could fill my car up for about $2.50 and got thirty or forty miles a gallon. This festival, with some of the biggest acts of the day like Jimi Hendrix, The Allman Brothers Band, Procol Harum, The Chambers Brothers, Mountain, and others, cost $18 for all three days! At this time of my life I had no idea what was ahead of me and what the coming years would bring. Today I have a lot less hair, a little more sense, but still a deep love of music and life. At age 57 I now have certain minimal comfort expectations and requirements. There's no more sleeping in a field or the back seat of a Volkswagen. Today I would require a fully equipped Winnebago even if I couldn't afford to drive it! Since that time, life and freedom have been good to me. Some of the people who were with me on that hot July weekend are still part of my life and I am grateful for their friendship. We thought we were born to be wild. Now we just hope to keep our cholesterol in check. Dude, don't bogart the Lipitor!
Tomorrow is the 4th of July. On this day Americans celebrate their independence. This year it will be 232 years since we won our independence from the British in 1776. Today they are our best friends. Unlike many people in the world all I have ever known is freedom. I try not to take it for granted. Every night when I watch the daily news and I see all the war and famine and tyranny in the world, I am grateful for my freedom. I am grateful for the freedom to live where I want, work where I want, worship where I want, associate with whom I want, and think as I please. Freedom, however, is not free. Many have paid the price for the freedom we enjoy. It is easy to understand why so many people want to be part of our country. Although it is still more difficult for some than others, I believe anyone can be whatever they want in this country. It pleases me to see people of every race, gender, ethic background, and religion, able to succeed and pursue happiness. Life is still not always fair but the freedom we enjoy is the best game in town. Think about this tomorrow as your grill you hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs and chicken, and drink your ice cold beer with your family and friends.
I share the following story again. It seems a little more meaningful now with the references to gas and concert ticket prices from the past. I wish I still had this car!
It is difficult for me to think of the 4th of July without remembering the largest concert event of my life. On a 4th of July weekend in 1970, my friends and I piled into my non air-conditioned 1962 Volkswagen Beetle and headed for a city called Bryon, Georgia, deep in the South, during an extreme heat wave. Approximately 500,000 other young people from all over the place did the same thing. We were free if only for a weekend. For a few days we escaped the tyranny of parents, schools, employers, and the draft. We were surrounded by our peers, people who probably had more hair than sense, but for a few days anything went and the best music of the day played endlessly. I think gasoline was approximately twenty cents a gallon. I could fill my car up for about $2.50 and got thirty or forty miles a gallon. This festival, with some of the biggest acts of the day like Jimi Hendrix, The Allman Brothers Band, Procol Harum, The Chambers Brothers, Mountain, and others, cost $18 for all three days! At this time of my life I had no idea what was ahead of me and what the coming years would bring. Today I have a lot less hair, a little more sense, but still a deep love of music and life. At age 57 I now have certain minimal comfort expectations and requirements. There's no more sleeping in a field or the back seat of a Volkswagen. Today I would require a fully equipped Winnebago even if I couldn't afford to drive it! Since that time, life and freedom have been good to me. Some of the people who were with me on that hot July weekend are still part of my life and I am grateful for their friendship. We thought we were born to be wild. Now we just hope to keep our cholesterol in check. Dude, don't bogart the Lipitor!
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Falling Asleep And Being Awake
Falling asleep and being awake are not only bodily activities but spiritual ones as well. If you are not spiritually enlightened, you are going through life asleep even though your body may be awake and going through the motions and activities of daily life. An awakened one is someone who is spiritually awake and aware. They are alive and present to the moment with all of it potential and grace. They not only see the obvious, they see what is hidden to those who are asleep. The goal of the spiritual life, whatever way you live it, is to become an awakened one. This is also the contemplative life. I thought about all of this in a very real and practical way last night as I lay in bed trying to fall asleep. My body was tired and needed rest. Unfortunately, my mind decided to be enlightened and awake. As I have shared before, many work nights I fight a battle to stay awake and not fall asleep. Those hours right after dinner are a constant battle between the sandman and me. Some nights I remain awake and other nights I lose the battle. What is it that makes me victorious one night and defeated another night? It seems to boil down to something called engagement. This word is currently a buzzword in my office. What keeps me awake in the early evening and in the hours before bed time is engagement. I must keep my mind or my hands engaged. During the work day I am usually busy getting up and down, interacting with people, reading or writing emails, studying reports, and doing whatever the work day demands. I am awake and present to the moment as my mind and body are engaged in whatever I am doing. In the evenings, my body will quickly fall into a deep slumber if I am not engaged in intellectual activity or mundane tasks like cleaning up the kitchen or doing the laundry. It would seem that engagement is the key to be awake. Can enlightenment be far behind? If engagement with life creates a state of being an "awakened one", is it not fair to say that our very lives are the key that can unlock the door to a deeper spiritual awareness?
