I am so EXCITED! A few weeks ago I wrote a blog called 10 GIFTS about alternatives in this gift-giving season that bless both the person intended AND the Earth by not harming her. Well I just discovered and participated in another one that is SO incredible it gets its own blog! Some of you Internet savvy people may already know of this, and organizations like it, but I'm new to all this global computer connection thing and the wonders it can offer. So here is my new favorite thing:
It's found at http://www.kiva.org/ and the people who dreamt this up need all kinds of extra points from whoever is doling them out. It is a site where you can donate to help people living in poverty in countries all over the world. There are pictures and bios so you can pick who you want your money to go to and read about what they need it for. But wait, it gets better! This is done as a LOAN, so there is a re-payment plan set up! These people are too poor to qualify for loans from a bank, but they need money to help them out for some specific goal. It is empowering people rather than just keeping them in a cycle of poverty. Give them an opportunity and they do the rest. Often someone needs money as a start-up to buy something, and then they can fly! Sweet.
The first woman I gave a loan to lives in Cambodia and makes about 2 dollars a day selling veggies in a market. She was requesting a loan to buy a bike to help carry more produce to the market. Right now she probably carries as much as she can on her HEAD, and walks 10 miles with it! I saw that when I was living in Borneo so I can picture it. The minimum loan is 25 dollars, but honestly what is 25 bucks to most of us? It's one dinner at a restaurant. But to her it is 2 weeks wages. Wow.
But there's even more! When the loan is paid back it goes into my account at Kiva and I can withdraw it if I want to, OR I can use the same money to invest in someone else!!!!!!!!!!!!! Truly the gift that keeps on giving! You don't ever have to invest more money if you don't want to, but with the original gift you get to keep helping more and more people. Incredible. They have gift certificates on the site as well if you are doing the donation as a gift for someone you know, and that person can choose who they give the loan to! I'm so amazed by the whole thing.
So I know it's last minute now, but if you are still looking for a gift for someone you love for this Holiday season, or throughout the year for birthdays or whatever, you could give gifts to 2 people at the same time! Someone in your life, AND someone who can use a helping hand. What could be better?
Thanks for listening.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
MIRACLES
Last night I was watching a movie that depicted racial discrimination against people of African descent in the U.S. back in the 60's and 70's. It's called Pride, and is based on a true story of an African-American man who started an all black swim team in Philadelphia in the 70's and how they were treated, which was HORRIFICALLY. The opening scene is him attending a swim meet 10 years before he began coaching, where the all white crowd literally boos him as he walks in and the other swimmers refuse to get in the water with him. It BLOWS MY MIND that this same country 40 years later has a PRESIDENT of African descent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is MIRACULOUS! How is it even possible that the MAJORITY could change that much in that amount of time? The scenes they show of the discrimination back then were so PAINFUL. I know it still exists today, but it is no longer ACCEPTABLE by the majority. How could something like that EVER be acceptable to the majority????? It was.
It got me thinking. That is the kind of miracle we need for this planet to survive. If it is possible for the MAJORITY to go from completely acceptable public hatred to electing a President in 40 years, then what will it take to go from completely acceptable public desecration of the Earth to placing her in the highest position possible in our society???? THAT is a miracle we need desperately. And we don't have 40 years to come around to that as a majority. We don't even have 10. I imagine if you lived in an all white neighborhood the horrors of how others were treated based on the color of their skin would not be a part of your life. Here in N. America it's like living in an "all white" neighborhood. We don't see how we are destroying people and creatures and oceans and forests so it's not part of our lives to want to stop it. We might read about it or hear about it from someone else, but it's not HORRIFYING enough to do anything about. It's not "in our neighborhood". How can this change? How can we get out of our "all white" neighborhood and realize the effect we are having on the entire world? We don't just poison it in our own little corner. That poison covers the globe. And STILL there are people saying it's not really happening, or it's not that important. That's hard for me to comprehend with all I see. I know that there are some who realize how imperative this is, but they are not yet the majority.
Here in Hawaii I'm sad to say environmentalism is a racial issue. Truly alarming to witness. If I as a person of Swedish descent go up to a person of Hawaiian descent and ask them to please make a different choice with whatever they are doing that is damaging the Earth, they have a VERY different reaction than if a person of their same skin color asks them. When hiring a person to do outreach to the fishing community here, the powers that be actually had to consider the color of skin in order for that person to be effective. Wow. This is 2009. It's hard for me to even write this. When I attended the meeting about the forest at Larsens being cut down, the rancher who wants to destroy it all actually commented on the color of skin of the people present as if that mattered! Even though I've witnessed it so many times since I moved here, it is still shocking to me every single time. How can this be? We need to come together to deal with this issue. We are ALL contributing and we ALL will be affected. Skin makes NO difference to the poisons going into the world. But skin IS stopping us from working together to end this destruction.
There is a global environmental conference happening right now in Copenhagen. The Nations of the world are coming together to take a look at what is happening to the planet, and come to agreements on what needs to be done to turn the tide of devastation around. It is SO important that the issues of color disappear completely between the Nations so that we FINALLY see that there is only ONE human species on this earth, and this is the only home for EVERYONE. We need that miracle to happen. I believe in miracles. I have seen them happen. It's time for one now.
Thanks for listening.
It got me thinking. That is the kind of miracle we need for this planet to survive. If it is possible for the MAJORITY to go from completely acceptable public hatred to electing a President in 40 years, then what will it take to go from completely acceptable public desecration of the Earth to placing her in the highest position possible in our society???? THAT is a miracle we need desperately. And we don't have 40 years to come around to that as a majority. We don't even have 10. I imagine if you lived in an all white neighborhood the horrors of how others were treated based on the color of their skin would not be a part of your life. Here in N. America it's like living in an "all white" neighborhood. We don't see how we are destroying people and creatures and oceans and forests so it's not part of our lives to want to stop it. We might read about it or hear about it from someone else, but it's not HORRIFYING enough to do anything about. It's not "in our neighborhood". How can this change? How can we get out of our "all white" neighborhood and realize the effect we are having on the entire world? We don't just poison it in our own little corner. That poison covers the globe. And STILL there are people saying it's not really happening, or it's not that important. That's hard for me to comprehend with all I see. I know that there are some who realize how imperative this is, but they are not yet the majority.
Here in Hawaii I'm sad to say environmentalism is a racial issue. Truly alarming to witness. If I as a person of Swedish descent go up to a person of Hawaiian descent and ask them to please make a different choice with whatever they are doing that is damaging the Earth, they have a VERY different reaction than if a person of their same skin color asks them. When hiring a person to do outreach to the fishing community here, the powers that be actually had to consider the color of skin in order for that person to be effective. Wow. This is 2009. It's hard for me to even write this. When I attended the meeting about the forest at Larsens being cut down, the rancher who wants to destroy it all actually commented on the color of skin of the people present as if that mattered! Even though I've witnessed it so many times since I moved here, it is still shocking to me every single time. How can this be? We need to come together to deal with this issue. We are ALL contributing and we ALL will be affected. Skin makes NO difference to the poisons going into the world. But skin IS stopping us from working together to end this destruction.
There is a global environmental conference happening right now in Copenhagen. The Nations of the world are coming together to take a look at what is happening to the planet, and come to agreements on what needs to be done to turn the tide of devastation around. It is SO important that the issues of color disappear completely between the Nations so that we FINALLY see that there is only ONE human species on this earth, and this is the only home for EVERYONE. We need that miracle to happen. I believe in miracles. I have seen them happen. It's time for one now.
Thanks for listening.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
BEAUTY
Never before have I lived in a place where I am in wilderness every single day, and it is so powerful. There are so many beautiful images I get to witness, and the gifts are different each day. The following are just some of those moments from my life here on Kauai, for those of you who don't get to contact Nature much! Come see what I see. It's AMAZING.
Tonight was gorgeous. There were streaky slithery clouds like incense that got covered in all kinds of different colours as the sun went down, reflecting in the water punctuated by the white froth of the waves. And because the full moon was already in the sky it never got dark, everything just changed colours from sunlight to moonlight. Truly magical.
What a peaceful, serene day. For some reason the surf and wind stopped and everything stood still. The water was clearer than it has been for about 4 months and I never wanted to leave, but I was freezing! (It's all relative...) This is the night once a month when the moon comes up full right out of the water at sunset and there were no clouds to hide her brilliance. Truly takes your breath. I couldn't move for awhile. I had been doing my trash pick-up, and suddenly there she was so I had to just sit down and gape. The sky was still mauve from sunset and the water was reflecting that mauve with a bright white shimmering carpet down the middle from the moon. WOW!
This moon deserves to be ADORED! Tonight again was calm with no clouds, and she came up after dark so it was really mysterious. First a gentle glow on the almost black horizon, and then suddenly a solid line of pure neon ORANGE on the ocean, swelling to a mountain that became an ENORMOUS DARK ORANGE GLOBE! I've never seen it so dark before. Couldn't do yoga because I just had to stare!
It is SPECTACULAR here with plumeria blossoms strewn all over the place looking like a wedding just happened, and scenting the air with their glory.
I wish you could hear this right now. The sound of the waves on the shore, singing of insects, and a small dripping from the rain. I LOVE LIVING IN THE COUNTRY!
Today was blessed solitude. I realized I hadn't had a day of solitude for a week! How in the world did that happen? It was grey and rainy which actually was perfect. I even swam in the rain which is so fascinating, feeling the little drops on your back, and when you dive down you can see them break the surface of the ocean and plop a few inches below the surface before they become part of the sea. Mesmerizing!! Walking back in the rain was a long beautiful outdoor shower with amazing scenery.
Bliss day at Larsens. Calm. Blue. Warm. Long slow renewing walk along the shore. Beautiful gifts in the water. So much beauty out there. So much extraordinary life. The coral that people walk on is actually a living creature,(most people think it is inert like a rock), and where people haven't been walking, it is magnificent as it gets a chance to grow. Fantastic shapes like crystal formations, all the colours of the rainbow, and amazing textures. There is a place in the middle I call the coral garden that really is like swimming through something that has been planted just for the sake of being beautiful to behold.
Such splendour in the water today. A honu (Hawaiian sea turtle) that just circled me gently, surrounding me in love. An adorable trio I've never seen together before: spanish dancer, red, yellow and white; sea hare, bright green, white and black; and sea urchin, striped black and white. All had crawled out of their caves and were congregating on a piece of coral. The colours were incredible! Maybe discussing us crazy humans?
Sunset was very quiet tonight. No big splashy show of colours, just the subtle shift of bright blue to a pastel yellow and gently into the deep night blue, with stars appearing beside the half moon. So peaceful. Today was a bit calmer in the water so I got to see more, and another HUGE eagle ray soared by! Amazing. Found all four of the red pencil urchins that are so rare and I'm so happy they are still alive!
These are glimpses of the things I want to save in this world. There is SO much beauty offered to us, and we are just stomping all over it. Sometimes I get so saddened by how people don't seem to care if they do damage to the Earth and I wonder if my one part makes any difference. And then comes a quote by someone I revere: "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But if that drop was not in the ocean, I think the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. " Mother Teresa. Yes. The ocean would be less. So for all of the people out there who really DO care and really ARE doing things to no longer harm the Earth, may all those drops swell the ocean of compassion into a mighty force that can turn the tide toward healing this world while there is still beauty to save.
Thanks for listening.
Tonight was gorgeous. There were streaky slithery clouds like incense that got covered in all kinds of different colours as the sun went down, reflecting in the water punctuated by the white froth of the waves. And because the full moon was already in the sky it never got dark, everything just changed colours from sunlight to moonlight. Truly magical.
What a peaceful, serene day. For some reason the surf and wind stopped and everything stood still. The water was clearer than it has been for about 4 months and I never wanted to leave, but I was freezing! (It's all relative...) This is the night once a month when the moon comes up full right out of the water at sunset and there were no clouds to hide her brilliance. Truly takes your breath. I couldn't move for awhile. I had been doing my trash pick-up, and suddenly there she was so I had to just sit down and gape. The sky was still mauve from sunset and the water was reflecting that mauve with a bright white shimmering carpet down the middle from the moon. WOW!
This moon deserves to be ADORED! Tonight again was calm with no clouds, and she came up after dark so it was really mysterious. First a gentle glow on the almost black horizon, and then suddenly a solid line of pure neon ORANGE on the ocean, swelling to a mountain that became an ENORMOUS DARK ORANGE GLOBE! I've never seen it so dark before. Couldn't do yoga because I just had to stare!
It is SPECTACULAR here with plumeria blossoms strewn all over the place looking like a wedding just happened, and scenting the air with their glory.
I wish you could hear this right now. The sound of the waves on the shore, singing of insects, and a small dripping from the rain. I LOVE LIVING IN THE COUNTRY!
Today was blessed solitude. I realized I hadn't had a day of solitude for a week! How in the world did that happen? It was grey and rainy which actually was perfect. I even swam in the rain which is so fascinating, feeling the little drops on your back, and when you dive down you can see them break the surface of the ocean and plop a few inches below the surface before they become part of the sea. Mesmerizing!! Walking back in the rain was a long beautiful outdoor shower with amazing scenery.
Bliss day at Larsens. Calm. Blue. Warm. Long slow renewing walk along the shore. Beautiful gifts in the water. So much beauty out there. So much extraordinary life. The coral that people walk on is actually a living creature,(most people think it is inert like a rock), and where people haven't been walking, it is magnificent as it gets a chance to grow. Fantastic shapes like crystal formations, all the colours of the rainbow, and amazing textures. There is a place in the middle I call the coral garden that really is like swimming through something that has been planted just for the sake of being beautiful to behold.
Such splendour in the water today. A honu (Hawaiian sea turtle) that just circled me gently, surrounding me in love. An adorable trio I've never seen together before: spanish dancer, red, yellow and white; sea hare, bright green, white and black; and sea urchin, striped black and white. All had crawled out of their caves and were congregating on a piece of coral. The colours were incredible! Maybe discussing us crazy humans?
Sunset was very quiet tonight. No big splashy show of colours, just the subtle shift of bright blue to a pastel yellow and gently into the deep night blue, with stars appearing beside the half moon. So peaceful. Today was a bit calmer in the water so I got to see more, and another HUGE eagle ray soared by! Amazing. Found all four of the red pencil urchins that are so rare and I'm so happy they are still alive!
These are glimpses of the things I want to save in this world. There is SO much beauty offered to us, and we are just stomping all over it. Sometimes I get so saddened by how people don't seem to care if they do damage to the Earth and I wonder if my one part makes any difference. And then comes a quote by someone I revere: "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But if that drop was not in the ocean, I think the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. " Mother Teresa. Yes. The ocean would be less. So for all of the people out there who really DO care and really ARE doing things to no longer harm the Earth, may all those drops swell the ocean of compassion into a mighty force that can turn the tide toward healing this world while there is still beauty to save.
Thanks for listening.
Monday, November 30, 2009
LIVING OUR BELIEFS
A few weeks ago I went to hear a speaker who has a book out entitled "The World Peace Diet". I knew nothing about him, but I loved the title of the book! With all the diet books out, why not one that promotes peace? His name is Will Tuttle, and his talk was really powerful and disturbing. While I wasn't on board with everything he said, his basic premise really resonated: we are not living our beliefs when it comes to food. Of course it got me thinking about how that is true in other areas than just food, but let me share his concepts first, and then spin off on my tangents as I tend to do!
