Category: Inspiration

The Beliefs we wear, are like the Clothes we wear

All the reasons we wear clothes can be applied to “beliefs” and sometimes we wear those beliefs on our sleeve.

We wear clothes to protect us from the rain, the sun and the cold. There are different clothes for weddings, funerals, the beach, going into space, going to the depths of the sea or to the tops of mountains.

There are special clothes for the bedroom and for dealing with mosquitoes.

Lawyers, priests, cowboys, ladies of the night, and sports teams all wear special clothes.

Clothes have artistic and symbolic meanings. We use body piercings, tattoos, head scarfs, masks, see-through clothes and peacock hats. All of these adornments have meaning, no meaning, or even meanings we are oblivious too.

Beliefs similarly are rampant with ritual, but they add levels of importance that cannot be supported logically.

When our clothes wear out, no longer fit, or result in wardrobe malfunction, we adjust accordingly after hopefully avoiding too much embarrassment. We wear clothes because we are required to per social norms–but with that we are firmly in the grasp of belief, even if you lived through the 60’s.

Ask a child to let go of their cherished security blanket after it finally dies in the washer. IT IS ONLY A BLANKET!

But it is a blanket with power to make the universe OK.

War, prejudice, social intolerance and greed are the result of being in denial about how our clothes no longer fit.

The whole world could use a change of clothes—or at the very least, not take their beliefs as seriously as their clothes.

There is tremendous amounts of blood, sweat and tears to wash out.

Charles Buell

Let’s Shoot the First Amendment

Sometimes people simply are Vulnerable and this is self-evident.

Sometimes given the huge Diversity of our population, and of the world, certain groups of people can benefit from Entitlement programs due to the entitlement claimed by others as the result of luck, greed, arrogance, or ignorance.

It is interesting that those that do not have to deal with being transgendered think they have the right to deny it even exists–this is a hide-your-head-in-sand approach to life.

We were all fetuses at one point in our lives, this is both Evidence-based and Science-based.

Are we seriously going to stand by, with our heads in a dark place, while the roots of the Second World War or McCarthyism get played out all over again?

Banning the CDC from using the above highlighted words should be an affront to all Americans.

Remember when even Catcher in the Rye was banned?

The heck with the Second Amendment, this is a direct assault on the First Amendment–perhaps the First Amendment will get shot by the Second Amendment.

Charles Buell

Heads in the Sand

As Americans, as human beings, it is essential we stand when necessary, kneel when necessary and even crawl when necessary.

When we stand when we should kneel, or kneel when we should stand, or crawl when standing and walking would have been better, is a great way to fail as a human being and as an American.

When we fail to allow those around us to act as their conscience dictates–that is the most un-American thing of all.

There is one other position that is worse than making a mess of the other choices, and that is keeping our heads in the sand.

Charles Buell

NOTHING HAPPENS!

Whatever is going on with this question about statues, likely has nothing to do with the actual statues or the people immortalized by them.

Whether the statues are of horses asses (and lots of them have horses in them) or of persons deemed worthy of being revered, they are all mostly stone, steel, brass or other materials longer lasting than the people could ever be themselves.

I personally cannot imagine wanting a statue of Mussolini or Rommel in my back yard, but having such a statue in itself means no more than the meaning we place on it.

If these objects incite persons to do bad things, there are laws in place to punish those scofflaws.

Statues can be reminders of how great the persons were or what crooks or horses’ asses they were.  Most probably do both things–depending on the viewer.

Regardless of who the statue portrays, not a single one is likely without sin, and birds shit on them all indiscriminately as they stand in the hot sun, rain, sleet and snow.

We should all be as birds and not take them so seriously.

The stories people create around statues is both an opportunity for discovery and awareness, but they can also exacerbate discord as they bump up against other people’s stories.

It is the stories that are the problem, not the statues.

History can teach, but only if we are willing to be students.

Guess what happens when you walk by a statue and ignore it?

Nothing happens.

Sometimes it is important to ignore ignorant people as well.

 

Charles Buell

Merry Every Thing!

While Christianity has “renamed” the season to suit its own purposes, the Winter Season truly is the “Season for All Humanity” regardless of religion. In many cases, in spite of religion.

Of course the fact “Christmas” includes Christ’s name, it is only logical the celebration of his birth would be deemed “Christmas.”  However most scholars agree it is highly unlikely Jesus was actually born on December 25–or even in the winter.

A more likely reason for the choice of that day for his birth was for a struggling upstart religious movement to usurp pagan seasonal rituals popular at the time.  If the coat tails are already in place, why not use them?

Contrary to popular belief (in predominately Christian parts of the world) the season is not “owned” by Christians. While some call their holiday “Christmas,” other holidays chosen by most of the rest of the world have equally valid names.  Names like, the Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanzaa and a many others.

In that sense, “Happy Holidays” could be considered the most “inclusive” of terms and more imperative to a world in desperate need of “anything” that helps us see how we are all on this planet together.

I am sure all the various holidays that have sprung up at this time of year have had an element of just “getting-me-through-the-night.” The longer nights and shorter days must have been quite an ordeal for people just trying to survive.  Add to that a bit of superstition, lack of education, and tyrannical special interests and you have the perfect recipe for the season becoming magical.

It is interesting that the only persons who seem to get their Christmas stockings all in a bunch about NOT calling the season the “Christmas Season” or saying “Merry Christmas” are Christians.  It is totally fine for them to call it Christmas and say Merry Christmas if they choose, just as it is fine for the rest of the world do not do so if they choose.

I am quite OK with our government’s tip-toeing around the words used related to the Holidays.  It is important that our government be for all of us–regardless our personal beliefs.

The various ways people choose to celebrate this change of seasons and entry into a New Year, is, and should be, as varied as the number of people there are to celebrate it.

If you find yourself among the 32% of the world’s population who identify themselves as “Christian,” and who insists “Merry Christmas” is the only correct way to say it, the remaining 68% of the world still manages to merrily and happily find their way into the New Year regardless.

Whether one says Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings–or Nothing at All—it is ALL good!

I kind of like the sign I saw in a store window the other day that said: “Merry Every Thing!”

So, “MERRY EVERY THING EVERY ONE!”

Charles Buell