AN INFINITE TALE

The end is seen to be the same
Beginning as well but different name
The converge will meet from lessons gate
The stories told of love and hate

The journey begins with a quiet call
The voice of the passage to which you fall
An alter awaits your infinite tale
Serendipity plots and exterior veil

As the tour continues acceptance strains
Lessons challenge would time explain
Outreach and irony displayed hands will extend
Advance with an ally, a neighbor, a friend.

Mystery extends as the treasures unfold
An infinite tale for histories hold
Transformation sustains the contrast persists
Divisional destiny determines which path will exist

The quest drives our circular tales to unwind
We discover life’s fate of purposeful bind
Truth reveals a unified alteration
A World of One with inspired interpretation.

Daze Gone By

Do you remember the daze,
the long nights in a haze?
Did it serve to amaze,
Or tempt your mind to a craze?

Coming of own and into the night,
You prepare to take flight.
On the twinkling lights,
Queen-bees passage to indoctrinate right.

Lollipops flying;
Monkey man dying;
Liberation calling;
White girls balling.

Line ups in a circle.
Girls are turning purple.
Boys feeling cynical.
Things are getting clinical.

Oh remember the daze,
though the thoughts falling haze?
We were riding all the waves,
out of a circular craze.

Does it ever really change;
Though the age has such a range?
Mind and heart are in exchange,
somehow now it all seems strange.

We all were running up the hill;
The chase to top to get your fill.
The clock it ticks the time a pill;
To get you fast or stop the will.

Always twisting in the dance;
The budding love a new romance.
Were you stole to take a chance;
or just a move to see advanced?

Innocence gone,
Long nights by dawn.
The knight to capture of the pawn,
Will leave you crying on the lawn.

Flying high upon a wish,
Now they all are dropping dish.
A waterless fish;
Down in a swish.

Seems all so long,
but not all of wrong,
Through it all remaining strong,
A breakthrough comes to sing the song.

I remember the daze;
Came through the haze.
No longer living in a craze;
How Tempting Life, continues to amaze.

How About The Flip Side?

This morning I was reminded of how important perception is to the way we live in this world together. I was tuned into a local radio show when a listener called in to ask a question of the shows staff about his upcoming nuptial name dilemma. His fiance wanted her name to be altered by keeping her last name as a middle name and adding his name last. This was accepted almost unanimously with the listening audience.

Now for the twist, she asked that he do the same; use her middle name and his last name. My initial thought was, if you feel compelled to change your name for nuptial sake, what a great compromise! However, my thought process seemed lost in translation.

I was astonished at the reactions and response to this question. The male audience response was overwhelmingly negative. Admittedly in retrospect, I didn't find this part so shocking. However, I found the female response astonishing! Apparently these women were suffering a knee-jerk reaction to the perceived mentality of an archaic mindset pre-programed years earlier. A myriad of responses from women callers came in which included such un-reasoned responses as, "no, because she is setting a precedence of wearing the pants and him wearing the skirt" (aka, you're 1950's response); to "it will cause problems for him by having to change his documents" (poor him, as if she doesn't have to do the same); to "just do it, no one will know" (the ethical response?); to "the man doesn't do that,(the just cause clause); and "it's not accepted"(the pre-programed archaic mind-set robotic response). As I sat there utterly stunned at these responses, it made me wonder, how far have we come? Or, perhaps the better question, how far have we yet to go? It was looking as if the answer to these question were, not very far, and a long way baby!

So ladies, what's up? We profess the desire for equality among the masses, yet we still insist on robbing ourselves of our identity to satisfy the needs of others? Are we willing to give away our individualism without analyzing and formulating a reasonable response? This general "acceptance" of nuptial name swapping was deemed "appropriate" in a "man" made world of rules and regulations many years ago. Let's face it, it stood for your father passing ownership of you to ownership of your husband! I don't know about you, but the only one I want to be owned by is me! Now don't get me wrong, in the spirit of free choice, if taking on your man's name is what you want, more power to you! Been there, done that, when I was young and under the control of the masses; just keep the options open for the rest of the "free" thinking world without judgmental pre-dispositions!

So, what are habits? Habits are tricky little mind control programs. Are we able to reboot and re-create our controls? Amazingly, yes we can! As we have created social habits, so too can we re-create them to meet a new criteria of modern day living. Repetitive thought patterns processed at a conscious level form patterns that embed into our subconscious mind. In turn, this sub-conscious action causes us to act or perform these thought habits without reason. If we begin to re-think and reason through why we have these archaic thought patterns, it stands to reason, we can begin to change them and refresh or reboot our programed behaviors to a new standard of living. Sustaining life with new growth potential allows the perception of endless possibilities that will manifest within us. This manifestation creates the perception of our new reality. So you see, freedom of choice is within your grasp. Keeping an open mind will allow you to not only accept your choice, but accept the choice of others.

Perceive it! Believe it!

"Your presuppositions will shape your perspective, your perspective will shape your priorities, and your priorities will shape your practice." Kenneth Boa.

Believe, a powerful word it allows your imagination to soar. Its ability to mean many things to many people is what fascinates me. I believe spiritually, I believe in myself, and I believe in my dreams are the things I hold onto. What we believe is what shapes our perspective and what shapes our perspective, is what our reality becomes. Perceive it; Believe it, which is why a positive perspective is so important. With all the down side reporting in the world we hear on a daily basis today; job loss, economy, and home foreclosures, it's easy to see why people focus on life with a negative mindset and the ability to believe can diminish.

We've heard all the catch phrases, think positive, keep your chin up; the sun will come out tomorrow. Well here's the thing, its true! I've talked about the importance of perspective before, and although I realize it's not always as easy as a flick of a switch, it's always possible. It takes work and practice to adjust your mind to the power of positive thought. Believe me; it's worth the practice as it can truly begin to turn your life around. Now don't get me wrong, being a work in progress myself from time to time the woe is me mood and mindset creeps into my thoughts as well. As a matter of fact, feeling a bit overwhelmed recently, I knew it was time to take a step back and breathe in hopes of regaining my positive perspective. What better way I thought than a road trip! A die hard dreamer and nostalgia lover, my mind romanticized my ideal of a journey on the open highway; rolling roads, mountain peaks, ice blue skies, and a rockin' radio. There seemed no better way to make things right again. So with some precautionary planning and a quick pack and load, I hit the road with kids in tow!

As we traveled the long open roadways, climbing altitudes in excess of 7,000 feet, I became increasingly aware of the correlation between my road trip and my life's challenges. It wasn't about the uphill climb; it was about the moment in the climb that mattered. It wasn't about the destination at the end of the long and winding road, but the experience along the road that offered exhilaration. Sometimes it is easy to forget this as we are constantly striving for the end result. We get lost in our quest for the goal and forget to appreciate the journey. We forget to stop and breathe and realize that the moments that count are simply the moments we are in, now. There is no grand master plan to aspire, only a mindset of what matters most, perception, priorities, and practice.