Blog 320 – 06.20.2016

I heard a preacher comment once on Winston Cigarettes’ slogan from the past, “Winston Satisfies” that if that slogan were really true they would only have had to put one in a pack. People who smoke, drink or take drugs (legal or illegal) are often only looking for temporary satisfaction, relief from the pain or the just plain boredom or monotony of their lives. People who have a good education, an interesting and good paying job, loving family, and a comfortable home often are not aware that many people live lives of quiet desperation that drive them to drink, drugs, or religion to give their lives moments of pleasure or hope. And even with all of those things going for them life can still be without satisfaction so much so they think of ending it all.

I mention religion with drink and drugs because one great anti-religious group in their Manifesto referred to religion as “the opiate of the people.” Religions have been used by the rich and powerful rulers of many empires to numb the populous and keep them from revolt.

A friend recently commented that he was tired of most of the comments, posts, and re-posts on Facebook dealing with politics and  religion (New Age and Regular) and he called it all crap. That reminds me of a line from the movie Hero starring Dustin Hoffman. The very street wise character Dustin plays is trying to explain all the religions to his young son and says, “There are all these layers of BS and you just pick the layer you want to believe.”

Of course everyone wants to believe their’s is the one true God, the one true religion. Well, all I can says is good luck with that. From my limited perspective even the scientist/atheist has to have quite a bit of faith to believe the evidence will confirm his or her theories. Sounds like just another layer of “crap” to pick from to me.

Perhaps we are so unsatisfied because we have failed to admit what we thought was true is no longer working for us. There was a song in my youth called “Is That All There Is?” that describes what I am getting at. To a child the circus seems like such a magical thing and it is for a performance or two but look at it long and hard and behind the performances and you soon find yourself singing with the lady in the song: Is that all there is to the circus? Many things promise to satisfy but fail to deliver. Like the ole country song, “Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places” even romantic love always ends in a sad good bye when one or the other dies, cheats or just gets tire of pretending they feel something that they no longer do. Romantic love like so many of the layers just doesn’t satisfy at least not for nearly long enough. Lovers who are friends last longer but even they must part in death if not before.

Instead of looking without, look within. Sometime if you listen you can even hear it in a song you have heard a hundred times. I did today: “No night so long that you can’t find the day. No day so wrong that you can’t find the way. Follow me like you used to do. I still can show you who you are.”

And my friends the One who inspired those words and made sure I heard them clearly is the One you can trust to truly satisfy. Whether you perceive that as the Universe, your Higher Self, or God by countless names there is satisfaction to be found. Don’t give up the search.

Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White