Taking the Hard Road: Concrete

I believe everything I read. And everything I see and hear. I wish I had a better sense of smell, so I could believe more things.

Freddy is Puertorican, so of course he was raised Catholic, but his daughters recently chimed back to him from their bunkbed: "Daddy, we don't believe in God. We believe in science!"

Some people I know try to be honest and authentic, and therefore convey their thoughts and feelings respectfully. Other people spout pure lies. An interesting third category declares things that they believe to be true or that they hope to be true, therefore they're not really "lying" and should not be hated.

As for things I've read, James Redfield wrote in "The Celestine Prophecy," (a must-read for third category non-Christians) that our true path in life is marked by beauty, that a sort of light will emanate from proper life decisions, and if we just pay attention to that light, we will be guided. Paulo Coehlo shared in "The Alchemist" that when we are on the path of our Personal Legend, the whole universe conspires in our favor, making that path easier.

I've felt that kind of phenomena a few times. When I first heard Ghanaian drumming, and let my bare feet touch the dancefloor, I felt a light and beauty that led me to one of the most rewarding chapters of my life. When a sudden wind and hail tormenta in Southern Argentina was literally lifting us off the ground and dashing us against the rocks, I bee-lined for a crack under a boulder, and dove headlong into it, landing on a bed of dry leaves in an tranquil cave. Mike asked me how I knew about the cave, and I replied that I "just knew."

But how does that theory apply when sometimes "pushing your comfort-zone" is necessary for growth? It's not easy to live in New York City! It's not beauty and joy and God that shines from the streets; those are florescent bulbs! Are Redfield and Coehlo really espousing that we take the "easy way out" all the time, and that will ultimately lead us to the "best" life?

Man, there are too many words to put in quotes here, which means that nothing means anything. Daddy, I believe in science!