All Deserve Respect

ALL DESERVE RESPECT

Boy.

Girl.

Everyone.

We respect.

Right!

(cinquain in fibonacci syllabic sequence)

The Great Quest

This world will tell you what or who you should be from day one.  For the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) and Empath this is a tragedy.  Without knowledge, we HSPs will listen to any idea out there and abide by it just out of sheer loyalty.  Self can get lost.  Some people feel like they need to forgive themselves.  I think they might have gotten their 'self' really lost. It's essential for the HSP to figure out who and what they are so that they can grow and be effective in society.

Its easy to live in someone's reality.  We do it as children.  We get to live in our parents' reality.  We may not get the message that we are to create our own reality.  That is, live in our own world and play our own game.  It may be a frightening thing to start down that road, but start we inevitably must.  Sooner or later we will be without our parents.  We may start our own families, careers, hobbies, and preferences.  I know of people who have the hardest time taking that step.  I recommend to take a deep breath and jump in.  Like jumping in a pool, it may feel awful at first but you soon get your bearings.

I realize it's hard to disconnect from parents, mentors, or even friends.  If you have a great family life, it is harder to disconnect than if you had a bad family life.  If you do come from a great family, being on your own is important to discover yourself and figure out how to better yourself.  Sometimes separation is thrusted upon you like entering the military, moving because of a new job, or even a death.  In such cases, I think it's important not to latch on to anyone else but to become self sufficient and start planning what you want to do.  It's only when your alone can you meditate and figure out your own feelings.


Eventhough you are on your own, your really not alone.  Parents, mentors, friends should be a phone or text message away for advice.  It's good to listen to your guides.  Guides come not only from people in your life, but also from what people say, what papers and blogs write, what books say...etc.  I think the most important guide to listen to is the guidance you get when you meditate.  You can extend your feelers to the world around you and figure out what it coming.  Feelings and premonitions are normal to have.  Too often people ignore these.  It is good to take these into consideration while you observe the physical world.  Of course, one of the most important guide is the plan you laid out for yourself.  That is, the things you want in the future.

Why am I encouraging HSPs to be their own person?  Well, it's because it took a long time for me to realize that that is the better way.  There are groups out there that recruit the unsuspected into their ideology, theology, or 'mission.'  These groups are self absorbed manipulative masters.  No, the HSP is better off on their own and figuring out how to help people in the world around them.  The Quest in this life should be for the betterment of self and community.  Do not waste it on someone else's ideals.  More often than not, if you do follow someone else they usually are sociopaths.  These people have no concern for anyone else but their own goals no matter what it costs others.  That's why I give this warning to all HSPs and Empaths.

Sub-Hero

Have you ever, and you may not have, been embarrassed or ashamed by your  heritage?  You may come from a people that have committed atrocities or have certain attitudes of types of people.  In history we read that many people have died in the 20th Century.  World War I saw the advent of wide spread chemical warfare, of the tank, and of the airplane bomber.   Thousands died in it.  Then thousands died under the Third Reich due to pure racism.  Thousand also died in the Soviet Union under Stalin.  Thousands died in China in the cultural revolution.  The killing fields of Cambodia were striking.  Murders upon murders in South and Central America were horrifying.  And what is yet to be told of the bloodiness in North Africa under the dictators of Egypt and Libya and others?  The genocide in Central Africa also comes to mind and many more incidents.  It was a bloody century, perhaps the bloodiest of them all.  What if you came from the people who committed those atrocities, or a people who had the attitude that lead to the massacre of thousands?  What if you were ashamed of these attitudes and tried to counter them?  I dare to coin a term for this, a sub-hero.  I will endeavor to define what a sub-hero is and does.

A sub-hero hates.  Of the first steps a sub-hero makes is that of realizing and hating the heritage of murderous attitudes.  He/She owns them.  He/She puts intent to not repeat them, ever.  He/She mourns the loss of lives and the loss of dignity.  The past is past and the sub-hero does not dwell in the past but looks to the future.

A sub-hero warns.  Any time the sub-hero encounters the murderous attitudes, their blood goes cold.  They cringe at it, and sneer at it.  Then the verbal counter to these attitudes comes out.  Due to tactfulness, a fight with the promoters of these attitudes can be adverted.  Loving the promoters as well as the victims is necessary to the sub-hero.  If he/she looses them then the war is lost.  Getting others to shun these murderous attitudes is the key.  Thus the sub-hero guards the sanctity of love and peace.

