Sunday, September 1, 2019

Peripatetic Musing Number 132



“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.”
            -  Subterranean Homesick Blues ,Bib Dylan 

“ Lay Down all thoughts , surrender to the void
It is shining, it is shining




Yet you may see the meaning of within
It is being, it is being…”
        - Tomorrow Never Knows. Lennon and McCartney



“If you want to see God laugh, tell him your plans”
     - Woody Allen
----------
Peripatetic Musing Number 132

The problem with GPS is that it is no different
From the old Atlas Road Maps or Seafaring Navigational Charts.
You can plan where you are headed and chart a course
But you never know what is going to happen along the way. 
Sometimes things happen and you didn’t even start the journey.
Just as everything was going smoothly, winds blowing right, fair skies,
Sometimes “There comes a time when all the cosmic tumblers click into place” 
But sometimes everything falls apart…tragedy, storms, nightmares.
The worst case scenario seemed to randomly surface without notice.

Just as we were on the road to celebrate a nice evening with good friends
The phone call came on a the mobile phone…a call no one dares to consider
Or ever dream of ….but suddenly the words on the line flowed
Like poison about to kill our spirits….it was our landscaper ,
In a quivering voice he said “ I am so sorry…I don’t know what to say…
I accidentally ( long pause) cut your state of the art cable to your house.”
Immediately we knew what that meant….the horror, the pain , the sadness,
The aloneness, the angst , the grief and on and on and on….
What would I do? No Television, no internet access- through computers
Or state of the art “smart phone” and just as bad - no land line phone.
Panic started to set in and I composed myself long enough to call the cable company.The news did not improve…it would be three days before anyone could come out And check and “Hopefully repair” the problem.
Oh, the pain. What to do?What to do?
I submitted to my plight and tried not to allow it to interfere with 
Our visit with our close friends and then the second call came.
It was our landscaper again. I shook as I answered the call. I didn’t think 
I could handle any more traumatic news.
But he said “ I got some tools and extra cable and I think your cable is fixed.”
Alleluia! Thank you Jesus! Everything was right with the world again.
“But, you will have to check everything when you get home.”
Relief! A great sigh expunged all the angst. Admittedly I tried to remain
Present with the company our friends but there were frequent drifts to the great anticipation and expectation when  we would arrive home. 
I could hardly wait.
Relief and calm slowly settled in…as the worry about the potential lack of
Necessary technologies began to evaporate.
No more anticipating  a probable monastic lifestyle for at least three days.
No more concern about missing critical email correspondence of notice 
Of packages about to be delivered or last minute sales of music equipment or
No missed messages from long lost friends who who reach out every four years or so.
No more concern about missing that favorite repeat of “Law and Order” on TV or scrolling
The laundry list of 100’s of channels that might have that one show I would accidentally view!
No more worry about missing that phone call or message from my pharmacy say that
My prescription had been filled 
Or missing the phone call that would let me know that thing I ordered was in.
I din’t have to think about all the books on my shelf waiting to be read or the songs whose lyrics and chords I had printed out so I could practice on my guitar. I no longer had to think about how and when to pack my bike in my car so I could ride along the beach on the island.
Relief…what a feeling. Whew I dodged a bullet!
Whew!!!
Three hours later, the drive home was so slow everyone seemed to decide that night that the posted speed limit was just right and every driver would abide . Finally , finally …we arrived and I jumped from the car more excited 
Than a four year old on Christmas morning.
Computer … on, Tv …on , picked up the phone and realized with overwhelming dismay
Nothing was working. Maybe I did something wrong. Retry everything….Nothing.
My God , My God why have you forsaken me?
It was difficult to sleep that night. What will I do? What will I do?
The next morning I made some coffee and was submissive to my fate. 
I sat in  and prayed in silence and solitude. For some reason unexplained no though surface about my technological circumstance. Something else seemed to settle in to this spirit.
The last of the darkness of the night faded into light slowly with each breath. The morning bird sweetly softly singing her simple solo song
Accompanied by the chimes intermittent ringing by the salted  holy wind,
The breath of God.
The tops of the proud-full trees were crowned with the glow of the arriving sun. Everything was illuminated, flowers colors shown brightly and shadows appeared
Of gliding gulls in from the from the coast as they laughed.
I was Breathing in, breathing out 
Eyes closed everything seemed to be clear in that moment.
The pen in hand mystically glided freely without intent or purpose
Words flowed like rain into a paper cup ,pools of sorrow ,waves of joy 
Drifted in my open mind. * filling virgin pages.

