Tuesday, December 6, 2011

the simple gift

And the Brother sang…

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.

'Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
'Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of others what we try to live each day,
Then we'll all live together and we'll all learn to say,

'Tis the gift to have friends and a true friend to be,
'Tis the gift to think of others not to only think of "me",
And when we hear what others really think and really feel,
Then we'll all live together with a love that is real.

The Earth is our mother and the fullness thereof,
Her streets, her slums, as well as stars above.
Salvation is here where we laugh, where we cry,
Where we seek and love, where we live and die.

When true liberty is found,
By fear and by hate we will no more be bound.
In love and in light we will find our new birth
And in peace and freedom, redeem the Earth.

'tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be fair
'tis a gift to wake and breathe the morning air
and each day we walk on the path that we choose
'tis a gift we pray we never shall lose


He came at the end of lunch on Sunday morning as we concluded our weekend at the Notre Dame Spiritual Center. He stood before us, slim, frail in slacks and a sweater draped over his slightly hunched frame. And with a tender smile on his face, be proceeded to give us the history of the Shaker Village that was once the 300 acre property that the Brothers purchased in 1930. The song Simple Gifts was composed on this spiritual land lot. The special energy of the land continues to draw one into its reverent past. It presented to me the hope that the solitude of this land and the feeling of Earth Spirit will continue to be for years to come. And I hoped and prayed that this land’s spirit would someday cover the globe giving peace to all the lands we inhabit.

The Brother faced us at our lunch tables. With a simple smile, so easy for him to display, he started to sing. His voice was sweet and honest. His voice was pure but with age. The Brother's gestures were small. Simple. He closed his eyes, sang from his heart, turn – turn and bow like the song says. His body shined his joy and belief in the lyrics. It was simple. It was a gift. To witness such an honest man singing his love for spirit. It was a simple gift that could not fit into any Christmas stocking or be placed under any Christmas Tree. This gift of song from the heart was too big! – yet small enough to get to my heart and move my spirit. Tears soon flowed as the emotion built up inside. My throat squeezed shut to stop me from noisily crying. An occasional gasp for breath reminded me I had to breathe.

At the end of his joyful and freely given blessing of a song, he walked away. Our applause slowed his exit for a humble bow to us. To me, he seemed to just want to share a song and a little information about the place we stayed for our weekend retreat and our studies. I don’t think he realized how moved we would get by his simple gift. He was unconditionally singing his Truth. His expression of gratitude for our applause was humble. And he walked out of the meal room on his way back to do whatever his next mission for the day would be. I believe he walks a path with the Divine. And the Divine will walk with him where ever his life’s journey takes him.
He is blessed. And I feel blessed to be witness to this Simple Gift.

                                              Cemetery Lane - Notre Dame Spiritual Center
                                                   
                                                 

Friday, December 2, 2011

Holiday Greetings from My Soul to your Sole - from my laurencedance blog



Hello Everyone,

Well, this year is a first for me! It is the first Holiday Season in my 37 years of teaching dance that I have not had a holiday party. And I miss this opportunity more than I thought. I thought I would enjoy this down time, which is not the case. I thought I would be relieved that I had time to focus on my studies, but the distractions of not having a dance party overwhelmed my idle time. So I chalk this moment as a place to stop, listen to the music, and dance on with plans for the future of my studio work.

This year presented lots of change and learning for me. And with all the clichés that can be stated like ‘Every dark cloud has a silver lining’ and ‘Wipe the slate clean’ that have been offered by many of you, I thank you. I appreciate all the words of wisdom, sincere wishes, thoughts to how to rid the past and the general positive pushes for growth that many of you have given me during this change and learning experience.

What I take from this change is the actual ‘learning’ that has and is taking place while I rebuild the business from ground up. From the ground up is the perfect place for me at this time. While it may seem like it’s easier to take things already existing and re-piece a plan together, in my case, there are very few pieces, if any, to pick from. Therefore I look at this as an opportunity to build as opposed to re-build.

