And that's a wrap

Well, tomorrow night -- at midnight -- things are going to change. It is then our turn to make a lot of noise bringing in our own new year. Yes, everybody gets to have one, and so do we. However, as is part of our own particular tradition, a moment's reflection on what has transpired over the last 360 or so days is most definitely in order.

2013 was a good year for bad reasons, but a bad year for the right bad reasons. We survived the year without a major international war; we had no serious economic disasters; there were no more than usual environmental catastrophes; and there were no large-scale armed revolutions. My question is why we should only be happy about what didn't happen. It seems like second-hand happiness. On the down side, we haven't resolved any of the ongoing armed international conflicts (Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan, the list goes on); we know we're heading for another economic disaster because jobs aren't forthcoming and benefits are being cut, and the banks are acting every bit as recklessly as they were back in 2007, when nobody saw anything coming; though no Gulf-of-Mexico class oil spills, the Keystone Pipeline is producing daily disasters, and fracking has got it down to hourly ones, and the disease is spreading on this side of the Atlantic as well; and the only real armed-violence-at-home is coming from the government(s) to the people.

Yes, pretty much a pretty normal year. And I suppose that's why I'm particularly glad to leave this one behind. It wasn't one of those years that will stick out in memory for all its exciting and emotional events. On our shared-reality plane, it was just another year. But, maybe, it shouldn't have been ...

We all know that the absence of disaster does not mean things are great. We know that we are faced with a large number of very serious issues, including the use of armed aggression at home or abroad, the survival of the planet, the fate of the 99%, inequality of all flavors, persecution, racism, terrorism, or the fear of simply getting seriously ill. What did any of us do about any of these things this year? Yes, I'm as guilty as anyone when it comes to such things.

Still, I think that both you and I know that we really can't afford to keep going on like this. We may not have had the disasters, but things didn't really get any better last year either. It just seems to me that if things are going to get better at all, in any way, then we really can't afford to just sit around and wait for someone else to make the first move. We all know that some kind of change is needed, and I am pretty sure that we all don't agree completely on what precisely and how or (more importantly, how soon. As I have been saying all along, though, talk always precedes action, and I don't hear us talking yet.

TPTB are being as loud and obnoxious as ever, but there's not a lot to drown out. Too many of us just keep our thoughts to ourselves, but we need to start expressing them and, most important of all, discussing them. Our lives are being dominated but the anonymous, removed, global, corporate Leviathan, but it need not be so. A beast that cannot be fought can be starved, and we take sustenance from that beast when we start sharing what we have with one another. Your house, your block, your neighborhood, your community ... is where we all need to start.

And, 2014 is as good a time as any to start as well. We missed our chance last year, so let's not miss it this time around. Starve the beast. Start sharing.

Just to set the record straight

In all that I've posted lately, I really hope you haven't come to the conclusion that Christmas doesn't matter. It does, probably more than ever. This time of year has traditionally been one of celebration and introspection, so while you're busy doing the former, you shouldn't forget about the latter.

To put it most directly: it doesn't matter so much why you do something, what matters is what the results of those actions are.

People of many different persuasions, cultures and backgrounds have found comfort, strength, and hope in what Jesus said, even if they never packed it all together into a single whole. I've always been inspired, I must say, by his insight, courage, and unflinching support for the underdog. If you ever get a chance to get your hands on one of those red-letter editions of the New Testament, I heartily suggest you sit down and just read the parts in red and nothing else. It won't take you long. We're looking at fewer than 2000 verses, or around half the total text. I can assure you, though, it is worth the effort. When you get rid of all the context, the confusion, the potential ideology or theology, you are just left with some very simple ideas that are, well, profoundly moving. And that's what has moved so many people in the past and continue moving people today.

Love whoever needs you, or your help, as you love yourself; don't do to others what you wouldn't done to you; feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, heal the sick and visit those who are incarcerated. I mean, just how complicated is that? And regardless of what you may personally derive from such actions (though those of you who have ever tried it know as well as I do that such things make you feel a whole lot better about yourself), there's not a bit of anything there that isn't just reasonable, if not downright common-sensical. The question that begs itself, of course, why so few people actually do this?

The holiday we just celebrated was -- originally -- in honor of the guy who advocated acting that particular way. We've come a long way from that, to be sure. You don't have to believe that guy was God, God's Son, the Saviour, the Messiah, or whatever else you want to call him. You don't even have to believe that the guy ever existed. It just so happens that in the greatest part of what we know as Western Civilization, the stories surrounding this guy play a central role in our societies, economies, and political structures. The principles which that guy advocates are those that would lead to a more social, humane, and equitable world, a world of less suffering, a world in which greed, violence, and hatred would be disdained, not revered, a world actually worth living in, a world that would not be suffering the wanton environmental destruction that ours is.

The people who follow that guy's suggestions, for whatever reason (for you will note that there is never a demand for having a particular motivation to act in such ways), have, at least in my mind, the right to be thought of as and to call themselves Christian. Whether they do or not, is completely up to them; there's no obligation. The folks who don't would do well to not draw such attention to themselves, especially if they're claiming to be Christian. It's not what you say that makes the difference, it's what you do. So, if you want to talk the talk, walk the walk, or just zip your lip and let the rest of us try to salvage what's left of the world.

It's time

Well, here we are. Whether we like it or not, we've come to the day that, regardless of belief, is the reason that there's any kind of celebration at all here in the Western World. Irrespective of gender, race or creed, this evening is the day we have set aside to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child.

It's odd in a way. Be we believers or not, the celebration is here. Oh sure, we can rationalize it all off to some pagan festival that we've long forgotten, or we can ignore everything below the surface and simply join in the fun. It doesn't matter (and how often have I said that in the past month?). Here we are and I am only suggesting that it would do us all good to stop and ask ourselves why.

In my own reflections, I'm forced, by virtue of time and place of birth (both of which were totally under my control, right?), to think about why we even have a holiday now and what it is we're supposed to be celebrating.

The short answer is we live in a(n) (alleged) Christian culture, and today, according to tradition, the saviour of humankind was born. In a stall in Bethlehem, an unmarried virgin gave birth to a baby boy, cared for and protected by her estranged husband. This humble situation was the beginning of the most powerful movement that has ever swept over humanity. Well, that's the story, at any rate ... granted, in very condensed form. For some, this baby is the Messiah; that is, the one whom God sent to redeem humankind. For others, this baby was to become a prophet who would pave the way for God's true prophet. For still others, the baby was simply a troublemaker. For the rest, well, they didn't care.

The question poses itself, naturally, who's right? The answer, whether you like it or not, it everybody ... and nobody. Yes, the real answer is the one we've heard about so much recently: it doesn't matter.

You see, while there may be a number of ways to look at this, from the tradition in which we Westerners were born, there are two ways that push themselves into the foreground. That is, when you get right down to it, there are two "Christianities" out there, regardless of what we think or what we see. There is what all the Churches (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Fundamental, Pentecostal) "believe", and there is whatever it is that we have handed down to us as what the baby (later, a grown man), Jesus, had to say. They are, regardless of what anyone tells you, two very different things. The former ... the so-called "party line" -- is actually what the disciple Paul tells us (all the books of the New Testament between the Gospels and the Apocalypse); the latter is what Jesus said -- and more importantly, did -- as reported in the Gospels. You can twist and turn and force it anyway you like, but the two are, in truth, incompatible with each other.

At bottom then, this time of year is also a time of choice. If we choose to celebrate the holiday, we must choose whether we believe in what Jesus said and did, what Paul and his followers say is the only way to go, or we just want an excuse to party. The choice is yours.

Zeroing in

Let's face it. There is nothing radical or extremist about anything I have had to say recently. At the beginning of the season, I did intimate that what I had to say was not the "party line", but it should be clear by now that there may not even be such a thing. We all believe in something (or not) and we all want only the best for ourselves and those around us. So, I ask you, why is the world so screwed up? Really, none of you are ready to witness for the perfection of reality. Where are we going wrong?

You would be mistaken if you thought I knew. You would be correct, however, is guessing that I might have at least a suspicion. And here it is, a simply as I can state it: most of us are simply hypocrites. Sound harsh? Maybe it is, but I do believe it is accurate. Why am I so sure? Let me tell you.

How many of us like to make an objective and neutral impression, but are, in reality, pushing our own agenda? How many of us declare our tolerance but still have reservations about others who are not like us, including, but not restricted to, people of color, those of a different sexual persuasion or declaration? How many of us tell others that some of our best friends are , but never have them in our homes? How many of us declare our love of God or Jesus, yet blame welfare recipients for being lazy takers? How many of us declare our love of the environment yet drive to the corner store and advocate "dirty" energy? How many of us deny climate warming and simply go on consuming as before? How many of us believe we have worked hard, and therefore have earned, what we have, but refuse to admit how much circumstance and luck have played in our good fortune? How many of us think our country/culture got it right and why do all those others not realize that they haven't? How many of us apply the same measure to big companies and banks that we apply to other individuals not so different from ourselves? How many think responsibility is an important characteristic but don't think that corporations or countries should be held to the same standard? How many of us believe that violence is no solution but still possess firearms and use language that inflicts injury on others? How many of us think others are simply abnormal, because everyone knows what normal is? How many of us believe we are saved and are simply sorry that everyone who isn't simply has to go to hell?

