SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 340: “Taco Bell Serves No Fish… We Won’t Hold That Against Them”

Trapped I am not as I sit poolside with one of the most active minds I’ve encountered in a very long time, my new friend, horror filmmaker and reality show editor John.

For a few hours we chat, including a short run to the Taco Bell border for midnight snacks. And in this time I get a glimpse into the brain of an exceptionally talented and environmentally aware dude. One, who through colors the likes of 70mm cinema, captivates, amuses and informs.

There are only few words compelling enough to describe John, and quick, honest and spontaneous they would be. And mixed with a bit of edgy humor John give’s us audience in working to find advice to share.

With constant body movement John struggles to figure out appropriate thoughts to pass forward. “Wow…! I don’t know… what kind of advice would I have for the world…? I don’t know… I probably would just tell some jokes,” he searches deeper.

“’Like… if I were to council the world…? he grins.

“’…Well you can only do so much… It’s like in ‘King Of The Hill…’ the cartoon. There was something at one point… I can’t remember the exact quote, but it starts like this… ‘With you… yourself… living the best you can, or something like that.’

Just like with you… yourself… living the best you can… or being the best you can… whatever. Like he was saying (referring back to the King Of The Hill episode), It starts on a person level… person to person… just like if people were doing that… I don’t know…? We’re all in this together.

Is it stupid to tell other people what to do? That’s dumb! That’s all bullshit… run your own race… against yourself… not against everyone else… I’m going to do my own thing… I’m gonna do it good… and the people around me… the things around me will work out. Tell them something like that.’” John proposes with an amendment.

“You look back to the declaration of independence… People stood up for their thing. That’s the thing here. It’s important for everyone to cut the bullshit and to just go back and clarify.

Everyone wants to get in everyone business… everyone is so concerned and worried about everything else… All this nervousness and agitation… It just turns into anger and other shit like that. It just seems that if the world would chill out, and that’s so much easier said than done, it would be a better place. The world does not work like that… but it would be so cool if it did.”

We turn to the future, and again, John uses a bridge of a half-truth / half-joke to direct our discussion to weightier issues.

“Man, this is gonna sound… like… selfish…” he admits. “…I really hope that all the fisheries of the world remain… because I love seafood.”

We dive into a shared concern regarding the state of the oceans, it’s environment and of the delicate balance that has been compromised by so many Human’s who have so blatantly ignored their stewardship in respecting the earth. “What is happening is like a domino effect,” John contends in leading me to telegraph a linked question.

“Are the fish going to be here?” I ask.

John speedily replies, “I don’t know… it’s weird… the real numbers are in question. How much is actually being fished? The gaps between the generations of the fish, the weather and other natural stuff can mess that stuff up.

I don’t know anything… everything that I know comes from TV or the Internet, what the f*** do I know!

You can ponder this stuff… but it is more fascinating that anything else..

…I know I’m really off topic.”

What John does not fully discuss is his state of origin, Maine, a fishing center for much of the seafood we so regularly consume. And from this fact, it is a simple calculation to figure that John knows a lot more than he wants us to know.

He reflects to friends he has in the fishing industry. “People go out and make their living in the ocean… think about that. We flash back… Have you ever thought about whaling?”

Now, his pointing at the whaling industry of past is in no way an endorsement of its greed and inhumanity of days past; or any kind of encouragement to the illegal ships that still trawl the waters in quest of greed drawn blood. Rather it is a shocking jumping off point to shift our conversation towards the importance of conservation and our role in respecting the environment through protecting its limited resources. And with no issue unturned, we speak of topics ranging from deforestation to the general misuse of ocean, land and animal.

“Everyone goes around saying, I’ve got it all figured out… We have it all figured out… Everyone has it all figured out and they don’t know shit…” John retorts.

…I don’t know…? Back in the day… think of what was around… and compare it to now… It would be like… We’d look at all that was there and say, damn!”

John redirects away from himself again, “These days everything I know comes from Netflix documentaries.

I have it all figured out… No, I don’t have it all figured out… Sometimes I do… and sometimes I don’t. But, one thing I know for sure… is we have to take care of our stuff… and nature is no different.

We have to keep moving, but we have to be reasonable… logical.

And if we ever think we have it figured out… we need to realize one thing…we don’t!”

The midnight hour is approaching, and even though John and I have the energy to continue our chat well into the wee hours, responsibility takes hold… well almost, for we have one last topic to address, the Taco Bell drive through menu.

John asks, “What are you going to order?”

My response, true to the lesson learned tonight, “I don’t know?”

Talk tomorrow friends!

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 336: “In Pharaoh’s Words”

“Take every day one day at a time…” Says new friend Pharaoh, “’…Too often people get stressed out because they are taking on too much. They worry about tomorrow or the day after. But if they focus on just one day… and in getting through that day, in being able to meet the goals of that day, they won’t get so bombarded about how they are going to pay rent…? How they are going to meet they’re obligations…? Or thoughts like how am I going to pay for school?

People get so caught up in stuff like that… I’ve been there myself. You fall into something almost like a web of concern…and before you know it… you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders… That can lead to depression, stress and other things like that. Just take one day at a time… knowing that tomorrow, things will most likely work themselves out.

And, whatever your goals are… whatever you are trying to accomplish, you take one step every day in that direction, and know that every day is significant… no matter how small the steps. Learn to tell yourself, ‘Today, I got something accomplished.’”

“Where do you see us in the future?” I ask Pharaoh.

He takes a peaceful breath, “’In Seven years…? Hopefully… in a better place in terms of unity. Right now… I have to say on a world front, especially here in America, we are divided into tribes… groups. And as long as we are divided we can’t get anything done or any legislation’s past. Racial lines continue to be there… prominent… even though we are 2012.

In seven years there will be more unity. And when there is unity, everything else gets better: The economy … programs for our kids… for those who are disadvantaged or homeless… the handicapped. But as long as we are divided… nothing can happen.

Division… even with religion, Christians and Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, Jewish, whatever… and it makes no sense to me.

Over the next seven years… I hope… I pray! that our country will be unified. And as a nation we can do good on the world front. Right now we are divided.

We need to remember we are all connected. Maybe we speak difference languages. Maybe we have different backgrounds. But as long as we are divided we cannot help our neighbors.

And hopefully in the next seven years everyone should have more respect for self, for neighborhood, and most importantly… for every day communities. You know… schools… churches… that we may just be more unified.

Everyone has a valid perspective. Everyone has their own set of problems that they were born into. I truly believe that if we focus on unity we will become stronger as a people.

We are all part of the same body and we are all part of something significant. And, I think when we understand that, whether it be in China, Korea, Sudan, or wherever, we all have to be unified and pray about each other. If we could focus on that, there would be less war.

