Hope for US

Many people talk about how bad things are fight now, how divided, how bad Trump is, how the Congress can't cooperate or negotiate. How, even biological gender doesn't matter (really!); just find a surgeon and some drugs.

Now, I finally read a philosophy which offers hope for our society for the future. Below is a quotation and then a link to the whole article in the NY Times. You have to read the article to see what is meant by first mountain and second mountain. Essentially, the first mountain is the society mountain or the yuppy mountain and I climbed it. I had the career and the safe life and the money. But it was essentially a meaningless existence and served myself. The second mountain is one with meaning and less ego focused. My spiritual life climbs this mountain. I am still climbing, away from the first mountain.

David Brooks offers hope for our nation because he points out that many people are getting off the first mountain and onto the second mountain, where they give back to society and form a very stable moral basis for out culture. By moral, I mean a life governed by love and giving. I don't mean rules about behavior. I find this very hopeful. I care about America. I will cling to the idea that many good people are out there and that they are forming an unshakable culture which nurtures a good society.

This quotation comes from the end of the NY Times article and I copied it because it contains the point which causes me to be hopeful (link to the whole article below):

"Over the past few decades the individual, the self, has been at the center. The second-mountain people are leading us toward a culture that puts relationships at the center. They ask us to measure our lives by the quality of our attachments, to see that life is a qualitative endeavor, not a quantitative one. They ask us to see others at their full depths, and not just as a stereotype, and to have the courage to lead with vulnerability. These second-mountain people are leading us into a new culture. Culture change happens when a small group of people find a better way to live and the rest of us copy them. These second-mountain people have found it.

Their moral revolution points us toward a different goal. On the first mountain we shoot for happiness, but on the second mountain we are rewarded with joy. What’s the difference? Happiness involves a victory for the self. It happens as we move toward our goals. You get a promotion. You have a delicious meal.

Joy involves the transcendence of self. When you’re on the second mountain, you realize we aim too low. We compete to get near a little sunlamp, but if we lived differently, we could feel the glow of real sunshine. On the second mountain you see that happiness is good, but joy is better."

David Brooks NY Times

Dear American

It is day 16 of the 52 days allowed for the 3,100 Self Transcendence Race. Three of 10 people are above 1,000 miles. Wow! What a lot of perseverance, endurance, tears, loss of sleep, discipline and unswerving focus on moving forward.

Dear American, say to your government and the media, "Not my soul." By this I mean, be that high integrity person which you are and don't allow the shortcoming of the government distract you from your personal worth. To engage in quiet dis-ing of the president and hating the health care struggle is to sell your soul. I am mainly speaking to that large quiet group of people who go to work and pay taxes. We fund everything. We take up the yoke of work which is our embodiment of honor and integrity.

Now or never, stand up for yourself. Discover your slave narrative and overcome it; then vote for people who have integrity. Not the ones who merely lie. Hate the cost of health care? Do what you need to do to be healthy. Stand outside the pale by engaging emotionally only what brings worth and integrity. You have to pay your taxes but you don't have to be begrudging. Hold the hand of a small child. Take a walk in the neighborhood. Wash the car. Mow the lawn. Do your job. All these little things comprise your personal 3,100 mile self transcendence race.

Are you an alcoholic or an addict? Let today be the day you do something else.
Do you eat too much? Let today be the day you are free to do something else.
I personally engage in self punishment and self sabotage, despite being a very successful person.

Today is my day to do what I know is right. My mental self immolation can change direction. Today I make the declaration of independence and start to live it. Do you doubt I can be more emotionally free starting today? Will I slip? Yes. Will I forget? No. Will I keep on the course of my personal 3,100 mile self transcendence race? Absolutely. I have all the thoughts necessary for healing and moving forward.  I think this has been going on for a long time, but today I feel empowered. I don't feel helpless or hopeless in relation to my seeming emotional flaws. I don't feel the usual hate towards the world around me. I feel good towards myself. Freedom is ringing in my body, mind and spirit.

We the people of America are damn good people; but we need to stand up and be what we are. We need to stop the government from robbing of of our great nation. That is what we really want.

America is about...

Battle Hymn of the Republic by Whitney Houston

Do you want to know what is an American? Check this out. Not just the song but a young audience of military in uniform. A beautiful black woman. Flags.

What wouldn't you give to live this dream?