Well, if you ask me, the answer in every case is the same: too many. I really don't know where any of us get off thinking we know what's what and why things are that way. I don't know how any of us can believe we've got that "wisdom thing" all wrapped up. I don't know how good, caring, loving individuals can hate, but you know and I know that we are not few. I don't know how we can realize that we're anything but perfect, yet expect perfection in others. I can't even begin to imagine what's going on in the heads of people who are in mosque/temple/church or elsewhere at least one day a week can act the rest of the week as if they didn't know what was said at the last service. I don't know how most of us can look at ourselves in the mirror in the morning considering how often on any given day we were one way with those we like and who are near to us and so very, very different with those we don't or aren't close to.

Yes, dear reader, we humans are anything but consistent. Which is fine as far as it goes. There is something to-be-expected about it. But what really makes us human, in the end, is that we can transcend what's only expected.

Beating around the (burning) bush

It's not what you say, but how you say it. It's not what you hear, but how you hear it. It's not what you read, but how you read it. Just a couple of simple axioms to start your day.

There are a lot of things we haven't figured out yet. There are a lot of things we just don't know; there are fewer things we know for sure. There are a lot of things we may never figure out. That's just how it is, and that's OK.

It seems to me that there are too many people who miss the point (whatever the point may be in the end) simply because they are all wrapped up in non-essential details. These might be the facts of science, the wording in a given Holy Book, or just some belief we have come to accept (either consciously or unconsciously). For those of you missing the point -- either consciously or unconsciously -- it's OK, you're in good company: most of us are with you.

As I have said, this time of year should be one of joy, hope, peace and light. Why? Because a lot of folks for a lot of time in our history have thought it isn't a bad idea, and even a minimum of reflection on that and what should be will tell you it's not a bad idea at all. Any time we can bring more joy, hope, peace and light into our lives and into the lives of those around us are, well, simply good times, memorable times, happy times. And there is not a human being on this planet who doesn't share that sentiment.

The leading cause of strife/tension/conflict/ is really due to misunderstanding or, more precisely, miscommunication. Different cultures and different languages use different images and metaphors and allusions to get their points across, and we don't always get what the speaker or writer is saying simply because we attach different values to pictures and metaphors they are using. The wonder of communication is not that we communicate, it is that we can communicate at all.

The same things can be said in many different ways. If we always simply listen with our own ears or read with our own eyes, chances are good that we're going to miss something important or just miss something period. We have to recognize that we may not understand; we must be aware that we probably will misunderstand; we must be patient with the speaker/writer for they are under extreme pressure to get it right (and probably won't); and we must suspend our own disbelief when we encounter something that doesn't make immediate sense to us. This is no mean task. This is anything but easy. This is the hardest thing we will ever have to do. And, everybody does it in their own way, whether they like it or not, whether they know it or not.

I happen to know -- and I believe it is good that you know -- that most of the images and metaphors I use come from what Christians call the Bible. The first part of that book, of course, is what the Jews call their Tanakh, and it is that same part that the Moslems hold sacred. Why? Because that is the primary source of pictures and metaphors in the culture in which I was raised and still live. In other words, to me, they are the most natural and familiar images I have at my disposal. They are, as well, the most natural and familiar images that most Western writers have at their disposal as well.

Does this mean they are the best images to use? No. They are simply the ones we can use most easily. And they are those images that will most likely be most familiar to most of those who hear or read what we have to say.

I must add, however, that this is an increasingly challenging task. Too many are becoming too unaware of too many things. My suspicion is that this does not bode well for us as a culture. I thought I would just throw that in.

The right to be wrong

Don't get me wrong: I've not been trying to say that anyone has their head where it does not belong nor that they are simply ignorant. All I'm saying is that their beliefs, in the end, are not on as firm a foundation as they would like. Given that this is the case, it would behoove them, I believe, to tone it down a little and not be so vociferous in telling others they are full of whatever.

And, don't get me wrong: this is supposed to be a happy time of year, so the last thing that I'm trying to do is sow the seed of discord. I'm merely pointing out that there are too many people who can find too many reasons to subvert making this a happy time of year. Me? I'm all for live-and-let-live. Really. It doesn't matter even a little bit what you believe or don't believe, or why. The only thing that matters -- that can matter -- to me is how you act in this world. To be perfectly honest, nothing else matters to me at all.

If you believe it is right to do good, help others, be non-violent and who knows what else because some little green creatures told you in a dream to act that way, then I've got no problem with that. If you believe it is right to heal the sick, free the oppressed, feed the hungry because your Holy Book tells you to act that way, then I've got no problem with that. If you believe it is right to succor the suffering, fight injustice and visit prisoners because it just seems like the right thing to do, then I've got no problem with that. If you believe it is right to not insult others, to show a bit of compassion for the less fortunate and to try to be happy as much as possible your favorite movie star said it would be a nice way to act, then I've got no problem with that either.

The long and short of it is: the motive, the motivation, the reason for your particular belief isn't as important as whether or not you act upon and in accordance with that belief.

If you believe that you should look after you and yourself first, or exercise violence on others; if you have the right disparage the sick, infirm, suffering, or hungry; if you believe you have the right to look down upon the less fortunate or oppress them, or if you believe you have the right to blame the victims of circumstance for their plight, well, I do have a problem with that, and I don't care what your reason is: little green creatures, Holy Book, or favorite person, or any other "reason".

My point is this: the "reason", the motivation, the impetus, the stimulus for what you do doesn't matter at all. What matters is what you do. How you act, regardless of what you believe or why, is really all that matters in the end. If the why is more important than the what in this case, then I can only say that you need to re-evaluate your priorities.

What you believe may (or may not) be "wrong", but it doesn't matter as long as what you do (or avoid doing) is "right".

The right to be right

When we take a look at what we may call the "religious landscape" of the world today, a couple of things become fairly obvious fairly quickly. As a quick review:

• There are about half-a-dozen, so-called world religions: Shinto, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
• There are more other "faiths" than can be counted: ranging from remote, tribal, probably never-seen-before systems to "alternative religions", like Wicca and its variations, to long-standing traditional ones like Baha'i and Taoism to far-out ones, like the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
• Even non-believers believe in something: atheists are simply those who don't believe in "God", but that doesn't mean they don't believe in anything, even if it is "only" science, for example.
• Of all known religious/belief systems, to my knowledge, there are only three which are exclusive (that is, it's-our-way-or-the-highway, we're-right-and-everybody-else-is-wrong/deluded), namely Islam, Christianity (in most, if not all its major flavors), and Atheism. (I know, for some of you that last one was a bit of a surprise.)

If you've ever taken the time to talk to other believers, you quickly realize that most of them (a) don't really want to talk about details, (b) are more than willing to let you believe whatever it is you do (or don't) believe, and (c) really aren't sure why you're asking the question about what they believe in the first place. With the "exclusionists", as I like to call them, the situation is reversed. They are more than willing to beat you over the head with the details, are quick to tell you how wrong you are in whatever it is that you believe, and finally glad that they found someone to brain-dump on. That's always struck me as odd.

So, here's my question: why do the exclusionists think (believe) they've got it right and everyone else has got it wrong?

Well, for the first two, the exclusionary religions, it's easy: their Holy Book tells them they are right and everyone else is wrong. At least that's what they'll tell you. For the last group, the absolute-non-believers, they'll tell you it's because there is no empirical evidence for anything you believe; that is, no proof, so you must be wrong.

The position of the first two is built on the fallacy of circular argumentation: the Book says so, therefore it is so, because the Book says so. The latter is based only on an assumption, namely if you can't access it through our five sense, it can't exist.

In other words, the claim to exclusivity is based on nothing that can be objectively and unequivocally verified in the end. Makes it all a bit shaky, don't you think?

A word to the unwise

If you've been following the last few posts, it should be slowly dawning on you that there is a bit of method to my madness. Legends, fairy tales, and myths are not acts of deception, they are reminders of what might be good to take notice of should we want to live better lives. All of us, regardless of our true convictions, play along with this. Let's face it, not only the Christians -- of all flavors, from Catholic to Orthodox to Fundamentalists -- are well into the Christmas Season, and even our other-believing friends -- the Atheists -- are getting festive, too. Truth be told, there are even some of other faiths who are going to put up a tree or have a special meal or exchange gifts because, well, that's what everyone else is doing, so why not join in the fun? Right. When we get into the spirit of celebration, we all feel better. And that's how it should be.

Now, for those of you out there who think there's a War on Christmas or that Christians are trying to shove their religion down your throat ... get over yourselves. Either breathe deeply into and out of a paper bag or take extra doses of your chill-out pills or simply partake a bit more of your favorite intoxicants. I don't care. Just be quiet and let the rest of us have our fun. You guys are downers, bummers, kill-joys or whatever else we can think of to accurately characterize who you are. Christmas and the Christmas Season (and the Hanukah Season for our Jewish friends) is about feeling good, feeling loved, caring and sharing.

As for me, I was born and raised (as I mentioned a couple of posts ago) in a Christian environment. Why? Because I was born there by the luck of the draw. I had as little say in where I was born as anyone else. This was part of the culture in which I was raised, and I understand, fairly well I think, how it functions. Over the years, I have learned that other peoples in other cultures have different (but often very similar) reasons for celebrating when they do, and I'm more than happy to join them in theirs. And they are, at least to me, more than welcome to share in mine. Where's the problem? Right. There is none, so don't make one out of any of it.

When someone greets me with a "Happy Holidays" or a "Happy Hanukah" or a "Merry Christmas", my first thought is, "Well, there's someone who's into the spirit of the season." That makes me happier, my day brighter, my burden lighter, and it encourages me to simply pass it on.

