The Caring Catalyst

Who Cares - What Matters

All Hands ON. . .

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The problem with

H     A     N     D     S

is not that we all have them.          .          .

it’s that they are not always joined;

Our hands   c a n

and have done so much on their own.          .          .

but when they are joined together with other hands

the imagination isn’t vast enough to comprehend

what can be accomplished;

Could have   H  A  N  D  S   joined together

stopped the tragic,

senseless violence that takes place all to often in

Anywhere, USA.         .         .         ?

P        E        R        H        A        P        S

We will never know.            .            .

but   H A N D S   joined together can go along way in

providing the

H       E       A       L       I       N       G

What to do.        .        .

Imperfect hands in an imperfect world.        .        .

S     I     M     P     L     E :

H   E   A   L        I   T !

I’m often.         .         .

too often reminded

Of the story of a Rabbi who prayed daily that God would make a perfect world in which there would be no hatred, jealousy, pain, disease, pain or problems.  One night, God appeared to the Rabbi in a dream and took him on tour of the world made perfect.  The Rabbi saw his house, his synagogue, his town.  Lions and lambs laid together.  Still, the Rabbi was troubled. . .something was missing.  “Where am I in this perfect world?” the Rabbi asked.  God offered an apologetic answer: “This is the Perfect World you requested.  You must understand that you are not perfect, so you cannot be included.”

Now, this is where

I would usually plug in some

facts,

figures,

data

scientific studies

that would prove

K       I       N       D       N       E       S       S

is not just an option

it’s a healthier life style.     .     .

but

sometimes you just don’t need a study

to tell you

what you already know.       .        .

F        A        C        T :

Terrible.         .         .

most horrible things take place in our lives and in our World

but they have no relationship on how we live our lives of

Care and Compassion.        .        .

F        A         C         T :

Expecting the World to treat us fairly

because we  are nice people

is like expecting a Bull not to gore us

just because we’re vegetarians.        .        .

F        A        C        T :

We may never be able to prevent horrible events from happening again.           .           .

but by coming together

by joining hands

by Unconditionally Caring

by Unrelentlessly being Compassionate

we lessen pain and make the World a better place

N  O      M  A  T  T  E  R     W  H  A  T

F        A        C        T :

The   Future   isn’t   a   place   we   go   to

It’s   a   Place   we   Create

F        A        C        T :

By joining hands in Care and Compassion

the Future becomes a much better

P    R    E    S    E    N    T

a more hopeful

N     O     W

Join me

p      l      e      a      s      e  

oh please oh please oh

p      l      e      a      s      e

It’s a S H A M(E)

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junk_mail_pile_2

It’s almost become a thing of the past:

J  U  N  K      M  A  I  L

It’s almost a story no one would even notice or care about:

Richard’s

It’s almost a S H A M (E)

Funerals are a time to Remember.

Funerals are a time to Honor.

Funerals are a time to Celebrate.

It’s most likely why I really like,

yes actually enjoy,

conducting funerals.        .       .

I get to hear the most sacred thing in and out of this world:

S   T   O   R   I   E   S

I got to hear,

I got to facilitate,

I got to tell Richard’s story.        .        .

And now,

now like you,

m a y b e.          .          .

I get to tell,

I get to share,

I get to Celebrate,

I get to Honor,

I get to RE-Member it

He was an Everyone/No One.       .       .

You wouldn’t find him going viral on YouTube

or blowing up Twitter;

He’s not going to be a  SHARE

on anyone’s Facebook page.     .     .

He had no LinkedIn Account.          .          .

or none that  ANY  would bother to observe.      .      .

Richard won’t make the front page of any newspaper

or the top story of any newscast.       .       .

He’s the father or an estranged son,

a brother of a disgruntled sister,

an uncle of a needy, not always grateful niece

and a   f r i e n d

to anyone who ever sent out any kind of junk mail

promising to make you a millionaire for a mere,

new reduced price of $99,

or to feed a child for $5.99 a day,

or to provide clean water,

warm blankets,

medical care for $25 a month or.         .         .

Well you fill in the ________________________________________.

