Little Shack's Shared Humanity, by JAC

"The greatest illusion in the world is the illusion of separateness." Albert Einstein

While driving to do my errands once a week, I often see an old Mexican-American man walking along the road pushing a grocery cart--his back bent over; his legs curved with arthritis. Large knuckled hands grasp the handles to keep himself moving forward. I  slow down and wave at him; he always waves back with a toothless smile. One morning, I stopped, rolled down my car window, and greeted him with, “Buenos Dias!” 

He looked at me without saying a word... he didn't have to. His countenance was like reading a palm, telling his story of hard labor, long hours, and tremendous pride. There was a stoic demeanor that masked all the trials and tribulations of his life, although, I could feel a hidden softness, a salve of happy memories with a loving family that always healed his pain. As I watched him move on down the road, I learned another lesson from this encounter: empathy, compassion, inclusiveness, and diversity are sacred.

From the Little Shack: May the Grace of God rain upon us and wash away the sins of separateness.

"Unity in diversity is the essence of humanity. The more we recognize our shared humanity, the less we feel alone." – Unknown  

Little Shack: Finding Happiness

I think everyone has heard this year's Grammy Song of the Year by Billie Eilish: What Was I Made For? The song reminded me of my friend and teacher who had been a priest-turned- psychotherapist. He had started a group in his seventies about the Shaktipat (spiritual transmission) Master, Adi Da, and had told me the story of why:

"After reading his many books, I traveled to the island of Fiji where Adi Da had started a spiritual community. Every morning Adi Da was carried on a palanquin to give his Discourse. A very loud ram horn type of sound would announce his arrival. I was sitting close and I saw a light as bright as the Sun shining over the whole area. I asked people around me: What was that? They said they didn't see anything; I was in awe the whole day!"

I would visit my friend usually once a week. I would jokingly call him my Shams Tabrīzī (the 13th century spiritual teacher of the poet Rumi). We would talk about spirituality and what was going on in my life. The last time I ever saw him, this wise man asked me, "Why do you come here? Why do you read all these spiritual books? Why do you meditate?" I couldn't answer him; My mind went blank!

He whispered in my ear: "You want to be Happy."

Perhaps because what he said was so simple, it took me a while to understand. This happened years ago and I did find happiness.

“Think I forgot how to be happy
Somethin’ I’m not, but somethin’ I can be
Somethin’ I wait for
Somethin’ I’m made for
Somethin I’m made for ”

— Billie Eilish

““O, happy the soul that saw its own faults.””

— Rumi

From the Little Shack: "Come sit with me! Let us drink the holy wine of happiness." - Rumi

Little Shack Enters the New Year!

Here today, it is raining. It has been raining hard all week.  The song, sung by Brook Benton in 1969, comes to mind: "A rainy night in Georgia; it seems like it's raining all over the world; I feel like it's raining all over the world." With all the challenges ahead of us: Climate Change, Politics, Wars, Race, the border crisis, AI with its questions about what is real and what's not, and much, much more,   we sometimes get caught up with the thought: "I'd love to change the world, but I don't know what to do, so I leave it up to you." (Lyrics from Alvin Lee.) I offer you the way that has come to me, sitting with the rain.

This New Year 2024, my actions will be:

• My feet firmly grounded with focus and clarity through my daily meditations and a relentless optimism fueled by Faith and Prayer.

• A community and neighborly involvement in solving the challenges, no matter how small our actions seem.

• I know Spiritual Intelligence and Power work these small actions in a higher correspondence. This higher correspondence supports our chosen actions for the good, the true, and the beautiful!

From the Little Shack: Happy New Year 2024!

“After the rain, the sun will reappear. There is life. After the pain, the joy will still be here.”

— Walt Disney Company

Little Shack: Reflections on War and Its Veterans

When I was a young boy, I listened to the stories my parents told about WWII. They both served in Europe. My Father did not see much combat but would talk of the destruction that leveled cities. My Mother was a combat nurse and saw many battles and witnessed the horror of the broken bodies of young men, as well as serving in the concentration camps when her mash unit came to help. Like most boys, I began to glamorize war, playing s with my friends with toy guns. I even tried to enlist in the army in my early twenties. I was told by the enlistment doctor that I would not make it through boot camp. I had severe hearing loss and torn knees from a motorcycle accident. I went to work at a pipeline company where most of the men were veterans. There was no glamour there. If asked about their experience, you would see the men, some with ashen faces, look at each other and remain silent. These men and women were all heroes to me because of the courage, humility, and discipline they brought to their work. There were many other wars in the 20th century. The veterans that I have met, the nightmare of those wars has affected them all. It is hard to believe that in the 21st century, war is still a way to settle differences between nations. 

Rod Serling, famous for The Twilight Zone, was a combat veteran of WWII serving in the Philippines.  Serling, a paratrooper who fought through Manila and Leyte, spent his 20th birthday on leave, recovering from the intense combat. Years later remembering that day, Serling wrote: “It was a gray morning carved out of gray clay and shadowed by fog. It was not just a time—it was a mood—the kind of mood that is part of the province of combat and never conveyed vicariously to the human being who has not lived physically with the tension, the violence, the anguish of protracted war.”     

