three hundred fifty four

NORMAN COUSINS originally said this, then two words, never surrender were added by TUPOC SHAKUR

________________________________

 I know talking about death is a downer. The reality is we watch death on TV every night and call it entertainment. We hear death counts each night and call it the news. Some deaths get more focus then others but we all swim in a constant stew of tragedy and murder. 

In between morgue scenes we watch commercials about anti aging treatments, miracle life saving drugs and burial insurance. 

Morgue scenes have become longer with running dialog about the victim, conversations with the cadaver, sharing feelings and a twisted gallows humor. The new guy leaving the room to throw up gets a group chuckle. Special effects have become so realistic I imagine they don't want to let them go to waste.

Movies about civilization ending epidemics, man made weather apocalypse, war, serial crime and zombies. It's bad enough you are dead but you have a craving for the taste of brains.

Blood and guts have become a form of special effects art. The new headshot blood mist was nominated for an award. The days of biting a blood pill are out of fashion, slow motion impact with brain matter on the wall and on everyone's face is the new standard.

Swat teams, Navy SEALS and police shoot dozens of bad guys with a new twist. Now in the heat of the action these steely eyed killers exchange their feelings like middle school girls. "Do you think she likes me?" Bang Bang Crash Boom, "Should I ask her out?" Boom Bang Bang Boom!

All of this while we enjoy a cold soft drink and munch on potato chips. After decades of this death has been played out in our living rooms hundreds if not thousands of times. We see it so much we subconsciously form a plan to avoid it. 

Don't go to big cities or small midwest towns (depending on your political affiliation). Don't eat meat, saturated fats or anything with flavor. Avoid direct sun, tap water and never be the new guy on a Star Trek landing party.

Physical death has been a cloud over mankind from the beginning. That small voice in our head that most try to drown out by filling their lives with entertainment, numbing agents like drugs or alcohol but mostly rationalization and denial. Like animals most humans are focused on avoiding pain and suffering. 

We euthanize our pets as an act of mercy. Many feel humans are only animals so suicide is now legal in several countries and eleven American states. Doctor Jack Kevorkian was considered a monster a few decades ago but today he is a medical pioneer. It has been a steep slide from his panel van of death to government funded "medical" facilities. 

 

Soylent Green, a movie made in 1973 was prophetic in it's portrayal of life in the year 2022. Inflation, food and energy shortages, an elite ruling class vs citizens and government promoted suicide centers for the depressed and elderly.  It is a disturbing movie to watch because of the many similarities to today.

I'm pointing this out because we have been conditioned to value our physical life over everything else. Today men and women in pop culture use every possible medical, pharmaceutical, nutritional, extreme workouts and cleanses to preserve their beauty and sexuality. There are sad examples of this on unwatchable award shows.

Micky Rourke

Madonna

Beauty and fitness are in fashion today. A mere 175 years ago when most in the common class died in their forties after a life of sun up to sundown hard work. Simply living day to day was their only concern. The quest for beauty and virility was left to an elite few. This has been true throughout most history. 

Cleopatra's sour donkey milk baths, I assume the flowers were added to mask the smell.

The Spanish quest for the fountain of youth.

The elaborate preparations for the Egyptian Pharaoh's afterlife.

Many cultures like the Ming Dynasty value male virility as a leadership quality. There was a world wide search for effective aphrodisiacs. I was going to limit this to leaders in history but I imagine there is no shortage of blue pills in Washington DC.

As I age I see my unavoidable mortality. Today we have a 76 year life expectancy. Expectancy is an interesting word, as a child we heard everything as a promise, I think as an old guy I hear expectancy in a similar way. Unfortunately life is not a commodity that we can rely on or save, living is a temporary and fragile experience.

The definition of physical death is; The irreversible cessation of all vital functions especially as indicated by the permanent stoppage of the heart, respiratory and brain action.

This is considered the end by many so living a life of comfort and pleasure makes the most sense. Eat, drink and be merry is their primary focus. 

Some are paralyzed in fear of the unknown so they hold on to this life with all of their might to avoid the waiting darkness. Sadly they spend their lives hiding from life.