Part of what was so disturbing was the videos he showed of animal farming. I've never seen anything like this before, and some of it was so horrific I actually had to turn my head away. Just like I think every person who creates garbage (that would be all of us) should be required to tour a landfill to see why we need to make different choices, I now think everyone should have to see videos of animal farming so you know what you are contributing to. Even vegans need to see this so they can talk about it with others who are not vegan. Mr. Tuttle says we have dis-connected from the cruelty because we can't face the truth. It's too shameful. After seeing these images, I think everyone would agree. I don't know ANYONE who would watch this and say "yah, that's something I want to finance and condone! Let's have more of THAT!" And yet we do finance and condone it every single day by our choices for food. How is this possible? How did we get to a place where our beliefs are not lived in our choices? What person reading this would say "I believe in mutilation, violence, cruelty, and slavery"? I'm quite sure not one. And yet how many of us know or have thought about what happens with the animals on our plate? Animals have instincts like we do to escape mutilation and violence, raise their children, and live outside cages. But we have decided it is somehow o.k. to put them in cages so small they can't turn around because the meat would get "tough", take their children from them, mutilate them like whacking off their beaks so they can't peck, and the list goes on. If you saw these videos you would probably be as horrified as I was. So why is this o.k.???? What happened to compassion? We are literally eating misery. And how can this change unless enough people say it is NOT o.k.? I'm not talking about the world becoming vegan. I'm talking about the end to cruelty in our food choices. Just don't accept it any more. If enough people are willing to live their beliefs the big factory animal farms won't be able to continue these practices. One of the things Mr. Tuttle said that was so powerful was this: "Our actions are prayers. Are we praying for violence?" Wow.
So here come my tangents. Most people that I know believe that God created the Earth and all the plants and creatures. Do any of them believe that God asks us to destroy the Earth and all the plants and creatures? Not that I know of. Not one. So why are we choosing that every single day? Why are we not living our beliefs? Nature has become a "thing" to be owned and used. Simply "resources" that we can use up, poison, annihilate in any way we want? Who believes that is what God wants? And if we don't believe that, then why are we living that way? What will it take for us to live what we say we believe and cherish Creation? Wouldn't that be GLORIOUS!
How many people reading this would say they believe greed is a good thing? Probably none. So why do we take more than we need ALL THE TIME? We take more food than we need, more clothes than we need, more "things", bigger houses than we need, bigger cars, on and on. And yet we say we don't believe in greed. Look at the way we are living. I live quite a simple life, and yet when I went to move and started to decide what I needed to keep, I was STUNNED at how much I had that I could give away because I didn't need it. It comes from just being able to take more than we need. We take what we CAN. However much we can afford usually. Not how much is necessary. What if we started LIVING our belief that greed is not a good thing? If there was no consequence it wouldn't really matter. But the consequences of our taking what we can has HUGE repercussions for the Earth. The sheer volume of "stuff" that is not necessary is spewing mountains of pollution in the air, soil and water that we all need to survive. There will come a time when this is finally clear to everyone, but the damage will have been done. How about we stop this damage now, simply by living what we say we believe? It can happen. I know it can. But people have to be willing to really look at the way they live their lives and the choices that do harm. I truly hope that humanity will rise to this challenge and SEE the effect of the "more, more, more" mentality. This is not about living in a sense of lack. Abundance does not have to do damage to the Earth. Abundance can take other forms than just material things that spew pollution every time they are made or used. What if we live by this motto: "Take what you need, not what you can".
So I ask each of you to really look at your beliefs and if you are living them. If not, isn't it time to shift that? It has to happen inside each one of us. Awareness, and then action.
Thanks for listening.
Part of what was so disturbing was the videos he showed of animal farming. I've never seen anything like this before, and some of it was so horrific I actually had to turn my head away. Just like I think every person who creates garbage (that would be all of us) should be required to tour a landfill to see why we need to make different choices, I now think everyone should have to see videos of animal farming so you know what you are contributing to. Even vegans need to see this so they can talk about it with others who are not vegan. Mr. Tuttle says we have dis-connected from the cruelty because we can't face the truth. It's too shameful. After seeing these images, I think everyone would agree. I don't know ANYONE who would watch this and say "yah, that's something I want to finance and condone! Let's have more of THAT!" And yet we do finance and condone it every single day by our choices for food. How is this possible? How did we get to a place where our beliefs are not lived in our choices? What person reading this would say "I believe in mutilation, violence, cruelty, and slavery"? I'm quite sure not one. And yet how many of us know or have thought about what happens with the animals on our plate? Animals have instincts like we do to escape mutilation and violence, raise their children, and live outside cages. But we have decided it is somehow o.k. to put them in cages so small they can't turn around because the meat would get "tough", take their children from them, mutilate them like whacking off their beaks so they can't peck, and the list goes on. If you saw these videos you would probably be as horrified as I was. So why is this o.k.???? What happened to compassion? We are literally eating misery. And how can this change unless enough people say it is NOT o.k.? I'm not talking about the world becoming vegan. I'm talking about the end to cruelty in our food choices. Just don't accept it any more. If enough people are willing to live their beliefs the big factory animal farms won't be able to continue these practices. One of the things Mr. Tuttle said that was so powerful was this: "Our actions are prayers. Are we praying for violence?" Wow.
So here come my tangents. Most people that I know believe that God created the Earth and all the plants and creatures. Do any of them believe that God asks us to destroy the Earth and all the plants and creatures? Not that I know of. Not one. So why are we choosing that every single day? Why are we not living our beliefs? Nature has become a "thing" to be owned and used. Simply "resources" that we can use up, poison, annihilate in any way we want? Who believes that is what God wants? And if we don't believe that, then why are we living that way? What will it take for us to live what we say we believe and cherish Creation? Wouldn't that be GLORIOUS!
How many people reading this would say they believe greed is a good thing? Probably none. So why do we take more than we need ALL THE TIME? We take more food than we need, more clothes than we need, more "things", bigger houses than we need, bigger cars, on and on. And yet we say we don't believe in greed. Look at the way we are living. I live quite a simple life, and yet when I went to move and started to decide what I needed to keep, I was STUNNED at how much I had that I could give away because I didn't need it. It comes from just being able to take more than we need. We take what we CAN. However much we can afford usually. Not how much is necessary. What if we started LIVING our belief that greed is not a good thing? If there was no consequence it wouldn't really matter. But the consequences of our taking what we can has HUGE repercussions for the Earth. The sheer volume of "stuff" that is not necessary is spewing mountains of pollution in the air, soil and water that we all need to survive. There will come a time when this is finally clear to everyone, but the damage will have been done. How about we stop this damage now, simply by living what we say we believe? It can happen. I know it can. But people have to be willing to really look at the way they live their lives and the choices that do harm. I truly hope that humanity will rise to this challenge and SEE the effect of the "more, more, more" mentality. This is not about living in a sense of lack. Abundance does not have to do damage to the Earth. Abundance can take other forms than just material things that spew pollution every time they are made or used. What if we live by this motto: "Take what you need, not what you can".
So I ask each of you to really look at your beliefs and if you are living them. If not, isn't it time to shift that? It has to happen inside each one of us. Awareness, and then action.
Thanks for listening.
Friday, November 27, 2009
10 GIFTS
Today was the "official" day when all the shop-till-you-drop craze begins leading up to the big Holiday Season. (Cue the music...) Gift giving is such a BEAUTIFUL thing, but it has become really manic and destructive in our society. People wracking up debt because they feel they have to buy and buy, literally harming others in the quest to get something they think they must have, so much stress, so frantic. How about we step out of all that this year?! I submit some suggestions for a loving and stress free holiday season, helping the Earth in the process. We can give and NOT pollute the land, water and air. YAY!
1. Buy Less.
Seems a no-brainer. The more things we accumulate that we don't really need from people who think they have to buy us "something", the more that winds up in the landfill. While it is really fun to give, most of the gifts now are so destructive to the world we live in. So much plastic! So much manufacturing waste. We don't need to add to that in order to give.
2. Re-Give.
(What an odd sounding word.) There are many things you may have received that you don't use or enjoy that someone else may need or adore! When I was doing my huge "cleanse" to downsize before moving to Kauai, it was so fun finding new homes for things I didn't want to take with me. I thought I didn't have much "stuff" to start with, but it was amazing how much I had to give in my closets. There is an organization online at Freecycle.org where you can get things to give to others for free! Craigslist also has a "free" section under the "For Sale" column. And of course you can post things there you want to give away if you can't find another home for them.
3. Donate.
One of the wonderful traditions started in my family awhile ago is making a donation in someones name to an organization that person would want to support. There is money flowing to a fantastic cause, rather than to a "thing" that sits on a shelf or in a store room. It is exciting to me that the Earth can get extra help at this time of year if people are willing to give in this way.
4. Talents.
When we are kids we make things for people. Like the painting Mom still has hanging and says she likes, or the pot holder she still uses. (Yes, it's true). But who says we can't do this as adults? One of the most delicious gifts I ever got was a 2 hour massage from a professional massage therapist friend of mine. BLISS! Someone may be able to offer tutoring on a computer to another who is lost. (That would be me). Write a poem or song as a gift if you are a writer or singer. I have a friend who is a pianist and donates himself as entertainment for parties as a gift. Is there some skill you have that others could be blessed by?
5. Time.
Even if you feel you are a talent free zone, time is a gift that many can use. Babysit for a couple with kids so they can have a night out. Be a chauffeur for someone who has no car. Clean someones car, or house. (Well maybe not the WHOLE house...). You can create a "certificate" to be redeemed for a certain number of hours of your time. Lots of people need gifts of time!
6. Free Tickets.
Give a subscription to season tickets for something fantastic! Or maybe just a single show of something passing through. A year's admission to a museum, art gallery, arboretum. That gift keeps on giving the entire year.
7. FOOD!
O.K, who doesn't like food? Maybe you want to not like it so it won't tempt you, but you DO. Everyone needs to eat. Making food to give as gifts feels very special to the person receiving. "You made this yourself? Wow." Even if it's not yummy to them, the love that went into it is what is received. Your shopping is no more than a few extra items the next time you are at the grocery store.
8. Re-use.
A lot of the wrapping, bows and bags that things come in can be re-used. I had such a collection of gift bags and bows from packages I got over the years I gave a bunch away on my big "cleanse" and I still have more to use this year. Even the wrapping paper if it is taken off carefully can be used again another year. Just cut off the parts with tape and voila, new paper with no trip to the store. (Just don't give it back to the same person...hee!)
9. Recycle.
There is so much packaging on new products but lots of it can go to recycling rather than the landfill. And all those holiday cards and envelopes can be put in paper recycling. Here in Hawaii they do not have curbside recycling (on an ISLAND!...don't get me started...), but ALL paper can be recycled, and both cardboard AND paperboard, if you know where to take it. Check with your local recycling centers for what they accept. In most places none of it has to go to the landfill.
10. E cards.
Lots of people give cards only at the holidays, and have a HUGE list! But now we have the Internet and don't need to cut down forests any more to send a card. Of course there are cards printed on recycled paper, but they are still made in factories adding to the pollution. We can step out of all of that. There are many online card "stores", and most are free! Even better. The cards can be SO creative, even singing and dancing for the recipient. How fun is that?! So give tons of cards and create no waste. Wow.
I know there are lots of ways not mentioned here to give gifts that don't involve buying at a store and more stuff for the landfill. I hope this list has given you ideas to make your own holiday season this year more loving and stress free for both you AND the Earth! YES!
Thanks for listening.
1. Buy Less.
Seems a no-brainer. The more things we accumulate that we don't really need from people who think they have to buy us "something", the more that winds up in the landfill. While it is really fun to give, most of the gifts now are so destructive to the world we live in. So much plastic! So much manufacturing waste. We don't need to add to that in order to give.
2. Re-Give.
(What an odd sounding word.) There are many things you may have received that you don't use or enjoy that someone else may need or adore! When I was doing my huge "cleanse" to downsize before moving to Kauai, it was so fun finding new homes for things I didn't want to take with me. I thought I didn't have much "stuff" to start with, but it was amazing how much I had to give in my closets. There is an organization online at Freecycle.org where you can get things to give to others for free! Craigslist also has a "free" section under the "For Sale" column. And of course you can post things there you want to give away if you can't find another home for them.
3. Donate.
One of the wonderful traditions started in my family awhile ago is making a donation in someones name to an organization that person would want to support. There is money flowing to a fantastic cause, rather than to a "thing" that sits on a shelf or in a store room. It is exciting to me that the Earth can get extra help at this time of year if people are willing to give in this way.
4. Talents.
When we are kids we make things for people. Like the painting Mom still has hanging and says she likes, or the pot holder she still uses. (Yes, it's true). But who says we can't do this as adults? One of the most delicious gifts I ever got was a 2 hour massage from a professional massage therapist friend of mine. BLISS! Someone may be able to offer tutoring on a computer to another who is lost. (That would be me). Write a poem or song as a gift if you are a writer or singer. I have a friend who is a pianist and donates himself as entertainment for parties as a gift. Is there some skill you have that others could be blessed by?
5. Time.
Even if you feel you are a talent free zone, time is a gift that many can use. Babysit for a couple with kids so they can have a night out. Be a chauffeur for someone who has no car. Clean someones car, or house. (Well maybe not the WHOLE house...). You can create a "certificate" to be redeemed for a certain number of hours of your time. Lots of people need gifts of time!
6. Free Tickets.
Give a subscription to season tickets for something fantastic! Or maybe just a single show of something passing through. A year's admission to a museum, art gallery, arboretum. That gift keeps on giving the entire year.
7. FOOD!
O.K, who doesn't like food? Maybe you want to not like it so it won't tempt you, but you DO. Everyone needs to eat. Making food to give as gifts feels very special to the person receiving. "You made this yourself? Wow." Even if it's not yummy to them, the love that went into it is what is received. Your shopping is no more than a few extra items the next time you are at the grocery store.
8. Re-use.
A lot of the wrapping, bows and bags that things come in can be re-used. I had such a collection of gift bags and bows from packages I got over the years I gave a bunch away on my big "cleanse" and I still have more to use this year. Even the wrapping paper if it is taken off carefully can be used again another year. Just cut off the parts with tape and voila, new paper with no trip to the store. (Just don't give it back to the same person...hee!)
9. Recycle.
There is so much packaging on new products but lots of it can go to recycling rather than the landfill. And all those holiday cards and envelopes can be put in paper recycling. Here in Hawaii they do not have curbside recycling (on an ISLAND!...don't get me started...), but ALL paper can be recycled, and both cardboard AND paperboard, if you know where to take it. Check with your local recycling centers for what they accept. In most places none of it has to go to the landfill.
10. E cards.
Lots of people give cards only at the holidays, and have a HUGE list! But now we have the Internet and don't need to cut down forests any more to send a card. Of course there are cards printed on recycled paper, but they are still made in factories adding to the pollution. We can step out of all of that. There are many online card "stores", and most are free! Even better. The cards can be SO creative, even singing and dancing for the recipient. How fun is that?! So give tons of cards and create no waste. Wow.
I know there are lots of ways not mentioned here to give gifts that don't involve buying at a store and more stuff for the landfill. I hope this list has given you ideas to make your own holiday season this year more loving and stress free for both you AND the Earth! YES!
