The Caring Catalyst

Who Cares - What Matters

SERVING the UNDESERVING

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T  H  E      E  L  E  V  A  T  O  R

is always in

S E R V I C E

and it doesn’t matter so much

 W      H      O

purses the Buttons

as it does

WHICH      FLOOR      YOU      DECIDE      TO      GET      OFF.          .          .

I flat out got my BUTTONS pushed this past week

My FUSE

not only got lit

I found out painfully just how short it was

on this particular day

because of this SCRUPULOUS  Reason.         .        .

WHAT    CLOGS    YOUR    DRAIN.          .          .

I RE-DISCOVERED what stopped mine up

to less than a trickle.          .          .

I was asked to do the funeral for

a person I had never met:

N  O  R  M  A  L

I got at the funeral home to meet with the family I had never met:

N  O  R  M  A  L

I talked with the Funeral Director for any additional information about the Person:

N  O  R  M  A  L

He told me the reason the family asked for someone they had never met to conduct the services of their loved one:

M E

Was because the family’s minister, when called by the Funeral Director to ask about his availability for the service told the Director that the Deceased had not paid his Church Pledge and he would be glad to conduct the Services FOR $650.00 because the HE  IS  RUNNING  A  BUSINESS  AND  NOT  A  CHARITY.       .      .

ALL OF MY BUTTONS GOT PUSHED/JAMMED simultaneously 

ALL OF MY BELLS AND WHISTLES  screamed

ALL  OF  MY  FLAGS  went high up/off the Poles

 ALL  OF  MY  LIGHTS  went Red Flashing

ALL  OF  MY  WEAKEST  LINKS  snapped

E          V          E          R          Y          T          H          I          N          G 

I despise about Organized Religion

went off like an ongoing 4th of July Firework Session

gone amok.          .        .

I was way past

I N C E N S E

a n d    straight    to    the    dark    heart    of

I        N        C        E       N        S        E        D

and then we were in the service

and his friend stood up and Eulogized him so perfectly

and   it   h i t   me:

I am not THE CARING CATALYST.        .          .

but I am  A  CARING CATALYST

and as it turns out

a   not   so   perfect   Caring   Catalyst.          .          .

T R U T H:

I          A    M            P    E    R    F    E    C    T    L    Y          I   M   P   E   R   F   E   C   T

and one of the Biggest Hypocrites I’ve ever known.          .          .

Here I am espousing all of this

Peace on Earth

Goodwill

Forgive

Give no matter what

All of this:

and even more of

and dashes and doses of

and pinches of

I   come   to   RE-DISCOVER:

I          A    M            P    E    R    F    E    C    T    L    Y          I   M   P   E   R   F   E   C   T

Pssssssssssssssssssssssssssssst:

So        is           everyone          E  l  s  e.          .          .

    E               V               E               R               Y               O               N               E

P     E     R     I     O     D

I on/off stewed

I on/off complained

I on/off retold

I on/off obsessed

over this

all-too-live-all-too-real-button-pushing-bell-whistle-blowing-red-light-blaring

s t o r y

and this poor excuse of a Caring Catalyst

who is most

 P    E    R    F    E    C    T    L    Y          I   M   P   E   R   F   E   C   T

came to this humble-less-than-ever-honest-with-himself:

S     E     R     V     E          T     H     E          U     N     D     E     S     E     R     V     I     N     G

o  r

S E R V E    N O    O N E

No

if’s

an’s

but’s

or’s

unless’s

excepts

until’s

Join me

You      Perfectly       Imperfects

JOIN       ME

JOIN ME, JOIN ME, JOIN ME, JOIN ME, JOIN ME, JOIN ME, JOIN ME, JOIN ME, JOIN

m e

Let’s be Pieces of the Puzzle

who come together

and become better as

ONE

than we could ever be

by our PERFECTLY IMPERFECT SELVES

SERVING     THE     UNDESERVING 

.             .           .THAT’S  not so much thinking out of the box.          .          .

