Happy Monday, All!
Here’s to hoping your weekends were wonderfully spent. I mean, considering the earthquake in Turkey, we here in the Continental USA have a lot to be grateful for. Even this morning when I woke up, I took for granted where I was as well as my condition, which is fairly good for a gent my age. I often forget to count my blessings immediately but as my eyes opened and I became aware of the breath flowing in and out of my lungs, I said: “Thank you!”, which is my favorite prayer and meditation.
Sometimes I wonder if Our Creator is sending us signs. No one really likes to acknowledge that while so many of us are comfortable and others are living lives of luxury, it seems that we are exacerbating our natural resources and destroying the planet we live on …. om shanti. One time at work, a few of us were out in the backyard area of the office in Deerfield, FL looking at a pond that had come about due to the extensive rain. We got philosophical and stuff …. One guy commented, “Something’s gotta happen to this Earth and the way Earthlings live!” While most of us know this, none of the well known orators address this issue publicly, at least that I’ve seen occupy the media about every darn thing else! Methinks we have become complacent about “progress” and have decided to ignore the inevitable.
Now, I enjoyed the weekend and spent a few hours yesterday at Bokamper’s Restaurant in Plantation, FL watching the Dolphins try to win their first game at the same time the Jets came back to defeat San Diego’s Chargers. We had a small group of guys who decided to bond over ribs and chicken wings, salad and cheeseburgers and a few beverages both beer and ginger ale, which is my favorite. There were a lot of people there and I truly felt like an ancient Roman watching the gladiatorial bouts on the multiple televisions and big screens with folks yelping and clapping for Tim Tebow and their favorite teams.
Riding home in light Sunday afternoon traffic, I got a bit mystical and meditated to the sound of the motorcycle’s engine. My mind went elsewhere …. seemingly to another frequency as I enjoyed the fresh air of Autumn in South Florida and intermittent rays of sunlight through my helmet’s visor. I thought, “If God is watching us, he must not be too happy ….”
“Become nothing before God, learn to keep silent; in this silence is the beginning, which is first to seek God’s kingdom.” – Soren Kierkegaard
God, help me today to learn the spiritual lesson contained in my frustrations and grief. (TOUCHSTONES October 24th)
Have a great week …. love youse!
Peace,
John I. Cook, Director
Educational Excellence 