Postcards From The Driveway

The Unfamiliar Now

2008-01-31T07:51:00.000-08:00

We are all so plagued by our constant thoughts about tomorrow and yesterday that we often meet the present moment as a stranger in the crowd.

All morning I have been watching my mind work on some pretty heavy family issues. We are seeing our elders grow old and ill and at this very moment making life and death decisions. My family is juxtaposed between our lifelong history and our uncertain future. I am tempted to be swept into the emotions of this, but my inner self is finding it easier to detach from those old patterns and observe the situation with new eyes.

There is a part of me (not the real me of course, but my ego) that keeps trying to recall the past emotions and cognitions of my childhood and make that my reality. As I see this happen I am practicing meditation that reminds me that I am not physically, mentally or emotionally the same person I was thirty years ago, and neither are those in my family. At times I feel like holding grudges, or giving in to an overwhelming sense of obligation. But my true self knows these feelings are just delusions of my ego that will only cause frustration and pain. I am remembering that I am whole and complete and infinitely loved by God, lacking nothing. From this strength I am able to love without restraint and rise above the drama.

There is a part of me that wants to fret about the next week, month and year - imagining potential threats, gearing up for unforeseen calamity. If I pay attention I can feel my stomach actually wrenching tighter as I contemplate the unknown disasters that await. My practice is to accept those disasters as the inevitible results of impermanence. How dare I think I am above calamity. Those fears have no power over me when I choose to embrace them with humility. They dissolve into gratitude for the beauty of the present moment.

We are always in this moment whether we recognize it or not. But our ego is convinced that emotional burdens are a necessary evil. They aren't! The first step - the only step - toward freedom is questioning this belief.

I have spoken so much about responding to pain with meditation, and this past few weeks have put that to the test. The contrast between my old perspective and new enlightenment is still fresh and raw. I suspect it would be easy to regress into my former anxious ways, but I also know I can never fully go back. I have become too acquainted with that stranger in the crowd - the unfamiliar now. Lately I find myself looking for him more than ever, hoping to one day be the closest of friends.

A New Toy

2008-01-14T19:09:00.000-08:00

It occurred to me this evening as I was watching my boys play with their toys in such creative ways - ways I could never have guessed - that enlightenment must feel much like that. It is like a powerful new toy that has so many fascinating capabilities that we can barely comprehend its awesome potential. Alan Watts describes this way of zen consciousness as having a "beginner's mind" clear of judgement and full of wonder.

Within them is so much raw creatve energy that their entire being is focused on becoming the next something. Their bodies are constantly replacing cells to such an extent that they are literally transforming physically, cognitively and spiritually into entirely new people overnight.

For them the world is untainted by culture and tradition and of course ego. But that doesn't mean they are a clean slate. They come into this world endowed with the wisdom of the Universe preloaded into their spiritual hard drives. Only time will tell how their journey through the quagmire of life will shape the content of their mind. Before long the software/mind will come to believe it is the computer itself, but that only limits its capabilities.

Enlightenment is very much like the feeling you get when you discover a button on your boring old toy that you have never noticed before and it makes it do something wonderful. It may still be the same old toy, but your discovery has made it new again. Life is like that. Over and over again we reach a point where it seems there is nothing new to discover, and then a curious discovery changes everything and enlightenment makes everything new again.

A Dreadful Cure

2008-01-11T08:05:00.000-08:00

Instead of interpreting this post in a political sense, I ask that it be viewed in a Universal sense as it applies not just to the situation at hand, but to life in general.

We have been talking so much about ego fantasy and the frustration and destruction caused by flawed strategies for achieving personal peace. So I was struck by how clear an example of this was displayed by President Bush's comments after touring the Israel Holocaust Memorial.

(read the article here.)

Having been moved to tears he is reported to have said to Condoleeza Rice that the U.S. should have bombed Auschwitz during World War II as an appropriate response to intelligence confirming the operation of the death camps. His response is astonishing because it verifies that he has learned nothing from his experience as a world leader. It seems any option outside of brute force escapes him as a possible solution. Even more telling is his flippancy about second guessing the decisions of leaders a few generations ago with only a molecule of hindsight to base it on.