Thanks for listening.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
CONVERSATIONS
The most remarkable conversation happened a few days ago. I was doing my usual trash pick-up at the beach, and the waves are still HUGE so there is way more than I can get. When I am passing people "using" the beach, sometimes they will ask if I'm finding shells, occasionally saying something positive when they find I am picking up trash, and often saying nothing. Well this conversation began with the question about what I was picking up, and when I said trash, the guy looked stunned and said "I see trash on the beach all the time but it never occurred to me to pick it up"!!!! He said he assumed someone else would. No, there is no-one whose "job" it is to pick up in remote places. Sometimes at resorts I suppose. Then something happened that is a first in 10 years: he got a bag and JOINED ME! Honestly, no-one has ever done that before. It rather astounded me. He said he would pick up the area around where he and his girlfriend were laying. I got so HAPPY! I always hope people will step up and start doing something about the way we are harming the Earth, but in my experience it is really rare. Once in 10 years. And what was so cute was he needed coaching about what was plastic and what was bits of shell or coral! Hilarious. A trash coach?
In talking with my family and friends over the years I have been so frustrated with how hard it is to get people, even people that love me and listen to me, to realize how serious our destruction of the Earth is and DO something about it. Recently I've been having conversations with several people about why this is. I've learned what might be a few of the reasons, so I post them here in case they ring for others.
Because of the way I live my life, I am seeing every day what is happening to our Earth. I am watching paradise disappear. I have to remember that most people aren't. There are so many big money companies telling them not to worry, that they feel skeptical. "What if I give up all of this stuff and the other side is right and I didn't have to give it up after all?" So they just keep doing their thing and wait until they "see" something happen or until their neighbors do something so they don't feel like they're the only ones "giving up stuff".
How can I get people to believe how important it is to change swiftly? To save what is LEFT, before it too is wiped out forever. Because if we keep going the way we are, quite literally this planet will be un-inhabitable. Very few people believe that. They don't see it so it doesn't make sense to "give up stuff". The Inuit who are watching their houses sink into the melting permafrost believe. The Indonesians watching the forest they live in being cut down believe. The Polynesians forced to leave an island in the Pacific because there is no high ground and their crops are all under water with rising sea level, they believe. The tribes in Africa killed so their land can be mined believe. Our life in N. America is way too cushy. We don't know what we are doing that affects people in other parts of the world, sometimes literally taking their lives. I am told I may be labelled as "hysterical" and people won't listen. And yet what is happening is DESPERATE. How can I get people who don't see it to SEE. And stop contributing immediately so lives can be saved. All I can do is keep putting information out there and pray like crazy it will get through to the heart. If it's just in the head it does no good. People need to be moved in the heart, with enormous compassion for what they may never see first hand, in order to do something. By the time we feel it in N. America in a big enough way to scare people into action, millions of people and creatures will already have lost their lives in other places less insulated. There is a Native Indian saying: "When the children ask what you did while the Earth was dying, how will you answer?"
The thing that still baffles me is the continuing to do something once someone knows how simple it is to do it differently. When you walk into a store you simply pick up the recycled toilet paper rather than the one that has destroyed forests. You pick a cleanser or soap that has no toxic chemicals rather than one that does. You pick up something organic that hasn't poisoned the soil. They are often in the same aisle now at the big stores. You don't even need to go out of your way to do it. It seems that people make it into a bigger shift than it actually is. There was a time when ONLY the health food stores carried products that do no harm, but that is no longer true. It's just so EASY now to make a choice to do no harm, and still people choose what does harm. I don't understand that. Once you know? Really?
In talking with my family and friends over the years I have been so frustrated with how hard it is to get people, even people that love me and listen to me, to realize how serious our destruction of the Earth is and DO something about it. Recently I've been having conversations with several people about why this is. I've learned what might be a few of the reasons, so I post them here in case they ring for others.
Because of the way I live my life, I am seeing every day what is happening to our Earth. I am watching paradise disappear. I have to remember that most people aren't. There are so many big money companies telling them not to worry, that they feel skeptical. "What if I give up all of this stuff and the other side is right and I didn't have to give it up after all?" So they just keep doing their thing and wait until they "see" something happen or until their neighbors do something so they don't feel like they're the only ones "giving up stuff".
How can I get people to believe how important it is to change swiftly? To save what is LEFT, before it too is wiped out forever. Because if we keep going the way we are, quite literally this planet will be un-inhabitable. Very few people believe that. They don't see it so it doesn't make sense to "give up stuff". The Inuit who are watching their houses sink into the melting permafrost believe. The Indonesians watching the forest they live in being cut down believe. The Polynesians forced to leave an island in the Pacific because there is no high ground and their crops are all under water with rising sea level, they believe. The tribes in Africa killed so their land can be mined believe. Our life in N. America is way too cushy. We don't know what we are doing that affects people in other parts of the world, sometimes literally taking their lives. I am told I may be labelled as "hysterical" and people won't listen. And yet what is happening is DESPERATE. How can I get people who don't see it to SEE. And stop contributing immediately so lives can be saved. All I can do is keep putting information out there and pray like crazy it will get through to the heart. If it's just in the head it does no good. People need to be moved in the heart, with enormous compassion for what they may never see first hand, in order to do something. By the time we feel it in N. America in a big enough way to scare people into action, millions of people and creatures will already have lost their lives in other places less insulated. There is a Native Indian saying: "When the children ask what you did while the Earth was dying, how will you answer?"
The thing that still baffles me is the continuing to do something once someone knows how simple it is to do it differently. When you walk into a store you simply pick up the recycled toilet paper rather than the one that has destroyed forests. You pick a cleanser or soap that has no toxic chemicals rather than one that does. You pick up something organic that hasn't poisoned the soil. They are often in the same aisle now at the big stores. You don't even need to go out of your way to do it. It seems that people make it into a bigger shift than it actually is. There was a time when ONLY the health food stores carried products that do no harm, but that is no longer true. It's just so EASY now to make a choice to do no harm, and still people choose what does harm. I don't understand that. Once you know? Really?
I have been told for a lot of people Nature is an "it", an inanimate object, and objects cannot be harmed in very many ways that burden the conscience. WOW. I can't quite wrap my mind around that. But it sure would explain why people harm the Earth the way they do. Separate from Creation. Yes. And so how to re-connect people? Is it even possible to create respect for life if it is not considered life? Respect for an inanimate object? Hmmm. But all of the destruction we are doing is already coming back to bite us. We can't destroy the Earth without destroying ourselves in the process since this is our only home. If you haven't yet watched the movie HOME on Youtube, watch it. It is important to see what you may never know without a film like this. We need to change the course humanity is on. Even my beloved Borneo where I grew up will be devoid of jungle in 10 years at the rate it is being logged. For us. The 20% consuming 80% of the resources of the world. Why is this o.k.? Why aren't more people upset about this? It needs to be a MAJORITY that suddenly cares and is motivated to ACT. So how will you answer when asked what you did while the Earth was dying?
Thanks for listening.
Friday, November 13, 2009
ANCIENT ENLIGHTENMENT
Yesterday was the most INCREDIBLE day! I got up early (those who know me are laughing right now), to go to a traditional Hawaiian blessing ceremony of the land for a new community garden that is opening up in Kilauea. It was PHENOMENAL! The Kumu (teacher) who was leading the ceremony was oozing presence and reverence, and the ceremony was so powerful. She began by saying the Ancient Hawaiians essentially worshiped Nature, and there were specific gods that reigned over the land and water and air. So she was calling for the blessing of those things, so that the ground would be fruitful as it began a new life as a garden to feed many. She did gorgeous chants as others prepared ceremonial beds to plant taro and sweet potato and breadfruit, all essential parts of the life of Ancient Hawaiians. She had created a sacred entrance to the garden with field stones and all were blessed with water that had been sung to as it was being poured into the gourds! Delicious. Even the day itself was auspicious as the Hawaiians had just 2 seasons, dry and wet, and that day marked the transition from one to the other, hence a time for new life and a new planting season.
Ancient Hawaiians, like all aboriginal groups, had SO much respect for the land, and treated it with great sacredness. As she spoke about many of the beliefs, I was so grateful that here was someone who still knew of the Ancient ways and was willing to pass them on to new generations. For a long time Hawaiians were forbidden to practice the "old" ways. I have an Auntie here who is Hawaiian, but is only learning about her culture and language as an adult! When she was a child it was the time of "Westernization" and kids were only allowed to practice "Western" things and learn English. Wow. Of course this happened all over the world with colonization, but here I get to learn about it intimately rather than from books. And the "Western" way was not to treat the land as sacred, but to dominate it. Force it to do what you want in whatever way necessary, rather than work with Nature in a harmonious way. Sadly, that is still what "Western" growing methods are. So it was absolutely gorgeous to hear someone talk about a reverence for the land in growing food. We need to listen to these people that still know how to work with Nature, not fight Her, and re-learn the old wisdom. It gave me hope for a future where the Earth is cared for. Harmony between Nature and humans must become the rule, not the exception.
The space itself is so BEAUTIFUL, nestled in trees with unbelievable views of the mountains and waterfalls. And another thing that gave me hope: the land was donated by a wealthy landowner!!!!!!!!!! YES! Someone who has more than they need giving to others who don't have land. How refreshing! So the plots are being offered to the community for just 35 dollars and then you can plant whatever you want. Amazing. There will be SO many people helped by this land in a time when many are struggling to buy food for their families.
I went from all that power and beauty to my favorite place to do my swim and yoga at Larsens, and there was the most incredible LIGHTNING storm! Talk about power and beauty. I've never seen that at Larsens in a year and 1/2 of going there and it was soooooooooooo spectacular! The storm was out over the sea, and stationary, so I didn't have to run for cover. There was a band of clouds, a gap, and another band higher, with the lightning running up and down the bands sideways like arpeggios on a piano. Then every so often it would jump from one band to the other, sometimes shooting UP from the lower one, sometimes starting at "middle C" and leaping both left and right on the piano simultaneously. I was TRANSFIXED. And I couldn't even do yoga because I kept missing moments when I was upside down so I just stopped and watched. Because it was out over the water it would light up the entire ocean and waves just for a second of brilliant blue and white, and then back to blackness. It went on for more than an hour, before starting to dissipate. WOW! Blessings.
It seemed so appropriate somehow with what I had just experienced at the new garden. Something ancient and powerful enlightening us now if we are willing to stop and learn. And lightning bolts are hard to ignore! It's time to pay attention. Listen. Nature is TALKING.
Thanks for listening.( suddenly a double meaning!)
Ancient Hawaiians, like all aboriginal groups, had SO much respect for the land, and treated it with great sacredness. As she spoke about many of the beliefs, I was so grateful that here was someone who still knew of the Ancient ways and was willing to pass them on to new generations. For a long time Hawaiians were forbidden to practice the "old" ways. I have an Auntie here who is Hawaiian, but is only learning about her culture and language as an adult! When she was a child it was the time of "Westernization" and kids were only allowed to practice "Western" things and learn English. Wow. Of course this happened all over the world with colonization, but here I get to learn about it intimately rather than from books. And the "Western" way was not to treat the land as sacred, but to dominate it. Force it to do what you want in whatever way necessary, rather than work with Nature in a harmonious way. Sadly, that is still what "Western" growing methods are. So it was absolutely gorgeous to hear someone talk about a reverence for the land in growing food. We need to listen to these people that still know how to work with Nature, not fight Her, and re-learn the old wisdom. It gave me hope for a future where the Earth is cared for. Harmony between Nature and humans must become the rule, not the exception.
The space itself is so BEAUTIFUL, nestled in trees with unbelievable views of the mountains and waterfalls. And another thing that gave me hope: the land was donated by a wealthy landowner!!!!!!!!!! YES! Someone who has more than they need giving to others who don't have land. How refreshing! So the plots are being offered to the community for just 35 dollars and then you can plant whatever you want. Amazing. There will be SO many people helped by this land in a time when many are struggling to buy food for their families.
I went from all that power and beauty to my favorite place to do my swim and yoga at Larsens, and there was the most incredible LIGHTNING storm! Talk about power and beauty. I've never seen that at Larsens in a year and 1/2 of going there and it was soooooooooooo spectacular! The storm was out over the sea, and stationary, so I didn't have to run for cover. There was a band of clouds, a gap, and another band higher, with the lightning running up and down the bands sideways like arpeggios on a piano. Then every so often it would jump from one band to the other, sometimes shooting UP from the lower one, sometimes starting at "middle C" and leaping both left and right on the piano simultaneously. I was TRANSFIXED. And I couldn't even do yoga because I kept missing moments when I was upside down so I just stopped and watched. Because it was out over the water it would light up the entire ocean and waves just for a second of brilliant blue and white, and then back to blackness. It went on for more than an hour, before starting to dissipate. WOW! Blessings.
It seemed so appropriate somehow with what I had just experienced at the new garden. Something ancient and powerful enlightening us now if we are willing to stop and learn. And lightning bolts are hard to ignore! It's time to pay attention. Listen. Nature is TALKING.
Thanks for listening.( suddenly a double meaning!)
Saturday, November 7, 2009
EARTH LAUGHTER
The other day I was given one of the most beautiful gifts of my life, in the form of a true story read to me over the phone by my sister. I simply had to put an excerpt here to share with all of you. The article was written by a doctor about to meet a new patient, a 9 year old boy with a softball sized cancerous tumor on his face. Both his eyes had been removed, followed by multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. "I was about to meet wisdom and knowledge in the form of a blind nine year old boy with terminal cancer. He should have died months ago, slipped into unconsciousness, or have been in the throes of excruciating pain. Yet, he defied all the odds.
"I am Dr. Lerma. Welcome. You must be Matthew", I said, intentionally directing my salutation to Matthew's sister, who was sitting directly opposite from him. When she started to laugh, Matthew protested loudly,"No, silly, I'm Matthew." Amazingly, he knew I had addressed her instead of him, considering he had been blind for more than a year. He smiled a magical crooked smile and began an animated attempt to make me laugh. "Dr. Lerma, I want to introduce you to Regina, my tumor. The doctors call her retinoblastoma and tell me she is a bad tumor, but I consider her my friend. You see, Dr. Lerma, Regina is going to help my family and other children who are sick."
"How is that possible" I asked.
"Well God's the only One that knows that, but all I have to do is accept her."
One day I asked Matthew how he had lived so long with all that he had endured. He cocked his head as if listening to someone talk, and then he said simply and matter-of -factly, "Okay, I'll, tell him. Well, doc, it was a gift from God's angels." I was a little surprised by this revelation, but sometimes patients did mention angels, and I usually just ignored it as a side effect of the medications or the hallucinations of the dying mind. But this felt different somehow, as Matthew was very lucid and had refused all medications since his admission. Matthew looked at me as though he could see me, and said, "Okay, let's talk about the angels. Ask me some questions. I can feel your heart, and it has questions, so shoot."
"Are there any angels with us today Matthew?"
"Oh yes, they are here."
"How many angels do you see?"
"Three."
"What color are they?"
"They are bright gold."
"How tall are they?"
"They are a little taller than my favorite basketball player, David Robinson."
"Do they come to you when you are sleeping or when you are awake?"
"Both ways. They come in my dreams, and we all go swimming with the dolphins, seals, and penguins. It's a lot of fun. When I'm awake, they teach me things about the earth and people."
