Mountain Of Knowledge-Castles made Of Sand

A warm "thank you" to Vish who selected me  this week for guest editor role. My only regret is that I could not mention the many other fine journals that I visit . Everyone here has a heart that reaches out with words. They are placed here , and like grains of sand they form a mountain of knowlege. Each of your experinces, each of your thoughts, each of your photos, evidence that the pathways to our soul is always open! All of your journals are a complete joy to visit !

Now, back to the topic....Mountain Of Knowledge...

I confess, I haven't quite gotten over the fact that Adam ASSUMED Eve knew what she saying when she said it was ok to eat the apple.

Not sure why, but "making assumptions" is definitely blended into our nature.How many times a day do we perform an act because we "assume" that act is expected of us?

I have made many trips to that Mountain of Knowledge, and only once did I come close to an answer.....................................

 

       One day I climbed to a plateau on this mountain, and as I was inhaling the soft breezes, I could hear cries coming from the side of the mountain. I went to the edge, looked down and saw two damsels were stranded on a ledge just 12 feet below!

 

 “Please help us” they sobbed. I rubbed my eyes, for these damsels in distress were no ordinary damsels, they were Wisdom and Peace!  I assumed  that if I could rescue them, they would share their inner most secrets with me! “Help is on the way” I called out. I turned to a nearby tree and broke off branches and leaves and fashioned a vine. I secured the vine around a rock and lowered myself down to the ledge.

I held one arm open to Wisdom and said “come, place your arm around my waist and I will carry you up”. Wisdom approached and as she took the vine from my hand , gave me a nudge. “Do you really think that Wisdom doesn’t know how to climb?” she asked with a smile. In the blink of an eye, she  climbed up to the plateau. I held my arm open to Peace, and said “come Peace, hold on to my waist and I will carry you up”. Peace approached me, and also nudged me to the side and placed the vine around her waist. “When you have Wisdom as a friend, you don’t need more”. In the blink of an eye, Peace was lifted up to the plateau. I looked up to see the pair looking down at me,”ok, very nicely done, please toss me the vine”. I said with a tone of defeat in my voice.   Their smiling faces disappeared and their laughter began to fade away. “The Vine!” I called out. Wsidom called back, “you don’t need a vine, you will figure out how to get back up, and when you do, you will be Wiser and at Peace with yourself!” As their laughter faded, I mused, now I know  why Adam made his assumption, it was his absolute faith in God that led him to believe he was ENTITLED to have knowledge!

 

 Believing and  having faith does not constitute entitlement to Knowledge! Knowledge must gained through experience , through pain, through struggle and through fear.I needed to be defeated by those damsels, to learn that it cannot be gained by assuming how to act! 

And I mused,  How foolish to think that Wisdom and Peace would need me to rescue them!

 

Yes, I still go back and climb upon that Mountain, despite the bumps and bruises and those "sprites" that inhabit it, each lesson learned bears the taste of fruit, wisdom and knowledge.!

 

Have a wonderful Week...towards the light......Marc :)

 

The List

    It was the end of a long day and all I needed for a final send off was a glass of milk. I opened the refrigerator and reached in for the milk conatiner which had just enough to lighten a cup of coffee. This reminded me to check the can of coffee, which had enough grinds to make a "two sips" worth! I began taking attendance, Juice also low, bread, two slices of which one was the end slice. I glanced at the clock, 10:30 PM, just enough time to make it to the supermarket and thwart what would become  a dreadful morning.

  I pulled in the parking lot, opened the car door and barely had the energy to get out of the car. "I should be crawling into bed" I muttered to myself. I pulled a shopping cart from the rack, and slowly made my way down the aisle. As I placed the carton of milk into the wagon I noticed a neatly folded piece of paper resting at the bottom. I lfted it up and unfolded it to its original 8 1/2"X 11" size. It was a shopping a list and the handwriting with its soft curves was undeniably, feminine. The list read, ....ground beef, bread crumbs, ketchup, milk, cookies, ice cream.  Then in another column, away from this list, on the lower right hand side of the page was another short list,....Tampons, panty liners,douche, pamprin.  In an instant, I could feel a tingling run down my spine. My mouth dropped and my eyes widened, and I stared at this list as if I had uncovered a map leading to a buried treasure. I whispered to myself, "I can't believe it, the answer was in front of me all the time,and I never noticed!"

  Woman....Nourisher, sustainter, healer. She always places the needs of others ahead of her own. Of the two genders, she is more empathetic,and less selfish. She has been that way since the dawn of time. How was our Creator to know that he could trust one of genders to have such a power?  In order to feel someone elses pain,one must feel it for themselves first. In order to comfort another before you even think of comforting yourself, one must feel its own discomfort first. In order to willingly give life to others, one must feel the preciousness of life from within. So, our Creator, with his subtle ways, created a time clock of discomfort and pain,which  would serve as a reminder that one of the species would always be attentive, caring, loving to others. To provokea person in such a way they would  INSTINCTIVELY always place the needs of others ahead of her own....and so, Woman was created!

  I folded the list and placed it back in the wagon. I had come for a carton of milk , juice and coffee and came away with a new persepective, another piece of the puzzle.

Bob Dylan wrote, "The answer my friend is blowing in the wind". No words resonate with more truth....the answers are as close to us as the wind is to our faces!  All we need to do do is stop and feel it!

Another Coin In The Cup

    My daily walk to the office has me pass down this one block where the homeless congregate. Several weeks ago, upon reaching the end of this block, I noticed a new member to this brigade. An old man, bound to a wheel chair that had  warped wheels and a rotten wooden  board as a backrest. My heart sank at the sight of  him and his misfortune. He sat there lifeless, holding onto a soiled papercup that had a few coins in it. I stopped, reached in my pocket and tossed a few coins in. The sound of the coins woke him from his slumber.He looked up at me, "Bless you!Thank You! Bless you!" he said. The mere emphasis on the "thank you" sent goosebumps up my arms, and a tingling sensation down my spine. I never knew that 50 cents could still buy me such a thrill.

    Weeks passed, he became a permanent fixture on the corner, and my donation, a daily ritual. The other morning, I received a phone call as I was walking and was deeply engaged in the conversation. I walked past the homeless man, and was halted by his cry, "Hey! You forgetting me today?" I stopped, turned, and habitually placed my hand in my pocket and tossed a few coins in his cup. he smiled and drifted back into his slumber.

    After I finished my conversation I was overwhelmed by what had taken place. The whole act of charity had been sabotaged. I was giving out of habit, and he was thankless because it was something he come to expect!

 Gratitude is best expressed  when you receive something beyond your expectation.

Of course, I mused.  I am thankful for each day. Each day is like a coin in my cup. The day does not need to be filled with accomplihments or dreams being fullfilled. Just give me a day, and I can fill it with so many simple small things, that by the nighttime it is too heavy to lift. Just give me a day, where I can say a few "I love Yous" a few "thank Yous" and other mutually uplifting words, and I am in debted to the donor!. Just drop another day in my cup, where I am given minutes to recall what  it felt  like to hold your hand, hold you in my arms,  and look in your eyes. Just drop those minutes in my cup, allowing me another opportunity to add something to your memory! Drop this coin into my cup and I feel like the richest man on earth!

I am this way, because I have never expected how wonderful and fullfilling thesethings can be.

Tomorrow the sun will rise, and when I see it, I will hear the clinking...another coin in my cup!...and I will raise my head and thank the donor!

May you all hear the same jingling!