Love is the most powerful force. I’ve seen it work. Like in the civil rights movement where every race came together. It really wasn’t an African-American issue; it was a human issue, a civil rights issue. And you notice, even today, different races… different problems… same thing.

We need to find some common ground… some common denominator. Somewhere we can work towards getting to the point to where we can say, ‘Ok, what’s your issue? If I can help… let me help?’

And if we can come together… anything is possible… that is, if we want it that big.’”

“Why seven years?” I inquire.

Very thoughtfully, Pharaoh explains, “If we look too far… we lose sight. But still we have to set goals. I look at a year as a day. There are seven days in a week… then we start a new week. So, I give us seven years to work towards a new beginning.

Seven years is not too short of a period to expect real change and it is not too wide to ignore looking at our future with urgency.”

Pharaoh, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. See you… no hear you, on the radio waves.

Oh yeah, readers, I forgot to tell you, Pharaoh is an up and coming R&B artist. Now on tour and releasing his first album in the fall. I promised him I’d hook you up with his Facebook. Check him out if you get a moment.

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 326: “Pamtastic”

Pam Quotes, “Love is the answer to everything and we all need to take the time to really know who we are at our core. To become whole before we ever merge our life’s with a partner, so that we can have lasting relationships.”

Pam is radiant, confident and endearingly extroverted; the kind of person that you can lean on for a patient and listening ear. It’s getting late, the clock passing the 10:00pm hour, clicking its ways to the bewitching hours of the evening. Yet the hour is of no consequence to Pam as she opens her home, and her life to us, “I’m a night owl, we can talk as long as we need to.” She offers me a tea or a glass of water.

Tea sounds good, but more than that, I just want to talk to Pam. “Water will be fine,” I reply as Pam directs me to a cozy couch in the center of her very eclectic and calming living room. There is a peace that is strangely out-of-place upon finding out that only moments prior to our meeting, the house was filled with clientele of her Neuro-Linguistic Programming practice, evidenced by the finger food that remains on the tables.

“How did I get here?” you may wonder. Easy answer… Brook, amazing friend of 365, Day 155, an extremely talented lady in her own account, and a friend who whenever calls with a 365 referral, is one I take note of. For her network is amazing and wonderfully diverse; and, her example of friendshipping has not only become a powerful contributor to the 365 story, but a lesson for us all in accepting the way positive draws positive.

So, to walk into the unknown home of any friend of Brook’s is to know that I am meeting an equally noble person. The hour matters not, and in entering Pam’s living room my awareness of my itchy tired eyes and slurring speech (affected from a long day of swimming pool sun with my daughter – day four of my wife and I’s role reversal), fades into the background of my thoughts.

Pam talks of love. Not just in the free love perspective of the sixties, but with a depth of understanding of its lasting characteristics; characteristics that transcend those of compulsory emotions, of physical attractions, of basic sexual impulses or of any status lure. Pam carries an awareness that she gained though years of dedicated study and evaluated life history. And through it, practices understanding with a keen ability to listen and compassionately respond. All principles that she now focuses to enhance the lives of others.

Yes, Pam is the real deal… For her, people are first. And , she has done the self-work to example in all that she does. An example that boasts no platform of self grandeur, an example that does not yell out her name in blazes of neon, and an example that surely doe’s not need to have the last word.

There are many agenda’s that Pam openly admits, and as expected, all of which, (other than a realistic and non-greedy evaluation of her livelihood) are directed to making herself available to aid others in working through the web of life’s obstacles. Yet, she does admit to one special point of focus. I call her, “A modern match maker.”

I am unlike any other matchmaker…” Pam describes her approach, “…I help my clients identify with the things that are going to interfere with a long-lasting loving relationship, and I offer them ways to heal, and be transformed in themselves before getting involved in any relationship. I teach them more about themselves, and give them tools to know how to quickly understand other people; and, most importantly… to be able to accurately look at the value systems of partnering for a lifetime.”

Pam’s energy is infectious, evolved from years of hard learned optimism. An optimism that shines larger than any glass half full scenario. For in Pam can be found the keys to realistic highways of personal growth, routes to happiness of self, and acceptance of others; and a set of directions that are expressed in her thoughtful outlook regarding the future.

“I think people have hit their threshold of unhappiness, and be open to finding ways to use their own internal resources. And, I think people are right on the cusp of becoming, or hitting that threshold, with what has not been working with themselves… with their relationships… with their jobs… with society… and with their culture. I think many of us are getting to the place where we can open up. And just maybe, that’s what is going to usher in a new era. An era where something is more spiritual… I feel it…!

…I feel the tension rising… and, I feel that we are nearing that threshold… SO, I THINK THE FUTURE IS GOING TO BE FANTASTIC!”

My students have coined this phrase, “It’s Pamtastic!”

By no means does Pam show any sign of campaigning for this title. Really, quite to opposite, and maybe even the only time I see her get a little embarrassed. And to honor her students, Pam admits, “I love what I do… I help people find their personal freedoms. So I am accepting of any title they place on me”

“Why…?” Pam expands, “…because it’s about love.”

Pam, it’s OK… In my mind… you are “Pamtastic.”

Talk tomorrow friends!

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 299: “Be A Little Bit Nicer”

Last night I barely slept, constantly being awakened by post Fourth of July explosions. Explosions that even prior to tonight have been detonated frequently over the last week.

No… they are not playful firecrackers, they explode with window shaking thunder at the earliest hours of the morning… very disruptive, obviously illegal and incredibly disrespectful the entire community.

For four days, I’ve scanned the streets, searching for the people behind these ear-ringing detonations. And to that cause, I have charged myself to a war of wits in strategizing further methods of tactics, should they again re-deploy tonight or next year.

The reality is that Forth of July is a day of celebration, Not a day of aggressive partying. It’s a hallowed date that commemorates the battles fought and lives lost to free a Nation from an oppressive government. A government that taxed without representation, a government that viewed its held people as commodities and resources and a government that pushed a brave nation to its very brink in exploiting it resources.

Sure we shoot fireworks. But for more than entertainment, for they are a symbol of battles won and lives lost in creating a land where freedom and liberty is possible to all whom seek it.

A day that I too, until writing this entry, have not fully embraced. That saddens me a little, pointing a finger at me as I realize that far too many of us have come to lose focus on the true symbolism of this day, Not the Fourth of July… But Independence Day.

And to my neighborhood terrorizing friends, knock it off…! Think about it!

Readers… know that I have no malice in my above rant. It’s mostly induced from the side effects of multiple nights of sleep deprivation. But in it is a through-line that we must extract.