Garrison Keeler version

Marathon #42 - Galveston

Early in January, after my 45 mile jog at Snowdrop Ultra, I got bit by the marathon bug. Seriously! Somewhere in my mind I decided that 26 miles was nothing compared to 45, so go to it. Also, winter is racing season in Texas; so get racing out of your system while you can.

I was already signed up for the Seabrook trail challenge in March. In January, I signed up for the Baytown half marathon. But, well, that is only a half. So after perusing all the marathon calendars, I decided on the Galveston Marathon. There were two marathons in town this weekend, but Galveston had packet pickup at a nearby location and also, it is a very easy drive from my house.

On a whim, I signed up for the Miracle Match Marathon which was last weekend in Waco. So today's Galveston marathon was my second in a week. I haven't done that for nearly 2 years.

I took it easy this week with only about 1 hour of work out per day and only two 3 mile runs. I felt good going into Galveston. I slept good and got up easily when the alarm went off. The main question was the rain forecast. I wasn't sure how I would handle that. But decided to wear my heat gear shirt because it is tight and wouldn't be all saggy if it got wet. Turns out we had a mostly sunny and very warm day, so the heat gear shirt was perfect: spf 30. Dang shirt feels cool when you wear it.

Drive was very easy and I easily parked in a nearby garage. The garage was across the street from the cruise terminal. They were backing a Carnival boat in while I waited.

The race started at 7:30. It first goes down 25th street. I vaguely remember this street from 20 years ago when I did an environmental assessment in Galveston. Many of the houses are old Victorian style and decorated for Mardi Gras. When we got to Galveston Bay, we headed right along the Seawall and eventually came back up the seawall. Lots of restaurants and amusement type activities. For some reason, this caused me to spend most of the run thinking about my choices in life. Choices to not participate in what I think are energy dissipating activities of America: over eating, meat eating, idle amusements, etc.

I thought alot abut my boss who just went on a cruise. How different we are. While he was eating drinking and generally ruining his health, I was running marathons.

I finished the first half in 2:40 and proceeded to do another lap. Now it was hot and my legs were tired. I was near the back of the pack, so it was a very solitary struggle. I started thinking about real estate signs advertising a "simple island lifestyle." Like this was margaritaville or something. No one has a simple lifestyle whose house costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. I recognized however how we all wish for that escape.

I observed the huge mass of UTMB medical complex. Hospitals are our new places of worship.

Slowly but surely, I made it. 5h36min by my Garmin. I got a very very nice medal:

When I got back to my car, I noticed that they were loading up the cruise ship. People were lined up. I thought they looked like cows headed for slaughter.

I'd rather be a marathoner.

Throwing My Heart into It

From AA's Big Book we get: What we have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.

I think that's why I never drank again: spirituality is my daily reprieve.

During my morning workout, I was as usual thinking about my life. I think about how Americans think they are entitled to greatness and the pursuit of happiness. For most folks, that means buying a sports star t-shirt and eating or drinking alot while lolling on the couch in front of the TV; while the big doolie pickup sits in the driveway.

I'm not being negative about others. Merely expressing my American mental outlook. I don't have a doolie, but I do struggle with the satisfaction of my life and I think I struggle with unhappiness merely because I was programmed with inalienable rights. I struggle with the reality that I am a well off but basically run of the mill human being who will never be "great". I feel that some of my obstinate and arrogant spiritual quest has been let go of. I could blame other people or situations for my seeming failure. But it is really an ego failure not a metaphysical failure.

I've always felt a friction between my athletic life and my normal person life. As I rode the elliptical this morning, I decided "to hell with it." If I want to pursue fitness then god dammit I will. Eff the other people who tease me. And I can take the same attitude spiritually. I have to work for a living, not hang around a convent appearing holy. We are all holy.

My heel is not swollen today. Cool. That means: there will be miles.

I can throw my heart into these things and my judges be damned. There does not need to be a goal; just if I want to put effort into it then fine. I'm not a failure if I put my heart in it.

Do I have judges? Just the little comments people make about me, to my face even. I feel the friction.

I suppose this blog is an expression of impending change. Maybe next week I'll hear from management about where I'm to be assigned.

I am tending more and more to balk at race entry fees. It seems that my private athletic events will be more and more my norm.

The 3,100 Mile Self Transcendence race begins in 8 days. I can hardly wait. I love following it.