DRIVING: EXPOSED SOULS

DRIVING: EXPOSED SOULS

I was driving through a busy intersection and heard the loud motorcycle revving behind me.  As I looked in my rearview mirror I noticed the rider was too close to my rear and I decided in haste to move right to the next lane.  A loud “BEEP” alerted me to the error of cutting off a vehicle.  Within a few seconds I hit a red light and the offended party pulled up beside me.  In full anticipation I had rolled down my passenger window and as the driver and passenger looked at me I had rushed my hands to my chest and mouth “My fault, I’m sorry” with the most contrite face I could muster.  Not a moment passed and they both raised their hands in a grateful wave/acknowledgement.  My oldest son asked me what I was doing and I admitted to him that I had unwittingly cut off the car next to us and I was apologizing for doing that to them because it was my fault.  I was reminded again of just how volatile the world of driving can be.

ESCAPE

Ironically our current main vehicle is a Ford Escape.  I love the name of this vehicle as it embodies what many of us may feel when we enter our transport of choice.  When you get in your car it may be the few times out of the day that you are alone—even if you have kids because you end up strapping them into their seats and then you are free to get behind the wheel and blast your tunes of choice on the radio waves, CD or iPod playlist.  It is also because of this feeling of freedom that I believe most people are at a very raw state of mind when driving.  From a sociology perspective, there is much to be learned from human behavior as it’s exhibited behind the steering wheel.

COURTESY: WHAT IS THAT?

It always strikes me harshly how cold we can be to each other when we’re driving.  Seriously, does it really help to try to out-race each other when in a merging on-ramp approaching the interstate? How about when the traffic is crawling?  Depending on the commuting region you live in there are many different levels of rudeness you can encounter among your fellow drivers.  For instance, when I lived in the Washington, DC metro region I found that I had to let at least 3 drivers go ahead of me at a merge point because the 3 drivers before me wouldn’t even allow one driver to go.  Then again I can be a hypocrite in this regard as well since I’ve had my most impatient moments where I take out the rage of my current life moment on the drivers around me as I impatiently weave in front or around them.

PRACTICE MAY PERFECT OR PERCEIVE

If nothing else, let’s try to experiment with this idea: try to show kindness and mercy in your driving.  Allow others to go before you who are waiting to get on the highway or street, forgive those who may cut you off because who knows what terrible day or life they’re having, be more aware of the movement of those who are going faster and move over so they can keep going without having to move lanes and overall just see how it affects you to give more than you take while you drive.  I truly think that there is much to be learned from driving with more patience and love.  When I look around and see so many communicating on the phone I wonder how much we must need each other and why we treat ourselves so callously when on the road.

RVSB

The What: Food and Money – The Tango Tangle

THE WHAT: FOOD AND MONEY  – THE TANGO TANGLE

My heart pinched inside my chest as I listened to the cashier’s announcement of the total price of my Publix grocery purchases.  “Absurd amount of money!” is the first reaction internally followed by a justification speech by the concerned mother/caretaker in me that knows it’s better to spend money on good food for my family even if it tightens the household budget in other areas.  This scenario repeats itself and the outcome is the same at least for me: I choose quality of food over cheapness and quantity any day.  What are the economic and environmental factors that any of us face today when making our food choices on a daily basis?

THE WHO

The perspective on who we’re buying food for obviously affects our choices.  Whether you’re single, married, living with roommates, with children, with elderly—all these groupings carry their respective needs, wants and overall themes.  Personally I can attest to the interesting blend of tastes I accommodate in my cooking and choosing of groceries as I have a husband, two boys under 4 years old (one an infant) and two octogenarians.  When I look around at many of my colleagues with children, it seems a majority of parents today are very sensitive to the question as to whether the produce they purchase is organic or not.  It turns out that there are some produce items that are more critical to buy organic like spinach and berries because of how porous the skin is and therefore easily absorbs pesticides.  Some websites you may find helpful for resource information:   www.organicconsumers.org , www.organic-center.org , www.non-gmoreport.com , www.healthychild.org , www.texasgrassfedbeef.com , www.centerforfoodsafety.org , www.chemicalfreekids.com , www.foodnavigator.com

