Second Chance Dance: October 2020

Saturday, October 31, 2020

The Dream of One Fine Day

"But the effect of her being those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric act; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully, a hidden life , and rest in unlisted tombs."

- George Eliot - last quote in the film "The Hidden Life" by Terrence Malick

" If God gives us free will we are responsible for what we do and what we fail to do, aren't we?"

- F. Jagerstatter

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Trick Or Treat : The Dream of One Fine Day

And there the pilgrim was again

On the road to nowhere

It seemed like a place he had been

At least 71 times before.

Or was it 72 , 25 or a dream loop?

He was growing tired of keeping count.

Mitchell's carousel of time

Was picking up speed.

Well, something was going faster.

The virus had hit the fan

And yet the so called deniers

Were keeping the grave count low

As if to say "hope is found by avoiding the truth."

They asked "What are the Wokes smoking?"

Were they all ignorant of the global caste system

And that no one sentient being is worth more or

More privileged than another?

The demons of the seasonal exercise of elections

Had reared their ugly heads again

Promulgating myths and false promises

Forcing the lost sheep to choose one side or the other

While multiple paths remain unexplored.

The Good Shepherd watched disheartened

From the bleachers.

A tattered banner hanging by a thread read,

"Vote for the wrong candidate and all hope is gone!"

Yet, on this feast of the All Hallows,

The Eve of All Saints and the

Eve of the Eve of All souls

It was either "Trick or Treat."

This prodigal pilgrim's mask frayed and tattered

He sacramentally opened a favorite

Consecrated chocolate bar anticipating the

Magnificent sweetness of redemption and blessedness.

As he prepared himself for this communion -

Eyes closed and bowed head solemnly

A small piece of paper

Mystically slide out from the candy's wrapper.

( on it a revelatory message)

"When we look in the eyes of our children

and hopefully that day when we do the same with our grandchildren

do each of them know the depth and substance of our unconditional love?

Do they realize we do not expect anything in return?

There is no expectation for adoration for our desire for their continued well being, peace and love.

Truth in love is given freely and completely.

It is the way with our spouse , dearest friends and the way of the universe.

Do we stop loving others when the night falls upon them

or the unexpected storms sweep across our world as we experience it ?

The teacher once suggested that "When another's peace and happiness is your

peace and happiness- that is love."

And added for good measure "When we desire peace and love for those who do

not know peace and love - that too is love."

Remember desire is a term longing for what the heaven's bring -

"de sidere" "de sire"( of the father )

[A strong impulse for something deep inside you to flourish.]

Love is everywhere all times isn't it?

Desire love and know when you feel alone you are loved,

When hope seems a fantasy ...you are loved.

If you ever feel undeserved know you are loved and always will be.

One Fine day you will know "

Somehow the chocolate bar tasted sweeter and it everything was perfect for this moment .

- JF Sobecki

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Note: If you do not see the song YouTube click the link.

One Fine Day - D. Byrne

https://youtu.be/JvlT5fBIi4U

Show them the Way - Stevie Nicks

https://youtu.be/-hsNZXe3r50

Making Do - Lake Street Dive

https://youtu.be/bs4dR4YjGPg

After The Goldrush -Harris, Rondstadt and Parton

https://youtu.be/o2XcBL6kWn8

Robin or Wren - J. Tweedy

https://youtu.be/UmETdNhQgU0

One more from David Byrne

On the Road to Nowhere- D. Byrne

https://youtu.be/Dz1fl6u8ut0

Jerry Jeff Walker who influenced me finding my own voice

Passed recently....my way of saying "Thank you." Rest In Peace

Night Riders Lament - ( still pertinent)- Jerry Jeff Walker

https://youtu.be/f7xw1Q7hwco

Mr Bojangles - Jerry Jeff

https://youtu.be/mDoeUz8vExY

amdg

Thursday, October 1, 2020

A Reflection on Now Experiment -10/1/20 0230

(an experiment in being mindful and preset)

"Time passes quickly. The past cannot be clung to , the future cannot be foreseen. We must do good in the present moment and not concern ourselves with useless things." - M. Ricci

"Presence has no measurable product except positive feelings, feelings of support , intimacy, and happiness. When we stop being busy and productive switch to just being still and aware, we ourselves will also feel support, intimacy, and happiness, even if no one else is around."

- Jan Chozen Bays, "The Gift of Waiting"

------

A Reflection on Now - 10/1/20 0230

While mindlessly wandering and

Meditating wayward falling leaves

That recurring whisper became clear,

"The greatest gift

On can give another is our time."

Some say the jester called out

"If the now is called 'the present'

Why can't we ever keep it?"

And that balding revolutionary read aloud

""What good ca I do today?"

