Sunday Musings – August 20, 2017
Here in Wheeling, WV on this Sunday morning I sit on the large covered porch alternately attending to the sounds of the traffic on West Virginia Route 2 and I470 and the chatter of the many birds who make their home in the enormous evergreen trees (fir I think) which are nearby. From somewhere a cool breeze has come to drive away the hot, humid air. This breeze tickles and wakes up my skin.
I am very aware that I am in Wheeling, West Virginia. The line by Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz comes to mind, “Toto I’ve a feeling we are not in Kansas anymore.” Last Sunday I was in Los Angeles sitting in my son’s apartment writing before heading to the gym. I am certainly not in Los Angeles anymore. Yet, the reality of traveling has always seemed like magic. It certainly feels as if I should be able to meet up with my son today and then later with he and his girlfriend. In my mind tele transporting is as simple as clicking my heels. Yet, of course, I know in actual time and space this is not true today.
Whether in Los Angeles or Wheeling, Sunday is the day to review my week and reset my spiritual clock. As my friend Dr. Johnen would say, “Each day is a new beginning.” I ask myself, what can I learn or relearn today.”
A client said to me yesterday, “It is so simple. Why didn’t I realize that?” He certainly had the knowledge (the tools) and has often used those tools/that knowledge in many areas of his life. Yet, it seems as if many of us reserve some tools for particular jobs. Many of us have our work tools, our home tools, our relationship tools, our personal care tools, and our spiritual care tools. It is often as if we keep them in separate rooms in our head and can only use them for a task in the room in which they are kept. While we may be skilled at generalizing in terms of racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, religion and other ways of justifying our hurtful and unhelpful behavior toward each other, we may not generalize our use of tools or skills. We may, for example. tell ourselves we do not know how to do something in our life outside of the workplace that we are highly skilled at doing in the workplace.
Often what I do for myself and for others is a simple reminder that we already have the tools to do what we need to do.
As I think about that last statement and this past week here in the United States, I am acutely aware that we all have what we need to refrain from getting sucked into the drama which seems to want to come tumbling into our lives. The political, economic, social, and spiritual drama arrives via print, voice and the internet. Even Alexa, if I am not careful, will bring some of the drama into my home. I am very aware that I have this week, on more than one occasion, allowed myself to both get sucked into the drama and have, at times, been the creator of drama. Almost always when I create drama it is a response to the fact that I am powerless over some person, place or thing. Not only do I sometimes create drama as a response to my powerlessness, but I create drama by responding as if a situation or event is about me. It may indeed affect me but it is never about me.
Today I want to remind myself that as an individual, community member and a citizen of the United States I have a choice about creating drama or accepting an invitation to drama.
Today I am in Wheeling, WV living in the later part of the 7th decade of my life enjoying a luxurious life – plenty to eat, a nice home and office, a job for which I have a passion and access to friends, health care and opportunities for growth. That is a lot for which to be grateful. I have all the tools I need. I can refuse invitations to drama and I can choose to refrain from creating drama.
For today that is enough.
Written August 20, 2017
Here in Wheeling, WV on this Sunday morning I sit on the large covered porch alternately attending to the sounds of the traffic on West Virginia Route 2 and I470 and the chatter of the many birds who make their home in the enormous evergreen trees (fir I think) which are nearby. From somewhere a cool breeze has come to drive away the hot, humid air. This breeze tickles and wakes up my skin.
I am very aware that I am in Wheeling, West Virginia. The line by Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz comes to mind, “Toto I’ve a feeling we are not in Kansas anymore.” Last Sunday I was in Los Angeles sitting in my son’s apartment writing before heading to the gym. I am certainly not in Los Angeles anymore. Yet, the reality of traveling has always seemed like magic. It certainly feels as if I should be able to meet up with my son today and then later with he and his girlfriend. In my mind tele transporting is as simple as clicking my heels. Yet, of course, I know in actual time and space this is not true today.
Whether in Los Angeles or Wheeling, Sunday is the day to review my week and reset my spiritual clock. As my friend Dr. Johnen would say, “Each day is a new beginning.” I ask myself, what can I learn or relearn today.”
A client said to me yesterday, “It is so simple. Why didn’t I realize that?” He certainly had the knowledge (the tools) and has often used those tools/that knowledge in many areas of his life. Yet, it seems as if many of us reserve some tools for particular jobs. Many of us have our work tools, our home tools, our relationship tools, our personal care tools, and our spiritual care tools. It is often as if we keep them in separate rooms in our head and can only use them for a task in the room in which they are kept. While we may be skilled at generalizing in terms of racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, religion and other ways of justifying our hurtful and unhelpful behavior toward each other, we may not generalize our use of tools or skills. We may, for example. tell ourselves we do not know how to do something in our life outside of the workplace that we are highly skilled at doing in the workplace.
Often what I do for myself and for others is a simple reminder that we already have the tools to do what we need to do.
As I think about that last statement and this past week here in the United States, I am acutely aware that we all have what we need to refrain from getting sucked into the drama which seems to want to come tumbling into our lives. The political, economic, social, and spiritual drama arrives via print, voice and the internet. Even Alexa, if I am not careful, will bring some of the drama into my home. I am very aware that I have this week, on more than one occasion, allowed myself to both get sucked into the drama and have, at times, been the creator of drama. Almost always when I create drama it is a response to the fact that I am powerless over some person, place or thing. Not only do I sometimes create drama as a response to my powerlessness, but I create drama by responding as if a situation or event is about me. It may indeed affect me but it is never about me.
Today I want to remind myself that as an individual, community member and a citizen of the United States I have a choice about creating drama or accepting an invitation to drama.
Today I am in Wheeling, WV living in the later part of the 7th decade of my life enjoying a luxurious life – plenty to eat, a nice home and office, a job for which I have a passion and access to friends, health care and opportunities for growth. That is a lot for which to be grateful. I have all the tools I need. I can refuse invitations to drama and I can choose to refrain from creating drama.
For today that is enough.
Written August 20, 2017
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