A few see beyond this physical life with a vague picture of a future floating in a cosmic stew of enlightened spirits. That's a nice idea but I need a little more certainty.

I'm a Christian. I listened to what Peter said at Pentecost when he explained the terms of God's covenant. He explained who Jesus was according the the scriptures, that we had killed him and that he had come back from death and was alive again. 

After he said this he was asked by the crowd, "Brothers what shall we do?" He said,"Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins can be forgiven. And you will receive the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and your children and for those who are far off and all who the Lord will call." Acts 2:38

After that about three thousand were added to their numbers. I did not join a particular brand name church or organization I was simply added to that same three thousand.

I know it sounds strange, confusing, old fashioned and very churchy. I was not sure what it meant other then my life was unmanageable and I needed help. I was young so death was not the main issue. I had another childhood friend die suddenly in an auto accident so I knew it was possible. I had a child, lost my job and drank too much. A man named Kieth Wise told me about his life before and after he followed Peters directions so initially I put my faith in what he said.

Yes it was blind faith as I stepped into the water and said the words. There was no parade, fanfare or party. In fact I was laughed at, looked at like a fool, was criticized by my family and was not taken seriously. I kept reading to understand what I had done. I had no regrets because something very powerful had happened to me.

The next years I immersed myself in everything to learn more about Jesus. I was all in. Sure I found hypocrisy and division when I looked only at people but I realized they were real people like me. I learned to love them and instead of criticizing I chose to help them. I learned loving with a pure heart is more effective then a smart mouth.

I dug deeper and deeper to understand everything. I was not known as a lemming, I questioned everything like I still do. Preachers and teachers encouraged me to seek the truth myself and not to blindly trust what they said. They helped me realize we were all on the same journey. 

I can identify with doubting Thomas, I will admit I needed proof. No I did not put my fingers in the holes in his hands but my doubts were satisfied by answered prayers and witnessing changed lives, one being my own.

Finally I found what I was looking for. I found a peace that I can't explain, the nagging eternal questions were quieted and I found like minded people who would take a bullet for me. Yes, men who would sacrifice their lives for me.

Years passed and I made a choice that I thought was the right one but it did not go as I had hoped and I was separated from everything I loved. To deal with the loneliness and heartbreak I made a bad choice and returned to drinking to numb the pain. I stopped praying and went into a dark spiral of isolation and loneliness. That small voice was still there but I could not hear it.

Eventually I experienced what some call a God shot. I was hiking in the Superstition Wilderness. This is a massive desert reserve near Phoenix. It was summer so the trails would be completely deserted because of the extreme high temperatures. I hiked in alone for a planned three day hike, without alcohol. I camped on Black Top Mesa, an isolated spot very few people knew about because it was off trail and difficult to get to.

There was no moon an I was far from the city. The dry desert air does not reflect city light so the sky was pitch black and filled with a billion stars. It was so quiet I could hear my cigarette burning as I drew in. I sat there pondering the universe and made a conscious effort to feel something. My heart was heavy, my throat had a lump and my eyes welled up. I felt a cry coming on but it would not happen for years, I had successfully shut off all of my feelings both good and bad.

I sat there with an ache in my soul and quietly heard a voice. I'm not saying it was a voice I could hear with my ears but I could hear it clearly. "It is good you are close to me but you need to be close to my  people". 

A feeling of peace came over me as I heard these words in my heart and head. For the first time in a long time I slept soundly without a drink. I'm not saying I changed immediately but it started my journey back. In that moment I didn't understand I had more suffering in store before I would truly understand those words. I did realize through all of my isolation I never would be alone.

Since that night in the desert much has happened, perhaps I will write about it someday.

Today I have been a Christian for 43 years and sober for 32 years. A few weeks ago this night in the desert came back into my thoughts. 

I was in a 7:00 am Sunday men's AA meeting. As I looked around the room I realized I knew every man's name and had had a meaningful conversation with most of them. A couple I know well enough to call them my closest friends. I trust them and feel free to admit my fears and share my most hidden thoughts and feelings. I talk with them almost daily. I thought about the years of loneliness while I was surrounded by people. I realized I had it all wrong for many years.

