That DC story was a pretty good one, wasn't it?

I'm thrilled to say that there's plenty more where that came from. As is the same for most anyone who gets out a little. I am pleased to say that I have gotten out at least somewhat, at least enough to say that if it was my time to go, I'd feel pretty good about not missing too much or having too many regrets along the way. I'd say that that's pretty dang good.



I think I might be on to something here...




I have an idea, I think I want to conduct a little experiment that might be kind of fun. I'm going to take a moment and make a little list of random things that come to mind that I have been intimately involved with within my short lifetime of fifty years...

After I get finished doing that, I want to see if, how and why these experiences might have a common theme.

Okay, here goes.

Let's see now, as of today I have been involved in:
True love, trekking as a troubadour in the Himalayas, creating multi-media public sculpture, 50 birthdays, a love adoption of a wonderful daughter, designing and building neon shops in two hemispheres, creating the classifieds section of a very popular little magazine and local entertainment rag in Austin,Texas, the Capital 10,000, wonderful friendships, my own bicycle shop, theatrical set design and construction, fighting hard and loosing, massive hangovers, professional photography, bad car wrecks, a plane crash, abortions, trying to reason with an abusive suicidal drunk, volunteer work, becoming a National Endowment for the Arts fellow, bad juju, sail planes, anxiety attacks, giving presentations at Universities and many schools and different organizations, carpentry, awesome love making, being a temporary emergency room surgeon, house painting, song writing, a robbery in Mexico, live stage performances, getting electrocuted, overwhelming depression, fighting hard and winning, threats of muscular dystrophy, grant writing, drawing, getting struck by lightning in a helicopter over the Gulf of Mexico, surfing, a trans Atlantic ship crossing, 11-11, profoundly effective qi gong, starting and running successful businesses, enduring betrayal of false friends, ditch digging, writing, barely avoiding big trouble in China, good food, mud slinging, wild romance, gross misunderstandings, capsizing at least two sailboats, shamanic journey, major schlepping of other people's stuff, gardening, drunk driving, teaching and learning neon in New Zealand, children, uncontrollable laughter, deep despair, stargazing, painting, a broken bone, failing miserably, fist fights, problem solving, a 1st place sand castle contest victory, passionate kissing, day-dreaming, high fever, getting my ass kicked, nightmares, great literature, February water-skiing wearing a hefty bag, landscaping, horse trading, boxing, printing, matrimonial bliss in Bhutan, difficult relationships, chasing down all 37 of the Nat spirits in Burma, hurricanes, overcoming threats of muscular dystrophy, true love, major schlepping of my own stuff, book making, skateboarding, experiencing a religious community, offshore gas production, overwhelming beauty, blows to the head, loneliness, having no bad feeling about killing animals, moving, steel-bending, welding, tree hugging, learning to be silent, surgery, cool inventions, having terrible feelings about killing animals, altered states of consciousness, car stereo installation, journeys with a shaman, cooking, playing the therimin, ditching a religious community, unsuccessful engagements, bliss by nature, benevolence, nitro glycerine explosives, altitude sickness, tolerating annoying channel surfing, intolerance, meditation, scary big wave wipeouts in Oaxaca, Mexico, crazy fun dance, insane dares, neon studio demonstrations and workshops in schools and my studio, writing a book about spirit houses in SE Aisa, international art exhibits, boredom, whale watching, gratitude, dying and death, good and bad architectural design, making neon, bathing in mud, creating a recycling infrastructure in Nepal, bicycle racing, car sickness, camping, International food poisoning and bad drinking water, a triathlon in Hawaii, a deep lightness of being, building my own homes & studios, recording an original cd with a real good band, playing music for the Austin State School Christmas party and pet care just to name a few.

Okay already, bastante es bastante.

Now that I have a list of things that I've experienced, my question now is, is there a common thread that runs through out the list?

Well the words engagement and reflection come to mind first. Maybe that's because as I was writing these down as they randomly came into my head, I seemed to kind of sentimentally examine and reflect on each of them for a split second as the memory began to unfold. Generally, the impression was that there was an impression made because of the intensity of the activities. DUH... Maybe motivation to engage in something is just an expression of the soul's appetite for experience.



One other big common thread I'm noticing is that if I was told of those things on that list, I doubt seriously that I could access much in the moment on demand. Which brings me to the point that it everything is being recorded in the Akashic record of our mind. I know that because of how easily what I haven't thought of for decades just spilled onto this page a minute ago.

In other words, no matter what one does ( barring unconsciousness ) the mind is always recording, filing and integrating all information that one comes into contact with in order to be called up for a whole host of reasons. The primary point that I am trying to move towards here though is about these thoughts that come to be reflected upon for refinement, resolution or just plain joy.

Perhaps this somehow explains why family becomes more important as one gets older.

I'm no psychoanthropoligist so I'll get off this train right here and now before I get myself in trouble with the idiot mob.

I'm making these speculations for a reason and I'll use the great Chinese Taoist calligraphers as my example.