The Green Pill

The Blue Pill

Take the blue pill if you don't want to wake up, don't want to know, and are happy to carry on as if nothing is wrong.

The Red Pill

Take the red pill if you want to descend into the rabbit hole, discover the truth, and potentially become angry and bitter about it all.

What if I told you there was a third option?

The Green Pill

Take it and know the truth, but live happily anyway. You will believe that the sacredness of nature is the only way, that living simply is the answer, and that greed, power and force must be countered by love, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness.

There is a fourth choice, but for me it is not an option at all.

The Black Pill

Take the black pill, abandon all hope and give up entirely on knowing AND not knowing. Take it and you won't care either way, won't think it matters, and will come to the conclusion that nothing will ever change anyway no matter what you do. Or do not.

Me, I have been green-pilled, and I am content with my choice. At first it made me angry, but then I came to accept what is, and recovered my positive outlook. 

The green pill is the one that set me free. 

Turning People Into Trees

“When we go out into the woods, we see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. 

And we look at the tree and we allow it. We appreciate it. We see why it is the way it is. We sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. 

And we don’t get all emotional about it. We just  allow it. We appreciate the tree. 

The minute we get near humans, we lose all that. 

We are constantly saying, ‘You’re too this, or I’m too that.’ 

That judging mind comes in. And so, try practicing turning people into trees. 

That means appreciating them just the way they are.”

- Ram Das

Corn-u-hope-ia, Corn-u-copia, Corn-u-nope-ia

This year's corn harvest has begun.

The first time Linda and I grew corn was when we lived in a housing cooperative in the middle of Edmonton, Alberta, the northernmost city in North America with a metro population of at least one million. It got cold there in the winter, but summers were warm enough to grow a nice crop.

We planted our mini-field of corn on the perimeter of our community garden. We were filled with corn-u-hope-ia. 

There was no fence, and people walking by could witness our plant's progress as we nurtured our first field to fruition. I wouldn't have minded if people wandered over from the sidewalk and picked cobs to take home for supper.

After a pleasant summer, our corn was ready to harvest. The following day was to be our celebration of filling our horn of plenty. We were looking forward to a cornfest with our neighbours, and sharing our sweet cobs far and wide. 

As it turned out, we did share our corn. All of it. Every single cob. Its just that we have no idea of who we shared it with, because the harvest was a clandestine event which occurred in the dark of night that evening.

When we went to harvest the next day, we found a garden of empty stalks. We never tasted as much as a kernel. We went from corn-u-copia to corn-u-nope-ia, and it took us by surprise.

"No way! This can't be happening." 

"We are so angry." 

"Maybe we can look for it, or offer a reward for the safe return of our unshucked cobs." 

"How sad." 

We progressed through the first 4 stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, and depression) quickly as we stood there viewing the corny crime scene. Before long we entered into the last stage, and accepted our new cornless reality. 

A bit after that we were laughing about the whole affair. It was so outrageous - every single cob was gone. They did an excellent job of harvesting.

We hoped that whoever helped themselves to our patch enjoyed the corn, as well as the love we put into each and every kernel over the course of the growing season.

As it happened, we did not grow corn again until now. This year we have a small section of stalks bearing a nice selection of cobs. 

The kernels have passed the watery stage, and are showing a milky juice. Time for harvest. 

Finally, about twenty years after our initial efforts, we can actually eat fresh corn that we have grown in our own garden. It's back to a corn-u-copia. 

The stripped stalks we will leave until the pole beans are done, later in the fall. 

Let the cornfest begin.

Action vs Acceptance

Action/Acceptance

I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting to change the world. On the other hand there is something to be said about accepting things the way they are, and trusting that everything is unfolding the way it needs to unfold.

I am constantly working on finding the proper balance between learning as much as I can about world events, and wanting to run far, far away from them. I envision a tiny cabin in the woods, off-grid, with water access only, and knowing about only what is happening in the immediate area.

Then I consider the Zen saying that advises that we should never be bound by daily events, but neither should we withdraw from them. Balance is required.

We are not passive actors - simply thinking about something helps to make it happen. Therefore, we have to stay engaged, but remember to balance that with going with the  flow and living life pure and passionate, untainted by worry, regret, frustration or anger.

There are undoubtedly larger cycles of which our current civilization is unaware. Unlike our ancestors who seem to have had a more far-reaching vision than the next election cycle, the Mayan calenders for example, one of which operates on a 5000 year cycle.

What is currently happening in the world is part of the cycle that must play out before we reach the turning point and balance is restored.

A tree must lose its leaves in the fall and go dormant for weeks - during this time it seems dead. But in the bigger picture, last year's leaves mold and decay eventually entering the soil, then the tree. In the spring what once seemed dead reaches a point where it can't do anything but burst forth with new and glorious life. The cycle is complete, to begin again.

We must fight the desire to flee, turn to violence, or throw ourselves from a bridge. With a balance between allowing things to happen with acceptance, and taking action to change what we can within our own sphere of influence, we can create a better world while enjoying this one at the same time.

“After a time of decay comes the turning point. The powerful light that has been banished returns. There is movement, but it is not brought about by force. The old is discarded and the new is introduced. Both measures accord with the time; therefore no harm results.”--I Ching