Bob Curtis - Author

Indelible Memory

2010-05-27T03:40:00.001-07:00

A blaze of glory.
That’s the only adequate description of the sunrise this morning.
It was just after 6 am. The sun was peeking beneath the low lying cloud level, creating brilliant arrays of red, orange, and yellow that reflected off the billowy softness of the densely clouded sky.
And, as always, the piercing brilliance of the beauty of the moment quickly passes as the sun continued its relentless ascent into the morning sky, leaving but the indelible memory etched forever in the warmth of my soul.

Goslings

2010-05-27T03:39:00.001-07:00

The innocence of Nature once again is seen in furry little tufted balls with beaks, young goslings precariously perched upon stilted legs.
Their amber down glistens in the soft rays of the morning sun rising. Father and Mother Goose keep a watchful eye on the little goslings as they amble about foraging for their breakfast near the bank of a babbling brook.

Present Occupation

2010-04-21T04:41:00.000-07:00

I have been working at my present occupation for nearly thirty five years. During that time my work schedule has been all over the proverbial 24/7 map. I am currently working from about 4 am until 3 pm, five days a week.
Out of the more than nine hundred co-workers in my company, I am currently number two in seniority.
Truth is, when I first hired on in my present position, I told my co-workers that I would only be here until I found a “real job”. Thirty five years later I am still actually looking.
This job is not what I had envisioned I would be doing for my entire working life. It is not the occupation I would have consciously selected in the beginning.
It has had a few upsides. I have a couple of friends whom I met along the way. I have had opportunity to write (as I am now doing on my breaks) and publish a number of things, including a fantasy fiction novel. I have not been “chained” to a desk inside an artificially lit room.
A couple of friends, years ago, chose to attend Law School. One became pigeon-holed in a particular expertise of law that was needed in his father’s law firm. The other became exceedingly proficient at his field of legal defense, winning nearly all cases that crossed his desk. But he is not happy. He hates the confrontational nature of aggressive legal defense, and were it not for the “paycheck” and associated benefits of being a lawyer, including the lifestyle of the successful, he would leave it all and engage himself in some field of humanitarian work in society.
They both “chose” their occupations.
In reality, I “chose” mine, as well… because I have not “chosen” to choose otherwise during all these years. Like it or not… I have exactly what I have chosen.
And so do you.
If you don’t like it… then choose to choose again.
It can be done… and it’s really just that simple.

The Essence of Being

2010-04-14T04:31:00.000-07:00

I sense within me exactly what my challenges are. They just appear to elude my pen in being able to put them on paper into a tangible, confront able form. I get awfully close from time to time… but never quite right on the mark.
There are just certain feelings… sensations… internal truths… that are never quite definable in the three dimensional world. The existence of the fourth dimension in reference to emotions and desires is never quite quantifiable to the human mind. It exists mainly in the deepest and most precious regions of the love of the heart.
To know it… one must feel it. To understand it… one must receive it and treasure it in ones immortal soul.
It is a physical, ethereal evidence of the existence of Love, itself.
It is the essence of “Being”, manifested in the eternal “Now”.

Political Change

2010-03-25T03:51:00.001-07:00

I attended our local political caucus meeting last Tuesday night. In the past, our little precinct has gathered 6 or 7 individuals to the meeting. That night there were 21 in attendance. It was a similar phenomenon at all of the precinct caucus meetings in our district.
I believe “the government”, as now constituted, has finally managed to awaken the “sleeping giant” – We The People – at its most potent level: “the grass roots”.
Change is definitely in the air and is about to become a reality.
I believe incumbents of both parties should be concerned.
It’s time to return to our Constitutional values and remove the mire of socially toxic waste created by the perennial professional politicians who have intentionally endangered our futures.

Soulmates and Heartmates

2010-03-23T03:58:00.000-07:00

A soulmate is a friend with whom you find a natural affinity of togetherness. You act on similar impulses. You finish one another’s sentences. You are comfortable together with engaging conversation or communing silence. You are friends always… regardless if you see each other daily or only once in a great while. You always reconnect as if there had been no significant distance of time or space between you.
A heartmate is a soulmate with a deeper commitment of love. It is a friendship wherein you feel the very heart strings of your soul are tenderly knit together into one tapestry of honor and companionship. It is a friendship of vulnerable honesty and innocent intimacy. It is a friendship that transcends the limits of mortality. Your hearts beat as one, consciously aware of the Moment and living the intent of Namaste’.

Heartbeat

2010-03-08T04:25:00.000-08:00

Everyone is so different.
It is nearly an expression of vanity to actually believe one could offer advice and consultation on life’s challenges that could be of value to everyone who should happen to read it.
There are too many personalities. Too many needs. Too many individuals.
But perhaps we may be able to touch a few. If only even a few could be lifted and spared some of life’s challenges and disappointments… wouldn’t it be worth the effort?
We may not save them all. But perhaps we can save a few.
Close your eyes. Listen to the beating of your own heart. Concentrate and listen as it becomes more clear and consistent. Do you hear the quiet echoes all around you? It isn’t the echo of your own heart. It is the rhythmic symphony of the varying and consistent beating of the hearts of your family… your friends… your neighbors… and the world. Listen to the crescendos and decrescendos of intensity that are tied to both happiness and sorrow. Listen to the heartbeats of mankind, now intermingled with all of Nature and Mother Earth. It is not deafening… it is the symphony of Life, powered by Love and syncopated with pain and disappointment.
Listen to the music of all creation and know you are a part… a player… a meaningful contributor. Open up your heart.
You are needed.
You are loved.
You are… unique.

Proverbial Friday

2010-02-26T03:36:00.000-08:00

Today is Friday.
Proverbial Friday.
The day of the week we all look forward to regardless of what day our actual “Friday” falls upon.
We all love Friday. It gives us time off for rest and relaxation from our weekly grind of work and other responsibilities. It gives us time to recover somewhat before we have to do it again!
Why do we put all of our eggs in one basket?
A couple of days ago my spouse suggested that we have a “mini” Friday every day.
Think about it.
Isn’t Friday a celebration, of sorts, of “freedom”? Should we not be joyful and celebrate our “freedoms” every day?
Even if it is nothing more than just a pause in our busy schedules to acknowledge and reverence the moment for what it is: that joy comes in fully realizing and honoring the moment we are in… for it is the only moment we really have.
Namaste’.

The Writer's Ultimate Goal

2010-02-23T03:50:00.000-08:00

The writer’s ultimate goal is not necessarily producing the perfect story or poem. There are always flaws in everything written, regardless of the number of times it is rewritten.
The writer’s ultimate goal is to pen the perfect phrase. The phrase that deeply and completely conveys the thought with such absolute perfection that it is completely understood by everyone who should ever read it. A phrase that conveys the emotion and sensitivity that settles into the very marrow of the bones with the feeling that its “just right”, or explains the feeling inside the heart of anyone experiencing it. Phrases that will outlive the one who pens it.
So I keep writing… searching for that perfect phrasing. Enjoying the awareness of each and every moment of my quest!

