A New Word

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Oh how I love words, and I recently learned a new word, Protopia. It is a word coined not many years back by a man named Kevin Kelly, a co-founder of Wired magazine. This word relates to a way of being in human society that comes from small thoughtful steps that really help to best anchor better ways of being. Yet from what I understand, it does not denote perfection across the board but is steeped in energies of optimism, hope and trust that as humans we can make the changes needed that benefit all of us.

This concept of Protopia seems to me to be a perfect example of Aristotle’s concept of the Golden Mean, that balance in life of moderation and thoughtful ways. In relation to Protopia, the scales of the balance would achieve that Golden Mean as much as possible.

But if we tip the scales too far in one direction, we may have the aspect of Utopia, a world where everything is perfectly in place, utter perfection. This is what we call the realm of Heaven, one that is really not meant to be in place for humans in this earthly realm.

Now tip the scales in the extreme of the other direction and we have Dystopia, a world of utter chaos. This is the favorite world of our drama spinning, all hope is lost ego, whirling about in endless circles that are the worst of human behaviors. One might call this Hell on earth.

Of course my idealistic, optimistic, rose colored glasses self really likes this idea of Protopia, what a great concept and all that it can create! But my impulsive impatient side says oh, this might take too long. Yet better ways of being don’t happen overnight, if we are truly striving to make these ways of being become second nature. “Patience attains all it strives for”, words from a passage by St. Teresa of Avila.

Is this the perfect solution to all of society’s current ills? Not sure that I want to hand it all over to Protopia but it sure sounds better than Dystopia or even Utopia and maybe we should give it a try.

sunrise at the lake

Spiritual teachers come from all walks of life

In my never ending quest for good books, I recently discovered that the well known music producer, Rick Rubin, has written a book entitled The Creative Act: A Way Of Being. My assumptions about the content is that it would be all about his journey in the land of music, as a music producer and maybe some stories about all the artists that he has worked with. Well, not quite that at all, as I started to read what I found was more the telling of his spiritual journey, and sharing the wisdoms he has gained along the way.

And who would have thought that someone so steeped in the very down to earth world of the music industry would have such wise words to share about living an enlightened life? My misguided judgments about those deemed “authorities” on such topics went right out the window, as I found myself relating to and resonating with the whole of this book. So much that I ended up buying my own copy and returning the library book I had borrowed.

I applaud Rick Rubin for being brave enough to publicly share his journey, and all he has gained from “waking up” to what is beyond our human selves. In being who he is, well known, respected and having worked in music of many genres, he just might have the advantage to reach through to those who would otherwise not read a work such as this.

It just goes to show that our spiritual teachers can be anyone! A book about living from higher consciousness does not have to be written by only those we might label as spiritual “gurus”. We can all be spiritual gurus and isn’t that what we should be striving for? Not perfection but being so much better. And in that sense, this book helps to show how we can better tap into the creative selves that we all are, letting go of any misguided notions that creativity has a strict definition, it truly doesn’t as Rick Rubin so wisely shares with us. We are all amazing creative beings…

The importance of frozen regions

I recently read a good book, entitled A World Without Ice by Henry Pollack. The subject matter was just as the title says, imagining a world without ice due to the fast and furious melting of the Earth’s polar regions. Will it come to that, a world without ice?

It’s hard to say if our world will come to that, even with the predictive abilities of advanced climate modeling. It has happened before on Earth, a time of no frozen regions like we have now. But this occurred many thousands, even millions of years ago. And the difference between those eras of ice age shifting to ice free is the evolution of those changes took place very slowly and without any human influence. But now we see a rapid change in the polar regions that is artificially taking place, not the slower natural course it would normally be.

For most of us who live many miles from the poles, those frozen places seem quite inert and not a concern. But as I learned from this book, the Arctic and Antarctic regions play a very important and significant role in the balance of life of Earth in a healthy way for all of us, not just humans either. Those important polar effects range from how our climate is all over the Earth, to the way that ocean currents are meant to help balance things, to the important balance and flow of our atmosphere.

So maybe it’s time for us humans to wake up and pay more attention to the extreme importance of ice at the poles, because a world without ice would be a world we don’t want to or maybe could not even inhabit.

A winter scene in Minnesota

Paying it forward, a second time

In this world of so much stuff out there, I try not to get pulled into buying this or that next great thing. But after careful research, opinions from others and consideration, I am now the proud owner of many colorful and comfortable Bombas socks.

