Distortion

Jessica Simson, the most recent (celebrity) woman to be attacked and accused of hiding her mortal, human skeleton (and soul) behind healthy, beautiful, protective, mortal HUMAN flesh. The names of Jennifer Love Hewitt and Trya Banks (to name a very few) have also appeared on the ongoing and ever growing list of women (particularly celebrity women) who have been accused and attacked for the same dysfunctional society's social crime. I am sure that in this very moment; somewhere in the United States (where our Hollywood standards for women vs what real, healthy women look like are the equivalent to Disney vs the Brothers Grimm . . . worlds apart) a young girl is doing something to ensure she will fit inside the tiny plastic mold of the ideal woman as she grows (but shrinks). And somewhere else in the United States - a young woman is dying or has died from an eating disorder.
And we all must take responsibility for this thinking. Every time a woman strives to live up to these airbrushed, photo-shopped, nutritionally starved, cosmetically altered (NOT enhanced, for enhancing is completely different than altering) . . . every time . . . we give POWER to the image and take the POWER from ourSelves.
Every unnecessary piece of clothing we strip from our bodies in order to expose more and more flesh to the world (for profit and for vanity) - we also strip away at ourSelves and our souls. This may sound prudish to some - but that is only because our standards have bottomed out - we have lost our class and our self-respect. I am not referring to art . . . I am referring to INTENT - the intent behind our actions and our thoughts.
I don't have to say more. Not only because I don't have the words to express my sadness, my anger and my outrage for this modern day 'witch hunt,' but rather because there is nothing more to say. It's preposterous - contrary to nature, reason, and common sense. It is absurd.
I don't want to partake in a society that thinks this way.
I don't want to live in a society that thinks this way.
I am ashamed of this society.
If we, as a society, do not collectively shift our thoughts about body image, and return to love, acceptance and GRATITUDE for our outer shells, our God-given flesh and bones . . . the temples of our SOULS - then I wish not to participate in this ill-minded, man made society.

Letting

The palms of my hands opened
and out they flew.
After all these years
They were still there -
Call it a miracle.
Or call it a miracle I opened my palms.

The Three Keys to Peace, Joy and Harmony

"Know Thyself," carved into the temple at Delphi (circa 440 BC)

"Nothing in Excess," The second motto of the Temple of Delphi.

And for me, the third key to bring about peace, joy and harmony into my life is
The Golden Rule. . . . which dates back to ancient times and encompasses a wide range of world cultures and religions.

The ancient GREEK meaning of the Golden Rule:

"What thou avoidest suffering thyself seek not to impose on others." Epictetus

"It is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely and well and justly (agreeing 'neither to harm nor be harmed'), and it is impossible to live wisely and well and justly without living a pleasant life." Epicurus

Other translations of the Golden Rule" are:

Buddhism

"Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill nor cause another to kill."

"One who, while himself seeking happiness, oppresses with violence other beings who also desire happiness, will not attain happiness hereafter."

Baha'i Faith

"Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doest not."

"Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself."

Christianity

"Love your neighbor as yourself."

"Do to no one what you yourself dislike." ("Do unto others as you would have done unto you.")

Confucianism

"Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself."

Taoism

"Regard your neighbor's gain as your own gain, and your neighbor's loss as your own loss."

"The sage has no interest of his own, but takes the interests of the people as his own. He is kind to the kind; he is also kind to the unkind: for Virtue is kind. He is faithful to the faithful; he is also faithful to the unfaithful: for Virtue is faithful."

Hinduism

"One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one’s own self. This, in brief, is the rule of dharma. Other behavior is due to selfish desires."

Judaism

"That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn."

"Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD."

Islam

“That which you want for yourself, seek for mankind.”

“None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.”

Jainism

"Just as pain is not agreeable to you, it is so with others. Knowing this principle of equality treat other with respect and compassion."

GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND MAY THIS NEW YEAR BRING US CLOSER TO OUR ORIGINAL SELVES . . . OUR TRUE SELVES. MAY WE FIND OUR MEANING WITHIN. AND MAY WE ALL ASPIRE TO LIVE BY THE THREE KEYS TO PEACE, JOY AND HARMONY.


