Wake Up!

Jake felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. “Mister. Are you OK?” A vivid world of color, warmth and beauty, evaporated like fog to a sunlit morning. Jake looked down at the small,blue-eyed boy starring up at him sitting on the park bench. “Are you awake, now?” “No. I think I’m back in the nightmare?"

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Life's true Meaning

It was a bright sunny spring day and he had managed to snag a table by
the window overlooking the pier. Hannah was meeting him for lunch. He
had ordered the cheese & fruit platter and a bottle of Owen Roe
Walla Walla Cab-sauv. She was running late and he was already on his
third glass when he spotted her entering the restaurant. There is
nothing more sexy then a women in a summer dress. Hannah was wearing an
off the shoulder butter-yellow peasant dress that fell just below the
knee. Her fire red hair hung loosely, barely touching her freckled
shoulders, tanned under the warm Mediterranean sun. She had just
returned from an extended holiday in Greece and glowed from her forehead to
her vermilion painted toenails. She wore no stockings in a pair
of tan leather Italian gladiator style sandals, she wore nothing but Italian shoes, and a matching designer shoulder bag and belt.
"Justin it's so good to see you! I'm so Happy to be back." she said.
He stood to greet her and received
a kiss on both cheeks and a hug before she sat down. You certainly look
well rested and ready for the Rat race once more." He poured her a
glass of wine and toasted her return.
"I don't know... Have you ever
wondered about your true destiny, about the main purpose of your life,
your Raison D'Etre?"
"Your trip to Greece has turned you into a Philosopher?" he chuckled.
"No really! I've been thinking about it alot
lately. I must have been put on this Earth for something more important
then walking down a runway like a human clothes rack, displaying
clothes made by people withcolossal Egos. I would like to know my true Destiny."

Golden lads and girls all must,
as chimney-sweeps come to dust.

"Oh Great that's the best you have to offer is to quote Shakespeare."
"He did purpose that someone as great as Alexander could conceivably wind up a bung-hole of an Ale barrel."
"Ah,
I see that your going to sit there and act superior and not take me
seriously. How many glasses of wine have you had before I arrived
anyway?"
"Just enough to make me chatty and daring enough to offer an opinion about something I know nothing about. What's this all about anyway? Are you feeling the need to settle down and have kids before it's too late?"
"Hell No, I have three sisters that they envy my lifestyle, and as far as KIds go I have eleven nieces and nephews that I love like my own. Is being a photographer enough for you? Do you feel that you were destined to become one?"
Being a photographer is what I do not what I am, although I am passionate about it. I think that people looking to fulfill their destiny or find meaning in their life are really looking for esteem. they want to feel usefull, needed, worthwhile not necessarilly loved because I think that they have to feel that they are loved before they can search for meaning in their lives. I may be talking out of my ass here but everything that you need in life, psychologically, you already have within you. It comes pre-packaged with you when you are born. You don't have to run off and work with lepers or spend your life saving the whales or the Apes or any of the multitudes of worthwhile causes to lead a meaningful life. It's really not about the esteem of others that you should be serching for but self-esteem. You need to find something that you love to do and persue that. We are sitting here drinking this fine wine and eating these delicious cheeses but have you ever wondered what it took to make this wine," raising his glass to the light.

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Human ??

How fitting that this prompt should come up on my Birthday. At a time when good health is suspect and a moment when my psyche is feeling bloody sorry for itself.
I decide to see what comes up in photobucket when I type in the word Human. Now most people likely find the image that I fixed upon as disgusting and a very cynical view of being Human but for me I found it to be sobering, centering actually. Almost having the same effect as meditating on being dead. It reminded me of U.G Krishnamurti's proclamation that we are no more or no less then extremely intelligent animals whose main purpose is to sustain life and propagate our species. Again not a very pleasant view of our existence. The majority of us find this concept to be quite distasteful and contrary to our belief that we are put on this earth to be superior to other species, hold dominion over this spinning, circling, speeding planet. We are God's chosen, his image. We are creators in our own right. So... What does it mean to be human?

Let's imagine that I am out hiking in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains immersed in the beauty and sanctity of the forest. Heading for a little stream I know about to sit and communicate with nature when a Grizzly bear crosses my path. Homo Sapien meets Ursus arctos horribilus. I freeze and my mind begins to scramble. Do I run or lay down and curl up in a ball if he attacks? Do I back up slowly? Am I down wind? Does he smell the pastrami sandwich in my backpack? It turns out Mr Grizzly isn't interested in me today, another day I may be lunch or something to play with but today he's more interested in going to a stream he knows about to cool off and do a little fishing. Now I've just had a very real experience with an animal that some Native Americans believe to be their direct ancestors. What a knee shaking, gut wrenching, adrenalin pumping experience that should have been.


I don't think old Griz is going to go back and tell his buddies that he met this fat old white guy in the woods today but I'm positive that I'm going back and telling everybody who will listen about my experience, maybe even get a couple minutes of fame by telling the media about it. It's only Human to do so, but I should have left it there in the woods. That was all it was meant to be. Man can not be anything other then what he is and what he is, is what he experiences in the present moment.

U.G. Krishnamurti

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