Building what is ‘true’ to me in dance is a great segue in the choreography of my dance business. With the last adventure (which was supposed to enlarge Gotta Dance 2) took on roles and plans that, needless to say, were not able to successfully grow with the growth compound available at the time. The struggle to ‘keep on truckin’ became a focus, but a focus not on dance, but on the venue’s survival.

It’s the classes, students, dance parties, and joy of movement that fuels my dancing feet and heart. The honesty and awareness that I was working far too much and too hard on a product that was not producing the mirage of classes and events to promote social dancing and dance education in our community was where the music stopped. And stopped it did, fast and abrupt. Instead of gliding to a beautiful line at the end of a waltz routine, the music just stopped.
And as Martha Stewart says ‘It’s a good thing.”


Now I will be taking the time to choreograph a new dance business, one I will be proud of, one with opportunities to learn the dance traditions of the past as well as experience some new ways to express movement from your head to your toes and deep into and from your heart.

I want to be known as a dance teacher, not a venue owner, not a wedding coordinator, but a dance teacher - a dance teacher that fosters new growth in the minds and hearts of young dancers and one who reminds those experienced dancers of their past lives in dance that has taken them on a journey of great memories with more memories to come.

And that brings me to a Fairy Tale Happy Ending where everyone gets to dance – hard and loud!

So I am taking this opportunity to send you a Holiday Greeting, full of dancing energy, holiday music vibrations and gratitude for your continued support in my life as a dance teacher.

With the Love of Dance & Respect for your Love of Dance and Music,

Laurence!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

'tis the season to be jolly' fa la la la -OY! Can I have Divine Minute, Please?

                      
The holiday season brings lot of joy. But along with that joy, it brings anxiety, stress and sometimes pain to others. It's a kind of crazy situation that we have all come to live with.

We celebrate a time so far in the past, that the majority of the people in the country celebrating this holiday season are probably not even aware of where the holiday came from - why we have it - what we are supposed to be celebrating and on and on and on...and we get caught up in the frenzy of some marketed holiday spirit that has no direct connection to the holiday itself.

I have to admit, that I have often hated the holiday season. It always reminded me of what I don't have... money-time-treasures to acquire those marketed holiday spirit products. And for many people, the anxiety, stress and pain comes from those three basic concerns that many of us carry, not only during the holiday season, but through our lives. It has become the primary focus in so many parts of society and stays all through the year - but it is magnified during the holiday season - a time of year that should be less anxious, stressful and painless - where we should be looking for the source of why we celebrate.

So how do we float safely on a turbulent lake and not fall overboard? Easy! Well.... not necessarily... but possible for sure!

For me, it started a few years ago - the process, that is, started years ago. The message came from my sister. She loves the holidays and all the trimmings - the shopping, decorations, food, colors, lights, and so on. She said to me one year, as I expressed a very hostile attitude towards getting ready for the holiday (which is never easy on a dancers budget and time line), ... "just go with it". And I replied 'how do you do it?' And in the conversation that followed what I learned and earned was the simple solution of ... ' If you can't beat'em, join'em'.

For me, 'join'em' didn't mean throw all woes into the air and let go of the landing, spend money, take time off from work and show off all your treasures, because the reality is that I don't carry a big old bag of money-time-treasures. 'Join'em' meant for me to enjoy the joys of others, like my sister, who truly walks the road called 'joyful holiday lane'. Now as sad as it may seem, enjoying other's joy is not sad. What I found monumentally changed my attitude. I was able to look at the decorations on the houses and feel the excitement that I imagined the kids and family members were having placing the lights on the trees outside and in their homes. I was able to watch people hurriedly move through the stores searching for perfect gifts for their family and friends and I was able to feel the change in the overall community where ignoring reality was OK - temporarily - and for the purpose of finding joy.

For all those that find the joy, there are those that find the pain. This is where I get confused and cycle back to the entire frustrated situation of why we do what we do for the holidays. I want to find the original emotion that created this holiday season. And sometimes I feel, even for those that are 'full of joy' during the season, that they may be even more 'full of joy', if at some point in the day - just one minute amongst the millions of minutes that make the holiday season, that they get a gleam of what the source of the emotion was that created this season. This source is where the emotion came from to become 'the season to be jolly'.