Just like that…the bubble of the first world worries flew away.

I had arrived back to where I needed to be. 
   - JF Sobecki
------















1984 - Intro of The MacIntosh 

https://youtu.be/axSnW-ygU5g


Telephone Line - ELO

https://youtu.be/4xYk8hDmoGY

Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles

https://youtu.be/Iwuy4hHO3YQ

Simple Gifts - Allison Kraus/Yo Yo Ma

https://youtu.be/baNueuDCue0

Across the Universe - The Beatles

https://youtu.be/iotagMCkJRE

The Layers - Stanley Kunitz
https://youtu.be/wk6xW41EFoA


amdg
















Copyright 2019 JF Sobecki LLC All Rights Reserved
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Thursday, August 1, 2019

On Anniversaries and Nostalgia


nos·tal·gia
/näˈstaljə,nəˈstaljə/
noun
noun: nostalgia; plural noun: nostalgias
  1. a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.
“Where your treasure is there is your heart also.”
 - Matt 6:21
————————

On Anniversaries and Nostalgia

The carousel continues and it was August1st once again 
and the pilgrim wondered
“What is this fascination with nostalgia?
What makes a situation, an event ,a time or a person or group of people worth remembering fondly?”
5o years had passed since a half million children of God
Gathered to become stardust and golden
To set their souls free
on some humble farmer’s garden 
in Somewhere Town in lower update New York. 
Most famous troubadours of the time played for free and the
Children danced in delight without a care or fee
For a sacred three days that were expected 
To transform the world forever.
Now those same redeemed pilgrims , concert makers
And generous musicians along with Johnny Come Latelys
Looked to cash in on the anniversary celebration.
Singing “I , me , mine” ...the greed spun out of control
No common ground was achieved and resulted in the mantra
“If I can’t make a bundle no one will!”
The dream of half century “celebration” evaporated.
“Peace Now! Peace Now!” 
And bluejeans and bull horns
Transformed into pinstripes, podiums and powerpoint with chants
Of “No pot of gold,  no concert.”
He wondered “What happened to the dream?”

August 1, 1971 a redemptive light shown differently.
A downtrodden musician from a devastated far eastern land
Requested help from a friend who was the soul 
Of the most fabulous four troubadours ever.
The famous humbled friend called some musical friends
Who all agreed to play music together.
(Because that is their gift and that's what holy people do.)
No one would profit except for a foundation
Created to serve and assist those in need
In that devastated far east land.
It would be the first completely philanthropic
Performance by a community of the then world’s best.
Accountants do what they do and 50 years later
Their ledger says that the generosity and humility
Of those who came together to make music
That one day in August shows
Over $100 million give or take a million or two
Has been channeled to those in need.
“This is how it is supposed to be, right?”

The pilgrim sat back closing eyes
Seeing eleven years into the past:
His loving companion placed her lips on his
With a kiss that would surpass any great kiss recorded in history,
Poems, plays, storybook stories ,or songs as he was rolled into 
Surgery .There the pros from Dover would attempt to repair
His broken heart and a second chance dance , and opportunity 
For redemption , would hopefully be the result.
The nostalgia for that kiss, that moment, that day continues
To give him hope…
And that truth , peace , love and mercy would live on…
and never be forgotten.

  • JF Sobecki
—————————-



Woodstock - J. Mitchell



Concert for Bengla Desh - G. Harrison



Keep me in Your Heart - E. Vedder

Storybook Love


The Glory of Love - T. Bennett


One final word
Pulp Fiction…wait for it




The Holy Longing

                       -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Tell a wise person, or else keep silent,
because the mass man will mock it right away.
I praise what is truly alive,
what longs to be burned to death.

In the calm water of the love-nights,
where you were begotten, where you have begotten,
a strange feeling comes over you,
when you see the silent candle burning.

Now you are no longer caught
 in the obsession with darkness,
and a desire for higher love-making 
sweeps you upward.

Distance does not make you falter.
Now, arriving in magic, flying,
and finally, insane for the light,
you are the butterfly and you are gone.

