Masculinity

Throughout the last seven decades, I’ve watched women and so-called people of color take their rightful place as functioning members of society. It hasn’t been much longer than that when women were not allowed to vote in elections, and only since1962 if you happened to be a black woman in the United States. Nowadays, most women can hold any job and live any way they choose. It amazes me that men feel threatened by this, but now I’m seeing that many are — and it’s become quite a problem for society. The latest Christian Science Monitor features the plight of the white man. Throughout the years, I’ve laughed when I was told they had a plight, but observance and thoughtful articles are opening my eyes to what has happened. The most startling statistic is that 70% of the suicides in 2019 were white men. Add to that the fact that only 40% of college students are male. Between 2019 and 2020, men who died from drug- and alcohol-related causes spiked 35%! There are numerous reasons for this, of course. Some have simplistic explanations, such as women have stolen their jobs and they have no purpose. I think it’s true that men feel lost in the current climate of changing gender roles, but I also believe it’s mental conditioning which has caused them to feel this way. This topic will be revisited soon, but for now, I’ll end with a quote from Andrew Yang: “We need to be needed. We imagine ourselves as builders, soldiers, workers, brothers — part of something bigger than ourselves.” 

“…man is a generic term. Masculine, feminine, and neuter genders are human concepts.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 516:29

Freedom From Fear - Aung San Suu Kyi

Art by Vladislav Yerko

"Withina system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day. Fear of imprisonment, fear of torture, fear of death, fear of losing friends, family, property or means of livelihood, fear of poverty, fear of isolation, fear of failure. A most insidious form of fear is that which masquerades as common sense or even wisdom, condemning as foolish, reckless, insignificant or futile the small, daily acts of courage which help to preserve man's self-respect and inherent human dignity. It is not easy for a people conditioned by fear under the iron rule of the principle that might is right to free themselves from the enervating miasma of fear. Yet even under the most crushing state machinery courage rises up again and again, for fear is not the natural state of civilized man.” -- Aung San Suu Kyi, Freedom From Fear 

"The rights of man were vindicated in a single section and on the lowest plane of human life, when African slavery was abolished in our land. That was only prophetic of further steps towards the banishment of a world-wide slavery, found on higher planes of existence and under more subtle and depraving forms." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 225:31

Friends, Inexplicably Bonded

 Today my book club discovered that one of our group was missing in action. None of us realized we had not heard from her in quite a while, and it seemed to hit us all at once that something was wrong. After frantically checking with her family, it turns out she has had a physical problem and is in a facility which is helping her recover. This happening brought home to me the importance of connections and being there for each other. Our group of friends have been close for more than 15 years, brought together by the small independent school where our children attended, and kept together by our love of books and each other. Years ago I read a quote by Joel Goldberg which has stayed with me: “Groups of people who share spiritual Love are bound together for eternity.” My friends are my family, and I love you …

"I think some people are just inexplicably bonded. Drawn by forces beyond their own comprehension, they have no choice but to gravitate toward one another. Destined by fate to keep crossing paths until they finally get it right.” L.B. Simmons

"Love never loses sight of loveliness. its halo rests upon its object. One marvels that a friend can ever seem less than beautiful." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 248:3

Every Little Thing

Grand Baby Torin

The comfortableness of days passing. I’ve been savoring the gentleness of life. During our recent ice storm, I loved the feeling of being in a cocoon, warm and happy. Every morning, I look forward to waking up slowly, enjoying hot coffee and reading, while petting a cat. There is great joy to be found in gathering ingredients to make soup, chopping vegetables, smelling spices and deciding which ones to add to the mix. The coziness of word games is almost more than I can bear. Most of this life I’ve been happy, but never like this. Every little thing is exquisite. 

“The Kingdom is perfectly united and perfectly protected, and the ego will not prevail against it. Amen.” From A Course in Miracles, Text Chapter 4: The Illusions of the Ego. Love without Conflict

Dickinson — I Had No Time To Hate

Photo credit: Aaron Springston

I had no time to Hate -
Because
The Grave would hinder me -
And Life was not so 
Ample I
Could finish--Enmity -

Nor had I time to Love -
But since
Some Industry must be -
The little Toil of Love -
I thought
Was large enough for Me .

Emily Dickinson

Imagine All The People…

Art by J. Clement Wall

JudyClementWall.com

 When the attacks of 9/11 happened more than two decades ago, I remember thinking it was an opportunity for our world to come together in peace, to stand united against aggression of all sorts, to form a bond which would neutralize all which is unlike good. I see the attack by Russia on the Ukraine as another pivotal point where we have a chance to do the right thing. While reviewing what is happening and why it has come about, I also have come across all the propaganda proclaiming this selfish dictator is doing a good thing. At this point, I see more people every moment recognizing what is happening, comparing it to the power plays which have been happening in this country, and realizing it must be stopped if the people of this world are to have a chance of thriving in peace and happiness; helping each other through times of trouble rather than locking their doors and looking the other way. Imagine all the people, living life in peace …

“This material world is even now becoming the arena for conflicting forces. On one side there will be discord and dismay; on the other side there will be Science and peace. The breaking up of material beliefs may seem to be famine and pestilence, want and woe, sin, sickness, and death, which assume new phases until their nothingness appears. These disturbances will continue until the end of error, when all discord will be swallowed up in spiritual Truth.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 96:12-20

War and Peace

 While contemplating peace, these writings were brought to my attention. 

“One night a feast was held in the palace, and there came a man and prostrated himself before the prince, and all the feasters looked upon him; and they saw that one of his eyes was out and that the empty socket bled. And the prince inquired of him, 'What has befallen you?' And the man replied, 'O prince, I am by profession a thief, and this night, because there was no moon, I went to rob the money-changer's shop, and as I climbed in through the window I made a mistake and entered the weaver's shop, and in the dark I ran into the weaver's loom and my eye was plucked out. And now, O prince, I ask for justice upon the weaver.' 

Then the prince sent for the weaver and he came, and it was decreed that one of his eyes should be plucked out. 

'O prince,' said the weaver, 'the decree is just. It is right that 
one of my eyes be taken. And yet, alas! both are necessary to me in order that I may see the two sides of the cloth that I weave. But I have a neighbour, a cobbler, who has also two eyes, and in his trade both eyes are not necessary.' 

Then the prince sent for the cobbler. And he came. And they took out one of the cobbler's two eyes.

 And justice was satisfied.” Kahlil Gibran

“Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures. " John F. Kennedy

“The calm and exalted thought or spiritual apprehension is at peace. Thus the dawn of ideas goes on, forming each successive stage of progress." Mary Baker Eddy 

“No one attacks without intent to hurt.This can have no exception. When you think that you attack in self-defense, you mean that to be cruel is protection; you are safe because of cruelty. You mean that you believe to hurt another brings you freedom. And you mean that to attack is to exchange the state in which you are for something better, safer, more secure from dangerous invasion and from fear.” A Course in Miracles — W-170.1.