The Inconvenience of Honor

2010-02-17T03:58:00.000-08:00

I have discovered absolutely that we as human beings become seasoned with age and experienced in the cauldron of life. The flavor improves and becomes sweeter and more satisfying with the gathering of insightful moments.
In my case, one such insightful moment, or experience, came to me as I learned the meaning of “honor”, and its inherent importance in our lives.

The dictionary definition of honor includes the following: High respect; esteem. Principled uprightness of character. Personal integrity. Moral or ethical strength. Steadfast adherence to moral code and principles. Honesty, sincerity, truthfulness, excellence.

Some quotations on the subject of “honor”:
“Honor isn’t about making right choices. It’s about dealing with the consequences of our choices.”
“Honor is the inner garment of the soul. The first thing put on by it in the flesh and the last it lays down at its separation from it.”
“As soon as you honor the present moment, life begins to flow with joy and ease. When you act out the present moment awareness, whatever you do becomes imbued with a sense of quality, care, and love – even the most simple actions.”
“A man has honor if he holds himself to an ideal of conduct though it is inconvenient to do so.”

We have core beliefs deep inside that we must honor. Core beliefs we have chosen, resonating deep within our soul that define who we are as individuals. These are refined as we go through life… but they do not change. The refining process is the fascination, the joy, and the hell of life.
There are no valid whims of the moment or flavors of the month in relationships. True love is only fully realized and experienced in committed, long-term relationships.
Someone once proposed the alternative, “To love, honor, and cherish… until I change my mind.” But where there is no commitment, there is no honor. It is a childish and irresponsible approach to life that leaves the door open to refuse to accept responsibility and the consequences for one’s choices and actions. The sad truth is that natural law does exact consequences.
It always does.
It always will.
Do not fall victim to the “lie”.
Living “in the moment” still requires living honestly and responsibly.
Of course, there are no guarantees in life. That is a “given”. But you can commit to being your own best self for each other, and share the desire to strive for “oneness” to the best of your ability.
You will not find true happiness any other way.
Decide to live the definition of “Namaste”, which is to honor the devine within the one you love. Honor the place within them that is light, truth, love, and peace. Because if they are there and you are there, you will be “One”.

Miracle of Nature

2010-02-12T03:36:00.000-08:00

The great blue herons nested again this past year, not too far from Wanship, Utah. There are a number of extremely tall trees not far from the banks of the Weber River. For many bird generations the herons have returned to this area to nest, hatch, feed and fledge their young.
As a nesting site, it is their home.
Someone shared this secret… this miracle of nature in 2007. We watched the feeding and the fledging of the young, brave herons. It was as spectacular as a symphony. It was beautiful poetry in motion. It touched our hearts and filled our souls.
In 2008, I returned with my wife for a reprise of this miracle in action. We watched for more than an hour as the parents cared for their young. We returned home warmed and filled.
This year it was different.
This year I did not go to view the miracle. I was not a silent witness and participant in this annual miracle of nature symphony.
Give whatever reason… share whatever excuse. I just did not go.
“Why not?” you ask.
“Things” were more important than witnessing the miracle. I was too caught up in the drama of life to remember to be in the moment with the true values of living. I did not see the forest… or the trees… or the herons.
I almost feel as if I missed the birth of my own child… and it has been taken from me, unnamed… forever.
I cannot explain why this connection with nature has become so important to me. Perhaps a few things:
I am the grandson of a Lakota Sioux grandfather. He maintained his connection with nature and understood his part in it. I was fully awakened to this connection just two years ago.
I have been introduced to the concept of “living in the moment”, and have been encouraged to both understand it and live it.
I have regained some of the child-like innocence of youth… the innocence of wonder and beauty of nature. I do not want to lose it again. It was so long in returning and I feel it slipping through my fingers like the pure waters of a cool mountain stream.
I do not want to lose it again.
I must consciously return to the store of knowledge and sit at the feet of the master once more.
I must not only learn, but do.
I must not only do… but believe.

(Note: The picture is of a snowy egret... not a great blue heron.)

The Best Solution for World Peace

2010-01-22T04:28:00.001-08:00

Probably one of the most frequently referred to topics in human history is that of “World Peace”.
Believe it or not, it is doable.
But it will not be easy.
There are two major blocks to World Peace: (1) Greed, and (2) Intolerance. A daunting pair of challenges, is it not?
But the solutions, though challenging to implement, are actually simple and elementary in concept.
First, the topic of “intolerance”.
Every human being has the inherent right to believe what they honestly feel in their own heart is correct. We can not for the philosophy of one upon another. We have the right to worship our understanding of God and must allow all others the same privilege. This inherent right must be held sacred by all. We may share, discuss, and debate, but we can not force our lines of philosophical reasoning upon another.
We are all created “equal”, and should respect all others for their own inherent capabilities.

Now the topic of “greed”.
A question I would ask to open this topic would be the following: Why is it that some people have a need to “possess” more than someone else? Having “more” of something does not make someone a better person. It can become a manifestation of heir greed… “I want it because it’s mine!”
Sounds childish, doesn’t it?
What is the point of accumulating “things”, just for the sake of accumulating? Does the person who dies with the most “things” win? Win what? You can’t take any of it with you when you die.
So… to the point.
I propose a total dissolution of all monetary and valuation systems. Eliminate all money. Close all banks and related financial institutions permanently. You can no longer “buy” anything.
If you need food, you walk into the grocery store, fill up the cart, go through the checkout and have the items scanned (for inventory stock control purposes) and bagged. That’s it. You now have all the food you need. And here’s the point: we need the integrity to only pick up what we will use.
Car broken down? Get it fixed. No cost. Car not fixable? Get a new car. No monthly payments. Same with furniture, hardware, tools, gasoline, etc. We just go and get what we need.
In return, we all work an honest day’s labor. We get vacation times off, and have holidays throughout the year. But we all put in our best for the best possible products and services. We can now train for and choose our occupations, not based on how much schooling we can afford, but how well we can learn and do.
There will be no more lawyers, however.
Sorry.
Law enforcement will be obsolete.
There will still be a need for firemen, however. After all… accidents do happen.
Retirement will no longer be a mandatory event, but rather an anticipated eventuality. People could continue to contribute to society in meaningful ways for as long as they choose to do so. It would mean the return of the “wise” man and “wise” woman… the sages of society. Something that has been sorely missed for centuries, now.
Everyone would have purposeful meaning and sufficient for their daily needs.
What a concept!
People would work with pride in their craftsmanship, regardless of their chosen occupations. There would be satisfaction in the workplace and peace in the world.
Resources would be utilized to their fullest potential and conservation of the environment would be carefully observed.
Happiness would reign supreme.
So… what’s wrong with that?
But it must begin somewhere. Who will have the fortitude to begin the renaissance?