Side Note - I left this blog post even though it was meant for my Sacred Footing blogsite. You see, I had just published the Violin article and was writing this for Sacred Footing. When I discovered that I had made a "mistake," something had happened and I could no longer delete it. (i.e. a comment arrived literally seconds after I hit the publish button and I did not want to not delete the comment) I did post this on my Sacred Footing blog as well.

Stop and Hear the Flowers

. . . and smell the music.






For a ticket price of approximately $100.00, one can attend Boston's Symphony Hall to hear world renowned musician-violinist, Joshua Bell, play one of the most intricate classical pieces ever written - Bach - with his handcrafted 1713 Stradivarius violin (worth 3.5 million).
For a price of approximately $100.00, one can transcend the minutus details of daily life and immerse oneself in the beauty and the splendor of the sound of art.
For $100.00, one can STOP to smell the music.
But, apparently, without this price attached, one is blind and deaf and dumb and, well, just too preoccupied and busy to actually see and hear and appreciate Joshua Bell play incognito, on a busy Washington DC metro during rush hour.
He played for 45 minutes. Only about six or seven people stopped to take notice, mostly children. His biggest fan, a six-year-old boy, was quickly whisked away by his mother. Twenty people threw money in a till - a total of $35.00. Only one person recognized him. And when Joshua completed playing the six intricate pieces by Bach . . . the familiar sounds of silence (except for the noises in their heads) comforted the ears of the passengers. No applause. No recognition. Silence.
This was all part of a social and marketing experiment by Gene Weingarten two years ago today; January 12, 2007, proving that people will designate one of two identical items as being distinctly better than the other simply because it is packaged or presented more attractively.
Weingarten set the event as an ,"experiment in context, perception and priorities - as well as an unblinking assesment of public taste: in a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?"

breathing, heart beating, eyes open, smiling

Happy, Blessed, Healthy, Loving, Prosperous, Peaceful, Abundant . . . New Year!

Chisel in hand, intent in heart, design in mind . . . and I have not yet carved my resolutions in the stone.

These first five days of the new year escaped in an exhale.

I am larger these days . . . the world around me, tiny. Days like seconds. Miles like steps. Obstacles like pebbles.

I am smaller these days . . . the world around me vast. Seconds like lifetimes. Steps like eternity. Me . . . a speck of blue in the sky.

I have found my place. I have found my space. I have found me in this place in this space.

Understanding

Yes . . . I UNDERSTAND.
For ten years I have been gathering knowledge and sowing its seeds.
For ten years I have been in the knowning. But knowing is NOT understanding.
I NOW understand
and the pieces are coming together.
I am still assimilating the all of it
. . . I am still descending upon the planet.
I AM ALIVE AND LIFE IS GOOD.
I AM . . . forever grateful

Painting Myself into Existence

Finding myself within the stone . . . painting myself into existence . . . such is life . . . such is reality.

All the Signs Indicate the Halfway Point

If a flower, if a plant, if the seedling of a tree . . . is aware when it is halfway to the surface . . . then I suppose I can say I am half-way there.

I don't know know though if, when I arrive, I will arrive as a flower or a plant or a tree . . .

I do know I am on my way to finding out. And that is what I want . . . to know . . . to know.

In time I will know.

Time in patience.

Patience is a virtue.

Patience builds character, and having character eliminates the want and need of being a character.

Waiting to Bloom

The magnolias have bloomed! I have not. Last year served to prune me back to near nothing. My roots have kept me breathing and silently living. My dormancy has proved to have been a much needed rest from the constant desire to flower.
I am well. I will continue to blog and write when I have something to say. For now, I am silent; I watch nature's mystical, magical changes as they embrace me, affect me, inspire me and speak to me.

Happy Spring. Happy Blooming.

