Local Produce and Acceptance.

I love California. The best produce in the world. And Trader Joe's. I hope Warren and I end up moving to CA, next year. It's in the works, it's a big Maybe... but he's got a line on a job with a photo agency in L.A., and if it works out, I'd love to live in a city where enlarging/expanding my career is possible. We shall see what happens.

I have been thinking about my book. I've decided (in light of recent events that I won't go into) that I haven't been hard enough on my characters. Things are too good for them. There is too much "good stuff" going on, thus far. Too much happiness.

I am working on ways to to include some sort of delusion-- characters who are delusional. Not in touch with reality. I want to flush out this idea: One of the characters has this distorted version of the past (and therefore, the present), and through the course of the book, we discover that things are much darker and more complex than he/she is willing to accept.

Acceptance. One of the key points I've been working on in therapy. Acceptance. Things as they are. Billy struggles with this. He meets someone like Scott, he sees that Scott is kind and intelligent and charming... but still, he wants Scott to be different. He refuses to accept Scott as he is. I don't know if Scott accepts others, or not-- hard to tell. I think he may accept those of us who are not Catholic (for being the heathens that we are), but he doesn't accept that there is any other dogma besides Catholicsm. And certainly, certainly, he doesn't accept himself.

Isn't it more Christ-like to accept everyone? Even the hijackers? Even George W. Bush? Even your parents? Even your self?

I constantly have to remind myself to accept. But I think it is a key element in bringing peace to your life. Know your limitations. Is this something I can change? Is this something that needs change? If not, accept it, and move on. A little more Pooh, a little less Tigger.

The Way Things Are.
Another little something I've been working on. The Taoists follow The Tao, or The Way, and their text is the Tao Te Ching, The Way of the Immaculate Way. Immaculate. Perfect. The Perfect Way.

But this isn't your mother's Perfection. This isn't about make-overs or plastic surgery, or muscling things into place. This is not the work of the Will, or the Ego.

No, this Perfection isn't about us. The Tao Te Ching teaches that everything in the universe is already perfect, just the way it is. Everything is way it should be, and in order to find peace as a human being, we must try to allow and be a part of what already is. No alterations are needed. We only need to relax and allow things to happen, in order to have peace. It isn't about removing boulders from the river so that you can have a "smooth ride". No, all we have to do is push off from the riverbank, and then let the river take us along for the ride.

Ironically, what the Musclers and Pushers don't realize is... the smoothest ride is the one we let the river take us on.

I think I'll try to have more acceptance today. Practice is good. Practice Acceptance. And breathing. Breathing is always good, too. Eating, breathing, practicing.