"Can you tell me what they teach you about the earth and people?"
"Yes. They tell me that the earth is sick like I am, and that the people have to learn to make it feel better so that everybody can be healthy and happy. Sometimes when I'm swimming with the dolphins and playing with Gabby, I can hear the earth crying because it is sick and is sad. It makes all of us sad. But Gabby has shown me what makes the earth laugh."
"And what makes the earth laugh, Matthew?"
"You make it laugh by swimming with the dolphins, seals, penguins, fish and a bunch of other animals, and saying thank you to God for the water, plants, and all that stuff."
A day or two later, our conversation continued.
"How often do you see the angels, Matthew?"
"Every few days, mostly on Fridays, I think."
"Why do you think they come on Fridays?"
"Because that's when I had my chemotherapy, and they want to help me feel better."
"Do they talk to you?"
"Sometimes."
"What do they say?"
"They ask me if I'm feeling okay."
"What do you tell them?"
"I tell them the truth-that sometimes I feel sick. They tell me they'll make me feel better whenever I feel bad. That's why I don't have any pain like you always think I should have."
"How do they make you feel better?"
"They show me blue water with dolphins and let me ride on them, and after that I feel better than before."
Matthew hugged me and whispered in my ear,"The angels are going to pick me up on Monday. Will I get to see you before then?"
"Of course," I assured him."I wouldn't miss it for the world, Matthew."
I made my visit to Matthew early Monday around seven in the morning, because that is when he said the angels would visit. He knew the moment I arrived and said, "Hello again,"as if he could see. I started to ask if the angels were in the room, but before I could get the words out, he boldly spoke up. "Dr. Lerma, do you know there are about twenty angels in the room with us right now?"
"Really? Anyone else?"
"Yep, all my friends from the beach. They're all laughing, and the angels are so bright and gold that the light makes everyone in the room look gold, too."
Matthew then gifted me with his final words: "I'll see you later." The little boy nodded his head as if he was sharing a special secret that only I would understand.
Matthew passed away peacefully at six in the evening with his family at his bedside. I could feel his spirit still around, no longer in the worn out body. I knew that this world was a better place for Matthew having been here, even if only for a few years."
Wow. So that is what we do to make the Earth feel better; we make her laugh! By giving thanks for all the gifts of Nature, and by playing in Nature with all of her magnificent creatures. After my sister read me the story she pronounced that my most important job each day was to GO SWIMMING! This is a job I can do. I need to make the Earth laugh! I always thought I went to the water to receive joy. Apparently I can also give joy too. Thank you, Matthew.
This is a much shorter version than the complete story which has a beautiful part about Matthew's family and what he did for them. If you want to read the entire thing, it is from the latest issue of Light of Consciousness magazine.
So let's go make the Earth laugh people. We need to give back.
Thanks for listening.
"I am Dr. Lerma. Welcome. You must be Matthew", I said, intentionally directing my salutation to Matthew's sister, who was sitting directly opposite from him. When she started to laugh, Matthew protested loudly,"No, silly, I'm Matthew." Amazingly, he knew I had addressed her instead of him, considering he had been blind for more than a year. He smiled a magical crooked smile and began an animated attempt to make me laugh. "Dr. Lerma, I want to introduce you to Regina, my tumor. The doctors call her retinoblastoma and tell me she is a bad tumor, but I consider her my friend. You see, Dr. Lerma, Regina is going to help my family and other children who are sick."
"How is that possible" I asked.
"Well God's the only One that knows that, but all I have to do is accept her."
One day I asked Matthew how he had lived so long with all that he had endured. He cocked his head as if listening to someone talk, and then he said simply and matter-of -factly, "Okay, I'll, tell him. Well, doc, it was a gift from God's angels." I was a little surprised by this revelation, but sometimes patients did mention angels, and I usually just ignored it as a side effect of the medications or the hallucinations of the dying mind. But this felt different somehow, as Matthew was very lucid and had refused all medications since his admission. Matthew looked at me as though he could see me, and said, "Okay, let's talk about the angels. Ask me some questions. I can feel your heart, and it has questions, so shoot."
"Are there any angels with us today Matthew?"
"Oh yes, they are here."
"How many angels do you see?"
"Three."
"What color are they?"
"They are bright gold."
"How tall are they?"
"They are a little taller than my favorite basketball player, David Robinson."
"Do they come to you when you are sleeping or when you are awake?"
"Both ways. They come in my dreams, and we all go swimming with the dolphins, seals, and penguins. It's a lot of fun. When I'm awake, they teach me things about the earth and people."
"Can you tell me what they teach you about the earth and people?"
"Yes. They tell me that the earth is sick like I am, and that the people have to learn to make it feel better so that everybody can be healthy and happy. Sometimes when I'm swimming with the dolphins and playing with Gabby, I can hear the earth crying because it is sick and is sad. It makes all of us sad. But Gabby has shown me what makes the earth laugh."
"And what makes the earth laugh, Matthew?"
"You make it laugh by swimming with the dolphins, seals, penguins, fish and a bunch of other animals, and saying thank you to God for the water, plants, and all that stuff."
A day or two later, our conversation continued.
"How often do you see the angels, Matthew?"
"Every few days, mostly on Fridays, I think."
"Why do you think they come on Fridays?"
"Because that's when I had my chemotherapy, and they want to help me feel better."
"Do they talk to you?"
"Sometimes."
"What do they say?"
"They ask me if I'm feeling okay."
"What do you tell them?"
"I tell them the truth-that sometimes I feel sick. They tell me they'll make me feel better whenever I feel bad. That's why I don't have any pain like you always think I should have."
"How do they make you feel better?"
"They show me blue water with dolphins and let me ride on them, and after that I feel better than before."
Matthew hugged me and whispered in my ear,"The angels are going to pick me up on Monday. Will I get to see you before then?"
"Of course," I assured him."I wouldn't miss it for the world, Matthew."
I made my visit to Matthew early Monday around seven in the morning, because that is when he said the angels would visit. He knew the moment I arrived and said, "Hello again,"as if he could see. I started to ask if the angels were in the room, but before I could get the words out, he boldly spoke up. "Dr. Lerma, do you know there are about twenty angels in the room with us right now?"
"Really? Anyone else?"
"Yep, all my friends from the beach. They're all laughing, and the angels are so bright and gold that the light makes everyone in the room look gold, too."
Matthew then gifted me with his final words: "I'll see you later." The little boy nodded his head as if he was sharing a special secret that only I would understand.
Matthew passed away peacefully at six in the evening with his family at his bedside. I could feel his spirit still around, no longer in the worn out body. I knew that this world was a better place for Matthew having been here, even if only for a few years."
Wow. So that is what we do to make the Earth feel better; we make her laugh! By giving thanks for all the gifts of Nature, and by playing in Nature with all of her magnificent creatures. After my sister read me the story she pronounced that my most important job each day was to GO SWIMMING! This is a job I can do. I need to make the Earth laugh! I always thought I went to the water to receive joy. Apparently I can also give joy too. Thank you, Matthew.
This is a much shorter version than the complete story which has a beautiful part about Matthew's family and what he did for them. If you want to read the entire thing, it is from the latest issue of Light of Consciousness magazine.
So let's go make the Earth laugh people. We need to give back.
Thanks for listening.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
FLYING HOME
I was sitting on the cliff today watching sunset over the water at Larsens; orange, pink and yellow clouds behind dark purple stormy ones with a back drop of baby blue, spread over the dark water swells with puffs of white waves. All that colour punctuated now and then by flocks of Boobies flying home (sorry, that's their name). They are black and white seabirds that nest in the trees of a bird sanctuary just up the coast, and every day at sunset they fly home after a day of fishing. And it occured to me that we have lost our sense of "home". I was reflecting on that word because I had just seen a film about our Earth and what is being done to her that is the most unbelievable, astounding, stunning, important film. It is called HOME, and is on Youtube. The photography is National Geographic quality, and it tours the globe showing the state of air, water and food in hundreds of Nations. It will blow your mind. EVERYONE needs to see this film so we all know what we are facing. The images of Nature are so GORGEOUS, and the statistics are staggering. Please, please watch it.
Today was one of those big swell days when TONS of garbage is washed up that is floating around in the ocean. Too much for me to pick up in one day, but I got some of it. I always feel relieved that at least that much won't wash back out with the next high tide. There were people there that came to "use" the beach for the day, spread out their towels or beach chairs right beside the trash washed up, and then left without picking up a single thing. Why? They have lost a sense of the Earth being home. If someone had dumped trash on their bed and they didn't know who did it, would they lay down on it or clean it up? Of course they would clean it up. Even more alarming is the people who come to the beach and bring trash that they leave behind. Do they butt out their cigarette butts on their living room carpet and just leave them there? Again, of course not. It is home. But they do it every single day down at the beach.
We have lost a connection to the Earth as home. And yet the Earth is inside us! We are all made up of the air, water and soil of this planet. If we don't have air, we die. If we don't have water, we die. If we don't have food from the soil, we die. You have air, water, and soil inside you right this moment as you read this. It doesn't get more connected than that! People say to me they aren't as connected to the Earth as I am. Yes, you are. We ALL have it inside us, equally. We all take it in every single day. But it is not a conscious connection. If it were, we would act very differently. No-one would dump trash in their own home and then lay down in it. When they are at the beach they don't think they are "home".
Anderson Cooper aired a documentary on t.v. called Planet in Peril that highlights a few of the things happening to our Earth. One of the segments was on human-made chemicals that are now inside us. As we have been pouring these chemicals into the air and water and soil, we are pouring them into ourselves. Only recently have we been discovering that they are not just poisoning the Earth, they are poisoning us. There are roughly 82,000 chemicals not found in Nature that have been created for use by us. Guess how many have been tested for safety. Go on, guess. I'll give you a moment.......200!!!!!!!!! Those zeros are correct. Not 20,000. Not even 2,000. And of those 200 the ones that are proven to be hazardous are banned. Like DDT. And yet they are still finding DDT in our bodies because it gets stored. What about the other 81,800 that have not yet been tested? Why are we waiting until they are? What we are doing to this Earth we are doing to ourselves. We are connected whether it is conscious or not. When someone proves it is toxic, it's too late.
So we have got to come back to a sense of home. A planet that is so connected to us she is inside us every moment of every day, and what we do to her we immediately do to ourselves. And it has to happen swiftly. We don't have time to crawl home or even walk. We need to FLY home. Just like the Boobies, every single day.
Thanks for listening.
Today was one of those big swell days when TONS of garbage is washed up that is floating around in the ocean. Too much for me to pick up in one day, but I got some of it. I always feel relieved that at least that much won't wash back out with the next high tide. There were people there that came to "use" the beach for the day, spread out their towels or beach chairs right beside the trash washed up, and then left without picking up a single thing. Why? They have lost a sense of the Earth being home. If someone had dumped trash on their bed and they didn't know who did it, would they lay down on it or clean it up? Of course they would clean it up. Even more alarming is the people who come to the beach and bring trash that they leave behind. Do they butt out their cigarette butts on their living room carpet and just leave them there? Again, of course not. It is home. But they do it every single day down at the beach.
We have lost a connection to the Earth as home. And yet the Earth is inside us! We are all made up of the air, water and soil of this planet. If we don't have air, we die. If we don't have water, we die. If we don't have food from the soil, we die. You have air, water, and soil inside you right this moment as you read this. It doesn't get more connected than that! People say to me they aren't as connected to the Earth as I am. Yes, you are. We ALL have it inside us, equally. We all take it in every single day. But it is not a conscious connection. If it were, we would act very differently. No-one would dump trash in their own home and then lay down in it. When they are at the beach they don't think they are "home".
Anderson Cooper aired a documentary on t.v. called Planet in Peril that highlights a few of the things happening to our Earth. One of the segments was on human-made chemicals that are now inside us. As we have been pouring these chemicals into the air and water and soil, we are pouring them into ourselves. Only recently have we been discovering that they are not just poisoning the Earth, they are poisoning us. There are roughly 82,000 chemicals not found in Nature that have been created for use by us. Guess how many have been tested for safety. Go on, guess. I'll give you a moment.......200!!!!!!!!! Those zeros are correct. Not 20,000. Not even 2,000. And of those 200 the ones that are proven to be hazardous are banned. Like DDT. And yet they are still finding DDT in our bodies because it gets stored. What about the other 81,800 that have not yet been tested? Why are we waiting until they are? What we are doing to this Earth we are doing to ourselves. We are connected whether it is conscious or not. When someone proves it is toxic, it's too late.
So we have got to come back to a sense of home. A planet that is so connected to us she is inside us every moment of every day, and what we do to her we immediately do to ourselves. And it has to happen swiftly. We don't have time to crawl home or even walk. We need to FLY home. Just like the Boobies, every single day.
Thanks for listening.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
FLIGHTS OF FANCY
This is a picture of my favorite Hawaiian forest bird. The I'iwi. Gorgeous. Seeing them in the wild is so incredible. The colours are fantastic. And look at that bill!!!! Because they are so rare many people have never seen one except in a picture, including people who live here, since the Native birds fled to the high mountains as the lowland forests were cut down. If you have read my post about Old Growth forests, then you know that I began hiking with botanists when I first moved to Oahu. Besides seeing beautiful really rare plants, I started learning about the Hawaiian birds. All the forest birds seen at lower levels are "imports" from somewhere else because the Hawaiian species couldn't live on the introduced plants, and they had no immunity to mosquito viruses so they died in massive numbers. There were no mosquitoes here before people brought them. Can you imagine? (What a good idea to bring those with us!) So just like with the plants, you can come to Hawaii and never see a Hawaiian bird. Ayah. And when I discovered how few Hawaiian bird species were left in the high mountains I began a "quest" to see all the ones that still exist before any more go extinct. Sadly, another one did go extinct just a few years after I moved here and I never got to see it. It was called the Po'ouli, and lived in the remote mountains of Maui. There was only one bird left that researchers knew of, and then it died. Sigh.My search started on Oahu with the help of a wonderful woman who knew the calls of the birds, so even if we couldn't see them she would say "oohh there is an Apapane singing over there in those trees". Then I'd scramble like crazy to try and SEE it. It was always worth it. They are so magical and beautiful! Because they are elusive and rare, it makes it even more exciting when you do get blessed with a sighting. As with the plants, some birds had evolved on each of the main islands that never made the flight to another island, so were endemic just to one place. Wow. After I'd seen the species still surviving on Oahu, I started doing "birding" trips to the other islands. During one of those trips here on Kauai I met a really generous man who took the time to tell me where to find the most rare endemics on Kauai, Maui and Big Isle. He even drew me maps!!!! Sweet. I could never have completed my quest without this gift.