The meeting ended, we talked, laughed and said goodbye. As I was riding home I remembered the words I had heard on Black Top Mesa and realized this was what God was talking about. I am close to God and close to his people. Why did it take so long to understand this?

There are men in the rooms facing life threatening health issues. Now that I'm older myself I think about my own mortality. I do have a peace in my heart because I know God is faithful to his promises. 

I have shifted my focus to his promise that I will overcome death like Jesus. I know I will face physical death but I am certain it is not the end. The afterlife has been kept a secret so I don't try to figure it out, I simply trust I will be alive.

My faith has been tested, not by my faithfulness but for my lack of faithfulness. I walked away for a long time but God never ever walked away from me. All I had to do was open my heart again.

We have a choice to live our lives or fear death, I choose to live my life. This is what the beginning quote means. Life is to be lived to the fullest and by fullest I mean with other people. I don't hear God's voice like I did in the desert but I do hear him through my friends. 

As I look at the people around me I don't wonder if they would give up their lives for me I look inward to ask if I would give up my life for theirs. The question now is how tightly do I hold onto life, do I live it or save it at all cost?

An un-lived or wasted life is a sad thing, how we live it is what matters.

three hundred fifty three

TIME RELATIVITY

I have been off subject for a few posts so this post is all about bike touring. Bicycle travel is a very primitive form of transportation. As I get older electric bikes look interesting but I’ll stick with my human powered contraption.

Airplane travel still amazes me, you sit in a chair that is traveling 600 miles per hour, you dawn your noise canceling headphones and eye mask, adjust your neck pillow and pop an ambient. Then you wake up on a different continent, in a different time zone and hear people speaking a different language. This was unimaginable a few generations ago but I still hear people complaining about how long it takes.

Car road trips are at a different pace. Driving takes concentration so watching the road in front of you is about all you actually see. Your focus is on watching for bad drivers and yes, nuts on bicycles. Motel to motel, gas station to gas station, restaurant to restaurant then throw in a few rest stops, scenic vistas and a couple driver changes, you are there.

Motorcycle touring looks like a lot of fun. You experience the open road and an open air a feeling of freedom you don't get in a car. You cover more ground and see more things but endlessly flashing the cool biker wave to every single passing motorcycle drives me nuts. 

Group riding can be fun plus there is safety in numbers but where I go and when I stop isn't up for a vote. The age old measuring game is on full display. Look at me I ride a BMW, Harley Davidson, African Twin or an old man Gold Wing. Motorcycling is popular, too popular in my opinion and like most group activities there is a pecking order. 

(Not that I'm looking:) I won't say much more negative for now, I may someday be on a Honda NC750x when I can no longer turn the cranks on my bicycle.  

PRIVATE ROOM AND FREE PARKING

FINE DINING

PRIVATE BATHROOMS

SHOWERS WITH A VIEW

 AND AMAZING WATER PARKS

Bicycle touring operates in a different sense of time. You can't go fast or far, every mile is fully experienced and earned, planes over your head, cars, trucks and motorcycles over your left shoulder and electric bikes that serve no useful purpose other then to piss me off. Occasionally a spandex clad group of road cyclists pass you by as each one gives you an "on your left".

You need to focus on the road but you still have plenty of time to scan the world around you. You can take in the sights and sounds and monitor that "spidey sense" that has alerted you of danger countless times. There are no crowds, traffic jams, parking problems of fear of speed traps. The police put you in the "not dangerous but crazy" category. Some think what you are doing is cool, most don't care but a few think you are just plain nuts, but not the dangerous kind of nuts.

No long lines, scans, pat downs, tolls or fuel charges. All food tastes amazing, ice cold water is an experience and a cheap motel shower feels like a luxury resort spa. 

Crossing the path of another touring cyclist is like meeting a long lost friend, reaching a summit makes you want to dance and hearing "yes, you can camp in our field" gives you peace of mind. Ice cream, cold milk and raisin bran, fresh strawberries at a road side stand and finding pop tarts you thought you had eaten in the middle of the night. In the morning discovering there is no morning dew, finding strong coffee and a bathroom big enough you can park your bike inside. 