His daughter, in her book As I Knew Him: My Dad Rod Serling, wrote:  “What I vividly recall is my dad having nightmares, and in the morning I would ask him what happened, and he would say he dreamed the Japanese were coming at him. So it was always present, and clearly . . . he got it off his chest in his writing." 

““The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war”.
”

— General Douglas MacArthur

From the little Shack: As we honor our Veterans, Pray for Peace and an End to all War.

“ There is nothing good in War. Except its ending.”

— Abraham Lincoln

Little Shack Celebrates

The Day of the Dead - Halloween.  I prefer to combine them and call it: The Great Transition, meaning the movement of our tangible Life Force into a greater sphere of being. It is as special day when we can remember and communicate (in our own way) with those who have passed on and with whom we have shared this majestic mystery we call life on earth.  We all hope to see the ones we have loved again once we have taken our last breath.

““If I go first, I’ll wait for you there, on the other side of the dark waters.  Be with me now.” ”

— author James Jones

From the Little Shack: There is JOY in remembrance and communion!

NASA in the public domain

Little Shack: Reflection on a Birthday

“We are all guilty of sin...the great sin of not living life to the full. Everything we hate, despise, and envy serves only to defeat us in the end. I say peace unto you all: and if you don’t find it, It’s because you haven’t looked for it.” —Henry Miller

Recently, I had a birthday. How time has flown--a calendar in the wind and a long story that sooner or later comes to an end!

What chapter opens now? I don't know. When you are young (YES! The sweet bird of youth!), you see a sunrise with all its possibilities and dreams. When you are getting old, you see a sunset of either beauty or regrets.

I prefer to choose to see the natural bounty of Beauty that surrounds us, with new adventures and opportunities awaiting, knowing you can still live Life to the fullest, even to the final chapter. I remember what my Mother told me not long before she passed away: "I have lived my life to the full!" I would like to add--her cup runneth over to the last breath!         

I include this poem by Maya Angelou. It sums up the new chapter in my story:

On Aging

When you see me sitting quietly,

Like a sack left on the shelf,

Don't think I need your chattering.

I'm listening to myself.

Hold! Stop! Don't pity me!

Hold! Stop your sympathy!

Understanding if you got it,

Otherwise, I'll do without it!

When my bones are stiff and aching,

And my feet won't climb the stair,

I will only ask one favor:

Don't bring me no rocking chair.

When you see me walking, stumbling,

Don't study and get it wrong.

'Cause tired don't mean lazy

And every goodbye ain't gone.

I'm the same person I was back then,

A little less hair, a little less chin,

A lot less lungs and much less wind.

But ain't I lucky I can still breathe in.

From the Little Shack - Each Day, May Your cup runneth over!

Little Shack's Reflection on the New

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” Anais Nin

With the new year just beginning, I started reflecting on the experience of the New. I like the words strange and unexpected to describe that experience. How do I go beyond the old to the new, veiled by the expected and anticipated repetition? In my personal experience, it all begins with the heart, not the mind. There is one way among many; this one has worked for me and is called "The Prayer of the Heart" or the "Jesus Prayer." The prayer originated in the Eastern Orthodox Church, with the original wording, "Jesus Christ, Son of God, have Mercy on me."  The words " a sinner" were added later. I think you can use this prayer in any form you want--I don't use the word sinner. For example, you might substitute "I have lost the path", or "I have missed the mark".

Repeating the prayer gave me my first glimpse of the New. Years ago, I had been studying Gnosis of the Eastern Orthodox Church. I started repeating the prayer, unceasingly throughout the day and night, as prescribed by the tradition. I discovered a catalyst, and that catalyst was Romance. At that time, I met a woman at work and that began an immediate attraction for both of us. As we got to know each other more, our hearts began to open to each other. Although never consummated physically, we began a spiritual romance. As I repeated the Prayer of the Heart, a fire began to burn. Like eyes, my heart could see and I began to see through the door of my heart. All that I perceived was unexpected and strange; I would walk into a room I had gone through a thousand times, and everything: the furniture, the walls, became pristine and remarkable, unidentified by my memory. I was in a strange land! Perhaps I had entered a space that never grew old and would not become personally identified and acclimated by me. In order for me to function in the world, this perception of the heart began to be replaced by my thinking mind, the woman drifting away to another place in time.

The prayer is said by me sometimes in the morning, but not unceasingly. The door to the heart is known to be the path of least resistance to a transformational experience. I know factually that the prayer of the heart with a romantic catalyst:  woman or man, whoever will kindle the fire of your heart, will open the door for a glimpse of the New.

From the Little Shack: Knocking on the door of your Heart!

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks..." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

Little Shack Chooses Freedom

“Just as the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt, so also this teaching and discipline has one taste, the taste of freedom.”

— The Buddha

What is it like to be free--to be free of the bondage of our past, to emerge as the authentic, independent individual that you are inside and meant to be, unencumbered by society's pressures or the expectait like to be free--to be free of the bondage of our past, to emerge as the authentic, independent individualtions of your parents, romantic partner, professors, or friends, to be unique in every way? I think one who has escaped slavery should know.