If you don't hear what you think you should be hearing, or if you suspect that Western Culture as we know it is about to collapse, or if you have the urge to set those jerks straight, or if you believe that the end of the world is probably near ... well, you probably need more help than all the rest of us can give you.

Lots of cultures throughout history have organized celebrations of sharing, hope, love, and light at this time of year. So, why not do something "traditional" for a change: get into the Spirit of the Season, and leave the mundane to itself. It will do you a world of good.

Do you believe in St. Nick?

It is really by chance that the topic of beliefs and faith should be on tap today. In some parts of the world (for example, the one in which I happen to live), today is St. Nicklaus Day. Ironically, it is everywhere there are Christians, even if most of the faith may not know it, however, in most places, it's not celebrated in any way. Last night, children put their shoes in front of the door, hoping he'd stop by and leave them some sweets, an orange or maybe even a small present. Well, only if they were good this year, of course; otherwise, it could be they end up with a lump of coal. My American friends should recognize elements that have been taken over and incorporated into our own Santa Claus. We well oh-so-enlightened moderns know there is neither St. Nick nor Santa Claus, but we still act in ways as if he did.

Even non-believing parents and certainly enlightened ones will still see that something gets in the shoes. Why? Well, it makes the kids happy. And if the kids are happy, well, chances are good that the parents are going to feel better, and maybe even the grandparents got into the act as well. For those enlightened souls who rob their children of all that magic and simply slam the chocolate bar down on the table will probably pass the day less satisfied. And I have to ask myself whether that is an appropriate price to pay for sacrificing a simple belief. No, I don't what to hear about how it's all a lie, how we are deceiving our children who need to be able to face the facts of life in determined and decisive ways. You should grow up before you expect your children to.

There really was a Nicklaus, who was later canonized, and his miracle had to do with seeing that children in need got help and even saving a few. Around this factual event, which is so obscured in the shadows of history, a number of stories grew, some of which became so firmly established that we understand them as legends. Legends, like fairy tales and any number of other fictional accounts, serve an important purpose, however: they remind us of what should be good and beneficial in life in spite of all the hardships and stumbling blocks we encounter. They are, by nature, not there to deceive us, but to give us a (or perhaps even the flimsiest of) reason(s) to make the world just a little bit better, even if only for a short while. I really don't see what's wrong with that. When we do these little things, we and everyone around us is just a little happier, a little more content, and feels just a little more loved than before. Again, I don't know what's wrong with that.

You see, it doesn't really matter whether there ever was a St. Nicklaus or not. It doesn't really matter whether he did any of the things it is claimed he did. It doesn't matter whether we believe in the stories or not. All that matters, in the end, is that we can be reminded to be better people and spread a little joy instead of grief. If we believe that acting so is a good thing (and I'm pretty sure most of you would agree), then that is why we should. It's really that simple.

What's what

We are on uncertain ground, to be sure. There comes a time in everyone's life when they have to decide what they believe. This is a good thing, even if it is a difficult thing to accomplish.

At the heart of the matter is "God". Yes, it's that simple. Does "God" exist or not? Atheists, if they're worth their salt, say "no". Many others (and here I'm speaking in broadest terms) say "yes" (e.g., Jews, Christians, Moslems, and others). And here, two interesting questions arise: (1) Do those who believe in "God" agree who/what "God" is? and (2) Do those who don't believe in "God" agree on who/what "God" isn't? In both cases, the answer is "no".

Time for some clarification. First the so-called "non-believers", the atheists. Let's face it, just because you don't believe in "God" doesn't mean that all atheists "believe" in the same thing. In other words, atheists reject a whole array of different beliefs. I don't think this is really all that problematic. For most atheists, "God", I would think, is some kind of omniscient, omnipotent, Charleton-Heston-kind of being, who damns whom he wishes and saves whom he wants without any really recognizable system. What is more, they have trouble recognizing or acknowledging that this "God" is the original cause of everything that is. For them, chance is a sufficient explanation of what we see and experience of the universe, and science can very well define and describe all that we experience as reality. I realize that this is a very condensed view of things, but I don't think it's inaccurate. I also think, to be honest, that it is an honest and sincere explanation of "how things are" or "why things are the way they are". To put is most succinctly, it's like LaPlace said to Napoleon: "God is not an hypothesis that I felt in need to invoke."

One can "explain" the universe without recourse to the notion of "God". One can make sense of all that is without postulating that "God exists". I wouldn't argue that for a minute. The question is: Does this prove that God does not exist? And here, the answer is a very simple "no". In fact, that which we know has, at least in this case, absolutely nothing to do with what we may or may not believe and what may be beyond what we think we know. In other words, we still don't know if "God" exists or not. Hans Küng, the pre-eminent German theologian, has argued quite convincingly (in his seminal work, Does God Exist?) that there is no way to prove (or disprove) that "God" exists; it is a matter of faith: we can believe that "God" exists, or we can believe that "God" does not exist. Proof is beyond the issue. It is, in the end, simply a matter of faith, which in my mind is simply a stronger, perhaps more formalized, form of belief.

I, for one, think that Küng is right. It is a matter of what we believe. We can't "prove" it, either empirically or logically. Küng's greatest contribution to the debate, however, is that, in the end, it doesn't really matter. There are some things that are simply beyond "proving". And whatever these things are, they are, in the end, simply matters of faith.

Phrasing it differently, are the atheists "right"? The answer is "no". On the other hand, are those who believe in "God" right? And here, as well, the answer it "no". In other words, there are some things that we just can't know. The question is: Do we need to know them? The answer ... sorry, one possible answer next time.

Just another new year

Yes, tomorrow marks the beginning of another new year. Oh, sure, we've had a plethora of them recently. Fall seems to be good for that sort of thing ... just as spring is in other circles. When a year starts or ends is a pretty arbitrary thing. There are good reasons for any of the choices, and I'm happy to let everyone have their way.

The year that begins tomorrow, however, is the Church Year. It's is, if you will, the beginning of the Christian Year, even if most Christians (at least the ones that I know) have no idea that tomorrow's the day.

Fact is: the "church"; that is, those of the Christian persuasion (except for all those who call themselves "Orthodox"), be they Roman Catholic, Protestant (in any of its various flavors), or adherents of any of a nearly innumerable number of "Christian denominations", have set their New Year's Day as tomorrow: the First Sunday in Advent. Four weeks from now we will celebrate the birth of Jesus (though the high point of the year will be Easter) A new cycle has begun.

Now, I'm sure that quite a few of you are asking yourself why I even care. I mean, what do I, proponent of the positions I hold, everyday guy that many of you know, mundane blogger, politically interested, left-leaning advocate of change have to do with the Church year? Good question. Be forewarned, however: answers are never as interesting at the questions.

The fact is that I was born and raised in a "Christian" environment. My upbringing was very "fundamental", if you know what I mean. I lived most of my youth in a country that expounded "Christian values". I moved to a country that still levies a "church tax" (albeit voluntarily ... and yes, I pay it). In fact, I even spent two years studying for and eventually receiving the authorization to teach religious instruction in German public schools. I spend an inordinate amount of time with my nose stuck in the Bible (i.e., Old and New Testaments), trying very hard to make sense not only of the translations, but also of the original Hebrew and Greek texts ... by choice, I might add. I know about the externalities of the "faith" (e.g., how the Church year runs). So, the question is: am I a Christian? Am I making all of you aware of this (latest) New Year, because it is the "real" way to mark our progression through time?

The (I'm sure) very disappointing) answer is "no".

For those who consider themselves and who call themselves "Christian", I'm not a member of their club. For those who are "other" believers, from religious individuals of all faiths to atheists, I'm I-don't-know-what. And that's fine with me.

And so, given that I'm a stranger in a strange land -- regardless of who is doing the observing -- I thought it might be a good idea to simply sort a few things out. And that will be the subject of our run-up to Christmas or, if you will, the next few blogs.

I hope you stay around. I'm pretty sure that what's to come will be anything but "the party line".

Change of seasons

OK, you know where I'm coming from. For as much as I like Thanksgiving, it's really not about the food, it's about family. I don't know about you, but my family is important to me. Why? Because ever since I really left home (that is, where I was born and grew up), my (acquired) family has been all I've had.

Most of you have never left home. Sure, lots of you have traveled and seen exciting things in exciting places; you've had stimulating experiences in exotic environments, but, at heart, you're still American or German or French or British, and you've probably gone back to somewhere near where you were born or at least in the same country. Me, I'm an expat ... and have probably always have been, even when I was in exile in my home country (14 years in California but was born near Pittsburgh, and "being on another planet", doesn't quite capture the true essence of it all). For me, home isn't where you hang your hat, it's where your heart is, and my heart is always with my family ... and by that, I mean "immediate".

A corollary to this is that being with family means giving thanks. In fact, giving thanks has become one of the most important activities in my life. I'll be the first to admit: I've got it good, maybe even better than a whole lot of others. And I'm thankful for that. I've got a decent job that's halfway interesting; I've been able to see and experience things that others have only dreamed of; I know some people who are - for lack of a better word - unique, one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable; I have, in short, been blessed.

