Materialism and The Desire to Consume.

What countries do you believe to be the most materialistic? Look at the place you are living now. Are advertisements hounding you? Is there a drive in your community to accumulate things for status?

I have known a few hoarders in my life. They surround themselves with junk and garbage and they do not even realize they have a problem. I live in a poverty stricken community but they still manage to accumulate stuff. In the past 8 years of living in this area, I am shocked at how much garbage accumulated in my basement and I am still sorting through it trying to purge the junk before I move.

Most of it was old furniture that we tossed in the dumpster last week. Now what is left, is paperwork that has identity numbers on it, which needs shedding. Plus a two piles of electronic garbage. My basement turned into a dead machine and power-cord graveyard. Why does this happen? Poor people like me who have no cars have no way to haul the stuff away but I am discovering there are some places that pick up some of it; like keyboards, laptops, and computers. There are places that take old TV's. I just have to find them. What about dead printers? I think they actually cost money to get rid of.

I am a materialist. I collect art supplies, musical instruments, books, electronic gadgets, games, and nick knacks. Many of my nick knacks broke over the years and ended up in the basement graveyard.

Then there is the memorabilia. You know photos, heirlooms, and things that hold dear memories. I notice my children's generation seems less sentimental about those things. I have a spinning wheel that traveled the Oregon trail with my great great great grandmother. I asked all of my sisters and my nieces if they wanted it but no one was interested. My own children showed no interest in it, at first, but suddenly last week my daughter decided she wanted it. After she found out that I planned to send it to my mother's cousins.

I have purged many things this week but in the process I have been thinking about the earth, recycling, and the need to consume less. I need to become more aware of how much waste my household is producing every week. Have you ever sat down and thought about how much waste one family manages to produce? Well that is what is on my mind today. I wish it would be on everyone's minds. The earth is a beautiful creature. Do we want to behave like parasites the rest of our lives or do we want to groom and cherish this loving planet, that has blessed us with life? What can we do to consume less and still live a fulfilled life in comfort and beauty?

Dreams can Create Stories and They Tell us About Ourselves

I have a gift of remembering my dreams. Quite often they make great beginnings for stories. For example two nights ago I dreamed about a whale who was reincarnated from a man who was assassinated. The whale was living in a tank that was filthy. He was alone and ill. He told me he was communicating with me telepathically seeking help. If it truly was a telepathic dream there is no way I could find or help this whale but it triggered a story. I find myself developing the character of who he was before he was assassinated. Was he held in captivity as a human? Then I find myself developing who he is as a whale. Deciding was he born in captivity or was he caught in the wild? I think the character who telepathically picks up on his plight must live near him. Should I make the person a member of an organization similar to PETA?

This is not the first time a dream inspired me nor will it be the last. Sometimes I think I live for, my stories. My advice to anyone who is suffering from writers block. Try to remember your dreams, keep a dream journal, or record it on a IPod or computer. The more you make an effort to wake up and record your dreams the more you remember them.

If I were to look at the symbology of my dream; I would have to say the dream is telling me that my illness has isolated me. The air in Duluth has smelled toxic lately because I live near a paper mill. Just like the whales tank was toxic. When I was a child I was nick named Gayle the whale. I have yet to figure out what the part of the dream about the assassination and reincarnation was saying unless it meant that with the move an old part of my life is being slain and that I am going through a major change. I do think our dreams do try to tell us things about ourselves as well as they can inspire.

Do We Need a Life's Purpose to Live a Fulfilling and Enlightened Life?

There are people that I have known, in my life, who worry about their life purpose. One long time friend beats herself up trying to figure out what her life purpose is. Each day, each moment, we as people really need to learn to make peace with ourselves. Then maybe we can be at peace with others in our lives.

I do not bang my head on a wall trying to figure out the purpose and meaning behind my life. I feel like I am here to be creative and I want to be helpful. I make my mistakes. I struggle with laziness more than I struggle with loneliness. I am enjoying the quiet time I have today. The calm before this months big move. Still my friend's wish lingers in my mind when I take the time to think of our conversations. "I need to find out what my life's purpose is?" She often says.

The thing is I do not think the human race has even figured out what our true purpose is. Are we a random fluke, some sort of entertainment for a higher power, or here for some other unknown reason for our existence, that we never really even thought of yet?

Some people would gladly tell you what they think your life purpose is or some will tell you they can help you figure it out. There are some people who do not believe we have a life purpose at all. I sometimes feel like my friend expects me to tell her what her purpose is. I am just glad to have her for a long time friend. I like her art, she is a calming friend when I feel anxiety. I am there for her when she has her own life stresses and anxiety.