Sometimes there are rumors about me. The ones I hear are not bad, just untrue. Here's a few that have come my way over the years. No, I did not attend the original Woodstock although I do consider myself an aging hippie. In the summer of 1969 I was preoccupied with getting into a college and avoiding the draft. I was 18 years old, working a full time summer job for the local power company, and madly in love with an Italian girl named Marina. Another rumor is that I am a wild guy because of my rock and roll adventures. Nothing could be further from the truth. Far from wild, I am almost boring. Some people think I am an ex-priest. This is not true either. I am not a minister of any kind, at least not in any official way. I did, however, attend the seminary in my youth and I did spend a year of my life as a novice monk at the Abbey of Gethsemani. Basically, a novice is a monk in training. I was not kicked out of the monastery. I left on my own and at the time the door was open to return if I chose to do so. The door was closed, however, when I acquired a wife. I am not a real Zen master nor a Buddhist even though one of my nieces once asked my wife if I was. I have no impressive degrees. In fact, I have no degree at all. Some people think I am very intelligent, deep, and wise. I will continue to let people think that until the truth is known. My 15 minutes of fame were used up a few years ago when a local author, Dianne Aprile, wrote a few pages about me in her book about the monastery entitled "Making a Heart for God". I do not know how I know what I know. I am a student of life. I like to read everything I can. I love knowledge and understanding and I have not let a lack of formal education keep me from being an informed person. I love psychology, philosophy, spirituality, art, books, music and life in general. I like to live well, not by having many things, but by appreciating all that life gives me. I am a simple person who prefers an uncomplicated life. In other words, I am nothing special. I am just a regular guy who wakes up everyday happy to be alive believing in serendipity and magic as each day unwraps itself. Sometimes people look at me and say "I really like the way you think". Well, it doesn't take a Master's Degree. Just wake up and live. Enjoy everything. Choose to be happy.
Sometimes there are rumors about me. The ones I hear are not bad, just untrue. Here's a few that have come my way over the years. No, I did not attend the original Woodstock although I do consider myself an aging hippie. In the summer of 1969 I was preoccupied with getting into a college and avoiding the draft. I was 18 years old, working a full time summer job for the local power company, and madly in love with an Italian girl named Marina. Another rumor is that I am a wild guy because of my rock and roll adventures. Nothing could be further from the truth. Far from wild, I am almost boring. Some people think I am an ex-priest. This is not true either. I am not a minister of any kind, at least not in any official way. I did, however, attend the seminary in my youth and I did spend a year of my life as a novice monk at the Abbey of Gethsemani. Basically, a novice is a monk in training. I was not kicked out of the monastery. I left on my own and at the time the door was open to return if I chose to do so. The door was closed, however, when I acquired a wife. I am not a real Zen master nor a Buddhist even though one of my nieces once asked my wife if I was. I have no impressive degrees. In fact, I have no degree at all. Some people think I am very intelligent, deep, and wise. I will continue to let people think that until the truth is known. My 15 minutes of fame were used up a few years ago when a local author, Dianne Aprile, wrote a few pages about me in her book about the monastery entitled "Making a Heart for God". I do not know how I know what I know. I am a student of life. I like to read everything I can. I love knowledge and understanding and I have not let a lack of formal education keep me from being an informed person. I love psychology, philosophy, spirituality, art, books, music and life in general. I like to live well, not by having many things, but by appreciating all that life gives me. I am a simple person who prefers an uncomplicated life. In other words, I am nothing special. I am just a regular guy who wakes up everyday happy to be alive believing in serendipity and magic as each day unwraps itself. Sometimes people look at me and say "I really like the way you think". Well, it doesn't take a Master's Degree. Just wake up and live. Enjoy everything. Choose to be happy.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Are The Churches Doing Their Job?