But, we have to ask ourselves what that means? Some of my best friends are atheists, and the word "blessed" doesn't fit into their reality very well. For them, and I agree, I've been "fortunate" or just downright "lucky". We all know, be we atheists or some kind of believers, that my life has been enriched in unfathomable ways. I'm one of those dorks, I suppose, who, given the chance, wouldn't trade a moment of my existence for anything else. I've got more than I bargained for, have received lots more than I deserve, have luscious regrets and the peace of mind of knowing that had I all to do over again, I wouldn't change a single thing. Why? Because I'm religious and I know it's all "God's work"? Because I'm an idiot and don't understand the world? Because I'm unambitious, for there could have certainly been more (whatever that is)? No, because it all is just as it is because that's the way it is and no way else.

Right after Thanksgiving, you see, there is a change of season. For Christians (even if most of them may not know it), the New Church Year begins. That would be the First Sunday in Advent, or for the more mundane, the fourth Sunday before Christmas. That doesn't mean much to most of us anymore. We've forgotten (or have chosen to ignore) when what happens and why. For me, however, these are markers that remind me of what might do me some good if I don't forget.

Does this make me religious? No. Does it make me irreligious? No. Does it make me anything at all? I don't think so.

Being conscious of what's happening is -- at least in my little world -- a good thing. I like to note the passing of time and the recurrence of events as a way of reminding myself where we are. It used to be the norm, but it is now the exception ... which is one of the reasons why I have, at times, simply been referred to as "Edwierdo".

Just a small confession

It's time for me to make a small confession. In living the life of an expatriate, one knows there are just certain things that you have to do without and you learn to live with it. The differences between the US and Germany are not so different that it's not possible to fake it every now and again. Still, there is one thing about America that I go out of my way to compensate for, and that's Thanksgiving. It is, without a doubt my favorite holiday.

In my mind, Thanksgiving is the absolute, picture-perfect ... no absolutely perfect ... holiday. Americans don't get everything right ... in fact, they even got this one wrong, but when seen in its proper light, it is the holiday of all holidays. OK, OK, we have a terribly sordid past when it comes to both Pilgrims and Native Americans, and I believe it's long past time that we owned up to that and did something about it. But, that's another blog. At the moment, I'm more interested in where we are than how we got there.

First of all, it's a guaranteed four-day weekend. (That my fellow country-people have perverted it into a kick-off for the Christmas season is, well, their own fault, and so too many people have to work anyway: consumption must go on). Secondly, the celebration part takes place at the very beginning of the break, so you have plenty of time to wind down. Third, when done right, the focus of the holiday is family. Since there is a little extra time, since there are school vacations and plant shutdowns, more people have more opportunity to get together with their family than perhaps at any other time of year. Fourth, it's about being thankful ... thankful for everything you have. Being thankful is a good thing. Stopping for a moment and thinking about how good we all have it (and just about everyone reading this is doing well) is something we need to do more often, but at least we've formally recognized that it's something we should do. After all, they made it a holiday. Finally, and for me, most importantly, this holiday is simply about the food.

Yes, I know, there are not a few families who actually suffer on this day. There are more than a few folks I know who won't go near a turkey because they'll just screw it up. I know there are lots of ways to do it wrong, but I can assure each and every one of you, that in our house, guests who don't even like turkey have asked for seconds. If there is one meal a year that I put every ounce of love in my being into the food put on the table, this is it, and everyone who's ever had it has declared they will sign a sworn statement to that effect. (OK, I'm exaggerating right now, but you know what I mean.) So what's the issue.

It's simple: since it's not a holiday here, and since the "thanksgiving" they the Germans have is not celebrated as extravagantly as we do in the States, I have to make major adjustments to have the holiday at all. Fortunately, none of the family in the immediate area have jobs that require them to work on Saturdays and with a modicum of effort, we can get everyone together. So, this year, yesterday, we got everyone together and I did my magic in the kitchen and there were nothing but satisfied faces around the table after dinner.

So, to all my European friends: you don't know what you're missing. To my American friends: I hope, on Thursday, you enjoy even half as much as I did yesterday. And regardless: take a moment and just be thankful.

Boring and uninteresting

You don't have to be paranoid to know everyone's after you. Paranoia, at least this side of a formally diagnosed illness, is simply a feeling. I say "simply" knowing full well that it's much more than that. Truth be told, I tend to think that what we feel is often more significant and important than what we know.

I know that there are lots of folks who "feel" that they can't live without their personal technology (laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc.) and there are a whole lot more who feel that they have nothing to hide. After all, most of us lead such boring and uninteresting lives that ... well, who really cares whether I was at the movies or the mall last night, or whether I stopped in this fast-food joint as opposed to that one? In general, I agree. Who cares? More specifically, I would say that eventually, the wrong people.

Information can be a powerful tool, or a powerful weapon. As my friend Julius used to say, abusus non tollit usus; that is, just because something is abused or misused doesn't make the thing itself bad. In this regard, information are like guns. They can be very helpful and provide a lot of "feeling safe". But, in the wrong hands at the wrong place at the wrong time, they can be deadly. You just have to know that about guns, and the same holds true for information. What is more, if you have a gun, chances are very high that you are going to use it at some point, willingly or unwillingly, consciously or unconsciously, seriously or frivolously. And the same thing holds for information.

Personally, I'm not all that comfortable with third parties -- be it the government or the shop around the corner -- having, storing, and what's even worse, manipulating my personal data. I'm not paranoid. I know they have it and I know they use it, but I'm not convinced they need it. It's at this point that too many people say, "Well, I've got nothing to hide, what does it matter?" or "Who could possibly be interested in my boring life, so who cares?", but I'm a firm believer that if you don't need it, you needn't have it.

My point is that it is data about me. All the little bits and pieces than everyone is collecting is being shared with everyone else who is interesting in collecting, and the next thing you know, others know more about me than I do, and they're not willing to tell me what they know. At that point, I say it's time to rethink this data or information-collection thing. If it is information about me, why shouldn't I have a right to know what it is and what's being done with it? If they are using this information, say as a corporation, to generate profits, why am I not receiving royalties? If it's the government, why shouldn't I know what they have and who has it and what it's being used for? In other words, when do the rest of us find out what apparently so many others already know?

Like I said last time: I'm not saying we need to opt out of society or go into seclusion. I'm not saying that we need to fear either corporations or government, but we do need to be aware, and since we are involved, I believe we have every right to know. What I'm making a pitch for is more personal involvement and awareness. It is personal, so let me be personally involved.

At least you should know

While most of us like to think we're hard-boiled enough to know what's happening, the real fact of the matter is that most of us are still quite naive. I'm not saying naivité is a bad thing, but too much of anything can be less than good in the end. By the same token, knowing a whole lot of little things and not putting them all together can be just as bad. Technology, though not bad in and of itself, can be used to do lots of things that aren't in our best interest. Quite often, little "perks" are included to distract us from the bigger issues.

For example, collecting bonus or payback points or whatever they're called just tell retailers more and more about our purchasing decisions. The "old" system of figuring out what you bought and offering you discounts on name-brand products is really old. Since you voluntarily give them your information, they can link you to what you buy. The next new twist will come, I believe, when they've refined face-recognition. Anyone who has been tagged in a Facebook picture has their face charted and plotted, but this is perhaps the harmless side of the passport photos that are required these days. Frontal shots without smiles are required now not only for passports but also for driver's licenses and other identification documents. Why, because it makes it easier for the face-recognition software to work and refine.

There are two aspects of this I find interesting. On the one hand, they (whoever "they" are, it doesn't matter) know what we look like. They don't have to know our name, that's secondary. Anytime you are "seen" by a video surveillance camera ... and these are popping up everywhere, though in some countries (e.g., the UK) more than others (e.g., Germany). It is becoming ever easier to recognize you. On the other hand, a number of retailers have installed cameras to monitor what customers actually look at. Do you scan the top shelf in a grocery store before taking something off the bottom? Do you tend to pick from the middle? In neutral terms, "they" are merely trying to determine you search behavior ... or whatever. It won't be long till retailers know who you are and what you generally look at as well as buy. We're all going to be receiving more offers than we might like.

Smartphones have taken on new dimensions as well. In addition to GPS tracking and signal triangulation, newer models register how many steps you take, in which direction, how often you take it out of your pocket or purse and more. This is all getting transmitted to "someone". Some have incorporated face recognition so that they not only know how often you look at it, but soon they will also know to whom you are showing it as well.

Now think about it all for a moment. Think about the different pieces of the puzzle, and you quickly realize "they" know a lot more about us and what we do than we like to think.

Am I trying to instill fear or get you to stop using your phone? No. We can't live without our devices and they can be very useful too. What we need to think about, however, is what kinds of information do they need to know about me, individually. How much of this should "they" be allowed to collect? How long should "they" be allowed to store it? At what point is my privacy (and security) being violated? These are more relevant and important issues than you might think, and if you are interested at all in either your privacy or security, you may want to give it all just a bit more thought.

Here is not there, but maybe it should be

In all our thoughts about ourselves and our own individual lives, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that we are part of something bigger, namely the world around us. Yes, this is what causes us so often to retreat into ourselves, but we can learn things "in here" that we can put to use "out there".

For example, employment, unemployment and underemployment are all problems we face. If we have a job, we're afraid to lose it, so we tow the line. If we don't have a job, we are often willing to take anything, since we (often erroneously) believe that something is better than nothing. I don't know if it's a majority of us but it's certainly more than anyone would like to admit, many, many people are underemployed; that is, they are working in jobs that don't make full use of their qualifications. (And, by the way, if anyone tells you that unemployment is high because there is a skill shortage, feel free to just slap them ... there's hardly anything that is more meaningless to say.) This, however, is all positioned to change ... and not for the better.