If he were not the President of the U.S. his narcissism would be merely unfortunate. But in light of his position and power it is downright gut-wrenching. This incident really sums up the demeanor of his entire political career. He is a man who is sincere in his compassion but deeply flawed in his response to the point of absurdity. Sadly, he may never understand that violence can't end violence any more than alchohol can cure alcoholism.

Now before you cast the first stone, consider how many times you do the same thing in your own contradictory pursuits. Do you find yourself working longer hours so you can afford to take time off? Do you try to calm angry people with more anger? Do you rely on the opinions of others to determine your own self-worth? All of these ridiculous strategies for happiness are far too common.

In most cases it would be better to do nothing at all, which ironically you may discover can be the hardest thing to do.

The Shape Of Change

2008-01-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

When I wrote Wanting Less a few years ago it represented a real epiphany for me. In the book I wrote that happiness comes from examining our core beliefs, reducing fear and learning to want only things that meet our needs effectively. At the time I thought I had truly expanded my understanding of human motivation - and I had - but I did not know how much deeper my understanding would grow.

Recently I had another jump in understanding after reading about Spiral Dynamics which outlines the shape of change in every area of existence, from spiritual growth to organizational structure to biological evolution to child development and pretty much everything that we can comprehend. There are a growing body of thinkers using this idea to reach practical applications and I am only just peeling this onion trying to keep up.

It seems to me nearly impossible to explain the entire concept in a few brief paragraphs, but I will try to explain in a few points:

Everything is made up of smaller pieces while also being a part of something greater than itself. Think atoms, molecules, elements, chemicals etc. in greater amounts until you reach the entire Universe - then apply that to anything you can imagine. These structures are called holons.

Everything changes in a similar pattern like ripples in a pond. This applies particularly to the evolution of morality as described by Clare Graves and further examined by Don Beck. To get this imagine the evolution of a caveman to Gandhi and for bonus points find yourself somewhere on that line.

Everything absolutely must change in order to thrive and survive. The development or evolution of things is mandatory and unavoidable. It's pretty much change or die.

In practical application, this concept can helps explain why some cultures have a belief system based on magic and superstition, while others have more legalistic culture and others embrace a more universal worldview.

It also explains why children believe in fairy tales, teens are obsessed with their identity, and seniors do so much volunteer work. Their worldview expands as they grow older, and new understanding leads to newer understanding. It's only natural, and accepting this can lead to a better life.

So my current perspective includes what I wrote in my book, but the words seem so naive as I read them now. I am tempted to write another book to clarify, but I probably won't. It can serve as a historical marker for me and perhaps be a guide for others as they follow the path I have already tread.

New Year's Resolution Solution

2007-12-31T07:44:00.000-08:00

The idea of "re-solving" sounds exhausting to me. If the problem has been solved already why bother re-solving it again. That's the kind of thing the ego mind does to justify its existence. Fixing things that don't really need fixing.

The word "solve" is from the Latin word solvere which means to loosen or release. This calls to mind the release of energy that is blocked and constricted. That would be a good thing if that's what we actually did when we make a resolution. But it isn't.

What we really do is exert more energy toward a goal which focuses our attention on an elusive ideal that we dangle in front of ourselves like a carrot. Meanwhile we continue to pass judgment on ourselves in the present, causing more blocked energy and pain. It rarely dawns on us that a) we choose how we define ourselves, and b) we can choose to accept ourselves as we are.

Blasphemy you say? Hardly. Who says you have to lose weight? Or quit smoking? Or spend more time with family? Or whatever you hate yourself for when you look in the mirror? Those things are great, but they will do nothing to change the infinite worth of who you are right now.

I dare you to believe that.

Selfish Esteem

2007-12-27T10:49:00.000-08:00

When Thoreau said "To thine own self be true" I bet he didn't realize how widespread a mantra it would become. The self-esteem movement of the last few decades has certainly changed the way we see ourselves, and created a broader sense of personal freedom in our culture - but not without some confusion.

