I know how you feel, Deradune. Your remarks that "to put everything aside to achieve it seems as though i must accept all the negativy that is around us and put it aside." And that "'copping out'- 'sitting on the fence'- 'disregarding' [is] perhaps ... negative in itself" I can totally relate. and I do believe it is a paradox. I still care about all the things going on, I still feel the turmoil at times -- the rage, the helplessness. But I have learned to accept that I can only do so much -- and I do what I can. I try to make my world a good one by being the best I can be at any given moment. and when the best that I can be is horrible, I forgive myself -- and move on.

Each person has their gifts, their priorities. For some it might be health food, others may work for a cleaner environement, still others engage in politics trying to work within a political system. I try to do my part -- I havent dropped out or society or off the grid. But I refuse to get all worked up about it and spend my precious time raging about "How could he do that?" or "What's wrong with her?" or "Oh my god, the world is gonna blow up any minute!" or "Ya know, its not a matter of if, just when ...." NOT! not in my world because that is where I learned to draw the line. NOT IN MY WORLD! I thought to myself ... even I have to create my own world and be the only one living in it. But as it turned out -- I'm not alone ;-)


Life is rather curious in that it seems to make you most responsible only for those things that you know. If you know how you should act or what you should do -- but you do not even try to do it for whatever reasons -- well, life can be downright threatening. Ultimately, growth makes demands on one.


We must return midsunderstanding w/understanding or at least the attempt to understand. We have got to stop playing "king of the hill" and realize there's room for all of us. Sometimes, we must be willing to play the fool or appear to be the fool to those who find the need to criticise, or take extra care never to be caught off guard or by surprise. For exampke, I have worked in a very emotionally volatile workplace over the past two years. Occasionally, I have had an innocently made remark -- such as "Have a nice weekend" returned with a terse remark or even a tirade. If I remain calm, listen to the person direct their venom towards me and then pretty much say "Well okay" or "I'm sorry you feel that way. I really just meant -- have a nice day." or whatever and I say it without trace of superiority or smugness or sarcasm ... I rarely get into any further negativity with that person. It makes for a much nicer ending than when I respond to someone's feeling bad with anger. Why mirror back someone's rage -- especially when I really dont have any problem with that person other than what they JUST said or did which I realize had absolutely nothing to do with me. If you react calmly, the entire situation tends to dissolve and dissipate rather than escalate.

When one feels the love that comes from within, your heart becomes stronger, you feel more happy and secure about yourself and you can share this with others. You become like water falling upon rock or the rock tumbling within the waterly womb of a river or ocean. Love is healing. It is a path worth pursuing.