Giving Credit<\/a><\/h3>\nLet\u2019s start at the very beginning: credit to the Big Bang, to time and space, matter and energy, to this physical universe (and maybe multi-verse). Credit to the Sun\u2019s furnace that powers us all, credit to this third rock out from it that supports us. Credit to the very first life form, ancestor of us all, to the laws and customs of chemistry that allowed it to come to be.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nGratitude, Schmatitude<\/a><\/h3>\nBut personally, when I hear someone say \u201cGive thanks!\u201d I want to respond \u201cDon\u2019t tell me what to do!\u201d Or, perhaps more accurately, \u201cDon\u2019t tell me how to feel!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/560\/2016\/11\/800px-13-02-27-spielbank-wiesbaden-by-RalfR-093.jpg\")
Image via Wikimedia Commons<\/a>. By Ralf Roletschek<\/a>, CC-BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFor various reasons, I was reminded today of an old revelation. (The remembrance came upon me, for reasons unknown, while I was pumping gas; odd indeed are the ways of the world.) When I turned thirty, I went off for a weekend alone in the mountains, just me and my dogs and my guitar and some books. I rented a \u201ccabin\u201d, really a small vacation home, but it was isolated enough to be a retreat. I worked various magicks (and took various psychoactives), and perhaps I\u2019ll tell more about that weekend some other time. But as I was driving home, I saw a sign for a tourist trap cavern. The mythological significance of a decent into the underworld to complete my retreat was too good to pass up.<\/p>\n
So after two or three days alone, this was my first contact with humanity. Bored kids in the admission line behind me, parents fussing at them, the general tackiness and shabbiness of another roadside attraction. It was an irritating way to return to society.<\/p>\n
And then it hit me, the great truth I was there to learn, with all the subtlety of a stalactite falling from the ceiling of a cave:<\/p>\n
We\u2019re all in this together. Like it or not \u2014 and sometimes you won\u2019t like it \u2014 we\u2019re all in this together.<\/p>\n
\nMonths ago I wrote about my neighboring town of Ellicott City, Maryland, being largely destroyed by a flood<\/a>. Rebuilding continues but some shops are open, and Ellicott City\u2019s traditional \u201cMidnight Madness\u201d holiday event will go on<\/a>. If you\u2019re local come shop and support.<\/p>\nSpeaking of holiday shopping, have I mentioned my books lately? Why Buddha Touched the Earth<\/a><\/i> or What Does It Mean For The Gods to Exist?<\/a><\/i> make great gifts for the Zen Pagan on your list. Or check out The Zen Pagan Merch-o-rama<\/a> with t-shirts, mugs, posters and prints, and stickers designed by your humble author. Your support makes this blog possible.<\/p>\nAlso if you\u2019re local, I will be teaching a four-week self defense class at Firehouse Arts and Music<\/a> in Baltimore starting next week, and a two-hour introduction to self-care with acupressure and shiatsu<\/a> in Frederick on December 17th.<\/p>\n
\nYou can keep up with \u201cThe Zen Pagan\u201d by subscribing via RSS<\/a> or e-mail<\/a>.<\/p>\nIf you do Facebook, you might choose to join a group on \u201cZen Paganism\u201d<\/a> I\u2019ve set up there. And don\u2019t forget to \u201clike\u201d Patheos Pagan<\/a> and\/or The Zen Pagan<\/a> over there, too.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/infamous.net\/webbug.php?t=tzp&i=rand-wed-2016-11-23\" "\\"infamous.net")
<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
And then it hit me, the great truth I was there to learn, with all the subtlety of a stalactite falling from the ceiling of a cave: We’re all in this together. Like it or not — and sometimes you won’t like it — we’re all in this together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1860,"featured_media":1089,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[719],"tags":[690,87],"class_list":["post-1083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-random-wednesdays","tag-ellicott-city","tag-thanksgiving"],"yoast_head":"\n
Random Wednesday: Thanksgiving Reruns, An Old Revelation, Self-Defense and Self-Care<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"And then it hit me, the great truth I was there to learn, with all the subtlety of a stalactite falling from the ceiling of a cave: We're all in this together. 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Gratitude, Schmatitude<\/a><\/h3>\nBut personally, when I hear someone say \u201cGive thanks!\u201d I want to respond \u201cDon\u2019t tell me what to do!\u201d Or, perhaps more accurately, \u201cDon\u2019t tell me how to feel!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nImage via Wikimedia Commons<\/a>. By Ralf Roletschek<\/a>, CC-BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFor various reasons, I was reminded today of an old revelation. (The remembrance came upon me, for reasons unknown, while I was pumping gas; odd indeed are the ways of the world.) When I turned thirty, I went off for a weekend alone in the mountains, just me and my dogs and my guitar and some books. I rented a \u201ccabin\u201d, really a small vacation home, but it was isolated enough to be a retreat. I worked various magicks (and took various psychoactives), and perhaps I\u2019ll tell more about that weekend some other time. But as I was driving home, I saw a sign for a tourist trap cavern. The mythological significance of a decent into the underworld to complete my retreat was too good to pass up.<\/p>\n
So after two or three days alone, this was my first contact with humanity. Bored kids in the admission line behind me, parents fussing at them, the general tackiness and shabbiness of another roadside attraction. It was an irritating way to return to society.<\/p>\n
