MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

***MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT***
(Not to be confused with a Major Award)

So far, every word I've written unless it was marked as fiction has been gospel truth as far as I can remember it, but tiny fractures are about to appear for comedy's sake in the story I am currently writing, and this practice will continue going forward. 

I feel sure Jean Shepherd did the same thing in "A Christmas Story."

All these years until today, I have accurately recorded my family's history, planning to reveal the admittedly 

hard-to-believe horrors in hopes of helping someone else.

Now my paradigm has shifted and I think perhaps I can help an entire generation by painting the events with the humor that has largely saved me and my siblings in the same way Jean Shepherd's stories have touched so many people. 

Folks will be able to recognize the dysfunction but not be horrified by it. I mean, think about what poor Ralphie and his brother endure during "A Christmas Story"! 

Truth is fragile. Trust is even more so. This shift in my story telling method was not casually made. I have purposefully turned the crate "HIS END UP" (you might not have noticed that detail before, but the crate says "HIS" and not "THIS") before prying out the nails and throwing away the Excelsior, leaving only the Major Award: A grand tale. 

I realize I am besmirching a page that cannot be reclaimed -- the Page of Truth Telling -- and by going down this road, there is no going back; no one will ever again be able to believe what I tell them is true. 

This is a huge thing for me as a writer.

It is a scary step but as Joseph Campbell said, "The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure that you seek." 

I've got my knee-high waterproof boots on and new batteries in my flashlight. I'm going spelunking.~~Ginger

Playing for Keeps

I got some amazing great news Wednesday! Not trying to tease anyone; just wanted to share the general sense of happiness. Good things goin' on! ~~GHC

"Truth is handsomer than the affectation of love. Your goodness must have some edge to it, else it is none."

~~Ralph Waldo  Emerson

I believe in being good for goodness' sake. I seek to live my life in a genuine manner, with honesty and compassion. I have been criticized by "some" because at times I operate with a sharp tongue, at other times I choose not to reply at all. I have been accused by some folks of being unkind because of these behaviors.

I find that reaction hurtful, confusing, and in conflict with my sense of Truth and Goodness.

Today I found Emerson's words (above) as well as the following words that put my mind at ease. I am not at odds with Truth OR Goodness when my behavior doesn't reflect sweetness and light. :-)

Tibetan meditation master Chogyam Trungpa coined the phrase "idiot compassion" to define the behavior people tend to do where they react from the "Playbook of Nice" rather than "from an authentic arising of goodness, because our heart is simply open."

"An open heart is never certain, it is in open dialog with this world and thus can respond with sweetness when sweetness is due, or wrath or silence or dismissal or an endless embrace. You are on the razor's edge, meaning right here, right now, playing for keeps, not for appearances." ~~Susan Piver

Exposing the Core

My birthday is tomorrow, and as a result, I'm doing a lot of introspection (more than usual!). One mini-goal I have is to label or name my spiritual belief system. Hint: It's not going smoothly. Labels are difficult for me. Boxes are worse. Wish me luck.~~GHC

My response to:

“Make no mistake about it – Enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It is seeing through the facade of pretense. It is the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true. ~~Adyashanti

I must agree. This "Road to Enlightenment" ain't for sissies. It feels like all the hard crust is being broken off and chipped away, revealing a tender nerve that has never been exposed to the atmosphere. 

Sometimes the hardest part is knowing the delicate bit is itself a crust surrounding an even more vulnerable core.~~GHC

Thank you for reading my blog. I greatly appreciate your loyalty and interest and hope my words enrich your life in some way. ~~Ginger

Dearest KellyJo - Redux about Truth

19 November 2006

Dearest KellyJo,

Do you know that when Daddy or I, or your teachers, tell you something that we believe it to be the truth? Sometimes we are wrong, but we teach the best we know to teach at the time. Sometimes our truth changes. Like for instance, at one time in our lives, we may have believed something that we found out later wasn’t true. An example would be that broccoli tastes bad. At that time, that was our truth. Later on, we discovered that we found the taste of broccoli to be good.

Your inner voice, that quiet little nagging whisper deep inside, will guide you along your path and help you to find YOUR truth. There are no limitations. That’s the first rule. In fact, that’s the most important rule. There are no limitations. You hold limitless potential.

I am telling you all this because it is very important for you to seek your own truth. Don’t accept what someone else tells you if it feels wrong to you. You can accept that that is THEIR truth, but it doesn’t have to be yours. An example might be that one of your friends thinks another girl is mean, or ugly. You can accept that that is your friend’s truth, but it doesn’t have to be yours.

This holds true with what Daddy and I, and your teachers, tell you is true. We will never intentionally misguide you, but the fact is, sometimes we will be wrong. That’s one of the scary things about being in charge of someone else’s life. But we do the best we can.

We are your parents so that we can guide you ALONG YOUR OWN PATH. It isn’t our job to tell you which path to take. It’s not our job to judge your path, but of course, we are hopeful that you will choose a path that isn’t destructive. I don’t think you will have trouble choosing a creative and positive path, but sometimes Life has twists and turns we could never anticipate. That’s why you have parents and others to guide you back to your path.

I hope this makes sense. I don’t want you to be fearful; there is no need to fear. Just weigh what you’re taught, weigh it on your own scale, and take what feels right. Be respectful of other’s truths, but always remain true to your own. That’s the best recipe for success and happiness, peace of mind, and joy, that I know.

Much love forever,

Mom

All I Really Need to Know . . .

I went searching for the text of "All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten." I wanted reassurance. I wanted simplicity and Truth. I found the text and, my apologies to Robert Fulghum, it is NOT all I really need to know. More on that later.~~GHC