My wish.

My wish is for everyone to have some Divine Experience - one minute. This 'Divine Minute' will last for ever. And it could transform one's life.

Wow... so many religions, philosophies and mindsets have gone into what we call the holiday season. It is not just a Christian thing, a Jewish thing, Kwanza, or (fill in your belief system here). It is something that grew out of the need in all those religions, philosophies and mindsets to celebrate love, life and 'life together as one'.

It appears with many names. It has been transformed over many years - thousands of years. It searches for unity among us all. During this season, we all feel that we should love one another, stop war, smile at everyone on the street and even cheer a 'Merry Christmas' to someone and think.."Was that politically incorrect?"
But we say it anyway, because deep down inside we know it is right to smile and pass on a greeting!

My wish for the holiday season is that all of my friends, my family and the all the people in the world can find a 'Divne Minute'.

Intuitively, in your Divine Minute, you can feel its origin, so ancient yet so contemporary, and be blessed.

Breathe Deep and Walk Slow is a slogan I have said for years. I am tested these days as I participate in classes with ChIMe, trying to live mindfully each day and being aware of my walk. Not to go to fast, and not to sit down and wait... and always in every moment of the day to 'Breathe Deep while Walking Slow.

And there's so much more unsaid, untyped, unprepared for my blog - but I breathe deep and walk slow.

As for these little condiments that accompany our holiday feast...
Anxiety - Stress - Pain = What do these do for us?
Money - Time - Treasures = How do we define these things? as positive or as negative?
Breathe Deep - Walk Slow - Divine Minute = Can we do this daily?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTCRdM71j2E&feature=related

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Being Real - Values~Ethics~Morality

For many weeks now, I have wrestled with issues on loyalty, friendship, Divine meaning of life - you know - all the easy things to ponder during the day - or during sleepless nights. 

And as I think about these topics, what is clear to me is that it gives me a headache. The headache comes from ignoring the obvious, which is taking action.

Taking action is hard. For me, once we take action, we have to take action all the time. It's like placing a bumper sticker on your car. That bumper sticker makes a statement that one should follow. And we forget... or should I say, we are just mindful-less.

As I digress a little since bringing up the bumper sticker situation, I will reflect on a journey to South Portland one day from Westbrook. The car next to me was weaving a bit, not much, but a little. And at traffic lights, and once the traffic moved from a red light to a green light, this vehicle did not move right away until someone either blew a horn or the space between the idle car and the moving car became very wide.

I looked over at the driver. She was reading a magazine, pictures and all. WOW... really?!?. As the light changed again, she cut in front of me to make a sudden turn. The bumper sticker on her vehicle said "Chat later, Drive Safe" What??? are you kidding me?

The point it this. I hold her more responsible form safe driving because she sports a bumper sticker telling people to 'be mindful' of what you are doing and DRIVE SAFE.

Now, back to the Blog prior to the digression.

As I read an article in the Chicago Times this morning written yesterday, it brought to words somethings I have been 'pondering' for a while. All seemed to be issues that I am frequently told are 'just personal' or 'not that important' or I am told "there are more important things in the world to worry about".. and so it goes for ever and ever... until shit happens.

This article moved me in a way that probably was not what the author intended. Although, writers write to make the reader think... and to this, this author accomplished that basic goal with his article for me.
The gift in his article is not the specifics of the Penn State Sexual Abuse issue, or the response of the student body, but a bigger reflection on any social situation.

I felt driven to write to him and thank him for his article.

Basically, we all should stand up for something. And once we do, we have to own the stance, just like a good dancer - solid and committed!

Here is the article and following the article is my letter to My Kadner.