My wife sums it up nicely in a discussion we have. She tells me of an article in which she read… the findings of a street survey. A survey that asked the question of was the declaration of independence necessary and does it no longer apply. In my mind, a slap in the face to every person who lives in the United States, and to the brave men and women who have given life and limb to preserve the rights that far too many take for granted.

Now I have to mention that I’m a Brit. Been living in America for all of my life. So when I think of the 4th, I look at both sides of the coin. And in doing so must silence a moment of respect for all (Both Brit and Colonist) who died in the succession of America from the British Monarchy. It was a tragic time, where because of the greed of the few, great multitudes of humankind suffered. We see it in the world today; too much global conflict to count, all of which is spired forward by a limitless count of hidden agendas. So looking back to the simplest of reason for the war of 1776, the cause is just, simply freedom from oppression; a fight that allowed man, woman and child the right to live as they see fit, and to be respected for who they are.

In a way we are not that different now, political suppressions are still abound, hidden agendas of the wealthy are as rampant as ever and the reactions of the uneducated is never lacking.

But for this July tribute all that I ask is that you consider one thought in you everyday actions, are you respecting you neighbor, and living with grace in counting your blessings?

I know, another, soapbox start to a blog entry. I’m do apologize; sometimes I just can’t help it. Guess that’s what makes me so lovable.

Sure, I gush a little, part of my character, but today I’m feeling especially wordy, after meeting todays stranger turned friend, single mother, working professional and ambassador of thinking justly, Amy.

She begins with a set of humble life guides, “Take life slow. Listen to people who you think are wise. Learn as much as you can and always pay attention.”

If there is one thing I have learned in 365; that is to listen. And as Amy recommends, “To listen to people who we thinks are wise.” That is a key point, and from what I am learning, wisdom does not always come though a diploma, via a six-digit bank statement or as a result of public visibility.

Wisdom is hard-earned and subtle. It is an expression of experiences had. Of successes won, and more poignantly battles lost.

It is a byproduct of life past, and is driven by our sheer tenacity to absorb. Again, as so simply outlined by Amy, “Always pay attention.”

Amy is honest, forthright and concerned for the world our children will inherit.

“As far as the planet…” she introduces, “…I’m from Texas, and I think as far as globally and keeping the earth green and everything, I’m all for that.

But, sometimes I wonder if what we are actually doing is fruitful, or if we are just making more people money.

People are always talking about… recycling, recycling. And being here in California, my son goes to a school where people are preaching a lot about it. But I’ve noticed that people don’t always practice what they preach.

The last election I remember a woman who went on and on about what she was going to do about the planet, and then I went over to her house. She had a pool, she had the hose water going and it was on a slide. The water was spewing everywhere. She didn’t recycle in her home, and stuff like that. It saddened me to recognize that she did not practice what she preached to everybody. The hypocrisy of it infuriated me, and that is what I see everywhere.

I wish that people would practice what they preach, and I hate to say that I don’t see that enough.

I wish that in the future, people would do that more. But I don’t see it happening as much as it needs to. I just see things getting worse. People are not teaching their children. They leave their kids with nannies… they go out partying and play… they are not raising their children… they are not instilling morals in their kids.

I see kids cussing at age two or three or four years old. They are not learning any good values… and it scares me.”

I have a daughter and it scares me too. But in speaking with Amy, it is apparent that she is not digging her head into the sand in turning away from her positive outlook regarding the power of the individual, something that she is doing her best to instill into her son. And, in a vicarious way, Amy instills in us, as we read of her accounts and the observations she has noted, the same activation in guiding our children.

Regarding the media and social respect, “’My son started out on Cary Grant and Fred Astaire movies. He says ‘yes mam’ and ‘no mam…’ He’s polite and respectful. But here in California, teachers tell him to not call them sir. One teacher even rebuked my son, saying, ‘Don’t ever call me sir… you are not in military school… it sets you apart from other children.’”

That one gets my goat. I see it myself in the attitudes of the kid my daughter plays with. And you know what… the kids with the greatest esteem are the ones who call me Mr. Radstone. What’s that telling us?

Amy elaborated on the account, “I was also told to tell him not to do that… I completely disagreed. The next year he opened a door for a female teacher. And that teacher was completely offended that he called her mam. She said that she was not an old lady, and that she did not need to be called mam. And, I think that one time she stepped up onto a stool to get a book. My son offered to help her so she did not need to use the stool. She contacted me to tell me that I was raising my son to be a male chauvinist pig. He told me he was just trying to a gentleman.”

Amy worries, “’Life is changing and I don’t think it is in a positive direction.

Those are the kind of things that I see daily. I’m just thinking of the future of my child. We are parents.

I really hope that if one person does something good… if my son opens a door for somebody, that somebody says, ‘Oh that was nice, somebody has not opened the door for me in a long time.’

Then maybe a husband will start opening a door for other people. Or somebody will treat a waiter nicely as they refill a water-glass, saying ‘thank you.’

It endless, there are all these thankless jobs out there and nobody appreciates the people who are doing these jobs. People are driving around and honking at people who are working outside in 110-degree heat. And, all they are thinking about is ‘I’ve got to get to work.’”

I flash back to the bombs that have been blasting for the last several days, and doing the best I can to remain humble as I work out my issues within a sleepy brain. I look at it from both sides and have come to a conclusion.

It is not mine to judge, or to condemn, my nearby friends. Nor is it under my power to dictate their decision in the toys they choose to play with. They are accountable for their own agency, and the resulting outcome of their daily actions. And it is, without guile, I do desire my unknown neighbor to experience some sort of accountability or a just penalty for their actions.

But greater than that is the sadness that has fallen upon me in reflection on them. That sadness can only be defined as yet another account of dishonor, and a negative ratification of the influence we all have on the world around us.

Yes, I accept that my family has been on the receiving end of this disrespect. I do not take it lightly and will still do what I must to discover the origins of the house of disturbing explosions. That is the responsibility of my calling as a father and provider.

Just like that of the greater battles that led to the freedoms that we are acknowledging every year on the Fourth of July, and although not armed with physical weapon, I am still required to bear emotional arms. The battle is a battle of respect. Respect that Amy fears is disappearing from society.

Respect that is not earned though murders of character, violence or useless confrontation, but a respect that goes to the core of who we are: People who deservingly desire to be treated fairly.

To my friends lighting the fuses, I promise we will meet one day. And perhaps once we do, you will understand that the choices you are making influence a greater community. We are with you in wanting you to have fun on the 4th. Blow up as much as you like… Just keep it on the 4th only, and between the hours of 8:00pm and 10:00pm. And please, be safe my illusive friends, by the sound of it, your handling very large charges.