I came across a story about Harriet Tubman:

Harriet Tubman was enslaved and around twelve years old, when a fellow enslaved man attempted to run away. After he was found and brought back, Harriet and a few others were ordered to help tie him up to be whipped. She refused, and when the man attempted to run again, she blocked the doorway to help him escape. An overseer threw a two-pound weight at the man but hit Harriet instead, fracturing her skull. Throughout her life, she suffered from severe headaches and narcolepsy from this incident.

“Freedom lies in being bold”

— Robert Frost

A petite woman of only about five feet, Harriet was strong-willed and courageous, and as she grew older, she became determined to escape to the North. Upon learning in 1849 that she would be sold, Harriet, now in her mid-20s, decided the time was right. One night, she, along with two of her brothers, ran away. Her brothers soon turned back, and for the rest of her journey, Harriet was alone without friends. She walked at night, hid during the day, and didn't know who to trust, or where to eat. At times she had shelter; often she slept outside on the ground overlooked by the stars. After about ninety miles of travel, she crossed into the North to freedom! Reflecting on reaching the North, she said:

“I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person now that I was free. There was such glory over everything. The sun came up like gold through the trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in heaven.”

— Harriet Tubman

And like a true Bodhisattva; a free being who has put off entering their permanent freedom to help others attain it for themselves, Harriet went back into the South to help family members escape. After getting them North, she went back to the South again to help more family members; then she went to help others. Harriet would make many trips over the years, rescuing approximately seventy people. Of the experience, she would say, "I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can't say — I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger."

“It is only when the mind is free from the old, that it meets everything anew, and in that is joy.”

—J. Krishnamurti

Our strivings for freedom do not carry the weight and horror of physical human slavery, yet the those who have suffered through slavery show us the insight, faith, strength and courage that freedom demands. Can we be inspired by this woman (as I have!) to throw off our bondage, a slavery to the past, to conditioning, to fears, to uncertainty and dare to travel through the wilderness to freedom? Can we even have the courage to come back and help free our Sisters and Brothers?

From the Little Shack: YES, WE CAN!

******************************************************************************

Sources: http://www.harriet-tubman.org / Women of Achievement by Benjamin Brawley, 1919, Woman's American Baptist Home Mission Society / Portrait of Harriet taken circa 1868 by Benjamin F. Powelson / Wikimedia Commons / https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Harriet_Tubman / Women's Words : The Columbia Book of Quotations by Women (1996) by Mary Biggs, p. 2

Little Shack is Shining

Many times when I meditate, I hear collective humanity screaming from painful existence. This is very real and frustrating to me and I am aware of an impatient longing for transformation.

“Romans 8: 22 ...We know that the entire creation is groaning together, and going through labor pains together, up until the present time. 23 Not only so: we too, we who have the first fruits of the spirit’s life within us, are groaning within ourselves....26 ...the spirit comes alongside and helps us in our weakness. We don’t know what to pray for as we ought to; but that same spirit pleads on our behalf, with groanings too deep for words. 27 And the Searcher of Hearts knows what the spirit is thinking, because the spirit pleads for God’s people according to God’s will.

— Romans 8: 22-23 (NIV)

  Then sometimes I see a bright Sun and hear a hum that sounds like a motor running.

As the sound gets louder, a hole appears in the middle of this radiance, and I know this is the heart of the sun. But the hole is a dark unknown and through faith, I am comfortable with this.

I take a full breath as if I just came out of a deep, deep dive into the ocean.

I then begin my morning walk on the forest path. I see a radiant spider web on trees that shine, shimmer, and are luxurious.

A rare red dragonfly lands on a branch and seems to communicate with me; I keep the discourse secret.

There is an old bench, It's wood worn with wrinkled grains of age but comfortable. I sit for a while; everything is shining!

I remember last night the stars were shining like Australian Opals, different colors, sparkles. The fireflies were burning their lights, and crickets and frogs, singing their enchanting songs. Even in the darkest night, everything was shining!

I move down the path and think about the darkness of groaning, suffering, and fear on this earth we are experiencing now. And yet, All Things are shining with an inner light. The psalm Isaiah 9:2 comes to mind:

“The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them

From the little shack: Keep on Shining!

The Little Shack Says: "I CAN!"

Birthday time and another year of aging is on the calendar for me! I haven't been able to get moving in the morning to get out of a dark space of negativity and a personal monotonous rhythm. It has been a 100-degree temperature since May, the Ukraine war, the school shootings of little children, Covid, and Inflation all have been weighing on my motivation to move forward with new visions and plans. I was in bed this morning when a childhood memory occurred of a family member telling  me: "Never say Can't!"  I received a jolt of energy from these words, kicking me out of that bed. I began to think about how powerful these words are. I remember that many years ago, a spiritual teacher told me that in my life, I would have many difficulties and doubts but to keep saying, "I Can! I Can! I Can! There was also a time that I was team coordinator at a well-known computer company. The team members were worried about all the work we had to do and felt that we would never make our quota. I told that team, "Let's have a CAN-DO ATTITUDE!" I saw the change in motivation right away. We worked together in unison, rallying to surpass our quota that week. 