The Philosophy of a Dog: During our walks; Emmy walks along side of me without a leash. I keep the leash in my hand and quickly snap it to her collar if and when we near passersby. When we get closer to the home, I remove her collar altogether. I noticed; when I remove her collar, she runs about as if she had just been freed. I realized . . . it's not the leash that restrains the dog, but the wearing of the collar. Mmmmm????

Orthodox Holy Week

Greek Orthodox Holy Week . . . Blessings to all . . . I shall return after Pashca (Easter)

Kali Anastasi!

I will be writing more about Holy Pashca in my Sacred Footing blog - for all who are interested.

The Sins of the Winless

Ok, so as it turned out, I was not the needed 'good luck' charm to help the Detroit Tigers end their - now six game - winless streak, when they played against the Chicago White Sox last night. Or maybe it was a no-luck combination of me, my daughter and two of her friends who went together. Or maybe it was the fact the White Sox played an exceptional game. Or maybe it was the fact the Tiger's did not play such an exceptional game. Or maybe the Tiger's are still acclimating and will soon get into a winning groove that will bring them up to first-place which is where they belong. Or maybe the seventh time will be the charm. Or maybe or maybe or maybe.

"Let's Go Tigers!"

I wonder about the 'fans' who are fortunate enough, wealthy enough, connected enough to sit in some of the best seats in the park . . . like the seat I was lucky enough to sit in last night . . . I wonder about those very quiet, dignified "fans." Some were busy doing late-night business deals and introductions while their teenage daughters were getting up and down and up and down to walk around and shop for candy, peanuts, coke and pizza all while text messaging every one of their friends. Some looked bored. Some very proper. Some looked like they were there because they were important enough to sit in those great seats. Some looked like had they had a remote control they would have surfed the channels. Yes, some were Sox fans. Some were jeering, booing fools, while some others, whose lives may have been on the line depending on the outcome, were just plan crabby. And then there was me and my gang. We were there to cheer on and support our team - The TIGERS - and we were cheering them on. YEAH!
oh, was that too loud? Come on people! Support our team! It's not like we're asking you to paint letters on your bare chests! The game was televised on ESPN and my sister and some friends informed me that we on on TV - good thing I did not eat any ice-cream - a little Seinfeld humor; George Costanza style.

Carpe diem

Lovely Sunday here in Detroit . . .
Seizing the day

That is Canada across the lake

Emmy and I are enjoying this DAY
Tonight is 'taken me out to the ball game.' Let's hope I can be some kind of a 'good luck charm' for the Tigers!

There is Pain in the Knowing

The annual seal hunt is on in Canada . . .

Good St. Francis, you loved all of God's creatures.

To you they were your brothers and sisters.

Help us to follow your example

of treating every living thing with kindness.

St. Francis, Patron Saint of animals,

watch over the Harp Seals

and keep them safe and healthy.

Amen.

“Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures. You called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this pet. By the power of your love, enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.”












Heavenly Father, the bond we have with our friends of other species is a wonderful and special gift from You. We now ask You to grant our special animal companions your Fatherly care and healing power to take away any suffering they have. They trust in us as we trust in You. Give us, their human friends, new understanding of our responsibilities to these creatures of Yours. Our souls and theirs are on this earth together to share friendship, affection, and caring. Take our heartfelt prayers and bless these ill or suffering animals with healing Light and strength to overcome whatever weakness of body they have:

The Harp Seals and all animals being tortured, killed and sacrificed in the name of fashion, vanity, greed

Your goodness is turned upon every living thing; Your grace flows to all Your creatures; Your Light touches each of us with the reflection of Your love. Grant long and healthy lives to our special animal companions. Bless their relationships with us, and if You see fit to take them from us, help us to understand that they are not gone from us but only drawing closer to You. Grant our prayer through the intercession of good St. Francis of Assisi, who honored You through all Your creatures. Empower him to watch over our animal friends until they are safely with You in eternity, where we someday hope to join them in honoring You forever. Amen.

March 28, 2008: Canadian Fishermen Have Started
Killing 275,000 Harp Seal Pups

HARP SEALS .ORG

I love my Canadian neighbors, and I mean NO disrespect to you, my friends, across the river from me . . . I am sure many of you are against this cruelty . . . I am NOT attacking Canadian people - I am simply exposing a terrible thing endorsed by their government.