The more Richard responded, the more mail he would get
A  S  K  I  N  G,
P  L  E  A  D  I  N  G,
I  M  P  L  O  R  I  N  G.        .        .

He had three mountains of such requests around his chair.      .      .

ONE for Denying.        .        .
ONE for Considering.        .        .
ONE for Giving. . .his biggest pile by far.       .       .

You are reading this next sentence right:

HE   BORROWED   MONEY   TO   GIVE   AWAY   WHEN   HE   HAD   GIVEN   AWAY   ALL   OF   HIS   OWN

You are reading this next sentence right:

HE   WAS   FOUND   A   WEEK   OR   SO   AFTER   HIS   DEATH   IN   HIS   HOUSE   WHEN   THE   POST-OFFICE   IN HIS   SMALL   TOWN   HAD   MOUNDS   OF   UN-PICKED   UP   MAIL   AND   THOUGHT   SOMETHING   STRANGE AND   INVESTIGATED   DISCARDED   AND   DECAYING   LIKE   THE   PILES   OF   MAIL   SURROUNDING   HIM

He received   FIVE TIMES   the amount of junk mail on the day of his funeral than people attending.         .         .

This man who just didn’t   G  I  V  E,  but

G  A  V  E         W  A  Y,

W A Y,

W A Y      U P.        .        .

up to a place

he dreamed on this earth

that would benefit family and friends

who long abandoned him,

but never the  INVISIBLE HAND  that kept reaching out to him

until it clutched his throat

and strangled him long before his death.       .       .

Was it Compassion?

Was it Love?

Was it Care and Concern?

Was it for some secret Redemption?

Was it a bargaining to get to some Heavenly Post-Office-Place?

Was it Blind stupidity?

Was it ultimately necessary?

What a S H A M (E), huh?

In more than just, both ways.         .        .

One person’s Heaven might be another’s Hell.         .         .

In Richard’s Heaven,

there would be

M A I L—-Lots of it—-

All handled carefully and respectfully and most of all:

A     L     L             A     N     S     W     E     R     E     D!

A Helper’s High

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p0394pm9

It happened. . .

T          H          E          Y

said it would happen.     .     .

I T      D I D

I can’t run anymore.           .           .

L I T E R A L L Y—

X-RAYS

don’t lie.          .          .

they showed my poor 61 year old knees are in reality

9   0

from 8 marathons and countless miles to prepare for them

and more recently,

just running for the

r u n n e r ‘ s     h i g h

G                O               N               E

The most painful thing I’ve found out through this

cut off

is that nothing

no  thing

not one thing

replicates  that  high

Not an elipitical

not a weight-lifting

not planks

not water jogging

no steam room

no sauna

no hot tub

uhhhhh-nada

nil

null

aught

zilch/zero/zip/z i p p o

except what’s been there all along.          .          .

Desmond Tutu once said:

“Do   your   little   bit   of   good   where   you   are;  it’s   those   little   bits   of   good   put   together   that overwhelm   the   world.”

Nice  words.       .       .

or

T    R    U    T    H ?

or.        .        .

D    A    R    E ?

THE   STUDIES

show that generous people are happier and healthier.        .        .

so why are these acts often questioned and mocked?

Sandi Mann, a psychologist at the University of Central Lancashire went out to prove it, literally, She wrote a book entitled, PAYING IT FORWARD: HOW ONE CUP OF COFFEE COULD CHANGE THE WORLD

Michael Norton, at Harvard Business School paid attention.  He offers some of the most convincing evidence, repeatedly finding that people who spend a bigger proportion of their income on others tend to be far happier, in the long run, than spending it on themselves.  

What makes it impressive is that Norton has tested this theory all over the world in more than 130 countries from the US  to Uganda.

“Across all countries–rich or poor, and in ever every continent–people who gave more tended to be happier people,” he says.  For this reason, he thinks the joy of giving appears to be a ‘psychological universal’–a trait that lies at the core of human nature, independent of your culture.”

B          A          M

Mann has also proven that taking time to help others may even protect you from disease.  Over a 30-year study, women who volunteered for a charity were 16% less likely to suffer a major illness during that period–maybe because it actually lowers stress levels, which may also, in turn, boost the immune system.

