The Edge

     Many of us enjoy a suspenseful movie which keeps us on the edge of our seat, anxiously awaiting what is going to happen next.  A few people like to live on the edge, often involved in exciting and dangerous activities.  Some people are involved on the cutting edge of science, technology, or fashion, discovering or creating the latest or most advanced developments.
     Being on the edge of your seat can be entertaining.  Living on the edge can be fun for some but nerve-wracking for others.  Being on the cutting edge as an innovator can be a rewarding occupation or hobby.
     The edge is where we are at the threshold of the unknown.  With courage, we can leave our comfort zone, take a risk, and enjoy an exciting experience.  Just like the pioneers, we can discover something new by going to the edge and beyond.  

The Poor

    Those of us who have enough food, clothing, shelter, and health care are not poor.  Most of us have had a family that cared for and supported us.  As adults, we have been able to care for and support ourselves and our children.  We often take pride in our ability to work and pay our own bills without help from government programs.
     This pride can lead us to blame the poor for causing their own financial woes.  We feel they have shirked their responsibility to work and provide the basic needs for themselves and their families.  We may feel that continuing to give to the poor only perpetuates their dependence on government assistance.
     Many factors have combined to keep us independent:
1.  Born into a household whose income provided the basic necessities
2.  Raised respecting the values of hard work, responsibility, and independence
3.  Receiving an education to equip us for employment
4.  Getting and keeping a job
5.  Receiving sufficient preventative health care and medical attention so we can remain healthy and continue working and caring for our family.
     The absence of just one of these factors may place us in the company of the poor.  We can not take all the credit for our financial situation, nor should we blame others who don't have what they need.  Our pride may tell us that we need to withhold help in order to teach the poor a lesson.  We are the ones who need to learn a lesson, to try to understand and help each other.    

Square

     In math, a shape with equal sides and equal angles or multiplying a number by itself.  In construction, being precisely aligned.  In business, a fair deal or paying the  bill.  In personality or behavior, a square can be seen as negative or positive.
     A few decades back, labeling someone as a square was an insult.  Either the person was unaware of what it took to be "cool" or chose not to identify with "passing fancies" in dress or behavior.  To them, the old fashioned ways were fine or even superior to more modern ways of doing things.
     Some people define themselves and take pride in being a square, conventional and conservative.  Their behavior is based on past wisdom which they feel is tried and true.  They may not have confidence in newer unproven ways.
     We all need to value those conventions of the past which still work well today and tomorrow.  We also need to be open to new ideas and solutions. The old and the new may be as equal in value as the sides and angles of a square.
     

Our Circle

     We give our attention, love, time, and understanding to an ever-expanding circle.  Out  of necessity, we need to give to ourselves in order to survive and develop.  We give to the family we were born into and to the new family we create which is an extension of ourselves.  We give to those close to us who reciprocate in friendship.   As we broaden our circle, we often give to those who are like us and have the same lifestyle, religion, and political philosophy.  We may find it more difficult to give to those who are different than we are.  And most difficult would be to give to our enemies.
     Each person is the center of their own circle.  As the person matures, the circle can become bigger.  As we become less self-centered, we can broaden our circle of concern, love, and understanding to include everyone.      

Who talks to you?

Who talks to you when you're alone?
Who whispers in your ear
Providing all the best advice
And takes away your fear?

A voice from the spirit world
Or a human combination
Of experience and wisdom
Plus your imagination

Some will say you always need
Messages from above.
Others say just trust yourself
And always act with love.

     We all need to be open to advice wherever we can get it.  Our family, friends, and experts can help us form an opinion or a decision.  Some people rely on various political voices to tell us what's what.  Many also believe that we can connect to the spirit world through prayer, by reading the Bible, and by listening to pastors.  We need to analyze the various sources of advice and make sure the messages we hear and read are authentic and contain the truth.
       








 

On The Fence

     When you find yourself sitting on the fence, you are still considering both sides of an issue.  You have time to remain neutral and delay a decision.  In some cases, you don't ever have to commit to just one way of thinking.
     Pressure may come from others to make a decision.  They may want you to agree with their way of thinking.  Once you choose one side or another, left or right, liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, you may find comfort with your own group.  You may begin to stray from the middle, the moderate, or the independent.
     Don't let others pressure you to leave the fence, to make unnecessary decisions, to reduce your options.  Take your time and realize you may never have enough information or confidence in one side or the other. The longer you stay on the fence, the better position you will have to understand the advantages and disadvantages of both sides.

Religious Messages

     In most cases, our parents have guided us into a particular religion.  As we had faith in our parents, we believe what they believed.  They also taught us what not to believe, how other religions were mistaken on many issues, and how agnostics and atheists were completely wrong.  Many of us are prejudiced in favor of our own faith and against other faiths.
     Most religions convey the same basic messages:
1.  A higher spiritual power created the universe.
2.  Human beings can depend on this higher power to provide love, protection, and help.
3.  Our scriptures are true, accurate, and provide a guide to values and behavior.
4.  An afterlife awaits the faithful.
     Many religions are sending the wrong messages:
1.  All people are born heterosexual; homosexuality is a sin.
2.  Abortions are always wrong.
3.  What happens is supposed to happen, part of  God's plan, a reason for everything.
4.  Expect miracles, happenings beyond the laws of nature.
     In our democracy, all religions and lack of religion must coexist.  We wish this acceptance would apply around the world.  Overconfidence in any one particular religion can create dislike, hate, fear, and even war.  Religious messages should promote love and peace.