Penn State story: Looking away is easy - Values, Ethics and Morality
Phil Kadner pkadner@southtownstar.com November 11, 2011 9:32PM
Values. Ethics. Morality.
It seems we hear more talk about such things these days than ever before.
But we are bombarded with evidence that people, confronted by the realities of life, choose to ignore such high-minded notions.
The Penn State University scandal is the most recent example.
A child of about 10 was being raped in a shower stall by a grown man. Another man, a graduate assistant coach with the football team, saw it.
His first thought was not to intervene and stop the assault, but to call his father for advice because he obviously feared that he might jeopardize his future as a coach in the Penn State football program.
Joe Paterno, the head coach, has been fired. So has the school president.
Penn State students have staged protests, one developing into what’s been termed a riot.
“A bunch of college students with an excuse to get drunk and have some fun,” is how a colleague reacted to the actions of the students.
But the editor of the college newspaper at Penn State told me it is her sense that most of those students feel as if Paterno is their grandfather and they want to protect him.
There is also a fanatical loyalty to everything Penn State.
“Most people will tell you they love it here,” said the Penn State college newspaper editor. “Some will tell you they like it.
“But I’ve never heard any student say they disliked Penn State.”
Paterno loved the school as well, no doubt. He was proud of his football program.
I understand that.
But a child was sodomized. And according to the grand jury report, Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State coach accused of having intercourse with the child, continued to sexually assault other children.
Time and again we see evidence that doing the right thing is not the easy thing.
The Catholic church chose to cover up for priests who were pedophiles instead of stopping them.
In Illinois, we’ve seen politicians go to prison repeatedly on charges of corruption, discovering during their trials that over a period of years people with knowledge of their illegal activities chose to remain silent.
And we’ve seen it in the business world, where Wall Street kingpins not only kept silent when they might have been able to prevent a financial meltdown, but actually made money betting on the failure of the system.
People wanted to protect their jobs. Their reputations. And line their own pockets.
There are exceptions, of course. Whistle-blowers occasionally come forward, but too often suffer as a result of their courageous actions.
The community, rather than rallying to their side, usually stands behind the accused, who is always a good person who has done good things.
It is possible for good people to do evil things and evil people to do good things, but the public ignores this time and again.
In Crestwood, village officials allowed tainted well water to be distributed to residents.
At a recent village board meeting, there was a public debate over whether Crestwood should pay for the legal defense of one of those officials.
Several people, to the applause of many others, said the water department official was merely following orders, protecting her job.
Therefore the village owed it to her to pay for the legal defense.
Really? If you follow orders, you are absolved of guilt? You are excused from personal responsibility?
Values. Ethics. Morality.
I’m not sure what those words really mean in our society.
Loyalty to a program, a business or a country can be an admirable thing.
But in the end, doing the wrong thing in the name of some greater good really amounts to nothing more than acting in one’s self-interest.
Someone at Penn State could have stopped harm from coming to little children. That is clear.
The fact that educated, respected men chose a different path is not only contemptible, but also very frightening.
Dear Mr Kadner,
I want to thank you for your article on Nov 11, 2011 - Penn State - Looking Away Is Easy. Values, Ethics and Morality
The specific topic in the article regarding the abuse of the child in the shower room is one that is horrible and I cannot imagine such a thing happening at all. And to walk away is cowardly and in some ways, sick.
What I am thankful that in your article, you address some of the other ways this social response finds it's way into our lives. Most situations of abuse and neglect seem to be mundane and unimportant, but as your article implies (to me), this is what allows such larger issues arise. They arise out of desensitizing ourselves, our companies, our clubs, even our friendships to these problems that we have been conditioned to think are unimportant - too unimportant to worry about - 'as there are more important things to worry about in the world' we are told.
I believe this attitude, that we so carelessly carry, is one of the many reasons we - as a society and as a world - get to the place we get to with this extreme sad situation in the Penn State Scandal.
We move fast, we work hard, and we are entitled to that which is ours, but not at the expense of others. I am learning to be mindful of everything I do every moment of everyday. It is hard to do this. And I sometimes I do not want to think and I do not want to be mindful. But in the long run, at the end of the day, I end up feeling good about my day and more importantly, myself.
I know that everyday where I have been more respectful of people, the community, the country and the world at large, some change happens. A little goes a long way. I wish we knew, as a general population, how true this statement really is in our life.
The hardest part of being mindful, is standing behind that mindful thought. When a wrong comes into play, we have to stand up and make a noise. When someone does something that comes from a negative or a mindless (thoughtless) process, we need to hold them accountable. When someone does something that may seem opposite from what they profess, they need to be called out. Loosing friendships, job promotions, acceptance into social arenas may be what we loose standing by our words and displaying our actions, but, as I said, at the end of the day we gain so much more than what we fear loosing.
Again, Thank You for your article in the Chicago Times. I would love to post it on my blog and pass it on to my social network of colleagues and friends to read and reflect. I think that if everyone reads your article and looks deep into themselves, they could find a place where they could change just a little bit and make a tremendous influence on their lives and the world they live in. It is hard to drop the protective barrier and read with open eyes, but those who have eyes will see and take the beauty in your article and practice making a better world.
I say: Stand by your friends and family, stand by your 'Values, Ethics and Morality' and stand by that which holds you responsible- be that Divine or Mundane, Stand up and make noise!
Sincerely, Laurence Miller