I've always taken issue with the notion that "you can be anything you want to be if you just put your mind to it." It's a nice idea on the surface, but it's rooted in the mindset that you must become something else to be whole and fulfilled as a person, and betrays the very value it is supposed to promote. If we base our self-esteem on a future situation, we must always be waiting to feel whole. This makes it impossible to find inner peace in the present moment which is the only place that peace can be felt.

That kind of flawed strategy comes from an egocentric mind held hostage by its addiction to thinking and striving and solving hypothetical problems that aren't even real. We can easily get swept away into mindlessness while trying to construct a healthy self image and never recognize that a self image is still just imaginary.

But Thoreau wasn't talking about a fabricated self image anyway. The "self" he was talking about is the Universal self that transcends our egocentric mind. The mind is only a part of the whole being just as the body is only a part. Being controlled by your mind is like having your legs decide to take over and start telling the rest of you what to do. It's silly, but that's exactly what our minds are doing. Most of us don't realize our egocentric minds have run amok and are continuously causing all sorts of problems.

Our "true self" is complete and whole in every moment and doesn't need to "do" anything except remain still and know itself without judgement. With this awareness we are finally free to exist and act with authentic integrity towards ourselves and others.

Ironically, the most self-less thing you can do often feels the most selfish - nurturing your true Universal self.

The Meaning of Pain

2007-12-20T09:59:00.000-08:00

I like to get to the bottom of things. I have always found life much easier when I can boil it all down to the essential point of stuff, and then make decisions from there. I find the process of doing this mentally exhilarating, but exhausting as well. Right now I am at the exhausted part, but the insights I've recently come by are astounding and life changing.

What I am learning if that the point of it all is pain - more specifically the cause and effect of pain. As a therapist this will be the very essence of my daily activities; helping people identify their pain, the source of that pain and their response to that pain. Sounds simple.... huh. Maybe not.

This is a spectacular thing to grasp. I know makes total sense when you think about it, which may make it seem like no big deal. But it is a big deal because most people don't pay attention to their pain, even when it is the obvious point of their difficulties.

And what's even better is that I have also identified the source of pain. Yes, all of it. All pain is the result of change. Change which is constant, inevitable and universal. Change is the very meaning of life. Change is the definition of life.

If we dig deeper we see that life itself is defined by the movement of energy. At the most microscopic scale the movement of energy makes things real. Energy is never found in a static form. The nature of energy is to move. If it is contained for too long it will find a way to get out - either slowly over time or violently in an explosion of force.

So energy is the source of change. And change is the source of pain. None of this is a good thing or a bad thing. It is simply the way the Universe runs. When pain is present it is merely an indicator of change and a need for growth.

After all, you are made up of energy as well, and so is everything else. To maintain your existence you must adapt to changes caused by the flow of energy. If you resist it will naturally result in pain. If you persist in ignoring the internal "energy crisis" it will inevitably cause you harm or death.

But pain is not the enemy. It is simply a beacon to capture your awareness. But awareness alone cannot bring health. What really counts is what you do next.

More later!

Where Does Love Come From?

2007-11-29T03:37:00.000-08:00

I work in a call center. Every day I find myself invigorated and inspired to help my callers on a deeper level. This is abnormal I am told. Many who do my job don't share this same level of passion.

Where does this come from?

My experience of it feels like love. I genuinely love these people, and I am aware that my ability to do this comes from years of honing that skill. What I am thinking as I embrace them for that brief time on the phone is that I am the one person in the Universe that can do for them what they can't do for themselves. This may seem dramatic, but it's still very true. And if I am willing to take on a Universal Consiousness I must bear the responsibility that comes with it.

As a Christian I am inclined to attribute this "love" to an endowment of the Holy Spirit. Fundamentalists are taught that only those who have "accepted" this endowment are able to love in a transcendent manner. I have done this.

Jesus said to Nicodemus you must be born of both water and spirit. Initially it appears he meant baptismal waters, but later decided it must have meant the waters of the womb (after experiencing my child's birth firsthand.) Either way it must mean an earthly physical birth, and another of transcendence.