Memories

2010-01-19T04:18:00.000-08:00

Friday evening my wife and I were in a clothing shop, and while she was trying on new things I was sitting outside the dressing room by the 3 – way mirrors, listening to the music from the overhead speakers.
I was brought suddenly and tenderly to the “moment”, as the strains from a song began… one which I hadn’t heard for years… one which had become a personal favorite soon after I had first met my wife-to-be.
My mind was flooded with memories from the past… sweet memories of companionship, sharing, and happiness. Memories that gently reminded me of why I had married my wife… and why I loved her.
Memories that I had needed to be reminded of.
I was suddenly filled with joy and peace, as the tears spilled over and down my warm cheeks.

Hearts That Have Loved

2010-01-13T03:52:00.000-08:00

According to the experts, it can take sometime between two and three months to overcome the effects of an ended romantic relationship. Six months at most for the very deep, intense and physical ones.
But what do the “experts” know? Sometimes there seems to be such a cold analysis performed by the “experts” that completely misses the human aspect of the relationships that are challenged and are searching for answers to their quandaries.
I personally know of one individual who is just now beginning to emerge from the black abyss of extreme mourning and sense of loss from an ended relationship… one that ended over twenty five months ago!!
It was as though his female friend… his “heart mate”… had passed away.
Some people form attachments to others that run deep in their soul. It goes beyond togetherness, stretching its woven threads through the heart and soul of the other individual, creating a tapestry of oneness that almost becomes inseparable. Indeed, the process of dividing them would be tantamount to the surgical separation of “Siamese” twins. Particularly so when neither party really wishes to leave the other, but end up doing so because “separation” seems to be the only solution to their “togetherness” dilemmas, whatever they are perceived to be.
But regardless of the reasons, the agony they have struggled with is not diminished by their parting of ways. And it will take a long time… an awfully long time… for tears to end and hearts to mend. It all depends on the tenderness, innocence, and vulnerability of the hearts that have loved….

"Without God", a compliation by Robert Curtis of excerpts from speaches given by others

2010-01-12T04:05:00.000-08:00

Without God, life would end at the grave and our mortal experiences would have no purpose. Growth and progress would be temporary, accomplishment without value, challenges without meaning. There would be no ultimate right and wrong and no moral responsibility to care for one another as fellow children of God.
Some people may be surprised to learn that we look like God. One prominent religious scholar has even taught that imagining God in the form of man is creating a graven image and is idolatrous and blasphemous. But God Himself said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”
“The natural man recieveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
We must yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and become as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, and full of love.
“The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.”
You may already know, deep in your soul, that God lives. You may not know all about Him yet and do not understand all His ways, but the light of belief is within you, waiting to be awakened and intensified by the Spirit of God and the Light of Christ, which you are born with.

Viewing life without the prospect of immortality can diminish not only hope but also the sense of personal accountability.
Granted, the human scene includes many individuals who go decently about life’s labors, untouched by or unexpressive of deep religious feelings, but who, nevertheless, draw unknowingly upon the “Light of Christ”, which to a degree lights every individual. Commendably, other individuals have openly acknowledged spiritual intimations which sustain them.
Nevertheless, because proximate hopes are so vulnerable to irony and the unexpected, there is an increasing and profound sense of existential despair in the world.
There is so much unsettlement and divisiveness.
Individuals and nations will continue to chose what they want, but they cannot alter the ultimate consequences of what they want.
Real hope keeps us “anxiously engaged” in good causes even when these appear to be losing causes on the moral scoreboard. Likewise, real hope is much more than wishful musing. It stiffens, not slackens, the spiritual spine. Hope is serene, not giddy, eager without being naïve.
Hope is realistic anticipation which takes the form of determination – not only to survive adversity but, moreover, to endure well to the end.
Hope stands quietly at funerals. Our tears are just as wet, but not because of despair. Rather, they are tears of heightened appreciation evoked by poignant separation. Those tears of separation change, ere long, becoming tears of glorious anticipation.
Real hope inspires quiet sincere service.
Because God wants us to come home after having become more like Him and His Son, part of this developmental process, of necessity, consists of showing unto us our weaknesses. Hence, if we have ultimate hope we will be submissive, because, with His help, those weaknesses can even become strengths.
It is not an easy thing, however, to be shown one’s weaknesses.
By pressing forward hopefully, we can, repeatedly and joyfully, stand on what was yesterday’s distant horizon, thereby drawing even further hope from our very own experiences.
Granted, those with true hope still see their personal circumstances shaken at times – like a kaleidoscope. Yet with the eye of faith, even in their changed, proximate circumstances, they still see divine design.
The truly hopeful, for instance, work amid surrounding decay.
We may not be able to fix the whole world, but we can strive to fix what may be amiss in our own lives. Tolkien reminds us, “It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule.” (The Return of the King, 1965)
Whatever our particular furrow, we can, in Paul’s words, “plow in hope”, not looking back, and refusing to let yesterday hold tomorrow hostage.
Genuine, ultimate hope helps us to be more loving. We are more holy, more courteous and patient in a coarsening and curt world, and to be of strong hearts even when the hearts of others fail them.
Hope can be contagious.
Opportunities for helping others who have lost hope may be no further away than in our own extended family and friends, a discouraged neighbor next door, or someone just around the corner.
Likewise, a simple conversation can impart hope.
Therefore, being blessed with hope ourselves, let us reach out to those who, for whatever reason, have moved away from hope.

Cultivate a diligent desire to know that God lives.
This desire leads us to ponder on the things of heaven – to let the evidence of God all around us touch our hearts.
With softened hearts we are prepared to heed the Savior’s call to “search the scriptures” and to humbly learn from them.
We are then ready to ask our Heavenly Father sincerely, in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, if the things we have learned are true.
The still, small promptings of the Spirit – the thoughts and feelings that the Holy Ghost brings into our minds and hearts – will give us an undeniable knowledge that He lives and that He loves us.
Gaining this knowledge is ultimately the quest of all God’s children on the earth. If you cannot remember believing in God or if you have ceased to believe or if you believe but without real conviction, I invite you to seek a testimony of God now.
With your own testimony of God, you will be able to bless your family, your posterity, your friends, your own life – all those you love. Your personal knowledge of God is not only the greatest gift you will ever give, but it will bring you the greatest joy you will ever have.
If you seek Him in all humility, sincerity, and diligence, you will know with a surety too. Your witness will come. And the blessings of knowing God will be yours and your family’s forever.

(The preceding is a compilation of excerpts from “Seeking to Know God, Our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ”, by Elder Robert D. Hales, October 2009 General Conference, and “Hope Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ”, by Elder Neal A. Maxwell, October 1998 General Conference.)

Do We "Settle For" or Reach for More?

