Titanic Post

Liberty and democracy are not spectator sports! Be an active citizen … defend your civil rights!

Nicholson

It is my curse that I have to mess things up to make my life more interesting. Hence this site has yet another look and has returned to its original name.

Note: I have changed it again 7/08

This post was included in a comment made by Denise Lang to a post from May 19.2006 titled A Fransican Benediction.

I asked for strength that I might achieve; I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health that I might do greater things; I was given infirmity that I might do better things. I asked for riches that I might be happy; I was given poverty that I might be wise. I asked for power that I might have the praise of men; I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life; I was given life that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I had asked for, but everything that I had hoped for. Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered; I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

Thank you Denise!

7 July 2004:
Yesterday I strolled through Frankfurt and Sachsenhausen letting memories guide me through the streets. Starting in Sachsenhausen, across the Main River from Frankfurt, I walked by Karin’s old apartment building, where memories seemed the strongest. Karin and I had been very close for about four years. I rang her door-bell, but no one answered [we did get a chance to meet several days later.] I went by the old bicycle shop, I forgot its name, where I used to buy tire patches and handlebar tape. The shop was no longer there, a victim of larger, more efficient business practices. At home in New Mexico, I have an old black and white photo I made of the inside of the shop. The owner let me photograph the shop where sales and repairs were all performed in one dark and cluttered small room. I think he still had parts for bikes from the Kaiser Wilhelms era. (more…)

This weekend, I spent some time in the mountains. It was cool (literally) and peaceful and it smelled good, too. I need to go there periodically to keep my head straight and to put myself in a proper perspective regarding the rest of the universe.

Did you realize that planet earth is already in outer space and that we don’t really need space ships to explore space? This weekend my theme was materialism and how it makes me unhappy and dissatisfied and worry about money and things. I came to the conclusion that most people don’t really enjoy the material things they have collected, as they are too busy working and earning money for their future security to have much pleasure in anything.

I do buy things that give me pleasure. I enjoy my motorcycles. The things I do on a motorcycle give me pleasure. A bank account does not. Eating a slice of fresh mozzarella with a home-grown tomato, basil, and garlic sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and live virgin olive oil gives me pleasure. Life insurance does not. Technically this makes me a materialist, but not a very secure one.

There is an interesting correlation between security and freedom. Actually they are inveresly correlated. It appears that the more security you have, the less freedom and vice-versus. Makes you wonder what our Department of Homeland Security is all about, doesn’t it? It makes me wonder, too, why we allowed them to do it to us again. By ‘them,’ I mean our political leaders, although I don’t really have a need to be led by anyone. I don’t follow other peoples goals well. I don’t even follow my own goals well.

In the mountains, walking along a pine covered trail, I realized that the trick with living is to live artistically, to be able to love, and be loved, while at the same time avoiding narcissistic loneliness, crippling addictions, or fanatical allegiance to some grand overlying goal.  I have just discovered a philosophy of life that allows me to go ride anytime I want.  And how easy it was!

Being home alone the past few days, I’ve had this wonderful feeling of lightness as though nothing in the universe could be wrong or out of place. There is ‘wrong,’ I know, but it seems to have no importance. Things are also out of place. I can’t find my sun glasses again. The ‘good,’ on the otherhand, means something. What—I do not know. It feels like I’ve never had a tooth-ache in my whole life or anything else that went wrong. Blissful ignorance, you might say. That or maybe I don’t really exist in the normal sense. I have no special goal in life, nor can I perceive a purpose other than for the amusement of anyone who knows me. No, I haven’t been drinking, it was just a good day and I hope you had a good one too! Anyhow, I wish you all many good days and good nights. love…