I think that people often fulfill their life's purpose without even thinking about it. It just happens and we do not need to fret about it. In a way the reason for fretting about life's purpose is a reflection of a desire to heal ourselves and to improve our lives. I think that self healing starts with taking in each day and moment and really appreciating the privilege of life. Life has it's good and bad moments and days. Whether we focus ahead or look behind at the past, this moment is what is significant until the next breath. Poof and it has passed.

My purpose today was to take a break from sorting through my stuff and instead I took the time to sort through my thoughts. This moment is peaceful. So I choose to share it and say, whatever purpose there is in life; I am going to work on being good to myself and those I love. I will  quiet my mind, in order to make a point to listen to my friends and my loved ones. Maybe some day I will think of something wise to say when my friend is worried about her purpose in life.

My Absence

I have been very ill this past year. I had 5 surgeries. Two surgeries last fall, two surgeries last winter and hopefully the final surgery in May 2013. I spent my 50th birthday in the hospital. I spent most of June in a nursing home going through physical and occupational therapy. The good thing is I am 100 lbs less than I was 2 years ago.

I have been thinking deeply about family. I am very lucky that my young adult children are doing so well. They graduated High school, they work hard with their jobs, they both will be attending college in the fall. I can't take all of the credit but I am so proud of them. I am also proud of the non relative son who adopted me and nick named me mommykins. He is in the national guard right now studying to be a medic and when he returns he hopes to be a part of our household.

This month I am have to move to another HRA house. This house needs to be remodeled. The new home will be in mint condition. My doctors and nurse are concerned this will have an impact on my incision. So I have been doing my best to find friends and homemakers willing to help me with the packing. Luckily housing is hiring the movers. It is having an impact on my wallet. This month will be so hard on us. I can count my blessings that my son has a job but he needs to save money for school but I have had to borrow from him during this move. Like his sister he wants to attend his first year of college without owing loans.

After I heal from this surgery, I still plan to return to school to finish my bachelor degree. I might change from studying computer science and instead study journalism. I tend to write more than I even do my art these days. I have several children's books written that I plan to illustrate myself but I feel I must improve my art first.

Homelessness in the United States of America

According to The National Alliance to End Homelessness (2007) there were 671,859 homeless in 2007 and now I am sure the numbers are greater. There are many reasons people become homeless and every individual case of homelessness comes with a story about what led to the homelessness of the Individual or family.  Many things that lead to homelessness is poverty, divorce, domestic abuse, drug abuse, mental illness, house fires, natural disasters, and some individuals actually choose to be homeless.  There are many places homeless go to find shelter from squatting in abandoned buildings, living outside, in a redwood tree, a cave, a boarding house, sleeping on the ground, a park bench, or a shelter.

Homelessness cannot be completely abolished no matter how many plans are drawn out by many cities to put an end to it. The reason why I say this is there are a small handful of homeless people who are homeless on purpose. They refuse to fit in with normal society, they take pride in their homelessness and they are totally against the system and all that it stands for. I have met some of these homeless people and they make their livings playing music out on the streets, selling art, eating out of garbage cans, squatting in abandoned buildings, and living in the woods as wild people.  Some of them are highly intelligent and beautiful people they just don’t like the path the rest of the human race is taking towards materialistic gains. Some of them are political activist, some are on a spiritual path, some are misanthropic, some just want to party and some just want to hide.

The homeless individuals who deal with drug addictions take up space in shelters that could otherwise accommodate people who are really in need of shelter because of being displaced from their homes from job loss, natural disaster victims, and victims of domestic abuse. If drugs were legalized and special shelters were made specifically for addicts then they would not be taking up the resources for the individuals who are homeless through no fault of their own. I would propose that addicts be given a shelter where they have the option of seeking help but are not pressured into having to rehabilitate themselves. A facility they can come and go from freely, seek help if they want, and have a safe place to go without having to hide their addictions. In reality an addict must want to really help themselves before they chose to quit. They are less apt to quit drugs if they are forced to. They need a place where they can get proper nutrition, and safety.

In woman shelters there is space taken up by drug addicts who pretend they are domestically abused in order to live rent free so they can support their addictions. The shelter staff can’t really read minds to figure out which women really need help and which women are just taking advantage of the resources. This is another reason it would be better to legalize drugs and create special facilities for the addicts. That way the women shelters can take care of the women who really truly need their services. There should also be a support system set up for men who are abused by their spouses too. I have known men who are victims of domestic violence and mental abuse from their spouses as well.

The issues over the new law in Arizona have displaced many immigrants who have had to leave Arizona and displace their families because of the stigmatization of that new law and the issues around it. That is another situation that has caused more problems than it has solved. It shows how politics can cause as much homelessness as a natural disaster.

