Compassionate U

Until humans extend the circle of their compassion to include all living beings, then he himself will not find peace. -Albert Schweitzer

'Tis a Gift to Be Simple

During this time of the year, we celebrate so much. From out gratitude in Thanksgiving, we are now celebrating the Festival of Lights in Hanukah, and preparing for the joy of longer days in Winter Solstice and the birth of Christ in Christmas. It is at this time of year too, that we become so wrapped up in the complexities of our celebrations, that their original intent goes out of focus. ‘Tis a gift to be simple.

 

One of the ways that I’ve seen this happen is in the practice of giving gifts. Our culture defines gifts as things we buy at the mall or Walmart. We seek to find gifts at the lowest cost so that we can buy more and more. We have to spend the same amount on money on everyone, so that we don’t hazard offending anyone, and them thinking that we don’t appreciate them as much. ‘Tis a gift to be simple.

 

In all of our celebrations, one of the most important elements is the thought of being together with our loved ones. When we worry so much about the gifts we are giving, doesn’t that threaten our chances of being really close? Getting those warm feelings of togetherness that we yearn for all year?

 

My roommate and I are doing something different for gifts this year. We’ve agreed on three gifts:

  1. A gift we buy that’s under $20.00;
  2. A gift we make; and
  3. A gift we bake.

 

I’m really looking forward to receive these gifts. My family too, is changing how we give gifts in the holiday season. For years we’ve hoped for a family vacation, and haven’t ever been able to realize this hope. Well this year we’ve agreed to make this vacation our gift to each other. Gathering in Florida in early January, we’re having our holiday celebration there, and without all of the complexities of giving gifts. More gifts I’m looking forward to receive. ‘Tis a gift to be simple.

So Much to be Thankful For - A Compassionate Thanksgiving Feast

I wanted to share with everyone some images from our Thanksgiving meal today. The meal was entirely vegan, and as organic as possible. We're in the middle of no where Florida and believe it or not, even oranges were hard to come by. Here are the recipes, and above you can see images of the final product.

I've also included what a full plate looked like, and the entire table. Enjoy!

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Thought on Compassionate U

As human beings, one of our greatest talents is our capacity for compassion. This is a characteristic we share with other species in this world, and when we realize this, we are brought closer with each other, and with the natural world.


As compassionate beings we have an innate sense of compassion, and when situations call for it. When we are in touch with this sense, we can become more attuned to the world around us, and how we can use the sense to make it a better world for all of us.


Compassionate U is a space where we explore how to exercise our greatest sense of compassion for each other, for other animal beings and for the natural world.

Movie Review - Waiting for "Superman"

Last night I had the opportunity to see Waiting for Superman at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, NY. I was really excited to have the opportunity because this movie is on limited engagement across the country. You could tell others were feeling the same way because the theater lobby was packed before the doors even opened, and there were few empty seats in the audience. Clearly the topic of this movie, our education system in the U.S., was of great interest to many people. And why should it not be?

After viewing the film, my first reaction was that they were spot on with their message. I very much appreciated that they took a chance on making a feature length documentary on the issues plaguing our education system. They were right. There is something wrong with it, and it needs to be addressed immediately. Throughout the movie I was inspired by the individuals they included, such as Geoffrey Canada from Harlem Children's Zone in New York City, and Mike Feinberg, and David Levin, of KIPP schools. Their words, and their vision are spot on with the kind of change-making we need to see in our educational system. If anyone has "defied gravity" they have, or at least seemingly.

I also appreciate that they featured Michelle Rhee, the Chancellor of DC Public schools. Her efforts, though fervently debated, are ones that we too should hold up with gratitude. You may consider her a novice, and/or perhaps a little evil as some have portrayed her, but what I commend her for is looking at a broken system and trying, JUST TRYING to make change with limited resources. I definitely do not agree with some of the things she's proposed, but I do commend her for being brave and daring. Someone has to be. Finally, I want to say, that I appreciated the look at education in the U.S. from a systems level. This is so important, and the only way we can even begin to imagine substantive change.

Rather than writing about what I didn't appreciate about the movie, I want to write about what I would have liked to have seen in an ideal world. This will not be exhaustive, and is only meant to include some suggestions. First, our educational system is very complex. The graphics they used in this movie were both amazing, and very well used. I would use these to in the very beginning try to help people understand the complexity of this system. The audience needs to understand accurately how it is setup, governed and what role they play in it. My goal would be to have the audience leaving with an understanding of the system, their complicit role in it, and how they can affect change within it.

