Opening Bell

So there, I've done it. My sponsor and my therapist and all the self-helpers in the world say I need to journal, get in touch with my thoughts and feelings, put them on paper. Well, here we go then...

I've got to shovel some breakfast pretty quick, get showered up for my Saturday morning meeting, and on with the errands de jour, so will likely wrap up later. I promise that I won't make a habit of mundane posts, but this is my first and I started it myself, so we'll call it my first "public" step on a path I've been traveling semi-privately for some time. And you know they say that every journey begins with the first step. Thanks for being here with me...

You'll note that my url is www.fluxandanchor.blogspot.com, referring to some books by a writer named Jack Chalker (just looked it up) back in the mid 80s. To my recollection I only read one, likely Masters of Flux and Anchor, but don't hold me to it. The gist was that the universe is comprised of the stuff of existence in two broad forms. "Flux" is the unperceived, formless, chaotic stuff of the universe, and "anchor" is the world of matter and energy that we are familiar with, with all its rules and limitations. By having a Zen-like relationship with the whole shebang one could transcend the conventional limitations of time and space. I would like to think that my universal construct derived from something deeper and more fact-based than a mid 80s science fiction series, but at the moment I can't swear to it. I do know that what I just wrote (in terms of the composition, not the transcendence) very accurately describes my deeply held belief on the nature of the universe. Fair warning, then, that from time to time we may wander together into some less traveled realms on our journey...

My original blog title, Another Path, was intended to convey a theme on multiple levels. I myself am on a new personal spiritual path, which I happily share with visitors to these pages and anyone else who cares to tag along. I don't yet have a label for it, and may not. I can say that it is definitely eastern in nature, with hints of Buddhism and Taoism but I'm not certain proximity to either. It is definitively non-western and non-Abrahamic, which is a wee bit of an achievement from one raised and living in what is often referred to as the buckle of the Bible belt. As I chart this new course, it is naturally affecting my personal life, relationships, business, and all the other ick and goo of existence, and I have no idea where any of it will wind up.

On another level, I will be both following and promoting a new path that I strongly feel much of the world is approaching - one which deviates from our current fealty to consumerism, laissez faire capitalism, dark-age religions, nationalism, and disregard for ourselves, our species, our fellow living beings, and our planet. I've been counseled by many to focus on myself and let the rest tend to itself, which is very much a Tao/Zen approach to existence. I do know that I need to be whole and healthy to be of ultimate service to others, but also that our mortal existence is limited in duration and that I've squandered at least half of my most productive years so have ground to make up. Having lived more than half a century now, I have developed a tiny bit of the patience so lacking in my tender years, but not so much that I feel comfortable sitting by calmly as the world consumes itself under the guidance of myopic self-serving megalomaniacs, if you know what I mean...

If you haven't noticed, I'm an abuser of ellipses - absolutely love them. Sorry, but its my blog and I can if I want to. I can think of no better literary convention to express the fact that a thought is unfinished. Most of mine are. Some intentionally...

So, to wrap up my first entry, visitors can expect to encounter musings on politics and geo-politics, science, religion and spirituality, relationships, addiction and recovery, and occasionally sex or cooking. If you catch me getting into a rut, please put a boot up my ass and get me out of it. I will do my best to stay away from pop culture, of which I know very little, and music or art, of which I know even less. Anything else is fair game. It will take me a few entries to figure out the formatting, achieve a coherent style, and develop a level of competency in composition and presentation, so I hope you will bear with me and that the metamorphosis isn't too grotesque to observe. I hope to not bore you too much, and will welcome your commentary and guidance. I am sharing this growing experience with you in hopes that your company will help me grow, and that perhaps from time to time you'll take something away that makes your life a little bit richer.