That was eleven years ago and then one year later the horrors of September 11th. An event that anyone alive during that time will be sure to remember. Where were you when the Twin Towers were first hit by what was considered to be a plane out of control (surely nobody would do such a thing on purpose!). And then the second aircraft striking the neighboring Tower. Ten years ago. What an introduction to the 21st Century.
This new century has brought us, not only the most populated time of our lives, (7 Billion and growing), but unrest on a huge scale brought on by our own negligence to the important things in our lives and the changes in weather that brought death and destruction that has cost in the billions of dollars worldwide. And the Century is a mere 12 years old with 88 years to go.
And to this Century the Mayan Calendar opinions that may or may not bring unique events never before seen in the world on 12.21.12, when the calendar marks the end of 'Long Count Calendar'. Many who follow the predictions see the end of the world while the opposing side see the end of a time era that presumably will be the beginnings of a New Era, one that will lift our collective consciousness to one of greater understanding and compassion for our fellow beings. That would be a terrific event should that ever happen.
We are always on the search for improvements to our lives. Isn't that why we follow religions and philosophies that promise a better life to those who follow them? The end of the Long Count Calendar gives many the opportunity to follow another path that may improve their lives ... lives that very well may not be complete even with the several religions that hu'manity has created over our time on this earth.
The antithesis of the religions are agnostics or atheists to counter-balance our religions. After all, who really has come face-to-face with the Almighty, the Omniscient, the Lord of Lords who our religions speak of in the generic term 'He' as if those who believe have an inside track as to this god's sexuality. This opinion is, of course, contradicted by those who believe in the 'Goddess' which would ascribe the feminine to their particular Almighty. And why not? It is a fact that the female of life, all life, perpetuates their own kind... and that is significant when we begin believing in the creation concept.
A wise man once said "I don't know if there is a god or not, but I do know that we have godliness." There is a great truth to that that transcends the simple notion of a wise bearded man who presides in the heavens that lie far, far about the clouds that blanket of Earth. When we tune in to our compassionate nature, (which is always with us but not always accepted), we tune into a level of consciousness that is kind, loving... open to helping those in need, whether it be thru material goods or physical and even spiritual nature. We hu'mans are not only seekers but we're fragile and need help from each other far more often that we're led to believe. As the old adage goes: "No man is an island." No matter our lot in life, there is always need to salve our wounds no matter who we are.
A belief I've long held: hu'manity (homo sapiens) is the newest species to inhabit the earth. Life below the sea has been here long, long before we began evolving as we have. The lives of our fellow mammals, the insect world, the bird world, the animals of all sorts that have lived here before we were ever a threat... add to then the life of plants that nourish the rest of life either directly or indirectly ... it is we, you and I, that share the newness of this One Blue Planet, brimming with life that (currently) is unknown anywhere else in the universe that we have yet discovered on our search.
We are seekers and we are talkers. We share what we have learned with others as they do with us. We have learned a great deal in our 'human modernity' of 50,000 years but yet we must seem to be mere children of the life that surrounds us. We continue to spoil our environment, destroy the ecosystem, fish in ever larger numbers to feed our enormous populations... we mine and drill this singular planet that gave us life without thought as if Nature will heal itself like it's always done. Kids in a sandbox, eager to find things and tear them apart to see how they work.
Like children we are ego-centric ... me, me, me for the most part. To hell with anyone that does not agree fully with me. When have we seen an example of taking an animal's side over a hu'man's side? We're far too important to rank less than number 1 in the species of the world. Just ask us. We will quote texts from our religions and philosophies, our manuals filled with pro-hu'man evidence that we are far superior to anything else on this earth.
But those words aren't meant to belittle our mankind but only to bring attention to where we are today in the evolutionary chain and how reliant we are on everything else on this planet. We are not islands isolated from the beauty and necessity of this singular planet adrift in the universal sea, as important as a grain of sand on a beach, we need life much more than life will ever need us.
Happy Holidays to you...
cecil
12.25.11
Picture of the Week:
Fuzzy Stones
[Photo: the 'fuzz' is frost which covered the land this morning. 12.25.11]