February 28, 2006

Happy Fun-Shine Purr Boy

Someone ran over my favorite cat. I'm pretty pissed off about it.

His name was Rick (after the character from Magnum PI) but, we called him Happy Fun-Shine Purr Boy because when you touched him, he was already purring. The damned, sweetest cat I ever had.

People suck.

The strangest thing is, I have cried more about that cat than I have about people, in my life, who have died. I wonder why that is. Maybe its because animals trust us and love us unconditionally and when they go, a little bit of that goes with them. I don't know. I'm not really feeling very existential; just - as I said - pissed.

February 04, 2006

Power Places



This is Spirit Pond at sunrise. It is in the small Spiritualist community of Cassadaga, Florida about 30 minutes from my house. Today I sat by the water's edge and...well, just sat...and breathed. Spirit Pond is one of my power places. From it, I receive calming serenity.

We all have power places; places where we feel the most energized, focused, and empowered. Some we may seek out; others are stumbled on by accident.

One of my accidentals is off the Blue Ridge Parkway, just outside of Ashville, North Carolina, near the Cradle of Forestry. Swift, rocky brooks babble down the mountainsides into the valleys and feed one of the most beautiful waterfalls on this planet. When I experience that rush of thunderous sound, I gain strength.

We all go through life seeking power but, most of us seek the wrong kinds and from the wrong places. We seek it in the controlling of others or the money we make or the positions we hold or the titles we're given. We drain others of theirs to uplift our own, like energy vampires. This results in faux, not genuine power. Faux power doesn't last and as a result we are driven to search for more. It is a constant, selfish, negative circle.

Alternatively, nature has all the genuine power you will ever need. It supplies us with a never-ending flow of positive energy. Don't believe me? Climb a mountain, stand at the top and just breathe. It will forever change you.

Everyone has power places. What are yours? If you haven't found them yet, seek them out in nature and enjoy the journey.