In at least tuning in part-time to the world around us, our American friends should be aware that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is heading toward closure. This is a free-trade agreement that the Americans are negotiating in secret with a number of other nations around the Pacific Rim. Simultaneously, the EU is negotiating with the Americans regarding an EU-USA Free Trade Agreement as well. Neither bode well for us little people. Both of these exercises in insanity must be stopped.

In principle, there is nothing wrong with free-trade agreements. It is precisely this that makes Europe (both the EU and the EFTA) as strong as it is. Our problems come from imbalance; that is, from treating unequal partners equally. This is the same reason why NAFTA is not working as it should, but NAFTA was taken as the example of how to develop a trade deal that offers only benefits to the corporations, not to the people. The TPP and the EU-USTA are designed with only corporate interests in mind. If either (or both) of these are put into practice, we can't begin to number the people who are going to suffer. If you don't believe me, read up on them yourself. And once you have, you will soon realize that regardless of how politically different you and your neighbor may be, when it comes to these, you are both going to get screwed equally.

This is one of those instances where the Devil is truly in the detail. When spoken of from a high-enough level, it all sounds very nice, but once you look behind the facade, through the smoke and mirrors, you quickly realize that our good plays no role in the negotiations whatsoever. So, once again, though we are apparently on opposites sides of an issue (for example, capitalism and free markets), we soon come to realize that we little folks are not intended to have any say in the matter. I can assure you, though, that we little folks will be the first ones to feel the effects. I'm not over-exaggerating when I say that a lot of us are not going to survive either one, and a whole lot of us won't survive both.

I mention this for the simple reason that faced with such bleak prospects, rash and false decisions on our part will only increase the damage. If there was ever a time to get informed, to understand what is happening to us, this is it. You can't say you weren't warned.

Common is not the same

There is something I think I should make clear. Common is not the same as same.

I'm fully aware that we in the Western World place a high value on individuality, but truth be told, most people have no idea what they are talking about. We think we have to be different from everyone else, but we never want to stick out in a crowd or elsewhere. We think we have to be unique, but that's something we are by nature (no two human beings are identical, not even monozygotic twins), but it is so subtle that no one notices anyway. We say things like we have to be our own person, or march to our own drummer, or whatever other sappy metaphors may come to mind, but deep down, we're more like others than different from them.

In fact, we are so much alike that it is simply a lot of fun to find out what the subtle differences are, be they favorite songs of groups we both like, or different shades of the same color, or more sweet or savory dishes. The list and the possibilities are endless. What is so interesting about it all is that regardless how different we are, we're still very much the same, but we're not the same. We simply have a lot of things in common.

While are lot of people I know aren't up to it, I find this exercise particularly fascinating when I do it with people whom I can't imagine I have much in common, say, young, radical people of color, or maybe middle-aged, white, self-professed, religious ultra-conservatives. I don't care who it is, or what they think, or what they think is right, I am always surprised by how much common ground we can find. Granted, these common points are not in politics or religion, but they are definitely there at the human, feeling level. We often share the same fears and apprehensions, have the same doubts, but are thrilled by similar things too, like literature, music, art, or just a sunny afternoon in the Biergarten. I think it's important that we take that in and not only savor it, but also remember it. Later, in the heat of an argument, it is all to easy to forget that our argumentation partner is a human being too, one with dreams, hopes, and feelings, just like myself. We may not and we may never agree on how to get to our goals, but at some point we realize that our goals are not all that different: a simple, secure life in which we have time to do things we enjoy with the people we love. It's surprising how little of that there is these days.

Let's face it, some people are bucking for a promotion, trying to score the big deal, make a fortune or win the lottery, and they lose sight of the fact that believing that having enough money will mean having enough time never really works out. Others are simply struggling to get by, working two or more part-time jobs, trying to keep the collection agents at bay and making the rent. In both cases, we have too little of what makes us human, and we have too little because we have simply forgotten what is really important in life.

Sometimes just knowing that others are struggling like you are is enough to form some kind of bond. Showing a bit of understanding, and even performing the random act of kindness with someone you normally would never, ever even think of associating with can do a lot to help you get off dead center. But, don't believe me, just because I'm telling you. Give it a shot. Find out for yourself.

What the system doesn't like, the system will fight

TPTB, or "the system", if we choose, like to have things their way. That's been pretty much standard for most of the history of humankind. The apathy of the Baby Boomers has mutated into an active I-don't-care in many of their offspring. Though most have believed throughout history that strong leadership and beneficial policies must come from the top, there is a growing number of people, both old and young, who know that's simply not true.

The pessimistic view sees everything is broken, and it is: our political and governance systems, our educational and training systems, our financial and economic systems, our legal and (so-called) justice systems, our religious systems ... and the pessimist is right, they are broken, most beyond repair. Those running or managing those systems never tire of telling us they are either not broken (which certainly doesn't ring true because we all see that they are) or that they can fix them, which they can't (or don't want to), otherwise they would. The optimists think we should support them in making the necessary changes, but sooner or later they realize that nothing is really going to change because, well, nothing is really going to change ... officially.

So, while some people are thinking about what can (or should) be done, others are simply doing it. There are any number of things ... little things, seemingly insignificant things, but important things ... that can be done. It all starts with talking, really. I don't mean talking about the weather with your neighbor or the cashier at the supermarket, I mean talking about things that matter with people who matter to you. The question cannot be "What can we do to change things?" Rather, the question is simply, "How can we make our (not my) immediate lives better?" But, what's "better".

This is pretty simple too: "better" is less stressful, more rewarding, more harmonious, move involved, more communal. Celebrating a birthday is always better with others than alone. Holidays are more enjoyable with family or friends than "just the two of us". Once we realize that a helping hand is worth its weight in gold, we can learn to accept support from others in doing whatever it is we think needs to be done. What starts at home, in house and garden, can slowly, but steadily expand to the immediate neighbors, the neighborhood and beyond.

The key, however ... and I can't stress this enough ... is finding what we share in common, not what makes us different. In other words, in spite of all differences between us, there is still a whole lot we have in common. These can be wishes, hopes, dreams or aspirations. The moment we realize that if my neighbor is doing well, I'm probably doing well, too. But, believe me, folks, that's where it starts. So, if you're already on good terms with your neighbors, expand your horizons, increase your action radius, find someone different to find out what you have in common. Just do it.

Maybe there's change in the air

Truth be told, I'm rather ecstatic about hearing that there are young people who aren't willing to worship the Golden Calf, even if most of them wouldn't know what that metaphor meant. There appears to be a growing number of young people who are realizing that what their parents and, maybe even grandparents, are telling them is hollow, empty, and untrue.

Let's face it, you can work your butt off and be let go at the very next downsizing. It's not personal, it's business. What you do doesn't matter. Only what the books look like matters. How much pain and suffering are inflicted upon how many people -- and I'm only talking about our oh-so-modern-and-advanced, industrialized West -- because of abject poverty or, what may be even worse, the fear of falling through the non-existent social safety net into that poverty? It is a well-know fact that fear causes stress and that too much stress will make you ill, if not ultimately kill you. Thankfully, more and more young people are realizing that the benefits never really justify the efforts. It's a gamble at best, and some people are simply dealt better hands.

On top of all of this, we're faced with too many unsolvable problems these days. Yes, there are political blockheads who will never cease trying to tell us there is no such thing as science and global warming and pollution and blood-for-oil and addiction to fossil fuels that hard work will make you rich. But it's too easy to see them for what they are, namely, ignorant, obsequious pawns of merely monied interests. This isn't a new phenomenon, by any means, for in my own time, many of us realized just how phony the obsession with money was. A good number just opted out of the system -- they were called "beats" before my time and "hippies" in my time, and while they got the point right, they never quite figured out the process. I'm thinking that maybe that's what's changing.

Though not in the headlines every day, where they should be, there is an increasing number of people who are simply turning their backs on the "system" and doing what they know is right. They are establishing multi-generational living spaces, cooperative enterprises, locally owned utilities, public initiatives that are helping themselves and those around them live better lives. Have they solved the problems of the world? Of course not, but they have realized how much can be done if you simply do it. All of these efforts are, of course, set up within the boundaries currently permitted, but they have effects beyond that.

What's different? The attitude. In each and every one of these successful projects, the primary concern is WE. None of them are single-handed, individualistic, only-me-benefitting undertakings. They are about getting together to do more than any single person can and in which no single person has any more benefit than anyone else. This is bad news for "the system", and the system knows it.

There's never enough time

There's never enough time ... at least not enough to really do what we want. It seems the more "advanced" our society becomes, the less time we have for things, important things, like family, friends, rest, relaxation, reflection. All our conveniences and labor-saving devices have failed us. How many of you feel like you're working more than ever, even if it's only because your mobile (cell) is on making you "on call". When I travel -- which is way too often -- I see people of all ages, glued to their devices, be they smartphones, tablets, or laptops. Some very few are listening to music or playing games, but most of what I see looks like work: lots of spreadsheets, lots of calendars, lots of email windows with long, long lists, and serious-looking PDFs. There are some Luddite-likes on board; that is, people working on paper. But these, too, often look like printed versions of what others have on-screen. Sure, during normal working hours this doesn't strike me as odd, but I'm talking about evenings and weekends. I hate it when I have to do business travel at these times, and I avoid it as much as possible. But even when I must, I certainly see no reason why that should obligate me to do business then as well. Sometimes, we simply need some time to ourselves.

