Living a Bigger Game

As I grew up, I always dreamed of doing great things. At this point in my life, that goal has not yet been realized. The good news is that I'm still alive and have the opportunity to rectify that situation. Now, the question is, how do I live that bigger game?

Sitting back in fear, inability to stretch due to lack of confidence, or just plain letting everyday life get in the way are no longer viable choices. Unfortunately, I can't just say "Bam!" like Emeril, and kick my life up a notch. The most important thing is to do things before I'm ready, because waiting has gotten me nowhere towards reaching my higher mission in life.

One solution is to network to find like-minded people by joining organizations and taking classes. Another is to finalize my books and get them published. Learning how to improve my public speaking and speaking up at public events would increase my chances. Blogging is one more conduit through which thoughts and ideas can be effectively communicated. I've already begun taking some of these steps. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. If any of you have created and spread your life mission to the world, how did you go about living a bigger game?

So, Why Are You Still There, You Ask?

I'm always looking at and dreaming of new places to visit, photograph, write about, and maybe even live. As I've said in a prior post, dreams are important, as they enrich one's life with possibilities that can be realized.

The internet and, in particular, blogs are tremendous resources for planning the future. As with many of you, I keep my eyes on a few favorite blogs that personalize places of interest. Chantal, the author of the blog "Writer Abroad" has listed the top portable careers for expats. Upon perusing the list, I discovered five for which I'm qualified to be hired. So, why are you still there, you ask?

In running from place to place, one brings one's issues along as extra baggage that weighs one down in life. So the best course to take is to stay and deal with things, in order to move forward into the future without that extra baggage, and with an unencumbered heart.

"Fashionista?" Nay, the Real Question is, "Fascista?"

Is it fashionable to continue the unequal balance of power in the United States? It seems as though the Supreme Court justices may be fashionista. The continued collusion between corporations and the United States government has birthed a Supreme Court decision that now gives even more power to corporations, financial institutions, and the people who run them. Until recently, corporations and financial institutions enjoyed exponentially escalating profits over the past decade, unencumbered by regulations and enhanced by tax breaks. Those who ran them received extraordinarily high salaries, bonuses, benefits, and golden parachutes that exponentially increased the disparity of wages between CEO's and the average worker. Due to the recent Supreme Court decision that allows corporations and unions to spend unlimited dollars on campaign contributions, they now have unlimited power to influence the course of elections in favor of candidates who will continue to benefit them. Free speech belongs to individual people: one person, one voice, one vote. The Supreme Court justices have elevated corporations and unions to the same status as a person by also granting them the right to free speech. Next, maybe they'll let the CEO's and Union Leaders place votes for these new "people." I guess the old saying is true, money can buy anything. Too bad the new voices who have been newly granted the freedom of speech will drown out the voices of the majority of Americans who are unable to compete with such tremendously affluent budgets and increased power to steer the course of "democratic" elections. Perhaps a more appropriate word for the Supreme Court justices' decision may be fascista.

In 1785, Thomas Jefferson spoke about elective despotism: "Mankind soon learn to make interested uses of every right and power which they possess, or may assume. The public money and public liberty, intended to have been deposited with three branches of magistracy, but found inadvertently to be in the hands of one only, will soon be discovered to be sources of wealth and dominion to those who hold them... They [the assembly] should look forward to a time, and that not a distant one, when a corruption in this, as in the country from which we derive our origin, will have seized the heads of government, and be spread by them through the body of the people; when they will purchase the voices of the people, and make them pay the price. Human nature is the same on every side of the Atlantic, and will be alike influenced by the same causes. The time to guard against corruption and tyranny, is before they shall have gotten hold of us. It is better to keep the wolf out of the fold, than to trust to drawing his teeth and talons after he shall have entered."

What is Fascism? This link defines the Fourteen Defining Characteristics of Fascism: http://www.rense.com/general37/char.htm

Poor Boy! Remorseful Rapist is Let Go With 3 Year Detention

A 13-year-old British boy beat and raped a 20-year-old woman in front of his 10- and 11-year-old friends, who were yelling at him to stop. He bragged about what he did to his victim's boyfriend while speaking to him on her phone, stole her purse, and later sold her phone and i-pod. Oh those poor, poor rapists! They feel so badly for what they've done to their victims. Poor rapists. Poor young, old, any nationality, color, religion, or socioeconomic status rapists. The British court let the rapist go with only a 3 year detention. Poor boy! Maybe we should just let them all off without serving any time or parole. Why not just take rape out of the judicial code altogether? After all, if they're remorseful, they'll barely serve any time anyway.

Does remorse change history? Does it heal the victim? The answer is, "No!" Rapists can now play upon the courts' sympathies by saying they're remorseful so that they will "get off" with lesser sentences. Nothing like the court and judicial system also raping the victim.

When will judicial systems around the world begin taking a tough stance on rape and domestic violence? When 1 in 3 women and girls will be raped or experience violence in their lifetime, why are courts still enabling the perpetrators of rape and violence? I don't care that the perpetrator was 13 years old. He knew that what he was doing was wrong and still chose to do it. He should face and live with the full consequences of his actions, just as his victim will for the rest of her life. Judicial systems around the world should try under-age rapists as adults. People who rape are not the victims and the world should stop treating them as such.

