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June 26, 2008

Growth can be such a pain...

There are times that we have to do things that we may not really want or like, but if we REALLY had to do them, they are for the best and eventually we will see that.

Today is turning out to be one of those days. I have needed to deal with a relationship (business and personal) that has been going downhill for the last couple of years.

The failure of the relationship is no one's fault, over the years we just grew apart and had less and less in common. Personality traits that were only annoying but cute turned into major issues and certain communication issues became apparently immutable.

I should not really call it a relationship "failure," there is no failure in it, just a growing apart that eventually had to be severed for the benefit of both parties. I hope that they will be aware of this in time, if they don't already, and in time our paths may cross again and maybe a new relationship can grow from the ashes of this one, like the Phoenix rising.

What most would call "failure" is nothing but a preparatory for the "success" we crave. Perceived failures are a requirement for success; one cannot exist without the other. It is as Thomas Edison said when asked about his previous failed experiments with inventing the light bulb.
"If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward".
Thomas A. Edison, Encyclopaedia Britannica
It is one of those things that is part of the growth process. The last year or so has been SOOO about growth in many ways from me.

Several years ago, I had a friend who introduced me to Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati who is a follower of the Indian Deity of Mother Kali. My friend began praying to Kali to help her break the bonds that were keeping her from the growth that she wanted. Almost immediately, she lost her job, her apartment and nearly everything she owned. At the time, she thought it was a disaster, how could things possibly get worse.

As time went on, and in a surprisingly short amount of time, she had a new job that she both loved and scheduled her with hours that allowed her to do the things she wanted.A new living arrangement came up in a place with everything she could ask for and a roommate that was of the same spiritual mindset as she. What looked like a disaster was just a clearing so she could be ready for her next step.

While this separation of a longtime friend is going to include a period of mourning, I have to believe that in the end it will be for the best. In the short run, a fair amount of stress has been dispersed with

I guess in this moment, I will have to agree with Mother Theresa;
"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much."

June 20, 2008

A warning between now and November 4, 2008

The California Supreme Court's lifting of the Same-Sex Marriage ban and its expected repercussions, both in California and Nationwide this November, reminded me of a joke I heard as a kid...
A farmer was at the market and while passing some livestock, looked down and saw a large, masculine rooster with wonderful plumage and features. The gentleman selling the chickens assured the farmer that the animal of his affection was an excellent replacement for the elderly one he had at home.

The farmer bought the animal and upon arriving home, set the rooster loose in the yard. After a short while, it spotted the old rooster and started to attack and become the head of the flock.

The other rooster may have been old and past his prime, but his intelligence was still sharp. As the young rooster approached he managed to stop him and said, "Listen, you don't have to kill me. I won't get in your way, I just want to live out the rest of my days in peace."

The younger rooster was stopped for a moment, but then asked, "and how do you expect to do that?"

"I'll tell you what I have in mind," the elder went on, "I cannot fight you, so lets do this the easy way and we both can get what we want. When the farmer comes out, you start chasing me around the yard and after a bit, I'll fall down and play dead. The farmer will throw me out and onto the trash heap, voilĂ , we both win. I can sneak away and enjoy my golden years and you get this lovely brood of hens."

The young rooster thought about this for a moment and decided that it was a lot easier than having to fight this old-timer. So he agreed.

Later that afternoon, the farmer came out of the house and almost immediately, the young rooster started chasing after his elder while squawking and making all sorts of noises.

The farmer seeing this cussed under his breath and went back into the house and grabbing his shotgun, took aim and bang shot the young rooster.

While reloading the gun, the old rooster heard the farmer muttering to himself, "Damn it, third queer bird this month."

Though this blog is not really about politics, the fact is that between the Religious Right (ick) and the Republican Party, both have learned that is much easier to manipulate the public through their fears and hatreds than to take a chance by stating actual positions and take the chance of making a mistake or alienating someone.

The upcoming elections will likely be a PhD in manipulation and the fear of "Radical Muslim" attacks is likely to be brought up and I wouldn't be surprised if we start having changes in the "Terror Alert" system, you remember that do you not? Just before any vote that would benefit the Republican platform and be debated out easily, would be proceeded by the latest raising of the "Terror Alert Level," we spent nearly 3 years being conditioned like Pavlov's dog to do whatever Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld wanted by this technique. It's basic Fear 101.

If this were not despicable enough behaviour, now the Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell clones can spend the next several months going on about how we must save marriage from the homosexual agenda and such silliness.



The point I am trying to get across is that no matter what your beliefs, religious or political, expect many people to try and sway your position, including this piece. At least I am honest about it and I am only trying to warn you that others will use much more "knee-jerk" techniques that have shown to be very effective in this country.

Elections and voting in general are serious things, take the time to get more than sound bytes that do not give a complete position. If a political message evokes a strong response, whichever way, look into it, find out who put it out and what are their objectives. Many corporations are going to be gunning for Democrats because they fear the reversal of tax credits and possible increased taxation on some of their insane profits, like the energy companies in particular.

So be awake, be aware and definitely engage your brain, unless you think that those decisions should be taken out of your hands. There are many people and groups out their who are interested only in their positions and don't care about anything else, don't help them unless you agree with those positions.

June 16, 2008

And so it begins...

A month ago, I wrote about the fact that the California Supreme Court determined that discrimination along the lines of "separate but equal" had been overturned and Same-Sex Couples would be allowed to legally use the term "marriage" and as of 5:01pm today, it has taken affect.


I just finished watching the first same-sex couple in Los Angeles, Diane Olson and Robin Tyler, together for over fifteen years, get married on the steps of the Beverly Hills courthouse where they had been denied a marriage license every Valentines Day for the last eight years they had applied for it.

In San Francisco, the mayor of that city was also performing a marriage of a couple that had been together for fifty-five years; Del Martin, 87, and Phyllis Lyon, 84.

Of course some closed-minded pin-head, not very enlightened of me, but when you hear someone yell "you will be burning in Hell" during a ceremony, I loose my perspective a bit. Agree with it or not, have some respect, but if there is anything that the Religious Right (ick - they are not right and if they would actually read their Bibles, they would know it.) has shown, neither respect for differing opinions or common courtesy can be expected from them, sad is it not?

The part of this whole argument that really gets to me from the, self-proclaimed, moralists is that with all their arguments, they obviously have no idea what a marriage is supposed to be. It's not about the genders of the parties involved, but commitment to become two who come together as one.

May all those in the Gay and Lesbian community that decide to enter into marriage do so for the right reasons, love and commitment, and in time, maybe we can show these closed-minded individuals what a marriage is supposed to be.

Would it not be hilarious if we turned out to be better at keeping marriages together than our Christian brothers and sisters who think we will be the death of marriage?
 

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