Two days passed since I experienced few incidents that triggered thoughts and emotions... I was walking... My daily walk... and passing by a store I observed a lady, in her late 50s... scavenging the garbage in front of the store... just like a seagull... I had six bottles of water in my bag... I offered her five of them... to my surprise she poured out the water and kept the plastic bottles... the bottles were few cents for her... the water was worthless... She had no appreciation of the "spring water"... she just wanted the plastic to return and get few cents... That's what she was interested in...
I remembered the email from my young student-friend...he wrote that no matter what he will not give even a cent to the "street people"... and I remembered Ross, our chaplain... He always gave away whatever he had with him that day... Who is right...? Both of them... I have wrote earlier that there are as many rights as there are people in the world... We are not supposed to judge...
I continued my walk... and few block away there was a young... white complexion and blond lady... in her early 50s... She smiled to me... I thought she was greeting me... then she whispered... "Can you spare a dollar... or any change...?" I did not say anything... but inside my anger began building up...
I also saw four homeless people resting in the shade and talking to each other... When I see homeless talking to each other I get confused... I look at them... check them from the side of my eyes... and get confounded... I say to myself; "they are grouped and socializing just like any other group..."
They are human after all...
Ross thought me that ALL people are GOD'S people... Be they Christian or Muslim or Hindu or Sikh or atheists... When Ross mentioned atheists I was a bit jolted... I said; "They do not believe in God... How come God created them...?"
"God believes in them...," Ross replied...
He added; "thinking is good... and not thinking is dangerous... If people only take a minute or two more before they act... Maybe we will be able to eliminate wars..." I looked at him... and he said..."Just maybe..."
***
Ross was torn between his spirituality and his Church... He valued his spirituality very much... He wanted to do things his own way which at times clashed with what the Church said...and,
He always chose his own way...
When he was down he would visit my classroom and check if I am available for an afternoon retreat or just a happy hour drink...
The retreats were good and relaxing... Ross had no inhibitions and he let it go... One afternoon the leaders wanted us to do a yoga-type-dance... Ross looked at me... and encouraged... He knew I was not going to do it... But he let it loose... and clapped and bobbed his hips... and smiled and invited me to join... But I have enough inhibitions to paralyze my movements...
So Ross harmonized his hops with the music and I looked at him and enjoyed his happiness...
The retreats were good, but the drinks were lacking... So after retreat we had to visit Canyon Creek and have a glass and maybe two... He would say; "No more than two... You are driving...!" Sometimes I paid attention to him and abstained after the second glass... But at times I told him; "You know I will drive carefully... from the right lane... Slowly..." and ordered another glass...
The retreat and the drinks will restore Ross's spirits and by the end of the evening he will talk and laugh as before...
When he was down he would visit my classroom and check if I am available for an afternoon retreat or just a happy hour drink...
The retreats were good and relaxing... Ross had no inhibitions and he let it go... One afternoon the leaders wanted us to do a yoga-type-dance... Ross looked at me... and encouraged... He knew I was not going to do it... But he let it loose... and clapped and bobbed his hips... and smiled and invited me to join... But I have enough inhibitions to paralyze my movements...
So Ross harmonized his hops with the music and I looked at him and enjoyed his happiness...
The retreats were good, but the drinks were lacking... So after retreat we had to visit Canyon Creek and have a glass and maybe two... He would say; "No more than two... You are driving...!" Sometimes I paid attention to him and abstained after the second glass... But at times I told him; "You know I will drive carefully... from the right lane... Slowly..." and ordered another glass...
The retreat and the drinks will restore Ross's spirits and by the end of the evening he will talk and laugh as before...
***
I am not anti-religion, but I am anti-sexist... anti-racism... anti- women abuse... and of course, anti- men abuse... anti-materialization of spiritual values... anti-exploitation... anti-child slavery... anti-glitter and riches of the churches and the mosques and synagogues and temples...
I am a human being without borders... and I am anti-war...
Organized religion makes God of one religion fight against the God of the other religion... and we have a funny quagmire...
After all, organized religion is against spirituality of religion... and
Organized religions make the GODS fight each other...
and
I am anti-fighting and anti-war...
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