Are We Having Fun Yet?

Are we? I hope so...I was having a grand time watching my computer disintegrate before my eyes...I am using my wife's old one...works better than mine...I have been struggling a bit about what to write here...I want to write about possibilities...possibilities for us as a group, a species, a society, but I don't want it to be any less than a personal contribution to each of you who are reading this...I envision this column as about 'us'...being, having and doing a little better each day...I was fretting and worrying and then decided to tell you my story....

I was out one morning having breakfast, after going to the City of Hope for some fasting blood tests and I got to talking with the people at the next table...some how the issue of drugs came up...not sure how, but then I found myself expounding again on the insanity of making it profitable...make that "insanely" profitable for killers, robbers and criminals to control the drug trade in America and the world...With more than 25% of domestic crime related to the need to feed the drug habit and untold misery inflicted everywhere, it seems truly insane to continue to make drug use illegal...Now, don't get me wrong, I don't want drugs to have the patina that alcohol and tobacco have, in fact, if left up to me each of these would be included into a new category..."Socially unacceptable and personally destructive", Anyone found promoting their use would be heavily fined, anyone found promoting their use to minors would be put in jail...packaging, plain and unattractive with large warnings...controls in distribution which would eliminate profit and promote treatment....

In the beginning any drug user could qualify for a life time supply by simply committing to personal use only, with NO sharing...upon severe penalty...take the profit out of the cartels hands...out of the smugglers hands, out of the users hands...spend the billions we now spend on 'waging war', on treatment, education, and showing how destructive the effects are to all of our children...de-criminalize, de-glamorize and de-incentivize drugs, alcohol and tobacco...give people enough real information to make decisions and let them be responsible for them...stop creating criminals and crime by failed attempts at prohibition...it prohibits nothing and makes this world a hundred times less safe....

I know...scary, and wrong headed...can't be done and won't be...political suicide to actually propose a solution that would let heavy drug users...use drugs, then focus on helping them instead of spending billions to incarcerate and hunt them down...make the crime seducing others and make it so unworthwhile that users would find it best just to use and leave others alone...we could do it...but I fear we won't...we could make it safer by taking the need to rob and steal to buy drugs out of the equation...but it is unlikely that we will...we could end the slaughter in Mexico, Afghanistan, and other places in the world, but we won't...c'est la vi....

So, how was your day? Thanks for putting up with me today, I'll try to straighten up in the coming blogs...if you are feeling anything less than inspired by life...find someone who needs something you have and give it till you feel blessed by the possibilities and potentials that you being on this planet make possible...you are a gift, you deserve to be loved, cherished and esteemed by everyone, most importantly by yourself, be well, love the one's you're with, and until next time...I remain, Respectfully Yours, Larry





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Super Sunday...What a Great Concept

In spite of the stupor bowl...you know that North American ode to too much testosterone...the one that pretends to be FOOT ball when the rest of the world plays a game that actually requires the 'foot' to move the ball...the idea of a Super Sunday is grand....

Today is Super Sunday!!! Get the kids take them to the park and celebrate...or as the song says, "...pack up the babies and grab the old ladies and everyone go 'Cause everyone knows..." it's Super Sunday...Today is the day...put down your troubles, your worries, your bitter recriminations and upsets with others and celebrate the truth...we're all in this together...differences of opinion are a dime a dozen and not worth the price...War is savage and crazy and an affront to every person on the planet...looting and savage behavior in Haiti is fear gone mad and has no place in our world today...today stop what you're doing and celebrate your humanity...say hello to strangers and smile at the world....

Today is Super Sunday, bring your friends together, and if you must, watch a little faux football, then celebrate each other, vow to do better in this world and end the night laughing and singing and being thankful for the joy of being alive....

Remember, be gentle with yourself, give freely your love and be grateful for all the love that is given to you...see it everywhere and give it everywhere and in the end, love the one's you're with...Until next time, I remain...Yours, Truly, Larry





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Trite and True

"Today is the first day of the rest of your life..." Yep, true...the first time I really heard that and let the implications sink in...it felt profound...I didn't have to worry about what was or had been...I didn't have to repeat the mistakes of the past...I could go forward...with a clean slate and optimism...I felt hopeful, alive...the world was my oyster...I wanted everyone to share in that feeling...all I had to say to them was, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life" they loved it and repeated it...that was 1974...I wonder if today is the first day of the rest of my life? Hummm...maybe....

"You can't change the past..." Yep, true, or the variation, "You can't change what's past, and all the worrying in the world won't matter..." Yep, "Worrying, IS the interest on borrowed trouble...", remember that one? Maybe, a little less trite...but true none the less...worrying is the interest on borrowed trouble, but that's just a saying until you really get it...We often think if we worry about it enough it'll help...it doesn't...but then repeating trite sayings probably won't help either...discovering that all your worry was for nothing is often a great feeling....

