Ah, the luxury of no readers and no expectations. How nice to have this little spot right here, with a cool breeze blowing, sitting under a shade tree drinking grape juice. I have really had a craving for grape juice lately. I find my taste buds have acquired the Pavlovian response that commercials are trying so desperately to elicit. Alton Browne sells Welches and all of a sudden I want some. The response doesn't always kick in but those What-a-Burger ads KILL me. Best fast food burger ever. There's always room for What-a-Burger.

And how delightful to live in a state (Texas) where Dairy Queen is one of the most revered landmarks. Texas loves Dairy Queen. When I was a kid that cold sweet smell of the Dairy Queen that would waft out of the take-out window when you went to get a cone used to be ice-creamy-orgasm. On a hot day it was like a little whiff of paradise. I don't suppose the after-life (why do we call it that? Maybe this is the in-between "after" life. What makes us think that "life" is the state of all things? What if it's better than life? Some other term should be used) is going to be a Dairy Queen but, it wouldn't be a bad one, really.

Really, I just wanted to say that it's wonderful to say the words "President Obama" and everyone who thinks that politics are going to continue on in their post-civil-war-emptily-bombastic-histrionic-pork-barrel ways are dinosaurs. The new voters are beginning to get the drift. We are all connected and when you break up these connections with hatred and fear the planet and her people suffer. Sincerity and kindness are not diseases. Honesty is not a breakfast cereal. Joy is not money and oil-slurping cars are not happiness. Compassion is not just for the movies. All the things that make-up an adult has nothing to do with greed, jealousy or fear.

When we were kids we saw the world and adults as we said these words which echo down throughout our lives: "'I'm never going to be like that." But, maybe that's what our parents said, and theirs said it and so on, and so on, and gradually all the good things that make adulthood so rich and satisfying became watered down or discarded- threw the baby out with the bath water so to speak. So adults just became more and more child-like but because they are bigger than children they are brats and bullies. My generation is full of people who are frightened of becoming responsible adults because their role models were so miserable and selfish.

But that's not being an adult, that's being a giant spoiled baby. A baby who cries when anything changes- until it needs a change and then it cries some more.

There's a Buddhist saying I love, "cultivating a limitless heart". The limitless heart is part of being a real adult. Seeing the world of people before you as one of your own family is another. Making things interesting, musical, colorful, loving and decent- that's part of being an adult. Adulthood as a biological term is not at all the same thing. Genuine adulthood means seeing the kaleidoscopic panoply of planet earth with trembling and grateful awe. It means genuinely wanting to help everyone. It means, if I can get all Jesus on us for a sec, the peace that passes understanding. I love that expression. So many many things in life passes our understanding. You have to make peace with it. That's being an adult.


I'm just rambling here. A blog allows me to do it. The dog is barking, my parakeet needs attention, I have Internet work to do, I have stuff to write. I'm just stopping and looking around. I do that a lot. I like to look at the world. Earth is my hometown. I feel such a deep love for earth and all who reside upon it. I fervently wish that no harm comes to it or you, ever.