Be Like The Moon

People seldom improve when they have no model but themselves to copy.

Oliver Goldsmith
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Hello Sienna
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The moon is not a disk. I will not forget the first time I watched a lunar eclipse through high powered binoculars. It was amazing to see that huge globe suspended in space with no apparent means of support. I could clearly see that it was a rounded object, with a front, sides and a mysterious back, which added to the spectacle of the eclipse.

When the final words of farewell are said and the rocket blasts off, the ship is taken into outer space where all things are dark. There is the constant sun, shining by its own light. But it produces no light in the solar system unless something is facing it. And then, as with the moon, it is reflected light.

Once into outer space many conditions are no longer present which we have come to depend on. There is no up or down. There is no left or right except as defined by the human body. It is only from a defined quarter like the International Space Station that we can even define in and out. And we are sure it is an either/or situation, like a coin is heads or tails. The obverse side of the coin is "in", the reverse side is "out." There is no transition place, no place that is neither in nor out, no place where in is becoming out or out is becoming in.

There are some metaphysical lessons to be seen and possibly learned from these observations. Like the limited in or out of the space station, our lives often take on the absolutes of our character and behavior, and the influences upon them. For example, we seem to be forever held in a suspended orbit of self expectation and self satisfaction; an obverse and a reverse, two side of the coin. We look to others for approval and to ourselves for justification. We want our lives to be better and look outside ourselves to imagine the better life. We may know we are capable of improvement but judge our capabilities only by what we already know of ourselves. We may like what we see of ourselves but we think there is another, mysterious side to the coin which we can't see. We find in other people examples of the person we would like to be and attempt to emulate them. Some of those models are appropriate to us. Others aren't and if we try those models on for size we step into a masquerade of pretense and artificiality. When we emulate the good, the appropriate models we may bring into our lives, without pretensions, the genuine qualities of those models. In such a case no artificiality is involve because we are adopting qualities which harmonize with the ones we already have. We are improving our own model by increasing its dimensions. There are now modifying elements to adopt. There is no longer an in or out of character, no more accepted or rejected behavior. We become freer of the limitations of stern absolutism. Now there are transitions. We worry less about consistency and more about creativity. And every part of our lives has its effect on every other part, what is simplisticaly called a "well rounded person," as we spin through our lives ia complete individual, not a disk.

DB - Vagabond Journeys
Never Give Up
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This invitation is still open for anyone and everyone to post an entry of their own on my journal, Vagabond Journeys http://vagabondjourneys.blogspot.com/.

A new year is upon us and since it is a time for celebrations, remembrances, resolutions and plans for the future I think people have things to say.

Not to take away from the postings on your own journals, but to add to the joy of my own is why I invite you to write for me.

I want to read what your thoughts are about this magical time of the year. This invitation is open to everyone: Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Pagans, Agnostics, Atheists and the Uncertain or the Confused. Tell me your thoughts on any subject you wish.

There are no limits in regard to length. The only limitation is that, for reasons so far unexplained to me, my blog does not take photographs, animations, videos or pictures of any kind. I deal in words.

Please accept my invitation. Send your entry to my email address dbdacoba@aol.com I will copy and paste it into my journal and it will be displayed promptly. You may sign your name or not as you wish, and you may leave a link to your blog or your email or not, as you wish. I will do NO editing or censoring. Eloquence is not necessary, mind or heart or both is all.

I have 13 Guest Authors so far. Check them out.
All are welcome. Admission is free.

DB - The Vagabond
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