IT’S       O B L I T E R A T I N G       IT

And the Biggest Discovery Since one of Columbus’s might be

Let    your    Imperfect    YOU

J  O  I  N

My Imperfect  ME

The SERVED

is not always the DESERVED.          .          .

LET’S       SERVE        THEM        ANYWAY

YOUR COMMERCIAL BREAK

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C O M M E R C I A L S

.       .       .DO   YOU   LIKE   THEM?

Q U I C K:

What’s your Favorite Commerical?

What’s the Commercial you dislike the most?

It’s hard watching your favorite TV Show

It’s hard watching a Sporting Event

It’s hard flipping through television at any time and not getting caught by one;

But hold on there

Caring  Catalysts

the Stats are out:

Though marketers probably don’t want to think about it, Americans really don’t like advertising very much. A 2012 survey by Mancx found that advertising is a big complaint about the internet (54 percent of those surveyed think there are too many ads), and a Gallup survey found that 37 percent of people have a negative view of the advertising industry overall. A Harris poll conducted last summer found that millennials—that darling group that every advertiser is courting—are especially ad-averse: seventy-four percent object to being singled out by brands in their social media feeds, and a whopping 56 percent have quit a social media site just to get away from the ads.

So it’s worth pointing out a finding by a just-released study from the Burson-Marsteller Fan Experience (BMFE): fifty-three percent of Americans say they’d be disappointed if the Super Bowl went commercial free—and that number is actually up 5 percent from last year.

Setting aside that a commercial-free Super Bowl is probably never going to happen, think about what that means: Could the Big Game possibly be the only time of year that people actually want to stare at advertising?

“Yes, without a doubt,” said BMFE chair Jason Teitler—and there’s a reason, he adds. “People want to see what the brands are doing because it constitutes entertainment.”

“We found a lot of people who’d prefer to see the ads for the first time during the game. They want the surprise factor.”
BMFE chair Jason Teitler

Another way of putting this: Most ads that Americans encounter these days—from pop-ups to pre-rolls to sponsored tweets—are usually not fun. But Super Bowl ads usually are, so watching them doesn’t feel like the poke in the shoulder that ads so often are.

BMFE’s findings (drawn from a sample group of 1,000 Super Bowl fans) mirror some of those revealed last summer by HubSpot Research. HubSpot polled 1,055 consumers and learned that 85 percent of them believed “not all ads are bad,” yet many people found advertising to be intrusive, unprofessional, or even insulting to their intelligence.

Another key finding of BMFE’s survey: Not only do Americans generally enjoy watching Super Bowl spots, they wish brands would quit releasing them days or even weeks before the game.

“We found a lot of people who’d prefer to see the ads for the first time during the game,” Teitler said. “They want the surprise factor.” If a brand is going to drop $5 million for a “big punch,” he said, “why not do it in the biggest way possible?”

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.          .          .

Still not a big fan, you?

But in many ways,

though we might not like them a whole

Our day to day

L  I  F  E

is in full-out-right-in-search

of a Commercial Break.        .        .

Hence,

we go to dinner

we go to the movies

we go to concerts

we got to play

we go on vacations

we go to museums

we go to galleries

we go shopping

WE  GO.          .          .

Maybe the

U L T I M A T E    C O M M E R C I A L

is the one advertising

what it BEGS us to buy

Maybe  the   Utmost Commercial   of  all

is the one that touts

is the one that urges

is the one that illustrates

is the one that inspires

is the one that motivates

us   to

G     I       V      E

(for    free    with    no    motive    to    receive    or    benefit)

S                                        T                                        O                                        P