THE WHY

Organic, non-genetically modified and local are some of the current buzz food words.  The term organic always makes me chuckle for a nanosecond as there’s hundreds of years of human evolution coursing through my blood that reminds me all food was once “organic” without the labeling.  It’s just that in the last century or so that our civilized societies started to meddle beyond what hybrid practices were in place already in agriculture.  It is interesting to note that recently many farmers are returning to using more natural methods in their crop and livestock management—part of it could be the increased consumer demand for organic products and another part may be that it has been found more cost-effective to use better sustainability practices on the environment when cultivating the Earth or animal stocks.  Again, my own battle is complicated when it comes to whether I buy organic, conventional or local food products.  I prefer organic but it’s not always available or cost-effective.  Local produce is desirable because I like supporting the farmers in Florida and it’s fresher with less gas emissions spent on its transport to my kitchen.  At the same time, a pint of blueberries from Peru may be farmed with the best ecological-friendly practices and taste better than the pesticide-laden ones from a few counties away.  Here are a few more resources that may be helpful:  www.farmigo.com , www.localharvest.org , www.slowfoodusa.org , http://foodnews.org/ , www.foodnavigator.com , www.environmentalhealthnews.org , www.biointegrity.org , www.localfoodswheel.com , www.greenling.com

THE WHEN

Sometimes I wish I were ignorant and just went to the store and was able to buy the cheapest of everything to feed my household.  The truth is irreversible once attained; I know what is best for my family’s situation and it happens to be a diet that contains the freshest fruit, vegetables, dairy, legumes, meats and then on to the grains, pastas and et cetera.  Making the conscious choice to use less canned products and other foods that contain more harmful ingredients in process/preservation means that our grocery bill is higher than it would be if I blindly chose based solely on cheap economics.  Not everyone thinks through what they buy when at the grocery store but it’s only a matter of time when many if not most of us will realize that how we eat is like a form of preventative medicine for our bodies.  The cost you may incur now can serve to defray future medical costs after years of eating products that can slowly sabotage your body’s ability to fight off infection and other illnesses.   Then there’s the question of the effect on our environment by our agricultural practices and that factors into many people’s choices of food economics.  Social impact in the form of “fair trade” practices is yet another factor weaving into our ethos as consumers of groceries for ourselves.  Some more websites for your personal research:  www.fairtradeusa.org , www.greenamerica.org , www.fairtraderesource.org , www.kidsorganics.com , www.rodaleinstitute.org , www.opensecrets.org , www.allergykids.com  , www.usda.gov , www.fda.gov

This blog post is woefully inadequate in addressing all the various facets involved in the economic and social challenge we face in our food purchases as the commodity prices continue to rise on a monthly basis.  I hope it at least helps in starting a conversation or a journey for information as this is an issue that will continue to grow in importance as we face upcoming agricultural changes and trade practices that can affect both the quality and quantity of our food in America particularly.

RVSB

 

First? The Chicken, The Egg or Re-Creation of the Egg?

First? The Chicken, The Egg or Re-Creation of the Egg?

Note: Inspiration to delve into this topic comes from the following source that was re-hashed in several newspapers nationwide: http://www.nature.com/news/egg-making-stem-cells-found-in-adult-ovaries-1.10121

Have you ever read a latest scientific finding and thought to yourself that it didn’t surprise you? That’s exactly what I thought when coming upon the Associated Press reprint in our Palm Beach Post today: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57385826-10391704/stem-cells-in-ovaries-may-grow-new-eggs-study-shows/

Ironically I was just telling a close girlfriend last month how we females are born with all the eggs we’ll ever have in life–a recollection of conventional wisdom that I’ve accepted as knowledge and yet as I read this article today my spirit leapt with joy at the possibilities of these new findings.

There are so many of us that have heard countless stories that vaguely run like this: A woman has trouble conceiving, she and her mate try all the different avenues afforded by western and holistic medicine alike, then they make the decision to change course and open their hearts in mentoring/fostering/adopting children and then almost instantaneously or shortly thereafter find they have miraculously conceived. There are the women who end up conceiving by natural means well past the standard menopausal season dictated by our normal human expectations.

As the reports following these findings in the Sunday, February 26, 2012 journal Nature Medicine note, this topic will certainly spark new discussions, judgments, anxieties and hopefully an opportunity for us to open our minds to what possibilities there are in the miracle that is our human body (not to mention the rest of the organisms and life entities we share the Earth with but that’s several other essays and volumes for another time).

It is still a mystery overall to most “civilized” societies how the physiology of our bodies are affected by our mentality (brain waves/messaging) and our spirits (life energy/will/heart–basically the intangible and yet undeniable part of who we are unless we choose to numb it with substance abuse or outright oxymoronic denial).

If you didn’t get a chance to see this research finding in the papers today I hope you enjoy it as a piece of intellectual candy for the better.

R.V.S.B.

 

What Came First: Chicken or Egg OR Ability to Create More Eggs?

First? The Chicken, The Egg or Re-Creation of the Egg?

