“Few people know so clearly what they want.   Most people can’t even think what to hope for when they throw a penny in a fountain.”    ~ Barbara Kingsolver, novelist and poet

Such a simple question: What do you want?

Hmmmm. What do I want? What do I want? What do I want? What do I want? Any way you slice it, this little puzzler looks deceivingly quaint and harmless, as if it may indeed require little pondering… but it’s all a facade. And as the years fly off our mind-logged calendars, the four-word imp creeps its way into our daily lives…keeping us up at night, zoning us out at meetings, tying our tongues… furrowing our brows and ultimately graying our hair.

All that said, I stand side-by-side with you…without an answer for you, let alone myself. I, too, often want someone to tell me what I should want. But more often, I just seem to tune out the prompt for pondering my true intention and careen past the real source of joy.  I let the malevolent minutia of a worldly existence distract me from facing the question straight-on.  From diving into the deep end of my soul, welcoming the light, and waiting for the answers to reach out to me.  Perhaps being driven isn’t such an enviable quality when the drive is into an abyss full of unanswered questions.

Copyright 2000-2012 by Kimberlie Dykeman.

http://youtu.be/CNqSZOINoms

(Featured quote is often credited to Kingman Brewster also.)

Copyright 2000-2012 by Kimberlie Dykeman.

Well, Earth Day and Earth Week have come and gone… and now what?  Do you go back to your old habits of driving to the corner store instead of walking; tossing everything in the garbage because your apartment complex or office still doesn’t have a recycling program; running the water while you brush your teeth?!  Folks, celebrating Earth Day isn’t supposed to be a party that you go all out for and then toss it’s memory into your rusty pile of annual “do-good” days.  You should be celebrating what EARTH PROVIDES FOR US and, in turn, making lifelong changes to ensure that this planet CAN keep taking care of us.  I hope that sometime very soon, all of us, as a connected human race, will have the ultimate paradigm shift and SEE with truly open eyes what evil we are doing to our planet and what good is IN US to change our mentality to one of appreciation, concern, and action…. every day!   ~  KD

Here is a SOAPBOX® mini-motivation from 2008 that still echoes truth today:

“To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival.”     ~ Wendell Berry, philosopher, novelist and social activist

It’s about time we stopped snickering at Al Gore, the forewarning NPR folks and tree-hugging, hybrid hippies…because they might be onto something!  It’s about time we stopped being so selfish and purposefully merged as Humankind for the simple Darwinian hopes of perpetuating our existence by strengthening our collective homebase – we call Earth!  For, not seeing is believing.  When a species of animal disappears, we must rescue braver.  When a strain of plant disappears, we must think greener.  When snowcaps are melting, swallowing up islands and life, we must conserve stricter. Amidst the chatter of economics, religion and war, don’t miss the underconversation of environment, culture and interdependent community.  My fellow EARTH-lings, we must research cleaner, protect fiercer, commit firmer, explore broader, spend wiser, educate brighter.  May we all look back after long, fulfilling lives to proclaim that we are survivors and all did our part.  It’s our time to think globally…and act globally.

Copyright 2008, 2012 by Kimberlie Dykeman.

“You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair.”     ~Douglas MacArthur, US General

Funny how birthdays devilishly sneak up on us.  For some they are embraced with delightful dreams of frosted sweets, gifts galore and parties, parties, parties.  For others (and I am in that boat for sure), the adding of another digit towards another decade doesn’t make for a happy camper.  This last year seemed to not only careen past me but brought shackles of doubt, fear and despair… like I wanted to negotiate  for a lower bid, after all, I’ve still got so much left to do!!!    Alas, ’tis but a number, our age, right?  So, those of us trying to swap our deli tickets for hope of turning back the clock… stop the madness!  Embrace the potential in each day you’re given.  Work on your faith, your self-confidence, your hope and understanding and the result might be longer days, longer years, and a longer life.  ~KD

Copyright 2012 by Kimberlie Dykeman.