man-o-pause

Real Meaning of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is celebrated in many countries. In the United States, it began during the American Civil War, when a few women placed flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers on both sides of the conflict. They wanted to heal the wounds of those who were still living.

This deeper significance has given way to much more mundane expressions: picnics, barbecue, a day of leisure.

We can reestablish the healing of departed ones whether they have died in war or not. Memorial services are common when a loved one has died and we want to honor his or her memory. Memorial Day is a day we can collectively honor all those who have died.

For the deeper, spiritual significance of Memorial Day, please visit my new site, Search for Meaning.

Facing Oneself Most Essential

Image via Wikipedia

BoomerLifestyle.com commented last month on the post about Baby Boomers spending habits changing.

Love your concept that we might use this recession not only as a bellwether for change, but also as an opportunity to "reinvent ourselves as a less consumption-based society/culture."

Since you've already cut worthless expenditures, and seem to indicate we all might be able to cut our spending habits by 20% without breaking a sweat, do you have any suggestions as to how we might start doing this as a country?

You know, like the victory garden concept that became so popular during WWII?

I'd love to see a national campaign... an "all for one and one for all" kind of thing...

Here's my philosophical response:

If we asked ourselves every day, "What is the most essential?," then we would quickly eliminate the extraneous in our lives. I can define worthless expenditures" as wasted time, cheap goods, toxic people, imbalanced emotions, outworn concepts, etc.

Marketers are adept at stimulating desire through our emotions, primarily fear.

Developing discernment is the key to determining true worth and the fruits of our labor.

A Teacher once spoke of the danger of comfort. "Comfort is the coffin of the soul." I interpreted this to mean that in comfort, we can become complacent; when we are complacent, we are asleep; when we are asleep, we are open to manipulation; when we allow ourselves to be manipulated; we are as sheep.

When we are sheep, forces, that do not have our best interests at heart, will use us for their own gain.

Thus, I’ve summarized the history of mankind.

Is the returning of obscene bonuses a true sign of "all for one and one for all?" Coercion is not cooperation. True sacrifice springs from the heart and desire to do good. The word “goodwill” has a deep, esoteric meaning. Think about it.

Who is willing to sacrifice for his neighbor without thought for himself?

The material obstacles on the path of Service are not the most difficult.

When you strip away your possessions, your comforts, your ideas of what it means to be a man, ask yourself this: "Who am I now?" Can you face yourself with grace and humor?

When we broaden our consciousness, then we will have the answer.

Is it Really Bye-Bye For Boomers?

On January 20, 2009, president-elect Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.

While technically part of the Boomer Generation, every generation wants to lay claim to America's next president. Gen X, more cynical and clear-eyed than boomers, according to sociologists, voted for him; Gen Y, who viewed him as the multi-cultural, multi-dimensional, multi-tasking Everyman, danced in the streets when Obama won the election.

So is it really over for the Baby Boomers?

This election represents, without a doubt, a generational shift. More importantly, it represents a psychological shift among intelligent, thinking people who, through their craving for change evoked  change and voted in the candidate who represented America's highest ideals.

The 2008 election represents a seismic shift in the American psyche, and people who voted for change, I believe, transcend labels.

When a colleague at work asked me if I thought a black man could be president, I answered, "He's not black; he's American." How can we label someone who personifies the greatest parts of ourselves?

It's been said that 2012 marks the end of the Mayan calendar which coincides with the end of Obama's first term in office. This kind of timing is no accident.

The Call has gone out; the victor lays claim to the Future.

The dawning of the true Age of Aquarius could be just four short years away.

Baby Boomers, you may have one more shot at changing the world. Idealism is alive and well in our household. How about in yours?

Photo courtesy: Hennessey G's Photography.

New Year's Resolve

Since this is the first time in memory that I've stayed awake past midnight on New Year's Eve, I thought I'd break another hard and fast rule: No resolutions. I'll make my resolutions public, but reserve the right to reconsider. (Too much change in one year can be unsettling.)