2010-01-05T04:11:00.000-08:00

I’ve never had an “occupation”… I’ve only had a “job” for my entire life.
But I don’t suppose I need to feel too special about that. I’m only included in the 97% of all working individuals who have jobs… because that is all we ever know for our entire working lifetime.
Most people spend their entire lifetime working at jobs they’d really rather not be doing. Most people never find their elusive, desired occupation. Most people never fully discover their own potential capabilities that they could contribute to this world in a meaningful way. Most people “settle for” so much less because it is convenient… and available… never reaching beyond their own self-imposed limitations that they might find joy in their journey of mortality.
So many are afraid of failure… and success. It’s just so much easier to settle for what is at hand rather than searching the horizon of possibilities and potential for what could be.
Yet how much more could we be… if we just believe and try?
It’s never too late.
We will never know unless we do.

Deep Conversation

2009-12-23T04:01:00.000-08:00

What is “deep conversation”?
It is probably something unique to the individuals engaged in it. But the most common factor through each one is that for everyone involved it is engaging.
Deep conversation goes beyond the typical discussion. It requires full and complete attention to the “moment”. It requires all the faculties of thought, inquiry, analysis, organization and response.
I suppose that sounds difficult… and yet it is not. It only requires the natural flow of the sincere heart and mind as it engages in subjects that matter most.
Simply put, deep conversation transcends the atypical talk of the average, ordinary day. It delves into the realms of inquiry and opinion that are often considered to be the nucleus, the embryo, the creation of philosophical genius. It is the learning and debate of theories which embody personal analysis and opinion of things above the earth and beneath the earth. Our Universe, countries and kingdoms, and the laws that govern them. Darkness and Light, in all their manifestations.
It is an unparalleled journey of discovery that lifts the soul and encourages the sincere seeker of truths to stretch beyond their limitations for further understanding.
It is a meeting of minds. A melding with the intelligence of the Universe. It is an experience of mental euphoria that will not soon be forgotten.
To participate in such an event one only needs to posses a sincere desire to “know”, and a willingness to be “in the Moment”.
It is the simple, natural process of child-like wonder and curiosity. An honest belief in the possibility of discovery.
It is simple.

Friends

2009-12-22T03:55:00.000-08:00

Everyone wants a friend.
Someone to “talk” to as a sounding board for life’s challenges and joys. Someone of similar likes and interests to hang out with from time to time. Someone who can vulnerably share and keep the deepest, darkest and most delightsome secrets of life.
Someone who cares.
Almost everyone has “casual aquaintence” friends. But the close friends, the soulmate kind that share the most personal and intimate dreams of the heart are like “gold”. They are few and far between.
Everyone’s personality attracts friends of a similar sort. But there are some of us who can not have “close” friends because we have the closest affinity with individuals of the opposite sex.
I am one of these.
I have been this way for as long as I can remember. The female gender has always been so much more fascinating to talk with and listen to. The depth of discussion that a woman can engage in is most satisfying and satiating. Women have the capability to dig deeper into the “heart” of any given matter, whether it be philosophy or fettuccini, laundry or litigation. I am always pleasantly uplifted after having interacted with a vivacious, intelligent woman.
Unfortunately, the “norms” of society as well as the hormonal synchronicity over time between a man and a woman, prevent a true friendly relationship from developing and deepening into a soulmate opportunity. No matter how hard we try, the physical aspects of friendship creep in, and we must choose to either end the friendship… or become lovers.
So I remain friends with those whom I would choose to have as “true” friends at a distance. But I don’t suppose I should be too hard on myself… because those we like will become those we love.
It is inevitable.

You Have Just Entered

2009-12-21T03:53:00.000-08:00

Have you ever passed through a period of your life where you have almost had to step outside yourself after it was over and assess the situation with… “Wow! Was that me?” It could have seemed so unlikely… so improbable… so very unusual. And yet… it happened.
It could have been something ethereal that gently lifted you away from the challenges of life into a state of euphoric nirvana.
It could have been one in which you were viciously plunged into the depths of an insidious hell of anguish, pain, and loss.
Or it could be both… simultaneously… leaving your heart shattered and your mind a tangled confusion of light, fear, and consequence.
You are left feeling almost incapacitated by the absolute numbness in the wake of the experience. You are constantly fatigued, distressed, tearful and angry at everything… and nothing.
Congratulations. You have just stepped into a twilight zone called the “Perfect Hell”. Only “time” will offer a soothing balm… but it will never fully heal.
In life, you see, being “happy” doesn’t just happen. It is a conscious decision we must choose… because of or in spite of… our experiences.

Relationships

2009-12-17T04:15:00.000-08:00

I love the sensation of intimate discussions with thoughtful, intelligent women. When I sit and converse with women of deep, vulnerable and innocent character, I feel an exchange of enthusiastic synergy that reverberates in synchronous rhythm with the beat of my own heart.
When a relationship with such an individual develops, we transcend the normal definitions of friendship to become “Soulmates”… individuals of a similar heart and mind.
In becoming Soulmates, one should realize that the relationship can continue to deepen and become what is known as “Heartmates”… lovers in the purest sense of the definition. This happens as the two individuals involved are able to make the commitments that necessarily come with this new level of the relationship.
To be Soulmates is truly divine.
To become Heartmates is a celestial achievement.
Hearts of Soulmates are closely entwined.
Hearts of Heartmates are eternally knit “as one”. Heartmates share the ultimate expressions of true love.

Enough is Enough

2009-12-11T04:03:00.000-08:00

When is “enough” enough?
How many of us out there persist in what we are doing only for fear that there would be nothing else to do?
How long do we continue in the employment of an organization that does not care whether we live or die… but are only concerned about the inconvenience it may cause if we called in “dead”?
What happened to the time when employers actually cared about their employees? A time when “labor contracts” weren’t necessary and the bosses sincerely worked out differences, and employees offered a full day’s work for an honest day’s pay.
Management and labor are so estranged from each other that they are easily discerned even in a darkened room merely by the rhetoric they utter.
A deep and widening chasm is developing between the “management” elite and the “untouchable” masses.
Does this not remind us of historical mistakes of the past?
When will everyone learn that all we really wish for is an opportunity to work joyfully in our occupation?
We can work together if we focus on people instead of percentages.
Lasting relationships are grown and nurtured in mutual compassion… not profitability.
At the end of the day nothing else really matters.

Fun Family Christmas Traditions

2009-12-08T03:45:00.000-08:00

Almost everyone has family traditions that are participated in every Christmas season.
I grew up with a number of fun traditions which have been carried over into my own little family.
For as far back as I can remember, I have gone out caroling to family and friends. There were nine children in my family, and Mom and Dad always took us out to sing carols just before Christmas.
My wife and I have carried on the tradition, adding our own grandchildren with our children, along with spouses and friends. Sometimes it can be quite the choir.
Mom liked to decorate the home, and we carry on that tradition. We have six times as many storage containers for our Christmas decorations as we do for any other holiday!
One of my favorite traditions that have been carried over from my childhood is the “mode” of opening gifts. Mom and Dad had us open gifts in age order, from the youngest to the oldest. Each one would open all of their gifts, one at a time, while the others watched. That way we could all see what each other had received, and the anticipation for our own turn would intensify as we waited!
I was the third oldest of the nine.
We now have our children and grand children over, and after a large breakfast, we separate the presents into piles according to our children’s birth order and the grandchildren open their presents with their parents.
There are also some traditions that we started with our own children.
We always light the Christmas Tree with at least sixteen strings of 100 light bulbs. It’s dazzling… but not blinding!
We have our traditional Christmas dinner on the day after Christmas. This way we do not conflict with any of the in-laws’ plans. At this dinner we present our children with a “family” gift… the same gift for all children… that has some significant meaning for all of us. It takes a bit of thoughtful consideration and advance planning… but they all seem to enjoy them!
Finally… my wife and I have made it a tradition to sing with our home town’s production of Handel’s “Messiah”. We sang with the very first production twenty five years ago, and have only missed a couple of times since then. I have even sung a bass solo in most of the performances over the years.
Traditions have always been an important part of our family life… and they can be for yours, as well.
The secret is to begin.
Why not start today?

