To ease into this chapter with intent toward reaching a wide audience, I am not “intending” to be perfect at the grammar and sentence structure. The fact will be obvious. I write, more closely to how I think, then in keeping with any “laws of the english language. “My truth” as has been mentioned, I come from humble means. My journey through school was a challenging one to say the least. As one who was seeking attention, more that just not being “compliant” or a “good student”, there was an inherent factor that I would come to reconcile…I longed to be “the good son”.
I would grow up to become more and more in-line with what I now refer to as “save-the-world-syndrome”. A “do-gooder” of sorts and “aiming to please”. I look back on my life now, and I feel that it was mostly the desire to “please”, the memory of my mother. Though losing her at a vulnerable time (the beginning of my teen years), I have to say that there must have been enough foundation laid, by her example, for me to “turn out” as one whose life is dedicated to the “helping profession and healing arts”. I am more than what the common reference made….”male nurse”…would ever leave as and impression for someone to begin to understand my take on things (my truth).
I have come to a place, more now than ever before, to place value on what is “your truth”. Being quite judgemental in my earlier years, while each day passes, I long to learn about and appreciate, the truth of “the other”. My quest for this truth has lead me to be an avid reader, and to study beyond the western paradigms. I am well read in the eastern traditions, eastern arts (healing arts) and world religions.
I trust I am not in an “infringement” situation in writing this. I rather think that I am giving many free publicity in some way.
So please correct me if I am wrong. If I reference something, it is going to be word for word, providing source title and year it was printed. If I paraphrase in near direct fashion, I will also provide the source. There will be some borrowed material here no doubt. I have no intention on plagiarizing this perspective, while some quotes will be obvious and familiar.
This formal referencing will come with (and before) the completion and publication of this book.
I also wish to establish a disclaimer before we get too far. This is my journal…my perspective…”my truth“. It is not meant to substitute, or profess medical advice, or professional counseling or therapy. I will talk about therapy, and therapeutics. I will assume that the pharmaceutical and supplement industries would not find favour with my perspective. That said, do know that my education, my Advanced Practice Degree, included study of Pharmacotherapy, the good and the bad. There are obvious concerns in the public’s eye with regards to “chemicals” of all sorts. Products that hail as safe and “natural”, will of course not really be natural if it was synthesized and put into a tonic, or pill to be swallowed. When I speak of Natural Health, it will be referring to occurrences within the body. These will be associated with exercise, meditative practices, Breathing exercise, and of course food and beverage, that is considered one’s diet.
This also is not in representation of any University of which I attended or currently or have been faculty. These are my own thoughts, my own “intellectual property”. I hold them free of responsibility for what I share…I hold all my one personal responsibility or accountability in this regard. I do hold the right to draw from my own written material submitted well completing my degree studies inclusive of my graduate studies.
So, with that said we move along with Chapter Two.
My night finished off on July 30, 2008…in scanning the news. I chose the London Free Press…and the Toronto Globe and mail. We really should avoid watching the news before bedtime…and we should choose pleasant, happy and health enhancing material. The modern media though, is just seemingly “feeding us” what we want to hear, and fear about. It is this potential for fear, that I wish to explore with you before we move any way deeper into my thoughts and experiences.
I, like everyone else, have an assortment of fears. They come in many sizes and shapes. They have come to be, by many means. Some are consequences of my own behaviours, which have come about by my attitudes about certain things and certain people. I will take this time to share my “simple philosophy” of life. Note that I will invite you to reflect, and or visualize. For this philosophy visualize the letter’s ABC in a mirror…”reflective of another truth that will be noticibly “foreign” as if western orientation is ABC and eastern orientation as CBA. So think CBAABC: consider this a “primary direction” of how “reality” in one’s life will flow. C-Consciousness (where the Source is manifest as interface with the spirit) B- Beliefs (will form as life experiences unfold interfaced with the belief, perspectives and behaviour of others) A- Alignment- can be the alignment of the divine, but may be aligned to dogma, philosophy and “shared realities” and “group think”…this can be cultural or religious in an “orientation” process. This applies to allignment to health beliefs as in “the medical model”. A- Attitude (how one portrays and contributes orientation agreement or disagreement) B-Behaviours…or lifeways, and reponse, and interactions with “the other”… C-Consequences (cause and effect issues as well as natural and logical consequences. Ignoring a “storm warning” often leaves one unprepared for nature taking it’s course.