Companions of the soldier saint

Suggest an examen everyday.

Their words keep "flowing like rain from a paper cup*"

(And the hits keep comimg)

Songs of the Troubadours seeking answers

Carrying by that wandering wind and

Elijah proclaiming it comes from

the lost cave of God.

Simon's sacred angels seek believers.

'It is the journey

That matters ,right?"

As the mysteries of centuries is revealed

Each road a river and each river a road

Lead thirsting pilgrims

To that sacred sea

With each breath and beat of the heart

"Here and Now...Here and Now"

- JF Sobecki

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A short playlist for now

("No image ? Click on link)

Be Here Now - George Harrison

https://youtu.be/7Pc2tfmuWwU

The Circle Game - Tom Rush (J Mitchell)

https://youtu.be/dURdp9tXa6k

Across The Universe -The Beatles

https://youtu.be/90M60PzmxEE

You Set the scene - Love

https://youtu.be/-N9kGKFIAQk

"This is time that I am living

And I'll face each day with a smile

For the time that I've been

Given's such a little while

And the things that I do consist

of more than style

And the things I must to

Consist of more than style

(There are places that I am going)

There'll be time for you to start all over.

AMDG

(Apologies for the formatting issues)

New Blog - Rain and Rivers Revisited: A Journey of a Lost Weekend

Well you may recall I have been working on a piece of fiction for a while now. It is still a work in progress. However, I decided

to release drafts of the first few episodes ( chapters.) Much of the work is completed but I am always cutting and editing.

http://rainandriversrevisited.blogspot.com/

It is difficult to release just pieces at a time as they are created as independent episodes they are also all parts of a larger piece (and picture .) I could share more but I am curious to read or hear your feedback.

I want to thank those friends and supporters who have already provided feedback ...and of course all the folks who have been following my Second Chance Dance Blog ( by the way that will continue.)

The material in the Blog is all copyrighted and cannot be reproduced in any form. Though, I welcome you to share the link and this blog with others .So please when you have a few minutes take a read and let me know what you think. I expect to be posting a series of subsequent episodes shortly.

Thanks....

News of Death

(This is for Coach)

Last night they came with news of death
not knowing what I would say.
I wanted to say,"The green wind is running through the fields making the grass lie flat."
I wanted to say,"The apple blossom flakes like ash covering the orchard wall."
I wanted to say,"the fish float belly up in the slow stream,stepping stones to the dead."

They asked if I would sleep that night,
I said I did not know.
For this loss I could not speak,the tongue lay idle in a great darkness,the heart was strangely open,the moon had gone,and it was then when I said, "He is no longer here"
that the night put its arms around me
and all the white stars turned bitter with grief.
- David Whyte

What Work is

We stand in the rain in a long line

waiting at Ford Highland Park. For work.

You know what work is--if you're

old enough to read this you know what

work is, although you may not do it.

Forget you. This is about waiting,

shifting from one foot to another.

Feeling the light rain falling like mist

into your hair, blurring your vision

until you think you see your own brother

ahead of you, maybe ten places.

You rub your glasses with your fingers,

and of course it's someone else's brother,

narrower across the shoulders than

yours but with the same sad slouch, the grin

that does not hide the stubbornness,

the sad refusal to give in to

rain, to the hours wasted waiting,

to the knowledge that somewhere ahead

a man is waiting who will say, "No,

we're not hiring today," for any

reason he wants. You love your brother,

now suddenly you can hardly stand

the love flooding you for your brother,

who's not beside you or behind or

ahead because he's home trying to

sleep off a miserable night shift

at Cadillac so he can get up

before noon to study his German.

Works eight hours a night so he can sing

Wagner, the opera you hate most,

the worst music ever invented.

How long has it been since you told him

you loved him, held his wide shoulders,

opened your eyes wide and said those words,

and maybe kissed his cheek? You've never

done something so simple, so obvious,

not because you're too young or too dumb,

not because you're jealous or even mean

or incapable of crying in

the presence of another man, no,

just because you don't know what work is.

Philip Levine

On Marriage - Kahil Gibran

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness,And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another, but make not a bond of love:Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loafSing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.And stand together yet not too near together:For the pillars of the temple stand apart,And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

A favorite "Journey" poem from a favorite poet

The Journey

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice--
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do--
determined to save
the only life you could save.
-- Mary Oliver

Send or post one of your favorites! They can be lyrics to a song!

Playing For Change

Please see the current music video from "Playing for Change" at the bottom of this page. It is a movement. Enjoy!

"Playing for Change" is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us as one human race. And with this truth firmly fixed in our minds, we set out to share it with the world

Fall in Love

“Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in a love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the mornings, what you will do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.” --- Pedro Arrupe SJ