Part II cont’d from jury-trial-first-day-on-the-job
Sometimes, while trying a case to a Jury of 12 people, a transformation would take place when I least expected it.
Continue readingJury Trial Faced My First Day on the Job
You gotta be careful for what you wish for . . .
Your Dream just might come true. Over. . . and over . . . and over again.
Listen to the sigh; might be saying ‘Let Go’
I feel a bit of God in a good healthy sigh.
City differences create a variety in my life
Cherry-Chocolate
Soda
I’d give anything to taste the flavor of a that drink again.
Not the ones from a bottle. A soda fountain drink! Nothing compares to the delicious mixture of “realchocolate” and cherry syrups combined with that seltzer-like substance that produced a drink that could have originated only in Paradise.
Continue readingAl Brown Taught me a Lesson of a Lifetime
I always looked up to Al Brown. I met him when I was only eight-and-a-half years old in the 1950s.
Seeing improves with my cataract removal
My “Fishbowl” Look is Gone.
Bliss arises in cherishing of another’s woes
An African American woman showed me how to take on the suffering of the world during a five-day retreat on perfecting perpetual peace in my soul.
Retreat calls me to go away to go within
Going Within starts with the Right Intention.
Hope to Realize this on a Five-Day Retreat today.
Out for Jury Duty; Please leave a message
Jury Duty calls me to serve today. Don’t think many attorneys would want to pick a guy like me. I’m biased and would vote my conscience no matter which side claims they hold the truth and nothing but the truth “So Help Me God.”
Dharma Wheel marks birth May 27, 2010
The full moon of May marks the Awakening from 2,500 Years Ago
Continue reading
‘Letting Go’ Today Frees Me for Tomorrow
Taking a step today that scares me. Going to become an “Initiate“ Buddhist at a morning ceremony. Do a prostration, touch my forehead to the floor, and recognize a Power greater than myself.
‘Do the Right Thing’–do what’s right for you
Part II from Escaping-Brewerytown
The moment of truth came down to one question: “Who else was with you?”
Escaping Brewerytown in 1 Piece Not Easy
I never took my eyes off the gun. The man’s hand shook. I was afraid it would go off. Raising my own hands, I prayed that he would not shoot, and said “I’m coming out,” slowly climbing out of the window, placing one foot on the ground and then the other as I exited the ACME supermarket warehouse building two blocks from my home. Continue reading
Love generates within for no reason at all
I Tasted Love before I ever “Entered” an Age of Reason.
I had not reached 7, but I remember it as if it was yesterday. I was attending a birthday party for a friend of my brother, John, who is two years older than me. Her name was Carolyn, and the love I felt came from her sister, Regina Gross, who the older kids enjoyed “fixing up” with me, her school classmate.
‘Garlic’s Imprint’ Holds Many Limitations
A friend dreamed she could not swim well in water and had to return to the shore or face peril. It seems the dream reflected her real life. (See “To Be Me.”) She said she was not a very good swimmer, and she wondered why — even in one’s dream — we impose such limitations on ourselves?
‘Sound Bath’ Calms & Heals us with Love
I feel a healing begin, as tears form, and I am so grateful to release what’s building inside — something so wonderful it becomes too good to contain.
Love & compassion’s for all God’s creatures
Did not know what a Buddhist sangha could mean to me, until four of us aspiring students focused on a multi-colored insect at lunch, discussed its past and future life-aspects, and showed compassion to a sentient being whom we might have swatted away before gaining our insight on Sunday.
Freedom of Religion depends on religion
Read some comments attacking the Dalai Lama on someone’s Blog which championed freedom of religion on its website.
I’m heartily sorry for having offended thee
“Michael J,
The biggest lie you ever told was that you could say something about sexual orientation and not hurt someone whose way of life might be different from yours.
Courtroom awakens karma understanding
One of the most humbling times in my life occurred in Court.
Going back home sans the Maidenform bra
What’s the biggest lie you ever told?