Note: Inspiration to delve into this topic comes from the following source that was re-hashed in several newspapers nationwide: http://www.nature.com/news/egg-making-stem-cells-found-in-adult-ovaries-1.10121

Have you ever read a latest scientific finding and thought to yourself that it didn’t surpise you?  That’s exactly what I thought when coming upond the Associated Press reprint in our Palm Beach Post today: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57385826-10391704/stem-cells-in-ovaries-may-grow-new-eggs-study-shows/

Ironically I was just telling a close girlfriend last month how we females are born with all the eggs we’ll ever have in life–a recollection of conventional wisdom that I’ve accepted as knowledge and yet as I read this article today my spirit leapt with joy at the possibilities of these new findings.

There are so many of us that have heard countless stories that vaguely run like this: A woman has trouble concieving, she and her mate try all the different avenues afforded by western and holisitic medicince alike, then they make the decision to change course and open their hearts in mentoring/fostering/adopting children and then almost instantenously or shortly thereafter find they have miraculously conceived.  There are the women who end up concieving by natural means well past the standard menopausal season dictated by our normal human expectations.

As the reports following these findings in the Sunday, February 26, 2012 journal Nature Medicine note, this topic will certainly spark new discussions, judgements, anxieties and hopefully an opportunity for us to open our minds to what possibilities there are in the miracle that is our human body (not to mention the rest of the organisms and life entities we share the Earth with but that’s several other essays and volumes for another time).

It is still a mystery overall to most “civilized” societies how the physiology of our bodies are affected by our mentality (brain waves/messaging) and our spirits (life energy/will/heart–basically the intangible and yet undeniable part of who we are unless we choose to numb it with substance abuse or outright oxymoronic denial).

If you didn’t get a chance to see this research finding in the papers today I hope you enjoy it as a piece of intellectual candy for the better.

R.V.S.B.

Seashell Philosophy by She: Part 3 in a Series

The Precious Among the Tumbling and Treacherous

Earlier this week, my little sister was able to take some time from her work schedule to go to the beach with my boys.  As we approached the shoreline on Singer Island here in South Florida, we were taken aback by the electric blue color and the cylinder-type waves that were thrashing the shore.  Lines of seaweed and debris told the story of the tumultuous tides the night prior…

As the lifeguard raised the red flag that morning we realized our first impression was correct: this was a beach day to regard with awe and respect while not trying to tempt fate by entering the Atlantic among the constant rolling waves trucking with force akin to the Pacific surfer’s paradise.

My younger son of 11 ripe months couldn’t help but totter to the shoreline and so after repeated failed attempts of diversion, I went ahead and secured him on my baby back carrier and we took a walk.  Upon closer inspection, I found that I was also hopelessly attracted to the breaking surf because between the beige shades of the sand and the dancing blue water and white foam was an iridescent line sparkling with several hues reflecting the sun’s light on rocks, glass and shells alike.

Watching the waves hit and then recede afforded a few seconds of viewing what truly danced at the “shell line”…I noticed a couple of conch shells rolling back and forth.  The shell hunter in me was engaged instantly…

What I caught in my hands as I darted toward the receding waves were a couple of beautiful of nearly baseball-size conch shells.  Although I felt they were worth risking the slamming waves, upon closer inspection I noticed the seemingly magnificent shells actually each had a flaw… it was as if someone had shaved one side lengthwise on them in respective differing positions.

It suddenly struck me that although we can work terribly hard to achieve greatness in various points of our lives, attaining any particular goal will still have its faulty points. This shouldn’t dissuade us from trying to strive for something beyond what we are or have presently–only we shouldn’t be shocked that when we hit the desired mark, it may still have its shortcomings.

This all probably revolves around the generally accepted wisdom that nothing is truly perfect on this Earthen plane of existence.  However, I still believe that our dreams and notions for what we’re supposed to accomplish in this life are worth running into the the thrashing surf of circumstances that approach us daily.

R.V.S.B.

 

 

Seashell Philosophy by She: Part 2 in a Series

The Extraordinary Among the Mundane

Jumping and running through the surf of the brisk February surf on our Atlantic shore this month has yielded a few precious finds: shiny granite bits, coral pieces and other small shells.  However, I was trying in vain earlier this week to find some fun shells at the “white line” underneath where the surf breaks onto the sand.  When I realized it was time for my sons and I to leave the beach I found the best shell as we stumbled through the thick mounds of dry sand many yards away from the water.  If I hadn’t kept my eyes toward the ground I would have missed the smooth shiny olive shell (note:http://www.squidoo.com/lettered-olive-shells) that was beautifully intact.

