Prayers

Mar 13, 2011

Odd Thought

Watching the horrible aftermath of the tsunami wave that hit Japan made me wonder if one could solve the problems in the Middle East.
I don't know what else could put them on the same side.  The human side.
I don't know how to fight an enemy who does not value their own life or those of their children, and I don't know anybody who does, either.

They really have us there, don't they?

It's a whole new kind of war and it's been going on for quite a while now and we are not winning or losing.  We are trying to hold our own and waiting to see what happens.  We scurry around and react to everything they do, too late.  We sacrifice our own freedoms and conveniences that we have worked hard to earn in the name of safety.  Give me a break.  I have done nothing to be searched for and I'll be damned if I will stand in a line and teach my children that it is normal to submit to that.  How do you think they got those poor Jewish people on those trains?  Why show your hand and force someone if you can entice them to do it on their own?  The self made chains of slavery are nothing to sneeze at, people.  We do it to ourselves all the time, and often because we want to be "polite", and not make a scene.  Do not be afraid of a scene, my dears, any woman who has ever given birth will tell you it is not fatal.  In fact, it can be empowering.

Remember the Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All?  She had something to say on this subject:

"How soon, sugar, the terrible becomes routine.  We've all got this dangerous built-in talent: for turning horrors into errands.  You hear folks wonder how the Germans could've done it?  I believe part of the answer is: They made extermination be a nine-to-five activity.  You know, salaries?  Lunch breaks?  And the staff came and did their job and went home and ate supper and slept and woke and came back and did their job and came home and ate their supper and slept and woke and came back and did their job. ---That's partly how you get anything done, especially a chore what's dreadful, dreadful. --Honey?  We've  all got to be real careful of what we can get used to."

Is that gold or what? 
She said this after telling a story about how the North burned out a plantation and while doing it talked about their wives and children, their plans for after the war.  Like it was a normal day.  By then I think it was a normal day for them.  A normal day.

Please think hard about how much of an affect simply "accepting" changes can make in the world and in people's minds.  Think long and hard about it because once things change they never go back to the same way again.  We live in the greatest country in this world and it's the greatest because of our freedoms.  People risk their lives for it all the time.  We've fought for it ALWAYS.
It is staggering if you think about it for even 5 minutes.
Make your choices count.

I Hit it!

I have always tried to live my life with "the flow" of the direction I feel my life is supposed to follow.  Part of this, and it may seem like a trivial part, is the urge to clean.  I have what I like to call "high energy" days and "low energy" days. 
A high energy day is a day when you get up and feel like you need to "accomplish" something.  This could be re-organizing your cabinets, yard work, cleaning, or paying the bills.  It doesn't really matter what you do, all that matters is that you have this urge inside you to get it done and you just "know" that you can do it and not get tired.
A low energy day is a day when you get up and you don't feel like doing anything.  You might sleep, shuffle around in your pajama's all day, not shower, read, the list is endless.  It doesn't really matter what you do on days like this either, and do not make the mistake of torturing yourself for not doing any of those things on your list.
We need both kinds of days.  The low energy days are days when we need to take a break and nurture ourselves, let ourselves rest, concentrate more on our spiritual lives.  The high energy days are when we have been given the gift of energy, and applied correctly, can make us able to enjoy the next low energy day guilt free. 
Guilt free is a good way to go through life.  It's not easy, of course, and it's doesn't come quickly, but you can get there if you catch that wave of the high energy day and ride it all the way to shore.
I have had such a day.  I have had two of them.  I can barely raise my arms above my head, and I'm still a lttle jiggly, but every muscle in my body is tight and I feel like a weight lifter.  I also feel like the Queen of my castle.
It's not a big secret or anything, but this is what I did:  I cleaned my carpets.  The entire upper floor of my house today boasts clean carpets.  It smells wonderful.  The Grand Finale was none too thrilled about it, to say the least, but did the Queen care?  No.  What we have not actually washed down this weekend we have dusted and put away, and put away where it belongs, not stuffed it under a piece of furniture.  I feel ready now, and this is the best part of high energy days.
I felt this surge coming on, you will too if you concentrate on them.  For $25 I rented a steam cleaner from a friend, helping her out with some cold hard cash, and that gave me the weekend.
If you "work out", I say good for you.  I am just wondering who cleans your house, because I am here to tell you that you can get an intensive, free workout at home just about any time.  I spent about 4 hours Friday night and Saturday slowly, slowly moving a heavy machine across the floors of my house.  By Saturday night I felt like I had dug a ditch, or maybe a grave.  I took a very hot, very long bath and went to bed at 7:30 pm.  Today I got up around 8 am and have spent the whole day in my pajama's watching movies.  I did fix breakfast about 11 am and need to go see about fixing another meal now, but the point is I am enjoying a low energy day.  And what muscles I do have left ( I use this term loosely, I don't really think I have any left) all feel toned.  Today I almost went out and started raking leaves and burning those, but the wind was blowing and the urge left me.  Just like that, I knew it was a low energy day, and I smiled and got comfortable on the couch, guilt free.  It rarely gets any better than that. 
Enjoy the ebb and flow of your life, and the simple joys that make it worth living.  Tomorrow is another day and no telling what it will bring.  Be ready to go with the flow.