Genuine compassion is truly transcendent. Loving others with a Universal Consciousness must certainly require some sort of initiation into a higher level of existence - a rebirth I must assume. Within the process, there is a point of no return. Eventually you can no longer be the primitive caveman who cares about no one but yourself. You have reached a crisis and must choose to accept transcendent consciousness in order to grow further and avoid further pain. You then exist as a new creation, in the same way that a baby is no longer an embryo. You are made of the same stuff, but you have been reconfigured and can never be that creature again.

Love must certainly come from rebirth, but what's most important is that the Universal Consciousness that brings it is already in us. We are all capable of loving at the most transcendent levels, or at least we will be when we are ready to be born of spirit. But we all have to grow there which means facing the cycle of crisis and resolution as many times as needed to reconfigure our consciousness.

I am quite sure I could never un-learn the love I feel for those callers. I could only suppress it or ignore it in some way, which I sometimes do. But even on the worst days there is always one whose need is so great and plight so dire that I cannot ignore it. In that moment I am the only one in their world given a chance to help. To act differently would be a step in the wrong direction - the opposite of love is the opposite of life.

Stream of Consciousness

2007-11-14T09:28:00.000-08:00

This blog has new meaning for me now. I've spent the last year going through profound changes in philosophy and awareness. Countless epiphanies. Astounding revelations. And even better.... blessed validation.

Rather than dumping all of my old belief systems I have learned to not only embrace all my painful memories and decades of self-doubt, but to actually celebrate them. They are my foundation. I am whole because of them. In fact, now I see I was always whole. I Am all of me in this moment and always have been.

In case you're wondering where all this new age junk is coming from it's simply a reflection of a "new" stream of consciousness I am now experiencing. I will tell more later but suffice it to say I grew up in a full-on fundamentalist home that was in no way repressive, but made me ask a lot of questions and think about some pretty heavy things. After struggling with a lifetime of internal conflict between absolutism and enlightenment I now feel gratitude for the fruit of so much personal crisis.

So this blog, which I started last year as a part of this awakening, has come back to me as an outlet for the abundance of insight that comes so rapidly. Everyday I get new stuff, and I used to pretend I would write it down somewhere, but I never did. But that's what a web log is for, right? To keep track of the flashes of inspiration that come our way.

I used to worry about making it perfect. Trying to impress someone. But I don't have time for that now. There's too much flying by that I want to share. And now more than ever I recognize that my inspirations belong to everyone. I am responsible for giving them life. And by doing so I am awakening the co-creator in me.

What an awesome journey!

I'm Back

2007-11-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

Just checking in to say I will start blogging again.

I have a whole new world of stuff to talk about.

See you soon.

Humilty vs Hubris

2007-01-03T10:11:00.000-08:00

It seems clear that Nixon knew Ford would eventually be President when he appointed him Vice President in 1973. The two appear to be polar opposites in retrospect. One the symbol of corruption and graft, the other a symbol of statesmanship. But their contributions to the office confirm what we all suspect and want to believe... that humility, in the end, is a greater force than hubris in the hands of a leader.

Now looking back on that time, and on our own, we can see that the greatest disasters of the American drama are the product of narcissistic personalities that have squandered their position. Scandals, Wars, The Great Depression - disasters which inevitably had to be healed by the warm humilty of a compassionate leader. We seem to have this yin/yang balance between the proud and the prudent, and until we learn that we will continuously repeat that cycle.

The paradox of our competitive culture is that it creates Narcissists by simultaneously promoting self-worth while restricting opportunities for achievement. This puts millions teetering on the fulcrum of their dreams plagued by a false perception of personal failure. Young people with a healthy and balanced sense of self-worth have been on the endangered list for decades.

A broken self-esteem must be replaced with a false sense of self-worth. This makes narcissists seem plastic and shallow which is appropriate since the word comes from the Greek word "narke" which means numb (as in narcotic.) It is no secret then that Narcissists have the worst self-esteem and are the first to deny it when confronted. It is at once their greatest weakness and greatest strength.

The other extreme is a dysfunctional abundance of humilty that prevents many from taking action in the face of abusive leadership, or from taking on roles of leadership leaving a vaccuum that will be filled by narcissists and dictators. We cannot fully blame the dictators when we pave the way for them and then reward them with the power we should have kept for ourselves.