Values don’t change in impermanent world
I was 18 when I asked Janet to marry me, and she turned my request down flat.
Saigon Lady offers wisdom at check out
Saigon Lady taught me about Life and Buddhism last night.
Continue reading
Dance floor good place to learn to play ball
Two girls fought over me once. Continue reading
Hit upside the head provides a life lesson
The detective hit me across the face with a back hand, and I knew I was in trouble.
Hopping Trains Fools No One but Myself
I’ll Never Hop a Train Again.
Dream of Swinging on a Star Rings Out
Part II Smith’s Playground inspires years later
Reaching out with my right hand, I’d grab the metal ring. I would stand on my toes to pull it closer to the wooden platform I was balanced on.
Dream of Smith’s Playground Inspires Me
Childhood long gone, I’d dream about the “monkey swing” at Smith’s Playground whenever I wanted to achieve something worthwhile in my life.
Blogging creates craving when ‘Net’s down
I’m hooked. Couldn’t go an hour without needing a “fix.” I wonder how many others this phenomena effects? And how dangerous this addiction could be to my health?
Unconditional love comforts a Buddha cat
Sundance sneezed five times. Shouldn’t have surprised me. I “felt” I was helping her as she lay across my legs, jettisoning hundreds of microscopic objects onto my leg and arm where her small furry head had just rested.  Continue reading
PTSD Creates New ‘Cause and Condition’
Causes and Conditions
Remember to enjoy the ride getting ‘there’
I Entered the “Twilight Zone” Yesterday.
Getting ‘Fired’ up for Singing Debut on TV
Mister JR Johnson fired me when he caught me “entertaining” friends at his place of business.
Cock-Sure Rooster Leads in Race to Hades
They stood eye-ball to eye-ball, only inches away.
Time to get back into the swim of life now
Thirty-Six Laps!
The “kid” still got it. Swam 36 laps this afternoon, the first time I’ve exercised in four months.
Mary’s Tears help Battle Flashbacks of War
The only thing that seemed to help Mary was the tears.
The act of crying seemed to “loosen up” and cushion the fear and anxiety that would strike her unexpectantly. Every time she’d hear a siren, she’d feel her chest tighten, her palms sweat, and her heartbeat race. “Twenty minutes” she’d say and look at a watch or a clock. It will all be over in 20 minutes. The world as she knew it would all be over. Destroyed by nuclear war.
Immigration Stories Hit Close to Home
Inspired by an open letter my friend Kim prepared for politicians, I started to think about some immigrants I have known in my life.
Continue reading
The point of Not Guilty plea is ‘no points’
Answers to Questions about Vietnam War
This Veteran tells a Student about the War
Continue readingOld love songs morph into new spirituals
A soldier bows in salute to heartfelt words
A Soldier, and No One Else!
Light shines here from a tip of the candle
Veterans Can Share Understanding of War
‘Veterans are the light at the tip of the candle, illuminating the way for the whole nation.
‘Awake’ Now from the War of Thunder
The Outcome Doesn’t Matter!
50 chews per bite is goal, not meals’ end!
The Outcome Doesn’t Matter
Imperfect clergy always been kinda cool
‘Cost of War’ Explodes at Omega Institute
I loathe my inconsistencies on grief, and how I dealt with death and injuries while serving in the military.
War guilt haunts veteran year after year
Premonition of Something Bad Arises
Merging Two into One Okay, Michael J
“Belief in God, and
following Buddhism
is not incompatible.”
Grief Delayed me while in Military Service
I was in the Army less than a week when the news hit me. I had my head shaven; my civilian clothes exchanged for fatigue pants and a shirt, not to mention boots and headgear, something I had never worn before in my life.
Got drafted on the Third of June, the day that Billie Jo McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge! I was 19 years old in 1968 — knew no one — and was away from my Philadelphia, PA, home for the first time.