So again…that is CBAABC…worthy of reflections.
I fear for my brother and his well being. I fear also that my father will not come to terms with and reconcile his life before his death. I fear he is is not going to find peace for his soul. I will share much about my father. You will find out some things about my brother. For the most part, I believe…it is their story to tell. I fear also for my children’s well-being. It is also their story to tell, so you will not get “the dirt” on my children’s struggle, without their permission to include any such parts of “their story”.
It is also my story to tell. I have made many changes in life. I have had some very profound “transformative” moments and Chapters of my life. I have read many transformative books, as well as being “WELL” read on all matters of health and “WELLness”.
I pause the story one more time before moving on to share my perspective of wellness. I will also help clarify my position on why I am a coach, teacher and practitioner that is person-centred, family and community focused and “Wellness oriented.
Definition of Wellness: It is beyond and inclusive of Health.
It includes wholeness, healing, health and well-being.
It also includes a matrix of domains, all applied to each of these above “pillars” of wellness. Wholeness, healing, health and well-being represent the cornerstone of the foundation a context as a spiritual being living a human experience.
This “lived experience” will have a complex network (another matrix if you will…connections or integration with all things large and small in the universe, invisible or visible, manifest as thought or behaviour.
The Domains I will speak of, this matrix, includes physical, emotional, social, intellectual, cultural, inter-relational, ecological and spiritual.
While I will refer to this as a reflection of my spiritual path…and that is the most pressing urgency to reconcile in this time in history, we can reflect on each and every aspect of these domains, as needing urgent and profound attention and transformation.
Take the Ecological Domain. Relate it to the physical domain and what might you have.? Something as obvious as the threats of supply of food, and more important is the supply of clean water for drinking and safe water for irrigating and cleaning of potential food sources. Recognition that we cannot grow an orange grove in a desert without transforming that desert through technologies that would provide water and convert to “fertile” soil. Reflect on how when are going to “renew” in this “invested” water supply, and you begin to scratch the surface on the “interface” between human consumption and “ecological realities/challenges.
The before mentioned “chemicals” which include drugs of all kinds, is without a doubt one of the biggest ecological catastrophies that are “human sourced”. In other words, do we have any inkling of understand of what we are putting in our bodies and what industry is putting into our lakes, stream and/or ground source water.
We will talk more about “point-source” pollution, and the impact on environment and our health.
So, returning to my bedtime “snack” of local, national and world “news”, I can only hope that you have the predisposition to look at the positive. Negativity in itself has negative effects on our health and well-being. We my find it difficult to feel a wholeness to one’s community or the world, if all we see are the “dark clouds”.
I was once referred to as “Davey Dark Cloud”…in a dark period of my life. It has not been until recently that I have been able to really “re-focus” my perceptions to see the glass as always, at least, “half-full”.
I will invite you to share in my version of a ZEN tea ceremony, which of course is borrowed for the Japanese and Buddhist cultures. While a “spiritual metaphor”, I trust you will come to know that I believe we should embrace multi-culturalism, celebrate the wealth of lessons learned for the great masters of all cultures and to “reconcile” our minds and hearts toward one global community. Community being interpreted here to be reflective of “common ground unity”.
For the reader of the Blog you may have already read my interpretations of ZEN and of the tea ceremony.
Do recognize that the goodness in me honours the goodness in you.