B          A          M

Ms. Mann believes heavily in a Helper’s High.    .    .in fact, as a clinical psychologist, she has often counseled people with depression to try and incorporate small acts of kindness into their therapy. . .she offers that it’s not a cure but it does give a way to contribute–to give back–and that makes them feel good and that they are useful.

I don’t run any longer.

My knees often ache a good bit during the day and throb at night,

but there’s another race I’ve been running all of my life

that often leaves me breathless, too.

And so far.       .       .

I’ve never gotten tired;

G         I         V         I         N         G

Paying   IT   Forward

it turns out

isn’t a Season.         .         .

It’s    a    Lifestyle

The Road isn’t crowded.        .        .

and I’d love the Company–

Join  me

You’ll never be the same again

and  that  Helper’s High

will always have the Clouds looking up

A T       Y O U

Legislated Hearts

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H E A R T      M A P P I N G.        .        .

Have You?

Heart  Mapping

is little exercise that helps illustrate

what’s really important to you.        .       .

Heart  Mapping

was a concept

created by Georgia Heard

to help students

 a     c     h     e

about writing

instead of just merely stringing words together.       .       .

but it should be mandatory for everyone who has a

H E A R T   beat.        .        .

It helps you fill in the spaces of your

H     e     a     r     t  

with

Memories that are the most dear to you.         .         .

People who are most important to you–and why.         .         .

Experiences or events that you will never forget.         .         .

Impactful Happy and Sad Moments you’ve had.         .         .

Secrets that can only be kept in your heart.         .         . 

What would be at the Center of your Heart?

Would you add Colors?

Would you add more than one Heart that overlaps?

Would you have things written around the outside of your heart?

What would be on your Heart Map. . .

that if you could, you’d legislate for the whole world to abide?

Hmmmmmmmm of the Day:

YOU     CANNOT     LEGISLATE    THINGS    OF    THE     HEART

if we could

we’d probably all legislate

a kinder

more compassionate

less judging

more accepting

more loving

less hating

more understanding

more caring

more forgiving

more merciful

more healthy

no cancer,

no pain

no disease

no disappointment

no terminal illness

no homelessness

no addiction

all accepting

w      o     r      l      d.           .           .           

I would legislate that we’d all be

Caring Catalyst’s

who would literally find it impossible to be mean or disrespectful of anyone

and more giving and warmhearted to everyone

.          .          .   h o w e v e r

we can’t legislate hate out of the heart.        .        .

s   o   m   e   h   o   w,

our Heart Map

still has passages

that takes us through some pretty swampy areas

that makes GPS’s tremble and stutter.

We can’t legislate a Heart that accepts and loves all—regardless of

race,

color,

creed,

sexual orientation,

socioeconomics,

o          u          r          s          e          l          v          e          s

If     IT    could happen or come to be just by

writing it down

then our Founding Fathers would have had a way to personify

creating all equal with full rights to Life,

Liberty

and the pursuit of Happiness.        .        .

Maybe.        .        .

m a y  b e

that’s where it all starts?

I can’t do your heart map.         .         .only mine!

We can’t vote in

L   E   G   I   S   L   A   T   O   R   S

or adopt laws or amendments or new Constitutions

b     u     t

by looking at our own heart maps

and continually re-drafting

re-working

R      E      F      I      N      I      N      G

them

and not only Beginning

but better still.        .        .

R E F U S I N G

to end there–

Well now.         .         .

We just might have created–

each of us–

a kind of Heart Map

W I T H O U T     B O R D E R S

It’s a Continent worth reaching

and

s          h          a          r          i          n          g

See you in that never-need-legislating-land-of

T      H      E      R      E

(hopefully soon–very soon)

WE is the New I

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Uh-oh,

there’s another reported case of the Zika Virus in Florida after numerous other reports already.     .     .

Uh-oh,

there’s a young lady,

recently married with brain cancer who is moving from her home in California to Oregon so she can participate LEGALLY   in Physician Assisted Suicide.