Hudson River Magic Calls me to Omega
Got a check for $9 in the mail yesterday. It was for travel expenses on a trip I took five months ago. It came to me like magic. I must have lost it in the IKEA store of Conshohocken, and it just appeared out of nowhere for my return trip.
Be ‘Gentle,’ not Meek, to Inherit the Earth
Ever meet someone who wanted to grow up “Meek?”
You know, as in “the ‘Meek‘ shall inherit the Earth?”
Old warriors share PTSD woes with young
Never thought of myself as a “warrior.” Wasn’t that a term used by Third World tribes or ancient civilizations building empires on one war after another?
‘Sutta Nipata’ Calls me to Omega Institute
Will return to Omega Institute this week for a 5-day Retreat to meditate on PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) with veterans led by the Rev. Claude AnShin Thomas, an ordained Buddhist monk and a Vietnam War veteran.
Jump at Chance to Finally Let Your Self Go
John 13. Verses 3-4 says:
“So during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.”
Meditate and it will ‘erase’ all but the Now
Ruby,
You tell me you wish that we could have an eraser in our lives to go back and “Erase Our Mistakes.”
Writing clears up the ‘clogged up’ space
Always Look Within, To Now See Outside
A long red light usually gets on my nerves while sitting in traffic, but time went so quick just now. I’m exploring the World of a Mystic.
And fit right in!
Put a finger on ‘Sa Ta Na Ma’ Meditation
Got a quick “fix” for you. But don’t try to finger this “hit” unless you’re alone, or with someone you trust.
Loving, Longing, Yearning for My Beloved
When will I see my Beloved? To feel arms surround me, a touch to comfort me, the warmth of an embrace to shelter me from any harm man can devise against another.
Need spiritual evolution now, not hereafter
Don’t want Catholicism, Protestantism, or Judaism. Don’t force me to become a Hindu, a Muslim or even a Buddha. Let me form a “Me-ism,” a spirituality that takes a lot from all the above and blends it into what I feel inside when I’m alone and away from the “Shall Nots,” the 84,000 teachings, and a belief that the “hereafter” must be better than the present.
A body speaks its mind to free and heal you
I felt free for the first time in a long time today. Dr. Jodi Schwartz-Levy conducted a Somatic Therapy session for four practioners, and each walked away with all expectations met. And then some.
Take a risk; a new you may emerge from it!
A card turned over as I accidentally moved my hand to uncover four other small cards randomly picked from a tray on the carpeted floor. Sitting in the Lotus position with a legless “cloth” chair to support my back, I leaned over to read the card.
Recalling a Few (25) of My Favorite Things
I wish all of our days could be filled with memories of the greatest moments of our lives. None of mine would go down in history or make it into Guinness Book of World Records.
I Dig Chicks: All Eight that Just Hatched!
Eight chicks broke out of their shells recently, as we turned the bathroom in our Conshohocken, PA, home into a temporary chicken coop.
2010 Time Capsule: Nick’s HS Class Trip
Saw you off on your class trip, and while we parted on a bad note, my son Nicholas, I want to leave something to perhaps get the sour taste out of our mouths.
Fowl Locked Up after Spiritual Book Bash
The rooster rushed me as I turned my back. I had just gotten two paperback books from the mailbox and was preparing to feed him.
Make yourself a clean, well-lighted place
There’s nothing like a clean, well-lighted sink.
After 40 Years, I Learn About “Nothing”
It took me some 40 years, but I think I finally realized what John Lennon was saying in one of the last songs he wrote and sang with the Beatles.
Buddhist Teaching of ‘Nothing‘ is Everything
Writing the old-fashioned way inspires me
Got inspired to write while working on my third cup of coffee. I wait the 90 minutes I’ve given to a meeting I scheduled at IKEA in Conshohocken, PA, for Highly Sensitive Persons (HSP).
Prolific is as Prolific Does.
