September 05, 2023 – A

Nature does its thing
as long as it can,
and then when a species or two
runs out of living room,
and is no longer able to meet
the cost of living,
nature comes up with other players
and goes on with the game--
even when that means abandoning
entire solar systems.

Life plays out here
and picks up there.
Is nature's way.

Nature doesn't have anything at stake
in this person,
or this species,
or this planet,
or this solar system.

And when the entire universe
runs out of living room,
nature starts over.

Which gets us to me and you
and what keeps us going,
and what's our plan
for the rest of our life
until we run out of living room
and can no longer meet the cost of living?

It comes down to two fundamental
reason's for living:
Drugs/Sex/Alcohol/Money/Sex/Shopping/etc.
and Reflection/Recognition/Realization/Response
on the Field of Action.

Both of these reasons for living
require us to come to terms with
the central place compromise plays
in the process.

Life forces compromise upon us
were we have to give up this to have that.
We give things up a little at a time,
until we run out of living room
and can no longer meet the cost of living.

In the meantime, what?
Knowing that ultimately it all comes to an end,
what do we do in the meantime?

I suggest living as though we will live forever,
for as long as we are able.

I'm going to do my thing
as long as I can,
as well as I can,
and then let it all go.

And I suggest this as a proper way of life
for anyone interested in that kind of thing.

All of this comes about here/now
in light of the necessity of compromise
requiring reflection/recognition/realization
upon me in the right here right now
time of my life.

Those of you who have been with me for fifteen minutes
know that my foundation is
have nothing to do with theology/dogma/doctrine/creeds/etc.
and settle into finding your own way
to knowing/being who you are and what is yours to do
in each situation as it arises,
and let that be that.

Well, that is fine as far as it goes,
but it leaves unaddressed the ultimate question:
How are you going to pay the bills?
Or better, if you all listened to me
and did what I advise about finding your own way,
how am I going to pay my bills?

Theology/dogma/doctrine/creeds/etc.
paid all my bills during my working years,
and continues to help paying them via my pension
and medical insurance in my retirement.

And, as people increasingly give themselves
to finding their own way,
the source of my funding is evaporating,
making for dicey times around the homestead,
and promising even more dicey times
in the not so distant future.

The situation has no solution.
The church cannot be the church and pay the bills.
No one's spirituality has fed, clothed and housed them
over the course of their life.
We all have to meet the cost of living 
any way we can.

The situation is easier for me
because I'm approaching the end 
of a viable life
and don't have much to lose.

My wife looks at things differently,
not wanting to lose sooner than necessary
her connection with our children,
grandchildren and whatever great grandchildren there may be.

So, I'm staying around as long as necessary.

Doing my thing as though I am going to live forever.
Smiling at the very idea of living forever.

–0–