So off I went with my new-found knowledge and over the course of several years and many blissful trips into the forests, I DID manage to see all the ones that are still alive. There are some phenomenal birds here! The very last on my list was on Maui, a bird called the Akohekohe, black and white speckled with a spectacular disheveled red hair piece. I was in a remote area, sitting in the dense vegetation dressed in green, doing my best imitation of a bush, and watching a huge Ohia tree covered in blossoms, their favorite food. I'd been to this area on many trips and never seen the rarest of the rare. Suddenly there it was, about 40 feet in front of me on the tree. I was freaking out (quietly) because I was so EXCITED that I finally got a glimpse, when it turned and looked at me! For a moment I thought, no it couldn't possibly see me because I am one with this bush. The bush that's shaking with excitement maybe. Well then I got my answer. IT FLEW STRAIGHT AT ME! I had to put down my binoculars because it got so close I thought it was going to land on me. Instead it landed on a branch of the bush I thought I was part of, and just stared at me. It was the sweetest moment. I couldn't breathe. Then it flew off and I burst out laughing. But wait. IT CAME BACK! And this time brought a mate!!!! Probably saying "what do you think this is???" So they both stared at me for awhile and chattered to each other before flying away. Gosh if only I could understand "bird". A brilliant final sighting to complete my quest. Now when I am hiking and see the rare ones it is like old dear friends I haven't seen in a long time.
Out of 75 forest bird species documented in the islands in the past, there are now only 8 species left on Kauai. Yes, EIGHT. Some are extremely rare and hardly ever seen, and there is a captive breeding program to try and bring back numbers on some of the ones that are the most depleted. But because the forests where they survive are still being ravaged who knows if we can save them from extinction. On Oahu there are 2 species that have begun to develop some immunity to mosquitoes since the little biters are now through all the forests there so the birds can't escape any more. For awhile the really high mountains on other islands were spared, but now new skeeter breeds are showing up even in the bird sanctuary at 6000 feet on Big Isle.
So what can we do? A really easy way to help endangered species is right in front of you on your computer. There are sites online where you just have to click and sponsors pay donations to different organizations. Free for you and you get to help! What could be better. If you think you don't have enough time, it literally takes 30 seconds to donate (o.k. 90 with a slow connection...). My favorite is at http://www.care2.com/click-to-donate/. Click to donate is the section this link will take you to, but if you are interested, there are also amazing articles on this site. Fantastic organizations will benefit from your clicks like Nature Conservancy, Oceana, Jane Goodall Institute, and more. I have a link that comes right to my email inbox so it's really convenient. There are other causes on the same page if you want to donate to them all, and you can do it every day. So go donate right now! I'm sure the birds will thank you. Happy clicking!
Thanks for listening.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
OLD GROWTH
I have been neglecting the mountains!!!! I'm writing so much about the ocean, it's about time the mountain forests get some air time.
Did you know you can come to Hawaii and never see a Hawaiian tree? I grew up on the island of Borneo, and when I came to Hawaii for the first time and saw the coconut trees, plumeria, mango, and banana trees, it felt like "home". The very first week after I moved to Oahu I met 2 botanists who had just started a weekly hiking group to go into the forest looking for rare endangered plants. Being the Nature boy that I am it couldn't have been more perfect. So the first hike I am excitedly asking questions about the plants and trees I am seeing and was sent reeling. No, that's not Hawaiian, or that, or that or that... so what IS? Oh not until you get really high into the mountains. Pretty much everything down at sea level was brought here from somewhere else. WHAT???? Good grief. What looked like "home" to me didn't actually belong in these islands! So as we hiked higher and they began pointing out the actual Hawaiian plants and trees, I got really sad. Why are there so few and why are they only in these remote places where most people would never see them unless they climb a 2000 foot mountain? Well I learned a lot over the next 2 years hiking with that group, and saw some AMAZING wonders that very few ever get to see.
Hawaii has the dubious honour of having the largest number of endangered plants in the U.S.. Aren't we lucky? Because the islands are so remote many things evolved here that live no-where else in the world. And now because of the way we have stripped the islands and re-planted with species from other places, the endemics are dying out very quickly. Since I have been living here there are several species that the last known plant died. So unless one is hiding somewhere, that species won't ever recover from what we have done, unless it evolves again over the next 10 million years. Why are we not paying attention to this? How many people come to Hawaii and know they have not seen a Hawaiian plant? Once I discovered where they were I had to go visit them every week. I'd rush through the lowland scary alien forest, and then ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...there it is...the Old Growth. Original Hawaiian forest that has never been cut or altered. There is nothing like it on earth. And I have found in other Old Growth forests as well, like in the Cascades of Washington State, there is a feeling that is so different in a forest that has never been cut down or altered. It is POWERFUL. All forest is beautiful. But there is something about this that defies description. You feel it in your soul. They are soooooooo spectacular. Many of the Hawaiian trees are covered in flowers! After living here a few years and hiking in the Native forest every week I was back in Minnesota visiting my sister and while driving around I kept thinking "why does this look so unusual?" Then I realized, none of the trees had flowers!!!!!!!! Ah Hawaii. (don't get all uppity, Minnesota is gorgeous too...just different!)
When the Polynesians first arrived in the islands there were no fruit trees and very few edible plants. For humans anyway. The birds seemed to be doing fine! So they started planting trees like the coconuts and mangoes, and clearing areas to grow taro and other crops. I have read that the first people here had a belief that the high forests were Wao Akua, the realm of the Gods. So they left them alone and just cut down the lowland forests. But then trade began and Sandalwood was discovered in the mountains which brought a great price. This blew my mind: they BURNED the forests to get it out more easily because only the heartwood was used and it wasn't damaged by burning the outer bark. WOW. So entire forests were burned and then only the Sandalwood pulled out. Why is this o.k.? Oh ya, money. Yikes. The areas were re-planted with fast growing trees from other places because the Hawaiian trees grow too slowly! Ayah. And so the Hawaiian forests shrank. And STILL when there is a landslide in the mountains or some place that needs to be re-planted it is done with alien plants, not native. We haven't yet learned. Sigh. Then animal ranching was introduced and more forests were cut, and STILL ARE being cut. Enough already.
On the island of Kauai you can actually get to Old Growth without hiking up 2000 feet. You can drive! So if you ever visit, go up Waimea Canyon. Most people do anyway because it is so spectacular. The Hawaiian Grand Canyon. There are beautiful lookouts on the way up, so look and ohh ahhh, but keep going. Then there is the lodge at 4000 feet where they planted PINE TREES. Why, why, why. Keep going. Drive to the very end of the road, and look to the right. Close your eyes and BREATHE. This is Old Growth Hawaiian forest. Never been altered. Spine tingling. Magnificent. Plants that live no-where else on earth. Some even just on Kauai! They never made the jump to the other islands nearby. If you are a hiker there are great trails to take you deep into it's beauty.
So how do we preserve what is left of Old Growth? If you read a previous blog about animal agriculture you already know that is the biggest contributor to forests being cut down. But there are many other reasons as well, so here is another thing you can do: buy re-cycled paper everything. I have read that there is enough paper already in the world that we never need to cut another tree again EVER. Wouldn't that be EXCITING???!!!! Can you imagine no more forests threatened EVER? Wow. That is if we are willing to use what is already in circulation. It means putting paper products in the recycling instead of the garbage, ALL of them, and then when you buy, look for re-cycled. They have everything now made from paper already in circulation, you just have to look. Paper napkins, plates, towels, toilet paper, office paper, the whole shebang. (is that a word?) If you can't get to a health food store pretty much all the major chains carry re-cycled products now. Usually just one brand in a sea of "new trees cut down" brands, but they are starting. Supply and demand. The more people that buy re-cycled the more they will supply. So be one of the people to create a demand for re-using paper! And when you visit Old Growth you can know you did your part to help keep it alive. YES!
Thanks for listening.
Did you know you can come to Hawaii and never see a Hawaiian tree? I grew up on the island of Borneo, and when I came to Hawaii for the first time and saw the coconut trees, plumeria, mango, and banana trees, it felt like "home". The very first week after I moved to Oahu I met 2 botanists who had just started a weekly hiking group to go into the forest looking for rare endangered plants. Being the Nature boy that I am it couldn't have been more perfect. So the first hike I am excitedly asking questions about the plants and trees I am seeing and was sent reeling. No, that's not Hawaiian, or that, or that or that... so what IS? Oh not until you get really high into the mountains. Pretty much everything down at sea level was brought here from somewhere else. WHAT???? Good grief. What looked like "home" to me didn't actually belong in these islands! So as we hiked higher and they began pointing out the actual Hawaiian plants and trees, I got really sad. Why are there so few and why are they only in these remote places where most people would never see them unless they climb a 2000 foot mountain? Well I learned a lot over the next 2 years hiking with that group, and saw some AMAZING wonders that very few ever get to see.
Hawaii has the dubious honour of having the largest number of endangered plants in the U.S.. Aren't we lucky? Because the islands are so remote many things evolved here that live no-where else in the world. And now because of the way we have stripped the islands and re-planted with species from other places, the endemics are dying out very quickly. Since I have been living here there are several species that the last known plant died. So unless one is hiding somewhere, that species won't ever recover from what we have done, unless it evolves again over the next 10 million years. Why are we not paying attention to this? How many people come to Hawaii and know they have not seen a Hawaiian plant? Once I discovered where they were I had to go visit them every week. I'd rush through the lowland scary alien forest, and then ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...there it is...the Old Growth. Original Hawaiian forest that has never been cut or altered. There is nothing like it on earth. And I have found in other Old Growth forests as well, like in the Cascades of Washington State, there is a feeling that is so different in a forest that has never been cut down or altered. It is POWERFUL. All forest is beautiful. But there is something about this that defies description. You feel it in your soul. They are soooooooo spectacular. Many of the Hawaiian trees are covered in flowers! After living here a few years and hiking in the Native forest every week I was back in Minnesota visiting my sister and while driving around I kept thinking "why does this look so unusual?" Then I realized, none of the trees had flowers!!!!!!!! Ah Hawaii. (don't get all uppity, Minnesota is gorgeous too...just different!)
When the Polynesians first arrived in the islands there were no fruit trees and very few edible plants. For humans anyway. The birds seemed to be doing fine! So they started planting trees like the coconuts and mangoes, and clearing areas to grow taro and other crops. I have read that the first people here had a belief that the high forests were Wao Akua, the realm of the Gods. So they left them alone and just cut down the lowland forests. But then trade began and Sandalwood was discovered in the mountains which brought a great price. This blew my mind: they BURNED the forests to get it out more easily because only the heartwood was used and it wasn't damaged by burning the outer bark. WOW. So entire forests were burned and then only the Sandalwood pulled out. Why is this o.k.? Oh ya, money. Yikes. The areas were re-planted with fast growing trees from other places because the Hawaiian trees grow too slowly! Ayah. And so the Hawaiian forests shrank. And STILL when there is a landslide in the mountains or some place that needs to be re-planted it is done with alien plants, not native. We haven't yet learned. Sigh. Then animal ranching was introduced and more forests were cut, and STILL ARE being cut. Enough already.
On the island of Kauai you can actually get to Old Growth without hiking up 2000 feet. You can drive! So if you ever visit, go up Waimea Canyon. Most people do anyway because it is so spectacular. The Hawaiian Grand Canyon. There are beautiful lookouts on the way up, so look and ohh ahhh, but keep going. Then there is the lodge at 4000 feet where they planted PINE TREES. Why, why, why. Keep going. Drive to the very end of the road, and look to the right. Close your eyes and BREATHE. This is Old Growth Hawaiian forest. Never been altered. Spine tingling. Magnificent. Plants that live no-where else on earth. Some even just on Kauai! They never made the jump to the other islands nearby. If you are a hiker there are great trails to take you deep into it's beauty.
So how do we preserve what is left of Old Growth? If you read a previous blog about animal agriculture you already know that is the biggest contributor to forests being cut down. But there are many other reasons as well, so here is another thing you can do: buy re-cycled paper everything. I have read that there is enough paper already in the world that we never need to cut another tree again EVER. Wouldn't that be EXCITING???!!!! Can you imagine no more forests threatened EVER? Wow. That is if we are willing to use what is already in circulation. It means putting paper products in the recycling instead of the garbage, ALL of them, and then when you buy, look for re-cycled. They have everything now made from paper already in circulation, you just have to look. Paper napkins, plates, towels, toilet paper, office paper, the whole shebang. (is that a word?) If you can't get to a health food store pretty much all the major chains carry re-cycled products now. Usually just one brand in a sea of "new trees cut down" brands, but they are starting. Supply and demand. The more people that buy re-cycled the more they will supply. So be one of the people to create a demand for re-using paper! And when you visit Old Growth you can know you did your part to help keep it alive. YES!
Thanks for listening.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
LOVE SONG
Three love moments with Nature, and a song...
I was diving out in Waimea bay on Oahu one day and heard this LOUD haunting sound. Popped up to the surface to look around for what might be causing it. Didn't see anything. Dove again, there it is again. Popped up a second time. Still no-one nearby. Dove a third time and suddenly the gates of perception opened: WHALE SONG!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh My Word. How can I describe the thrill that ran through my blood to every corner of my body? I couldn't hold my breath long enough to stay down and listen for the hours I wanted to. (I was free diving without a tank) Scientists don't know why they sing. WHO CARES??? Because they CAN! And it will transform anyone who gets to feel it in their bloodstream. That's why they do it. They are healing the underwater world with sound.
One rainy day with no-one on the beach I was getting into the water, and there was a sweet honu (Hawaiian sea turtle) in just knee deep water looking at me. I thanked it for saying hello, but it just sat there looking at me, and then suddenly turned in the water to "show" me a huge hook in it's left shoulder with a line trailing about 2 feet long. AYAH! "Do you want me to try and get it out?" It just sat there. ( I like to think animals can understand me...) "I've never done this before. It's going to hurt." So I took hold of the hook to see how deeply embedded it was and it wouldn't budge. PAIN. It looked at me as if to say "you really don't know what you are doing, do you", and swam off. Right in that moment a jet ski came by. There are NO jet skis in this area ever! On the side is written: Ocean Rescue. Are you kidding me? So I flag him down and tell him about the turtle with the hook and he says normally he travels with pliers to cut them out but didn't have them with him, and drives off. What? Not ready to give up I get out of the water and call Turtle Rescue. Yes that really is their name. You know what they told me? "We don't do IN WATER rescue".!!!! WHAT??? These are "in water" creatures! Good grief. The hook, she says, will work it's way out, but the line is the danger because it can tangle on coral and they drown because they are air breathers. And she warns me, you mustn't try to help it because they can bite your finger off. Ayah. This turtle wants help. So I go home and get my wire cutters, all the time sending it thoughts that I am coming back and I will be prepared. Heaven smiled and said yes. I went back and it came to me in the exact same spot! Just looking at me. I showed it the pliers and said "SEE! This time I'm ready!!!". It turned and put it's shoulder right in front of me just like before and, clip. The line is cut off at the base. YES! I was so over the moon excited! "I know the hook feels horrible, but it will eventually be expelled, and that I couldn't do without ripping your shoulder." It looked at me one last time, and swam gently away. I still have the fishing line.
The other night I was doing yoga on the beach at night under the stars (ahhhhhhhhhhhh), and as my gaze fell upon the water there were....fireflies? In the water? I rushed to the waters edge, and no, I am not imagining this. There it is again. And again. Gorgeous little luminescent flashes under water! There is some small creature that flashes light like a firefly. No idea what they are. So I sat down in the water's edge and suddenly had bursts of light on my thighs, my stomach, my arms. Squeals of delight. From me that is. Nature always has some new thrill. May she continue to bless us.