All of these seems strange but everything is bigger, brighter, more flavorful but not faster. Eventually you discover time really doesn't matter, you will get there when you get there. The time thing is my favorite, not at first but after a couple of weeks I rarely look at the time, date or day of the week.

This isn't for everyone and thats a good thing. The few of us who get this are a strange breed. The dirt, sweat, exhaustion, aches and pains are all part of the experience, if you don't get it you probably won't.

I have been distracted lately, it's time to refocus and remember the dream.

three hundred fifty two

This quote caught my eye and made me think.

Oscar Wilde was right, he was pointing out a fact that is more and more apparent today. He was a life long hedonist who rebelled against many of the social norms. If nothing else he was true to himself to a fault. In some circles today he is admired as a hero. 

His admitted self-centeredness in its pure form was a form of social disobedience, his poetry and books cut against long established behavioral norms. He was an early proponent of the "If it feels good do it" philosophy.

 

Today you hear lip service given to "the rule of law" this statement has become no more then a line in a speech. The Bible is creatively quoted to support evil or condemn good. History is conveniently rewritten and events are exaggerated or censored. 

The phrase, in my opinion, rationalizations, situation ethics and nuance now bend and shape any definition of right and wrong. To sight an authority that states anything is right or wrong can get you banned, censored, fired, shamed, fined, sued or imprisoned. In other words long established principles. 

Personalities or people all have opinions. Throughout history the most powerful person can force their opinions on others. They can be called dictators, rulers, politicians, bureaucrats or bullies. Unfortunately these personalities do not look after the best interests of anyone other then themselves. 

I have had personal experience following my own personality. Even I did not look after my best interests. I indulged in self interests feeding my wants, appetites and cravings rationalizing that I was only hurting myself. 

I eventually surrendered to an authority I could trust. People have their own agenda but God has my best interests at heart. I don't like some of His limitations and requirements but over the years I can see these are the principles I must live by.

Society today has lost their anchor and is now adrift. I won't go into any details they are slowly being revealed. Principles is what we need but personalities are driving by in a windowless van offering us candy.

We have the twelve traditions in AA, the focus on anonymity is based on limiting the focus on personalities and a focus on spiritual principles. 

Oscar Wilde is correct in his observation but totally wrong about what is good for mankind.

three hundred fifty one

**** By writing this post I have taken a risk. I rarely reveal this part of me. It may explain my obsession with long distance bicycle touring. My ever restless mind and body has always searched for a place to relax and be calm. On the seat of my bicycle climbing a mountain pass, crossing a desert or enduring wind, heat, cold and rain I have found that calm. This is simply another place I find that calm. Most will find it strange but a few may find it makes total sense.

I created a business when I lived in Hawaii, well it was more of an idea. I had a website, business cards and a brochure. I had a few clients but mostly I tried to promote the usefulness of my unique service. I talked with counselors, massage therapists, natural paths, yoga instructors and float tank operators. Most understood the principle and found it interesting.

I knew from the beginning it would not be profitable because I was promoting an unconventional new form of meditation. I took license to call it a therapy, it may not fit the exact definition but in this new age world the definition of the word has been blurred.

Reiki energy work, Watsu water massage, primal screaming, drum therapy, sweat lodges and floatation tanks, all use the word therapy. I have simply discovered a method that can accomplish similar goals and effects. One issue is some may associate this practice with the BDSM community. 

My therapy is based on the principle used to calm cranky infants called swaddling. Swaddling is simply wrapping an impfant snuggly in a blanket.

It has been discovered that this same principle also calms cranky adults.

Many primitive hunter gatherer cultures used a more interesting method perhaps invented because an infant stayed with the mother for long periods as she worked. Native Americans call this device a papoose board.

The infant was not only wrapped tightly, they were tied to a board. They could be carried on the mothers back or placed near by as she worked.

The modern version uses velcro. 