You see, our modern, average work week is somewhere between 35 and 40 hours. It seems to me that if this is what we are paid for (and granted, here in Europe, many employers have general-time and/or comp-time accounts for their employees, most of which I've ever heard about have upward limits ... and oddly enough, everyone I've ever talked to was always pushing those limits as it is), this is what is expected of us. I'm the last one to advocate just letting your pencil drop at 4 or 5 or whenever the working day is over, and there may be exceptions to the rule, but what happens when the exceptions become the rule? This is what I'm seeing too much of, and it bothers me. A lot.

What I see are too many parents who are either working or going back and forth to work, so the children are too often on their own or with a baby-sitter. I see men and women consumed by their jobs and unable to switch gears for the family. I see kids who are shuffled from school to sports activities to music lessons to tutoring sessions to who-knows-where-else so they'll have greater opportunities in life. But what opportunities are we talking about? It's clear: a life of work-work-work with little family and if you end up with one, not knowing what to do with it, because you never learned how, because you never experienced one growing up.

But here's the real issue: why do we work so hard and so long? Because we need (and there are some who want) the money. We do it for the money. In the end, it's about money. The house, the car, the alma mater, the boat, the plane, the power weekend in the Caymans ... but money, well, there's are some things it just can't buy, like peace of mind, love, friendship, compassion.

Recently I read that some US law firms started offering dual career paths for incoming associates. You could choose a modest, but decent salary, a 40-hour (only) week, and no real chance for advancement; or, you could opt for the standard career path: long hours, big bonuses, and a chance at becoming a partner one day. The encouraging news was they were having trouble finding recruits for the partner path. Maybe, just maybe, younger people are realizing how ridiculous our generation has made the world. At least it's reason for hope.

And now what?

Yes, and now what? Good question. If I only knew.

For those of you who may not be aware, the number 7 plays a significant role in our lives. In the Middle Ages, a child became an "adult" at 7 because s/he could distinguish between right and wrong. Later, we moved decided that 14 was the age at which an individual could decide about his/her own beliefs as s/he had reached the age of reason. Even later, we decided that one was actually an adult when one turned 21, and a lot of places think so even today. Humans are, it is true, subject a 7-year cyclic development pattern, and in our tradition, we have 7 days of the week as well. In the Ancient World, there were (and still are) 7 visible planets ... the list goes on and on, but I believe you get the point.

What many more of you may not be aware of is that each individual's year is divided into 7 phases as well. It starts when you're born and it stops when you die. These aren't biorhythms in the true sense of the word, just phases that, surprisingly enough, are analog to the phases we experience in our 7-year developments throughout life. If I were to give you "key words" to associate with each of these phases, they would be (1) Action, (2) Consolidation, (3) Transition, (4) Stabilization, (5) Creation, (6) Harmonization, and (7) Rest. It is an interesting exercise to reflect upon one's own life in terms of these key words and one's own development over the years. It is also interesting to think about when one did what in one's current life and how those actions/deeds/accomplishments reflect those key words as well. Be that as it may, I have found that these cycles play a unignorable part in my own life, and as fate would have it, I have just entered my own 7th cycle for this year as well. I don't know about you, but I find myself in dire need of recharging my physical and mental batteries starting 6-7 weeks before my birthday. And that's where I am right now.

In all this talk of change, lately, I believe it is time for me to make a few changes myself. Besides begin in need of a bit of rest, I feel the very strong need to start bringing a few things together, harmonizing them if you will, in general. What this means in very practical terms is that here, where the Celtic New Year is upon us (a mere coincidence, I can assure you) -- after all, it is Halloween (which is hardly a holiday in these parts, though I know my American friends and acquaintances will be outdoing themselves), which marked the transition from the light to the dark part of the year -- I shall be slowing down a bit.

For the past couple of years, I've been posting every second day. The next post, however, and those that that follow will be in three-day intervals for a while ... at least until the end of the calendar year (and isn't it interesting just how many "calendars" we each have). I need more time to think. I want more time to reflect. I feel it; there is reason for it; it makes sense (to me); so, I don't see why I should fight it.

I hope all of you who have been true to my blog thus far will continue to be so. (You are part of a very small -- but as I like to think, very select -- group of individuals. You are, of course, free to share these posts with whomever you may please.) I thought it only fair to let you know of the change.

As our good friend Heraclitus was fond of saying, panta rhei.

A good example?

"Set a good example" is what my dear, sweet mother (God bless her soul) used to tell me. I'm sure she thought she was encouraging me to play the game, to toe the line, to fit in, to not make waves, to not draw undue attention to myself, or maybe even to brave the ire of my peers while reaping the acknowledgement of TPTB. I don't fault her for it. She, like most of us, was a product of her times. It was good to obey. But, as we found out later, those giving the orders were not above reproach. As we've moved down the historical timeline, we've found out as well, too many of those who have the say should really not be saying anything at all.

Nevertheless, since I've been encouraging everyone else to speak up, to get involved, to start thinking about what is and is not important to them, it seems only fitting that I make a start. That is the "good" example I will set. Here's a partial list, of course in no particular order and linked to key words which are simply a shorthand for the issues involved, of things I cannot abide:

• hypocrisy - this is really nothing more than a double standard; if what you think/believe/want/do is not what everybody should think/believe/want/do, give it up; this also includes (along with "dishonesty" (see below)) "underhandedness";
• dishonesty - which may be a combination of everything listed thus far, but it does have the added dimension of lying to ourselves as well as to others;
• intolerance - which applies across the board (gender, lifestyle, political persuasion, culture, "race", etc.), and if you don't know the difference between "tolerance" and "acceptance", you need more help than I can give you;
• violence - domestic, legal, psychological, foreign-policy, yes, the list is endless, are all the same; if you think any kind of violence is OK, you don't understand the concept;
• obsequiousness - (I know, I know, a big word ...) that is, easily yielding to and fawning over (self-chosen) authority; emphasizing the "rules" and a "law-and-order" mentality should be included here;
• cowardice - which, of course, includes being silent when one should speak up, not speaking truth to power, sitting on your butt when you know you should be doing something, and more;
• egotism - which has, in these times, mutated into a kind of "autism", one that insults real autistic individuals; you're just self-absorbed and you're not that important; in fact, you're not important at all;
• greed - that is, simply thinking you are entitled to more than anyone else; also thinking "having" is more important/better than "being"; and
• exclusionary faith - if you think you've got the right one and everybody else doesn't, you don't have any faith at all; you're most likely just being hypocritical on top of everything else;

Now you know. What more can I say?

Are we going to do it or go for it?

Sometimes things boil down to simple choices. This is one of those times. I'm not talking about an instant, a mere individual "now". No, the choice itself is simple enough, but it's timing is, well, a bit more profound. Any halfway reasonable person recognizes that we, at least as denizens of the modern, Western World, but maybe even humanity as a whole, are at a watershed. What we decide to do is going to affect us for a long time to come.

No, I'm not going Chicken-Little on you. I'm quite calm and collected, as a matter of fact, even though there are more than enough "reasons" for me to be simply ranting and raving. It's not about one thing, no single issue. We've painted ourselves into a corner and the choice is whether we want to get out of it or not. If we simply sit or stand around till the paint dries, the house will have been torn down by the authorities and we'll just get carted off for trespassing and obstruction. Nobody really likes to talk about it because too many others will just shout you down or declare you paranoid, but if you just stop, take a deep breath, and look around you will a clear, detached, unemotional view, you realize pretty quickly that we're in over our heads.

Too many things are broken to be fixed: you can't fix the government, because the game is fixed; you can't fix the economy, because the game is rigged; you can't save the environment, because of the fixed and rigged games; you can't expect justice in a world made up of just ourselves and our think-alikes; you can't get informed by watching Faux News or its equivalents; you can't get smart by only having your own opinions; you can't ask for or demand solutions to problems that only suit you; you can't be inclusive if you're an isolationist; you can't be tolerant if you're an exclusionist; you can't expect change if you're not willing to change yourself. And that, dear friends, is where we are.

This is, believe it or not, my 400th post. In almost all of them, I have been saying the same thing, but the responses I get (mostly offline, that is true ... or via other media) tell me that I'm not getting through. I am surprised how many people agree with most of what I have to say, and I'm just as surprised how unwilling almost all of them are to do anything about it. And that, dear friends, is the crux of the matter.

It is all well and good that you think something, but it doesn't make a hill of beans of difference unless you do something about it. If you're only interested in what you can get out of it, how you can benefit, then it is better that you do nothing at all. Too many of you -- maybe even most of you -- are willing to complain, fret and moan, and just about everyone I encounter has a bevy of "reasons" why they are incapable of doing anything about anything.

I have neither tolerance of nor understanding for that. It's a cop-out, as we used to say; it's merely an excuse, as we say in Standard English. The defining character of this moment is either putting up or shutting up.

Time to pack it in?

Sometimes I'm sure we all feel like there's just no use in fighting anymore. Things aren't getting better. What is any one of us, individually, supposed to do? After all, each of us is just one person. That's right. But, so what?

This may come as a surprise to some of you, but we humans are different from our animal cousins in a very important way: we can talk. We can communicate both concretely and abstractly. We can question and we can explore. Our language abilities give us a tremendous leg up in the evolution game, to say the least. But it is this special skill that we use to little.