Uh-oh,

WE   DON’T  have a problem,  do  WE?

Seriously,

WE    DON’T    HAVE    THE    ZIKA    VIRUS,   do   WE?

T  H  E  Y        D  O !

T      H      E      Y

Always live somewhere else,

or speak different languages,

or have different colored skin.        .        .

T    H    E    Y

Need to live somewhere else;

travel somewhere else;

get sick somewhere else.        .        .

T      H      E      Y

Remind us that we’ve already dealt

and been scared to death

of  Tuberculosis,

Aids,

Polio,

and many other forms of illness and disease.       .       .

Here’s   the   Deal:

The   new   WE

is

I

W  E

are

T      H      E      Y

T           H           E           Y

are

W  E.

T     H     E     Y.       .       .

T      H      E      M.     .     .

is

Y  O  U

is

M  E

Z I K A

is something

W  E

all have;

Everyday,

1479 people die from cancer;

everyday there are 3483 new people diagnosed with it.      .      .

Everyday,

in the United States 895 people die from cancer;

and 2938 are diagnosed with it.      .      .

Cancer is something

W E

all have;

It’s time for

US,

WE,

THEM, ‘

THEY

to become the true

I         of         the        Storm.       .       .

Compassion

S          C          R          E         A         M         S

there is no longer a

T     H     E     Y  

or a

T     H     E     M

or an

I

or a

YOU.        .        .

only   a   WE,

an   US.       .       .

The RESET,

the RESTORE BUTTON

  gets tapped not only when

WE    get    IT.        .        .

But when we

S        H        A        R        E              I        T—–

N   O   W.          .          .

why     couldn’t     we     get     bit     by     a     bug

that  would  infect  us  with

C      O      M      P      A      S      S      I      O      N  

and a horribly, dreaded

E          M          P          A        T          H         Y

that  becomes  an  incurable

e p i d e m i c .     .     .     ?

Best In Show(ing UP)

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This past Wednesday afternoon

there was a small gathering of staff in the Atrium

at David Simpson House House on

East 185th Street

to celebrate a very important

Member of the Hospice Staff

Tallulah

She’s been a therapy dog at The House for the past seven years

and it would be impossible to try to calculate

just how many lives—

patients.    .    .

families.    .    .

staff.       .        .

Tallulah has not just touched

but inspired—

patients.     .     .

families.     .     .

staff.       .        .

to also reach out and

T       O       U       C       H

We all gathered together

and surrounded her in a-not-so-perfect

c            i            r           c           l          e

and while Tallulah was in the center

chewing on a treat

Dr. Kevin Dieter

led us in a unison reading,

TO   LEARN FROM ANIMAL BEING:

Nearer to the earth’s heart, Deeper within its silence; Animals know this world in a way we never will.

We who are ever Distanced and distracted by the parade of bright windows thought opens; their seamless presence is not fractured thus.

Stranded between time gone and time emerging, we managed seldom to be where we are: Whereas they are always looking out from the here and now.

May we learn to return and rest in the beauty of animal being, Learn to lean low, leave our locked minds, and with freed senses feel the earth breathing with us.

May we enter into lightness of spirit, and slip frequently into the feel of the wild.

Let the clear silence of our animal being; cleanse our hearts of corrosive words.

May we learn to walk upon the earth with all their confidence and clear-eyed stillness so that our minds might be baptized in the name of the wind and the light and the rain.      

One   by   One

 each of us

by instinct

rather  than  instruction

left the circle and went into the middle

and gave her our own

little blessing that only

a heart can shout

and a mouth can’t begin to whisper

.          .          .I stood there and noticed

that eyes were weeping

what tissues can’t ever quite absorb

and chose not to think it was some kind of a

meaningful, sincere

G    O   O   D       B   Y   E

as a much more

intentional

devout

T H A N K    Y O U

Tallulah

was making her last visit to the House

but not giving us her

Final Lesson.       .       .