VIDEO FOOTAGE
Extremely disturbing images

I'm bringing back the MULLET

I vote to bring back the mullet. Yes, I actually said that. No, I am not remaining anonymous. Yes, you heard me right . . . “Bring back the mullet! Bring back the mullet!” (Must be eighteen or older to participate. I will not be party to the damage which may or may not occur when forcefully cutting and shaping a small child's hair into a mullet - although I do admit subjecting my own children to wearing them, in my defense, I am a professional.)

Lately, given the everyday violence, the ongoing war and the poor economic conditions that have been wiping out an entire class of people, my people - the middle class, I was remembering the finer times of grander decades past – like the decadent eighties - a decade of abundance; prosperity; Dallas; Dynasty; the birth of MTV (when they actually played music); kick-your-ass shoulder pads; bright neon colors and bold eccentric patterns; save-us-looking-at-your-crack parachute pants; cheap gas and heavy metal; sexy exercise apparel without the hard work of actually working out; lots of makeup (on the women too) . . . and of course; big, BIG hair.

I’ve been in the beauty and fashion industries for over thirty years; I have seen many styles and trends come and go; I have experienced the underlying moods and attitudes that came and went with them . . . as art imitates life.

So, I was thinking of the possibility of the process in reverse: ‘life imitating art’ by taking the current depressed times back to a trend that would lift our spirits. And what better time or trend then the light-hearted days of BIG HAIR?

Hair, hair, long and big, beautiful hair has, through history, signified abundance, wealth, power, strength, freedom, sex and fun.

From kings and queens, politicians and barristers to wrestlers and bounty hunters. . . big hair makes a big statement.

One shaves his or her head to rid oneself of materialistic thoughts, to simplify ones existence, to minimize ones ego for spiritual purposes and to ignore the fact that one simply doesn’t have enough of the luscious adornment on top to make a statement. (Exception to the rule: Telly ‘Kojak’ Savalas . . . he was born bald and sexy)

Samson, whose power and strength came from his long hair, loses his strength when Delilah orders a servant to shave his locks.
Now what do you think about my idea of bringing back the big hair of the eighties, namely the mullet, and the philosophy of the mullet which is one we desperately need to re-adopt if we are to regain our sense of play during such sad and serious times . . . the philosophy being of course: “Business in the front; party in the back!”

A side note of history: David Bowie - the epitome of cool, the ultimate pop cult hero - wore the first mullet I can remember back in the seventies, and in all my excitement I cut my sister’s hair just like his (although she wasn’t really going for that much of an extreme and I had to pay for her Slurpies for a long time afterwards). Then, Florence Henderson shagged out the mullet and made it too mom-friendly and almost destroyed it forever.

Until along came our hair hero . . . Billy Ray Cyrus.

Billy Ray is, of course, the most recognized poster boy for the mullet. His poor achy breaky heart was ne’er broke again after he smiled a mischievous smile and turned around. Oh yeah! He wore his secrets down his back. We girls loved the party he had goin’ on and the fact that he was sharing the fun with us.

Now his daughter Mylie Cyrus - aka the mega-sensation Hanna Montana - has brought the Cyrus name back into the spotlight inspiring the younger generation of tweens and teens with her own special talent and style. But where does that leave us? What about us; the generation stuck between braced-teeth youthful optimism and not-yet-exhausted-social-security benefits? We need a hero. We need more laughter in our lives. We need something to occasionally take our minds off of the constant influx of bad news. We need more HAIR. We need a hair hero!

All I’m asking is for Billy Ray to step up to the plate and into my chair; to fulfill his duty as an American citizen; to help boost the economy and the morale of the American people by once again sporting a mullet . . . and wearing it proudly.

So, what do you say, Billy Ray? Don’t break my heart . . .

And while I’m on the subject of big hair, how about them Mall bangs . . . now that would definitely boost mall traffic, retail sales and lift the economy. Plus, it would put a fun, retro-spin on people watching.