D o n ‘ t     t o u c h

T           H           A           T

c  h  a  n  n  e  l

Going to HELL

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S   O   M   E   T   I   M   E   S

what we

T   H   I   N   K

and what we

K   N   O   W

are two different

U       N       I       V       E       R       S       E       S

that never really ever meet

on the obscure

C    O    N    T    I    N    E    N    T

of the not very often enough visited

 E      X      P      E      R      I      E      N      C     E

But what you know

what you know you know

what you’d bet your life

that you know.      .       .

we least

A       C       T

like we know

L    I    F    E

is often

a metaphor

a simile

but rarely a

R E A L I Z E D       R E A L I T Y

HOME

HEAVEN

HELL

are not PO BOX Addresses

or Destinations

.       .      .they’re not even

dreams

illusions

or realities

.          .          .they are our

c h o i c e s

choices      with      consequences

.        .       .s o.        .        .

G  O        T  O        H  E  L  L

you might be surprised by the trip

you might be surprised by the destination

you might be surprised by the

H E L L      O F      I T

Being a PLURAL

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Lots of Questions, huh.          .          .

Maybe none bigger

Maybe none more important

T                     H                     A                     N :

W H I C H     O N E ?

If you could only choose just one of your P U R P O S E S

If you could only choose just one of your R E A S O N S

If you could only choose just one of your M E A N I N G S

If you could only choose just one of your D E S T I N I E S 

WHICH  ONE  WOULD  YOU  CHOOSE?

What would be your criteria for choosing?

Would you go Simple.        .         .

Would you go Challenging.        .        .

Sitting on the Fence never got anyone much but a hole in their pants

and   a   sore   R U M P.          .          .

Does your  P L A N     A

include the Possibilities

of   O T H E R       O  P  T  I  O  N  S

Minister
Chaplain
Officiant
Professional Speaker
Writer
Published Author 
Counselor
Husband
Father
Grandfather 
Son
Brother
Uncle
Friend

These are the roles that pop into my own head

and occupy my life

on a daily basis

and if I had to be

S I N G U L A R

and not be a

P   L  U  R  A  L

which one would I pick.        .        .

not so much which one would I hone in on.       .       .

which ONE would I eliminate.        .        .

which ONE would I unravel

not only from my own multicolored Tapestry

but from the fabric of so many other lives

who have intermeshed with my own.        .        .

SHOULD    I    PUT    IT    TO    A    VOTE.          .          .

and just who are the proper Constituents

to   the

U   N   I   V   E   R   S   E       o f       C   H   U   C   K

Does the Sea

in all of it’s vastness

just lap the SHORE

O          N          C          E

.          .          .which wave is the most important one

.          .          .which wave is the least of all the others

Life is never counted by Candles on a Cake.         .        .

but   by   M O M E N T S

M          O          M          E         N          T          S

that don’t compete with another to yell out

I AM THE GREATEST.       .       .

M          O          M         E          N          T          S

that are threads to the

MOSAIC   OF    ME 

We don’t have to CHOOSE

WE JUST HAVE TO UTILIZE

and the best part:

You don’t have to PICK PLURAL

you just have to simply embrace it.           .          .

HAPPINESS  IS  IN  YOUR  HANDS

to      h o l d

to       s h a r e

to     r e c o g n i z e

Sometimes.     .     .

The biggest

M   I   S   S — T  A  K  E

is waiting for the   L  I  G  H  T

to TURN ON

without ever recognizing

it’s   never   been

O     F     F

.          .        .It’s not enough to embrace

YOUR  PLURALITY.       .       .

S H A R E     I T

(o f t e n)

in      all      of      It’s

W                 A                 Y                S

 

INSIGNIFICANT s i g n i f i c a n c e

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Ever feel insignificant?

Ever feel as insignificant as a

F E R RU L E.          .          .

You know.        .        .

a   F E R R U L E:

noun/fer – rule\’fer-el, fe-rel\

: A ring or a cap usually of metal put around a slender shaft (such as a cane or a tool handle) to strengthen it or prevent splitting;

: A usually metal sleeve used especially for joining or binding one part to another (such as pipe sections or the bristles and handle of a brush)

fer-ruled \fe-eld, fe-reld\ adjective

ORIGIN:
alteration of Middle English virole, from the Latin viriola, bracelet, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish fair oblique.