"Life goes on, until it doesn't..." or "Shit happens and then you die..." yep, true...I can remember the comfort, and the ballsy in your face sense of embracing those two...Kinda, buck up, it's just the way it is...sorta thing...not bad some times....

"Nothing exists forever..." Yep, true...is nothing...something? Because if it were something and it existed forever then something would exist forever and that something is "Nothing" "NO THING exists forever"...so if you become NO THING you will exist forever...EST was big with that one..."everything/nothing"...comforting to be part of the everything/nothing continuum....

"Be Here Now..."the Past is the Past..."Tomorrow will never come..." Yep, true...If you're struggling with something, you probably need to bring your consciousness into the NOW...trite and true...When you let go of the past and surrender your fears of the future you can begin to "live in the NOW..."...be here...now...experience the love you have and the love you have to give...be present to listen, reflect, share and dream...all the things that make us who we are today...be gentle with yourself, love the one's you're with, cheer wildly for your side, whatever that might be; and celebrate the moment, until next time, I remain...Respectfully Yours, Larry

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God Spoke to me the other Day...

...or perhaps it was Don Juan...in any case it wasn't Al Gore or Obama or O'Reilly...it was an impeachable authority and what she said, (it seemed to be a feminine voice) was, "Truth is not enough for you imperfect humans...reality is easily manipulated by one or another of you...it isn't enough that hard scrabble self interest directs your thoughts and view of reality, you refuse to listen to anyone who dares to speak with thoughtfulness and wisdom...so here it is...direct from the voice of the almighty...You are screwing up your planet...global warming is occurring and will devastate much of your world...stop what you are doing and reform...it is my wish and command (which I know will fall on deaf ears)...Your refusal will not incur my wrath, but it will seriously screw up your planet...and by the way...I am not YOUR God to the exclusion of others...get over it...."

Well, something like that anyway...I was never very good at taking dictation and my cell phones and recorders didn't seem to work...but believe me when I tell you that it was definitely God, (or maybe Alla...not clear on that one) and the message was absolutely clear about burning too much fossil fuel...no more arguments...and by the way she didn't think that those of us in America are all that special...mentioned something about us consuming far too much for our own good...seemed a bit chippy about that...anyway, just thought I'd pass it along, argument over...global warming is a reality and God doesn't really give a crap if we mess it all up...she's willing to warn us but it was clear she didn't expect us to do much about it...it was then I knew it must be God...who else would be such a realist?

Listen, enjoy your day, be happy with yourself and those around you, love the one's you're with, and until next time...I remain, Respectfully Yours, Larry





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Honesty, More than just a Policy?

I read a book once called 'Radical Honesty'. It tried to make the point that being "ruthlessly, and precisely" honest was the road to happiness and living the good life...I thought it odd that 'honesty' should have such a modifier as 'Radical' or 'Ruthless'...as Forest would say, "honest is as honest does"...But in any discussion of honesty, It seems, that we all are faced with the seeming conundrum of the little white lie...either telling the truth, or saying something gratuitously hurtful...what is the point of telling someone they look ugly in that blouse, or telling someone how inept they are at some recreational activity...and if it's okay to have a few 'little white lies' where do we draw the line...or is this even the point of honesty?

The answer to that is, "Honesty has little or nothing to do with tactfulness and kindness...Honesty has little to do with being honest with others, altogether, and everything to do with being honest with oneself." If someone asks you to be honest about how they look you'll have to decide if they're being honest...Perhaps what they're really asking for is reassurance and if you want them to be reassured, then telling them they look fine is an honest thing to do...Little white lie? Nonsense...Honesty is being honest with yourself, first and honest with others when you can honestly feel safe enough to do so.

What? Be honest with others only when you feel safe? What kind of policy is that? Honestly? It is half the policy that we all follow...the other half which few of us follow is being honest with ourselves....

We do a lot of things, from an automatic survival perspective and then we lie about it not just to others, but to ourselves. If you will look at your life and start telling the truth to yourself about yourself it might look something like this, "I spend quite a bit of time hiding, or blustering...I'm scared, or in pain and feel like I have to keep that hidden, My public self is often an act and I suspect I'm seldom aware just how much that is true of me...I spend a lot of time rationalizing and justifying myself and my behavior and a lot of time posturing and posing...I avoid seeing both my fear and my pain (what good would that do anyway) and while I often say I'm doing the best I can, I know I'm not...I want to be honest, but honestly I don't think I'm willing to take that big a risk."

