Month: October 2024

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Retirement Enlightenment / Freedom [Post #112]

Okay, I truly understand some people really, really love retirement and others do not want any part of the “retirement” stage of life. Yes, some people love working, doing what they love (the “I’ve never worked a day in my life” people). Got it. I really believe those people are serious and living their best life. Good for them. Enjoy, I say.

I, on the other hand… well… I feel like I was made for retirement. I, at least, was smart enough to realize I had to work, work hard, and for a long time and endure whatever I had to to make it to my “paradise” called retirement. And you know what, I endured a long work life and eventually the day came when I declared “I am retiring.” Hallelujah!

I wrote earlier that during college I used to take breaks and drive out to Magnolia Bluff in Seattle and just watch the Puget Sound area and ferries crossing the sound and wonder what my life was going to be about. Deep thoughts, contemplation about my future life. A good time to reflect on life.

Well, my life did turn out to be very good. A year of graduate school in theological seminary in Chicago, then a return home to California to some temporary jobs, then a beginning of my long airline career. An achievement of obtaining my commercial pilot license and flight instructor certificate. Travel around the world. Lots of good times. A little taste of the wild side of life, but very restrained as I had a strong desire to live a good, long life and not self- destruct. I saw too many people “lose it” and die early deaths. Not for me, I told myself.

So, a good work life. Great times ( with, of course, the times of crisis and problems, but overall good times). I was very pleased and happy over how it all turned out. I worked long and hard and hit the retirement stage. Life was good.

So, retirement. I had arrived. It was time to start my new life. I was ready. And off I went into this new life. Time to do the things I wanted to do. Great travel benefits to enjoy having retired from the airline industry (i.e. free travel for myself and spouse). Did a lot, saw a lot, experienced a lot. Loved a lot. A great life.

So, I have learned a lot in this stage of life. My perspectives and beliefs about this life have changed with the freedom of not having to work, not “having” to do a lot of things. I wish I had the knowledge I have now, way back when I was young, but, well, that’s not how life works. As they say, “too soon old, too late smart.” Wow, how true that is. But let me tell you what I have learned.

I have learned that I don’t give a %#$&*@ about so much that I used to care about. I now only care about the important things of life. The really important things. I only care about love, living with love in my life, not hate, anger, resentment. Not allowing hate, negativity, control, manipulation and put-downs to enter my personal environment.

I have learned that most of life is sh*t. That may sound negative, but I say that’s really the way it is, as I see it. So much of life, just crap. Most of life is crap in that you don’t know much when you are young, and you are subject to older people and their bitterness and their many psychological maladjustments, etc. And, to get through life, you have to “play the game,” the game of life. You had better be like this, you better do that, you should “blah blah blah, etc. You are influenced by whoever you are around, and we often are not around good, sound, well-grounded people. That has been my experience.

Of course there are good people out there. I hope you found some in your life here on this planet. Of course I did. Very helpful, compassionate, loving people. But. as I see it, they are few and far between. That’s been my experience. And fortunately, I found enough to make an impact for good on my life.

We have to do so much “kissing up” to people to be “successful.” Kissing butts, playing the game that has been set up. Yes, some may be very independent and strong and extremely successful. Thank God for those people. I was one of those from time to time. I somehow managed to walk the middle road and played enough of the game to get where I needed to be. I feel that “something” helped me along. For me, there’s always been that something, just as there is now in my life.

I consider that something “The Something.” Call it Spirit, the Higher Self, God if you will. There is definitely a something, as I see it. Jesus seemed to know about this something, calling it his father, God. He talked about living in the realm of this something, calling it the Kingdom of God. Okay, I won’t argue with that conception of the invisible realm that seems to surround us if we are open to it. I find that seeing things this way works for me. It really does work for me. Especially at this later stage of life. I mean, this is it. How much of life is left, really. We’ve lived a long life (if we’re lucky/fortunate), and now we contemplate it all (well, some of us anyway). What’s it all about, Alphie? Truly, what is it all about. (We have religions to give you answers to that question if you go that way. Or, perhaps you develop your own religion rather than strictly agree to and join one of the thousands of religions and belief systems in this world. Whatever. Do what you must to make sense of this mystery called life. Be open. Be open to truth, to the mystery. I am and the only way I can be at peace with it all is to live in love. Just live love. F**k the rest, I say. Have a good rest of your life. That’s where I’m at. I played the game. I survived the crap. I’ve had an ideal life, as I see it. Enjoy the bliss, I say! Amen.

Wally


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Masters, Gurus, Teachers, Cults [Post #111]

Well, this political season is a wild one. Lots of talk about cults and lots of anger and hatred and rigid thinking. Gets me thinking about these things. History is full of cults and people needing groups and leaders to follow who promise everything to loyal followers and use various manipulative and control tactics to maintain a very tight control of followers and their minds. I have even had some personal experience with “cults” in my life.

Now, the term cult does not always mean a bad thing. But often, especially these days, it does imply a bad thing. Christianity was considered a cult in the early days. Now it is rather mainstream, you could say. So, cults can be very bad or just a nuisance , you could say.

My experience with a cult sort of “snuck up on me” over a period of time. I got talked into joining one of those “human potential,” self-improvement,” “enlightenment” movements of the 1970’s. I did a training and consequently took “graduate seminars.” Did a few, or perhaps several, then decided “enough is enough.”

When the organization called me one day to get me signed up for a new seminar, I decided, no, I’ve had enough seminars for this lifetime. I said no, no more seminars. Done with them. Thank you very much, but no.

Well, that was not acceptable. If you’ve done the training and done several post-graduate seminars, you will continue taking classes for the rest of your life, or so their thinking goes. And when the person talking to me realized I was serious, he turned on me rather aggressively. “Oh, no, you can’t stop the program. You’ve got to keep taking seminars. You know what will happen if you outright quit? You are going to die” I was told sternly.

If I were to get on a plane, now it would crash. Or I would be in a fatal car crash, etc. Something bad was going to happen if I broke my association with this group. No question about that, the “universe” would get me. Absolutely certain.

It was hard to believe they could actually seriously say that, but that was apparently how they operated. So, that was my experience with what I considered a cult. A bit scary, I’d say.

So, did I learn anything from this experience? Well, yes. I learned some groups are manipulative and controlling. They say and think that they have the truth. They are sure of that and will do what they need to do to keep you in line, so to speak. These groups often have a guru or a master, a leader who will do everything to control you. If you are needy and lack confidence in yourself, watch out. The bad examples would be the Heaven’s Gate cult or the Jim Jones’ cult. There are lots of examples like these.

So, what have I learned from my experiences? I have learned that I do not especially like the concept of “guru” or “master,” or any authoritarian figure leading a group of needy people. I am fine with the concept of “teachers.” I have teachers in my life. Some great teachers, I would say. But that’s it. They are teachers. Flawed human beings that have a lot of good insights and truths to share with others.

So, today we have a lot of cults. Some more dangerous than others. Some in the political arena. Some very “wacko,” I would say. Some very dangerous. Well, that’s what we have to live with. At least I am aware of them and their dangerous influences. I will not succumb to any authoritarian figure in this day and age. I know better. Unfortunately, I see others, some friends and family cave in to cult leader persuasions. A very disappointing situation for me.

But life goes on. I can just do my best to be aware of all that is going on around me and stand up for what I see as truth. I hope and pray that the bad, the chaotic, and the evil go away and do not become the mainstream, especially in my life and of those I love.

Wally