I’ve been doing it again. Reading and posting in discussion forums in the online edition of the newspaper in Burlington, VT. The Opinion page always has letters about everything from taxes to the war to road conditions to climate change to politics to art. This forum draws posts mainly from a number of individuals who are pretty right wing in their opinions. They tend to be pro war, pro poverty (one person wrote that going hungry is a good life lesson for a child), pro Wal-Mart, pro Bush, and yet when they post it is usually to deride people on the left or their opinions with name calling and put downs worthy of a 9 year old in the schoolyard. They rarely ever actually discuss an issue on its merits.

Sometimes I post in these forums, anti war, facts about bush and cheney & co., my own opinions and also links to articles on other sites. This always results in a few posts that call me names, and which don’t address the issues I raised at all.

It’s a guilty pleasure. Posting there is sort of like baiting folks who can’t discern for themselves what is actually happening. I have a hard time crediting some of these folks with much smarts since they never actually say anything except put downs and party line. What do they really think? Do they understand what’s happening and not care, or perhaps they do not comprehend, due to some limitation, what is happening.

The missing ingredient seems to be compassion. The folks who post in this forum do not write about having compassion for people, for Earth, for anyone or anything. Everything is about putting people down, blaming liberals for their woes, plenty of criticizing, no critical thinking.

In my life I’ve borne witness to many situations and people. I have observed that the issue of our time is compassion. The world seems to divide into those who have it, who are empathic and relational or are evolving in that direction, and those who seem to lack compassion and are not empathic, seeing people and the world as commodity. Maybe some of these folks too are evolving in the direction of compassion. I don’t assume one way or the other. I’m sure I have all of that within me, compassion and lack of compassion, so I do see it as a part of my own growth to be more empathic with the rest of the world, seeing myself as part of the world. Maybe it’s this feeling of actual connection that makes me feel safe enough to stray from the square box. I am amazed, though, at people proudly proclaiming their compassionless positions and opinions as if they were great virtues. Giving obeisance to killing, suffering, cruelty, destruction, brutality, and every other word that belongs on that list, and mocking those who speak for life, for a future for Earth and all her children, for generosity and caring.

There is so much more to existence than that which the two dimensional mechanical view of the universe offers. The thing that sucks about it is that the folks who see things in that linear object oriented way are into so much destruction. The mechanical view has no respect for life, so, as has happened throughout history, the compassionless hold way too much power in the society.

Well shee-it. This ain’t right.

Interesting to sit in a café and listen to two guys, around my age, talk about guns and the bible and "everyone's got to fight sometime" and stuff like that.

I'm pretty excited about the online class I'm offering starting in March through healingmagic.org. There have already been inquiries and expressions of interest. I'm putting the materials together and I think it's going to be fun and pretty interesting. There will be participants from various countries, so that will make it even more dynamic!

Still dealing with bad gut stuff. Latest possible diagnosis is salmonella. I haven't been this thin since I was in my 30's. Today I was listening to KPFA (kpfa.org is a must listen) and the report was on folks living in South Africa with no good water, food, sanitation, shelter...they said that there are 1 billion people on Earth right now living this way, not by choice but because of politics.

Oh happy day! My gut is much better, and has been for a few days now. My fingers are crossed, it looks like I am nearly complete in recovering from the bad water experience. I did have stool samples and blood samples analyzed, all came out with negative findings, in other words, no detectable pathogens.

I am very grateful for the experience. I have always had good water to drink and to wash in. This is the first time in my life that I have had the experience of not having easy access to good water. And it was still relatively easy...I just had to drive down the mountain to get decent water. I'm fortunate. There are many people on this earth who do not have access to good water, period, end of story.

I shared this holiday with dear friends and their kids and grandkids. Not a Norman Rockwell family, they have their struggles, but there is love and caring and generosity and gratitude for all of what they DO have. It was very lovely to be with them, the food was all homemade and delicious (and organic!) and they love Lasky which is nice. I love watching her with other people who enjoy her. It's very sweet.

I'll be heading to Montana on Dec. 5 to housesit until New Years. More to be grateful for. Winter with snow! A wood stove! No ticks! And of course, good water!

Thinking of the many people I love, who I consider to be family, and sending out loving vibes and appreciation to you all!

P.S. My 2008 teaching schedule is available now. Click on Healing Magic.

Last night I was lying in the yome in the dark, feeling my belly gurgle, asking my intestines for a night of NOT running out to the shitter every 15 minutes...and I got what I asked for. I slept and dreamt. Thank you gut! Today I am still sick with whatever it is, or at least the purging from within continues.

Back to last night in the dark, remembering the ritual death that precedes the rebirth of the shaman, embraced being in the dark, aware of "my situation." I have removed myself pretty far from mainstream america. I don't work at a job like most people. I don't have health insurance (well I guess that's pretty mainstream now). My bank accounts are nearly empty. I don't own "real" property. I have less possessions than at any previous time in my life save infancy.

All that brings me to an interesting crossroad in identity, in self concept. I could be afraid of being in freefall, of "not being ok." And I do have a touch of that, but mostly I feel the satisfaction of being on the right path. I have viable plans for 2008 which are congruous with my values. Relationships with people, animals, plants, and places all supersede my relationship with materialism. Life is good.

I've written two pieces recently and submitted them for publication. One is called "Hope in Troubled Times" and the other is "Setting Limits on our Sociopaths."