• Start eating lunch (or any food product) away from my computer. Donuts were not meant to be eaten in 3 seconds.
• Observe more closely people, animals and nature, not necessarily in that order. This was possibly inspired by the novel, The Story About Edgar Sawtelle which features dogs with sixth sense, incomparable surroundings, and both good and evil people.
• Dance and sing around the house, even when I'm sober. 'Nuf said.

Becoming more conscious is the goal. We'll see if my intuition improves once I embark on these three simple actions.

Do your resolutions, if you make them, have a common theme?

What Women Really Want . . . For Christmas

... a good belly laugh and a new pair of shoes.

First, the laughter. I hate to admit this, but I don't much read blogs. At least outside my Web marketing/Tech arena in order to stay current. So when I stumble upon a blog that not only did I read for TWO hours, but also had to stifle my snorts and chuckles so as not to disturb my cube mates, I had to send a shout out.

She is (drum roll please) The Bloggess. She entertains like Bette Midler, writes like Nora Ephron (Baby Boomer shout outs!) and swears like a street thug sailor. But I haven't been this amused since I stopped talking to myself. Just know that there is no in between for The Bloggess.

Next up, shoes. I discovered a site for the whole family, actually, but I believe women have been known to experience multiple orgasms over shoe talk. Sorry guys. I said "shoe talk" not "sex talk". (I suspect I'll see a spike in my search referral traffic for writing that last sentence.)

The site, www.ShopItToMe.com, alerts subscribers to sale items from 500+ designer and name brand manufacturers that match their size and preferences. And these are true 50% off sale prices. I know because I spent an hour surfing my recent alert and, if our server hadn't been so slow, I would've finished my Christmas shopping by now.

I like to think of this as an equal opportunity blog. So guys get shopppin' and gals get laughin'. The holidays will be over before we know it.

On the Cusp of Change

There's something in the air tonight ~ Phil Collins

Uranus
Saturn
Moon
Mars

form the Mutable Cross called the Cross of Change. Uranus (universality) is victorious over Saturn (outmoded ideas) and, along with the Solar forces aided by the dynamic energy of Mars, are cooperating to bring about dramatic change and create new systems and original ideas.

Father Son Fun

It's a boy's world after all. Women and girls have so many resources, both online and offline, that it's nice to see a company taking an interest in creating an online community for boys.

Ridemakerz is building a virtual world filled with toy cars. Their rapidly growing bricks and mortar stores cater to 6-12 year old customers where they can custom-build their own toy cars.

From TechCrunch:

"Boys come in and pick one of 70 different car body types and paint schemes. These are scale plastic-mold replicas of real-world cars that Ridemakerz licenses from GM, Ford, BMW, and other car companies. Then the boy tricks out his ride by picking the wheels, hubcaps, a chassis, sounds, and other options. He takes all the parts to a pit and then builds his car right there in the store, and then his mom or dad pays for it. A basic model costs only $27.50, but the options add up and a single car with radio control can cost $120."

No more excuses for a lack of father-son male bonding.

Me thinks the boy inside every man will find the perfect car to trick out. Just in time for the bad boy 'vette releasing tomorrow, December 5, 2008.

You can take the girl out of Detroit, but that car thang is in my blood.

We Conquer By Thought

Lately, a number of friends and family have undergone surgery for serious, even life-threatening illness. It's in times of crisis, especially with a health crisis, we question the meaning of life because it brings us face-to-face with our own mortality.

Often, unresolved childhood issues surface that need to be dealt with. Every range of emotion is experienced. Advancements in medicine, technology and alternative healing gives many hope, but there's only one thing that can truly overcome any obstacle. And that is our thoughts.

Just as negative thoughts form a dark wall around our mental sphere, assimilating positive thoughts can change the polarization of our mental body. This is very different than repeating affirmations. Assimilation means digesting, understanding and making great ideas a part of our life and trying to live them.

Virtues such as patience, courage, beauty, goodness, righteousness, unity provide a communication line between the thinker and his Higher Self. We can then become receptive to "advice" which serves to transform and spiritualize the life.

"Our thoughts are with you, and we know that all will come about safely unless we ourselves sever the silver cord by your selfishness, sluggardliness, and superficial attitude toward the Advices."

Agni Yoga Society, Letters of Helena Roerich, Vol. I, p. 105.