Occupy Reflections

A statue of a corporate dude is the only symbol that was visible at Zuccotti Park when we arrived the morning of November 17, 2011, as if taunting the incoming protestors of the previous night's raid. A few workers garbed in pseudo haz-mat suits were steam cleaning the park as a good riddance reminder of what the mayor thinks of the Occupy ilk.

Perhaps I am a coward... as I was afraid to get a photo of the massive police force that greeted us as a blockade along the streets leading into Wall Street where the protest commenced. But we managed to sneak around the block to participate anyway.

Just as we got around the block, another small police presence arrived...ironically by the Imperial truck. There were only three of them so we slipped by.

It was light out, but even on a automatic setting my camera could sense the darkness I was experiencing. This is a police state.

The furled hem of the flag just looked like Uncle Sam's cap upon a financial building... freedom to capitalism is what I saw. I was afraid.

A shy looking woman with an excellent sign caught my attention. The protesters were of a mixed demographic.

A peace sign flag was a solace to me and because I was afraid of getting pepper sprayed or clubbed over the head for being here, I put on my best smile and marched with my fingers in a peace sign.

A simple cardboard message of why I am here. I live well... but why shouldn't everyone else as well. If one of us suffers we all do... isn't this what compassion is about?

Our vantage point... there is only one way to go, Occupy here and now.  So we did. Was it scary? Yes, it was.

Another sign lifted by someone my age that gave me solace... these are not just a bunch of angst ridden teenagers out for some anarchy... the attendees were a good sampling of the entire community... young, old, poor, affluent, black, white... all boundaries crossed and in peaceful unity. The mainstream media is wrong.

The buildings around wall street are like the cathedrals of olden times, built to intimidate and make you think that capitalism is the pinnacle of the world and somehow godly. This patriarchal aggression will not survive.

I would still like to remain the beautiful "litter" that decorates the street and bears witness to the hope of Spring in the dying. Only people, not corporations are capable of determining their own personal and collective fate. Power to the People!

Reflections on 11-11-11

Today is a very important and exciting day for me! Over the past several weeks I have been spending many hours alone in quiet reflection and meditation centering on what it means to be alive in this world and what is my purpose for being here? I have experienced many emotions and thoughts... from a peaceful and contented joy to the depths of the dark night of the soul, and though I have have no miraculous answers to my question of search, I have gained some insights regarding my own human experience.

I am at my core a divinely connected being to everything else in this world, a co-creator with Life itself. My purpose is simply to live and experience and find the joys of being connected to that wonderful something that I cannot fully understand or even talk about... but it seems to be everywhere and I shall call it Divine.
  I do not have a particular mission that must be fulfilled... it is ok to be who I am at any given point along the journey of experience, for I am a unique traveler. I look back on my life and find rich reasons for why I feel and think and emote as I do, knowing I lived to the best of my ability and so have all the other travelers who have crossed my path. There is no point in dwelling on what might have been or should have been... doing this has just led me into a state of depression. It's ok to forgive and forget.
I look to the future as an exciting doorway into the unknown, with the unfolding of an experience of ever changing choices. I have a general idea of things I'd like to accomplish, yet I don't spend too much time on the planning and striving part, as this just seems to cause anxiety and ultimate disappointment when my plans don't materialize. It's ok to go with the flow!
As I am physically in my Autumnal years I try to stay present and aware of each moment as I go through the experience of living and I am thankful for all the blessings that I have. I will often say aloud, "Everything is wonderful" and the more I say it, the more wonderful things seem to come to light. I smile and then notice the world smiling around me. When my thoughts stray to the dark side, well... that has a consequence as well, and I have no one to blame but myself for how I feel. So I have learned to stay self aware, especially with my interactions with others. My own conscience and intuition gives me clues as to how I am doing with human connections.
 Going forward I would like to speak less, listen more, give joyously of my time and talents to everyone with whom I come in contact with, and focus more on what is right with the world and less on what is wrong. I will accept all of my humaness as a gift... a colorful experience infused with the Divine spirit that connects us all. And I will continue to meditate, as it is a means of finding that inner peace.