The Bikin' Fools

To Whom It May Concern:;                                                                                         Monday, July 15, 2002

"Live in Joy, even among the afflicted"

The wheels are coming off the Bush administration. Be grateful. This government has proven to be one of, if not the most, immoral institutions ever convened on the face of the earth. And it is getting worse every day. To have a group of zealous, fundamentalist people making decisions that affect millions planet-wide is not a great concept.

It is interesting, but frightening how off-course these people really have traveled. Their intent is to kill, maim and create misery for as many people as they possibly can. Where does this mentality come from? Is this part of the crowded rat syndrome, where people are so packed on this earth that they start killing their neighbors, not from any sense of reason, but from a deep natural pull to keep our numbers within a sustainable limit, one that we have long since passed.

To speak about population control seems to be taboo. For some reason this subject is never discussed, yet this one item is linked to most of the woes that confront us during our stay on the blue/green, spinning garden of Eden. The earth is beautiful. It is a wondrous place. So how can so many people be in favor of trashing the place? It makes little sense to me when any kind of logic might suggest that it would be prudent to care for, and honor this unique place that supports a potentially wonderful existence. There are a handful of people on the world right now that realize this concept, but the majority seem captured by the war and greed-mongers who would convert this garden of beauty to rubble just to maintain their shallow and fruitless concepts of possession and power.

"Live in Joy, even among the afflicted"

To live in joy in these times is somewhat akin to being a catcher in baseball. It is easy to catch a baseball. It becomes more difficult when someone is trying to hit the ball with a bat. Add to the mix that one must hunker down, look through the bars of a mask and be prepared for the ball to curve.

As one must see past the obstacles to catch a ball, so also must one see past the fray to find the joy that has been in remission in our culture. It is unlikely in these times, that many people will find their inner nature of love and joy. The times are too intense, confusing and overwhelming. There is so much clutter that it becomes nearly impossible to ‘see the ball’. Rather that catching it in the mitt, it often hits us squarely in the noggin. The stars we see at that point are not the wondrous expanse of the night sky, but floating brain cells that have been knocked loose.

Many of us need a tool to access joy. It may be in the form of meditation, yoga, rightful action or, in the case of many reading this, the bicycle. This simple contraption allows the user to progress through the layers of imbedded misery to find the light of life. Somewhere in a well designed ride lies the salvation for mankind.

"Live in Joy, even among the afflicted"