To conclude, I share a wish of Amy’s. Simply, she asks us all one basic respect, “Just be a little bit nicer.

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 298: Divina’s Call, “We’re All Alive”

“We don’t know what everyone else is dealing with. It just seems that so few people think of that.

We’re all alive. It’s crazy… people are so rude and inconsiderate of other people. It makes me crazy… I don’t understand.

Whatever you’re dealing with, you don’t have to project it on everybody else… it’s crazy.

Treat people the way you want to be treated. It’s like my number one thing. It really makes my life easy and simple. I don’t have any enemies, or hate, or resentment. It’s really good.”

Says Divina of life, and in her advice “The Golden Rule” strikes again, “Treat people the way you want to be treated.”

The Golden Rule… You’ve heard me report of it many a time. And for the sake of positioning my comments today, know that it is by choice that I use the word report. For whenever I write of the The Golden Rule premise, it is through the voice of those who uniquely share their perspectives on its adaptation. The intent being, to footnote its relevance in enlightening us to the knowledge that every day of our lives, there are probably more people than we realize questing the same compassionate respect: To be treated with dignity, kindness and acceptance.

I’m blown away that we are this far into 365. The time has flown by and in two days we will officially hit the three hundred day mark. We really are in the final countdown of its mission of getting us to put our feet in the shoes of others. And doing so without fear, void of comparison and with a loving outlook.

“We’re all alive,” Davina’s heartfelt observation of society as she dreams of a kinder world…

Funny thing… As I write, an exercise is coming into my mind. I don’t know why, but for some overpowering reason, Davina’s statement has caused my subconscious to tell me to lift my hands from the keyboard and to sit back in my chair… To take rest in relaxing my mind for a few minutes… To close my eyes in letting go of my control… To take a few breaths in feeling the air… And to try to recall as many faces as I can of the people I have associated with over the last week or so. Visualizing the humanity in all… regardless of the experience. And lastly, to ground the meditation with Divina’s call, “We’re all alive.”

For the sake of unity, I ask you to join me in the experiment. Here we go, I’ll be right back (Setting my timer for three minutes)…

And Readers if you are joining me… Don’t read on until after your meditation.

… I return… That was interesting. I entered my meditation with high expectations, and it was very revealing. In closing my eyes I prepped my mind with Davina’s words, “We’re all alive.”

I took my breaths, shut of my mind, and at first, all that I felt was the need to go to sleep. Really more like a peaceful blankness was in my head. So I started to force my mind, focusing on specific situations of the many people who I interacted with over the last week As I did, I got distracted by a conversation between my daughter and wife that echoed in the background of my home. I again forced my mind to refocus, and entered the same mind blank state of peaceful relaxation. The faces blurred into a great noise and amidst it only a few came to focus. One: A client, who with stress in his eyes, unloaded on me about an issue with a location. At first I took it as an attack, but later realized he was trusting me with his feelings. Two: A friend of mine who on Thursday was so distant that it seemed as if I had offended him. Today I found out it was the day he lost his job. Three: Another semi close friend who I have avoided in fear of enmeshment, who only hours ago uplifted me with one of the most caring phone conversations I have had in a long time. The faces began to un-blur when the timer alarm sounded.

Now I sit here rather exposed. An exposure that has left me a little ashamed and life checked. Now I’m not trying to make myself out as heartless, but three minutes of meditation awakened me a bit. An awakening, that although has been progressing throughout the last hundreds of 365 days, is unexpectedly double-checked by Davina’s advice.

Here is my assessment, too many times have I taken first impression personally. In all three faces that focused into mind, all were reaching to me and I did not see it at that time.

Very humbling to admit, of all the experiences I encountered… many of the most bonding ones, where in reality, the ones that I wanted to escape from.

What’s this teaching me, or us? I’m extremely curious to know how the exercise affected you? If you did it? PLEASE COMMENT AND LET US ALL KNOW. The sum whole of the experiment could be a great teacher to us all.

Divina has felt at times this world to be rude and inconsiderate. And although difficult to understand, perhaps it is really a world of equally fearful and quite possibly pained people.

People who sadly have tendency to divide themselves in reaction to outwardly perception or inward insecurities, rather than to take pause to breathe in examining the full measure of any given interaction.

And do we, in the word of Divina, Project what we are dealing with on everybody else?

Probably so… And, in a way, that’s not always the healthiest thing, considering that the opposite stance of keeping it in would be as equally unhealthy. Just look at the statistics of chronic hypertension in modern society.

Thus, here is the lesson learned, as least for me. “It is up to the listener to direct the action or resolve, not the other way around.”

My meditation reveals this to me. I did not seek to review the above-mentioned situations. I even tried to steer my mind in another more pleasant direction. But that is where it went as I let go of controlling it.

“It’s crazy!” Divina exclaims with an engaged acceptance.

Maybe, maybe not… Or is it what makes us all unique, powerful and equally vulnerable: Basically… HUMAN.

I’ll vote for human.

“I don’t have any enemies, or hate, or resentment,” Davina expands.

In my world, not saying that I am out to make enemies, or to hate, or to harbor resentment. But after only three minutes of closed eyed reflection, I realize that I have three much closer relationships that I previously did not understand.

Divina is a wise soul. I ask her about the future. She responds previewed by a long sigh. “I worry about our future… honestly… It feels like we are at battle with our planet… our home… It’s crazy.

I think it’s like evolution, all these technological advancements… I wonder… And I hope it really is an evolution.

I’m kind of like old-fashioned, I guess… Kind of like and old spirit a little… I’m like an old person…” She chuckles, “…People are like doing all these gadgets and stuff. It just seems very impersonal.”

We’ve spoken often of the impersonal nature of the new world of virtual communication. A very real issue with modern society and one not to be brushed under the carpet.

But what is striking hard at the core today is how do we react with each other in the real face-to-face world. Not like in the virtual sphere, where with the click of a mouse, or through the touch of a screen, we can easily disengage. But in the trenches of the difficult life moments of this existence we call living.

Divina, you are powerfully on target!

We are “ALL ALIVE.”

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 294: “Food Truck Alley”

“I like old stuff and new stuff. People say that I was born in the wrong era, but I have to nip that. I have an appreciation for antiquated things… Older things interest me…” Explains Squeezebox Sam as he generalizes his outlook on modern society.

“But I think that as far as society goes, as far as humanity goes, I feel like in the last one hundred… two hundred years… the human being as a creature has evolved socially and scientifically for the better. And I think I’m living in exactly the right period of time. I think I’m lucky to not have been put in 1890 or 1956 or something like that.”

Sam is a way cool gent, and with the companionship of his equally interesting fiancé, multi-media artist Nouar, I am not only entertained by their quirky style of street music but am enlightened by their charismatic blend of personality, intelligence, and spontaneous creativity.