How often have we assumed that what we’re looking for is somewhere exotic and apart from the place we’re at?  Or forget geographical thinking: how about seeking happiness in a change of circumstances rather than finding happiness in whatever circumstance we’re in?

The simple lesson I was reminded again of when I picked up that nice olive shell was that I need to remember that there are extraordinary treasures hidden right where I dwell physically and where I reside in my state of mind.  It’s not to halt the explorer spirit but just help temper that impatient traveler within by knowing that there’s still new adventures to be found locally.

R.V.S.B.

Seashell Philosophy by She: Part 1 in a Series

PREFACE:  For the past several years I’ve been thinking about writing a series of short essays that would attempt to catalog the variety of thematic trends I’ve observed when walking along any given seashore looking for shells, rocks and anything else that may be of interest as a gift from the ocean.  Whatever subject begins this series doesn’t mean I grant more importance to it than the other topics to come as it’s just my most recent experience while exploring along the shoreline.  Given that seashell-picking has been a hobby for countless centuries, I’m sure whatever I may write will be a repeat of wisdom before my time but worth recounting nevertheless.

BROKEN BITS: AN ANALOGY OF ANTHROPY

It’s an alluring tease to pick up a big shard of what clearly was part of a beautiful shell if it were in its entirety.  We can’t help but look around immediately just in case the missing pieces are nearby and available to help restore this lacking bit in our hand.

People that we encounter in our lives are many times just like that conch shell bit that showed a mere glimpse of what it once was or could be.  When we may be slighted by someone we just met it can be so easy to take it personally.  However, if we paused for a moment and noticed the details, we might recognize that this person is unfortunately incomplete at the moment and has the potential to be whole and content–it’s just that at this time they’re very much just a piece of who they can be and therefore may come across with impatience, judgmental and other abrasive attitudes.

Whenever I find these phantom shells with edges broken and jagged, I resist the urge to collect them and instead toss them back into the breaking surf.  I know I’ll find a complete shell like it one day and even if that day never comes I believe that they exist and that gives me hope.

R.S.V.B.

 

Jesus Christ Had It Right: Be Like Our Children

“But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it'” –Luke 18:16-17

This particular New Testament Bible passage has always fascinated me–especially when I was a Greek Orthodox girl in an elementary Roman Catholic school where the nuns outnumbered the lay teachers.  I didn’t understand or know many of Christ’s teachings during those years but that one stuck with me because it told me that Christ loved us kids no matter how noisy and unruly we could be.

Taking this thought a step further, this passage came to my mind again in recent weeks as I’ve had the honor to witness my youngest child take his first steps and continue at an unbelievable pace.  My son is almost a year old and the progress he makes on a daily basis makes me feel like as busy as we adults can be, it doesn’t seem we’re making the same advancement as this little guy.  He greets each day with an awe-inspiring smile in the morning, ready to receive whatever the adventures du jour are.

So in simple framework exegesis, we can agree that this short passage alludes to the impatience and annoyance that Christ’s inner circle initially felt at people crowding him with their babies and children beckoning for touch/acceptance/blessing.  They tried to shoo them away and Jesus immediately “rebuked” them and then called the young to him directly while declaring that it should be understood that we must try to be like our children in order accept the gift of the kingdom of God.

While in church with my children, I must remind myself to not get trapped by the concerns of sticking to the current status quo in regards to how well we sit, stand and whatever other physical ritual we have in our worship time.  What is most important for our children to know and understand?  That they are loved and accepted.  That they are desired and destined for greatness in their individual development.  That love is God’s gift to us all and we are able to receive it and share it.

These restless and tiresome years with the little ones are so fleeting and one day they’ll have more challenges than we’d care for them to have to encounter.  However, we can learn from them right now how to accept that there is nothing we can do to earn or win the love of God.  It just Is.  Love without fear, doubt or rejection–let’s be like a little child with the kingdom of God at our fingertips.

R.V.S.B.

Naked Run

Tonight I ran naked. To be specific: without any sort of electronic technology on my person. I ran away from the ipod playlists that I usually end up skipping through to find the current song of my heart.  My hands were free from taking turns holding my Blackberry phone that I’d try to peek at to see if I missed a call, text or email from anybody.

As I ran through the dark streets of the neighborhood that I reside in, I could hear everything including the crickets screaming out in their respective songs.  No moon in the sky and so I could make out many stars sparkling.  I felt the cool evening air filling my tired lungs, my skin and muscles tightening and relaxing as I tried to find my run’s rhythm pace.

It’s been so long since I ran free like this-alone and quiet-and yet so rich in the experience of the run itself. The human body in its most free mode of land-locked flight. No one could reach me and my heart soared in the raw feeling of this temporary escape.