“Our every action has consequences. Thoughts have consequences. Since actions start from thoughts I guess I can say technically that thoughts, in general, have consequences. In our thoughts we make dreams. So if I think I can do it, then my actions will be “I CAN” and I am able to do it. So the result or the consequence will be “I did it!” Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”

— Diana Rose Morcilla (contemporary author)

I bring up these examples because right now, as we all know, there is a reckoning going on in our nation and the world. In our individual and collective experiences during this reckoning, we can affirm I CAN! I CAN! I CAN! This affirmation can open the door to the Creator's highest Grace and Will for us to channel: Strength, Courage, and Motivation to stand tall against any negativity, depression, or fear of the darkness occurring at this time.  Consider the words of poet Denise Levertov as she contemplated Rilke:

“A Variation on a Theme by Rilke (The Book of Hours, Book I, Poem I, Stanza I)
A certain day became a presence to me;
there it was, confronting me—a sky, air, light:
a being. And before it started to descend
from the height of noon, it leaned over
and struck my shoulder as if with
the flat of a sword, granting me
honor and a task. The day’s blow
rang out, metallic—or it was I, a bell awakened,
and what I heard was my whole self
saying and singing what it knew: I can.  ”

— Denise Levertov

From the Little Shack: Your honor and your task today is an "I CAN ATTITUDE: I CAN! I CAN! I CAN!"

Little Shack: The Whole World Matters

“Faith is confidence, not mere belief. Hope is effort, not wish; effort to make it so; not a wish that it may be so.” George Gurdjieff

I saw a T-shirt the other day that said: "The Whole World Matters." It reminded me of a passage from Martin Luther King's wonderful book "A Testament of Hope." The quote is from the 1967 Christmas Eve “Peace on Earth” sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he served as co-pastor. Although this is Easter time; with the covid virus cases rising again, the war in Ukraine tragedy, and all the violence and separateness spreading through the nations of the world, I think the passage is relevant for this Holy Week .

"It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. We are made to live together because of the interrelated structure of reality. Did you ever stop to think that you can’t leave for your job in the morning without being dependent on most of the world? You get up in the morning and go to the bathroom and reach over for the sponge, and that’s handed to you by a Pacific islander. You reach for a bar of soap, and that’s given to you at the hands of a Frenchman. And then you go into the kitchen to drink your coffee for the morning, and that’s poured into your cup by a South American. And maybe you want tea: that’s poured into your cup by a Chinese. Or maybe you’re desirous of having cocoa for breakfast, and that’s poured into your cup by a West African. And then you reach over for your toast, and that’s given to you at the hands of an English-speaking farmer, not to mention the baker. And before you finish eating breakfast in the morning, you’ve depended on more than half of the world. This is the way our universe is structured, this is its interrelated quality. We aren’t going to have peace on earth until we recognize this basic fact of the interrelated structure of all reality." Martin Luther King

I ask myself, what can I do? My better angels answer: Let It Begin With Me! This hymn, "Let There Be Peace on Earth", written by Jill Jackson-Miller and Sy Miller is the closing song of many church services. The original song, that spoke of universal brotherhood and a solemn vow to practice peace has been updated in different versions, including this one from Hillside: "...with God our Creator, Family all are we, let me walk with my family, in perfect harmony. Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now, with every step I take, let this be my joyous vow, to take each moment and live each moment in Peace eternally, Let there be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me. "

"Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective. No individual can live alone; no nation can live alone, and as long as we try, the more we are going to have war in this world." Martin Luther King

I consider myself a tragic optimist, I have intense optimism and I know from experience that to overcome tragedy, suffering, and loss without the denial of it takes HOPE and WORK to make it so. Without Hope and Faith that things will get better because of our hard work, we have no foundation for the Grace of our Creator to work its miracles.

I like that T-shirt "The Whole World Matters". We are kin to this planet and all the beings that live on it. What happens to this world happens to us and what happens to all of us, happens and matters to the world.

From the little shack: Happy Easter,  Peace on Earth, and Good Will to each of us!

The Little Shack: Hearts on the Plaza

“Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere, they are in each other all along”

— Jalaluddin Rumi

Valentine's day made me think about a day trip I took years ago to Santa Fe for the Indian market on the plaza. There was a Native American artist there selling her paintings. She was a beautiful woman with long jet black hair, a Creativity stamp all over her face with a smile that said: "I have something to share!" I was looking at her paintings of adobe houses, mountains, waterfalls, and rushing streams. These paintings were landscapes of vivid colors. They glowed with a luminosity that revealed the artist's vision of a mysterious synergy between Nature and Spirit.

I began to explain to her that the artwork reminded me of the paintings of Nicholas Roerich, the famous artist, peace activist, archaeologist, poet, mystic. He was interested in hypnosis and his paintings are said to have hypnotic expressions.

In the middle of our conversation, a Native American man came up with his paintings and set them up next to her. He had long black hair rivaling hers and a hurt demeanor. It was evident that this man worshiped this woman. He could not keep his eyes off her and was jealous that we communicated so well. The man spoke to her by name. I was sure there was a broken heart here on the plaza; he looked so full of sorrow.