It takes a special kind of person to open their world to unknown passer-byes. And at the prompt of my sister-in-law as we enjoy an outing at food truck alley, “Go talk to them!” I am captivated to grab sidewalk with my new artistic friends.

“Watch where you step.” The Squeezebox councils, “You’ve got to step carefully in your life. That applies to all kinds of things… from business to learning yourselves… leave a small footprint, that kind of thing. Watch where you step! You should always watch where you put your feet, both figuratively and in what you do. That’s my advice.”

Sam’s words so align with 365’s core purpose of getting us all to think more deeply about the question of putting our feet in the shoes of others. I tell Squeezebox about this premise.

“Ah yes!” he says, “Atticus Finch, To Kill A Mockingbird. One thing you’ve got to learn is to get in somebody else’s skin and walk around in it for a while. You’d get along with people a whole lot better.”

The Squeezebox is a very educated man with multiple degrees he teaches a variety of subjects from art to film to English.

“I’ve been focusing on teaching English for the last couple of years, there’s better job security in that subject,” he tells me.

I’m not even going to get started on that soapbox. I’ll just keep it short. Well maybe not…

A couple of months ago while driving home, I noticed well-working traffic signals being replaced. About eight miles of them, they were in perfect working order. And, I would probably be bewildered to know exactly how much the expense of this senseless upgrade was to we the taxpayers. I’m sure it was a bunch of cash.

As I was stopped, yep, at one of the not yet replaced, well-working traffic signals, I looked to the left at a deteriorating elementary school. My heart sank a little as I thought about the school. Not just for the improvement (No! No! No!… I catch myself as I am writing this account), the maintenance funds it needs. Even more troublesome is the serious educational cutbacks of staff and curriculum that are rapidly becoming epidemic in many a school system.

From losing teachers to eliminating art and other similar courses that stimulate independent thinking our countries school system is becoming rapidly flawed. This added to classes that are overpopulated with good teachers being pressed to their breaking point in doing whatever they can to provide quality education. Added to this their hands are tied by an overwhelming number of political controls, organizational macro-management, and lack of financial incentives.

So to see an upgrade to a working traffic system, at the taxpayer’s expense, just kills me. I know the issues of governmental economic problems are overwhelming, and I am not speaking with my head in the clouds of wholly emotional outburst.

But I cannot for the life of me understand why one of the most important contributors to bettering the future, that being education, continues to take the financial back seat in many cases. I’m telling you, I’d be quite happy with the same old stoplights, knowing that money was pointed towards teaching our kids.

Alright, I’ll calm down… and Squeezebox, I appreciate you giving me the floor for a moment of vent. Thank you for your commitment to teaching our kids. Hope you can keep some of the arts alive in how you approach your English teaching.

Nouar shares a few words of advice. “Be careful on whose toes you step on today, because they may be connected to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow.”

Squeezebox bursts out a supportive chuckle, “It’s poetic!”

I think about Nouar’s call, and with a smile, realize how appropriate it is, even modifying it. “The reverse works too,” I reveal.

We exchange smiles and move on.

Nouar speaks of her concerns for the future. “We need to recycle and take care of what we have already… conservation and reusing in general.” Pointing to her cup, “Like this cup… I think, ‘What I can use it for?’ Always try to look at things in your surroundings in how you can reuse them.  I’m an artist, so I guess I always look at things a little differently. ‘What can I do with this or that sort of thing?’”

Sam again smiles enthusiastically at his lady. And with the same energy Nouar passes the baton back to him for his comments on what’s ahead.

“My advice for the world?” The Squeezebox reflects. “As a teacher, I hope that humanity doesn’t stagger in its upward swing. I hope it keeps moving up… they don’t lag… they don’t stall off… they don’t get caught up in the now, instead of looking at the future.

“Yes… I think I’m going to hope for that. That people will do their part to make the world a better place for human beings in general.”

Readers, thank you for joining us this evening for our musical jaunt down food truck alley; Friday night home of fine food, entertainment, and for those who open their arms, meaningful conversation. Conversation that, with hope and humor, Squeezebox and Nouar have so gracefully entrusted to us. Their words are our feast this evening.

And even with so many eating options around tonight, after speaking with Squeezebox and Nouar, I consider myself nourished.

Well, let’s say “socially fed”… I still have to find my culinary treat!

Talk tomorrow my friends!

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 285: “Ik Onkar (Gurmukhi)”

On the Western front of the Famous Route 66 lies the California coastline. Route 66… 2448 miles of changing pavement and dirt, that since 1926 it has reigned strong as an iconic starting / stopping point (all depends on the direction of your travel) for a driving journey of grand proportion.

And standing as a pinnacle marker is the end of the trail sign that stands… welcoming… above the Santa Monica Pier, famous for not only it’s fun in the sun attitude, but for its magnetism in marking one of the greatest melting pots of ethnic and cultural diversity in all of Southern California.

For this reason I have chosen this spot for our exploration this afternoon.

I walk the pier, and as expected… I am overwhelmed.

Men, women, couples and families of every age, faith, ethnicity and language scurry around in a bliss of summer fun. Restaurants, games, rides, storefronts and consumption of colorful food are all common agenda’s.

Yet, amidst the storm of activity I see a united people, a macro view of what things could be. So I stand quite, in the center of the thunder of sound and movement… observing and listening…

…Thousands of individual people… Thousands of stories… Thousands of smiles… And thousands of brief moments of stranger interacting with stranger. In basic terms, a global society slammed together in a confined area. That in itself could bring the worst out of a situation… But today it does not. All are on vacation or an escape of some type or another… I’m sure.

I have to ask, “Why does it take leisure to break down the barriers we all put up?”

I’ll tell you, I’m blank for a response. It is beyond me to figure. Maybe it’s stress relief, or living out a fantasy. Perhaps the kindness is evoked by the overwhelming count of activities or by the distance from the expectations of home communities.

Whatever it is, “Why does it happen to a lesser occurrence in our everyday lives?

Like I said, I’m blank for a response. The reason escapes me.

So I meander to the end of the pier… still looking… still pausing… still listening.

In a way, I begin to find myself on sensory overload. Not via fear, not by distraction, and surely not through any self-cast profiling. But driven by my mind heavily questing to know its neighbors. Amidst the deafening sound of diversity, it screams like it’s internal voice, “I want to know who these people are!”

The only way to explain it, “A restlessness to understand…” To know the names, the stories and the wisdom’s of all those are surrounding me this day. An impossible task for one man, but a task that united we can mirror as a whole. And this thought is pouring like an unstoppable river into my brain as I explore the vastness of the faces that pass on every side of me.