This principle has been adopted in the treatment of autism. It has been discovered that restricting movement with a full body squeeze has a significant effect calming their anxiety.

They call them squeeze boards. In a classroom situation a stressed autistic child is placed in this device. Once the child experiences the effects they are calm and can rejoin the other students.

As a child I was searching for something. My mind was restless, I could not keep my body still and I was always in trouble for outbursts. When I was alone I was constantly hiding in dark confined spaces. Looking back this board would have been a dream come true.

I was obsessed with the restriction of movement and everything sensory deprivation. I was also interested in anything to do with solitary confinement, space travel, scuba diving and padded rooms.

During the 50's Donald O'Hebb a professor of psychology at a Montreal University set out to study the affects of sensory deprivation on human cognition. After reading about this I searched the bulletin boards at Kent State University to see if they ever needed students as subjects for a similar study. 

Another thing that caught my attention were Spas offering body wraps. I was intrigued by the compression but they offered it for short term weight loss. I think it was just another money making service, go capitalism! It was a big fad for awhile, I'm not sure many spas still offer it. 

Altered States with William Hurt was my first exposure to the idea of float tanks. Unfortunately at that time the only float tanks were developed to research the effects of LSD.

It took years until I had the opportunity to try a public float tank. It was a great experience but it lacked something, I could still move around. Even though the sensory deprivation experience was soothing I had nervous energy so the movement was distracting.

I was always fascinated with mummies. I loved the idea of the tight wrapping but not the dead part. 

 

I searched and searched for something that combined restricted movement, compression and sensory deprivation and finally found a device called a sleep sack. It was in a catalog from a company called Fetters based in England. It was invented around 1976 by the late Jim Stewart. I had no access to one but I now knew there was such a device.

This is one of the original Fetters sleepsacks.

The arms fit into sleeves and with one zipper the body is held in a mummified position. The body can then be immobilized and compressed by adding straps.

To most this is weird or crazy but for some reason I was drawn to it. I had finally found restriction of movement, compression and sensory deprivation combined in one device. The yearning to experience and own one of these became an obsession.

Sadly at that time the only place I knew these were available was in the gay BDSM community. I could have ordered one but my obsession was still a secret and I had other financial responsibilities. Eventually they began producing sleepsacks in other materials like leather, rubber, canvas and neoprene. 

A morning float in a full body leather sleepsack and hood. LINK

Luckily plastic wrap and tape are available in hardware stores everywhere but unfortunately I was alone and mummification is a two person process. These were very frustrating years. I knew about the thing I knew would calm me but the stigma forced me to hide it from everyone. 

This is a very skillful example of tape mummification, the body is wrapped with plastic wrap then covered with tape. This is a one size fits all method. Properly done, the subject can remain like this for several hours. This method requires constant monitoring and a good pair of safety scissors, safety can't be stressed enough. 

_____________________________

I moved to San Francisco and finally had the opportunity to buy a sleepsack at a store called Mister S Leather. The majority of the users were into them as a sexual fetish. A few like me wanted them for the meditative effects. These users wanted no interaction or sex they simply wanted to experience the affects of the device alone. 

I later found like minded people into pallet wrap and duct tape mummification. Oddly many were genius level software engineers from Silicon Valley. This gave me the opportunity to build my skills and learn what this was all about. 

After each session I debriefed my subjects both men and women to learn about their experience. I was curious to know what worked and what didn't. They commonly used the word calming and described a powerful emotional reset or reboot. These people spoke my language.

I learned more and more about the journey and effects as the one wrapping and the one being wrapped. I grew a keen awareness of what was going on with my subjects under the wrap. I could detect stress and discomfort. I could ward off a panic and help extend the experience. Many said I made them feel safe and said I had a sixth sense.

I saw a need to help those poor souls confused by their desires for what I was fortunate enough to find. Many put themselves in danger by trying this alone and some think they were sinful or crazy. I saw a need to create a place where they can experience restriction of movement, compression and sensory deprivation in a space they were accepted and safe.

The few clients I did have had previous experiences. They enjoyed my focused professional approach. Their previous experiences with others usually had sexual interaction. They were finally able to enjoy the pure restrictive experience alone.