Happy Birthday

2009-11-30T03:40:00.001-08:00

“Happy Birthday”… a greeting we receive with mixed emotions as we continue to advance in years.
But for most who offer the greeting, it is a sincere commentary to whom it is given.
We are happy that our friend and loved one has continued to be joyfully among us. We are grateful for their presence and influence in our lives.
We honestly wish them well and look forward to their continued being and conversation with us from day to day… even moment to moment.
We are better, as individuals, for their being with us.
So when we say “Happy Birthday” to someone special, we mean it sincerely… from the bottom of our heart.

Giving Thanks

2009-11-25T03:38:00.001-08:00

The act of giving thanks heals us.
It really does.
There is something mystical… almost magical… that happens when we offer genuine, sincere thanks for blessings that come in our lives.
Regardless of our own individual belief in God, the power that organizes the universe, God knows us and blesses us as we offer our thanks for those things we are so freely blessed with that we desire and need.
Sincere thanks opens this doorway for us, and heals our mind and heart as we realize God’s love for us, and that we are not alone in the universe.
It really does.
The act of giving thanks heals us.

An Awesome Quote

2009-11-23T03:48:00.000-08:00

This blog is all about relationships and ways to make them more important in your life. I just read a quote from a friend on Facebook which read, "Find someone that makes you smile and don't give up on them." When you think about it... it's a most important message to communicate to all whom we would befriend and love.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

Spirit of Christmas

2009-11-20T03:28:00.000-08:00

What is it that brings the spirit of Christmas to the forefront of our mind and heart?
Something magical happens with the hanging of lights and ornaments. The sharing of gifts. The singing of carols and the profound radiance within the heart as we reflect upon the memories of Christmases past.
There is a reason that we celebrate Christmas as a “season”… and not just a single day event. It is symbolic of our own choice to make a return trip to the purity and innocence of child-like happiness and sincere giving.
It is an individual thing… a human thing. It is meaningful to each of us in our own individual way.
Elements of the Holidays build within us sweet reminiscence. For some it is the gathering of family and friends. For others it is the opportunity to share personal gifts and talents.
For me, the Christmas Season begins with the performance of Handel’s “Messiah”. The early morning practices. The refinement of instruments and voices into one enthusiastic performing body.
The evening of the event arrives. On through the choruses, arias, and orchestral symphonies we fly with euphoric grandeur, culminating with the awe inspiring finale of the “Amen” chorus. As the final chord of the ending of this triumphant chorus is struck and ended, a profound silence of awe and majesty envelops the concert hall, for a brief moment, before the audience erupts with enthusiastic applause!
Our hearts are bursting and our eyes are overflowing with the joys of the spirit of the Season.
“YES!” my heart cries out, “YES!”
Christmas has begun.
Christmas is here!

Change

2009-11-19T03:34:00.000-08:00

Sometimes “change” is necessary.
New home, new neighborhood, new workplace… new friends.
Life is a great enough challenge without heaping on extra concerns that need not be there.
Sometimes “change” is the only rational answer.
Change a habit. Change a method of accomplishing something. Change a way of seeing things. Change what may result from certain behaviors.
Change is not necessarily bad.
Change may just save your life.

Beloved: How Would You Like Me To Touch You?

2009-11-09T14:43:00.000-08:00

I ran across this piece in the Catalyst Magazine a short time ago. I asked Diana Daffner, the author, if she would mind if I included it here. She gave me enthusiastic permission. It is one of the most tender, intimate, romantic writings I have ever seen.

Bob.

"I would like you to touch me as if you were going away tomorrow, far far away, and you wanted to remember the feel of my body, the texture of my skin, the hills and valleys that make up the landscape of who I am...
I would like you to touch me as if you were blind, knowing that you love me, but unable to see me. Touch my face, my breasts, my belly, my toes... learn what I "look" like, imagine me in your mind as your hands explore my shape.
I would like you to touch me as if your hands were healing hands, radiating love energy with every stroke. Feel the energy penetrating through skin, through flesh, entering into the cells of my body.
I would like you to touch me as if you gained your nourishment through your hands. Feed on me, drink deeply and draw from your touch the love that I hold for you.
I would like you to touch me as if you were feeding me through your hands, as if by your touch I am nourished and sustained. Every inch of me cries out for your touch, yearns to be fed.
I would like you to touch me as if your hand were a feather, lightly caressing the edge of my being.
I would like you to touch me as if your hands were paintbrushes, and as you caress me, you are coloring me in brilliant, sparkling, dazzling hues.
I would like you to touch me as if you were erasing the outer me, allowing me to reveal my inner self to you.
I would like you to touch me as if you had carved a sculpture, and were now feeling its finish, smoothing out any rough areas, enjoying the finished product.
I would like you to touch me as if your hands were fire, burning away the dross and leaving only the pure gold of my soul.
I would like you to touch me as if your hands were sponges, soaking up the essence of my being.
I would like you to caress me as if I were made of dry clay, and by dampening my skin you enliven my spirit.
I would like you to touch me as if my skin were soft velvet.
I would like you to touch me as if you were a musician, and your touch brought forth different sounds from different parts of me.
I would like you to touch me as if I were a rare jewel, precious and valuable.
I would like you to touch me as if I were your Lover."

Diana & Richard Daffner are a delightful couple who share with others what works for them, and what matters to them, in their own relationship. Married since 1985, the Daffners help couples experience and embody the love that is in their hearts. Their mission is to provide inspiration and education in Sacred Loving for all couples, everywhere.
Richard & Diana Daffner, CS, M.A. (941-349-6804) (1-877-282-4244)
www.IntimacyRetreats.com, Vacation/Workshops for Couples
Twitter @IntimacyRetreat, and Facebook Intimacy Retreats

We Can Choose

2009-11-05T09:34:00.000-08:00

I have discovered over the last little while how true the statement, “Life Goes On”, really is.
Things happen in life. That’s just the way it is. Things for good… and perhaps things for our good.
We are given the unique opportunity to learn and grow from our own life experiences. We have the choice to learn positive things… or be emotionally buried by challenging things. They all come. They all happen. Some are rather minor lifts to our spirit or minor detours from our goals. Others are major and significant boosts to our hopes and self-esteem… while others are decisively debilitating to our mind and spirit.
But we still have the option within ourselves. We still have the capacity to choose how these experiences will, in the end, affect us.
Ultimately we must reach within us and ask ourselves what we really want to do… or really want to be.
Regardless of the joys and the challenges… we choose what they will help us to become.
We choose what we will be.