Now this is not a promo for their product, as much as I love these socks. But rather a story about some great customer service and very great mission statement. You see, for every Bombas item purchased, this company pays it forward and donates the same item to a non-profit. I’ll admit, that swayed my decision to purchase these yes, rather costly socks.

And I recently had a chance to test out their replacement policy, a no matter what happened we will replace your item. So after doing laundry one day and finding only one yellow sock, let’s see if they walk their talk. And they do! I wrote about my dilemma and was happily and quickly sent a pair of replacement socks, wow!

Well the other day as I put on a pair of pants, out pops the missing yellow sock, of course! And in my mailbox was the brand new replacement pair, hmmm, what to do? Do I keep an extra pair of socks I really don’t need?

No, I decided in that moment to follow the Bombas example and pay it forward. Our local coffee shop has a donation box for items that go to young people needing a bit of help, new clothing, toiletries, that kind of stuff. So I shared and payed it forward and now I once more have a complete pair of bright and beautiful yellow Bombas once more. And hopefully some lovely young person will enjoy their pair of socks as much as I do.

Weather, not just about our personal comfort

If you’re like most people, you check the daily weather and maybe even days beyond, to determine a personal level of comfort. You probably think about what to wear, what activities might be best, how to navigate your life so it feels the very best.

But the weather which is a day to day aspect, and the climate which is a long term aspect of weather, are ways of being on this planet that are not just about seeing to our personal comforts. The weather and climate affect the water sources we use, the food we eat, the places that we choose to live.

As climate change becomes more and more devastating we are seeing how what once was a concern only for our individual selves now must shift to a concern for the global community.

In regard to our precious water supply, there are many who are finding a lack of water due to droughts that are carrying on year after year. There are also those whose supply of what was once clean, safe water are finding that sea level rise is contaminating their water sources, making them unusable. And as far as sea level rise, this devastating effect of climate change is forcing many to look ahead to the sad possibility of finding new places to live.

And of course the weather is so important to agriculture, to the ability to grow food and provide what is absolutely essential for the human body to function. We often take for granted how important the weather and climate are for those farming the land and providing our food. It’s far too easy to make our way to the grocery store and all that we need is right there. But with the changes ensuing that are climate change, it becomes apparent that we need to be aware of how to make changes in agriculture that will assure our food sources are always there for us.

Recently a new bill has been introduced, the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes provisions for working on climate change and how to both adapt and mitigate. This important act of legislation is what we so desperately need to turn things around and get things back in balance. The longer we sit on the fence and do nothing, the worse it gets – and sadly far too many are living out the worst of it in tragic ways.

So the best way to help in all of this is to write or call your state senators, and ask for their support of this newest bill that is on the table. And it’s so easy!! Just go to the website senate.gov and click on where it says “senators” and then in the drop down box click on the “contact” tab. Then find your state and the officials to contact will come up, along with the contact information. We need to take action with our voices being heard, and as important as individual actions are well we really need the support and policies in place that come from our governments. Let’s step up and work together to make our world a much healthier and happier place.

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Oregon

“Let there be peace on Earth”

“and let it begin with me”, the opening lines of a song I recall singing in school as a child. At that time the hippie peace and love movement was active, an energy I am now seeing resurrected.

As I write this, a terrible conflict has arisen in our world, Russia attacking the country of Ukraine, for reasons that seem quite unfounded. But truly, is there ever any valid reason for violence, war or armed conflict to solve our issues and dilemmas? The answer to that question must always be a resounding no! Our hearts and souls are inherently peace and love; we’ve just become embittered and hard from centuries of wallowing far too much in fear.

But I am hopeful that humankind is chipping away at that fear, to reveal our true natures of being kindness and compassion, peace and love. This present day conflict has brought forth a focus on humanitarian issues, not so much a patriotism that encourages more fighting but rather a call for a peaceful resolution. I see much more concern for those so horribly affected, so many having to leave their homes or deal with deaths that should not be. It is not a cry for more military action but a cry for peace.

So let there be peace on Earth, and it can begin with all of us keeping those energies of peace and love in our hearts and out into the world.

Words of hope

Today we honor one of the great peacemakers, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He showed us that great change can come about in peaceful yet effective, meaningful ways. And yes, his work to bring about justice and respect for all still continues.

And I wanted to share the beautiful poetic words of hope from a gifted poet, Langston Hughes. In his own way he kept hope alive for the world that he dreamt of, a world of equality and respect for all. Let these words sink in and take away the fear that keeps us apart. It is time for all of us to create a world of love and respect for all.