And then it hit me, the great truth I was there to learn, with all the subtlety of a stalactite falling from the ceiling of a cave:<\/p>\n
We\u2019re all in this together. Like it or not \u2014 and sometimes you won\u2019t like it \u2014 we\u2019re all in this together.<\/p>\n
\nMonths ago I wrote about my neighboring town of Ellicott City, Maryland, being largely destroyed by a flood<\/a>. Rebuilding continues but some shops are open, and Ellicott City\u2019s traditional \u201cMidnight Madness\u201d holiday event will go on<\/a>. If you\u2019re local come shop and support.<\/p>\nSpeaking of holiday shopping, have I mentioned my books lately? Why Buddha Touched the Earth<\/a><\/i> or What Does It Mean For The Gods to Exist?<\/a><\/i> make great gifts for the Zen Pagan on your list. Or check out The Zen Pagan Merch-o-rama<\/a> with t-shirts, mugs, posters and prints, and stickers designed by your humble author. Your support makes this blog possible.<\/p>\nAlso if you\u2019re local, I will be teaching a four-week self defense class at Firehouse Arts and Music<\/a> in Baltimore starting next week, and a two-hour introduction to self-care with acupressure and shiatsu<\/a> in Frederick on December 17th.<\/p>\n
\nYou can keep up with \u201cThe Zen Pagan\u201d by subscribing via RSS<\/a> or e-mail<\/a>.<\/p>\nIf you do Facebook, you might choose to join a group on \u201cZen Paganism\u201d<\/a> I\u2019ve set up there. And don\u2019t forget to \u201clike\u201d Patheos Pagan<\/a> and\/or The Zen Pagan<\/a> over there, too.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
And then it hit me, the great truth I was there to learn, with all the subtlety of a stalactite falling from the ceiling of a cave: We’re all in this together. Like it or not — and sometimes you won’t like it — we’re all in this together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1860,"featured_media":1089,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[719],"tags":[690,87],"class_list":["post-1083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-random-wednesdays","tag-ellicott-city","tag-thanksgiving"],"yoast_head":"\n
Random Wednesday: Thanksgiving Reruns, An Old Revelation, Self-Defense and Self-Care<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"And then it hit me, the great truth I was there to learn, with all the subtlety of a stalactite falling from the ceiling of a cave: We're all in this together. 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For various reasons, I was reminded today of an old revelation. (The remembrance came upon me, for reasons unknown, while I was pumping gas; odd indeed are the ways of the world.) When I turned thirty, I went off for a weekend alone in the mountains, just me and my dogs and my guitar and some books. I rented a \u201ccabin\u201d, really a small vacation home, but it was isolated enough to be a retreat. I worked various magicks (and took various psychoactives), and perhaps I\u2019ll tell more about that weekend some other time. But as I was driving home, I saw a sign for a tourist trap cavern. The mythological significance of a decent into the underworld to complete my retreat was too good to pass up.<\/p>\n
So after two or three days alone, this was my first contact with humanity. Bored kids in the admission line behind me, parents fussing at them, the general tackiness and shabbiness of another roadside attraction. It was an irritating way to return to society.<\/p>\n
And then it hit me, the great truth I was there to learn, with all the subtlety of a stalactite falling from the ceiling of a cave:<\/p>\n
We\u2019re all in this together. Like it or not \u2014 and sometimes you won\u2019t like it \u2014 we\u2019re all in this together.<\/p>\n
\n
Months ago I wrote about my neighboring town of Ellicott City, Maryland, being largely destroyed by a flood<\/a>. Rebuilding continues but some shops are open, and Ellicott City\u2019s traditional \u201cMidnight Madness\u201d holiday event will go on<\/a>. If you\u2019re local come shop and support.<\/p>\n Speaking of holiday shopping, have I mentioned my books lately? Why Buddha Touched the Earth<\/a><\/i> or What Does It Mean For The Gods to Exist?<\/a><\/i> make great gifts for the Zen Pagan on your list. Or check out The Zen Pagan Merch-o-rama<\/a> with t-shirts, mugs, posters and prints, and stickers designed by your humble author. Your support makes this blog possible.<\/p>\n Also if you\u2019re local, I will be teaching a four-week self defense class at Firehouse Arts and Music<\/a> in Baltimore starting next week, and a two-hour introduction to self-care with acupressure and shiatsu<\/a> in Frederick on December 17th.<\/p>\n You can keep up with \u201cThe Zen Pagan\u201d by subscribing via RSS<\/a> or e-mail<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you do Facebook, you might choose to join a group on \u201cZen Paganism\u201d<\/a> I\u2019ve set up there. And don\u2019t forget to \u201clike\u201d Patheos Pagan<\/a> and\/or The Zen Pagan<\/a> over there, too.<\/p>\n And then it hit me, the great truth I was there to learn, with all the subtlety of a stalactite falling from the ceiling of a cave: We’re all in this together. Like it or not — and sometimes you won’t like it — we’re all in this together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1860,"featured_media":1089,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[719],"tags":[690,87],"class_list":["post-1083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-random-wednesdays","tag-ellicott-city","tag-thanksgiving"],"yoast_head":"\n
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