Warmth of the Heart

2009-10-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

It is a brisk October morning. The wind is blowing gently and the temperatures are in the low 30’s farenheight. The sky is cloudy and there is just the slightest skiff of snow on the ground.
And yet I am warm inside.
How can that be?
For many people the warmth within the soul is not determined by the temperature outside. It is determined by the warmth of the heart. A warmth that is induced by personal reflection upon a certain someone.
Someone special.
Someone who warms the soul and fills the heart with joy.
Someone who’s presence enlivens and who’s touch invigorates.
Someone who’s love is felt so very deeply in one’s soul… like a fire in moonlight.
Someone close… or far away.

Age Is Relative

2009-10-28T03:44:00.000-07:00

It is five o’clock in the morning. I have been up now for two and a half hours. Just like every weekday. I am at work. Just like every weekday for the past 33 years.
The “huddle” of “old timers” just broke up and we are meandering towards our various assignments for the day.
Have I really been here that long?
I look around me, seeing familiar faces I have known for decades. Most of them Look so much older. Many of them just look old.
Am I one of them?
I look in the mirror through bleary eyes each morning as I attempt to shave and ask myself, “Where did all that gray hair come from? Did I get it in my sleep? Did it color my crown after so many “life experiences” pushed my tolerances to the limit?”
Well… whatever the excuse… I am aging. But I refuse to grow old.
My siblings have grown old over the years. Two of them are now gone from us.
We have no defense in the challenges of aging mortality. We all grow older, physically. But we do have the choice as to whether we get old inside. I refuse to get old. I refuse to grow up.
There is too much in life to allow myself to slow down too much. We just added another grandchild to our growing list, yesterday.
So much to do. So much to live for!
When I keep my focus, I really enjoy life’s day to day joys. Yes… challenges do come… and we do survive them. But how well we survive them depends on us, individually.
We can choose to live each moment fully… or we can wonder where all the moments of our life have gone.
The choice… and the resulting potential happiness… are, in the end, up to us.

On the Subject of Retirement

2009-10-15T03:36:00.000-07:00

I have been with the Utah Transit Authority as a bus operator now for over three decades. How the time has flown! I have seen many come and many go over the years. But I have just begun to notice, in recent months, how many are retiring that I have come to know so well.
With the subject of “retirement” on my mind, lately, I have discovered the following:
Retirement is a time for an accounting of the years you have shared up to this point in your life. They are meant to be recalled with fondness and joy… for they were traded in good faith in their passing. Choose to remember the good. Choose to remember the kindnesses. Remember the difference you have made in other people’s lives by the “little things” you have done along the way. Be comforted on knowing it was good.
Choose to remember experiences of growth and learning, for you have exchanged these years of your life for the memories that you have made. Cherish them fondly as the gift for your offering.
Now, step forward into a whole new world of opportunity… for when a door from the past closes upon us, a new door to our future opens.
But remember… the future is what we make of it.
Keep smiling. Be happy!

Vacation Anticipation in Retrospect

2009-09-22T03:37:00.000-07:00

Remember when you were young, and from time to time there was something you wanted to eat that was so deliciously enticing from the very sight and smell of it… so you would take an unusually large portion of it… only to find that you were “done eating” before it was gone from your plate?
Do we not continue to do similar things… on various levels of our lives even now?
We recently went on a vacation.
It was great to get away and do some fun things to relax from our usual daily labors.
But we discovered, too, that we had become “obligated” to follow our quite crowded itinerary. We scheduled too many things in too short of a time period. We ended up sacrificing some of the things we wanted to do most in favor of some things that took less time.
In the movie, “Sabrina”, with Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond, Sabrina commented to Linus, “Sometimes ‘more’ is just more, Linus.”
We had ‘more’ on our vacation… too much more. It detracted somewhat from the overall experience because we ended up surrendering what we wanted most in favor of what was most convenient.
There are tow obvious options for future reference: schedule more time, or arrange to do less.
That is exactly the point, here. As Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood) once comented, “A man’s got to know his limitations.”
There is nothing wrong with high and lofty anticipations when it comes to vacation. But expectations must not exceed good sense in the organization of your holidays. Leave enough time within each destination or experience to enjoy the moment you have to be there doing it.
Vacation is not about the destination… it is about the enjoyment of being there.
So take time to enjoy it.
Now… when and where shall we go next?

The Ultimate Relationship

2009-07-27T03:54:00.000-07:00

When we seek for friendship, we seek for one that enlightens the mind and warms the heart.
Our involvement in a friendship automatically anticipates an evolvement of the companionship from mere acquaintance to close emotional ties.
A developing friendship discovers incredibly intense, intimate elements, enveloped in one another’s passionate presence, as we are mutually immersed in the perfection of the moment. This is the ultimate relationship.
When we find such a relationship, we take hold of it, with gratitude, and never let it slip away.

Moment by Moment

2009-07-06T18:13:00.001-07:00

The “moment” is ever present, eternally with us. “Time” approaches us, barely noticing us at all as it passes us by….
The moment is always with us… which is one of the greater gifts of mortality. Because we are in the present we can choose to be exactly what we wish. Choices are always made in the present moment. What we have chosen is past, and we can rechoose in our present moment. What we intend to choose has not happened yet, and may be considered further for its wisdom and merits.
But everything we do.. is NOW… in our ever present moment.
And we choose what we will be, moment by moment, one choice at a time….

Soul Mate Search

2009-06-26T03:51:00.001-07:00

Have you ever been on a soul mate search? You know there is someone out there with whom you would bond as a dear friend… only you can’t seem to find them.
Well… take heart, because there are many potential soul mates out there. You just need to realize that and openly prepare yourself to accept them as they appear in your life.
That’s right. There isn’t just one… there are many.
Some of them may even hold the potential of becoming a “heart mate”… which adds that romantic relationship to the mix, as well.
To begin with, a soul mate is someone who helps you to learn more about you and who you really are deep inside. They become “treasures” in your life with whom you share many ideas, ideals, and dreams in common.
Soul mates find that they draw strength from each other and offer support to one another in their own individual efforts to grow.
Soul mates are individuals you learn to count on.
You may not have the same political, social, or religious viewpoints, but you find that you both feel good about the friendship, and you just know it will be a long-term positive relationship that will help you both become more open and free.
Soul mates can inspire you, sharpen you, and encourage you beyond what you ever thought you could accomplish before.
You find that soul mates aren’t something you create, but are discoveries that you find.
Soul mates are gifts. They are true friends.