Haven’t seen hide nor hair of one. An HSP-er, that is. Got the book by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D. propped up at my table: “The Highly Sensitive Persons – How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You.“
Just noticed the author trained at the Jung Institute in San Francisco, CA. Did not know such an institution existed. It ties in nicely with Jung’s book on dreams that I read. Actually, I “studied” Jung as I began a 6-week daily dream-interpretation journal on Feb. 13, 2009. It was a Friday the 13th.
Still have all the writings. They’re buried somewhere in the house along with insurance papers, VA (Veterans Administration) documents, and a year’s worth of collected junk. Got to get them together and compiled like I recently have done with six months of Blog entries. Maybe add them to the 2-week, non-stop journal writing I pushed myself to do while at an in-patient program for veterans at the Coatesville (PA) VA Medical Center the summer of 2008.
Combat Veteran Problems Not Easily Shared
- When a veteran opened up to me, I wrote about their ailments, their suicide attempts and their bouts with alcoholism and drugs.
- Will have to change their names for confidentiality purposes, although the journalist inside of me cries out to keep those facts for posterity and history.
- But some people could be hurt if I mentioned names, particularly, that of one fellow, whose exploits on the battlefields of Vietnam and the streets of Philadelphia make for the most colorful recollections of any warrior I ever met.
- Has a nationally known and celebrated brother who might see such a story as an “exploitation” of secrets left better untold. At least until parties who could suffer were no longer with us to suffer.
Stay Tuned, but Don’t Expect Anything Too Soon.
Instead, enjoy the “post“ entries I composed today (March 24, 2010) while sitting here waiting. Dug pretty deep to come up with some good recollections, if I do say so myself. They included an “out-of-body experience,” a mystical realization that “there is no ‘there’ there,” a modern-day “miracle” involving the VA, my “greatest weekend” ever, the tale of “Dr. Roach,” and of course this minor offering.
Was I just “killing time” while simply “Waiting for Godot?” (Like in the play, no one showed up during my wait in real life.) Or did I open myself, allowing inspiration to visit and whisper, getting me to recall things the old-fashioned way, with a “long hand,” a pen, and a piece of paper?
Now is when path and goal merge as one
I entered the world of the Mystic while sitting on a bench at the foot of my bed in what seems a lifetime ago. It lasted only a moment. But the realization struck me like a bolt of lightning.
Remembering the Greatest Time of my Life
What does your first memorable kiss, and then scoring a break-away touchdown and opening to your Higher Self all have in common?
Miracle copies manifest at Philly VA Center
Does the Universe conspire to create minor miracles on a given day? Yes. But only if you believe in modern-day miracles.
Acupuncture pitches ‘halvies’ to a Vet
Had an “Out-of-Body” Experience.
‘Yes’ you can ‘Whirl’ & ‘Close’ to a Jury
My “performance” complete, I drop to my chair, taking deep breaths, trying to avoid showing what the past action has cost me.
Dolphins display love as human escorts
Hung over. Tired. Hard to get out of bed.
Don’t let Love speed away; but yield slowly
Cont’d from Part I, Dolphins display love as human escorts
Opening up to a stranger is never easy. But when you feel trust and an open vulnerability offered to you, you can shed your safeguards and become the loving person I believe we were always meant to be. Just yield slowly.
VA Hearing raises PTSD questions of trust
Why do I feel the VA (Veterans Administration) likes to push my face into the mud every once in a while?
Allison’s creating colors for life’s canvas
Allison,
Hold onto to it. (That feeling of bliss that you can find only in the quiet.)
Three Mile Island Erupts with Memories
The looming towers of Three Mile Island (TMI) grew in size as I drove from Conshohocken to Harrisburg, PA, some 90 miles away. It was on this very day, March 28, 1979, that America experienced fear and second-guessing of its decision to build nuclear reactors so close to populated areas.
‘I Wanna go Home’ Starts & Ends Within
On reading “I wanna go home,” I was moved to respond about Love Within:
Reach inside of yourself. Look for the Love. It’s there. Now, let it flow throughout your body, your system. Never mind thoughts trying to intrude onto this feeling. Your love is stronger and mightier than any thought — negative or otherwise.
