Reflections of Being Here Now

The little town of Winter Park, Florida where I live, will be having a Founders Day tomorrow. They were setting up the downtown park area this afternoon with a walking tour and each station on the tour represented a decade. There was a big display with the year on it and a large photo of the area --the walking tour starts in the early 1800's.

To my horror - my high school years are now "the 1980's" and there is a distinct "look" to the time period- just like the 50's, 60's or 70's. This is when it dawned on me that the lines on my face really shouldn't be a surprise - my youth is now two "decades" ago!

When I started to feel sorry for my oldass I then walked around and looked at the photo from the 1830's - looking at the people in the picture - so youthful - standing in front of their homes - the trees - having been around much longer then those little people standing in front of them. I looked at their faces and thought - they never knew when the picture was taken that in the year 2005 - people would look upon them! In other news today...

They buried the pope (how could you escape it - it's a 24 x 7 event) - I actually remember when he became pope because the news broke in to my regular TV watching and said "white smoke" from the Vatican.

I remember too - when he was shot and when he forgave his would be assassin - that stuck with me and still does - it takes great heart to really forgive and understand someone who tried to kill you.

And, I remember when Sinead O'Conner took his photo and tore it up on SNL. I thought mostly and still do that Ms. O'Conner may have had a point but whatever it was it got lost in the way she was trying to make it.

No one human is perfect - including the pope. While I admire much of what the pope did while on earth and his ability to have total and complete faith in God (a task I am still trying to master) - I am opposed to much of how the media has gone on a feeding frenzy over his death and why it is so many world leaders - who do not follow the Catholic faith or or spiritual leaders- feel they must attend his funeral. It seems more like they are looking for a photo opportunity to me.

If the Dalai Lama died tomorrow would any of these dignitaries go to his funeral? BTW the Lama is in Japan this week - not Rome. He's not talking about who the pope WAS as a person (if you were to ask me). The Dalai Lama called on the world to fulfill the wishes of the Pope. "We want to make every effort to ensure that his wishes come true. First peace, second equality, third spirituality and fourth unity among religious groups". I liked that - he didn't just say what great things the pope did -but let us live on and manifest those things we loved about the pope in ourselves and for the world. Be here "now".

While the media has a love affair with the memory of the Pope - some of us have not forgotten that the Catholic Church preaches to women that birth control is wrong, being obedient to your husband is manditory and abortion under any and all circumstances a major sin.

As much as I know we're to turn a blind eye while the man is being remembered - it's hard to forget, 4000 Catholic priests were accused of sexual abuse. I do not believe this is a result of anything the Pope did directly. I do think he could have done something more about it when it came to light. There is also the issues the Catholic church has about gays - which feels in direct conflict with big J's teachings (if you ask me again).

Did the pope end communism or did President Reagan? Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani described President Reagan when he died as "He defeated communism." - seems to me the media has a short term memory problem here - I mean who was it - the Pope or Reagan? Ok maybe it was more than just ONE person then? Let's just give everybody credit and forget about it - let's work on those wishes the pope had- eh?!

One final last thought for tonight - while I ponder in my little world of getting older and living in the moment known as "now" - there are two little new borns working a lot on "now" they are growing in the NICU, they are learing about breathing and eating. There are also two worn out parents who - I love dearly - living each moment with excruciating awareness of now- joyous and sad and sometimes both. So please if you are reading this say a prayer for them and send them your positve energy- and thanks!