I began to look at his artwork. His paintings were of scenes in Santa Fe. One was of the Loretto Chapel with light shining from the windows--instead of shining through the stained glass outside to inside, colors were bursting from the inside to the outside! All I could say was WOW! I then caught the woman giving the man a wink. A smile came across him as if he had gone to the Loretto altar and sang Hallelujah! My wife was waving at me from a shop--funny, she was holding a bright-colored landscape painting! I had to leave!

I like to think the two artists I met were really in love, that they built a life together, creating new works and....life goes on at the plaza.

“Wherever you are and whatever you do, be in Love.”

— Jalaluddin Rumi

From the Little Shack, Happy Valentines Day!

The Little Shack: A New Year to Soar to New Heights!

“It was a mistake to think of houses, old houses, as being empty. They were filled with memories, with the faded echoes of voices. Drops of tears, drops of blood, the ring of laughter, the edge of tempers that had ebbed and flowed between the walls, into the walls, over the years.

Wasn't it, after all, a kind of life?

And there were houses, he knew it, that breathed. They carried in their wood and stone, their brick and mortar a kind of ego that was nearly, very nearly, human.”

― Nora Roberts, Key of Knowledge

During the Holidays, like most of us do, I drift back to old memories of the Holidays when I was a child—some unpleasant, some good, and the Old home where I lived at the time. I decided to look up the old house. I went online to some real estate sites and typed in the address. What I found was a complete transformation of the old home.

Walls had been taken down and renovated to more spacious rooms. The kitchen was a total remodel! Gone were the wood floors,  replaced now by shining tiles throughout the house. The trees too were all gone, except one oak that had grown into a large timber with acorn clusters hanging. ( I remembered that tree; my parents had staked it down the day Hurricane Carla was about to hit.  As the wind force suddenly surged, my mother cut her ankle wide-open on one of the stakes. She had to drive herself to the emergency room to get stitches, while my father stayed home with us children. She got back just in time before the storm hit!)

After seeing how the old house had become the NEW, the OLD lifted from my shoulders. The feeling was like a bright white light, cleansing any negativity that harbored there...I knew I could drop the past that was still gasping to live there and soar.  I let go to a Greater Freedom and Exciting New Year!

From the Little Shack: Happy New Year! and Hoping you soar to New Heights!

Little Shack's Message From Time

An old friend texted me the other day saying: "I went to the Doctor today." I knew that he had some chronic health problems. He had already lost his whole family to the scourge of cancer. I texted him back: " Well, what did the Doc say?" He replied: "I don't want to talk about it; Indeed, Time doesn't stop for no man." I have always appreciated this friend's simple, wise aphorisms originating from a lifelong journey of hard knocks.

We both are growing older and health problems can progress. I know he meant that it wasn't good news. His statement reminded me of Walt Whitman's poem "To Think of Time." I wanted to comfort him with a few passages, but I haven't heard from him since that last cryptic text.

I know how he felt in a way, because of my own struggle with cancer 7 years ago. I am very grateful for my healing, but still there are those days when I catch myself looking in the rearview mirror, making sure the cancer is not stalking me. You see the past terror behind you, but keep moving forward, knowing: only time will tell. I wished I could have sent him these words from Whitman:

..."Do you suspect death? If I were to suspect death, I should die now, Do you think I could walk pleasantly and well-suited toward annihilation?

Pleasantly and well-suited I walk, Whither I walk I cannot define, but I know it is good, The whole universe indicates that it is good, The past and the present indicate that it is good. How beautiful and perfect are the animals! How perfect the earth, and the minutest thing upon it! What is called good is perfect, and what is called bad is just as perfect, The vegetables and minerals are all perfect, and the imponderable fluids are perfect; Slowly and surely they have pass'd on to this, and slowly and surely they yet pass on.

I swear I think now that everything without exception has an eternal Soul! The trees have, rooted in the ground! the weeds of the sea have! the animals! I swear I think there is nothing but immortality! That the exquisite scheme is for it, and the nebulous float is for it, and the cohering is for it; And all preparation is for it! and identity is for it! and life and materials are altogether for it!"

I hope the Little Shack doesn't sound morbid tonight, It's not meant to be. There is sadness in the beauty of the beginning of Fall, the leaves, the birds flying south, the animal's hustling for food, the snake's shedding of skin-- all for The Creator's preparation with Perfect timing for Winters's sleep and Spring's resurrection!

From the Little Shack: "To think of time—of all that retrospection! To think of today, and the ages continued henceforward!" Walt Whitman

Little Shack Gets Young

I recently was visited by a relative for my birthday; she is a little older than I am. My wife and I were planning to show her around the nearby area. I knew I was coming across as a tired old man, complaining about my aches and pains. Then she said something that gave me a jolt: "Jack, let's get out of that Senior State of Mind (throw away the cane, so to speak!) and get out and do something!" I replied, "OK; spark-plug!" We all went out and had a very vibrant time in the City.