Moleskin musings

my Moleskin musing materials

Last year at Christmas I was gifted with a Moleskin notebook, a fitting gift for my loving to write and journal self, but an item I never treated myself to. I often gazed at the collection of these well known journals at Powell’s Books in Portland, but my budget at the time just didn’t justify such a purchase.

And what exactly is so special about these little notebooks? They have a long, rich history that goes back to creative genuises such as Picasso, Van Gogh and Hemingway. In those eras the tag of “Moleskin”was absent; they were simply a black rectangle notebook with a rounded corner, elastic page holder and an expandable pocket inside in which to save important ephemera. The moniker of Moleskin came from the writer Bruce Chatwin, referring to a line in a book he wrote.

When I received my very own Moleskin I decided that it would not be so much a personal journal, revealing deep secret thoughts but rather more everyday musings about a variety of topics. Yes, I may stray into deep thinking territory at times, that’s just my nature as an introvert. But I like to keep it light and fun and just play with the words.

I feel I should give a shout out and some inspirational credit to a great book I just read, The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green. He is a wonderful writer who has compiled his own musings about a variety of topics. The material in the book first came to being as a podcast, which is equally fun to listen to. Check out the book and the podcast, you won’t be disappointed!

In time to come I’ll share my Moleskin musings with all who care to read them and hopefully enjoy them. But as a lover of words, a logophile, I find the written word to be one of life’s great joys, be it reading those lovely words or arranging them in my own creative ways.

Ocean appreciation

the Oregon coast

Every morning when I have my coffee, I am treated to a splendid view of the lake near my home. I live in the “land of 10,000 lakes” as Minnesota is often called, and living in close proximity to a lake is a dream come true.

morning coffee view

But since I started taking an online course through edX entitled “One Planet, One Ocean”, I have come to think more about the bodies of water that are the various oceans. Oceans make up 71% of the Earth’s surface, and affect all of us in ways that perhaps we don’t even realize.

I enjoy eating seafood, but I’ll admit I don’t give a thought to how it was obtained or where it came from. Sadly there are many issues of overfishing as well as illegal fishing practices. I intend to pay more attention to the seafood I buy, reading labels and making an effort to support healthy fishing practices.

Then there is the crucial role that the oceans play in our climate, our weather systems, and in general working to maintain a healthy balance between atmosphere, land and water. The specifics of how the oceans operate in this way are complex and I won’t try to explain, I am a beginning learner in all of this myself. But one can find plenty of information out there in this regard, and I feel it really brings home the fact that oceans play a critical role in the health and well being of planet Earth.

And I’ve been made aware of how many cultures and nations are ocean dependent, from ways of economics to ways of life. A lack of respect for the oceans becomes a lack of respect for those ocean based peoples. Time to think outside of ourselves.

Plain and simple too, the oceans and the life within are magnificent! I was fortunate enough to travel to the Oregon coast a number of times when I lived in Portland, an easy hour and a half drive to marvel in all that massive water. The joy and beauty that we find in our oceans is also an important reason to think of those waters, and what can we do to help, even if we are hundreds of miles from the coast? Perhaps take some time dear reader, to search out ways to support that health and well being of our lovely oceans.

sea anemone

Get to know the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs: A global plan for a better world

There are 17 of them, goals decided on by the United Nations, shared with the world in 2015. They are goals for the whole of humanity, to combat and wipe away poverty, hunger, injustice, environmental issues and a host of other concerns in order to bring about a way of life for all that is so much better.

I discovered them as my interest and concern regarding climate change has opened up, and goal # 13 is titled Climate Action. But all of these goals are equally important, one not having more need to be achieved than another. In fact they were designed to work as an integrated unit, one goal connected with and influencing other goals. The UN goal for these SDGs is that “development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.”

It may seem like a daunting task to achieve any of these goals in our world these days, where does one start? But within each goal is are subclasses, targets to shoot for so the work to be done does not seem so overwhelming. And it would be a good thing for more people to know about and read about these important issues to be addressed. Here is a link to the SDG website: https://sdgs.un.org

It seems as though the major events in our current world such as the pandemic, diversity issues, economics and climate change, have taken on a global aspect. It is time for us to think outside of our little boxes of self and immediate community, and realize how very connected we all are in a global sense. It’s time to care about all of humanity and the world around us.