FIRST KNOWN USE: 1611

Ever feel like a FERRULE

or even a basket full of them.        .         .

Seriously.     .     .

did you even know that band around a pencil

was ever really called a FERRULE

or for that matter, even had a name?

Talk about INSIGNIFICANCE.     .     .

TALK  ABOUT  FEELING  INSIGNIFICANCE
or having it personified

B                            U                            T

that’s   not

Y          O          U.        .          .

I     F

the Ferrule 

has a purpose

of being a metal band

that cinch around the bases

of erasers

and it actually has a name

a distinct purpose

how in our wildest imaginations

and unleashed understandings

can we fathom

N O T

having a purpose

having a menaing

having a destiny

having a reason

So      get      at      I T

Isn’t that the ONE thing that makes us severely

S I G N I F I C A N T

that   YOU   are actually not just redirectable

but utterly RE-DEFINABLE

YOU   get   instant   DO-OVER’S

of yourself any time

Y  O  U          C H O O S E.        .        .

and   more:

YOU are a SPARK

WHO  is  utterly  inextinguishable

setting   off   bonfires   in   others

.          .          .that’s SIGNIFICANT

and more.        .        .

uhhhhhhhh.     .     .

much more than a shiny band of metal securing an eraser to a pencil

and more.     .     .

The greatest thing about each one of us is that

A     L I F E T I M E

can not only be lived in

A       M   O   M   E   N   T

but   a   L I F E

can forever be changed in that very moment:

S      I      G      N      I      F      I      C      A      N      T

and  more.       .       .

I N S I G N I F I C A N T

O     R

S I G N I F I C A N T.          .          .

not even a thought.       .      .

and then again.       .       .

much more a mere concept:

The  Significance  of  YOU

 

b r o k e n WHOLE

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Many   think   that   we’re

U     N     B     R     E     A     K     A     B     L     E

when they truest TRUTH

is that the thought of being

U  N  B  R  E  A  K  A  B  L  E

is the only thing truly

B    R    E    A    K    A    B    L    E

I recently finished reading Brene’s latest book

but it in many ways took me back to an earlier book of her’s:

“Resilience — the ability to overcome adversity — has been a growing topic of study since the early 1970s. In a world plagued by stress and struggle, everyone from psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers to clergy and criminal justice researchers want to why and how some folks are better at bouncing back from hardship than others. We want to understand why some people can cope with stress and trauma in a way that allows them to move forward in their lives, and why other people appear more affected and stuck.

“As I collected and analyzed my data, I recognized that many of the people I interviewed were describing stories of resilience. I heard stories about people cultivating Wholehearted lives despite adversity. I learned about people’s capacities to stay mindful and authentic under great stress and anxiety, and I heard people describe how they were able to transform trauma into Wholehearted thriving.

“It wasn’t difficult to recognize these stories as tales of resilience because I was in graduate school during the heyday of resilience research. I knew these narratives were threaded with what we call protective factors — the things we do, have, and practice that give us the bounce.

Trying to be PERFECT

when you’re I M P E R F E C T

Trying to be UNBROKEN

when you’re BROKEN

is stressfully

e x h a u s t i n g

“What   Makes   Up   Resilience?

Brene suggests:

“If you look at the current research, here are five of the most common factors of resilient people:

“1. They are resourceful and have good problem-solving skills.

2. They are more likely to seek help.

3. They hold the belief that they can do something that will help them to manage their feelings and to cope.

4. They have social support available to them.

5. They are connected with others, such as family or friends.

“Of course, there are more factors, depending on the researchers, but these are the big ones.

