Back in the land of Hurricane Rick

Well, devoted readers, you probably noticed my three week lapse in postings. I put on my traveling shoes and took a trip up to visit family in the US of A and am now back in the land of Magaritas, señoritas and hurricanes. I even managed to find a bit of adventure while I was there… my first bus trip in the US!

The Unsung Hero

Today you saved my life…
In the dark and empty alleys of New York,
You gave yours that I might live.

You held my hand and prayed
As we stood between the seats
Of a plane falling from the sky.

One day as a child, walking
Through the lonely streets,
You gave me a dollar so that I could eat.

You did battle for me against
Corrupt and greedy politics,
Though I didn’t even understand the bill.

Teacher barred the door as gunshots rang out
In the hall. I was too scared to move, but
You helped me climb out the window.

The morning after my mother died,
You were standing on a street corner, waiting to cross.
I needed a hug, you held me as I cried.

Lost in the darkness of my thoughts,
In a chatroom you found me.
The plans to end my life were abandoned.

When the test turned blue, you
Didn’t turn away. You stood by my side,
Through the choices I had to make.

Standing in the checkout line
I knew this disease would end my life, but
You smiled and said I looked nice today.
I felt hope again.

Never underestimate the power of
One small act of kindness.
You may never understand
How much you’ve changed a life,
But I do.
And from the bottom of my heart, I thank you
For the mercy, the joy, the faith restored to me.
Bless our unsung heroes.

BELIEVE… It makes a difference.

I believe I can make a difference.

So much injustice and pain in this world. So much terrorizing and hurting of our neighbor. But how do we, as fragmented individuals, put a stop to it? Violence begets violence, and an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. So what do we do? It’s very simple. Stop. Just stop. When you are pushed to the brink by an institution that threatens to destroy your very life, stop cooperating. Just walk away.

If each individual person simply refused to participate, the power held over them would melt away. Because you give that power. The power to make decisions about your life resides in you. Free-will is your God-given right. Your body, mind and soul were given to you and belong to no one else. So, if you dislike the power someone holds over you, stop giving it up to them.

There’s no need to be violent or vengeful about it. Simply return to a place of peace within your soul and walk away, taking the power over your being with you. Take responsibility for your own life and your own actions, because they already belong to no one but you.

He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.      ~ Matthew 9:9

I hear you now. ‘But I have to do this or that first. I need to take the wife on vacation to Maui. I’m too busy, I have too much on my plate. I want a new car, a new iPod, I want more.’ More is all well and good, but at what cost? As human beings, we are amazingly good at finding excuses and justifications for everything under the sun. When the world crumbles around you, will possessions mean a thing? You can take nothing with you from this life. So how about we find creative solutions instead?

The Choice of Heaven or Hell

Heaven and hell are within you. You create them and you have the choice: Will you quarrel amongst yourselves in hell? Or will you feed your brother at Heaven’s table? The choice is entirely yours. Below is a video of one man’s choice, made September 18, 2009 at the Balderas station in Mexico City subway. I’ll tell his story in just a moment.

Esteban Cervantes is… was 56, a poor construction worker who left behind a wife and five grown children. His son Gerardo Cervantes said of him, “I consider what he did heroic. My dad couldn’t stand injustice.” Esteban jumped out of that subway train unarmed and unprotected in an attempt to disarm the gunman after the police ran away. He was shot six times, but he continued to get up and try to stop the gunman. Six times, until a final bullet to the head killed him. Señor Cervantes had little and asked for nothing. He could have remained safely hidden on the train, but he did not. Think about it. Ask yourself – why can’t I make a difference?

Where’s Waldo?

Where's Waldo? Right there!

Youngest Solo Circumnavigator… at 13?

A new contender for the title of Worlds’ Youngest Circumnavigator has entered the arena!

Better hurry, LHC… Tevatron is catching up!

What’s almost as hot as the LHC? Fermilab’s particle accelerator, the not-quite-so world-famous Tevatron.

Music

Simple means of expression
Song as pure as the soul
Perfection in the chaos
Order rules, I lose control
Surrender to the inner heat
Let my fingers find their rhythm
Abandon all the rules
Give in to the nothing
Let the essence of life be your guide
When my fingers dance the song
Heartbeat bass that joins along
Hiss of breath between the teeth
Words that burst forth full of heat

It’s not that I want to make music
The music is inside me -
I have to let it out.

        © 2006 Cjoneski, all rights reserved.

The Masses, A Herd

One by one, they fall among the remnants
      of shattered dreams and restless minds.
Called ever onward by sibylline whispers,
      they are puppets with unseeing eyes
      and uncaring hearts.

Without a word, they walk down a golden road
      that has led them to this nightmare.
Never will they listen, never would they tell
      what the mutterers have said
      or what keeps them in their spell.

They’ve traded away humanity and freedom
      for what they could have earned instead;
With one step forward and two steps back,
      evolution is reversed
      So that we may start again.

Now and again, one turns off the path,
      retreating from the herd.
Loners left there at their best
      in silence and self-control,
      rewarded by their efforts.

They alone can sing a pure song,
      rejoicing in a living harmony
As they deliver a message of hope:
      ”We will all find our Freedom, my friend.”

       © 2007 Cjoneski, all rights reserved.

The Endless Energy of a Complicated Sea

Head thrown back, brown arms open wide,
I reach to embrace the embodiment of my joy.
Drinking of the ambrosial atmosphere
Around me flies Beauty, sweet freedom,
At peace with my place, my world.