Awakenings

Little by little, we Americans are awakening. One at a time.

It is, after all, up to each of us to open our eyes, minds, and spirit to see reality as it exists, in each moment. Then, with consciousness and compassion, create our next shared moment in a more responsive way.

The core of why I write is to explore what I see as I awaken.

We are becoming more aware of what's been going on during our slumber, and are beginning to reclaim the soul of our country. I have no particular belief system to peddle, only the knowledge that in awareness we all make a difference.

A recent mini-fad has been for something called, "The Secret." It is a compilation of ancient teachings packaged for the America of greed. While offering a workable technique, it misses on compassion and responsibility. Add those two qualities to the mix, and the universe continues to expand in resources. Lose those qualities, and our universe seems to contract. When the contraction occurs, fear of scarcity arises. Fear, manipulated, always allows for fascism.

We all know what happened to the major fascist states of the Twentieth Century. They were destroyed.

How our future unfolds is up to each one of us.

The America that once was, both admirable and evil, no longer exists. It was a rapid extinction. The empire is crumbling -- as all empires must. What gets created in its wake, can be magnificent or more hateful.

Again, it is up to us. Politics follows, never leads. We citizens need to lead our leaders. If each one of us awakens and steps out of the darkness, oh what light we will see.

I'm betting on the light. And forgiving even the most hateful of us, our recent thug leaders.

That last sentence is probably the most difficult for me. But if I don't forgive, then I'm a hypocrite. Since I detest hypocrisy, I have no choice but acknowledge reality in each moment, and to forgive. The forgiveness must extend even to myself, for the part I have played in projecting the reality we've been recently experiencing.

So you see, my system folds right back onto itself.

Works for me.

What about you?...


-Arye Michael Bender