The Fabric of US

The fabric of a civilization, to me, has always been how well it's people work together. Then I drive to work and watch as more and more people run red lights, stop signs, speed, drive dangerously.... funny how you're my countryman until we're driving near each other, then you're my enemy.

No wonder we're so confused.... but then adjust your perspective even farther and see how civilized our planet has become. I'm trying to find some reason to be proud of US without having the source of that thing I'm proud of come from our disgrace.

The grocery store, shopping malls, amusement parks and so on; they all seem to have the same atmosphere: competition. Where did the cooperation go? Where did consideration go? Where did all the values we were raised to believe disappear to? When did we grow to hate each other so much? We villianize yet don't want to be villianized. We are prejudiced yet don't want to be prejudged? It amazes me. We join a group, be it religious or what have you, which defines itself by what it's opposed to not what it believes in and we can't figure out why the positives in our lives are eroding?

How many have given control over? How many consciously positive acts do make in any given day? How do you take control over your own life and happiness? I've heard so many excuses, just in conversations with my friends. So many join that group as that positive act so that the group can do the positive work for them, then they simply go back to the way they were before while believing they are in some way contributing. No, I'm sorry, you're not. What you're doing is buying a clean conscience. Don't feel too bad though, that has happened all throughout our history. It wasn't too long ago you could buy your way into heaven, according to the Catholic Church, but don't tell Martin Luther we've undone his work and that you can, once again, buy indulgences. You may say that this is only one "branch" of Catholicism and that it doesn't pertain to you directly. Well, do you live on this planet? Are you exposed to people who are a) of a different religion or b) read? Then how exactly do you keep this concept from invading your consciousness?  It isn't a solid & tangible thing, like gingivitis which we fight by using mouthwash. It is before words,  not of this reality, a concept which is exposed to us all and whether presented positively or negatively anyone can be exposed to it. You cannot rid the world of it because it comes from us, all of us. It comes from every lazy inclination we indulge, every corner we cut, every half step we excuse. It is our nature, it seems, to live down to our lowest not up to our highest consciousness. 

Have you ever worked somewhere and it just clicked? Where everyone was pulling their weight and the whole thing was fun to be a part of? Do you remember when it died? Because they all do. It only takes one person to shift a bit, a new person added, a stabilizing force to leave, etc and it's all gone and all those folks who were giving their 100% now watch to see how much everyone else is going to do first. How easily our ideals crumble. It only takes one anymore. There was a day where peoples moral fiber was stronger, when their work ethic was more sound; of course with that great positive came the counterbalance of closed mindedness. It seems we have always been trying to find a way to live our ideals, and compromising. There is a huge difference between compromise for the greater good and compromise to avoid a conflict. Once we head down that road we are forever governed by the bullies in our life.

The great civilizations of our time came about from the work of cooperative individuals. There was no way to buy the great democracy of ancient Greece, well not at least until it it transformed and became the warlike nation of Rome. Then you could buy your democracy, which would be a bit more fair in your favor. The same concept exists today, we call them special interest groups and lobbyists. It is a way to circumvent the system and get more for me than for you. It's how our country works now, and we can see it's action in our everyday encounters; the mall, the grocery store, the highway; anyplace many of us congregate without supervision or leadership. No one is sitting on the front of your shopping cart reminding you to be considerate. No one is riding shotgun helping you to see what a dick you're being by cutting that guy off. We have only ourselves to rely upon and we're not up to the task anymore. We've given away our responsibility, to our government; all while we said it was corrupt, buy hey, it's better than actually getting involved, our religious organizations; which tell us who to hate, just about anyone who promises us less work and more fantasy. We no longer believe in the sacrifice of parenthood and we leave our kids to be raised by "Jersey Shore" and other "reality" television because, hey, it's easier than getting involved. We see the lack of our action everywhere. We see this attitude, which we greedily adopt, all over and we "support it from our lands in the north while I gain English favor by condemning it, and ordering it opposed from our lands in the south" and this dialogue takes place within us, between our puppets and our true selves and still we wonder why we're so confused. It is our bright and true self wanting to do good giving in to the We wonder why we have no hope. We wonder why the world seems so bleak. We wonder why no one has fixed it yet. We suck.

We pollute and make the excuses of how it is necessary for our survival, there we go ordering it condemned and supporting it all at the same time. We just made our existence now more important than generations to come, yet we don't see it in that light. The light of truth which is without excuses or "circumstances". Just look for yourself and see what you see. Detach yourself from the viewpoints given to you through family, community, religion, government, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation and so on and find your true self and look. Find your morals and ethics, define who you are through your actions not your clothes, house, job, car, money because all of those are just the merit badges of looking away, of saying "this doesn't concern me" and falling back to sleep while children have their childhood stolen to make the clothes which define who you are. You exist before words, before concepts and you are completely free to be the person you are. We are, all of us, responsible for our selves, our brothers and sisters, this planet and every single second of our lives. Remember that job? The one where it just clicked and everyone got along. Do you remember?

Why can't the world be that way? I'll tell you, the reason is us.

We have had beautiful souls who have tried and tried to tell us, to warn us and yet we won't listen... until after their death, then we define ourselves by their words. Don't define yourself by their words, understand them; find yourself to an understanding of the concept before the words and look into your honest heart and see if it exists there, only you can know.

Examine these with your soul:

A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.
Mohandas Gandhi 

We win justice quickest by rendering justice to the other party.
Mohandas Gandhi


What is true of the individual will be tomorrow true of the whole nation if individuals will but refuse to lose heart and hope.
Mohandas Gandhi

Those who say religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion is.
Mohandas Gandhi

Though we may know Him by a thousand names, He is one and the same to us all.
Mohandas Gandhi

We do not need to proselytise either by our speech or by our writing. We can only do so really with our lives. Let our lives be open books for all to study.
Mohandas Gandhi

Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy.
Mohandas Gandhi

A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.
John F. Kennedy

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
John F. Kennedy


A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on the installment plan.
Martin Luther King, Jr.


A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.
Martin Luther King, Jr.


A riot is the language of the unheard.
Martin Luther King, Jr.


An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.
Martin Luther King, Jr.


Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.
Martin Luther King, Jr.


Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.
Dalai Lama

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.
Dalai Lama

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
Dalai Lama


Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend - or a meaningful day.
Dalai Lama



Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.
Buddha

However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them?
Buddha

In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.
Buddha

It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.
Buddha

It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.
Buddha

The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.
Buddha

Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.
Buddha

The thought manifests as the word; the word manifests as the deed; the deed develops into habit; and habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its ways with care, and let it spring from love born out of concern for all beings.
Buddha

and, though I'm vastly out of my league with these beautiful souls, one of my own:

The recognition of a moment where you witnessed yourself making an excuse to yourself for your own bad behavior is your call to enlightenment by establishing the source, action of and only escape from your own karma.
Ryan Nikkel