I originally wanted to write something brilliant about 9/11. That isn't happening for me today. I am thinking about our loss. I am thinking about the changes in our world. I am trying to think of a positive spin to share. I come up empty. There have to be lessons to be learned, right? I simply can't come up with an answer to such total evil. I know that there was that disconnect between mind and spirit. Other than that, I am clueless.
Okay, now that I have told you about what I don't want to write about, I will tell you about our neighbor, Carl. He looks like the grizzled old man with long gray hair, bushy beard, filthy clothes you would expect to see carrying a staff and shouting bible verses in the desert. Appearances are so deceiving.
Carl is a gentle soul who lives alone with his 5 remaining cats. There used to be 8 but, well you know. He grieves at the passing of each cat. He is sensitive and loving, yet he has no family or friends. He lives on peanut butter and bologna if left to his own devices. I guess you know that Jon and I don't allow that. I prepare a nice well balanced meal and either have him over for dinner, or put it in a tupperware container and hand it to him.
As usual, I am writing about love. I am writing about how easily we can judge based on appearance. How easily we can be repelled at the thought of having some filthy, mangy looking creature in our home. But, by thinking that way, we can be depriving ourselves of great love, compassion, and wisdom.
I wish I could apply any of that story to this terrible anniversary. My point? Well, do I ever really have a point? Yeh, I do. When you stare into the face of evil and can't come up with any way to spin that into a positive, look no further than your own back yard to find a positive in someone whose appearance may not be pleasing but whose soul can be so enriching. We love Carl. Roxy and Charlie adore him. He is a gift in very unusual packaging.
Peace and Love,
Austin/Bill
The message of today's blog is timeless - as important today as it will be every other day of the year.
ReplyDeleteVery well put Bill. It is so easy to focus on the outward appearance and miss the inner treasure. We all need to take this to heart; thanks for the reminder my friend!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Carl with us. He has friends (you) and he's a cat person -- he sounds awesome. I love your message, Bill. When the events of the world seem so overwhelming and we feel like we couldn't change a thing, giving dinner to a misunderstood neighbor is the most loving thing we can do. Thank you for reminding us of this.
ReplyDeleteTrish
www.robertssister.com
caregiving. family. advocacy.
Your insights continue to inspire me every day. Thank you so much for sharing with all of us.
ReplyDeleteI think sometimes when we spin...all we get is dizzy so better to be still and take in what is around us which is just what you did and do on a regular basis when you are helpful and kind to your neighbor.
ReplyDeleteJulie Labes: The Fun-Loving, Feisty, Fearless, Frisky, Fierce Over 50 Travele
I just now read this, Bill....It makes me so grateful that I have reconnected to you.The Lakota Sioux have a saying, "Mitakuye Oyasin", which means, we are all related..everything is connected to everything else. You get this, and live your life accordingly. You are a loving and compassionate person, and you share your gifts so freely, without judgements. What a better time to speak of these truths than 9-11? It is only through love and compassion that we as human beings will see through the evil deeds to the hope of a better world on this planet...Thank you, Bill, for being YOU! Laura
ReplyDeleteI am so grateful to all of you for your comments. I share my love without expectations. In the end, I am rewarded with so much love that it takes my breath away. Don't stop. Who needs to breathe?
ReplyDeleteOne more thing. Laura, you were full of light when I knew you as a kid. It shines even brighter today.
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