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

FRIEND ~ a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.


As I walked through the super walmart buying cleaning products, etc. I noticed that no one looked at me. I found that strange, I look at everyone and I smile at everyone. I started doing this years ago.

What was strange was that it seemed that the people in the store were moving fast, crashing carts and cutting in front of each other. It was the middle of the day, not a time when you would think people needed to be in a rush.

The store’s energy felt rude, impatient and unfriendly.

Which made me think of what a friend is – who are they, what purpose do they serve? If everyone in the store was friends – what would the mood have been.
Just because we look different doesn't mean we can't be friends!


~~With every true friendship,
we build more firmly the foundations on which the peace of the whole world rests.
Mahatma Gandhi 1869-1948

~~Don't walk in front of me
I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me
I may not lead.
Walk beside me
and be my friend.
Albert Camus 1913-1960 French author, journalist, and key philosopher of the 20th century.

~~I looked for my soul,
but my soul I could not see.
I looked for my God,
but my God eluded me.
I looked for a friend
and then I found all three.
William Blake 1757-1827 was an English poet, painter, and printmaker

I was not sure what ChIMe would bring to me in the way of friends. I knew that deep relationships would be built based on what I knew of ChIMe’s past classes and the people I spoke with from those classes. This brings me to the last quote. For me, it represents who you are to me.

~~In everyone's life, at sometime, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.
Albert Schweitzer 1875-1965  theologian, organist, philosopher, physician, and medical missionary

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Part 2: Healing the past can heal the future.


Healing the past can heal the future…

Reflecting on Anna Smulowitz class this evening, and blending it with the energy symbol in Reiki that works on past, present and future… I can see clearly how things work… Can I write about it? No! Can I explain it? No!

But what I can say for sure, the proof was present when I listened to Anna speak this evening.

I cannot say in any other words or express my deep felt gratitude on what tonight’s class brought to me.

I guess this is ‘Part 2’ … to be continued.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Anyway....

Oldies play on the radio today.

Songs take me to memories of the past, sitting in the present while advancing me into the future.

Not only is this a sweet melody, it is simple in lyrics - childlike - the way life should be!

I shall sing, sing my song,
Be it right, be it wrong.
In the night, in the day,
Anyhow, anyway, I shall sing:

La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la.
La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la la la la la.

With my heart, with my soul,
For the young, for the old.
When I'm high, when I'm low,
When I'm first, When I'm slow, I shall sing:

La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la.
La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la la la la la.

I shall sing, sing my song,
Be it right, be it wrong.
In the night, in the day,
Anyhow, anyway, I shall sing:

La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la la la la la.
La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la la la la la.

Written my Van Morrison and sung by Art Garfunkel.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

It is just me, or did I really get shit on?

