Hi There!
So, being a "newbie" in town,
I'm "all eyes" when I go out to
the store, library, MVD, church, gas station,
the "Y," restaurants, and so forth.
I'm learning people and places.
I notice more than I usually do.
So far, very good.
Glad to be here.
One thing that "catches my eye," though,
in my new noticing
is how many people
are significantly overweight, even obese.
And a lot of them are young.
Sadly, thy look like sausages about to burst their skins.
As a nation, 35% of us are obese ( Center for Disease Control and Prevention ).
I say this not to scold, but as a concern.
We are stuffed!!!
And it's not just corporeal.
Every store I visited is "sound stuffed" with some sort of pulsating (??music??) noise.
And then there's all the absurd "stuff" that crowds the shelves and isles.
Come on, " Pistachio Cranberry Caramel Cucumber Non Fat Turkish Mint Yogurt"!!!
Really???
I remember hearing that if the whole world were to have all the stuff we do in the USA,
it would take three planet earths to source it. (Brother James, Taize)
If you have the interest and time, please check out the classic
"The Story of Stuff, " by Annie Leonard on YouTube.
It cleans house on this whole stuff pollution in which we find ourselves.
In restaurants people outdo each other stuffing the air
by scaling up and up decibel levels.
The media peppers us with non stop stuff
that nobody really needs to know (or endure).
We feel compelled to stuff our schedules for supposed significance.
Moving has put in bold relief for me how much "stuff" stuffs my living.
This is embarrassingly difficult, but in the recent move I discovered
that I have new, unopened packs of underwear and a stash of dental floss
that will literally last me the rest of my life!!
Well, I bought them on sale!!
But this boy scout has gone over the top when it comes to "Be Prepared."
Stuff stresses us.
It keeps us superficial.
It prohibits our rootedness from going ever deeper
and our spirits from soring ever higher.
It steals space -
space for noticing, feeling, for texture and touch,
absorption in beauty, hearing the sounds of silence.
We need to downsize to expand.
We need to make sure that stuff doesn't take the place of
experiencing the mystery of The Mystery.
More and more I realize other "stuffers" that stifle spirit.
Fear, pride, self absorption are the worst of the worst killer stuff
that can fill us out of ourselves.
I'm glad I moved.
It's moving me to notice and simplify,
to free up for the central meaning of living.
Our real life level is to let God make love with us.
"Stuff" clutters the love bed,
gets in the way of free frolic
filling to Oneness.
Here's to an uncluttered, king size love bed!!!!
Given the weather devastation of late,
let's all put some prayer and money
into hurricane relief.
We can skip the "Pistachio Cranberry Caramel Cucumber Non Fat Turkish Mint Yogurt,"
endless packages of underwear and stashes of dental floss,
even if they are on sale
and we are over zealous boy scouts wanting to "Be Prepared,"
and scads of stuff unneeded so as to help folks needing
to get back on their feet and on their way home.
Catholic Charities, Episcopal Relief and Development,
United Methodist Committee On Relief
are all groups of great people that will make sure our help gets where it needs to go.
A last thought or two.
We need to lighten up to fly.
Notice runners don't wear armor.
So good to be blessed with our little community here.
We are currently people from India, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, Mexico a few countries in North Africa
and mostly here in the USA.
How neat it would be for us all to share our nourishments at a great supper.
If not in time, after time for sure!!
Love to all!!
See you next week.
In God's dear Love,
John Frank