Then we have the tax payers to think of. There are people who don’t think their money should be helping the poor, the homeless, the mentally ill, the disabled, and those who do not work for a living. Are they wrong to feel that way? They work hard for their money and they need a voice as well. The trouble with society is this money system is not sufficient. If we are going to take care of the people of this world we need to teach everyone how to be self-sufficient and how to care for one another. It is a choice we have if we want to care or not.

Community gardens, the ability to sell art, crafts, music without a license, classes on edible plants in nature for free, and more options for programs like habitat for humanity are all things that can help the homeless become more self-sufficient. Perhaps an alternative way to pay for these facilities can be through benefits, theatrical performance, and other ways of raising funds without digging in the pockets of irate tax payers.  What other options can us as human beings think of to change the system so that it truly works and meets the needs of everyone?

The homeless need proper nutrition, medical needs taken care of, shelter, and options for becoming self-sufficient.  I don’t know all the answers. All I can state is my opinions. I am just writing this to say there are many alternatives to dealing with these issues that can be considered. People just need to open their hearts and open their minds.

Peace

References

The National Alliance to End Homelessness (2007) Retrieved 10/5/2010 http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/article/detail/2797

Politics, Integrity, Ethics and Morals

The issues around whether or not a person is politically motivated or morally right has much to do with opinion, culture, belief and background. What is politically right, and morally right for one person may seem the opposite for another. Each of us is raised with our family’s cultures, communities, political, and moral codes.

Then there are the standards the media projects to us how we should act, think, and feel. What political events they project to us to sway our minds to certain opinions. The desensitization of all our minds towards violence, towards those in need, and towards each other. What cloths we should buy. What things we should consume. How funny it is to watch people hurt themselves. How funny it is to see someone make a fool out of themselves. How funny it is to live in a disfunctional family. How fascinating action packed violent movies are with their violence and morbidity.

While society sits back and watches our TV, plays on our gadgets, communicate on our phones and our computers: We forget how to live our own adventures, go outside, and breath. We forget who we are. We really don’t understand that much about what we are; what our bodies are capable of, and what each of us can do to contribute to the world we live in.

We forget how to listen to our children and our spouses; when they try to talk to us. One more post on twitter, one more text message on the phone, one more dungeon in my game, how we as a race strive so hard for attention that we forget the details of our own lives. Sometimes we are so busy pushing our belief about something to the point we fail to listen to the other side. If we all believed the same way then how could we learn from each other? We have much to learn from each other.

Now my children are almost grown but they are quick to point their finger at me and say, “You may have been a stay at home mom but you weren’t here with us, you were always on the computer talking to strangers.” You know children remember the bad things and the past hurts before they remember the good. They forget the nights I spent sewing toys, nurturing them when they were sick, and they forget the books I read to them daily. All they remember is mom got fat and unhealthy, mom was depressed, and mom played on her computer all the time.

I can point my finger at my own mother and say, she drugged, humiliated, and stole from me. I can let that break me or I can choose to say, "Hey, my mom may have been messed up but at least she gave me one heck of an adventurous life that I will always appreciate from her." It is our choice as people whether we want to be victims, chose to be those who victimize, desire to be healers, teachers, bullies, or friends. No bodies preaching’s are going to stop you from being, and believing who you should be or what you want to be in this life. If you have no morals or ethics that is your choice. If you choose to change; that is up to you. If you want to destroy your body with drugs or other excesses that is also your choice. No laws can really keep people from self sabotage and self destruction.

If we want to be politically motivated all the time it would be hard work. I view political motivation as taking care of the planet, caring about others, ending war, getting off the grid and becoming a pioneer. For most people that is to extreme and out of the question. Each of us has our own view on what political morals should be and some people use politics as a front to seem cool and caring when actually deep down inside they have just as much apathy as the next guy. It is like a peacock strutting around showing it’s glorious feathers. We are self deceiving, self gratifying and self promoting.

Morals is something I often see preached behind some religion using scare tactics but deep down inside without the religion and without societies moral codes, can you truly tell yourself what your morals are? Do you even know; without counting on the teachings of whatever culture you are from to tell you what they should be?