I will further explore “human nature”…the ontology of evolutionary “man” if you would. I also wish not to offend anyone…on any “personal level” (Hope that if you or spouse work for Labatt, the Glass Industry or the Pharmo-conglomerate matrix of industry…you understand this is not personal)
So, Namaste, to all…hope you continue to choose a path of enlightenment, emancipation and empowerment. You will soon be exposed to my philosophical and theoretical thinking.
At the risk of losing you, or think that I am jumping all over the place…this is meant for editing (as is all my writing…I know it is far from easy to read…or perfect grammar sentence structure or “flow”.
Please visit here, for more inclusive material for the moment…and visit the Orange Grove (to the left of the screen) when you are ready.
Now, You are wondering, what about the intrigue, the drama. Is this book immediately seem like a seminar series on personal growth and spirituality. Will there be any “new” information, regarding wellness…or weight management…or of the “inner journey”…the “new life” in which I already journal about?
I will move into that now with another story…another story of “awakening” of another sort.
It was just a couple of days past “cinqo dimao” of 2005…yes is was an interesting “symbolic” year and “times”. There had already been many interesting “sign of the times” that unfolded in the past five years. Who will ever forget, the “interesting” focus on Y2K. That is a HUGE story to tell, in and of itself…I will share more of that in upcoming chapters. There was 9/11…the
Twin Towers…the event itself and the ongoing claims of conspiracy…
This too is HUGE and we will fold that into the book as well in time…it will play a big role in helping us to appreciate the context of “group think” and cognitive dissonance theory…
Please be patient.
There was also many other seemingly smaller events following 9/11…leading up to 2005.
05/05/05, was the abbreviated calender date, of the day of departure.
We were headed for Sun and Fun…for me it was a “birthday gift”. For the others who met in Mexico at the Baha Principa…over that week May 6 - 12th, we were going to witness the nuptuals of of of the family. It was not my niece, but the niece of one who had purchased airfare and treated me to the “all-inclusive’ extravaganza.
The week was extremely memorable…surreal in fact…for many days after our return. Within a month that very resort would be taken completely apart be a devastating hurricane. Everyone remembers the devastation of Hurricane Katrina…likely the most famous hurricane of all.
We fortunately were not attending that wedding (as breezy as it was that day) during a hurricane. There were predictions and warnings…some other areas in the Carribean would be hit…but not us in Tulum…just south of CanCun.
While I was devastated Personally, in more ways than one…I had to feel extreme empathy for a number of folks, who had be in the “path” of another “act of nature”.
It was the final day of our stay…final evening to be exact. WOW, what a week it had been…their was much celebration…it went well “beyond” the wedding reception. In fact, I hardly remember much about the reception…I do remember the “blustery” day…hot and sweaty, staining my light linen Italian shirt…had not even began the usual “bogey-down” dancing that I love to engage in.
That final and fateful night was fun and frolic…it was a “fiesta” beyond my imagination. What has been fun for all of us, is the indiscriminant, consumption of Tequila at the hands of the resort staff. Now you could tell it was watered down, but they took frequent “liberties” to “entertain” you with “Drink”. It truly was eat, drink and be merry, for most everybody from our “wedding party”. It was not to be a week, “full of merriment” for me. As mentioned though it would be someone else’s fate, that ended up worse than mine.
One could reflect on the context…
“when in Rome, do as the Roman’s do”
The resort had extensive offering, and yes it was a “simulated Fiesta” of which we were more than just an audience…we were “participants”…part-takers of Mexican Culture at it’s finest.
OHHHH, the food…and as mentioned the drink…all-inclusive right…so what were many inclined to “par-take” in. Was this massive consumption…on par with what the average Mexican would enjoy or do even occasionally. I think we know the answer to this. Just for me to capture a sense of what life was like for the “locals” we did go on a road trip “beyond” the ruins and resorts.
Now if I were to expand, right here at this point of reading, the issues of culture, global economy, politics or any thing at all with a “social justice” slant…I would be afraid, I would not have delivered on the goods, of building suspense…sharing the drama…the foundation of the story.