As for my own country, shame on us! Our Senators still haven't even ratified the UN Women's Rights Treaty - CEDAW - Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Incidences of rape and violence against women in the US are increasing, and there is a huge rape-kit backlog that delays the serving of justice on perpetrators of rape. Criminals have a right to a speedy trial. Why don't rape victims have the right to require the criminal evidence of their rape taken from their violated bodies be processed just as quickly?

U.S. Senate Should Ratify CEDAW: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/12/18/us-jumpstart-ratification-women-s-rights-treaty

Soaring Rates of Rape & Violence AgainstWomen: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2008/12/18/us-soaring-rates-rape-and-violence-against-women

Sexual Assault Bill: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/11/05/us-senate-move-quickly-sexual-assault-bill

Rape kit backlog: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/12/14/united-states-senate-should-act-rape-investigations

British Boy Given a 3 Year Sentence for Brutally Raping and Beating a Woman: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/13yearold-british-boy-gets-just-threeyear-detention-for-raping-woman-2033337.html

What New Dreams May Come?

Dreams often begin in the shadows, until trust, hope, courage, and resilience nourish and encourage them to grow, reach towards, and then shine in the light of the present day.

This year has been the most life-altering, powerful, and positive year of my life, despite the difficulties and pressures of the outside world. So, having had such a great year, am I about to let it rest lightly upon its gilded laurels? Of course not! So, you ask, "What new dreams may come?"

I still plan on completing practical to-do lists such as getting my passport. To-do lists are fine, but dreams are so much more important. Therefore, I will continue to follow my dreams. In that light, I plan on finalizing both of my books and sending them off to publishers. If any of my readers know any publishers, I'd appreciate some assistance with contacts. It would be for a biographical children's picture book and a predominantly non-fiction book of poetry, lyrics, short stories, essays, and some of my photographs.

There are more dreams to reach towards in the coming years. I plan to start saving for professional photography equipment and a summer at Oxford University's Summer Programme in Creative Writing at Exeter. I'm hoping to attend the summer after next. They also have a wonderful Summer Programme in International Human Rights Law for which I am not yet qualified to apply, therefore that will be a few years away.

As this bright year dims, I wish you all sweet dreams. Dreams do foster hope for and create the future, and so, my dear readers, don't be afraid to set high aspirations when you dream. I've found that when I dream and visualize my future, I eventually and literally externalize my dream and create my present. My past now sparkles with many of my old, already-realized dreams. Looking back on those successes inspires me to create new dreams for my future, knowing that I can count on myself to make my own dreams come true. What dreams do you have for your future?

In this twilight of 2009, I wish you all a Healthy, Loving, Successful, Peaceful, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My E-mail Demanding My Senator Support Health Care Reform

As your constituent, I respectfully demand you vote for the current health care reform bill on Christmas Eve. I'm disappointed there is no public option, yet we must do something to move reform forward. The AMA - the organization representing Americas's doctors - endorses this bill, so I'm wondering why you and ALL your fellow Republicans refuse to help your millions of constituents who are sick and literally dying from lack of health care coverage. During the past year, 20% of the U.S. population, almost 60 million people were without insurance all or some of that time.

All Americans are watching you and the Republican Party to see just who you truly represent, either we the people or the insurance and pharma industries. Favoring the very corporations, read domestic enemies, who directly deprive citizens of life by denying them health care, for profits, is against the Constitution you swore to uphold. I'd like to remind you of that Oath and intend to post this both on Facebook and on my blog.

Please stop what you and your Republican comrades have been doing, and do the right thing for the good people of this country.

A Child Who Leads

I may be exhausted after a week of Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences. On the other hand, I'm totally blessed to have wonderful children as students. Ever since going to the Challenge Leadership weekend* and reading "The Speed of Trust,"** I decided to develop and implement a leadership program for my students. What follows is a special story about one amazing student who walked into our classroom this past Wednesday.

An 8-year-old boy got up this morning, and without any prompting or recommendations from his parents, decided he needed to shower, wash and fix his hair, and then get dressed. He walked into our classroom for his Parent/Teacher/Student Conference dressed in a suit and tie for his "important meeting." At the end of the conference, I asked him if he had any questions or concerns. He said he did, and retold all the things we'd just discussed, and that he needs to work on those things to improve his grades. He said he's doing this to become a great leader of his own life and to lead others. I cried tears of joy!

*http://www.carolreynolds.com/challenge.htm
**http://www.speedoftrust.com/

Lack of True Leadership in the United States

There is a real lack of truly great leadership in the United States of America. Any Limbaugh, Olbermann, or O'Reilly can lead people, using their rhetoric and editorials to inspire people to finger-point, call each other pinheads, blame each other for their lot in life, create divisiveness, and inspire hate. However, it takes a truly great leader to inspire and empower people from all sides to cooperate and collaborate to create win-win solutions for the serious problems we all face. If the politicians who were elected to be those kinds of leaders can't do their job, they need to step down or be pressured by their constituents to step up or get out. Our country and our citizens are crying for the kind of great leadership that can reinstate our Constitutional rights and get our country back on the track of its first and only job: representing we the people, rather than the corporations, the Fed and Wall Street. I challenge all citizens to demand great leadership in all areas, especially in the media and politics. Demand leaders who can truly lead, inspire, and empower others to solve problems cooperatively. If your leaders can't do their job, write to them about your dissatisfaction with their job, pressure them, protest against them, boycott them, and ultimately, fire them. In general, legally do whatever you can to remove them from office. Definitely don't re-elect them!