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Shifting Gears


I have fallen into bad habits. It began in late June with the passing of my 65th birthday. We over indulged in food and drink. This indulgence has continued through the summer where I have continued to consume while producing little in the way of physical activity.


In my self-analysis, as I proclaim myself custodian of physical and mental healing, I feel I have needed aid in dealing with the external world internalized. Earlier in the spring, I made progress with self-discipline and moderation. I practiced meditation regularly. I rode my bike, I hiked, but an ankle sprain sidelined me for most of March and all of April and May. The slothful side of my nature came to dominate to the point that I no longer practiced any of the activity, even non-physical activity such as writing in my journal, which had been the core of productivity in my recent life.


A lot of that meditation centered on shutting out world events and American politics. Is there nothing I can do to combat the bold-faced lies? Nothing except stand by the truth as it occurs for me. I speak my truth and let others judge for themselves.


“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts,” said Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, a woman who no doubt saw a very different landscape than we observe today. (Or did she?) One desperately struggling with social and moral issues of a great economic depression and the threat of Fascism.


During that “dust bowl” era, mankind had altered our natural North American environment to a horrific and disastrous detrimental effect. (Sound familiar?) Over-planting depleted the soil of nutrients and vast swaths of once fertile and productive land became barren. The soil became dust and began to blow into great drifts. Economic depression facilitated a rise in nationalism and ultimately Fascism. Those were hard times in America, the America of my parents in their childhood. They struggled in life so I would not have to bear that burden of want.


Perhaps this is the dilemma we face today. Do we have too much? Do we have it so good that we are about to mess it up royally? There seem to be those who think they know what is good for everyone, but they are really only looking out for themselves. It never ceases to amaze me that just because you disdain and belittle people you can believe you have accomplished anything. Without helping one another we can do nothing.


As classes start at ECU and summer comes to a bizarre close weather-wise, a new regimen begins One which will hopefully promote a return to more consistent writing.


My return to self-examination has led to this conclusion: I feel skinny when I am hungry.


Om, shanti, Om

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1 Comment


Allan DiBiase
Allan DiBiase
Aug 29, 2023

All these things come and go.

Including fat which mostly comes and doesn't go.

But then, you never know.


Being 10 years your senior all I can say is that the time left can be a focusing aide. What mattered for most of our lives now assumes a different optic. Despite a life-long commitment to the necessity of meditation, things become more clarified, that is, if one lets them. Put differently, in order for things to keep coming one has to let some others go. This is settling.

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