I believe the Earth can heal
Hear Her cry both far and near
I believe that we must feel
In our hearts, the call so clear
Heal the Earth
Bring back the Sacred
Feel the Earth
In all you do
Heal the Earth
What God created
A sense of Holy
We must renew
I believe we need a way
To bring back love for all God made
I believe it's time to say
Let's change this price that Nature's paid
In our lives we've moved away
From feeling pain as Nature fades
In our lives, with each new day
Choose to restore and not degrade
Heal the Earth
Bring back the Sacred
Feel the Earth
In all you do
Heal the Earth
What God created
A sense of Holy
We must renew.
Thanks for listening.
I was diving out in Waimea bay on Oahu one day and heard this LOUD haunting sound. Popped up to the surface to look around for what might be causing it. Didn't see anything. Dove again, there it is again. Popped up a second time. Still no-one nearby. Dove a third time and suddenly the gates of perception opened: WHALE SONG!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh My Word. How can I describe the thrill that ran through my blood to every corner of my body? I couldn't hold my breath long enough to stay down and listen for the hours I wanted to. (I was free diving without a tank) Scientists don't know why they sing. WHO CARES??? Because they CAN! And it will transform anyone who gets to feel it in their bloodstream. That's why they do it. They are healing the underwater world with sound.
One rainy day with no-one on the beach I was getting into the water, and there was a sweet honu (Hawaiian sea turtle) in just knee deep water looking at me. I thanked it for saying hello, but it just sat there looking at me, and then suddenly turned in the water to "show" me a huge hook in it's left shoulder with a line trailing about 2 feet long. AYAH! "Do you want me to try and get it out?" It just sat there. ( I like to think animals can understand me...) "I've never done this before. It's going to hurt." So I took hold of the hook to see how deeply embedded it was and it wouldn't budge. PAIN. It looked at me as if to say "you really don't know what you are doing, do you", and swam off. Right in that moment a jet ski came by. There are NO jet skis in this area ever! On the side is written: Ocean Rescue. Are you kidding me? So I flag him down and tell him about the turtle with the hook and he says normally he travels with pliers to cut them out but didn't have them with him, and drives off. What? Not ready to give up I get out of the water and call Turtle Rescue. Yes that really is their name. You know what they told me? "We don't do IN WATER rescue".!!!! WHAT??? These are "in water" creatures! Good grief. The hook, she says, will work it's way out, but the line is the danger because it can tangle on coral and they drown because they are air breathers. And she warns me, you mustn't try to help it because they can bite your finger off. Ayah. This turtle wants help. So I go home and get my wire cutters, all the time sending it thoughts that I am coming back and I will be prepared. Heaven smiled and said yes. I went back and it came to me in the exact same spot! Just looking at me. I showed it the pliers and said "SEE! This time I'm ready!!!". It turned and put it's shoulder right in front of me just like before and, clip. The line is cut off at the base. YES! I was so over the moon excited! "I know the hook feels horrible, but it will eventually be expelled, and that I couldn't do without ripping your shoulder." It looked at me one last time, and swam gently away. I still have the fishing line.
The other night I was doing yoga on the beach at night under the stars (ahhhhhhhhhhhh), and as my gaze fell upon the water there were....fireflies? In the water? I rushed to the waters edge, and no, I am not imagining this. There it is again. And again. Gorgeous little luminescent flashes under water! There is some small creature that flashes light like a firefly. No idea what they are. So I sat down in the water's edge and suddenly had bursts of light on my thighs, my stomach, my arms. Squeals of delight. From me that is. Nature always has some new thrill. May she continue to bless us.
I believe the Earth can heal
Hear Her cry both far and near
I believe that we must feel
In our hearts, the call so clear
Heal the Earth
Bring back the Sacred
Feel the Earth
In all you do
Heal the Earth
What God created
A sense of Holy
We must renew
I believe we need a way
To bring back love for all God made
I believe it's time to say
Let's change this price that Nature's paid
In our lives we've moved away
From feeling pain as Nature fades
In our lives, with each new day
Choose to restore and not degrade
Heal the Earth
Bring back the Sacred
Feel the Earth
In all you do
Heal the Earth
What God created
A sense of Holy
We must renew.
Thanks for listening.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
YOUNG WISDOM
This weekend was such a wild juxtaposition of sadness and joy. After the horrific news at the meeting Friday morning about Larsens being ravaged, I went to a 2 day bar mitzvah celebration for the son of a dear friend of mine. So full of love and delight, singing, dancing, laughing, even vegan food, because the entire family believes in caring for the earth! Wow. I discovered his grandmother is an environmental writer and his aunt has a book published on endangered species. Incredible to be surrounded by such consciousness of what is happening to the planet we all live on. Give me more of that!!!!!
The Rabbi of course had words to say and they were fascinating and hilarious! A bar mitzvah marks the move from childhood into adulthood. But he said rather than leave childhood behind, we want to take the beautiful things from childhood with us into adulthood. A child has a purity and singular focus that we lose as adults when we compartmentalize. They are 100% in what they are feeling, without judging themselves or questioning if they should be feeling it. He said they are "un-adulterated"!!!!! That made me laugh out loud. I've never heard the word used that way before. Brilliant. There is wisdom to listen to when a child sees something and feels moved by it. Purity of focus.
This young man who the bar mitzvah was for, is amazing. Only 13, and transitioning to becoming an adult, he spoke with such wisdom and beauty at the ceremony. I was so moved I asked if I could post part of his speech. He said yes! Listen to his words. They are gorgeous!
"The name of this week’s Torah reading is “Bereishis”, which means “In the beginning”.
Indeed, a Bar-Mitzvah is a beginning.
Yes, it is the end of one stage of life, childhood, and the start of a new stage, adulthood.
It is this transition we are celebrating today.
There is one particular verse in this week’s Torah-reading that is very meaningful in this regard.
The story being told is that of Adam, the very first human being, in the Garden of Eden.
What was the purpose of man’s being placed in this most unique place?
Says the Torah: “to work the land and protect it”.
This implies two forms of work, both pro-active and defensive.
1) “To work it” – means to nurture and develop it further.
2) “To protect it” – implies securing it from negative elements that may harm or ruin it.
All of our life is divided in these two categories of positive and negative.
There are constructive methods and destructive methods.
Similarly in Torah we find that all Mitzvot are divided into two general categories:
(a) Those which enhance and increase our relationship with Hashem and bring goodness to the world, and (b) Those which may damage our unique quality and harm us, or the world.
Adam was not merely planting and weeding, harvesting and tilling. He was no simple gardener in Eden. This was a spiritual calling to “protect” the world from evil and to also “work” by increasing goodness and positivity.
And this is the message I take for my life, as I become Bar-Mitzvah, a man of responsibility.
To both “work” the land, my own “land”, my character and personality, by developing, by growing, by doing good to others; and at the same time, to be aware and cautious not to do harm to others, to “protect” my land, my behavior, from becoming hazardous or negative.
As I become Bar-Mitzvah I am aware both of the tremendous privilege and of the responsibility.
I too, like Adam, live in a garden.
I too, like Adam, am charged with the unique role of “working and protecting” this garden.
I pray that I am given the strength to fulfill my role in this world, by doing good and preventing evil. That I follow in the pathways of my ancestors who shined great light, the light of Torah & Mitzvot, the light of Hashem – into our world."
AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! THIRTEEN YEARS OLD, PEOPLE! YAY! I told you he was amazing. And what kind of earth are we going to leave him to work with? We've got to start NOW to do ALL we can to stop doing harm. These children deserve a place to live that is not poisoned and desecrated. Let's not put off changing our habits. The planet won't be the same place when he is 18 if we don't. If you don't want to do it for yourself or the planet or God, then do it for the kids coming behind you. Say YES! YES! YES!
Thanks for listening.
The Rabbi of course had words to say and they were fascinating and hilarious! A bar mitzvah marks the move from childhood into adulthood. But he said rather than leave childhood behind, we want to take the beautiful things from childhood with us into adulthood. A child has a purity and singular focus that we lose as adults when we compartmentalize. They are 100% in what they are feeling, without judging themselves or questioning if they should be feeling it. He said they are "un-adulterated"!!!!! That made me laugh out loud. I've never heard the word used that way before. Brilliant. There is wisdom to listen to when a child sees something and feels moved by it. Purity of focus.
This young man who the bar mitzvah was for, is amazing. Only 13, and transitioning to becoming an adult, he spoke with such wisdom and beauty at the ceremony. I was so moved I asked if I could post part of his speech. He said yes! Listen to his words. They are gorgeous!
"The name of this week’s Torah reading is “Bereishis”, which means “In the beginning”.
Indeed, a Bar-Mitzvah is a beginning.
Yes, it is the end of one stage of life, childhood, and the start of a new stage, adulthood.
It is this transition we are celebrating today.
There is one particular verse in this week’s Torah-reading that is very meaningful in this regard.
The story being told is that of Adam, the very first human being, in the Garden of Eden.
What was the purpose of man’s being placed in this most unique place?
Says the Torah: “to work the land and protect it”.
This implies two forms of work, both pro-active and defensive.
1) “To work it” – means to nurture and develop it further.
2) “To protect it” – implies securing it from negative elements that may harm or ruin it.
All of our life is divided in these two categories of positive and negative.
There are constructive methods and destructive methods.
Similarly in Torah we find that all Mitzvot are divided into two general categories:
(a) Those which enhance and increase our relationship with Hashem and bring goodness to the world, and (b) Those which may damage our unique quality and harm us, or the world.
Adam was not merely planting and weeding, harvesting and tilling. He was no simple gardener in Eden. This was a spiritual calling to “protect” the world from evil and to also “work” by increasing goodness and positivity.
And this is the message I take for my life, as I become Bar-Mitzvah, a man of responsibility.
To both “work” the land, my own “land”, my character and personality, by developing, by growing, by doing good to others; and at the same time, to be aware and cautious not to do harm to others, to “protect” my land, my behavior, from becoming hazardous or negative.
As I become Bar-Mitzvah I am aware both of the tremendous privilege and of the responsibility.
I too, like Adam, live in a garden.
I too, like Adam, am charged with the unique role of “working and protecting” this garden.
I pray that I am given the strength to fulfill my role in this world, by doing good and preventing evil. That I follow in the pathways of my ancestors who shined great light, the light of Torah & Mitzvot, the light of Hashem – into our world."
AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! THIRTEEN YEARS OLD, PEOPLE! YAY! I told you he was amazing. And what kind of earth are we going to leave him to work with? We've got to start NOW to do ALL we can to stop doing harm. These children deserve a place to live that is not poisoned and desecrated. Let's not put off changing our habits. The planet won't be the same place when he is 18 if we don't. If you don't want to do it for yourself or the planet or God, then do it for the kids coming behind you. Say YES! YES! YES!
Thanks for listening.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
SAVING LARSENS
Oh my dear readers, I need your help. My favorite place in the entire world is threatened with being altered in a horrific way. Please send all the love you can possibly muster to a wilderness on Kauai. Here is what is unfolding:
Look at the picture of the beach at the top of this page. That is Larsens on the N.E. side of the island of Kauai. My favorite place in the world. Now imagine it with no forest any more and cows wandering down to the edge of the sand. Ayah! The reef has been protected a long time because there is no development above the beach, so it is still relatively ALIVE, and gorgeous! The man who runs a cattle ranch on the lands above has just applied for a permit to cut the forest and run his cattle pasture to 110 feet from the sand!!!!!!!! WOW. Who thinks this is a good idea? Maybe Burger King does. It will be unthinkable how this will change the place if it is allowed to happen. All the run-off from the forest gone, and the cow feces covering the sand and the reef. BLEAGH!
There have been lots of phone calls and emails flying around from those of us wanting to protect it, and the other day an actual meeting with the cattle rancher. Guess how that went? People were SO upset and he was SO uncaring. The county and state who would issue the permits are being silent. There was a county guy at the meeting. When a question was asked about the native Hawaiian trees that were already illegally cut before the rancher applied for a permit, the rancher simply lied and said he had not cut any trees! The county guy who had taken pictures of the cut tree stumps simply stood there and said nothing. So something is going on. Maybe he is paid off. Who knows. But we need a miracle now to save this place because it looks like those in government who could save it are going to just stand by. Unbelievable.
So here is the other thing you can do, besides sending love to save this place. Look at your meat consumption. If you think eating a hamburger thousands of miles away does not contribute to this destruction, think again. Meat is shipped all over the world now, so nothing is local any more, unless you buy it right from the farm. We do not need more cattle land in this world, we need more forest. But people think they need so much meat every single day and the demand continues to grow as the population grows, so more and more forests are cut to farm cattle, and pigs and chickens and sheep, and grow the grain to feed them. And if you think free range doesn't do damage, it does. That is what they are cutting down the forest above Larsens for, free range cattle.
Here are some statistics to "chew" on: Animal waste is 130 times the waste of humans in this country each year! Yikes. The Environmental Protection Agency states that animal agriculture runoff is the single largest source of water pollution in rivers and streams in the U.S., and all of that goes to the ocean. Seventy percent of the grain grown in the U.S. goes to feed livestock. SEVENTY! Do you know how many hungry people we could feed with all that land to grow things? It takes 16 pounds of grain to produce ONE pound of meat. So do you give somebody one steak or a 2 month supply of grain or other food? From the same land. Forested land is being cleared every single day to "grow" more meat. In Central America ranching has destroyed more rainforest than any other activity. It's madness. Have you heard enough yet??? We have got to LOOK at how our eating habits are changing this world. It's not just a slab in saran wrap at the store, or in a bun at a drive through. There are HUGE consequences to get that slab there. And now this cutting of forests for animal pasture is no longer something I have just read about happening somewhere else. It is happening right here in my little microcosm on this magnificent island.
So as ever, I beg you to please be one of the people who cares enough to DO something. Make different choices that are not going to harm another place. Start connecting the dots from your own life to what is happening in other parts of the world. It really is all connected. And I look forward to telling you Larsens has been SAVED!!!!!! Hold that thought.
Thanks for listening.
Look at the picture of the beach at the top of this page. That is Larsens on the N.E. side of the island of Kauai. My favorite place in the world. Now imagine it with no forest any more and cows wandering down to the edge of the sand. Ayah! The reef has been protected a long time because there is no development above the beach, so it is still relatively ALIVE, and gorgeous! The man who runs a cattle ranch on the lands above has just applied for a permit to cut the forest and run his cattle pasture to 110 feet from the sand!!!!!!!! WOW. Who thinks this is a good idea? Maybe Burger King does. It will be unthinkable how this will change the place if it is allowed to happen. All the run-off from the forest gone, and the cow feces covering the sand and the reef. BLEAGH!
There have been lots of phone calls and emails flying around from those of us wanting to protect it, and the other day an actual meeting with the cattle rancher. Guess how that went? People were SO upset and he was SO uncaring. The county and state who would issue the permits are being silent. There was a county guy at the meeting. When a question was asked about the native Hawaiian trees that were already illegally cut before the rancher applied for a permit, the rancher simply lied and said he had not cut any trees! The county guy who had taken pictures of the cut tree stumps simply stood there and said nothing. So something is going on. Maybe he is paid off. Who knows. But we need a miracle now to save this place because it looks like those in government who could save it are going to just stand by. Unbelievable.
So here is the other thing you can do, besides sending love to save this place. Look at your meat consumption. If you think eating a hamburger thousands of miles away does not contribute to this destruction, think again. Meat is shipped all over the world now, so nothing is local any more, unless you buy it right from the farm. We do not need more cattle land in this world, we need more forest. But people think they need so much meat every single day and the demand continues to grow as the population grows, so more and more forests are cut to farm cattle, and pigs and chickens and sheep, and grow the grain to feed them. And if you think free range doesn't do damage, it does. That is what they are cutting down the forest above Larsens for, free range cattle.