Absolutely, there is no way I can befriend all on the pier. That would not only be pompous, but a superhuman initiative far beyond my ability. But what I can do is open my mind to an awareness of the humanity that I so casually stroll through this day. And in that, challenge myself to be receptive to whatever, or whomever I do engage with.

It’s a funny thing how at times the Universe listens to us. The louder the crowd gets… the more silent my thoughts become, and at the instant of my deepest release of quest, I hear the sound of laughter growing, “Will you take our photo?” creeps through the laughs.

I focus my attention, and before me stands two remarkable individuals, Kanwarpal and his brother-in-law Amandeep. I am smitten by their joy… and something about these two gentlemen is enlightening.

Kanwarpal has two points to living a fulfilled life, and by the happiness the glows from him, it is apparent that he lives by his words.

“Don’t ever do anything that causes you to lose your smile… and don’t ever regret anytime in your life… anything that even once made you smile.”

Amandeep adds his take, “’Don’t take anything for granted. Don’t observe a person for what you see. The phrase, ‘Don’t judge a person by their cover.’ Realize and recognize everyone else.’”

The fact alone that Kanwarpal and Amandeep are wearing turbans and beards would be cause for many to profile. The fact is that they are together on a touring excursion for Amandeep whom is about to marry Kanawarpal’s sister. That is why they are on the pier.

Neither are from any radical cell, or have any agenda other than the love their neighbors. A view that is at the very core of the value system that they adhere. So much so that the main direction of their lives is working with youth; something that both of these fine men dedicate much of their time to.

Further both are American citizens, engaging with the society that surrounds them and bottom line, are wonderful contributors to the world.

Amandeep hails from California and Kanwarpal is visiting from Maryland tell me, “We are Sikh and believe we all share a common God, We have a saying Ik Onkar (Gurmukhi), meaning God is one…” Amandeep explains… “It does not matter what color your skin is, we are all in one place… any religion…

…We should live life to the fullest, treat other people fairly, be fearful of God, and know that everybody is going to the same place.

As Sikh’s we make sure our arms and our hands are always open to everyone else.

That’s why we are here.”

Kanwarpal elaborates,

“We are not from any radical group, our turbans and our beards are like uniforms. Only they are not like the uniforms of command. They are to let people know of our beliefs and a symbol of our respect and of our values. When you see us, you know we are here to help each other and others, not to hurt one another.”

Amandeep talks of the future, “90% of the time whatever you hear on the news you have to take it with a grain of salt.

I’m hoping that everybody starts taking a healthier approach to life; that we start looking not only within ourselves, but overall, towards our community. Lending a hand where we can. Making sure that we are physically fit, so that the overall diseases as far as diabetes, cardio vascular and all that, they decrease. But at the same time looking to make the earth a more pleasant place to stay. Cutting down on the smog and everything else. Because we’re still young we want to make sure that our planet is safe for our kids and our grand kids and their kids. That’s what I’m hoping for. Will that every happen within our lifetime… I hope so.”

Kanwarpal looks ahead, “We are going to become more aware. Right now too many are about me, I’m doing this… this is about me. That is going to start approaching to we and our. Technology helps to that point. But also I see that everyone is on they’re mobile phones and Facebook and Twitter. It’s just a phase. It is only doing its part to get people connected around the world. But I think that is going to fall down and then the real synergy is going to start-up.”

I know now why the noise was broken by the sounds of laughter. And even though I meet my new friends, Amandeep and Kanwarpal, through the invite of a smile, lighthearted they are not. For on the end of a busy tourist pier, and within the endless movement of humanity in vacation mode, I find a temple of sorts.

A temple not of brick and mortar construct, but a sanctuary of worship to a higher power. Non-the-less; a power that through the unconditional friendship of two kind gentleman has transformed my afternoon.

Who would have ever have conceived that in the fast pace of amusement park ambience that the quietest of subjects could be discussed?

We are truly all in this thing together. And in the word of our two new friends of great wisdom, I can only quote, Ik Onkar (Gurmukhi).

Talk tomorrow my friends.

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 281: “A Burger That Introduced Me To A Brighter Light”

“I was getting famous, it was turning me into a product and I did not like it. That is when I went into finance,” Jerry accounts of his life.

Over the last nine months hundreds of people have now graciously given of themselves in contributing to 365. All brave individuals who without reserve have allowed us into there lives in trusting me to forward their stories, advice and photos to you.

Several times have we discussed the laws of attraction and also have experienced several unexplainable meetings of strangers turned friends. From connecting third parties beyond our circle of influence, to answering literal prayers and personal reflections, it’s all occurred within the 365 journeys. Sure, some have been powerfully apparent while others not so much. We’ve even experienced days where we have struggled to literally find acceptance from anyone, and once found conducted somewhat contrite and forced interviews. But nonetheless… in all… I… and I hope you, have been thoroughly fascinated.

We are indeed a unique population with so much depth, so much diversity and so much combined experience. From pains to joys we have shared. Yet what is apparent with the loudest of volume is this, in some infinite way, we are all connected in one wish. That of a better world, a found life perspective and a planet filled with a kinder people.

Today is no exception.

I find myself in a funky little burger joint in wait of a casting session a few blocks away– killing time, and through the sandwich I’m eating, I’m sure my arteries as well.

As I take my last bite of seared cholesterol, a well-mannered gentleman sits at the booth directly in front of me. Our eyes meet and without my prompt this stranger greets me with a warm expression of acceptance.

It would be wrong of me to not reciprocate in an equally kind gesture. “Hello, how are you?” I reply.

We engage in a friendly and casual conversation and in such Jerry, once stranger now friend, agrees to join us in our 365 mission of unity.

Earlier I spoke of the laws of attraction and the moment Jerry begins to speak regarding the concept.

“The age-old question as to what is the meaning of life is found in two words…” Jerry summarizes, “…Expression and Experience.

Every living and non-living thing is expressing a quality of that which created it.

So what we express… we will experience… Period!

Look at an atom, electrons spinning around, communicating, the nucleus is the mother and the electrons are the children. And that analogy pulls it all together so you can see it very clearly.”

Jerry is a man of many talents (or perhaps gifts): A clairvoyant, a well-grounded businessman, financial advisor and spiritual consultant. From this he has pooled a vast base of knowledge. One that he does not flaunt, but one that he leans on in guiding his life voyage. His agenda is apparent, to outreach as far as he can in sharing what is core to his heart.

Yet in his claims he remains objective, kind, optimistic and approachable. “I used to work with Uri Geller on the Powers of the Paranormal. Uri told me to be careful with my gifts and to not show them off. I was under a contract to perform and at that moment I realized I had to change my life… I negotiated out of the contract and that is when I moved into the financial business.