We leave ourselves the only option of waiting for the inevitible crisis to make way for the healing leadership we should have had the courage to promote in the first place.

What It Feels Like To Be A Hero

2006-12-27T10:26:00.000-08:00

On NPR last night a military doctor described his admiration for a soldier who had been injured rescuing his buddy from a burning Humvee. I was immediately moved as I tried to imagine how it must have felt for that soldier in that moment and beyond, and intrigued by my longing to feel the same thing.

It is my impression that one is no more fully alive than when they are engaged in heroic acts no matter how significant or small or unseen. Perhaps we are obsessed with heroes and heroism for that very reason. From the current NBC series to the NYFD action figures to the herculean expectations we set for our politicians and leaders heroism is hipper than ever.

In our modern culture heroes ascend from the common ranks rather than descend from divinity. Centuries ago our heroes were either gods themselves or were directly related (Zeus, Jesus, etc.) Later they could be one of us, but they had to have a special blessing (King Arthur, etc.) Nowadays the idea of being "god-like" has been kidnapped by New Age Humanism which morphed from 19th century Eugenics (Michael Jordan, The X-Men, etc.)

Now anybody can be considered a hero for just about any reason. Which begs the question... is it heroic to return a lost wallet? Or rescue a buddy from a burning vehicle? Or go to work everyday to provide for your family? Wouldn't we do these things anyway? What makes the everyday sacrifices we make heroic?

The answer it seems is not in the actions that we take but the spirit in which we do them, and by spirit I mean the intrinsic human need for transcendence we all share. If that is the case then anything we do beyond our own self-interest can be considered heroic which may not be such a bad thing. Even when altruism is ordinary, it is still extraordinary in the grander scheme of things.

So on the heroism scale from 1 to 10 -- with 10 being an immaculate sacrifice for all mankind, and 1 being the incarnation of pure evil -- a hero factor of 5 would be something like making yourself a sandwich. From that point anything you do for someone else would certainly raise the factor. In the end the only extraordinary thing any of us can do is what we do for someone else.

The factor would also increase with anonymity and according to the degree of sacrifice either physically, emotionally or mentally. It would also depend on whether you did so voluntarily. It is unclear whether the actual success of your endeavor matters, since a prolonged sacrifice to no avail could certainly be heroic but probably not as much as one that actually made a difference.

That said, something as mundane as changing a diaper, or cleaning up trash, or driving with respect can be heroic if you give yourself permission to feel like a hero for doing it. Once you can do that you might also begin to recognize the anonymous faces all around you as the heroes they really are.

Camels Crossing The Desert

2006-12-26T13:05:00.000-08:00

This is an aerial photgraph of camels crossing the desert.

Look carefully to notice we are actually seeing their shadows on the sand.

Click image for link to photo.

Click here for the interesting article it came from.

"Happy Holidays"

2006-12-26T09:09:00.000-08:00

One reason a person or store might say "happy holidays" is because December is a season of holidays for mainstream faiths as well as lesser-knowns. The multi-faith Web site beliefnet.org tracks dozens of religions and publishes news, features and explanatory articles about them. It is the source for the following calendar. (source of this article)

Dec. 3
Beginning of Advent (Christian) : Start of a four-week preparation for the coming of Jesus.

Dec. 8
Catholic Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Christian) : Commemoration of Mary's conception.

Bodhi Day/Rohatsu (Zen Buddhist) : Commemoration of the Buddha's enlightenment.

Dec. 16-24
Hanukkah (Jewish) : Eight-day festival of lights beginning on the 25th of Kislev commemorating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by Syrian King Antiochus in 165 B.C. (begins at sundown the night before).

Dec. 20
Mother Night (Heathen) : Eve of Winter Solstice and the holiest night of the year; marks the beginning of the 12 days of Yule.

Dec. 21
Winter Solstice/Saturnalia/Yule (Pagan/Wiccan and Heathen) : Pagan observance of the longest night of the year, celebrating the rebirth of the sun god. The first of 12 days of Yule celebrating the Holy Tide of Heathen ancestral ways, community, gift giving and the rebirth of longer days.