Here are some statistics to "chew" on: Animal waste is 130 times the waste of humans in this country each year! Yikes. The Environmental Protection Agency states that animal agriculture runoff is the single largest source of water pollution in rivers and streams in the U.S., and all of that goes to the ocean. Seventy percent of the grain grown in the U.S. goes to feed livestock. SEVENTY! Do you know how many hungry people we could feed with all that land to grow things? It takes 16 pounds of grain to produce ONE pound of meat. So do you give somebody one steak or a 2 month supply of grain or other food? From the same land. Forested land is being cleared every single day to "grow" more meat. In Central America ranching has destroyed more rainforest than any other activity. It's madness. Have you heard enough yet??? We have got to LOOK at how our eating habits are changing this world. It's not just a slab in saran wrap at the store, or in a bun at a drive through. There are HUGE consequences to get that slab there. And now this cutting of forests for animal pasture is no longer something I have just read about happening somewhere else. It is happening right here in my little microcosm on this magnificent island.
So as ever, I beg you to please be one of the people who cares enough to DO something. Make different choices that are not going to harm another place. Start connecting the dots from your own life to what is happening in other parts of the world. It really is all connected. And I look forward to telling you Larsens has been SAVED!!!!!! Hold that thought.
Thanks for listening.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
PURE JOY
"Humans think they are smarter than dolphins because we build cars and buildings and start wars etc., and all that dolphins do is swim in the water, eat fish and play around. Dolphins believe that they are smarter for exactly the same reasons." (Douglas Adams)
That quote made me laugh out loud. If you ever get a chance to swim with a pod of wild dolphins...DO IT! They are one of the treasures on this earth that not many get to experience. When I first moved to Oahu I heard about a bay called Makua where the pods come and just play regularly, and people are able to swim with them. I got so excited by the prospect and went several times but they were never there. And then one magical day I pulled up in front of the bay and there were all these fins slicing the water just a short distance from shore (looking an awful lot like movies of shark fins...), and these are the Hawaiian Spinners so they jump from the water and twist as many times as they can before they splash back in! Pure joy. So I excitedly threw on my gear and began swimming hard and fast, my heart jumping out of my body. Suddenly I thought wait a minute, should I be scared? I'm all alone in deep water, not a soul on the beach (normally I love that!), swimming into a pod of fish (I know,mammals) that are way bigger than me, and there are about 50 of them. hmmmm. And then a moment I will always cherish. I heard them. This exquisite ringing that I felt in my core. I wasn't scared any more. As I swam closer and I finally saw the first few, an extraordinary peace washed over me. They simply emanate peace. I stopped swimming, and the next 2 HOURS were spent in one of the more blissful states of my entire life. They welcomed me in. Swimming up to me and looking in my eyes, playing rambunctiously all around me, the babies nestled at their mother's side, pressing bellies against each other and rolling over and over. A little bit of heaven.
That was the first of many times spent with them. When my little sister came to visit she said of all the things I had spoken of, that was what she most wanted to do. So off we went and because she has a spiritual power all her own, the pod was there to greet us. We geared up and began swimming out, but it had never occurred to me that swimming in deep ocean water for someone that never does that, might be difficult! So part way out she had to stop, and said with great sadness she couldn't go any further. "But the dolphins are right there, just a little further!" "No, I really can't." "Well is it o.k. if I keep going?" "Yes." O.K., don't hate me people. I wasn't abandoning my sister in the middle of the ocean! It really was a short distance and I could still call to her to check and see if she was alright. (The lovely thing about salt water is it will just hold you up so you don't sink if you stop swimming.) Once I got to the pod I was urging her to come just a little further, they are right underneath me! She said later she was so disappointed in herself having come that far, but she really couldn't go further, and suddenly thought "but they could come to me!" And I kid you not, they did. As a pod they turned and swam straight to her and she got to have my transcendent experience for herself. Pure joy. Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!
I have read that dolphins are wildly intelligent and can communicate telepathically, and of course with their sonar. We really don't know how extraordinary these creatures may be. So I did an experiment. One time when I was with them, there was a bunch of what looked like strips of plastic wafting on the bottom in the currents. It was way too deep for me to dive and get it, and you know how much I wanted to! So I decided to "ask" for their help. I simply thought "if you bring that up to the surface, I'll take it out of the ocean." And you already know what happened next. They would dive down and scoop up plastic strips draping it on their side flippers, swim to the surface to drop it off, and go get more. I was simultaneously over the moon ecstatic, and dumbfounded. We have no idea how intelligent they are. They may very well be smarter than us. And able to communicate in ways we only dream of.
I've also read recently what a profound effect they have on children with autism. It is astounding. Just being in the water with them somehow shifts the firing in the brains of the children so that the autism is lessened. That is so beautiful! We have so much to learn from these creatures.
So guess what we are doing to honour them? By now you know, it's Daniel's blog so there is going to be something about how we are altering things, and not in a good way! Sigh. New research has discovered human made chemicals in these animals!!!!! Not just one. A list, from PCB's to antibacterial agents in soap, toothpaste, deodorants, pesticides, prescription drugs and more. If you want to read about it, google "chemicals in dolphins". They are now linked to disrupting reproductive organs, among other things. So if you wash your hands with "regular" chemical laden soap, you may affect a dolphin's ability to have a baby. That is nuts. What are we doing? Do we really want to leave this kind of a mark on creatures we share this planet with? Of course not. But how do we stop it now? We just start. We didn't know the harm we were doing. Now we do. So from now on we do it differently. We've got to start using products that do not cause harm. And pray the damage will be forgiven somehow. But not enough people know, and not enough people that DO know are doing things differently. That shocks and saddens me. Once people find out and still make the choice to harm. How is that possible? So that is the real shift that needs to take place. The majority needs to help and not harm. Every single day. Please be one of the people that begins to form a new majority. It CAN happen, but only if everyone who discovers what we are doing is willing to change the legacy they leave. And talk about what you have learned so more will know. It's been a long road getting to where we are with doing so much harm, but it needs to be a short and swift road back to treating the world as sacred. And who knows, maybe the dolphins can actually help if we ask! I know they will thank us.
Thanks for listening, and doing your part to shift this!
That quote made me laugh out loud. If you ever get a chance to swim with a pod of wild dolphins...DO IT! They are one of the treasures on this earth that not many get to experience. When I first moved to Oahu I heard about a bay called Makua where the pods come and just play regularly, and people are able to swim with them. I got so excited by the prospect and went several times but they were never there. And then one magical day I pulled up in front of the bay and there were all these fins slicing the water just a short distance from shore (looking an awful lot like movies of shark fins...), and these are the Hawaiian Spinners so they jump from the water and twist as many times as they can before they splash back in! Pure joy. So I excitedly threw on my gear and began swimming hard and fast, my heart jumping out of my body. Suddenly I thought wait a minute, should I be scared? I'm all alone in deep water, not a soul on the beach (normally I love that!), swimming into a pod of fish (I know,mammals) that are way bigger than me, and there are about 50 of them. hmmmm. And then a moment I will always cherish. I heard them. This exquisite ringing that I felt in my core. I wasn't scared any more. As I swam closer and I finally saw the first few, an extraordinary peace washed over me. They simply emanate peace. I stopped swimming, and the next 2 HOURS were spent in one of the more blissful states of my entire life. They welcomed me in. Swimming up to me and looking in my eyes, playing rambunctiously all around me, the babies nestled at their mother's side, pressing bellies against each other and rolling over and over. A little bit of heaven.
That was the first of many times spent with them. When my little sister came to visit she said of all the things I had spoken of, that was what she most wanted to do. So off we went and because she has a spiritual power all her own, the pod was there to greet us. We geared up and began swimming out, but it had never occurred to me that swimming in deep ocean water for someone that never does that, might be difficult! So part way out she had to stop, and said with great sadness she couldn't go any further. "But the dolphins are right there, just a little further!" "No, I really can't." "Well is it o.k. if I keep going?" "Yes." O.K., don't hate me people. I wasn't abandoning my sister in the middle of the ocean! It really was a short distance and I could still call to her to check and see if she was alright. (The lovely thing about salt water is it will just hold you up so you don't sink if you stop swimming.) Once I got to the pod I was urging her to come just a little further, they are right underneath me! She said later she was so disappointed in herself having come that far, but she really couldn't go further, and suddenly thought "but they could come to me!" And I kid you not, they did. As a pod they turned and swam straight to her and she got to have my transcendent experience for herself. Pure joy. Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!
I have read that dolphins are wildly intelligent and can communicate telepathically, and of course with their sonar. We really don't know how extraordinary these creatures may be. So I did an experiment. One time when I was with them, there was a bunch of what looked like strips of plastic wafting on the bottom in the currents. It was way too deep for me to dive and get it, and you know how much I wanted to! So I decided to "ask" for their help. I simply thought "if you bring that up to the surface, I'll take it out of the ocean." And you already know what happened next. They would dive down and scoop up plastic strips draping it on their side flippers, swim to the surface to drop it off, and go get more. I was simultaneously over the moon ecstatic, and dumbfounded. We have no idea how intelligent they are. They may very well be smarter than us. And able to communicate in ways we only dream of.
I've also read recently what a profound effect they have on children with autism. It is astounding. Just being in the water with them somehow shifts the firing in the brains of the children so that the autism is lessened. That is so beautiful! We have so much to learn from these creatures.
So guess what we are doing to honour them? By now you know, it's Daniel's blog so there is going to be something about how we are altering things, and not in a good way! Sigh. New research has discovered human made chemicals in these animals!!!!! Not just one. A list, from PCB's to antibacterial agents in soap, toothpaste, deodorants, pesticides, prescription drugs and more. If you want to read about it, google "chemicals in dolphins". They are now linked to disrupting reproductive organs, among other things. So if you wash your hands with "regular" chemical laden soap, you may affect a dolphin's ability to have a baby. That is nuts. What are we doing? Do we really want to leave this kind of a mark on creatures we share this planet with? Of course not. But how do we stop it now? We just start. We didn't know the harm we were doing. Now we do. So from now on we do it differently. We've got to start using products that do not cause harm. And pray the damage will be forgiven somehow. But not enough people know, and not enough people that DO know are doing things differently. That shocks and saddens me. Once people find out and still make the choice to harm. How is that possible? So that is the real shift that needs to take place. The majority needs to help and not harm. Every single day. Please be one of the people that begins to form a new majority. It CAN happen, but only if everyone who discovers what we are doing is willing to change the legacy they leave. And talk about what you have learned so more will know. It's been a long road getting to where we are with doing so much harm, but it needs to be a short and swift road back to treating the world as sacred. And who knows, maybe the dolphins can actually help if we ask! I know they will thank us.
Thanks for listening, and doing your part to shift this!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
SEEING
Fasten your seat belts dear readers, we're in for a bumpy ride. This blog is intense. My blog mentor says everyone is allowed to do a rant once in awhile! This began as an email to someone very dear to me who is willing to listen when I am feeling pain about our world, but I decided to put it up as a blog since I'm doing this now. Nothing pretty in this one. I promise you there will be again in the next one. If you are someone that can handle looking at difficult realizations, then read on. Forgive me in advance if it's too much information.
Sometimes seeing what is going on sucks. Watching an avalanche and there is absolutely nothing you can do except watch as it destroys things. That's what it felt like yesterday.
I was starting to work on the blog about how being caught up in the moment can stop us from looking at the consequences of our action, and I was trying to pussyfoot around so I wouldn't offend anyone when what I really wanted to do was shake people and yell WE'VE GOT TO STOP KILLING! NOW!!!!!! I had just read several new reports on the rate of extinction going berserk because of the way we are stripping this planet and it is now up to one new species going extinct EVERY THREE HOURS! What??? The avalanche. And there seems to be no way to get people to really LOOK at how they are contributing to this. I drove by store after store on my way through town where people were happily buying and buying and buying, with no thought to what that is doing in the world. They want a pair of jeans that makes their butt look cute. Do they think about the rainforest being cut to grow cotton? Do they think about the pesticides going into the soil and water? Do they think about the factories spewing into the air? Of course not. Cute butt or one species every 3 hours, and cute butt wins. Over and over every day by the millions. And then they stop at Starbucks for a Latte. Do they think about the forests cut? Do they think about the pesticides? Do they think about the factories spewing? Of course not. They go home happy in their cute jeans sipping their Latte. One species every three hours. Gone. And this avalanche is only going to grow unless people suddenly en masse wake up and LOOK at what they are doing. The consequences of every single thing they do in a day. How can that happen? No-one wants to see themselves as causing harm so they just say it's not that bad, or it's not true, or it's not just them, or a million other excuses so they don't have to really look at what is happening and how they are contributing. So the avalanche continues un-abated. I want a cute butt just like everyone else, but at what cost? Wiping out other species? We've got to start seeing what we are doing. And here's the thing: I HAVE actually seen species disappear since I have lived here! It's not just happening in the jungles being cut down in Indonesia and South America to grow things for us to buy. It's happening right here in front of my eyes, on this beautiful island. So how can I pussyfoot around and try not to offend people? Me saying "please consider if you are willing" isn't going to kick anybody in the butt to make a change TODAY. And we all need to be kicked in the butt so we can see how desperate this is. I include myself in all this. I try every day to LOOK at my impact on the earth and do something about it, like driving to town while I'm thinking all this! Ayah.
Then comes a phone call about the guy who shot and killed a Hawaiian monk seal a few months ago that was one of the pregnant moms coming to Larsens to have her pup. His trial finally came up and guess what? He got off with just a 25 dollar fine! And this is an endangered species some of us are trying to save and there are only 40 left on this island!!!!! 25 bucks. Because he simply lied and said he was shooting into the air to scare it off and it was an accident. Someone I know did the necropsy. It was shot twice directly into it's body from 2 different sides. He actually shot 4 times and kept shooting till it was dead. But he said he was not shooting at it, so in spite of the evidence all he had to pay was an administration fee. Meanwhile every day I am just one of many people out there trying to keep the new pups from harm, but someone can just walk up and shoot one and there are no consequences. Unbelievable. How does this happen? How has the taking of sacred life become so inconsequential?
Then with all that shock and sadness I drove to my voice lesson to prepare for the concert I'm singing in. Bad move! I tried to just be fresh and open but my heart was cracking in half. Ayah. And it all seemed so trite after what I had just been experiencing. Who cares if I lift my larynx on my high notes. Is it going to save some creature's life? Of course not. That's where I got to in my despair. Not pretty.
So I went to my favorite place in the world and lay on the beach under the moon and wept for her, for the sea, for the trees, for the sand, for my people. I am part of this human race that is no longer paying attention. We are so far outside of seeing how we affect the earth I don't know if it's even possible to turn things around. How do you stop an avalanche? Of course I won't stop trying. I have to do everything I can possibly think of. But it seems so huge and unstoppable. That's where I was last night, and I didn't have the strength to write about it. Today is a new day and I know I just have to keep going. Keep trying to educate. Keep doing all I can myself to have a small footprint. Keep begging people to make different choices. And keep learning.............Thanks for listening, even when it's harsh.
