Oh for heaven's sake

Okay, so I had this "great idea." Many times, I wish I had a gigantic rubber stamp that says "OH FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" that I would use when confronted with something I think is beyond ridiculous. So I try to start a new blog on blogspot using the name "ohforheavenssake." Come to find out, someone who DOESN'T USE IT owns it and there's no contact information with which I might email them and ask them for it, pretty please.

So, that becomes my first OFHS post on the How to Be Exceptional blog. Here's another one for the holidays:

Spiders

I have a spider bite on the big toe of my left foot. I often get insect bites, as I live in a natural setting and sleep with the window over my bed cracked.

It's been through several fazes now. The current one is clean, a bit red/purple, and mysterious. I have joked to my friends that I'm waiting for baby spiders to be born from my big toe.

I had a conversation with a co-worker today; she and I have the same opinion about Western medicine. We look at it askance, and think it's much ado about nothing. It exists to serve the insurance and pharmaceutical companies, and is barbaric. I know several people who, if they have a twinge or an itch or a shadow of a rash, rush to the doctor. Those of us who have little or no insurance don't do that, because we can't afford it.

My co-worker agreed with me that, in our circumstances, we would never go to the doctor for a spider bite (brown recluse notwithstanding). She said that once she made peace with the fact that she was going to die someday, she no longer had a need for Western medicine. We're all going to die someday, and the doctor can't stop it. It made me think about the people I know who are doctor-addicted. They, mostly, need to be in control. You can't control death. Western medicine is a panacea for the fear of death. And it's too expensive - we die anyway.

I'm not going to die from my spider bite. My body is bent on life, and will take care of its own self. My thought is that, if we had a more natural look on life and death, we would relax and stop feeding the fear. I believe in karma and reincarnation, so it's not that difficult for me. I may have been a spider in a past life, and may be one again. Blessed be.

The Urban Life

I had a great day today - work this morning; Hindi movie on the big screen this afternoon ("Delhi 6" - AWESOME); and home to the grocery store in Oak Cliff where people were literally observing Ash Wednesday. Was reminded, also, that I'll have to alter my route into my 'hood (now that the weather is warm) as to not run over the boys playing their regular basketball game across the street from my house. Jai and Viva Dallas!

Mercy

My alarm clock is set to WRR, the classical station here in Dallas. On Sunday mornings, there's a variety of religious (Christian) programming. That can usually make me jump out of bed to turn it off quickly, but lately I've been staying in bed to listen to Dr. Stan Copeland of Lovers Lane United Methodist Church.

He's a "good ol' boy" from East Texas and he's funny and self-deprecating. He preaches from the Bible, and his message this morning was about forgiveness and mercy. As I listened, I thought about the Buddhist tenet of compassion. It's the same message of tolerance and respect for all human beings. It's a simple enough concept to understand, but practice can be difficult!

There are so many things that divide us: money; class; culture; ethnicity; Dallas or Fort Worth (kidding!). Religion is often the most divisive element in the world. I like to think about our similarities instead of our differences. We really are all one. Hinduism calls it "The Self." Jung called it the "collective unconscious." Joseph Campbell posits that, if one light bulb burns out, is the light gone? No, the light is still there - waiting for another light bulb to illuminate. We're all the light - every one of us - though we seem like individual "bulbs."

It's really hard to remember our similarities, as our differences can seem so much more apparent. But I think it's interesting to think about, and hope that anyone who reads this thinks so, too.

Peace.

Inspired by how Obama's inspired America

It's been absolutely forever since I've updated this blog. A lot has happened, and not happened, to me, and I've been out of touch. But now, I feel that opportunities are arising - not just for me, but for many of us who have heard the call of service to our communities. If President Obama has any effect on us long-term, I hope it's that more Americans stop worrying so much about acquisition of wealth and think more about spreading it.

My dream as a Life Coach is to help people connect with their innate humanity and live more meaningful lives. We've lived in a culture of consumerism for so long and it's not healthy for us or the planet. So many of us have heard the call, but there are so many causes. What will we choose? The poor, the homeless, abused and hungry children, lost and helpless animals, the environment, and the list goes on. I'm just one little human being! What can I do when there's so much to be done?

I want to help people find their place and their passion - to give some guidance to help them help others. My contact info is on the blog - if you want to talk, please contact me. Together, we may possibly change the world!

Susan