Two questions from the bottle

From T. come two questions:

1. Why are pain, suffering, war, and scandal more popular subjects to talk about than love, charity, miracles, and the wonders of nature?

2. And to Baby Elias: Are you glad you came?

From Grandma Jo:

We are emotion magnets. Perhaps it was built into us as cave people, to react to the strongest stimuli. Fear, fun, excitement, challenge, suspense, it is a matter of priorities. The highest emotion trumps everything else. Originally it was probably a matter of survival.

Now, over the millennia, the media, and others who wish to control or manipulate us have capitalized on that human condition.


Journalism’s mantra, “If it bleeds it leads,” controls newspapers. Sex controls ads. 


Advertisers believe that whatever gets the most attention gets the most readership. We are duped.

That’s history.

And it is assuming, of course, that we are blood thirsty Homo sapiens, which I believe we are not.


We’ve been listening to the wrong voice. We’ve been listening to the ones that frighten us, and those in the know who know that fear controls people.

Terry Cole Whittaker says that “The mind is like a pit bull. An untrained pit bill is a bad dog. A trained pit bull is a great dog, protective, loyal, and strong. You must train your mind to be a vehicle of spirit. Otherwise, it will ruin your life.”

And how do we do that?

First, although those conditions, pain, suffering war, scandal are present on this earth, we do not have to be a part of it. Feed the brain on love, charity, miracles and the wonders of nature. As we do that we will be amazed at how much more of it we will see.

Not easy you say? Yes for we are bombarded with negativity on all sides, but we are the ones to make a brighter day, so let’s start living.


                                                            Black Sands Beach

This subject will be explored more later on.

Baby Elias, are you glad you came?

I have two doting grandparents, a Momma who knows the sun rises and sets in me, and who asks me every day, “What wonderful thing are we going to do today?

I have traveled eight states, moved from Oregon to the Island, taken airplane rides—oh I love airplanes, well, I like cars too, horses, I love horses. I like Minnie Mouse and yesterday I got a beanie hat, with a propeller on top, and on the drive home I practiced saying “Beanie hat” and “Meerkat Madness”—now that’s funny, because Meerkats are Zen masters, no madness there.

If you ask me something I do not say “Yes.” I say “I do.”

Do I plan to have a happy life?

“I do.”

Am I glad I came? Yes is the answer, but will “I do” suffice?

Momma Answers:

I used to commute long driving distances and loved to listen to talk radio in the car. Then I realized how depressing and frightening it all was. After listening to the commercials I believed I was too poor, too lonely and my penis was too small (and I don't even have a penis). I don't know why people are so drawn to the dark side. But I do know how to minimize their effect on your life:

 1) Surround yourself with positive people. The motivational speaker Jack Canfield says we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. Choose to be a more positive person by choosing to be around people who inspire and uplift you.

2) Don't participate in ain't-it-awful conversations. If a conversation starts to go into doom and gloom try to steer it in a new direction.

3) Turn off your television. It only makes you feel bad. We have chosen to not have a television in our house right now. We watch movies and selected TV shows on DVD. The lack of commercials will change your life!

An answer for Baby Elias:

Sometimes my son wakes up laughing and I think to myself how wonderful it is to be innocent. Just as I shelter my young child from the darkness of the World, you too can shelter yourself.

                                                           Our Christmas Turtle