Compassion and Congress
As anger at the taxpayer-funded salvage of America’s largest banks and most inefficient industries exploded into rage over enormous reductions in care to the most vulnerable people in America – the young, poor, ill, and frail – the focus of rage and ridicule has become Congress.In a simpler time, addressing self-serving members of Congress might […]
The Way You Sing It
A friend took a trip to New Orleans after Katrina. He is a jazz musician and singer. He has been most of his life, and he feels that jazz is the greatest thing that has happened in America. Playing in a club with local musicians, he was invited to join the second line of a […]
SPECIAL OPERATIONS OF THE HEART
In the mid-eighties a young couple told a private conference of scientists, academics, sociologists, and writers that they would be working with the U.S. Army on a program involving exceptional human capabilities and were asking for advice from their colleagues. Their subjects would be two Special Forces A Detachments, or Green Berets. This couple was […]
CELEBRATING EACH OTHER
The Celebrating Gary’s 70th Birthday page that Linda created turned out to be more profound for me than I imagined it could. In the process of reading, hearing, and watching the many forms of appreciation that I received, I discovered that I appreciated the people who sent them and for the same reasons they were appreciating me! […]
THE SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT COMPASSION
An alcoholic demanded to return home from a treatment center. His wife felt that being home where she could take care of him was a good thing even though the staff at the center strongly advised otherwise. Once she had assisted with his return, she did her best, as she had over their years together, […]
CONSCIOUS CHRISTMAS OR UNCONSCIOUS CHRISTMAS?
What would a conscious Christmas look like? It would look like the Christ – loving others, caring about others without second agendas, no attempt to impress, patient, and caring. It would not be limited to a day, evening, or night. It would not be a special event. It would be a life-long endeavor, focusing the power of goodness, compassion, and Divinity onto to every interaction and experience. […]
Love in Roseburg
Roseburg is close to Linda and me. We drive through it frequently to see our Granddaughter who is a student at Oregon State University, then we drive through it again on our way home. We stop for coffee each time. Our granddaughter is the same age as some of the students at Umpqua Community College.With […]
THE NEW ARENA
This is a moment in the history of America and the history of the world in which we are beginning to experience in intimately personal terms the extent to which fear controls our activities. We are realizing for the first time as a species that personal growth is not a shallow or inconsequential activity. It is necessary and powerful. We are also […]
DON’T LOSE YOUR COMPASSION
When I first arrived on Okinawa more than fifty years ago almost everyone told me that I would not want to leave at the end of my tour of duty. They were right. Okinawa’s white sand beaches and turquoise waters were breathtakingly beautiful. Lush green covered the island, and I slowly discovered how much I […]
HOW TO CREATE COMPASSIONATE HOLIDAYS
Compassionate Holidays require that you act consciously each moment. Unconscious caretaking and pleasing others (giving gifts because it is the “season”) are NOT compassionate deeds. They ignore the humanity of the recipient because the recipient is being exploited by frightened parts of your personality. This type of interaction multiplied billions of time each “Holiday Season” […]