peace – Winking at Life

The Unbeliever prays

In a world where words often differ from actions, much is preached by those believers of faith on the spiritual and moral values that should guide our lives and actions. Beautiful words indeed! We all want heaven but do we understand that we have to work for it? We all want peace, freedom, respect of our human dignity, justice and equality, but are we prepared to suffer for it? To win a battle, one has to fight! The agnostic, the atheist, the unbeliever can’t reconcile the confusion where believers words do not match the reality of their actions. The distrust is compounded by the “good guys” that encourage ‘justified’ open war to destroy the “bad guys” . Yet, who has any right to judge another when all are imperfect. All are sinners. Is this judgement by one’s peers, or a judgement of the uninvolved of those involved in this negative reactionary, anti-social act? Few ask, “Why did this happen?”

The world has become more reactionary and defensive in it’s response to the human crisis. The blame game is on, illusions and delusions created using technology’s most efficient tool -AI-ed SOCIAL MEDIA!

So, the Unbeliever resorted to prayer, begging God to sort out the confusion and make “heaven on earth” a possibility… if such exists…

Is there any chance that they who claim to be “believers” will practice what they preach. Stop confusing the unbelievers and driving them away. God will not blame them. It is too complex for the mind to absorb but hypocrisy is a complex animal and should be studied carefully.

I remember one sentence in a book I read, maybe decades ago, that went somewhat like this, ” Hypocrisy is the tribute evil pays to good…” Forgive any inaccuracy, but it made sense to me then and now.

How does one convince the Unbeliever? the Atheist? the Agnostic? the Free thinker? when words don’t match actions, the talk isn’t walked? Do lies become truth by being repeated? This is self-created bad luck, or making a dark prediction become reality, not because it’s true but because it is “self-made truth”. Manufactured and artificial, often without substance or valid reason. Inhumanity marches on to conquer the earth!

“Give peace a chance…”-John Lennon

Folks born in the 1950s and 60s may have heard this phrase in one of the famous Beatles songs popular in the 1970s. It looks like the 2nd World War, was not the end of the tragedy and misery brought on by dictators, imperialists and the colonial ambitions of governments. It seems, the beginning of a pathway, subtly beaten to incite more wars, despite the founding of the United Nations to promote and protect international peace and security among nations. Despite the pious principles laid down in the UN Charter for the preservation of humanity and peace, many member countries appear to ignore these fundamental good intentions. The United Nations is now more a diplomatic talk shop for governments, while wars, big and small, continue to rage in various places, generating refugees in their millions, fleeing to save their lives and children. Whatever, became of those wonderful ideals, so many governments promised to practice for the safety, security and prosperity of their people, for the good of the nation?

The dust of WW2 had hardly settled, when native and local populations of colonized territories started to bid for freedom and independence from former colonial overlords. They realized their own strengths and decided to take charge of their own homelands. They took responsibility for the fortunes of their own people. The change was welcomed and supported by the millions with hope for justice, freedom and peace, expecting their leaders to serve their societies with wisdom and justice. Where did it all go wrong?

Peace should bring prosperity and harmony to a society where, ideally, everyone equally enjoys the fruits of their labor. But, in reality, peace time seems to breed envy, greed, dissatisfaction, inequality and discontent. Earth is not heaven, so justice must be worked for, the absence of fraternity is clear and liberty of person is relative or just a pipe dream.

This planet faces obliteration and extinction as nations continue to crave control of everything they can get their paws on. What use is this on-going talk shop among the rich nations of the world? One block against another, starting another Cold War? Conflicts, big and small rage on, no one sees the elephant in the room…

Everyone wants ‘peace’ through the barrel of the nuclear gun, threatening to hasten the end of world, time and space. The era of the sage, where wisdom and learning, sensitivity and awareness is long past. Humankind has lost its innocence, it has become a whore to self-destruction, avarice, gluttony and all seven of the deadliest sins.

Yet, the clarion call echoes in soft and gentle tones, “Give peace a chance!” How many will hear or want to hear it? How many will add their voices to increase the volume of this desperate cry? The starving, the neglected, the enslaved, the besieged, the unemployed, the homeless, the stateless, the hopeless, the oppressed,the powerless, the voiceless ???

Weep, for the human race could soon be over, banished to oblivion.

Sweet Solitude

Sometimes the noise and the crowds in daily life get too much to bear. The incessant demands made, the rush to meet deadlines, the obligatory chores bring on episodes of near insanity, confusion and mental fatigue. Life becomes so contradictory that even words are jumbled, thoughts fragment and melt away like wisps of mist evaporating in the sunlight. It is hard to focus, hard to hold a sensible, logical thought. Nothing makes sense anymore. My mind shuts down. Continue reading “Sweet Solitude”

“And the Band Played On…”

Cover of "Gone with the Wind" — Cover of Gone with the Wind

I was watching a 2011 episode of “Project Accessories”, and this week there were two designers eliminated from the race. One of the eliminated designers, when asked what her gut reaction was, shrugged with these parting words, “Life goes on …the show must go on…” she would continue to create and express herself through her accessory designs. Continue reading ““And the Band Played On…””