Give Peace A Chance

I really wanted to post about Backstage today.  Or the projects I am doing for The Pearl, or my beautiful, bountiful garden.   I have some photos to upload, and share, however I awoke this morning with this issue on my mind and I need to get it out there.

Photo found on Wikipedia

I am not a fan of ranting.  While I think it can be good for oneself, I think in general it can be harmful to everyone else.  Ranting generally involves bad energy, blaming, negativity.  I think it often comes from a one sided perspective.  Mine!  I have been really trying to promote good energy both in my life, and everywhere I go.  I believe good energy can do wonders for a situation.  Check out Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer sometime, and see how much can be affected just by one's energy.  I have learned a tremendous amount by watching his show The Dog Whisperer.

most of these pics are from my wild front yard

Life is but a dream.  Each of us is creating our own dream as we go.  Not everyone has the same dream.  And I think that's a good thing.  While I am aware that my life, my choices, my environment are not everyone's ideal they are my life, my choices, my environment.  This is my dream, and I just want the freedom to create a lovely dream that I think is lovely, within reason.  I am not out there legislating to make my ideals the norm. Nor am I complaining to the City about your property, or calling Animal control because your dog barks.  Really now, don't they all??  I say live and let live.  And try to live at peace with everyone and everything.

Rose, if you're still reading, this pic is for you.
See, it's just like yours! (only mine's in need
of a trim!)

Photo cred Joyradost ,
via Wikimedia Commons

I met a wonderful woman recently who told me she was, and still is, a hippie.  I get that.  My husband and I have often been described as 'hippies' for lack of a better descriptor.  I think it's tough to put one's finger on what exactly we are, because we resist being labeled but we do hold some of the same views as hippies.  Anyway, she reminded me what the hippie movement was all about.  Peace, an end to war.  A resistance of the system that they perceived as promoting war.  Wikipedia states that " Hippies perceived the dominant culture as a corrupt, monolithic entity that exercised undue power over their lives, calling this culture "The Establishment", "Big Brother", or "The Man".^[23][24][25] "  

That does sound like us. 

 This past week marked the 20 year anniversary of the Rodney King incident and he has been all over tv talking about his now infamous line "can't we just all get along".  That phrase runs through my head very often.  Can't we?   He said he had a prepared statement he was supposed to read, but instead just spoke from his heart, and that's what came out.  I found it very moving.

Photo from Wikipedia

Now I admit that I am not the most patient person, or the most peaceful at all times.  When I'm in my suburban I am generally zooming past everyone else, usually in a hurry to get where I'm going.  Not because I'm late, just to get it over with.  And honestly sometimes I think a part of my brain takes over that thinks I'm Parnelli Jones and I am driving in the Indianapolis 500.  I really have to stay focused and aware to not go there.  I admittedly was born with a 'lead foot'.  However I make it a rule to not go too far over the speed limit anymore.   So Should I say 'accidentally' go over the speed limit and let's say get pulled over, well then when the officer walks up I try to remember to smile and kindly say "thank you officer, I admit that I was _____________.  Thank you for doing your job."  I realize this sounds very strange, even hokey, but I have two new drivers in my family and once while driving with a permit I had one of my sons pull over with a bunch of other cars by a high school to pick up the other son.  It was raining, and I didn't want to keep circling.  Besides there he was, a minute away from getting in the car.   This particular day a motorcycle cop pulled up to the front of all those cars and gave us all tickets.  As we were driving away the kids, and at least one high school friend were discussing how lame the cops are, etc.   Fortunately I had a moment of clear thinking and I pointed out that there was in fact a no stopping sign where we had pulled over, even if just for a moment.  I took a gamble and I lost.  I know the laws, I can read the signs.  If I didn't want to gamble I shouldn't have had him pull over there.  While they were busy copying derogatory statements they had heard about the police I pointed out that he was just doing his job.  We pay him to do that.  They asked me why I had thanked him, and I said because I was wrong, I took responsibility for it, and truly wanted him to know that I appreciate the job they do.  I wouldn't want to do it.  It's not all pulling over "innocent' people and giving tickets.  I hope they saw the logic.  I think I wouldn't want to stay in a job where I got yelled at regularly for doing my job.  Especially one where I was putting myself in harms way every time I went to work to begin with.

The blueberries are huge! I must be doing something right

Michaels owie!

Unless you are an anarchist I think you would agree with me that we do need laws, police, maybe even some politicians.  We are crazy.  We all make poor choices.  We don't have our morning coffee and want to run irritating pedestrians over.  Or bark at the first person who crosses our paths.  I know, I've seen it.  How many times have I seen an innocent person simply crossing the street, in a crosswalk, with the walk sign and almost get run over?  My very own child was bumped in this way at a particularly rushed intersection where there are two right turn lanes and a lot of pedestrians at various times.  My Father in law was injured yesterday by a careless driver who was too busy to stop and make sure he was ok.  Now I know I live in LaLa land and it can be worse here, but I think this is happening all over.  For example the guy who loudly honks the 'you're an idiot' honk because someone is in his way.  Which one of us has driven perfectly at all times?  Which of us has not made an error in judgement, or a last minute decision and partly blocked say another lane?    We have very limited vision.  My way is right, and everyone else is wrong.  Or my way is the best, and all others are inferior.  What is it in us humans that makes us so arrogant?

The first yellow rose of spring

more lovelies from my garden

I guess what I'm saying here is give peace a chance.  Be the change you want to see in the world.  Live and let live.  And so many other trite sayings that I agree with.  Really, can't we just all get along?  And treat each other kindly?