What I did tonight (or where did all the hippies go)

My in-laws came and picked up our daughter for the day/night - not just to spend time with her (which they enjoy) but also because my wife has been rather ill of late. I have barely slept in a week, neither has the wife, so we both welcomed this break from trying to take care of a 7 year old who needs a lot of attention and such.

As sick as she is, we spent the last few hours being 'adults' if you will. Doing things couples do. Even though she can barely talk and is weak as hell we had a damned good time.

And that is what got me to thinking, as she lays now on the couch with her vibrating and heating pillow, her blankies, and several tivoed Hockey playoff games.

We made love. Not War. We did not care who owned what, how much we owned, whether or not we had a Lexus or a BMW, we didn't focus on oil or taking other peoples' land for growing crops, etc and so on.

We just did what most people like to do. We spent fun time together. We didn't need all that other stuff, although it would be nice to have I must say.

Does life really need to be more complicated than that? Do we really need wars and complicated political strategies all the time? Most people want just a simple life - a little booze, a little sex, health care, go to work, pay the bills, buy some shit when you have a little extra.

Whether you are in China, Egypt, Pakistan, Iraq, I think that most people are really like the folks we used to call hippies here - make love, not war.

We are all tied together as humans in the most basic of ways, yet there are some in power who corrupt all of that and use our money in ways that are pretty damned screwed up.

The Chinese, the Soviets, et al are not my enemies - their governments are, just like ours is to them.

At some point I hope we people rise up and tell em to fuck off. We don't want to be at war with each other, we don't want to hate each other, we just want to be able to have our little lives and do those little things that we so enjoy.

we want to make love, to be entertained, to laugh, to see our kids grow up.

We don't want war, we want love.

The people get that, when will our leaders?

Now excuse me while I go and warm up some great left overs and watch some TV with the wife as she drifts off to sleep. Hopefully she won't have nightmares about not being able to go to the Dr. on a regular basis, or how if my daughter gets hurt at school how we will be able to afford to get her health care and whether or not people will blame us and see as abusers and such because we don't have the money to get her fixed up.

Last night she dreamed she slit her own wrists to end this pain she is in, and even had the forethought in her dream to put a towel down so I would not have a bloody mess to clean up.

I don't think most humans on this planet want to go to war or kill each other over shit. It is the few who do, and why we let them do it is beyond me.

Most of us on this planet just want to get along and have a good time. And yet here we sit with the few making it hell for the many.

Shame on us for letting them.

I think that I will stay with my own wife, but I really do appreciate the offer.


(I am being a dick of course, I hope she gets well soon.)

K&R

:rofl: She is resting now finally for the night.

Me, I think I will be up for a spell (and enjoying her homemade spaghetti and meatballs...MMMMM)

How are you tonight my friend?

My wife just called, right after I finished my math, and told me that she is bringing home some fish tacos (the food kind) for me. I will eat them and have a puff. A fantastic night for me.

If you are ever out near Bakersfield, CA, hit me up! :)

Blessings on you and AutumnMist...

Making love!

How to share, and stay connected, and have fun, all at the same time...

To be a couple...

I am so glad you were able to have those precious moments...

May they live in your memories forever!

:hug:

And yet time and again we let the few in power rob the many of them in the name of anything from religion to fear about x/y/z.

I really think there are many decent people in this world wanting the same things. It is a damned shame that the few control so much.

one of the very few posters I am sure to read on sight. I'm so sorry to hear AutumnMist is feeling down. Please give her my sincere best wishes and love in the hopes that it will help to ease her pain and discomfort.

Bless you, TSS, for being such a loving partner to your lovely wife. Your example is an inspiration to us all to forget all the ugliness of the world for just a little while and spend precious moments with those we love most.

I was sad about Eight Belles and your story has picked up my spirits. Thank you.

I think in the end we can all get along, we just choose other paths sadly.

Most people on this earth want a simple life, it is the few in power who keep making it all screwed up.

And yet, no matter what we gain here and have here, we all end up passing on. To me it is better to enjoy this life with one another than to fight over all the shit we do.

Make love, have a beer, smoke something, and take care of each other in our times of need. It's not too much to ask.

Thanks again for a wonderful compliment, meant a lot to me.

Talking to others is a very powerful act.

I think the social pathology we see now is the result of the fact that there is no basic American relationship that says something like: For your active participation in and cooperation with our group (America) you will receive ______________, ___________________, __________________, and ___________________.
There is no AMERICAN social contract.

Most people would counter with: For your active participation in and cooperation with the group you receive a paycheck. Aside from the fact that such a deal ASSUMES your support BEFORE you give it (because paychecks would not exist in the first place without participation and cooperation - so your NOT being offered a choice), the ARTIFICIALITY of such social contracts, based on the ARBITRARY value of something called money, perpetuates itself and eventually achieves a mass sufficient to ENSLAVE all participants.

What is needed is a REAL social contract that defines what it means to be American, a real social contract based upon the exchange of real goods and services, something that offers participants something real for their real capital (i.e. their bodies and their labor). This means that the blanks above would be filled in with things such as: Appropriate Health Care, Rational Security and National Defense, Appropriate and Complete Education, Egalitarian Economic Opportunities, a Genuine Count of your Vote . . . IR-RESPECTIVE of economic status.

The counter to what I've just said is something like: "That's Socialism and Socialism is UN-American!!" Most people are afraid of that label "Socialism" because they think it means taking away from someone to give to someone else, but that's a statement about MONEY, which has an arbitrary value to begin with, and what is REALLY being taken away are things of real value, like Health Care, Education, Real national defense and economic opportunities and these REAL things that are being taken away are being taken from those who are at a financial disadvantage (in regards to money, which has no real value to begin with). Being against Socialism is a fucking scam. What IS "Socialism" anyway, but the recognition that the group owes its members something of REAL, NOT artificial, value for each member's very REAL capital (i.e. their bodies and labor). You don't have to be a Hippie to see that this is true, but it does help, so us old Hippies can help by explaining this to others and helping them to be less afraid of saying "This nation, if it is to be a nation, must offer its members something of REAL value in exchange for their lives."

...with that insight. Yes. That's what most of us want. To be with the ones we love, the ones who love us, in an environment of shared love and play and work and growth. It's that simple.

All attempts by thoughtful people to build healthy social systems are built around that core principle: What can we do by way of shared institutions, social infrastructure, establishing cultural norms, etc., to make it possible for the largest number of us to achieve that?

It is the tragedy of the modern era that we have instead created a society that fosters social isolation, competition, narcissism, and "keeping score" in meaningless measures like money and stuff.

I'm so glad that you and your beloved continue to swim against that tide. Holding you both in the Light.

warmly,
Bright

:hug:

:beer: :hug:

Thank you my friend.