I know what I have revealed has put some people off, I will be the first to admit it looks like an unusual practice. Most people have a negative first impression. My hope is that you look past your first impression to see the deeper therapeutic elements of this practice. After a lifetime of trying to make sense of it, I know it is harmless if practiced safely. It is the one thing I have found that soothes my mind and body. A two to three hour session will reset my nervous system for days. 

Many years have passed and I now own a canvas, rubber and a one of a kind custom glove leather sleep sack all for my personal use. I wish I could be more open about this but the stigma is always there. The few I have told still raise an eyebrow. The bottom line this is an innocent and effective form of meditation that helps people wired like me.

This is me in my happy place. It is a custom made Maxcita canvas sleepsack and hood. I can spend hours and hours floating and come out reset. No green fees, no gasoline, license or membership, just someone to pull a zipper apply a few straps, monitor me and let me out.

My business brochure

three hundred fifty

MY FIRST CAR 

1963  CORVAIR MONZA

Mine didn't look like this one, this one has been nicely restored. The asking price sixty years later is 30 times what I paid for mine. Mine was used with 60,000 hard miles which was a lot in those days. It had a little rust, several putty filled dents and a half hearted coat of gray and rust brown primer paint.

I fell in love with it because it was rear engine, had a four speed floor shift manual transmission and four tires that held air. I can't remember which used car lot I bought it from but I think I paid $400 cash, my cash. 

In 1965 Ralph Nadar came out with is book "Unsafe at any speed" targeting the Chevy Corvair. Screw Ralph Nader!

In 1967 I was 16. I had a driver's license, a job bagging groceries and enough money to pay cash. My parents weren't thrilled but what could they say? I had to work Saturday, the day they delivered it with the temporary cardboard license plate. This was the longest work day of my life.

I got home and saw it in the driveway. I washed it inside and out, started it, checked the oil, looked through the manual and almost slept in it. No I didn't drive it because I had no idea how to drive a stick.

Sunday morning my best friend Rolf came over so we both sat in the car dreaming. Finally my dad came out to teach me how to drive stick. He leaned in the window, pointed at the clutch peddle, the numbers on the shifter knob and said push the clutch in to change gears. He said be careful then walked back into the house.

I guess I was expecting more. I looked at Rolf, started the engine, put it in gear, let out the clutch, stalled it, restarted the engine then hopped and jerked out of the driveway. Lucky for everyone the morning traffic is almost nonexistent on Sunday mornings in Ohio. I ground gears, stalled, screeched tires but finally I figured it out. I finally tasted the freedom of having my very own car.

The first couple weeks I was struggling to perfect my shifting but soon I got cocky. I finally over revved the engine and the fan belt popped off. The engine was air cooled so the cooling fan stopped. I was far away from home with no tools.

The engine was so hot I had to wait a half hour before I could touch anything. Finally I stretched the belt back over the fan fully and drove slowly back home.

From that point on I was aware if I over revved the engine the belt would come off. I carried tools, gloves. a new belt and belt dressing but this was always a problem.

My first winter of driving was a real learning experience. I had no collisions but I did spin it dozens of times. 

These were rear engine so the trunk was in the front. We went to the drive in, drag strip, the lake and any place that charged admission. I was the driver so Rolf was in the trunk. One time we actually got two guys in there.

This was my world, we smoked cigarettes, went on adventures, drove like a dare devil. I cheated death every night after work. My foot would shake on the peddles as adrenaline pumped through my body. I was young indestructible, irresponsible and foolish enough to take on every dare. 

My skills grew through trial and error and eventually mastered the full abilities of this car, I wanted something faster and better handling. My friends had muscle cars and were dying one by one. For one brief moment I realized my need for speed was going to kill me. 

I had been in a dozen wrecks as a passenger with my friends, most were minor collisions but three were pretty severe. I escaped with bumps and bruises and fled the scene of all three. This was to hide whatever was illegal to have in a car. We were always willing to help the police cut down on paper work.

