Monthly Archives: July 2014

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Me, “The Way ” Gaza, Israel, and Desmund Tutu


Joe Bradshaw's avatarIamforchange's Blog

There are times when I question myself as far as what my place is in regards to causes and the injustices in our world. I empathize with the young Buddha as he explored the world outside his palace for the first time as a young child. He saw the plows opening the earth and was amazed with what he saw, he saw mother earth being cut open and violated. He saw the poor and the helpless all the while questioning why and how or what he could or should do about it. I am of course not Buddha I am a spiritual being living as a simple man.
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I have been studying so many different spiritual perspectives shared by so many spiritual beings past and present as well as the laws that govern our Universe as the great Lau Tzu or Buddha may have expressed it “The Way or…

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How A Bus Is Changing The Lives Of The Homeless..


The Daily Binge's avatarThe Daily Binge

Most of us have suffered through the frustration of needing to quickly get ready for work, only to have to wait for a roommate to finish his shower. Now imagine having to share that shower with not one or two other people, but hundreds.

That’s precisely the situation facing San Francisco’s estimated 6,436 homeless residents, who currently have just seven places in the city where they can shower.

But now an old public bus in San Francisco has been converted into a portable shower station to provide hygienic bathrooms to the homeless.

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The bus, converted by nonprofit LavaMae, contains two private showers and toilets and provides towels and soap. The creators say it’s more about providing individual comfort than ending homelessness.

But despite the fact that the showers could help some homeless people stay clean as public showers around the city close, they don’t enjoy unanimous support.

Some critics say…

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Hearing Deficit


learningmypathtowardsgod's avatarLearning My Path Towards God

IMG_1118Lost in life is what I am. More than just a lost lamb who can easily be mislead. It used to be when ever I was confused on which direction to go while driving I’ve been able to find a friendly gas station attendant or a kind person to call upon. These people who help were so cute! They’d point this way then that way offering tidbits of what to look for besides street signs and because of their help  I am back on the road with in minutes heading in the right direction with confidence.

Not in life there’s not much to look for that can be seen in guidance on what to do. I’ve tried praying and I do still keep at the prayers with wanting so badly to hear pointers. I gotta change my direction but where to?  With my hearing deficit this may not be the…

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Happiness or Elation?


Aura's avatarViews Splash!

A sense unknown.

A perception.

A smile resulting from a smile.

A story so cute, you can’t shut the teller up.

A moment so selfless.

A sensation so unadulterated.

A pet pal, overjoyed at your return.

A wife sleeping so sound.

A face so calm yet sure.

A heartfelt greeting.

A voice that whispers in your ears in the morning – “Wake up sweet heart!”.

A joke that tickles the child in you.

A note that fills your day with bloom.

A song that parallels the days feeling.

An inspirational moment.

A moment of pure genius.

A tear of peace from silence in the heart, in the mind, in the air.

That’s Happiness for me.

Whatever it is, it’s definitely a feeling I forgot a long time back, and I can only guess if that’s happiness I remember. That night of rejoice, of yelling till the throat hurt, of hugs…

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Are You an Unknown Woman?


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As women in modern society, women are told to do a lot of things. We are told to talk, to shut up and to sit down. We are told to speak up and to quit talking. Life for women, has been like this for Millenniums. One way women have been able to survive this subservient treatment has been to get to know who she really is and what she wants to be. To survive the patriarchal hierarchy, women have to be certain of themselves and who they are. How do we do this? Solitude. Solitude, aloneness, peace are what we need to discover ourselves.

 

Alice Koller was a PHD from Harvard University. Her doctorate was in Philosophy. She realized she couldn’t find meaning in here work, or in her relationships with men, she felt she had reached bottom. So Alice decided to take a journey. She decided to take a journey inside to find who she really was. She rented a small house on Nantucket. She bought a puppy and determined to stay until she understood who the woman was she saw every morning in the mirror.

 

    Solitude   

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    A red Kayak. Photographed and copyrighted by Barbara Mattio 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

People come and go in life. Take care of yourself.

People come and go in life. Take care of yourself.

 

An Unknown Woman, is the story of her journey to herself. The book was written at the beginning of the sixties and the women’s movement. I am sure Alice isn’t the first to go looking for herself, nor will she be the last. I am sure you will understand her friends thought she was crazy. She was determined to find the source of her unhappiness. She realized that there was no place where she wanted to be, where she belonged, or where she could go.  Solitary walks on the beach with her puppy and surviving a winter on the Nantucket shore kept her pretty busy. I do suggest you read the book or take a similar journey in your lives. Ladies, remember there is nothing wrong with alone as long as you choose your solitude. Good luck to everyone journeying to find themselves.

 

 

A woman on a journey to herself.

A woman on a journey to herself.

jseagull

Photographed and copyrighted by Barbara Mattio 2014

Photographed and copyrighted by Barbara Mattio 2014