There are a couple of preconditions to making talking effective, however. (For a lot of us, this is the hard part.) First of all, not everyone thinks like we do. Not everyone sees the world like we do. Not everyone believes the things that we do. And that's OK. In fact, it's an advantage, collectively, if we allow it to be. Second, everyone is entitled to their opinions, but not all opinions are created equally. Opinions should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it, so just having one means nothing. We have to learn to provide support for the opinions that we have. Third, we have to be open to difference. This means not only allowing for other opinions, but also for other ideas and approaches. Sometimes it's not one thing but a combination of a variety of things that provides the best solution to a problem. Fourth, we have to be patient. We need to allow others to express themselves just as we want to be allowed to express ourselves. But, fifth, related to this, we have to learn to listen. I don't mean we have to find out what's wrong with what someone else is saying but strive to understand what s/he really is saying. Language is by its very nature ambiguous. We can think we've said something clearly but it may still be ununderstandable to someone else.

In other words, we need to relearn how to talk with one another, not just talk to, and especially not talk at ... no we need to practice talking with one another again.

Some of us are able to do this within our families, though Lord knows there are enough families in which this doesn't happen anymore. Some of us can do this with our close friends, but have trouble doing it with strangers, and this brings us to a sixth precondition, namely, all talk is personal. Every time we open our mouths (or write something like this blog) we are sharing part of ourselves with others. This takes a certain amount of courage. We can't be afraid to share.

The seventh, and final, precondition to be met is we need to be on the look out for what's common, not what separates. These days we focus too often what makes us different, not what makes us alike. For as different as we are, we humans have an awful lot in common. It is the commonalities that we find strength. In the differences we can find new ways to make the strengths stronger.

Why do I think this is an answer ... something as simple as learning to talk with one another again? I believe I'm on the right track for the simple reason that it is very easy to say, but we all know, it is extremely difficult to put into practice. That's a dead giveaway.

Afraid of the game?

Don't get me wrong. I know you are all readers of integrity and courage, of moral fortitude and strength of character. Still, I know, and you know that deep down, we shake in our boots. While putting on a calm, determined and fearless countenance to the world, inside we're mush. If we're honest, we're afraid of everything.

If we're working, we're afraid of losing our job because we can't live without the next paycheck. If we're unemployed, we're afraid no one will want us and we'll be forced onto welfare or worse. If we're healthy, we're afraid we'll get sick, especially if we're Americans (because we know a serious illness is the end of life as we know it). If we're successful, we're afraid we'll fail. Some of are afraid of appearing weak in any way, shape or form. If we have anything, we're afraid someone will steal it or tax it away. We are afraid of what the terrorists are up to. We are afraid of being mugged, raped, or killed just walking down the street. We don't like to admit it, but we're a fearful lot.

I hear this undercurrent in almost every discussion I have, with just about anyone, and the actual subject of conversation doesn't make the slightest bit of difference at all. The truth of the matter is, we live in constant and -- too often -- abject fear. We spend the better part of our waking hours just whistling in the graveyard. (You remember those times as a kid, having to walk through the graveyard at night. What do you do? You whistle. Why? Because even though you know there is no such thing as ghosts, a bit of sound overcomes the oppression of silence and the maybe-if-I-make-noise-they'll-leave-me-alone.) Oh, it's not reasonable and rational behavior, but we do our best to give it that veneer. Hey, whistling is harmless, after all.

This is what amazes me about life these days. We're supposed to be such an informed, enlightened, intelligent society. We Westerners have allegedly put all superstition behind us. We live in modern, democratic societies, where freedom is writ large, where liberty is a God-given right. Yet, we give up those rights voluntarily, we transfer our personal power to others willingly, and we shut up rather than put up. If we speak out, others will think we're jerks. If we're too adamant, others will think we're bullies. If we're passionate about issues, others will think we're obsessed. We worry a lot about what our neighbors think of us. Why? Because we never really talk to them about anything that matters, because most topics -- religion (most likely), politics (most definitely) -- are just taboo. After all, there's always the weather, the local sports teams, vacation plans, and yard work.

TPTB know this and they play on it readily. They can feed it (after all, they control the media and who goes searching for alternative news sources), they legislate it, they convince us that they are helping us out. They're not. They never have, and they never will.

It's a pretty hopeless situation, when you get right down to it. Well, actually, it's just sad.

But, but, but ...

Now, I know what a lot of you are thinking, and I'm no mind-reader. You're wondering just how whacked I must be to come up with a crazy idea like that. Maybe it's something in the water. Maybe, and maybe not. I'm a big fan of principles and this is one that is very, very fundamental.

We may complain about our representatives in government, but we elect them. We say the system that only counts votes that are cast is fair. We agree that the minority should have the say. Do you see how quickly we get from agreeing to hey-that's-not-what-I'm-saying? The current democratic systems that are in place -- regardless of how democratic they appear on the surface -- are all rigged to promote minorities. Those who are selected to do the governing quickly come to believe that it is they who should decide. They are all charged with voting their consciences, which is fine, in principle, but if their conscience is at odd with the so-called will of the people, then what? And, what if a substantial group gets together and decides that we don't need all these freedoms anyhow because too many people don't know how to handle it. Is it OK for those elected representatives to simply imbue themselves with more authority than they should and make decisions that are no longer in the interest of those they represent? Well, that's how it works now.

For all the complaining that I hear about "government", I rarely hear the complaint that we, the citizenry, are too complacent. I don't know of an elected body that doesn't have everything that most of us would like to have: full healthcare coverage, a good salary, an excellent retirement plan even if you don't work at your job a whole lifetime, expense accounts, reduced-priced services just for you ... the list goes on. How can we with good conscience say that they deserve all this if the theory says that these people are working for us. Isn't that the idea of democracy to begin with: the elected representatives are "servants of the people"? Well, yes, that's the theory, but welcome to reality.

The mere fact that they do what they do and get away with it and all the rest of us do is complain is pretty substantial evidence in my book that we have given our power to them ... freely, willingly, knowingly. You might want to argue about that last one, of course, but if you buy into the system, if you think that the way it is all set up is fair and just and equitable, if you glorify your founding documents more than you care about your neighbors, well, then I have to agree with George Carlin: you get the government you deserve.

There are others of you who will be quick to point out that if you get too far out of line, if you question the system too directly, the authorities will be at your door. You're right. Americans, for example, have sat back and allowed the "system" to remove habeus corpus, detain citizens as terrorists on mere suspicion, to restrict freedom of speech, to establish a system in which money replaces justice and democracy, and generally to put the populace on the defensive. America, particularly in the wake of the Occupy movement, has shown that it is not adverse to using excessive force to quell peaceful dissent, and I refuse to even get started on how they are conducting their foreign policy these days. What is more, too many other governments are willing to go along, if not try out some of these shenanigans themselves.

There comes a time, however, in every one of our lives, when we have to ask ourselves how we feel about power. We can't avoid it. We have to decide how to deal with it.

The name of the game

It's encouraging to know that there is a chance we may get out of the current game, but I'm not placing any bets at the moment, nor am I ready to start a betting pool. Still, there are glimmers of light here and there, and I, for one, believe we should acknowledge and encourage every one we see. Nevertheless, if things are going change for real and permanently (which they are anyway, but we still have a chance to participate, if we want to), it is helpful to get a full grasp of the concepts involved. For this reason, a not-so-subtle shift of focus ...

Truth be told, there is a game, and it's the same one that's been played since as far back as we can collectively remember. It's name is Power. It's an odd game actually, because it only works if everyone shares the same beliefs. It's not a real game, but it is nevertheless real. It is not a fair game in reality, but it is in theory. It's a mind game, but one in which brilliance, intelligence or even wisdom aren't of much use. It's a subtle game, and it's deceptive. Consequently, we need to keep our wits about us, and we need to understand how we got to where we are.

No, no, no reason to stop reading. I'm not going to bore you with a traditional history lesson. Instead, I want you to stop for a moment and think about the following statement:

Only if we grant power to something can it have power over us.
- Jean Gebser

It's not an easy thought, I know. You have to keep going back to it and reflect upon what he is actually saying. One thing I'm pretty sure he's saying, though, is that power is not A given, it is simply given. And now, even more of you are probably asking yourselves: just what is he talking about? Fair enough. Let me try to explain.

Let's go back to the things I've talked about in the past few posts. Why is it that politicians can't agree? Why is it that the coalition talks in Germany are so hard to move forward? Why do we all feel so helpless most of the time in the face of political realities? It's simple, actually, because we've given up our own power and transferred it to others. The reason that the alternatives I spoke of in the last post seem to be making headway is that those involved are simply ignoring those who think they have they say. And, why do they think they have the say? Because we have more or less told them that they do. The problem is really not the politicians. The real problem is us ... or at least some of us, at least those who are more than willing -- for whatever reasons -- to grant their power to someone/something else.

Don't delude yourself into thinking this is an easy thought to grasp. It looks simple enough, I'll grant you that, but it takes a bit of time and effort to actually penetrate into its actual meaning. When you get it, though, it's a long overdue "AH HA", I assure you.

Same old game?

Well, well, well ... who would have thought that the Americans would have pulled it off? I would, and did. So we've got another six months of breathing space till the gyrations begin again. If there ever was a demonstration of the "game", this was it.

Though the US will now pay its bills and borrow more money, nothing has been resolved. The spin machines are operating at full power; everybody's responsible for saving the country, if not the world; the others were responsible for such reckless behavior; not a single thing has changed. There was nothing learned (other than maybe the other guy just might not cave when you expect); and there's always another day. In this case, it's a few months, but what difference does that make in the scheme of political things?