Ms   Brown   goes   on   to   say:

“At first, I hoped the patterns that I observed in my research would lead to a very straightforward conclusion — resilience is a core component of Wholeheartedness — just like the other guideposts. But there was something more to what I was hearing. The stories had more in common than just resilience; all of these stories were about spirit.

“According to the people I interviewed, the very foundation of the ‘protective factors’ — the things that made them bouncy — was their spirituality. By spirituality, I’m not talking about religion or theology, but I am talking about a shared and deeply held belief. Based on the interviews, here’s how I define spirituality:

“Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning, and purpose to our lives.

“Without exception, spirituality — the belief in connection, a power greater than self, and interconnections grounded in love and compassion — emerged as a component of resilience. Most people spoke of God, but not everyone. Some were occasional churchgoers; others were not. Some worshipped at fishing holes; others in temples, mosques, or at home. Some struggled with the idea of religion; others were devout members of organized religions. The   one   thing   that   they   all   had   in   common   was   spirituality   as   the   foundation   of   their   resilience.

“From this foundation of spirituality, three other significant patterns emerged as being essential to resilience:

“1. Cultivating hope

2. Practicing critical awareness

3. Letting   go   of   numbing   and   taking   the   edge   off   vulnerability, discomfort,  and   pain”

Now THAT

is an ALL-DAY

SUCKER

you could   s a v o r   and

s u c k   o n

for months

or maybe even a

l i f e t i m e

.          .          .Kind of gets to that inner heart chamber

of what it’s like to be a

PERFECTLY IMPERFECT

CARING CATALYST.       .       .

It’s a big  ENLIGHTENED  Universe out there

with lots of intermittent  dark  spots

that makes us continually grope for our way

o r    a    N  E  W    W  A  Y

.       .       .and isn’t that at our core we are called to do

and better.          .          .

help A N O T H E R

to SEE

to ACHIEVE

TO  B E.          .          .

.          .          .sometimes in our PERFECTLY IMPERFECTNESS

I think it’s all about finding our way

by helping others finding their’s.       .       .

WHEN    YOU    CAN’T    LOOK    ON    THE    BRIGHT    SIDE,
I       W I L L       S I T       W I T H       I N       T H E       D A R K

uhhhhhhh.     .     .what’s more SPIRITUAL

what’s more of a Caring Catalyst

is that.          .          .

T E S T      I T

f i n d   o u t

SOUNDS of SILENCE

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W          O          W

Paul Simon

wrote this song as a young 21 song writer

in 1963 running into 1964

He took 6 months to write it

which are about our lack of communication

with each other .          .          .

He averaged one line to day.           .          .

When he wrote the song

it was not about the Vietnam War

but when it became famous

most took it as a an anti-war song;

The opening line:

“HELLO DARKNESS MY OLD FRIEND,”

came from Simon’s time as a boy when he would sing in the bathroom

with the lights out,

enjoying the acoustics from the tiles

that provided a doc-wop reverb sound.          .          .

A               B               O               V               E

The Heavy Metal Band

D I S T U R B E D

surprised their fans by covering this for their 2015

IMMORTALIZED album

The lead guitarist, Dan Donegan said they didn’t want to cover up singer, David Draiman’s vocal with “loud, aggressive, and distorted guitars” on their version.  He added: “We wanted to showcase his vulnerability and take a left field approach.  The strings and violins really deepen it.  It’s something that might shock people because we went down a new path altogether.  We did what felt right and saw the vision through.”

Paul Simon took six months to write the lyrics which are about man’s lack of communication with his fellow man.       .       .

Nearly 65 years later.          .          .

I wonder how we’re doing with

T                    H                    A                    T

I heard this version of the song

at a funeral recently

for a young man who had died

suddenly

leaving behind a fiance,

a three week old son,

and a grieving family.          .          .

 I     T  

Communicated something quite different

than what a 21 year old songwriter

singing in his darkened bathroom back in 1964

ever intended

or even wildly imagined.          .          .