Coming To Terms

2009-06-23T03:54:00.000-07:00

Coming to terms with grief and the loss of a loved one is a part of “life”. It is never really easy to lose those we have loved.
When we have loved deeply and completely, opening our hearts willingly to a connection with someone that seems timeless and eternal, their loss from our lives is painful and acute. We are intensely aware of their absence, and the unique loneliness that feels so unbearably empty.
It is said that we hurt so deeply because we have loved so completely.
Was the love worth the pain?
True love is. It always is. And the sweetness of our memories will mature over time, their richness soothing the loss.
But do not expect the sense of loss to go away.
To an extent, there is a healing process that eventually comes. But it is a process that enables us to accept, to some degree, our loss.
The feeling, the awareness of the loss, never goes away.
Be aware and prepared… and take comfort in the memories… for they are what sustains us in the end.
Until we meet again.

Economic Natural Selection

2009-06-12T03:46:00.000-07:00

Nature has an amazing ability to make corrections in the environment and move forward.
Sure. Sometimes there is devastation to the landscape, but it recovers… as it was meant to.
The same is true in the natural laws of business and industry.
Natural corrections in the corporate environment set things straight. Even if it takes bankruptcies to do it. When an industry attempts to artificially inflate their own growth and profitability, everyone pays, one way or another. There is a difference between “profitability” and illicit corporate financial manipulation (ICFM). An ICFM attack can result in corporate insolvency.
Artificial solutions that leave the problems intact are never the answer. “Bailouts” never work in the long term of business and industry survival. It only prolongs the painful experience of leaders making selfish, inappropriate, irresponsible, and incorrect choices.
Left to itself, the market will correct itself and survive, with less devastation. It’s still the basic principle of “natural selection” and “supply and demand”.
When we follow correct principles, we not only survive, we thrive.

A Certain Peace

2009-06-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

There is a certain peace that washes over me as I sit on the bank of the sparkling stream, watching the great blue herons feeding their young in the nests, high above the open fields in the tops of the tallest trees.
Gold finches flit by casually and red tailed hawks soar effortlessly above on the breezes that gently wander by.
The sun has risen over the mountain peaks and the scent of the fresh dew on the grass and the sounds of the birds and the rippling waters of the stream give rest to my longing soul and that certain peace to my searching heart.
All is well in nature… and all is well within me.

No Matter What

2009-05-21T03:49:00.000-07:00

A true friend is someone with whom you share deep, intelligent conversation as well as light-hearted recollections of your own lives… no matter what.
A true friend is someone who realizes your right to your own opinions and allows discussion between you for mutual growth and enlightenment… no matter what.
A true friend is someone who enjoys being with you, regardless of how long… or short… the opportunity may be… no matter what.
A true friend is someone who listens with an open mind and an accepting heart… no matter what.
A true friend is someone who is supportive of your improbable goals and impossible dreams… no matter what.
A true friend is someone who knows there is good and bad in everyone, but chooses to see the good… no matter what.
A true friend is someone who cheers you in your triumphs and encourages you in your trials… no matter what.
A true friend is someone who accepts you unconditionally just as you are… no matter what.
A true friend is someone who knows your character and believes your desires… no matter what.
A true friend is someone who wants the very best for you but will allow you to discover it for yourself… no matter what.
A true friend is someone who will never lose hope for you… no matter what.
A true friend is someone who can sit with you in silence and share your mourning or grief… no matter what.
A true friend is someone who see your weaknesses but allows you to learn by them anyway… no matter what.
A true friend is someone who not only patiently listens to you cry… but who cries with you… no matter what.
A true friend is someone who will always love you… no matter what.
A true friend is someone who just is… no matter what.

Until We Try

2009-05-19T03:58:00.000-07:00

Doesn’t everyone have flights into insanity?
Don’t we all do things, on occasion, that push our better judgement settings to the limits of good sense?
But isn’t it also true that when we take risks we learn and grow and discover and become better people because of our willingness to stretch ourselves outside or our own limitations?
We can never know our capabilities if we never reach into the darkness of learning and knowledge, finding our inner strengths… and weaknesses… and seek to understand them.
We must take risks in order to grow as individuals.
We must try what we have never tried before to achieve what we know we can become.
We never know until we try….

Two Teeth on the Cog

2009-05-08T03:56:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you tried to open the covers of an internal combustion automobile engine and replace some of the vital working parts inside?
I took an auto repair class in high school, back in 1969. I haven’t really gotten into an engine since then.
Sure… I’ve replaced peripheral stuff… like starter motors, water pumps, external fuel pumps, distributors, spark plugs, oil filters, air filters, etc. But I haven’t opened up an engine since high school.
Our 2002 Oldsmobile Alero was having timing chain problems. It has the 2.2 litre dual overhead cam 4 cylinder engine in it. My brother-in-law, a professional mechanic, calls that one a “nightmare” engine.
But according to the available online instructions to replace a timing chain there were only eighteen steps from start to finish.
How tough could that be?
They were eighteen steps into Hell.
The online instructions turned out to be vague and non-specific. I ended up being a bit creative in my approach, such as using an impact tool and slip joint pliers instead of specialized tools that were apparently unavailable to buy or rent.
It took nearly three weeks to finish what was listed to be a ten hour job, and the gory details aside, I was done.
I started it up, just proud of myself for even finishing it.
It sounded worse than when I had begun.
My mechanic brother-in-law stopped by and listened and looked and scratched his head. He had no idea what was wrong.
I sucked up my pride and towed it over to a local mechanic’s shop who spent a few hours on it.
When I returned later, it was running like new. My wife even commented that it was as though the engine was “light on its feet”.
I asked the mechanic what I had done wrong. He just chuckled and said that I was only off on the secondary timing chain (yes… there are TWO timing chains in that engine) by about two teeth on the cog. The piston heads were tapping against the opening valves.
Off only two teeth on the cog.
Was I a failure? No. I had made the attempt to do that which I hadn’t done in years. And the result was easily adjusted.
The two lessons really learned here were to (1) know when I’m into something over my head, and (2) to have a good auto mechanic on my team.
The reward? We’re driving to Wichita to see our daughter. “Family” is worth the risk of personally stepping into Hell to take care of necessary challenges. “Family” is worth the LOVE.

Art Appreciation

2009-05-05T04:18:00.000-07:00

“Art is an expression of Man’s attempt to portray the beauty and elegance Nature has created.”
Art comes in so many forms and mediums. Too many to enumerate. Yet true artwork stands alone as an individual attempt to share with the world the reproduction of beauty through the eyes, hands, and talents of the artist.
We as art “critics” choose which styles of art we love, love to look upon, and love to support.
There really is no right or wrong, good or bad art. Some artists are perpetual beginners… they never fully develop their talents due to erratic attempts to perform. Other artists are perpetually immersed in their own fantasy of creation, in that they are consistently feeling the need to express themselves in their own view of the world around them.
We can all, therefore, be artists.
But what we must not be are “judges” of artists and their artwork. We may not see the finished piece as the artist has envisioned it… but that does not make it “wrong” or “bad”. It only means we do not understand it as the artist did.
Art, in its purest form, is the portrayal of beauty and truth, regardless of our own perceptions of the skills of the artist in their own portrayal.
True art is beautiful because it is art… from the colors of a photograph of the wide expanse of scenic nature to the singular sculpture that captures the perfection of light and shadow in form, such as the Chellini Venus.
Perception, composition, light and color. All is art in its own expression.