My morals for myself is to want and desire to heal myself and others. I want to nurture what is best in my personality and change what needs changing. Today right now I deal with who I am now. I am alone typing on my computer, thinking about the children whom I brought into this world. Now I watch them suffer and struggle along with everyone else. I am thinking about all of you who read what I write. I don’t steal because I could always create what I wanted. I don’t kill people, or most animals because I love life. I don’t hurt people intentionally but I have hurt many loved ones and they have hurt me. I have not always practiced what I preach and I am not really politically active. In my eyes; the time I came closest to being politically moral was when I lived off the grid and gardened at the farm for 8 years. I am playful, I love humor, I enjoy simple pleasures in life but I have a serious side that is spiritual although I do not worship any deities. I sense a spirit world and I have found it can be deceptive and misleading. It would be easy for any otherworldly being to play God because we humans are so vulnerable. In the spirit world there are those who care and those who do not care for us at all. There are some who are indifferent, some that feed on our energy, and there are the tricksters as well.

If we were created by one deity and it created this whole reality what makes us so sure it is aware of everything that is inside of it anymore than we are aware of everything that happens in every atom of our bodies? We humans like to keep things simple. We want so much to know all the answers. Many are to lazy to find those answers for themselves. We are all part of this fabric in time. We each make up our own moral codes. We each create our own political views. We each decide what we don’t like and what we do like. The crux of it is to many people want others to do their thinking for them. The reality is we all have to live in this world together and it is up to us if we want to get along. You create your own moral codes and beliefs. I won’t tell you what to think. I just live my life by my own opinions.

I do think it is important for all of us to quiet ourselves down and really listen to each other and to our children. After all our children are the ones who inherit the messes we make.

Peace,
Ruby

This article was inspired by a Question asked by Peta_de_Aztlan

In Memory of Byron Dix

This is a photo of my step father Byron Dix with my older sister Melody and me back in the days when my name was still Gayle. Byron married my mother when I was 3 years old. My own father Virgil died when I was 6. Byron was my real dad in my eyes because he raised me until I was 14-years-old. If Byron were still alive today he would have turned 68 years old. He died in 1993; the year before my son was born.

When my mother was first married to Byron we lived in Woodland hills LA, CA. I would have been a Valley girl if we had stayed there. It is a good thing we moved. Byron worked at Rocket Dine corporation. The company laid him off and we ended up moving clear across the country to Vermont. Byron got a job in Canada along the Vermont boarder at Space Research Corporation. His boss Gerald Bull was known for building some of the largest guns in the world. His boss eventually got assassinated years later while he was building one of the largest gun in the world in Iraq March 22, 1990 but that is another story.

This is a photo of a telescope that Byron built when he was 18 years old. We grew up sky watching with it. The telescope was in the back yards of every home that we lived in, while we resided in California and Vermont. Sky watching is still one of my favorite pastimes. Byron taught us how to build telescopes and camera obscures.

After he moved to Vermont Byron would often take us exploring, hiking and cave spelunking; all over the east coast and in Kentucky where he grew up. In 1974 during one of those hikes is when we discovered some ancient ruins in Vermont. Byron dedicated the rest of his life exploring those ruins, observing them and he did his best to try to figure out who built them. He eventually wrote a book with co Author James Mavor called Manitou. Before my mother divorced him, he would sometimes take me exploring with him.

On one of the occasions he brought me along with him; we were lost on a hill, and the sun was setting. Byron was becoming scared. I felt euphoric. I was imagining myself walking through a beautiful garden. At one point I saw a spark of diamond light and I followed it. Byron yelled at me not to wonder off to far. He was still trying to figure out his way back. I followed the spark of light and I nearly fell into an ancient well. Next to the well was a stone hut that was missing a roof but it had a stone slab over the doorway. On the slab were ancient grid marks. It was soon after that Byron realized he could see the road and we found our way back safely before the sun finished setting. Byron later discovered that the hut I had stumbled upon was in alignment to solstices and equinoxes. He did not give me credit for the discovery in his book which had upset me, but I understand now that the person he gave credit too (whom wasn't even with us) was a person who helped fund his research. The hut was located inside a indentation in the top of the hill that was like a natural amphitheater.

The last time I saw Byron I was 14-years old. He took me to a convention at Goddard collage where he met with folklorist, archaeologists, anthropologists and many other people from all over the world. They were discussing their theories on who built them. Many people thought it was the Celts and many thought it was the natives. I personally think it was both. I met many famous writers there, but the most memorable was a Professor and witch named Anne Ross. She wrote many books like: The Last Druid Prince, The Pagan Celts, and Druids, Gods and Heroes. She connected with me and spent a lot of time talking with me but that is another story.

I will always miss Byron and I could go on about him for a whole books worth. He played blues better than anyone I knew. He could play any musical instrument by hand. He had a perfect ear for music. He was a genius and to this day, you can still find articles about him on the Internet.

After my mother left Byron he remarried a wonderful woman named Diane and they had a beautiful and  musically talented daughter who calls herself Sky.