Shhhhhhhhhhh.        .          .

Now that’s a

 SONG        OF        SILENCE

WE      MAY      KNOW      WHAT      WE’RE      SAYING

but we never really know

W  H  A  T ‘ S      B  E  I  N  G      H  E  A  R  D

especially   when   it’s

S             I             L             E             N             C             E

What’ll STOP You ?

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What is it?

WHAT  STOPS  YOU ?

What slows you down.          .          .

What   DELAYS  YOU ?

What makes you proceed with caution.        .       .

What   redirects   you

What’ll discourage you.          .          .

What will dampen you resolve.        .        .

What will end your quest.          .          .

Interesting questions, huh?

Sometimes it doesn’t take much to deter us.          .          .

It doesn’t have to be a sign

or a natural or unnatural disaster.            .          .

Sometimes it can just be as random as a

thin sliver of metal

That’s what about did me in

on the way to Church

knowing that I not only needed to get there in time

to Lead Worship/Preach

but to hurry out and go do a funeral some 40 miles away

to hurry across town to do another funeral

so a flat tire was not in my plans.          .          .

s e l d o m

are bad things.          .           .

THE  TAKE  AWAY:

When bad things happen

G O O D       P E O P L E       S H O W       U P

Two   kind   Caring   Catalysts

Steve and Craig were both at Church early that morning

and when I told them of my woe

and even bigger woe of not finding a place that was open

to either fix the tire or buy a new one

E V E R Y T H I N G       W A S       C L O S E D

Steve was going to throw the not-so-effective

DONUT TIRE

and Craig had a better idea of going to a local AUTO ZONE

and put a tire patch on the leak

just as fast as he bought the kit

and I was happily down the road

without a bump or a burp.       .       .

my biggest problem:

GETTING.          .          .

I  don’t   G E T  so  good

a compliment or a fixed tire.          .          .

who thought it wouldn’t be the flat tire

and the

FIXING      OF      IT

would be less of a problem

than my

RECEIVING        THE        KINDNESS

of      having      it      done.        .        .

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.          .         .

what does it say

That   K I N D N E S S

though severely appreciated

would keep me

S      T     O     P          M   E

humble me to a

s c r e e c h i n g

h a l t i n g.          .         .

The Living Sermon

from Steve and Craig

that Sunday Morning

was to teach me

A            G           A             I            N 

wasn’t   to   prove.       .       .

to shame me in knowing

my huge ugly-pimple-of-a-flaw

of not being a good RECEIVER

a GOOD-GETTER.        .        .

No.   .   .No.   .   .NO.          .          .

the   lesson

t o    j u s t 

G                   E                   T  

b  e  t  t  e  r

FROM NOW ON

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https://youtu.be/PluaPvhkIMU

DID  YOU  SEE  THE  MOVIE  YET.        .       .

It really doesn’t matter.     .     .

I think it should be mandatory.       .       .

It really doesn’t matter.      .     .

The reason I am sharing the clip is because

of the SPONTANEOUS REACTION

that Hugh Jackman and the Cast had

when the song,

F R O M    N O W    O N

over took them.          .          .

THEY HAD NO CONTROL;

Q     U     I     C     K:

what reaction did you have seeing this?

Don’t watch it again.          .          .

What is your REACTION:

Mine?

It took me to a Wednesday Night

A funeral home

5 year old boy

allegedly killed by his mother

buried in his backyard

private service

family minister not comfortable doing the service

 a small group of people

wanting an answer to the questions of

W H Y

W H A T    F O R

H O W      C O M E

I answered by asking a question:

WHAT’S  YOUR  FAVORITE  STORY

Several were told

T E A R S

L A U G H T E R

S I L E N C E

A STANDING OVATION

for a boy who could only speak 3-4 words.      .      .

for a boy who probably never heard a

‘That’a  boy’

.          .          .I was in the car riding home

and I heard this song

FROM    NOW    ON

from THE  GREATEST  SHOWMAN 

and when it got to the part of:

FROM   NOW   ON
THESE   EYES   WILL   NOT   BE   BLINDED   BY   THE   LIGHTS
FROM   NOW   ON
WHAT’S   WAITED   FOR   TOMORROW   STARTS
TONIGHT
LET   THIS   PROMISE   IN   ME   START
LIKE   AN   ANTHEM   IN   MY   HEART
FROM   NOW   ON
FROM   NOW   ON

I   began   to   weep

but   when   it   got   to:

AND   WE   WILL   COME   BACK   HOME
AND   WE   WILL   COME   BACK   HOME
H   O   M   E         A   G   A   I   N

I pulled the car over and

sobbed

shook

shuddered

and I cried for this young boy

I cried for past funerals conducted

I cried for current patients and their families

I cried for past hurts

I cried for lost opportunities

I cried for Erin

I cried for my children

I cried for grandchildren

I cried for friends hurts and disappointments

I        C    R    I    E    D

and healed

.         .         .music does that

S      P      O      N      T      A      N      E      O      U      S      L     Y

Y  O  U ?

I shared the video with a colleague of mine

and we both cried.     .     .

She had not seen the movie

but told me the clip took her to her mother’s bedside

who had just recently died.        .         .

I told her of the young boy.         .         .

I’m interested.        .        .

what did the spontaneity

spontaneously bring out in

Y  O  U ?

Did it open a door

that’s been safely locked

maybe even hidden

never knocked on

peeked behind

noticed.          .          .

what KEY

opens THAT door

for you?

D R E A M E D AWAKE

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Unknown

H A V E     Y O U ?

Have you ever been asleep and actually having a very vivid dream

that you can actually wake yourself ?

.          .          .and   really   d i d ?

I was at an old, run down country home with the only thing worse than the cracked, paint-chipped exterior being the bare, unkept inside.

I was in the bedroom with a bare-lamp-shadeless bulb flickering on and off. I was talking on my cell phone and there was a knock at the front door.

Who would be knocking at the front door of this old, out in the middle of no where farm house?

I answered the door and there was an older, bigger man in big overalls and he was trying to come in; I walked out with him on the porch and stood with him on the porch.

He asked me about the “MUD BUGS” that were flying around and sticking to the string door.  And before I could answer him, there was a policeman that came from around the side of the house and he asked me if  “OVER-ALLS” was bothering me. . .And before I could answer him there was a large number of men with guns who came around from the other side of the house where there were a bunch of trees and bushes.  The police officer had his back to them and didn’t see them coming toward all of us.

THIS    WAS    NOT    GOING    TO    END    WELL

.     .     .I wasn’t going to have any of this.

Even before I yelled to the Officer to look out

I   DECIDED  TO   WAKE   UP  !

and   I   DID

My heart was pounding and I was sweaty and a little out of breath but

I       WAS     AWAKE

Has that ever happened to you?

The Dream doesn’t haunt me.

I didn’t go back to sleep very shortly after that and began where it left off.   .   .

I slept great the rest of the night.

But I am still  haunted. . .

No.     .     .

Not by the meaningless, somewhat puzzling, a little scary dream. . .

but more.   .   .

by   the

D          R          E           A          M          S

the many. . .

the very,  very,  m a n y

d r e a m s

I have;

EYES     WIDE     OPEN

 intentionally. . .

on purpose. . .

with full knowledge. . .

awakened myself from

heart still pounding,

sweating,

a little out of breath

as I ran away from them

and never went back to

and seemingly lived

happily ever after.  .  .

THAT          HAUNTS          ME !

You. . . ?

YOU   EVER   HAVE   THOSE   AWAKENED   KIND   OF   DREAMS ?

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh.     .     .

I  don’t  want  to  wake  you .   .   .

(I  hope  no  one  else  does, either).

Professional Speaker, Author, Assurance Man