"Make A Difference"

2009-04-30T03:51:00.000-07:00

I was raised in a small community that was within the confines of a larger city. We knew all of our neighbors up and down the entire two block long street, as well as most of them on the two streets that paralleled us on either side.
It was a place easily called “home”, where you could be safely out after dark, and you never had to lock your doors.
It wasn’t until I had grown, married and moved away that I learned just how much of a “political activist” my Mom was in our little community. Truly her name was known for good and ill by the community and city councils because of her ability to muster support for any cause she espoused. And although she was active in the local precinct of her chosen political party, she never ran for a public office. She always felt she could be more effective at the grass roots level. Besides which, she hated “politicians”… and lawyers. She used to comment under her breath about them collectively, “Liars… the whole lot of them!!”
Her greatest passion was for maintaining the integrity, friendliness, and innocence of our little community. Many times her efforts thwarted the big money land developers from changing the face of our community.
Mom adamantly predicted that if the developers were allowed in, the community would lose its closeness and friendliness as a community, and crime would increase.
It wasn’t until Mom had passed away that the land developers received unopposed permission from both city and community councils to proceed.
Now, the entire presence and identity of the community has been forever altered. It is no longer perceived as a safe and friendly community in which to live. And the crime rate has increased in the area to almost the worst of the entire city.
Did Mom fail? No. She was actively involved as long as she was able. And she made a difference in her lifetime.
Now it is up to us.
Find your own passion. Make a stand. Do the right thing and make a difference in your lifetime. Then pray that those after you will understand the cause and pick up the baton….

"Joy in the Journey"

2009-03-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

The late John Lennon once commented that life is what happens while you are making other plans.
My birthday is coming up soon… May 15th… and I will be 58 years old.
Send presents.
But seriously… my upcoming annual aging celebration has caused me deeper meditation on age than I have ever experienced before.
I had such plans and lofty goals… back when I was in my early 20’s. I was newly married. I had the opportunity of schooling (when tuition was only $165 per quarter!). And my entire life was spread before me like the prairies of the Midwest USA… going on forever as far as the eye… and imagination… could see!
That was “yesterday”.
I used to tell my fellow workers that I had grand designs for my life. I was only working my hourly wage “job” until a “real” occupation came along.
That was over 33 years ago.
I am still there at the same “job”. Still looking for that “real” occupation to come my way.
Granted… I have started… and abandoned… a number of business opportunities along the way. But their “reality” was that there was never any serious income from them. The cost-per-hour to operate them simply became prohibitive.
But I always found pleasure in the anticipation of success. Happiness came more in the doing than in the becoming.
Along the way, as well, I have tried my hand… and my heart… at artwork and writing. And although I have produced volumes in both areas, I have yet to produce more than the occasional publication. I do currently have a novelette out entitled “Face of Stone” (www.eTreasuresPublishing.com/Robert-Curtis/face.htm). I have sold a few… but not enough to “quit my day job”. I also have an epic poem available on Lulu.com entitled “The Crusader”.
I guess what I am trying to say, here, is that I have not given up. I still “feel” opportunity, just around the corner. I still “believe”. And that’s the point.
You haven’t failed until you’ve given up.
So don’t give up.
Often the joy is simply in the journey.

"Why Do We Grow Up?"

2009-03-23T17:59:00.000-07:00

“Adults are dead children” (Michael Brown, “The Presence Process”).
Have you ever heard this before? Have you felt the truth it contains?
As children, we were more open to feeling the “moment” of life. We were more spontaneous in our actions and creative in our play. We were the definition of pure energy in motion.
As we were taught and expected to comply, the adults in our lives gradually revealed to us the methods of eradicating out our child-like spontaneous behaviors in order to fit in with the current environment of the so-called “Adult” world.
Sure…many of us resisted. Many of us, like myself, still resist. And we who resist find ourselves “taken up” in a more joyful place between childhood and adulthood.
To give up the essence of our true selves is to become inauthentic to our created nature. People who do succeed in giving up their spontaneous and joyful selves often find themselves annoyed, uncomfortable, and even somewhat embarrassed when they find themselves around people who retain their child-like authenticity.
And yet, adults are secretly and unexplainably attracted to people who retain their true authenticity. Adults call such people “free spirits” or “artistic”. Such individuals, these “free spirits”, tend to remind the typical adult of what they have lost, and by doing so, remind adults of the child-like innocence that has died within themselves.
The fact is, the “child” within us never really dies. The insecure adult that we tend to become simply smothers our childlike abilities. Our child within always wishes to come out and play. But adults do not act upon this impulse because they are too busy guarding their grown-up pretenses.
Listen to that voice of innocence within you. Realize that an adult is a human concoction. A child is a creation of God.
Adults are much too serious…much too boring…and are always much too busy to play. On the other hand, children are spontaneous and free, light and full of laughter. The more we pay attention to the individual moments of our lives, the more awake we can become. And the more awake we are, the more we can laugh!
Look at the world through the eyes of a child. See its absolute beauty and accept its perfect imperfection. When you perceive its fullness of life, you can begin to feel a depth of gratitude for being in it and being a part of it.
Realize that “Earth” and “Heart” are the same word. Only one single letter is out of place.
Remember your inherent innocence and learn to once again nurture the spontaneous creativity that lies within you. That is how you begin again to LIVE. Joy comes to us as we embrace the beauty and the thorns of life.
As a child does…re-learn to do.
Forgive everyone of everything.
Unconditional love is for giving and unconditional love is forgiving.
As we turn back and rediscover the innocence, vulnerability, spontaneity, and love of a child we also learn to become responsible for the most important gift we have all been given: the Gift of LIFE.

"Face of Stone", by Robert Curtis

2009-03-23T17:37:00.000-07:00

I have recently published my first work of fantasy fiction. The following is a short introduction to the story:

Would you be willing to lift a 3000 year old mummy from its sarcophagus and kiss the cracked and decaying lips as if you really meant it? Would you be willing to descend into Hell and fight a host of demons who were placed there to prevent you from kissing the corpse?
David not only had to, but was willing to….
“The Face of Stone” is a fantasy fiction novella about a man who must find and save the woman he meets and falls in love with in his dreams from a demon’s desperate attempts to take her down to Hell. She can not tell him where she is, or where she was from. She is only allowed to convince him that she loves him and wants to be with him.
What they don’t know is that, although it is in his dreams, it is for real. And it is a struggle to the death….or life.

Now available through www.eTreasuresPublishing.com/Robert-Curtis/face.htm.