I was very successful… became very rich in five years (I won’t tell you Jerry’s past worth, and he has the saved bank statements to prove it). But due to the greed and dishonesty of others I lost it when I moved from Texas to California.”

I even realized that my marriage was under false pretenses, so I gave what I had left to her and I’m much happier now.”

Jerry talk of a highly spiritual view towards humanity and the planet, “The world at large…? Thoughts and things are very much alike. And, we should approach life as if it is a thought… and not a thing.

Move the words around, things are thoughts, not thoughts are things.

Your experience meets with your expression to create unique points of attraction. Not so much as drawing something to you. That requires a great labor of thought. But if we can learn to use our thoughts as platforms to reach out and tether onto the dream and draw it in. I call it Metaphynetics.”

Jerry is an extreme optimist and he is passionate regarding his view of positive mind-set, good values and of the potential for a united world.

“I see democracy coming around!” he speaks with conviction, as if he has had a three-dimensional vision. “…It’s too beautiful of an idea to throw to the wayside, because none of the other systems have worked as well: And with that, most of the world population being Muslim…”

I did a little research. Jerry is correct in his claim. Per 2012: Christianity, 31% to 35% or 2.1 – 2.5 billion people; Islam, 23% or 1.6 billion people.

“… And when they start seeing how to separate church and state, then that progress will relieve much poverty. You see… most of those impoverished nations are Muslim nations.”

Now Jerry is not bagging on the Muslim faith. What I think he is referring to is how the will of time generated hatred in the name of faith can become epidemic. And in this reference, Jerry calls all of us to accountability to observe our faiths in directing the good values in whatever we choose to believe, or how we worship optimistically towards our fellow-man.

But there is one thing Jerry makes certainly clear. In the end we all worship the same God… the creator of the universe. He even aligns our actions in asking us to do all of our acts in life; even business with a positive conscience towards the planet and all those we deal with.

And with the aid of his Muslim statistic, Jerry postulates, “It not so much the religion, but you can’t do business with someone in the name of Ala.”

My take… Jerry is instructing us to respect individual value systems and navigate life with honor and honesty.

Jerry is very deep and extremely intriguing, his concepts are well founded and creatively lucid. And using a well-defined description of “Faith, that being the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen,” he goes on to link to our financial systems.

“Faith… That’s what our currency is based on… but we are the collateral.

So if we have faith in each other, and that the system of democracy, the one that is as close to God’s system of man doing business with man. It will all go right back to expression and experience.

Patience is the expectancy of good. And when you are waiting for something good, it seems like it takes longer. It feels that way because the body has a clock in it… Call it saccadic rhythms. What we fear seems to come quicker because we are on Adrenalin at that point.”

Makes me think of the hindsight is 20/20 theory and of the list of discussions we have shared regarding embracing all of our experiences, both good and bad.

Jerry humbles in revealing his perspective, “After I lost my wealth, it made me check my core.

The whole field of humanity opened up to me, and it will for anyone if they operate from love… No matter where they are… and if they are truly doing it.”

Of the future, again Jerry speaks as if viewed from a prophetic vision, “In five of ten years… Islam will create a separation of church and state. Technology will overrule, and peace will start to expand.”

Jerry, thank you for opening your mind, your heart and our eyes.

Hope to run into you again my friend; we can pick our discussion back up.

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 270: “It’s Like A Sidewalk Living Room”

Gina stands alone by the side of her minivan. A friendly faced person whose welcoming demeanor is hard to dismiss.

It takes about a second for us to meet eye to eye through my 365 introduction.

“Live just for today… Stay in the now… Because now is what matters.” Gina shares in expressing her words of wisdom.

Gina is an extrovert, to the point, and exuberantly happy. Yet in her outgoing attitude and calming charm, she keeps her responses brief.

I ask our question of the future.

Gina is eloquently succinct, “That we all can live together as a community.”

Mid sentence her Granddaughter Arian joins us. I had no idea Gina was accompanied. Turns out that she, her family and a close friend have all stopped for snacks at a nearby catering truck.

Arian gives us her words, “We should have a better president than Obama, he is one of the worst Presidents ever. He raises gas prices!” We all smile, some in agreement, others not sure. But out of the mouths of babes often comes the most unbridled and honest responses.

The rest of the family walks up. All are eager to contribute their thoughts.

Family friend Yadira volunteers to break the ice, “It’s not what the world offers you… it’s what you offer to the world.

There is only one race… the human race. So therefore, there is no difference.”

Yadira is very spiritual and relates her life attitude to the laws of nature. “We just transmuted into the Aquarius, so now the universe is moving us, or those who are adaptable, into what the hearts desire will manifest… not what the head tells you.

So it’s not about a dog-eat-dog world; it’s about doing and acting for no other reason than the actual hearts desire toward humankind.

Hopefully, everybody walking this Earth takes the time to find themselves in mediation. Like at the Japanese or Chinese gardens that just opened up here, or a meditation area. And I hope that people can learn to stop, to have no actual thought other than visualization. That they will become more human.”

Louis – AKA Dog (Gina’s significant other) seconds Gina’s outlook. “Live in the moment,” He advises.

Gina smiles, “After 27 years together we better be on the same page.”

I really like these guys. We’re standing on the sidewalk, but it feels more like spending time in the living room of a close friends home.

“Dog what are your hopes for the future?” I reach out.

Now Dog is an intimidating looking man. And if I was to prejudge in any way, the assumption might be that he is difficult to approach.

And Dog, please forgive me if I offend you in this comparison. But I do it for a purpose. As many of whom I have approached have had a similar edge as yours. Yet almost all of them had the greatest wisdom’s to share, and as you, walk with the gentlest of spirits. Your words are an example for us all to take the time and to have the courage to make a stand towards resolve.

Like Gina, Dog is to the point, “I hope that one day we can sit down and discuss all of our differences. That we can stop all the wars… Stop all the killing.

I’m tired of wasting money on bullets; we need to put it to good… like use it to feed the people. That’s where I like to see us heading.”

“We are planting seeds,” I express in reflecting on the many concepts, concerns and words of our 365 family. That bridges us as to a discussion that highlights the findings from our noble generation of the sixteen to twenty-five year olds. Most of whom have said that they are starting to see the light of what the world can become. And in this, we talk of the empowerment that we all possess to do our part in planting the right seeds of thought, of values and of respect towards fellow human in the mind of our youth.

We all agree on the challenge… and to the last voice to hear we direct of focus, Daughter of Dog and Gina… Kittie.

The whole conversation Kittie has been intently listening as she enjoys one of the best looking plates of Nachos I’ve seen in a long time.