Earthquakes. Floods. Wildfires. War. Famine. Gas Prices. Global Warming. Terrorism. Some days it seems like the whole world is going down the drain. In the midst of all of this I recently read an article in the newspaper revealing the results of a survey on religion in America. If I read and understood the article correctly, it would appear that fewer people go to church but more people consider themselves spiritual. With everything going on in the world you would think the churches would be packed. I have all kinds of mixed feelings about church and religion. I grew up as a strict Catholic. At the time it was all I knew and I generally liked it although looking back I see I was often more motivated by fear and obligation than desire. Most of my adult life I've had a shaky relationship with organized religion. So many of them seem filled with controversy, acrimony, or scandal. It's difficult to pinpoint where religion and I began to be uncomfortable with one another. Some people go to church but feel like they get very little out of it. Others go to church and simply go through the motions of faith. A core group of faithful attend week after week and genuinely find it spiritually uplifting and supportive to their lives. Many feel no need to attend any church and feel no sense of loss. My relationship with my church has sometimes been a little like a tempestuous love affair. We're together for a while, then we get tired of one another. We make up and get back together. The passion returns and then it disappears. I feel the need to separate again. It's a pattern that's has repeated itself many times over the years. At the same time I am one of those people who still sees himself as a spiritual person. At different times in my life I have had experiences that I believe were transcendent. They were moments of clarity, awakening, oneness with the moment, Zen, contemplation, etc. There are many names for this experience. Those who've had them know what I am talking about. They almost never happened in church. They happened in the context of living my daily life. That's when I started wondering if religious experience had anything to do with going to church. Throughout my life it has also seemed like no one in any of the churches I ever attended talked about experiencing God in any meaningful way. The lack of experience was sometimes explained as God's will or the "mystery" of God. The experience of church was usually all about doing things and knowing things but rarely about experiencing the transcendent. I am reminded of a favorite story of mine. Two people had no knowledge of oranges. One went to the library and checked out every book about oranges. The other went to the fruit stand, bought an orange, and ate it. Which of them understands oranges the best? I think this is why many people do not go to church but are still spiritual. They are not being fed oranges at church. They were hearing and reading about God but not truly experiencing God. Church and organized religion can seem like spiritual libraries for many people when what they are looking for are the spiritual fruit stands of life where the taste and the juice of oranges can be experienced in a very real and direct way. They want to "know" oranges, not know about them.
It is not my intention to offend anyone who consider church and religion important or those who attend church on a regular basis and are content and satisfied with that experience. Many churches do many good things and they can and should be important but I believe most of them are not reaching most of the people who are spiritually hungry and seeking the experience of God. God is a great mystery as is much of life. Many people, however, want authentic and meaningful spiritual experiences, not pep rallies. Too many churches are "Spirituality Lite". I am not just speaking of my own church. Everything I read says all the mainline churches are losing membership and attendance. I could be way off base with these thoughts and many might disagree with me. These thoughts are just the feelings of one man who is stumbling down the spiritual path and occasionally wandering in the desert. .
It is not my intention to offend anyone who consider church and religion important or those who attend church on a regular basis and are content and satisfied with that experience. Many churches do many good things and they can and should be important but I believe most of them are not reaching most of the people who are spiritually hungry and seeking the experience of God. God is a great mystery as is much of life. Many people, however, want authentic and meaningful spiritual experiences, not pep rallies. Too many churches are "Spirituality Lite". I am not just speaking of my own church. Everything I read says all the mainline churches are losing membership and attendance. I could be way off base with these thoughts and many might disagree with me. These thoughts are just the feelings of one man who is stumbling down the spiritual path and occasionally wandering in the desert. .
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