A week later, the visit and her words "that Senior state of mind." were still fresh in my thoughts, when I read an article about a man named Lawrence Jaffe, age 98. Mr. Jaffe is producing his first feature film: "The Girl Who Believes in Miracles." The film has attracted some well-known actors from Hollywood. It was released Easter Weekend worldwide in 2021. Jaffe was asked: "Why at almost a century years old would you want to start a new career?" His reply was, "I guess I have never been one to look back, only forward. That's the secret to a full life." He was asked, as he approaches a century of living, "might there be more films ahead for him in the future?"  "Absolutely. I may not be a spring chicken, but I am still clucking."

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."- Les Brown

Last week I was watching the News Show 60-minutes. There was a segment with Nuremberg chief prosecutor Benjamin Ferencz who at age 27-years-old became the chief prosecutor of 22 Einsatzgruppen Nazi commanders at trial number 9 in Nuremberg. Here is an excerpt from part of the interview given by Leslie Stahl.

Lesley Stahl: You are such an idealist. Benjamin Ferencz: I don't think I'm an idealist. I'm a realist. And I see the progress. The progress has been remarkable. Look at the emancipation of women in my lifetime. You're sitting here as a female. Look what's happened to same-sex marriages. To tell somebody a man can become a woman, a woman can become a man, and a man can marry a man, they would have said, "You're crazy." But it's a reality today. So the world is changing. And you shouldn't-- you know-- be despairing because it's never happened before. Nothing new ever happened before. Lesley Stahl: Ben— Benjamin Ferencz: We're on a roll. Lesley Stahl: I can't— Benjamin Ferencz: We're marching forward. Lesley Stahl: Ben? I'm sitting here listening to you. And you're very wise. And you're full of energy and passion. And I can't believe you're 97 years old. Benjamin Ferencz: Well, I'm still a young man. Lesley Stahl: Clearly. Benjamin Ferencz: And I'm still in there fighting. And you know what keeps me going? I know I'm right. 

This March, Ben Ferencz turned 101 and he's still in there fighting. A bust of Ferencz was just installed outside that Nuremberg courtroom where he argued almost three-quarters of a century ago. Below his face, his motto: "law, not war." And he's been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. On top of all this, The man gets up every morning and does 100 pushups!

"There is a certain part of all of us that lives outside of time. Perhaps we become aware of our age only at exceptional moments and most of the time we are ageless."- Milan Jundera

Another fascinating person I ran across this week (call it synchronicity!) is Sam “Sonny” Bryant Jr., a 77-year-old (2020) natural bodybuilder who started working out when he was 44 years old. The muscular physique and strength he achieved by age 72 are amazing (he deadlifted 405 pounds at a bodyweight of 176 pounds). Sonny’s philosophy on aging is inspiring and can change a person's perspective of what is a Senior State of Mind! Here are his 10 pointers:

1. “People have the misconception that age makes you old, but I realize that it’s a state of mind that makes you old.” 2. “Age is just a number." 3. “I want people to recognize what I’m doing and realize that it can be done.” 4. “A lot of young guys, they go home, sit around, watch TV and do nothing – I’ve seen a lot of young guys who are older than me.” 5. “People ask me when I’m going to retire. I say ‘never.” 6. “I, honestly, I’ve never felt like I aged since I started bodybuilding at 44. I don’t feel different.” 7. “As long as I’m busy, I don’t get hungry.” 8. “People ask me when I’m going to act my age. Well, I’m not an actor, and who set the rules about how you’re supposed to act at a certain age, anyway?” 9. “Age doesn’t play a factor in how I feel about what I’m doing.” 10. “If you start thinking you’re old subconsciously, your conscious mind is going to take hold of that and your body is going to start acting old, feeling old. Then you’re old.”

Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.-Betty Friedan

From the Little Shack: I have to thank my visiting "spark-plug" for giving me that jolt! I am MOTIVATED, how about YOU?

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The Little Forest Sings

Spring has finally begun in my little forest; the re-birthing is obvious. The midwives of heaven: Sunshine, Rain, the Full Moon have all done their part. With each grounded step I take in my morning walks, I can feel life bubbling up from the Earth. There's a gentle movement of growth that rises to the peripheries of all being: the Rock, the Vegetable, the Animal, the Human, and the Spiritual Kingdoms. This movement is always a new rhythm. It is not a time to look backward, but a time to move forward, boldly into our destinies. This new rhythm is a joyful time, a hint of the eternal promise we read in the scriptures. With each grounded step I take, I almost hear the forest celebrating, singing "Feeling Good":

Birds flying high, you know how I feel Sun in the sky, you know how I feel Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel It's a new dawn It's a new day It's a new life for me, yeah It's a new dawn It's a new day It's a new life for me, ooh And I'm feeling good

Fish in the sea, you know how I feel River running free, you know how I feel Blossom on the tree, you know how I feel It's a new dawn It's a new day It's a new life for me And I'm feeling good

Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don't you know? Butterflies all havin' fun, you know what I mean Sleep in peace when the day is done, that's what I mean And this old world is a new world And a bold world for me, yeah-yeah

Stars when you shine, you know how I feel Scent of the pine, you know how I feel Oh, freedom is mine And I know how I feel It's a new dawn It's a new day It's a new life for me I'm feeling good! — Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse

Feeling Good at the Little Shack—Hope you are too!