Sometimes seeing what is going on sucks. Watching an avalanche and there is absolutely nothing you can do except watch as it destroys things. That's what it felt like yesterday.
I was starting to work on the blog about how being caught up in the moment can stop us from looking at the consequences of our action, and I was trying to pussyfoot around so I wouldn't offend anyone when what I really wanted to do was shake people and yell WE'VE GOT TO STOP KILLING! NOW!!!!!! I had just read several new reports on the rate of extinction going berserk because of the way we are stripping this planet and it is now up to one new species going extinct EVERY THREE HOURS! What??? The avalanche. And there seems to be no way to get people to really LOOK at how they are contributing to this. I drove by store after store on my way through town where people were happily buying and buying and buying, with no thought to what that is doing in the world. They want a pair of jeans that makes their butt look cute. Do they think about the rainforest being cut to grow cotton? Do they think about the pesticides going into the soil and water? Do they think about the factories spewing into the air? Of course not. Cute butt or one species every 3 hours, and cute butt wins. Over and over every day by the millions. And then they stop at Starbucks for a Latte. Do they think about the forests cut? Do they think about the pesticides? Do they think about the factories spewing? Of course not. They go home happy in their cute jeans sipping their Latte. One species every three hours. Gone. And this avalanche is only going to grow unless people suddenly en masse wake up and LOOK at what they are doing. The consequences of every single thing they do in a day. How can that happen? No-one wants to see themselves as causing harm so they just say it's not that bad, or it's not true, or it's not just them, or a million other excuses so they don't have to really look at what is happening and how they are contributing. So the avalanche continues un-abated. I want a cute butt just like everyone else, but at what cost? Wiping out other species? We've got to start seeing what we are doing. And here's the thing: I HAVE actually seen species disappear since I have lived here! It's not just happening in the jungles being cut down in Indonesia and South America to grow things for us to buy. It's happening right here in front of my eyes, on this beautiful island. So how can I pussyfoot around and try not to offend people? Me saying "please consider if you are willing" isn't going to kick anybody in the butt to make a change TODAY. And we all need to be kicked in the butt so we can see how desperate this is. I include myself in all this. I try every day to LOOK at my impact on the earth and do something about it, like driving to town while I'm thinking all this! Ayah.
Then comes a phone call about the guy who shot and killed a Hawaiian monk seal a few months ago that was one of the pregnant moms coming to Larsens to have her pup. His trial finally came up and guess what? He got off with just a 25 dollar fine! And this is an endangered species some of us are trying to save and there are only 40 left on this island!!!!! 25 bucks. Because he simply lied and said he was shooting into the air to scare it off and it was an accident. Someone I know did the necropsy. It was shot twice directly into it's body from 2 different sides. He actually shot 4 times and kept shooting till it was dead. But he said he was not shooting at it, so in spite of the evidence all he had to pay was an administration fee. Meanwhile every day I am just one of many people out there trying to keep the new pups from harm, but someone can just walk up and shoot one and there are no consequences. Unbelievable. How does this happen? How has the taking of sacred life become so inconsequential?
Then with all that shock and sadness I drove to my voice lesson to prepare for the concert I'm singing in. Bad move! I tried to just be fresh and open but my heart was cracking in half. Ayah. And it all seemed so trite after what I had just been experiencing. Who cares if I lift my larynx on my high notes. Is it going to save some creature's life? Of course not. That's where I got to in my despair. Not pretty.
So I went to my favorite place in the world and lay on the beach under the moon and wept for her, for the sea, for the trees, for the sand, for my people. I am part of this human race that is no longer paying attention. We are so far outside of seeing how we affect the earth I don't know if it's even possible to turn things around. How do you stop an avalanche? Of course I won't stop trying. I have to do everything I can possibly think of. But it seems so huge and unstoppable. That's where I was last night, and I didn't have the strength to write about it. Today is a new day and I know I just have to keep going. Keep trying to educate. Keep doing all I can myself to have a small footprint. Keep begging people to make different choices. And keep learning.............Thanks for listening, even when it's harsh.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
NEW LIFE
One of the complete joys of my new Kauai life has been "pup sitting"! Seal pups that is. This picture is one of "my" babies born this spring. They are ADORABLE! Cute, cute, cute. The Hawaiian Monk Seal is on the brink of extinction, with only 40 left on this island and even less on the other main islands, so every new life is precious. I am part of a group that sets up shifts to try and protect the pups when they are born. These seals are one of the most graceful things you will ever see in the water, and one of the most lumbering awkward things you will ever see on land! They are air breathing mammals, and although most of their life is in the water, the moms come ashore to have their pups, just one a year, and are extremely vulnerable while they are nursing as that happens only on the beach and not in the water. They used to have no land predators so it was completely safe, but now there are humans (insert scary music), with their dogs (even scarier music, like jaws). People like to walk their dogs on the beach off leash and we have had seal pups ripped apart by them. And if the mom gets chased off sometimes she doesn't come back and the seal pup gets abandoned. Two years ago there was a pup that was abandoned and it wasn't found in time and died. So we "pup sit" to help keep them alive. This spring there were 3 PUPS born at "my" beach!!!!!!!! The first was born in March and then 2 more in June, so there was steady nursing going on every day for 4 months. It was so amazing to have that as a daily part of my life, watching a wild animal rear it's young. Magic. Teaching them to swim, to feed on something other than milk. The pups go from 25 pounds at birth to 150 pounds in 6 weeks!!!!!! That is some GOOD milk! These seals were completely hunted out of the main Hawaiian islands but a small population survived up in the uninhabited islands north of here, and they are now starting to return to the main islands. Yay! Sadly not everyone wants them to return. It astounds me, but some people actually WANT them to go extinct and still kill them even though there are so few left. Two were shot this spring right here on Kauai. Wow. So when we are out there with the new pups trying to protect them with signs and enclosures and talking with people, some of it gets hostile. Yikes.
Every day after my swim I walk the several miles of wild coastline picking up trash. It washes up from the sea every single day,and sometimes people come to enjoy the beach and leave their trash behind on the sand. I've never understood that. Come to a beautiful place and dump on it? hmmm. I dream of one day not seeing any.... There are days when there is very little that washes up, but I have learned that is only because the waves aren't big. Good grief. On the high surf days there is so much I can't pick it all up. How does it all get there? It's that "all water leads to the ocean" thing again. Every scrap thrown by the roadside, everything in a river, all the stuff washed off in our homes, it all gets carried down into the ocean. Even inland, the rivers carry it to the sea eventually. There is a place in the Pacific Ocean that is all garbage collected by currents that is estimated between the size of Texas and the size of the continental U.S.! Wrap your mind around that for a moment. If you want to know more, google "great Pacific garbage patch". Lovely name. So why do I pick up trash when there is so much in the ocean and I am only one person? I'd like to make a difference to help, no matter how small, I have a dream of beaches with no trash, but also because I have seen my beloved Monk Seals try to eat this stuff and it is pure poison to them. It's horrifying to watch them get a piece of trash and start to put it in their mouth. I'm the frantic parent: DON'T PUT THAT IN YOUR MOUTH! But of course I can't run up and grab it out of their jaws. They are wild animals!
Plastic is one of those lovely human inventions that Nature doesn't recognize or know how to deal with. There have been dead sea creatures that have had autopsies to see why they died and their stomachs are full of plastic that they can't digest. Wow. Here is the thing about plastic: it NEVER goes away. Every bit of plastic ever made is still on this earth! WHAT????? Yes. It gets smaller and smaller, but never becomes part of the earth or water again. It remains something foreign. Since Nature is amazing at coming up with ways to deal with all the stuff we dump on her, I'm hoping she will invent something that eats plastic! Might be something scary though. Like cockroaches, but with giant jaws to chew.(more scary music...this blog needs a music video!) So what can we do in the meantime while we hope for some plastic eating scary creature to evolve? LOOK at every single thing you use and throw away that is plastic, and see how you can use less and throw less. If you haven't done this before it will astound you. EVERYTHING is plastic now! I read an article by an archaeologist that said when scientists are digging thousands of years from now they will find a layer in the earth that is only plastic and declare "we found evidence of the Plastic People"! Funny, but not. Even this computer I am typing on is covered in the stuff! The plastic we throw away never all makes it to the landfill to become a layer in the earth for some scientist to find centuries from now. Here in the islands the landfill is less than a mile from the water anyway, and plastic floats! Any big wind or rain and off it goes on an adventure, looking for an innocent Monk Seal or turtle or seabird (scary music again). And if you have ever watched a garbage truck you know that stuff blows out of it all the time, and then finds a roadside drain to go down. Even if you live thousands of miles away, your plastic may have been washed into the great Pacific garbage patch through some river to the sea. Humbling to think about. And even if you never get to see a baby monk seal, they thank you for doing your part to change this plastic onslaught in the sea, and you may have helped bring back a species from extinction.
Thanks for listening.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
IN THE MOMENT
The phrase "being in the moment" has become really popular, and when it comes from the concept of being mindful, it is truly a beautiful thing. There are so many things I would miss in my life right now if I wasn't "in the moment". Like the phenomenal "spanish dancer" I discovered in my swim yesterday. A creature that normally lives in caves and doesn't usually come out during the day, so sightings are rare for me. But there she was in all her splendour: red, yellow,white and orange in fantastic patterns with a huge mantle the entire circumference of her body with ruffles that undulate like the skirt on a flamenco dancer. Gorgeous! Or the huge ancient sea turtle that swam right up to me and just stopped in the water only a foot away and looked right in my eyes. I wonder what I look like to him? I wouldn't want to miss these moments being distracted with other things or other thoughts.
Yet in my garden I have learned that being in the moment needs to be balanced with cause and effect. My favorite thing is harvesting. I LOVE picking my own food!!!! But if all I ever do is pick, very soon there is none left! hmmm. The thing about growing from seed is that it is a lot of waiting. You put these tiny fragile seeds in the ground, cover them, and then wait 2 MONTHS to start eating. And I'm hungry right now! So one actually has to PLAN in order to have a constant supply. It's not just drive to the store whenever you are hungry in any given moment. Cause and effect. If you want to have food in a moment 2 months from now, you have to do something about it now and then wait! Sigh. And then there is the effect I am dealing with from what has been done to the soil before it became my garden. For 100 years this was pineapple land, mono cropped which depletes nutrients, and tons of chemical pesticides dumped into the soil. Less nutrients and more toxins. Yahoo. (At a gardening workshop the speaker said he feels sorry for those poor people who live in Anahola because it has the worst soil on the island! Ah...that would be where I live...thanks buddy) So the soil needs some loving in order to produce. She's not happy with what we have done to her and I'm asking her to give me more! Trying to nurture my one little plot back to health. To undo the damage done in the past. So here I am in this moment, dealing with the past, and planning for the future, in my little garden plot.
This is what I think we are missing right now with all the "being in the moment". People get so focused on something with no thought for cause and effect, of what this moment may mean for someone in the future, or what happened in the past to create the moment. I want to stop for a mocha java right now. What had to happen in order for that coffee to get to the cup? Did people in another country actually get harmed in order for me to have it? And after I drink it and throw it in the trash along with the billion other cups produced for that one day, what happens to all that day after day after day? Do we think about any of that when we are in the moment enjoying the mocha java? And if so, would we make a different choice? One with less damaging consequences? It seems like we have moved so far from actually seeing what our choices create in the world, to a place where the most important thing is momentary pleasure. There must be a way to be in the moment AND be able to see cause and effect so we can have pleasure with no damage done! Did the pineapple people think about others who might come after them and what they were doing to the soil? They just wanted a crop in that moment. Was there a way for them to get the crop they wanted AND not harm the soil for future generations? I would like to say yes. There is a Native American thought that all our actions be considered with the next 7 generations in mind. I love that. (why 7? Don't know.) That is what we are missing now in our take-all-you-can-right-now society. But some are making a shift. Some are making an effort to be in a moment and really LOOK at what the effect might be of a certain choice. The more people that are willing to become aware the more chance we have of helping this earth we all call home. We don't have another one to experiment with if we wipe out this one!
So I return to my garden again and again, learning what I can do right now to have healthier soil in the future, and mend what has been done in the past. Nature is remarkable in her resilience and forgiveness! We have stepped outside of being kind to her, but we have a chance to return into a relationship of mutuality where we are once again a part of her, not separate. The more people on the planet willing to look at the effect they have in any given moment, the more chance we have of living in harmony again. I pray dear readers that all of you are willing. Thanks for listening.
Yet in my garden I have learned that being in the moment needs to be balanced with cause and effect. My favorite thing is harvesting. I LOVE picking my own food!!!! But if all I ever do is pick, very soon there is none left! hmmm. The thing about growing from seed is that it is a lot of waiting. You put these tiny fragile seeds in the ground, cover them, and then wait 2 MONTHS to start eating. And I'm hungry right now! So one actually has to PLAN in order to have a constant supply. It's not just drive to the store whenever you are hungry in any given moment. Cause and effect. If you want to have food in a moment 2 months from now, you have to do something about it now and then wait! Sigh. And then there is the effect I am dealing with from what has been done to the soil before it became my garden. For 100 years this was pineapple land, mono cropped which depletes nutrients, and tons of chemical pesticides dumped into the soil. Less nutrients and more toxins. Yahoo. (At a gardening workshop the speaker said he feels sorry for those poor people who live in Anahola because it has the worst soil on the island! Ah...that would be where I live...thanks buddy) So the soil needs some loving in order to produce. She's not happy with what we have done to her and I'm asking her to give me more! Trying to nurture my one little plot back to health. To undo the damage done in the past. So here I am in this moment, dealing with the past, and planning for the future, in my little garden plot.
This is what I think we are missing right now with all the "being in the moment". People get so focused on something with no thought for cause and effect, of what this moment may mean for someone in the future, or what happened in the past to create the moment. I want to stop for a mocha java right now. What had to happen in order for that coffee to get to the cup? Did people in another country actually get harmed in order for me to have it? And after I drink it and throw it in the trash along with the billion other cups produced for that one day, what happens to all that day after day after day? Do we think about any of that when we are in the moment enjoying the mocha java? And if so, would we make a different choice? One with less damaging consequences? It seems like we have moved so far from actually seeing what our choices create in the world, to a place where the most important thing is momentary pleasure. There must be a way to be in the moment AND be able to see cause and effect so we can have pleasure with no damage done! Did the pineapple people think about others who might come after them and what they were doing to the soil? They just wanted a crop in that moment. Was there a way for them to get the crop they wanted AND not harm the soil for future generations? I would like to say yes. There is a Native American thought that all our actions be considered with the next 7 generations in mind. I love that. (why 7? Don't know.) That is what we are missing now in our take-all-you-can-right-now society. But some are making a shift. Some are making an effort to be in a moment and really LOOK at what the effect might be of a certain choice. The more people that are willing to become aware the more chance we have of helping this earth we all call home. We don't have another one to experiment with if we wipe out this one!
So I return to my garden again and again, learning what I can do right now to have healthier soil in the future, and mend what has been done in the past. Nature is remarkable in her resilience and forgiveness! We have stepped outside of being kind to her, but we have a chance to return into a relationship of mutuality where we are once again a part of her, not separate. The more people on the planet willing to look at the effect they have in any given moment, the more chance we have of living in harmony again. I pray dear readers that all of you are willing. Thanks for listening.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