Dec. 21-25
Pancha Ganapati (Hindu) : Five-day festival honoring Ganesh, the deity who removes obstacles.

Dec. 25
Christmas (Christian) : Celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

Dec. 26
Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian) : Commemoration of the death of the Prophet Zarathustra, a prophet believed to have been from modern-day Iran.

Dec. 26-Jan. 1
Kwanzaa (Interfaith) : Seven-day African-American and Pan-African holiday celebrating family, community and culture.

Dec. 30
Hajj (Muslim) : Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca.

Dec. 31
Eid al-Adha (Muslim) : Festival of the Sacrifice, a commemoration of Abraham.

Post-Fundamentalism

2006-12-23T05:25:00.000-08:00

I asked my Pakistani friend Amber if Muslims were evangelical and she said no. In fact it was quite the opposite. They have gone out of their way for some time to avoid the spotlight, and with recent events it has become challenging to explain their way of life amidst a great deal of scrutiny.

Having been raised Southern Baptist I can tesitfy to living a very different experience. Growing up it was considered a rite of passage to "share your faith" with friends, classmates and total strangers. I even took classes at my church on how to win converts, and can readily name several Wal-Mart sized Christian organizations endeavoring to do just that.

And now with Christmas upon us I am intrigued with the mind-boggling claims by some Christians of persecution substantiated by the secularization of Christmas, which by definition is an oxymoron. There can be no such thing as a secular Christmas, any more than there can be a secular Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan or Chinese New Year. What persecuted Christians call secularization is simply a dose of reality as the vast universe of other faiths and traditions gain the respect they deserve.

It is a central tenet of fundamentalism to embrace persecution as a justification for outright bigotry. It's also very easy to feel persecuted when you are the only one who can ever be right. It puts one in a vicious cycle which some seem to find tragically fulfilling.

It is a shame too when someone like that is the President of the United States, but it does explain why he and many around him are unable to see the burning forest for the trees. He reminds me of the aging bloated Elvis surrounded by yes-men unwilling to tell him he was too sick to go on tour. Who can blame them? Their livelihoods were at stake.... until. Oops.

Granted he is not the only one. There are many others that use fundamentalism to fuel the fires of fear and hatred. Terrorism is merely a symptom of the larger illness of hubris.

Perhaps the calling of our time is not to defeat terrorism, but to replace fundamentalism with a more enlightened view of faith -- one that is not merely tolerant, which still implies superiority, but one of respect, even reverence, of others.

Is that possible? Certainly so. But it may require a surge of Post-Fundamentalist Evangelism with all the fire and passion as the early Zealots, the Protestant Reformers, or Baptist Preachers.

Attention Deficit and The Art of Daydreaming

2006-12-22T14:32:00.000-08:00

My brother said the other day he wishes he could TiVo the radio. Too often he hears the last part of something interesting and wishes he could hit rewind to hear what it was about. I have experienced the same thing watching news channels trying to catch the feed on the bottom of the screen.

This is a symptom of Adult ADD... an inability to manage the constant deluge of information. But I refuse to feel disabled. I rather think the problem is that my brother and I, along with a multitude of others, are endowed with a surplus of curiosity which in my view is admirable and priceless, but puts us at odds with the modern world.

It has become commonplace to expect folks to access, process and retain a ridiculous amount of information in order to keep up with daily life; or to consider them feeble when they can't. There are now vast industries flourishing in the storage of excess information which by anyone's admission is utterly useless. Seniors become more vulnerable as they find it increasingly difficult to fathom new technologies while children who can't seem to pay attention are chemically bridled.

What is actually happening is that the media are so good at saturating the environment with content that anyone with the slightest bit of wonder will find it nearly impossible to keep up with the infinite flow of ideas, and will end up daydreaming while the rest of it floods right by.

A recent conversation with Dan, who is actually a real scientist, revealed that the scientific method upon which the modern world has been built depends essentially on the opportunity to ponder intriguing details at length. He tells me it is a daily challenge to maintain scientific integrity in the face of constant pressure to produce results.