Little Shack Rider on the Storm

“Riders on the storm
Into this house we're born
Into this world we're thrown...
An actor out on loan.”- Jim Morrison

As you probably heard, a Hurricane came knocking at the door last week. Her name was Laura. The whole area was getting prepared for her visit.

A friend I've known for 50 years now was in the direct path of the storm. He's another one of these rough, hard-knock, East Texas country-boy characters that I have had the pleasure to know. His favorite saying is, "Guru" (Rich always calls me Guru, a nickname inspired by my last name Correu), " I am grinded on a saucer!" For those who may not understand, he's referring to a machine with granite paper on a saucer-type attachment that can grind or sand a piece of wood or metal. It will usually polish or smooth it out, but with a lot of sparks and friction. It's an apt description of a man who has endured many tough losses and struggles.

I texted him saying, "Rich, it looks like you might get hit hard. If you want to evacuate, come stay with us. Leave--you still got time!" He answered: "No, I have to take care of things. Mother Nature gonna do what she does. I am going to roll with her."
I replied, "You sound like a Taoist; I am going to call you Kung Fu!" He replied with the word "OK."

I, expecting more of a reaction, repeated questioningly: " OK?" Rich comes back with: "You want me to write you a short story?!!!" Rich is a man of few words!

I was musing about this interaction after the storm took a more easterly course and missed us, hitting Louisiana. I was thinking about Rich taking Mother Nature in faith and good cheer. It made me think that every day we meet the unexpected--a deadly virus, a powerful dangerous storm, and sometimes a good friend, coffee, and a beautiful morning--never really knowing what will be knocking at our door. It reminds me of Rumi's poem:

“This being human is a guest house
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.”

From the Little Shack: God has Blessed us all!

Little Shack is Getting Eccentric!

"Now if a 6 turned out to be a 9
I don't mind. I don't mind. (well alright)...
cause I got my whole world to live through and uh I ain't going to copy you!" Jimmy Hendricks

I had a friend  text me the other day, "Jack, being in quarantine and alone for three months, I feel like I am coming across as eccentric when I see other people!" I replied, "Hey, maybe that's a good thing!" "Maybe you are feeling how unique you are. When we are alone, we don't have anyone to mirror but ourselves."

Maybe this quarantine experience is forcing us to see ourselves, instead of projecting our hidden talents on the other. It's funny, I had another friend once tell me: "Jack, you sure know some weird people!" That friend apparently never had to go through quarantine!

I had to go "out there" (into town), the other day to run some errands.  As I moved about, I was considering all the various designs of the mask I was seeing--some had smiles, skulls, flags, or even landscapes. I saw each one as a sort of signature of that specific person. Of course, some were not wearing a mask. That was their signature also! I am not going to polarize; I accept the IS.   

I was laughing to myself, thinking that as soon as everyone gets home, away from the public, they're all going to take off their masks. It's kind of like what everyone did anyway, before the pandemic. We didn't have a cloth mask, just our public persona! Now we can be a little creative, authentic… yeah! Even, eccentric! 

I quote Susan Miller as an affirmation of becoming the unique person each of us can be through this time of Pandemic: "You will emerge as the authentic, independent individual that you are inside and meant to be, unencumbered by society's pressures or the expectations of your parents, romantic partner, professors, or friends. You will truly be your own person, unique in every way."

From the little Shack:

"Now if a 6 turned out to be a 9
    I don't mind. I don't mind. (well alright)...
  cause I got my whole world to live through and uh      I ain't going to copy you!" Jimmy Hendricks

Little Shack Shakes Off Anxiety

“Good humor is a tonic for mind and body. It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression. It is a business asset. It attracts and keeps friends. It lightens a human's burdens. It is the direct route to serenity and contentment.” - Grenville Kleiser

Merriam Webster dictionary defines Good Humor as "cheerful feelings or attitudes." You may ask: "how do I have a cheerful attitude when constantly assaulted by dispiriting news?" Cheerfulness can begin with the kindling of a spark. I have found one of the quickest ways for me to kindle is first: turn off the evening news, put down the newspaper, or shut down the cell phone or computer. Pause whatever is feeding the agitation, or as we say in the troubleshooting technician world, the "Easter Egg Hunting"! Instead of remaining calm, cool, and collected, technical troubleshooters can often often look like over-excited children frantically running around looking for eggs--it is a type of agitation. In tech school, it's a phrase for pressured or panicked troubleshooting; the longer a system is down, the more pressure you get. You can end up jumping from one possible problem to the next without analysis. So I have learned with my own discouragement to turn off the "agitations" of daily life. Once the agitation has stopped, I will either remember or play a song I associate with a happy time in my life, such as my wedding day or when I was a teenager and first fell in love. That spark can ignite and lift you out of a depressive state into a higher octave, then beyond, to a crescendo of celebration!  

I have also started a game with my wife that I learned many years ago as a struggling, discouraged salesman. Whenever we feel anxious about a situation, we will take a pause. I will ask her: "Name me one positive thing that has happened to you today?" She may answer: "I picked a beautiful large red tomato from the garden!" Then she will ask me: "Name me one positive thing that has happened to you today?" This question will go back and forth until we find ourselves filled with gratitude that we are having such a special productive day!
 