A sub-hero is not praised.  There is no honor to being a sub-hero.  The very nature of their state is shameful.  They may not reveal their identity with the atrocious heritage.  Who would praise them?  Who would look up to them to emulate?  None dare.  A sub-hero's path is lonely and ungrateful, and yet it's necessary.  It's a cross to bear and a penance to perform.

A sub-hero hates, warns, and is not praised.  This is a first definition of this term.  This World needs sub-heroes.  Our societies need healing.  Our people need teaching.  If the human race is to take the next step towards enlightenment, then murderous attitudes need to be left behind.  We need to grow up and face each other with our problems and work them out rather than having the cowardly cop-out of murder.

People Power

Back in the 80's and 90's I used to wonder how much power people actually had.  Back then it seemed like there was not enough power to effect any kind of social or consumer change.  Today we have two things that places power squarely on the people, communications via the internet and the economic recession.  These two enable the types of change we see today.

Revolutions are going on in the Islamic world.  Starting with Iran in 2009 and continuing this month, January 2011, people in the Middle East and Northern Africa are demonstrating in the streets.  They are unhappy with their governments and want them to listen.  They got organized and spread the word among them via the modern communications the internet brings.  Actually, this phenomena is not only affecting politics in Islam dominant countries, but western countries as well.  In the United States, the democrat people have been using it to protest social and political problems.  I heard that the internet was effective early in the campaign of Barak Obama for the Presidency.  Recently, the other side to include Republicans have banned together to form the movement called the Tea Party to bring about political and legislative change.  What change will the people be able to bring about?  In Tunisia, the dictator was ousted, but what kind of government will he be replaced with?  The hope is a democratic government, but we will have to see.

With the effects of the recession being felt, companies are smarting up.  It used to be that they were able to come out with a gadget, market it and sell it and make a profit.  This was in spite of what people actually thought about the product, or how safe it was.  Recently I saw a ad by Radio Shack which was different.  It marketed non-contractual cell phones.  That's prepaid cell phones.  I thought that was remarkable.  It indicates that more people are buying prepaid cell phones rather than the contractual cell phones.  It also indicates that companies like Radio Shack is paying attention.  Usually this means that the company wants to make money in the area its marketing.  So the purchasing power of the people is effecting change.

So here we are in 2011 with some people power in politics and economics.  Its limited, but its there.  So kudos to those who are exercising it.  Its the Democratic way.  To those who are currently protesting, kudos to you for presenting your grievances.  Its an inalienable right.

Comedy to change the world

When you think about comedy, you may think jokes that are from your own world setting.  If your from the United States, you think of stuff that perhaps Bill Cosby or Jeff Foxworthy has said.  If your from Europe you may think of your own stand-up comedians.

When a people don't have comedians or enough comedians, then they tend to make fun of their perceived enemies.  Its human nature.  Comedy brings a smile and I believe brings happiness in the form of some endorphin like chemicals in the body.  It causes people to put down their defenses and ease their attacks.  I also think it gives the brain a pause.  This pause is a pause from serious business.  Have you ever heard a stressed out person laugh?  They overly laugh.  They are laugh louder and longer, sometimes for a half hour or so.  Laughter is a needed thing for the brain and the body.

Wondrously and in the mist of wars and attacks and fighting and stress, comes these stories here and there of comedians coming from the Muslim world.  What?! Comedy from/for Muslims?  Isn't that a faux pas?  Or is it?

NPR did a story on a Arab-American comedian.  You can check out the story here.  His name is Dean Obeidallah and he is in the middle of a Comedy movement that is being embraced by the Middle Eastern world.  Apparently there are some young Muslim comedians coming out of the woodwork as well.


Comedy is a great medium.  You can share almost anything with it.  People tend to empathize in a comedy context.  You can also share social issues from stupidity to abuses.  Laughing at oneself is a very powerful empathizing technique form of communication.  If you can laugh at yourself you can get the ear of the most hard hearted person.


Can comedy change the world?  I think it can.  I think it will also take time.  A generation has to grow up with it and embrace it as their own.


Incidentally one of my favorite types of books to read are books written by stand-ups,oh, and also Dave Berry.