So, picture if you will, the lighting, festival decor…the costumes….and can you imagine in you r mind what was included in this fiesta. Yes there was traditional dress and dancing. The music was phenomenal…it went on for hours. There were games…not to differing from blind -folded pinnata…but wait…there was a mechanical Bull. Imagine after alcohol consumption, how the “bravery” index seemed to peak. There was even some women (mostly the younger women) that would give this a try. IT WAS WILD…to watch…I should never had laughed…but most others would laugh, even with evidence that “that had to hurt!!!”
Now, I am going to stop here for now…as I was just about to reveal the most amazing drama unfolding…but think that should be saved for publication…as it is one of the main highlighted…dramatic events of the story…
Stay tuned…
I am going to skip ahead and give you some highlights of the end of the chapter…and what leads as one of the primary streams of thought that, builds then converges with the other streams…before we reach the BIG ocean of universal truth.
WE must first take a few side-trips and portages, with knowledge there are many paths familiar, while a few are “covert’. Lets chop down some over-growth of the “others” truth to reveal what really lead us to this place today, this moment…and where we should go from here.
I hear metaphorical rapids ahead…destined to be a bit of a “bumpy ride”, white water event…with rocks of true, that will steer us down another stream. History has not been peaceful…nor has it been fair.
There are many “troubled truths” out there, I have had a few shared with me…from street corners and homeless shelters…to private conversations from co-workes…and New friends.
Hang on…or paddle…just don’t rock the boat…till we get through out anthropological streams of truth.
China…what is their truth…
First Nations…what is their truth
What are the common unity threads of truth for Asia…and what, when, where, why and how…did there be this historical commonality…from ‘America’ first peoples…and those from Asia…
Think on this…what is your truth as this moment?
your truth, my truth continues:
” your ‘being’ came from and will return to, non-being”- Wayne Dyer.
Those that “begin” to know me, would believe the “idea” of me, if I were to make the statement: “I love to fish with my grandson”.
They that “begin” to know me might believe the assumption that, “I like to hunt”.
Because I speak often, to strangers and new acquaintances about “nature”…how I feel when I see a heron, of a family of ducks by the river or hearing “the birds sing. They quickly learn “I love nature…I love the outdoors, I love my kids and I love and I love my grandson’s.” (I have two)
So, it is easy to “believe” that, Dave loves to fish, especially with his grandson. If I were to share my “fishing tales” which one is is actually “hard to believe”, leaving some to doubt my truth and/or my integrity as an honest story teller. The tendency is, we do not know what to believe if and when we are caught in a lie.
As far as hunting goes, one could also easily believe that I love to hunt…a popular “great outdoors” activity that is popular and long standing “male bonding” ritual. To “validate” or learn more of “my truth” you the reader will soon discover that I in fact do not hunt…I hunt for asparagus and morels …I am thrilled when I could track animals on snowshoeing treks and hikes, or at “spotting” deer, moose, bear etc., but would “hunt”, only for survival. Certainly I have been through the journey to transition from hunter to non-hunter with appreciation for the various attitudes, reasons and passions for hunting. As with a context of what some have suggested, we are at war with nature…as far as “attitude, behaviours and consequences” many need to have soul searching of their values…and their value for all of nature.
My fondest memories as a child and “bonding” with my father, brother and uncle (my father’s brother), much time was spent and a focus of “hunting” to feed a large family…more than emphasis as “sport”. My fondest memory of time spent with my grand-father (my mother’s father) was spent fishing or hunting asparagus…or morels…he was not a hunter of animals, in the traditional sense. (I would never know my father’s father…it would be a legacy left. I am still unaware whether my father had come to know him as his Dad. Sharing the history of “the Scratches” will hold some interesting history…of which will be found in closing chapters. The journey into inquiry and discovery of my heritage, was interesting to say the least.