What the shutdown and standoff made crystal clear, though, is that whatever they are doing in Washington, it has nothing to do with what any of us might want or what might be of benefit to any of us little people. This isn't a simple matter of Washington being out of touch, it is about the fundamental principle of modern government: it's about those who govern, not those who are governed, and governing has lost its meaning of service to the general population, it is only about power. The Tea Party will continue to try to stop the Affordable Care Act, the Republicans will look for more hostages for the next round, and the Democrats will strut and gloat for a while and then realize that they, too, have to get ready for the next round. It starts in the spring.

On this side of the Atlantic, the expected has become news as well. The Greens and the CDU/CSU admitted they don't have enough in common to form a government, but, just as expectedly, maybe they could find enough should the SPD not manage to get together with Merkel & Co. The front door was closed, the back door unlocked; and you let the other guys step forward to take the hit for success or failure. We all know it's more the latter than the former. Though the polls indicated that the German people wanted a Grand Coalition, it's becoming increasingly clear that nothing will happen, no problems will be resolved and the ruling parties will spend the next four years fighting over who is really ruling, and nothing further will be resolved.

It is time to simply recognize and openly admit that they are going to do their thing, no matter what the rest of us want, and each is going to continue looking out for their own interests not ours. We're all faced with the same problems: crumbling infrastructure, an unbearable debt burden, upward pressure on unemployment, decaying and increasingly obsolete and inappropriate educational systems, aging populations, impending environmental disaster, decreasing standards of living, and as good as no future for our children, but what are TPTB in Germany and the US doing? Fundamentally the same thing: arguing amongst themselves as to who has the most say in doing what they want, not what the people might want, or even what might actually need to be done.

I would say the disconnect between the governing and the governed is pretty much complete. In all that's going on, what I miss more than anything else is even a hint that it's about the pursuit of the general welfare on the basis of anything even slightly resembling democratic processes.

But, it does look very much like the old adage is true: people get the governments they deserve.

Just a techno-game?

I'm sure there are any number of you who immediate responded to what I've been advancing that this is what you've been saying all along. The Internet, the Web, changes everything. Free access to information and the wider distribution of technology is going to save us all. Actually, it isn't. It's not even about the technology. It's about what you do with it. TPTB, of course, are trying to bend it to their advantage, and there are lots and lots of folks going along, but the momentum is actually with the rest of us.

Yes, it is becoming more and more difficult for TPTB to keep things secret. Yes, there are more and more people communicating with each other. And yes, much too much of this communication takes place simply via the technology. But that is changing. There is a growing number of people who are using the technology simply to find new ideas and then are communicating them in good old-fashioned manner -- that is, face-to-face -- with people in their communities. We learn about the power of mass movements on the Internet (for example, Occupy or Arab Spring) and we start wondering if that wouldn't work in downtown Topeka or in Dresden or in Milan, or in Smalltown or Kleinstadt. We become aware of the massive influence of huge international corporations, how politics here, there, and everywhere are more or less corrupt and we start asking ourselves if it is worth the effort to get involved at all. We start to see that while the problems of the others are not exactly the same, they are terribly similar, that there are analogies than can be made, and that maybe, just maybe, the others are more like us than we thought. We ask ourselves whether what they've done maybe we could do too.

Obviously, I'm not talking about mass movements (yet) or mind-changing attitudes (yet) or illuminating insights (yet). I'm merely pointing out that in addition to the widespread apathy that so many complain about, there are a good number of people, everywhere, who are simply acting as if the system as it is and the mainstays of that system (that would be TPTB) don't matter. They don't want to fight city hall nor do they want a new herd of do-nothing politicians in Washington or Paris or Berlin. No, they simply want to get on with their lives the best they can and they are finding others of like mind and interests, not halfway around the world, but down the block, if not simply next door.

There is a growing number of people who realize that here and now is more important than then and there, that we should have more say in what affects us directly. There is a growing realization that if my neighbors are doing OK, I'm probably doing OK, too. That there is more than enough to do right here where we are that has a bigger impact on their lives than hollow political promises and self-centered and self-interested entities far away.

The upside to our modern communication technologies is that we can be inspired by the successes of others who may be far away, and we can also learn from the mistakes and failures that others make. This access helps us realize that we are not alone with our problems, but the only ones that can solve them is us. The downside is that we might think that we can use these technologies to affect things far away, but we can't, nor should we. We humans were built and programmed for small-scale, near-environment success. We can handle groups of probably not more than 150 individuals, our families counted among them. But, we have larger overlaps between our groups than we realize, but we're awakening to that fact as well.

Maybe small is beautiful after all.

The rules of the game?

We've been ruled by minorities for as long as we can collectively remember. You can call that minority the "aristocracy", the "elite", the "select few" ... it really doesn't matter. The reasoning changes, but the end result is the same.

There was a time perhaps when might made right, when the strongest or toughest managed to convince enough other strong or tough guys that they could simply take charge. You create a warrior society and a warrior culture and convince others -- perhaps at the point of a spear or the with the barrel of a gun -- that this is way it was meant to be. Others, who were perhaps a bit more subtle and clever, managed to convince the rest that knowing things, like when the floods would come or how to build pyramids or the like, made you special or different in some way. Knowing how fickle the masses were, especially since they were denied this essential knowledge, you get a front (wo)man and call him or her King or Empress or whatever, but you link them up to the divine and you've got yourself a good deal. You pull the strings but someone else takes the fall. Combinations of these approaches are, of course, not only possible, but, as history has shown, probable.

But, as our teachers and forebears would have us know, we "progressed", we realized that "everyone" should have a say in what happens to them. The trouble is, that was the pitch, but it certainly wasn't the process. There are any number of reasons why we should choose someone to represent us, why we shouldn't speak for ourselves: complexity, long distances, sheer numbers of people involved ... the list goes on and on. The end product, however, is the same as those justifications that had gone before. It was no longer the will of God, let us say, it was the will of the people. That's the way everyone wanted it, and if they didn't want it that way, well, it was clear that they were troublemakers, nay-sayers, undemocratic, and Lord knows what else. One thing was for sure, they needed to be shut up, and shut up they were.

There are a good number of people who actually believe that this is the natural order of things, but what do they have to base their belief on? That it's always been that way? That there are so-called alpha-animals and leaders of the herd? Yes, we've tried everything, from nature to nurture to biology to psychology (most people want to be led by others). Yes, there has been a never-ending stream of reasons why the few should have the say and the many should do what they're told. If we take a real close look at history, though, what we find is an ever-increasing difficulty to find reasonable and convincing justifications. Why? Because all the ones we have had thus far have been in the interest of those who think them up, and it is becoming harder and harder to make it clear that this is not the case.

For the longest time, it was possible to obscure, obfuscate, divert attention, cloud and confuse with ease. The widespread use of communication technologies is enabling more and more people to communicate -- often in silly and senseless ways -- with more and more people. There is simply lots and lots of information flying about our ears all the time. It is becoming harder and harder to keep things secret.

The genie is out of the bottle.

A game of change?

If it seems like I have been belaboring the themes of competition and perception over the past few posts, it is only because I have been. We like to think that we live in a terribly complicated, overwhelming world, but in fact, beneath the surface of seemingly unfathomable detail and confusing connections, there is a nice strong layer of principle that can help us make sense of the seeming chaos on the surface. We get confused by all that's happening on the surface because we are distracted by everything that is happening there. If we can learn to look beyond the distractions, we find that things are actually much simpler, and perhaps easier to deal with. We, as a species, have come to believe certain things, but just like our example of the rising and setting sun, what we believe may not reflect reality, so we need to stop for a moment and try to look beyond the apparent details to what is really going on.

The recent government shutdown in the US and the almost ludicrous coalition negotiations in Germany have really hammered this point home with me. In the US, a small portion of one party is forcing the whole party to act in that small portion's interest. The whole party, which received the minority of votes in the last election has been trying to undo that election since it happened a year ago. The only ones who suffer because of this, of course, are the people. The shutdown is hitting those hardest who need government support the most. In other words, it's not about the good of the people, what is best for the country, rather it is simply a small minority forcing everyone else to go along, though, fortunately, this time, they are getting resistance.

The situation is not all that different in the German coalition negotiations. How many of which parties meet to start discussing possible options and how many ministers will go to which party in the government that would be formed are all paramount. There is a lot of posturing about who "won" and who "lost" the election ... again, framing the discussion in competitive terms. None of the groups who met have actually won anything, there were more people who didn't vote for them than those who did, but here too, it's not about the good of the people or what is best for the country, rather there are small minorities trying to force everyone else to go along. Unfortunately, there is not as much resistance as there needs to be.

The bottom line is that we are still being ruled by minorities. I'm not going to go so far as to say that democracy has failed. I don't think we've ever really experienced it to find out. We have been erroneously led to believe what TPTB want us to believe, and most of us haven't resisted enough to think for ourselves. Hey, as long as everything is going fine, and I'm getting what I think I deserve, then why should I make waves. The next thing you know someone's going to show up and take it away. But what if what I think I deserve isn't what I deserve at all? What if there were others who were more deserving? And while we're at it, how do we figure out who deserves what to begin with? In the competitive environment that we have come to believe is the "natural" one, only a few can win and the vast majority must lose. That is the simplest description of how we are managing things?

Two million years of human existence, and we're still being bamboozled. How proud we must be.