HERE

This past week has been so real for me that life, living is almost palpable. From the death of a close family friend who was only 43 to the death of a community partner who I knew of only remotely, I have been reminded of the value of this life and also the uncertainty of it.

It’s Yom Kippur, the time when people of the Jewish faith take the time to reflect, fast and atone. Ramadan just ended, another period of reflection. For me I think I sense the energy in the Universe shifting, propelling us to stop for a moment and be humbled by all this splendor that surrounds us.

While in Costa Rica I found myself constantly waiting for the moment when I would find release. The truth is that when you wait for the big experience it almost never happens…for the moment is already HERE just waiting for you to just be.

Wake Up!

I find that when I write my posts, they are often about my own growing pains and internal struggles — trying to be continuously good to myself and to the people around me. This one is a little different:

Throughout American history, there are always people who are targeted for who they are. Today, unfortunately, it is no exception, there are groups who are being targeted and used as scapegoats for an awry of pain that we as Americans are experiencing. In my own city, Latinos are being physically attacked for who they are, anti-Muslim sentiments are at its highest.
For some reason there are people who want to remove diversity from the American quilt.
This opposition to the proposed building of the Islamic Cultural Center blocks away from Ground Zero makes me so sad for a variety of reasons but here are a few:
1. To say building the community center, at that site, is a disrespect to the Americans who died that day (yes, people are saying this), is a disrespect to Muslims Americans who died on 9/11 due to those attacks.
2. These sentiments of hate are reinforcing what terrorist groups have said about America.
3. I am almost positive it would be a different sentiment if it were a Christian community center being proposed.

These reasons are just a few. We often repeat history because fail to acknowledge our wrongs and work to heal. Early 20th century Jewish groups desired to build a place of worship in the Lower East Side and they were turned down. Today, this is happening again, not only in New York City, but across the city.

Even so-called “liberal” friends have been quiet about this. People who claim to be open minded are ignoring this because…I am not sure why to be honest. They who should be infuriated by the current increase in the blatant hate in our country, often say nothing.

Apathy is worst than hate.

When will we ever get it right? When will we be conscious? When will we wake up?

Interruption

One of the things that I am continuously working on is my response to religious fanatics, no matter their religion. In New York, there is a trend for evangelists to invade peoples’ personal spaces at anytime. The train is the venue most utilized in my experience. It happens at the most inopportune times: during rush hour, when you’re in the midst of reading a book, or talking to a friend, in comes someone who bellows your need for immediate salvation, or notify you about the danger of being eternally damn unless you believe in what he or she has to say. My reaction, if alone, is to put my headphones on, quickly, and if with someone else (depending on their own belief system) look at them roll my eyes, just smile, or a combination of the two.
The need to spread “the Word” is often extended to bus stops, on your way to and from work and in the case of 10 minutes ago, in the park where people like me are just taking a couple of minutes or so to find some quiet time before they have to go back to work and get ready for a big meeting. Externally I ignore. Internally I am angry, because I know that they would more than likely not appreciate someone doing that to them if the message were different from their own.