Meditation is another way to shake off anxiety. I call it "making a space". I keep it simple: I pause with whatever time is available at the moment and watch my thoughts, feelings, and the physical phenomenon surrounding me. Making a space takes practice; it takes time to kindle the spark. When I say space, I mean there will be a time when you experience an area that others have called emptiness or void, but I see it as a vacuum state of awareness, where you become the watcher. The watcher becomes aware of all that appears in her periphery as it flows to fill that space. It is much like what a driver in an automobile experiences as the passing scenery appears to move toward the car. The watcher perceives this scenery but otherwise is unaffected by it. Over time with accumulated practice, this "space" becomes a seat of serenity, a synergy of good humor. I like to look at these different practices as if I was on a boat with a sail. Author Sarah Cavanaugh says it much better than I :

"Like the master sailor who uses the powerful energy of the wind to sail her boat where she wants to go, appreciating the direction and force. Never trying to change what she cannot, but using her skill for what is possible on her journey with the tools and knowledge she has."

From the Little Shack-- Bursting with Good Cheer FOR YOU!

Little Shack Stands Tall!

“Listen, stay alert, stand tall in the faith, be courageous, and be strong.” - 1 Corinthians 16:1

I had a giant pine tree by my shack that was struck by lightning. The tree was estimated by the forest service to be 125 feet in height. I had to call a man I knew that owns a tree service because the tree was now a hazard; it was turning brown, dying and needed to be cut down. This man is in his mid 50's, white haired, muscular and wiry, his skin tanned and etched with work in the outdoors. He focused on the tree with an intensity and a "can do" determination. He stood tall. He put on his climbing spurs and latched a small chainsaw to his belt with a rope. Climbing like a cat, he slowly reached the top. I could see him look at the sky, then saw a smile, then laughter on his face. I thought to myself, "this man is an Eagle!" 

“I think laughter may be a form of courage. As humans, we sometimes stand tall and look into the sun and laugh, and I think we are never more brave than when we do that.”- Linda Ellerbee   

He tied the long rope he had with him to the top branches, started his saw and surgically began to slice each one, while carefully dropping them to the ground with the rope attached. His son systematically pulled them off and moved them away. All-day long he labored; sometimes he would pause on a large branch and rest. One hundred and twenty-five feet, then a hundred feet, then 50 feet, then 20, then 10, then 5! until the tree had been completely taken down. Once he was done I asked him "How many times do you this?" He answered, confidently "As many times as I am called." This man looked 10 feet tall to me and I know he felt like it too. This was his Day in the Sun.

“Waiting for no one, only the waiting For our day in the sun
Live to the rhythm, the rhythm of living
For our day in the sun- Peter Frampton”

I tell this story because I feel it illustrates how I believe we need to face this crisis that is confronting us. Let us stand tall, let us be confident, knowing that we can, branch by branch, cut this crisis down. I know that if we stand tall and face this crisis with courage and a positive confident determination, we will have our Day in the Sun!

I want to add a story that was meant for early March, before the Corona Virus crisis began to explode. I add this next story in the hope that as we take our "pause" at home, we can also relax, while we continue to Stand Tall. I call it "The Little Shack Plays":

Sometimes as we get older, after the divorces, the funerals, health problems, accumulated disappointments, we may begin to feel dead inside. Questions come up: Can we get out of bed?What's the point? Can we shake it off? This feeling happens to me from time to time. What do we do to start feeling alive again?

Let's get back in the ring, see what we got!

I have a relative that visited recently. She had just gone through a lot of life changes--let's just say all the above and also retired from her job of 40 years--yes, big changes! What amazed me about her was that she decided to buy a twenty-eight foot RV Motor home and tour the USA by herself. Now, this woman in her late 60's, has never even driven a pickup truck! I was inspired by her optimism and courage. One of the activities that stood out during her visit was her enthusiasm for card games.

“We don't stop playing because we turn old, but turn old because we stop playing." -Unknown

People that know me, understand I am not a game player. I was not interested in playing, but to humor her I made the "great sacrifice!" She began to teach my wife and I how to play the game. I really started to enjoy myself and we played for hours. I lost my "heaviness", dropping that "dead" feeling; I began to have fun! The next day it was my suggestion to break out the monopoly board!

“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything, than when we are at play.” - Charles Schaefer

What I relearned from this positive driven woman was that sometimes the simplest antidote for the "age malaise" is to remember when you were a child and played those cards or board games with your sisters, brothers, cousins or friends. And you had fun! Other positive reasons to play these games are that we receive a mental workout and we are blessed with a cheerful heart-connection to the other.

On the eve of my relative's departure to parts unknown, I made a toast to the "Card-playing Road Warrior" and a promise to start having some simple fun.

From the Little Shack: Thank You, Road Warrior!
Stand Tall!

“When you feel like you’ve got nothing, remember that we’ve got each other, so just stand tall and keep pushing on, and we can make it to the other shore, I promise.”- Jake Miller