Saturday Ramblings on Love

I've been thinking about love, how it plays out in our human connections, in the System, as I call it. Also been thinking about the presidential elections. I'll likely not vote next year. I don't think fixing our federal government is the solution to our nations issues. At this point, they all sound so much the same. Even Kucinich has lost me. Something very false to me these days about the way he smiles when he talks. Something in his eyes says "deceipt" (perhaps it's fatigue from repeating the same things over and over and over...).

I think the answer lies in creating local communities that reflect the values and needs of the community and working with the local government to set forth policies that reflect those values, those needs. It's like the saying--think globally, act locally. I look to my own community in particular. Certainly we need more affordable housing. More help for the homeless, the hungry, the mentally ill. We need a business community that embraces paying its employees living wages and benefits.

Love. What is it? I don't think anyone really knows for sure, but I'm positive we each have some inkling of what it is. Certainly we know what it isn't. We come into this world trusting, open (or as we in western civilization would refer to as "naive"). I remember hearing in a movie once, 25 years ago, that when you become an adult, your heart dies. That's always stayed with me. While it's a rather dramatic, pessimistic description, it has a lot of truth in it. Love is all our souls know, is all our human self needs. And yet being Love is in short supply in our modern world, being we're taught to live in fear, to believe it's better to be tough than it is soft, to believe we're, by and large, powerless and at the mercy of others decisions, that removes us from that state of love. There is nothing more frightening to me than having the thought: "I am powerless." Love is powerful. Fear is what's powerless.

Damn. I should have written down my thoughts on this subject when I figure had them at 6am this morning, lying in bed. Much more eloquent and descript then.

I guess the best thing to do is Know Thyself. Ask "what would the love that is Me do?" Love in action. It's courageous. Bold. Accepting. Respectful. Compassionate. Understanding. Flexible when it need be, unwavering when it need be.

We keep that love to ourselves, out of pain and fear. Pain because of those times we've been disappointed and betrayed by others and yet, instead of being taught to speak up for ourselves, instead of being taught how to work through those complex emotions, how to express them and remain strong in who we are at the same time, we're told to suck it up. That's life, we're told. This leads to fear. Fear because we somehow believe love is in short supply. Fear because we don't believe we can deal with another hurt, another betrayal. All of these mindsets, places of powerlessness. So this leads to a society of extremes: the rugged, tough, no-tears cowboy-type of behavior/mindset and the timid victim. NEITHER of these mindsets embraces the true concepts of personal power.

Love tells you exactly how it feels, thinks and believes without apology. Love tells you exactly what it believes, feels and thinks without thinking its mindset is better than yours.

Imagine if this were played out in our daily interactions with others, known and unknown. I can. Can you?