The truth is that some of the most useful innovations of the last millenia have come from discoveries made while working on something else. That's how science works. A good scientist, we agreed, has the fortitude to wander off into unchartered territory following a hunch, usually without permission, in spite of conventional wisdom, which after all is the reason no one had thought of it yet.

Daydreaming as it turns out, might actually be better for us than paying attention to all the insignificant bits of information that overwhelm us. In the end, having an Attention Deficit may not actually be a disorder so much as a luxurious malady.

Somewhere Near The Tip

2006-12-21T05:04:00.000-08:00

I was eating a whole grain English Muffin and steeping a cup of mate' when I realized how victimized I am by surges of popularity in our modern economy. I am a fan of Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point theories to the point of near obsession. Ever since I read the book I have been dissecting the marketing scheme behind everything from cat food to the Iraq War.

In my mind I envision Gladwell as the guy who plays Ugly Betty's boyfriend. (Exhibit A - Exhibit B.) I often hear myself wonder pensively "what would Malcolm say?" which in today's economy would cost me around $10,000 to verify if I hired him for a function.

Nevertheless I heard Soledad OBrien use the term "tipping point" in regards to the Iraq war and it has been buzzing in my head ever since. It bothers me that "tipping" is now the target and we are developing a new competitive arena around the concept. I suppose there are Mullah's and Imam's having similar conversations about "tipping" the insurgency.

The term will likely go the way of Kleenex and BandAids, and lose it's meaning altogether when eventually everyone will be trying to make something tip, and the mysterious psychological forces will no longer be mysterious... just mechanical.

Anyway... back to the mate'. There was a time when I saw a mate' kit on an end cap at Whole Foods and was disinclined to pay $8 because I was afraid it would taste nasty and I would want my $8 back. A few years later, just before the tip, the price of mate' has gone way down and its availability way up.

I can buy it at nearly any local grocery for about the price of other Rooibos or Specialty Tea which is cheap enough for me to try it and, as it turns out, like it very much. My wife's yoga instructor drinks it everyday. He likes it enough to buy it wholesale. You can also get an expensive version of it at Teavana if you live near a wealthy neighborhood mall.

So the lesson to learn is that if you find something you like you want to tell just enough people about it to get the price down, but must live with the fact that if something becomes too popular and "tips" it will begin to suck.

For instance... Denver used to be the coolest place to live for like 50 years. Now it's so crowded nobody goes there anymore. (ibid; Yogi Berra.) And the price of living there is going up so fast you can' t afford to live there, or at least we can't, or we would. Too bad. Denver is "post-tip."

On the other hand, flat screen TV's are just popluar enough to increase availability, but the price is still too high. You can't leave a WalMart without seeing one on a flatbed pushed by a beaming redneck. But in about a year they will be as cheap as a wristwatch calculator and then my wife and I can afford to buy one, but they will no longer be cool. Also too bad. Flat screens are "pre-tip"

Whole grains and organics however are tipping as we speak. We were ahead of the tip a few years ago when I used to put flax seed in my organic unbleached whole grain oatmeal, but we had to drive two hours round trip to put that together. Now you can get whole grain organic stuff at the Stop-N-Go and that's fine with me. It's still tipping and will likely get cheaper until the government starts to regulate it, so stock up.

2006-12-19T12:17:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the driveway

2006-12-19T06:19:00.000-08:00

It occured to me recently that every day I leave and return from the same place-- the concrete launchpad next to my house called a driveway. And no matter where I go, driving sets my mind free to wander which leads me into some interesting cerebral terrain. Stuff on the radio, recent converstions, philisophical questions, memories, regrets, ideas, images, conspiracy theories, reality, silence-- all ingredients of an ongoing stew of contemplation.

And then it culminates in a meditative pause at the end of the driveway. A few seconds of pure zen everyday as I transition from one journey to the next. Empty moments when all of the unfettered thoughts and ruminations come bubbling up from my psyche and dissipate like steam from my brain.

Within the insanity of suburban life I was pleased to discover I do indeed have a spiritual practice in this sacred stillness. And so I am bringing it here to give away.

Keep in touch.