The cars were all totaled and the cause of all three was defying the rules of physics. Driving too fast and missing a curve and hitting something. One was a telephone poll and the other was a house. The worse one was a roll over into a plowed field. Ironically no one was wearing seat belts.

My Corvair finally gave out after a down hill run where I hit 110 mph. I had three passengers and the highway was straight and steep, I could let it all hang out. This car was not designed for these speeds. The front end floated, the fan belt popped off and the engine sounded different after that. I has squeezed the life out of this old car, I knew something catastrophic was about to happen to the engine. I only drove it to work until I bought something more reliable.

1969 TRIUMPH SPITFIRE MARK 3

Looking back this was my first exposure to new car smell. This without a doubt was the coolest car I ever owned. If I had the money I would enjoy having one again.

Again I made a $500 down payment and borrowed $1500, my first car loan. I was a senior in high school. I worked full time as an apprentice meat cutter and had side jobs in the summer, so I made double and triple payments to pay it off quickly. I was responsible with my money but a complete idiot behind the wheel.

I eventually rolled it and actually got road scratches on the steering wheel. Another time I spun it into a high cement curb trashing two wire wheels and some major suspension damage. I road raced a few muscle cars. I got blown away on the straight aways but had the advantage on the tight country curves. 

Somehow I survived my first sports car. It took my next car to slow me down. I almost died like most of my friends. I am 71, much older then I ever imagined I would be. I survived for some reason I just hope I haven't wasted my life.

three hundred forty nine

THE MATRIX

There is plenty of talk about the Matrix today. The movie is a cult classic and now part of our pop culture, I refer to it often myself. The idea of living in a digital reality is becoming more then a possibility but in some circles a certainty. References to uploading our digital selves into a computer to become immortal has popped up in movies and television programing for many years. 

We have VR and amazing animation, deep fakes are almost impossible to detect, the Meta-verse simulates a digital world and AI is everywhere. I talked with customer support and for a few minutes thought I was actually talking with a real person. To someone who spent most of my life in a world of home phones, radio, paper maps, magnetic tape voice recording and video and broadcast analog television everything is amazing.

The next leap in technology maybe some sort of digital world but with smart phones, high speed internet and social media many have already crossed over. The technology will continue to get better and better to make things seem like reality but I believe the Matrix will always be flawed and a choice.

The movie portrays the difficulty of escaping the matrix. An army of digital G-men tracking down suspected rebels pop in and out of the matrix to capture the red pilled rebels. 

The idea that an entire civilization used as batteries to power the matrix is far fetched, but living in a programed reality is not. Not the complete programing of a physical reality but what we fear, lust for, hate, love and understand can be. 

A percentage have already surrendered to this so called matrix. They rely on government for their food, housing, health and safety. They are entertained by blinking and flashing games, live on delusions of fame and fortune and spend their lives following pop stars. 

They put their trust in the selected few that are smart, wise and always looking after their best interests. These leaders are happy to supply just enough crumbs to keep them quiet and docile. 

Some think being consumed by the matrix is inevitable or has already happened and they act like all is lost. I admit things are bad but the will to be free is in our blood. 

The rebels had the drive to endure the hardship of reality, I can't claim that is in my nature. As a recovering alcoholic the draw to live in an altered reality captured me for years. Once I tasted the serenity of reality I found the richness of life so I will never turn back.

The draw of escape is strong, the master plan is to make life so hopeless that checking out sounds comforting. Drug abuse, alcohol, sex, sports, gambling, suicide and escape entertainment are on the rise. 

Bread and Circuses

 Public trials and punishment of nonconformist, sound familiar?

This is not new, the masses have been controlled this way way before the internet. I believe the same percentage of people will fall prey to this trap and the same percentage will resist. Like it says in Ecclesiastes "There is nothing new under the sun".

Like the writer says the conclusion of the matter is "Fear God and keep his commandments". This struggle has gone on from the beginning so all is not lost. 

Living in reality is not easy, but today the so called puppet masters are becoming victims of their own devices. If you are awake the fight is on don't lose heart these are mere mortals.

Interesting video about the movie....LINK