And so long as you haven't experienced this: 
to die and so to grow,
you are only a troubled guest 
on the dark earth.-

  • Translated by R. Bly 
Amdg















Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved JF Sobecki LLC




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Tuesday, July 2, 2019

Testimony - Three Stories of Formation




“I believe , help my unbelief”
    - Mark 9:24

“ Why are you terrified,O you of little faith?”
   - Matthew 8:26


Testimony

In one of those vulnerable moments he
Shared three stories with his almost lifelong traveller

Once an old salt counseled the novice sailor
“ If you fear the wind, the waves and believe
You are about to lose control of your vessel 
You are probably right. If the boat seems to be
Vigorously bouncing to the left and then
Just as fiercely to the right.
Sometimes there is one essential simple remedy
For a quick fix…
Stay calm and let go . 
If your boat is balanced she steady herself
And will head up wind.”

He also recalled that one fateful
Flying lesson of "power off stalls.”
His flying mentor had him
Point  the nose of the Cessna up gradually .
As the voyager slowed the speed of the plane
In that split without warning second
A screeching horn from nowhere
filled the cockpit.
Just a quickly the plane began
A free fall with the tail pointing earthward.
Faster, faster she fell from the heavens.
The mentor repeated that quite frequented lesson
“Give her full throttle and push down on the stick
Pointing nose downward with a calm and deliberate manner.”
The voyager thought
"Are you Crazy?” As he
Followed the instruction without question. 
The almost tree top flyer found his plane
Gaining speed as the plane's nose moved upward
Where he leveled her off.
The flying mentor asked
“Is your underwear dry?”
“Yes,” exhaled to dry mouthed pilot.
“Good” the instructor said and smiled saying,
“Do it again.”

Then there was the occasion
When then voyager felt he needed a retreat,
At a safe harbor .
His spiritual guide would provide 
Words of wisdom to ponder in silence
As the voyager  would meander the pastoral
Sacred grounds of the safe harbor.
After a few days of wandering
The voyager met with the guide
Informing him,”I am not getting it.Nothing is happening.
I need to leave.”
Guide responded , “ The problem is…
You are trying to ‘make a retreat’ and not allowing
The retreat to make you. Go for your walk but with no agenda, Nothing on your mind to consider. Just be present and let go.”
As the sun began to say her daily farewell
The pilgrim slowly strolled the grounds puffing
On his trusty cigar. Without warning and in complete surprise
He found himself surrounded by five local deer.
They all stood in silence staring solemnly at each other.
Telepathically the deer seemed to whisper to the pilgrim,
“Why do you walk in fear? Don’t you know  we are safe
And that this is Holy Ground?” Just like that the deer were gone.
Filled with excitement the voyager raced to find his guide.
Upon finding the spiritual master the voyager explained in detail the occurrence. 
The guide looked at the the excited exhausted young man nonchalantly
And said “ That is nice. You know the deer are always there but you were too busy , worried and preoccupied to be present and see them. When you let go the sacred truth becomes obvious.” 

He sadly concluded his stories and explained with dismay that he no longer had a trusted mentor or master teacher to guide him through the endless maze and at times the flame of fear seemed as though it was about to resurface . The yellow brick road had faded , his own teachers and mentors had also  faded  to be distant spirits to remember. The co-traveller smiled and suggested, “There comes a time when the student must become the teacher and allow those seeds learned to flourish by letting go and continuing the Odyssey with faith.”

———————————————————————————-



“Come, my friends, 
'T is not too late to seek a newer world. 
Push off, and sitting well in order smite 
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds 
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths 
Of all the western stars, until I die.”

  - Ulysses, Alfred Lord Tennyson

FAITH

I want to write about faith,
about the way the moon rises
over cold snow, night after night,
faithful even as it fades from fullness,
slowly becoming that last curving and impossible
sliver of light before the final darkness.
But I have no faith myself,
I refuse it the smallest entry.
Let this then, my small poem,
like a new moon, slender and barely open
be the first prayer that opens me to faith.
- David Whyte
from "River Flow: New & Selected Poems"
©1990 Many Rivers Press

God Is God - Joan Baez ( S. Earle)

https://youtu.be/Sx9Tkbs3GOY

Love and Mercy - Brian Wilson


Dream Big - N.  Lofgren
https://youtu.be/wpytyf_N69c

Harbor of Love - Ry Cooder

The Healing Game - Van Morrison
https://youtu.be/q4rAP-KAOgQ

Western Stars - B. Springsteen




amdg





















Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved JF Sobecki LLC
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