Part 1~

Life surely does throw things our way. And usually, I never admit to being hit – especially by shit. We are conditioned to think twice about reacting in certain ways, for we will be judged as disrespectful, immature, selfish or ‘not very spiritual’ ( or if you will – not very Christian, Buddhist, Godly, etc, etc, etc – insert your Deity or Philosophy here…)
So when stuff comes our way, we pretend we were missed, or just hit a little, just a flesh wound (in the words of Monty Python). If we even admit to getting hit – or shit on – we take most of the blame and deem ourselves one of the reasons the ‘throw of the shit’ was tossed our way.
Well, I have been shit on, and I got hit, and I don’t feel bad thinking that I did not encourage it! And that brings me back to hate. I hate what happened to me, and I hate the person who did it. Now I have to deal with the personal consequences of feeling the hate.
There is a big part of the feeling that does not feel consequential, it feels relieving. To allow such a strong feeling to pass through me is a very cathartic experience for me.
My past has always been directed to not allow such strong feelings. Hate has always been the worst of the feelings to have. It is a feeling that only soul-less people have, therefore, not something that I should or will allow to be in my ‘bag-o-emotions’. To pick hate… well… It’s not even been allowed to be in my bag-o- emotions. I have anger, frustration, impatience, resentment, ill-tempered, rage, but not hate.
Philosophy of Hate~
From researching sources on the topic of the philosophy of hate, I find these statements:
  • Hate is a flawed emotion. It causes people to wish unnecessary harm. It is especially absurd given that there is no such thing as free will.
  • Must not forget that hate is human. It is an emotion and must not be suppressed as with other feelings. The opposite of love. Like yin yang. There is a balance in this that is a part of our function and we need both the negative and the positive to have some kind of moral, values and opinions at all.
  • Assuming hate is of some beneficial use and is an emotion or a basic driving neurological function common to everyone, what purpose does hate serve? What is hate called when used to do well?
  • Hate is a human emotion and is totally irrational, as with many human emotions. It tends to blind people from rational thought and prevents us from thinking clearly.
  • I think hate is bad.
  • There are two different kinds of "hate." First, we have the irrational hate, which accomplishes nothing and is the result of ignorance. This hate is probably a product of anger and/or frustration. And on the other hand, we have the rational version of hate. When we understand something to be malicious to ourselves, or something essential to us, we tend to hate whatever that element may be. But we hate it for good reason. This hate is the product of love, and usually rational and responsible fear.
Having read and read and read statements such as the ones above, the one common theme was that hate was bad and that we should get rid of it. Only in a few statements was hate regarded as something that could be ‘good’.
Being brave enough to study, in my heart, the feeling of hate - instead of tossing it back out of my awareness, I came to the realization that hate is a check point – like all emotions. To disregard it is disrespectful. Like all of us, hate just wants to be heard! Listen to it. Make an evaluation. Come up with a resolve, and hate will serve to be one of the tools in our bag-o- emotions.
This does not mean going on a ‘hate spree’. Everything in moderation - as we are told and we can learn to be whole in ourselves. Even the dark pieces of our insides are part of what keeps us together. Ignoring any part of the ‘me’ would be like putting a hole in a coffee cup – things dribble out and splash all over, because part of the cup is missing.
As I own my hate, I can control it! Be oblivious to hate and it will probably show up unannounced!
What better way to be the best person, the fullest spiritual soul we can be - (as suggested by numerous clichés) than to review and study every emotion, every care, every concern and complete our process of being human? Being human is the most honorable way to praise the Divine (insert your Deity or Philosophy here).
Part Two – stay tuned!
                                                   from taking over!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Implode vs. Explode


Laying in a state of vulnerability, a dark and cold evil came from deep within me. Not being sure if it is deep within me or deep within something that is renting space in me - it left me confused and scared. It was an evil that was so great that actions of violence could not come close to acting out the intensity of the power it seemed to have. Words of disgust only challenged it, as it seemed to throw those words back as frivolous attempts to describe its essence. The only word in a limited vocabulary to name this evil is 'hate'.

