Blog 1873 – 11.09.2020

The Smartest Man in the Countryside

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The Smartest Man in the Countryside

John, the country man in today’s story, was indeed a wise detective. But there is a wisdom that dwells in most all of us if we just pause and think calmly rather than allowing ourselves to be caught up in the oft’ times misguided passions of others. Passion adds much to life but unless it is bridled by reason it can move us to make many more terrible mistakes and to even commit the most monstrous acts. History is littered with examples of slavery and genocide and a host of other atrocities that were committed by people passionately overcome by conspiracy theories offered by false leaders who had but one real agenda, their own aggrandizement.

The thief in the story was not caught red-handed but with clean hands. Indeed the more expert thieves seldom get their hands dirty but even those with the highest I.Q.’s usually give themselves away or end up confessing in the end. Secrets as Jesus said are impossible to keep forever. The quote is, “Nothing is said in secret but that it will be shouted from the housetops.” Even our most well kept secret motives will be outed eventually and we must own up to them openly admitting them to all, even ourselves.

It is important that we keep that reverse gear well lubed and tested for we will need to use it and often. It is a very silly and childish notion this blaming everything on others and never admitting or apologizing for our own mistakes. Making mistakes is how we learn and owning up to them and correcting them is how we grow. There is no progress without this process. Wise people define insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Nothing ever changes unless we change our minds first and decide to try something different.

I understand the conservatives’ desire to hold on to what they believe to be the good things from our past and at the same time the progressives’ desire to let go of things that they believe are not working and try some new things. It really is not either/or but both we need to stay sane in this crazy time/space jungle. We can think positive and still see the negative, we can worry a little and still be hopeful, we can share our sweet dreams and still enjoy a scary story occasionally. Even a bowl of cherries has pits without which we cannot grow more cherries.

Well to mix metaphors I have certainty gone round and round the mulberry bush this time but then I often do. Living in a bigger tent allows much more room for debate and different points of view. Read the first of the Ten Intentions for a Better World:

Check out all ten. They are to me a better and more positive way to conduct ourselves in the world than the more familiar Ten Commandments. It is worth pointing out that even in the list of Ten Thou Shalt Nots that two (3 & 4) are actually “Do’s”not “Don’t’s” with only eight being “No No’s.”

I think a man, probably Moses, actually wrote those rules. If truly divinely written they would have I suppose been a bit more fair and balanced. It is hard for me to think (believe) that a truly all powerful, all loving, God would have wasted the first biggie on a warning against voting for an alternative candidate realizing as I am sure He/She does that the Universe runs unopposed there being no other choice.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5UGucaz8iwNeHdKYkg1VlM4SlE/view?usp=drivesdk

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