Maybe, that's too harsh...maybe pain and insecurity, or self absorption aren't that big a deal in your life and you feel seen and heard most of the time...maybe tranquillity, peace of mind, well being, compassion and kindness fill your day...but if not then you might wish to look into discovering the path to a whole new level of honesty...honesty with yourself and when you're ready...with others as you become more of the solution and less of the problem of living in this over hyped and fractious world...If you wish to struggle less, play more and be an agent for personal and social well being...then be honest with yourself, love the ones you're with, be playful and find compassion for those you find upsetting...until next time, I remain...Respectfully Yours, Larry




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That Makes Me Happy

Ever say that? "That makes me happy." Oh, really! In that statement who has the power...YOU or the 'circumstance' to which you are referring? Who would you prefer to have the power to make you happy...your inner self or willy nilly circumstances?

We all know the answer to that one...but when it comes to language and to the way we act...circumstance is often the winner...It does make me happy when I am heard and listened to...I am happy you liked what I had to say...It makes me sad when you criticise me, and through it all, in the game of ping pong (and life)...I am the ball.... I don't want to be the ball and I don't think you do either...Yes, it makes us happy to win, and sad to lose, it makes us happy to be loved and sad when someone is ill or dies...and yet, who are we referring to where these things are true? If you will indulge me for a moment I should like to answer that....

When we say, "That makes 'me' happy", we are referring to the little 'me' the reactionary automatic survival 'me'...not the 'ME' of our Authentic Self. In the response to life from our authentic self we make ourselves happy and are happy, even in the face of death or crippling circumstance...it is why when researchers asked a number of P.O.W.'s if they could live their life again and eliminate the torture and confinement of their imprisonment, "...would they do it?" The answer from almost all was, "No, never, I know I could never learn many of the life lessons that make me who I am today, without the experiences I had then." It seems impossible, but life circumstance and experience is teaching us and creating and recreating us to be all that we can be..."it is all a blessing" and we can choose to find that place in ourselves where that last statement is true...If you are struggling to do that in any area of your life, then let these words soothe you, and/or find a life coach and open yourself up to their support....

"That makes the little me happy." Yes, it does and even if you don't say it...THINK IT..."That makes the little 'me' happy and the big 'ME' knows the truth...I am happy because I choose to be." Be happy, or sad, be depressed or upset, blame the circumstances all you want (the little 'you'), and then remind yourself that happiness is a choice, 'well being' a state of mind, and joyfulness a gift you give voluntarily to the world...love the one's you're with...remember to go gently into the world, bring kindness, compassion and love to your interactions with others and with yourself...until next time, I remain...Respectfully Yours, Larry





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The Cave, A Story for when the Days seem Hard

Once upon a time, a very long time ago, there was a tribe of people who lived all of their days in a cave...each person had their own room and when they met in the center chamber they would share "all about their world" which consisted entirely of the details of the caverooms they lived in...One day, a brave Cavonian found their way to the mouth of the cave and walked out into the world...Oh, My, they were overwhelmed with the possibilities and magisty and couldn't wait to get back and tell their fellow Cavonians....

"Please, please, gather 'round...I've just returned from a place I'll call outside."
"Outside of what," was the universal response.
"Outside of the cave you are in," the young Cavonian replied.
"Nonsense," They said in unison.
"But let me tell you about the trees, and colors, and sky and possibilities, and, and, and...."
"If such were so, surely someone before YOU would have seen these things...this is all nonsense, leave us and go to your caveroom...."
and so the young Cavonian was unable to convince a single person of what they were sure was true beyond the cave of their existence.

When you are in your cave...the cave of upset, victim hood, stress, anger, helplessness, anxiety, depression, fear, loneliness, doubt, frustration, confusion, sadness or ill health...never doubt for a moment that it is the cave of the moment you are living in...and when someone...anyone comes along and suggests that there is more to life than that cave you are living in...Listen to them...ask them to show you, "Outside" and be patient with them as they struggle to lead you to the entrance that you have forgotten exists. If you hold on too tightly to the truth of your cave...you will be right...and those that see the outside will go on without you....

When you are sad, or hurt or feeling the pain of loss, don't hesitate to share with others where you are and ask them if they have seen the entrance to this place, because you have lost your way and you would like to hear from them the stories of "outside of here"...then let them share with you and help you find the path back to the outside of the caves and boxes we all climb into from time to time....

You are a child of the universe, you belong here, you deserve to be loved and you are loved, you deserve to be cherished and you are cherished, you deserve to be free and you are free to believe in yourself, love yourself, and find peace and contentment, no matter the circumstance, in your life...you have much to give and much to share and we look forward to the time you will lead us, in our time of need...be well, love the one's you're with...Until next time, I remain...Respectfully Yours, Larry





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