Kittie is an obvious giver. Here I am, a noticeable stranger, and although we are, for the moment united in 365, it’s not like she has known me all of her life.

“Would you like a Nacho?” she offers me some of her snack.

At first, I’m a little shy to interrupt her enjoyment of the treat… But after a second reassuring, “Are you sure?” I accept the offer.

With my mouth full of jalapeno and cheek covered with cheese, I mutter out, “What would you tell the world?”

“Wow, I don’t really have any advice… I don’t know,” Kittie humbly confesses.

The family jumps to attention. “Come on… What is the first thing that pops into your mind…? It does not have to be prefect, just honest… You have something to say, we know it!”

“Put some clothes on. Have some respect for yourself and don’t lie,” Kittie responds.

Kittie has hit it out of the park.

I have a very young daughter, even a few years younger than Arian. In the blink of and eye, I know Kittie is a good mother.

In today’s world, immorality, poor values and the deepening grasp of vice is ever-present all around us. And with this, much of it starts with the self-image we have of ourselves.

Kittie says, “Have some respect for yourself and don’t lie.” What better council is there?

Gina steps up with a final word of social acceptance, “We all have to respect each other. People are doing the best they can with what they have.”

I wipe the last of the Nacho cheese from my cheek, and with gratitude, not only for the trust departed to me this day in the welcoming acceptance of my street approach… but more poignantly, for being allowed into the make do sidewalk living room of a very fine family.

Gina, Dog, Kittie, Arian and Yadira, thank you for allowing me into your home.

I sincerely hope to run into you again, my friends.

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 257: “Would You Change The World Or Yourself?”

The table turns on me this afternoon when I find myself the interviewee. An occurrence that catches me completely off guard in exposing me to a glimpse of the emotions that must be felt by those I approach.

And the greatest of these emotions are two: Empathy and curiosity. Empathy because I know how hard it is to approach a stranger, and curiosity for obvious reasons.

But in this unexpected sidewalk solicitation, there is a humanistic calm. A feeling that is void of consumerism, distanced from that of a political poll taker, and reserved in its energy.

It’s basically this, “Hi… We’re working on a student project and would like to know if you would be willing to answer one question?”

How can I decline? “Sure I’ll answer your question if you answer mine.”

What can I say… I guess I have no self-control in overcoming my negotiating mind. But I assume you will approve of my being the diplomat in this situation.

Plus, I’m smitten by the enthusiasm and courage of my new street acquaintances: Roving interviewers Shane and Nicole.

They’re question is to the point and thought-provoking, “Would you change the world or yourself?”

I won’t bandstand in reporting to you my response; that would be too self-absorbed. Let’s just jump to what Shane and Nicole have to say.

Question One:
“If you could give the people of the world any advice, council, or pass on any wisdom, what would you say?”

Nicole:
Know what you have.

In life… In the world.

I wouldn’t really change anything. I think the only thing that really needs to change is people’s perspective.

So be aware of what you have, and how blessed you are. That’s what I would say.”

Shane:
“Ask yourself, do you need everything that you have? Maybe you’ll come up with the answer yes, and maybe even, that you have way more than you need.”

Shane and Nicole’s launching remarks lead to a shared hope for a united society as well as general conversation of the laws of attraction. And mid discussion, Nicole, spontaneously drops a killer title.

“It’s like the collective mind,” she says.

The collective mind…? Although the title sounds like the premise to a brain controlling sci-fi epic, its connotation in our chat is much more sublime.

What I think Nicole is telling us is that we need to think with each other. Not for, or against one another. Just in consideration of others. She proposes a united outlook; an outlook, that although hidden within each of us, can manifest itself as an unseen magnetism. We call it intuition, gut instinct, emotional reaction, possibly community or as applicable to our exchange, attraction.

Question Two:
“Looking ahead five, ten, fifteen, twenty, even one-hundred years or beyond, where do you see the planet, or the people being? Or how, or what, do you advise us to do regarding the future?”

Shane:
I just have, like, an emotional reaction, because the future scares me.

Overpopulation and just everybody taking more away from the earth than it can really provide us.

I’d like to be optimistic about it. But it just doesn’t look very good in my opinion.

I think the earth is going to strike back. We just don’t know when or how.

We should all try to be self-sustaining, individually living near your work, where you have to be… walk everywhere.

Take as little as you can. Literally, that would not only be unselfish, but selfishly thinking for everyone in the future.

Take care of yourself. Don’t be so self-centered that you have to take from everyone else around you.

That how I feel about it.”

Nicole:
“My reaction is kind of different, I feel pretty optimistic about it.

There is definitely going to be a period of anarchy, especially within the United States. I think that it will affect the entire world.

But eventually… I feel like globalization will continue, and with the advancing of technology, the lines between races and different groups of people will begin to erase.

I think that with travel and everything, that eventually there are not going to be different ethnicities. I think that we all are going to mix together, and that is really going to bring the world together as cultures.

I see that as really positive, but I don’t think it is really going to go there very easily.

I do see a lot of corruption in the government. We’re definitely going to see some anarchy in the world.”

Nicole mentions her perspective of the world getting smaller – A point that has been brought up often. A fact that is strongly influenced by the advances in technology and the worldwide web.

I have to ask, “What do you think of the internet?”

Nicole speaks out, “I can’t stand it! I like to see people and talk to them. I don’t want somebody telling me that they are going to Facebook me. I feel like Facebook is an excuse for people to not actually communicate. I feel like our interpersonal skills are really suffering. We are all becoming introverted and have difficulty connecting.

The Internet in general creates anonymity, so people just can do, or say, things without really feeling attached to it… like there is no backlash on them. It is so impersonal!

They can say the most terrible things. It’s like if you were driving in your car, you flip people off, you scream obscenities at them. And, because your protected by the four walls of you’re car, you’re not looking directly into the other person’s eyes. You’re not having the same accountability.

It’s just times ten on the Internet and Facebook.”

We all accept that the Social Network is here to stay. But in this acceptance, may we parlay in one generalization. If we are going to use it, let’s use it responsibly.

Nicole encapsulated a vision, “I feel like globalization will continue, and with the advancing of technology, lines between races and different groups of people will begin to erase.”

Nicole is correct in her prediction of the time it may take to build her dreamed of global community. Yet in her dream there is accountability. And at its core is at least the beginnings for a greater respect for the world.

In pulling from the words of Shane, “Take as little as you can. Literally, that would not only be unselfish, but selfishly thinking for everyone in the future.

Take care of yourself. Don’t be so self-centered that you have to take from everyone else around you.”

That how I feel about it.”

Nicole, Shane, thanks for the prompt. Perhaps it’s time for us to do a little erasing?