Reflections on current events
Something I continue to hear over the internet and amongst friends is the saying, “May you live in interesting times.” Despite popular belief, this saying is not an ancient Chinese curse. In 1966, Robert Kennedy used this phrase in his “Ripple of Hope” speech, which introduced it into English culture. It is speculated that the phrase stems from the Chinese proverb, properly translated as “better to be a dog in times of peace than a human in times of war”. These are interesting times, and yes, to be a pampered dog in times of peace sounds fabulous right now.
OCCAM’S CUP OF JOE
This morning, in the first hours of the day, while surrounding minds quietly rest, my mind wants to stretch its legs. It wanders around and is restless. There is an equation hovering over our heads that humans must solve. It feels like an inconsistent equation, but it is solvable.
While in a lucid dream state, snuggled up in early spring bedding, a metaphor appeared.
One cool fall morning, Jack and Jill are sitting at the dining table, reading and writing. Jill gets up and says to Jack, I’d like some coffee. I’m making coffee, would you like some? Jack is nose deep in a project and blindly says “yes”. Jill pours in enough water and coffee for two. Truns on the coffee maker and returns to her chair across the table from Jack. As the fragrance of a warm cup starts to fill the room, Jack realizes he never wanted coffee; he doesn’t like coffee. He looks at the anticipation on Jill’s face. He begins to form a long and exhausting plan of how he can reject her cup of coffee and continue to keep his hatred of coffee a secret. How can he do this…?
He could break the coffee pot, perhaps by doing cartwheels across the kitchen. He could run down to the breaker box and flip the kitchen fuse. He could set the papers resting on the table on fire, distracting her, then throw the whole machine out the window and claim the damage on their homeowners’ insurance. OR…he could simply say, “Jill, you know what, I don’t want a cup of coffee. I actually don’t like coffee. I’m going to pour myself a glass of orange juice instead, thank you anyway.”
SOLVE FOR X
Liars and thieves are ruling the governments on a scale the Earth’s current generation has never seen. Trillions of dollars are circulating from pocketbook to pocketbook of fewer entities. It seems to me an elite group of mega-billionaires is trying to turn off a coffee pot. My mind wants to know why. Why? Why start any of these wars? Why cartwheel across Ukraine, Gaza, Iran? Why threaten Taiwan? Why? The reasons you give and the results we see do not solve the equation. Things do not add up. Trump, the Iran war is NOT protecting Americans from nuclear strikes. Putin, Ukraine is not hurting you; get out of there. Netanyahul, shut the fuck up and sit down, you genocidal maniac! Jinping, calm down. You’ve got more than enough, you greedy bastard. Make friends, not war.
War is good for nothing.
The truth works better.
shannon p. laws 