All life needs is a Warm Touch to Survive
Kim, you Inspire me to Lose Meaty Issues
You never know where your thoughts may take you when you blog. A reply to another’s post may become your “post of the day” if you’re not careful. Or, if another person writings inspire you to reveal yourself . . . Continue reading
Words to Live By, Not to State Them By
“. . . Grow Spiritually and
Help Others to Do So . . .
It’s the Meaning of Life . . .”
— Leo Tolstoy
Governor destroyed in the dark of a dream
A judge destroyed the governor, while I survived an explosion before winning a civil rights case in court.
PTSD’s permanent address is at my home
Compensation and Review Board is the name given to a panel of persons with the Veterans’ Administration that recommends whether a disability rating should be approved for a deserving veteran.
True Love can Quench Allison’s Desire #1
Your “Beloved,” is what you need. You yearn and long for Him, don’t you?
Always have, always will.
My Love Longs For Love For Ever More
Some words, phrases, even entire messages look different through the lens of time. Take this feeling I expressed to a friend half-way around the world about the “yearning” I felt on reading Sufi poems for the first time.
Dance with Love where ever you find Him
I danced a Sufi “dervish whirling” at the Buddhist Center today.
New Worlds Open at the Turn of a Page
A door to the possible mysteries of life opened slightly yesterday. My friend, Joy, introduced me to the Kabbalah.
JhanaJian Skypes My Wild Imagination
How often do we get inspired by the words of another? A comment? A reply? A post that moves you to go deep within yourself and pull up some heart-felt reaction to another’s idea, image or creation?
Cat’s Meow: ‘Thank you, I Love you too!’
I’m a “Cat Person.” Always been as far back as I can remember. Grew up with the felines rubbing up against the legs, “meowing” their concerns for the next meal or a friendly pat on the head and neck.
Let the sun shine with all our appreciation
(Cont’d from Sun shines to make up for snowed in winter)
Sun Shines Bright with Only One Eye Opened
Sun shines to make up for snowed in winter
Played “peek-a-boo” with the sun and shade this morning. On the road from Ambler to Conshohocken, PA, I engaged Old Sol in a game the Almighty must have created for mankind’s appreciation. Why else would God — who caused the sun to come into being from some huge cosmic explosion — have invented shadows? It’s all part of His Love for us humans!
‘Rock Star’ Lightens the Hold on this Life
I squeeze the malachite stone as if it was one of those “stress” balls used to relieve tension and exercise the forearm.
Malachite Rocks me & all of my Chakras
Con’td from Time travel a stone’s throw (or hold) away
Never thought I’d experience a vision of prehistoric times while attending a “stone reading,” but that’s exactly what happened Friday. Continue reading
Time Travel a Stone’s Throw (or hold) Away
A vision of prehistoric man appears as I meditate with a Malachite stone in my hand. I am that person, that man who is bare-chested and hairy in this meditative “dream.” So much hair growing at my chest and back I initially think I’m wearing a covering over my upper body. The hair on my head is long, tangled and unwashed. Don’t think I ever combed it, even with my fingers, let alone use some devise to run through the matted hair follicles.
Rooster attacks out of need for Love & Play
The “Sombitch” turned twelve years old yesterday (March 12, 2010). He celebrated his 12-month-old birth on Earth by repeatedly attacking a black umbrella with a sharp, pointed metal top.
Oh Lovers: Never, Never Abandon Love
I close my eyes and my Sufi teacher guides me.
When Spirit moves you, kneel & adore Him
Already kneeling while sweeping litter from the powder room floor where the cats spilled, I sat back on my haunches. A clean commode beckoned to me. Yeah, I felt a “calling“ from this white porcelain-based ancestor of the old “WC” (“water closet” to the Baby-Boomers who called it the “John” or simply the toilet).
Grass always greener on non-paved side
For a better over-all life, PLEASE STAY “ON” THE GRASS.
Contoveros 