By the end of my run I felt refreshed even though my physical heart was thundering in my ears, my thighs weak with the weight of soreness throughout.  I felt the breeze in my scalp like a gentle massage helping any troubles from the day tumble away. My heart within was singing its own song rendition.

I advocate this type of running.  To each his or her own of course.  However, if you can’t remember the last time you ran unfettered from wires and wireless signals, I recommend you try it once in a while as a detox for your body and spirit.

RVSB

Four More Years? Yes, He Can! Repeat Post: From January 28, 2011

NOTE: I was just reviewing some of my files and came across this post from last year.  I feel it still hold true even though President Obama has yet to deliver his State of the Union address for 2012. Enjoy!

Four More Years: Yes,  He Can!

We can acknowledge that history repeats itself in our human society here on Earth.  Those who weave a successful future usually have studied history well and focused on what worked well so that they can ensure a positive outcome in their own lives.  Enter here: President Barack Obama.  This man has played the cards of political fate with such precision that he is securing his legacy as our POTUS (President of the United States) and tenure for four more years until 2016.

I was unable to watch his State of the Union address earlier this week but was able to read the transcript.  You can go to this link for its entirety in text form: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/stateoftheunion2011.htm

Whatever your political bend is, you must realize and note that President Obama is effectively taking a page out of President Reagan’s playbook of how-to when the Executive Branch no longer holds dominance on Capitol Hill.  House Speaker John Boehner will be Mr. Obama’s Tip O’Neill.

As the media mix of cable networks, radio and freelancers that blog like myself churn away with our opinions and rebuttals, the fact remains that the American people overall only care to cling to a positive, unifying message.  The mad cocktail-gone-bad that has been our economy for the past several years has left many in our nation overall depressed and disillusioned about what’s ahead.  This has helped to spark more passion in our political parties—so much so that we had a change in power in the House of Representatives was quickly reversed this past fall after the Democrats had it only since the infamous fall of the GOP in mid-term elections 2006.

I noticed that President Obama’s tone of rhetoric changed shortly after the mid-cycle elections, perhaps he was grounded by the returns that election night or maybe he just understood that it was now his time to truly shine as a leader despite what the balance of powers was between the Executive and Legislative branch.  For those watching closely, Mr. Obama did ram through a few costly and liberal-themed things immediately after becoming our current POTUS.  This was a smart calculation as he was able to establish some items before there were any repercussions from either Democrats or Republicans.

Further, by weathering the political upheaval this past fall with a tactful concession, he is able to cover over any long-standing effects that will be due to his decisions since he was sworn in.  In part, by applauding and accepting that American wanted to be heard, he has encouraged us to look forward to trying to change our current predicament of a slump economy in need of jobs and debt removal.

His State of the Union address this week speaks directly to all of us Americans who are choosing to ignore the Wall Street hyper-talk and economic rumblings of demise.  He is able to capitalize on the recent Tucson, Arizona shootings tragedy in a positive manner by rallying the nation to embrace what we ought to strive for as one of the major world powers.

I offer these lines from President Ronald Reagan’s first State of the Union address to the nation on January 26, 1982 : “A year ago, Americans’ faith in their governmental process was steadily declining. Six out of 10 Americans were saying they were pessimistic about their future. A new kind of defeatism was heard. Some said our domestic problems were uncontrollable, that we had to learn to live with this seemingly endless cycle of high inflation and high unemployment. There were also pessimistic predictions about the relationship between our administration and this Congress. It was said we could never work together. Well, those predictions were wrong. The record is clear, and I believe that history will remember this as an era of American renewal, remember this administration as an administration of change, and remember this Congress as a Congress of destiny.”Read more: State of the Union Address: Ronald Reagan (January 26, 1982) — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/t/hist/state-of-the-union/195.html#ixzz1CIwQgnAS

Couple those words with our current Commander-in-Chief: “What comes of this moment is up to us. What comes of this moment will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight, but whether we can work together tomorrow.  I believe we can. I believe we must. That’s what the people who sent us here expect of us. With their votes, they’ve determined that governing will now be a shared responsibility between parties.  New laws will only pass with support from Democrats and Republicans.  We will move forward together, or not at all – for the challenges we face are bigger than party, and bigger than politics.”

Amazing isn’t it? Not much has changed but that is to our advantage because it means we always can choose whether to tackle our future or not.  President Barack Obama is a great example of a man who although has faults and maybe even some fraudulence to his character, he embraces what has worked throughout the centuries—a positive message repeated in simple terms will often mobilize the masses to accomplish great things.

God Bless America.

RVSB