How can 'hate' be such a strong feeling that we are supposed to ignore? or not allow? How do we honor the feeling, even in its ugliness, and let it out, but not let it have its way?


Ignoring hate disables us from weeding it out. Once it is honored, we can heal.



And now for some Waka on a much lighter note!

In my absentee presence,
I am here, but gone
For just a day eternally.
lem3




As my mind closes down,
Answers to questions un-asked,
Fall fast to a sleepy night's awake.
lem3




<><><>

Feet dance on attic rafters,
Creaking in time,
To songs of youthful memories.
lem3

<><><>

Cookies greet the tongue,
And say 'hello there belly'.
Here yum comes.
lem3











Cookies greet the tongue,
And say 'hello there belly',
Full is never had.
lem3

<><><>

Tulips tilting one way,
Then another and another,
Blooming in the darkenss,
Making full what seems empty.
lem3

<><><>



Sleep well with fine sheets and soft pillows,
Lowering the body onto clouds of luxury linens,
To be suspended by lines of light from the heavens,
A marionette of the soul never needs a pillow.
lem3


<><><>

Business men walk stoically to complex offices,
Children watch in admiration with eager plans to follow,
Dogs play silly games with no reslove,
Everyone is home by five for dinner.
lem3

<><><>


Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Quiet Please! I trying to feel ataraxia.


In stillness静寂
there is thought思われます。
In thought思われます
there is awareness認識
In awareness認識
there is life人生
In life人生
there is stillness静寂
L.E.MillerIII, 2010


ATARAXIA-
a state of freedom from emotional distrubance and anxiety; tranquility; calmness or peace of mind.



Sunday, October 2, 2011

Lift Your Spirit and Dance!

Philosophers have argued for centuries about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, but materialists have always known it depends on whether they are jitterbugging or dancing cheek to cheek.
- Tom Robbins
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Learn to dance, otherwise the angels in heaven won't know what to do with you.
- St. Augustine
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Dance is the hidden language of the soul.
- Martha Graham
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I just put my feet in the air and move them around.
- Fred Astair
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To dance is to give channel to the Creator.
- Ali Abdullah
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David danced before the Lord.
- Old Testament: II Samuel
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The dance is strong magic. The dance is a spirit. It turns the body to liquid steel. It makes it vibrate like a guitar. The body can fly without wings. It can sing without voice. The dance is strong magic. The dance is life.
- Pearl Primus
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If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no point dancing it.
- Isadora Duncan
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Let us read and let us dance -two amusements that will never do any harm to the world.
- Voltaire
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On with the dance! Let joy be unconfin'd; no sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet to chase the glowing hours with flying feet.
- Byron
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Dancers are athletes of God.
-Albert Einstein
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Without music, life would be a mistake… I would only believe in a God who knew how to dance.
-Friedrich Nietzche
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Power in Dance