Next, I feel if the context of the movie is going to maintain a broad scope, especially using the tag line, "The fate of our country won't be decided on a battlefield, it will be determined in a classroom," then we must include students from more metropolitan areas, from more suburban areas and definitely rural schools as well. Their cases, and their voices are equally important, and represent the full complement of schools in the system. Each type could have it's own issues highlighted, and in doing so, the movie could still maintain the message that at a fundamental systems level, our educational system in the U.S. needs to be addressed while at the same time maintaining the broad scope of the message as well.

As the movie closes the audience, some of the major messages of the movie are summed up in short statements that are written with animations across the screen. The story of the movie is retold in simple form, and repeated to cement the ideas in our heads. We're also given some actions to take to take for fixing this issue. In an ideal world, I would convey these messages through success stories of people who have made changes within the public school system, and success stories, not just of teachers and educators who have made change, but parents, and regular citizens. The audience needs to leave with a concrete action they can take, and some inspiration from others, just like themselves who they can model after.

So all in all, I am very grateful for having had the chance to see this movie. There are some things I would have done differently, but I will suggest that this is only Waiting for "Superman" I, and that a sequel, or many other sequels are on their way to continue the story, and continue sharing stories of hope and inspiration.

The Importance of Living According to Your Values and Having Ideals

Many people often question why I hold myself to such high standards, and why I challenge myself so much with living life according to my values. They also wonder with all of the hatred and pain we see and experience everyday how I can maintain my hope and optimism.

I have this great little book that was given to me called, Touchstones. It's a book of daily meditations specifically for men. Of late I've been following along with the readings, and the one for September 30 applies directly to what I wrote above. First let me share the quote from the top of the page. Pearl Buck shares the following, "Life without idealism is empty indeed. We must have hope or starve to death." Man, what powerful words! Within the meditation, the author says, "As human beings, we are unable to perfectly live out our beliefs, but we become whole men [persons], by giving our energies to the attempt."

So though I do live my life according to my values, which explains my profession, and is why I try to practice veganism, forgo making material purchases and all around have a critical eye to every aspect of my journey, I do it with the hope that my personal dedication to this life will inspire changes in others. No matter the scope of those changes, each one is special and important, and I live my life this way because I know that I am making an attempt at a better world. If everyone did that, what would the world look like?

All of this is not to say that I am never negative. For the most part, people reading this can probably recall a number of times when I've been negative and had lost hope. But the most important part is that I always find it again in my friends and family, a project report I read, or in something like the meditation entry I read tonight. It's like a flame burning in us. It has to be fueled and protected, and when it's blown out, something has to spark it to life again.

Find what sparks you to life again, and keep that in your back pocket for the times when you lose hope. Will you be a spark for me?

Summer Sermon - Don't Throw Shoes - On Making Others Look Good

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This is the recording from my first foray into Sunday Service Ministry at my church the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Danbury (www.uudanbury.org). I have to say that being in the pulpit felt very comfortable, and I really appreciated sharing this message. We followed my sermon with some improv games, and more discussion on this topic. I only got good feedback, so I hope that everyone enjoyed themselves and learned a little. Many commented that they would never have connected improvisational comedy, with the Golden Rule, or spirituality in general. That was nice feedback.

A Quote about Tea from A Best Friend

You know that you have a soul-mate when they, when reading a completely random book, pull an amazing quote that is a treasure for you. This quote, came from my friend Kelly, as she read "The Elegance of the Hedgehog," by Muriel Barbery.

"When tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things.  Where is beauty to be found?  In great things that, like everything else, are doomed to die, or in small things that aspire to nothing, yet know how to set a jewel of infinity in a single moment?
     The tea ritual:  such a precise repetition of the same gestures and the same tastes; accesion to simple, authentic and refined sensations, a license given to all, at little cost, to become aristocrats of taste, because tea is the beverage of the wealthy and of the poor; the tea ritual, therefore, has the extraordinary virtue of introducing into the absurdity of our lives an aperture of serene harmony.  Yes, the world may aspire to vacuousness, lost souls mourn beauty, insignificance surrounds us.  Then let us drink a cup of tea.  Silence descends, one hears the wind outside, autumn leaves rustle and take flight, the cat sleeps in a warm pool of light.  And, with each swallow, time is sublimed"
Posterous theme by Cory Watilo
  
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