   Prayer in Dance

Monday, September 26, 2011

82.82


Some days seem harder than others. We have all said that to ourselves and to our friends and colleagues.
Today started for me as a ‘harder day’ than others. So, I decided that reflection was necessary to pass through the day and get to evening. And in the reflection, I thought about this past year and what makes this day ‘harder’ than others.
No sooner than I put the thought of reflection in my mind, my past year started to pass by my mind’s eye. This past year was full of surprises, most bad at first glance. And that is the key phrase I will continue to relate to as I scribble today’s thoughts and awarenesses – ‘at first glance’.
Almost 3 years ago, I opened an expanded version of my business. And in that expansion a partnership was created with a new way of thinking and working with staff, vendors, past clients and clients to be. As time moved on it what was exciting –but fatigue, depression and confusion followed, leaving me astonished and full of denial for what ultimately would have to be a decision in changing lots of what I was working for in my career. No doubt, closing the business was the only way out. Separating a business partnership and the relations with staff and clients became a process of learning how to make life take meaning, for so long, in these past 3 years, my work became robotic and unrewarding. The day was filled with projects that were not equitable in many ways – financially, hours worked, and most importantly, the day was filled with joyless unemotional hours taking me from the business’s heart – Dancing! The business of being with people and teaching people a way to enjoy life through dance was turning superficial and almost a hoax as I did not enjoy that part of me that I lived and worked for during the past 37 years. Something had to stop. So I did, I stopped.
Making the choice to close the business and downsize was sort of easy once I slowed down enough to make some observations. Lack of business structure was what I saw stepping back and viewing it from a distance. Being busy and working does not replace stepping back and making observations.  Stepping back and making observations helps growth, whether that growth is business, personal, emotional or spiritual. Another observation: Not only was I falling, but the business was falling and it could not stable itself.  No one was stepping back and making that observation. Part denial and part fear.
“Stop being proud and take charge - even if it means going someplace you don’t like”, I said to myself. I knew that many people would not understand my choice, or even respect me for my choice. The façade of the business looked prosperous. It looked ‘high end and high brow’. So it left people confused as they fell prey to the illusion. Shortly, after my decision, people talked... they do, we all do…everyone had the answer! Everyone had the answer, but it was not the answer I chose, making some unhappy and more confused. But the answer truly and only lives in the questioner. And many, many friends and family saw and listened to my question and viewed it as ‘Laurence’s question’. It is easy to give advice, criticize and make plans for someone else… believe me, we’ve all tried and I’ve done it too!
A year ago, a friend and I were seated at a roadside restaurant on Congress Street getting ready to enjoy a day that was crisp and fresh and welcoming the change of season. The area was the usual -people buzzing about, traffic, people or all shapes and sizes, ages and social status, just being out – at lunch time – doing what the day brings. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a hooded person crossing the street, just wondering around in the square. I paid no attention – it’s the usual kind of pedestrian traffic that hangs around the area. Back to the menu… then a scream! And the guy was on fire. My friend and I looked awkwardly at each other and the situation. For me, with so much reality TV and shock value programming I thought it may be a prank to see who would respond. Grotesquely, it was not a prank. My friend ran across the street and grabbed a carpet from the front of a store; I took off my sweatshirt to pound the fire out. A man jumped out of his car with a fire extinguisher using it to lower the flames and another man slapped the fire with his clothing. The young guy kept screaming “Just let me die! Just let me die!” The fire was mostly out. I was looking into his eyes, his gaze was scared and helpless and he kept saying ‘Just let me die” quietly almost in a whisper. I am a Reiki Practitioner, but unable to touch him for his own physical pain, I passed Reiki to him holding my hands just above his legs and trying to calm him with my eyes and looking at him lovingly. Once the firefighters and ambulance got to the scene, we were all able to go back to what we were doing before this horrible and tragic event happened.
Back at the restaurant, we looked and the menu unable to even read or choose and item for lunch. Lunch seems so pointless. We decided to walk back to his office. The smell of smoke was on our clothing. Later that day, I found out that the young man was a relative of my friend. He was more surprised than I. The young man dressed in bagged gasoline soaked clothing could costume anyone to an unknown status. As I sat in my car, I texted another friend telling him of my experience. The text was unreal to type. I sat there and cried. I could not imagine how someone could get so low, low enough to light a fire. I was angry at society; families; schools; friends; churches; help centers… I was mad and frustrated at everything wondering how could this get by all these opportunities and organizations; loving friends and families; anyone? I wanted to know this person and just be their friend; be there to listen and be the one to acknowledge their life is precious. Life does not have to be easy – but all life is precious. We all need to know we mean something to someone and to the world –for we are precious. And we are enough.
From burning man to closing my business, today’s ‘harder day’ that usual seems so unnecessary to be identified as a ‘harder day’ than usual.
From the reflection of this past year and re-crying for the burning man, I imagined this day to be one of many days I will appreciate. This day should not to be labeled in any other way than ‘thankful’. A thankful day. I always say to my friends when they get caught up in a crazy day “Breathe Deep and Walk Slow”. And today, I had to take my own advice.
(I chose to take out the names of my friends in respect for their privacy and personal reflections they may have. Doing this prevents unsolicited dialogue that may be uncomfortable.)