Her Last Lecture

if we are Student enough to

l e a r n:

J      u      s      t

S H O W I N G    U P 

B   E   I   N   G      P   R   E   S   E   N   T

brings a

h   e   a   l   i  n  g

not found in an

intervention

therapy

prescription

plan of care

I V

syringe

pill

capsule

s a l v e.       .       .

And like her.     .     .

makes us the

BEST    IN    SHOW

Willie Morris wrote a book called

MY  DOG  SKIP

The Family Movie came out in 2000

As I was standing in that most sacred-imperfect Circle

the ending scene came to mind:

https://youtu.be/nLKMroK2bA0

Good Bye?

THANK  YOU?

For now

and

for an ever

May the Peace that

Tallulah

has brought to many

now be that

Profound Peace

she’ll  enjoy

f o r e v e r m o r e

as she crosses over

The Rainbow Bridge

but never out of our hearts.

When To G I V E

By 2 Comments

always-give-back-@j16Acut-1

No surprise, right?

I mean, it’s  THAT  time of the year, isn’t?

In fact.     .     .

E A C H    T I M E

is   T H A T    T I M E,  

isn’t it?

We see folks standing on road ways,

ramps and street corners

with signs that are asking what we all seem to work so hard for

and don’t ever get to keep enough:

M     O     N     E     Y.      .      .

We’ve all probably been in a place and in a time

where we needed more than what we have in our pockets,

bank accounts,

401k’s.       .       .

I’ve never stood on a corner to ask for money.

I once went on purpose to a soup kitchen;

O N     P U R P O S E,

not to help or serve,

 or clean up,

but to actually eat.     .     .

I wanted to see   I T   from another perspective.

I was treated kindly,

with sympathy and compassion,

but it was very apparent

I was  ONE  OF  THEM

and Not one of THEM,

serving.       .       .

I’ve gotten all of the advice on this matter from both sides:

GIVE Freely

and Never GIVE

under any circumstances.

“GIVE a man a Fish and you feed him for a day; Teach a man to Fish and he eats forever.   .   .   .”

Right?

 Wrong?

Circumstantial?

Enabling?

I have heard,

maybe felt it all.

Three things happened most recently

that I think has settled this for me,

and now maybe you.

We were driving home from school

and my granddaughter was in the back seat of the car.

We came to a Stop Light that had just turned, RED.

On the side of the road was a man who looked like he was wearing everything he owned.

He held a sign that just simply read,

H U N G R Y
P L E A S E    H E L P

I heard a zipper getting UN-zipped

and then the window go down from the backseat.

My 8-yr old granddaughter was handing a dollar to the man with the sign.

I found out,

it wasn’t her first time.

Fast forward a few days ahead. I was in the car and I was in another part of town.

I was getting off of the highway and there on the berm of the road was a guy.

He didn’t have everything on that he owned,

he actually was carrying a ripped backpack.

He was sweaty and his face was smeared.

He was holding a sign that I couldn’t actually read.

Maybe he wrote it in the rain.

It was hot and the letters looked like they were melting together.

Everyone was passing him by.

It was a long line and the Red Light came up at least twice

and now was just turning Green.

He was still 5 car lengths ahead of me.

I looked up.

There was a $20 bill in my sun visor.     .     .

it had been a great week

–F O R    M E.      .      .

I hit the button to the window and it purred down.

I crunched the bill between my fingers

and handed it over to him.

Seriously.          .          .

it was One of THOSE Commercials–

except there was no mention of benefits

to the Card Carrier

And yet.      .      .

still,  it was

P   R   I   C   E   L   E   S   S!

THAT look on his face,

and even with the sounds of afternoon traffic,

I heard him gasp.

I couldn’t see his face from the rearview mirror

as I drove away,

but his head was down, looking,

watching the bill in his hand as if it were going to fly away,

d   i   s   s    o   l   v   e

or just turn into a dollar bill before his eyes.

I wonder what story he’ll tell and to who?

I wonder if he’ll,

weeks,

months,

years from now reflect,

“I remember the time on a hot Summer day when this guy, who I didn’t even think noticed me, rolled down his window and handed me a crunched up $20 bill.”

I wonder.     .     .

if.     .     .

when   I’ll   forget?

And then there was the man

outside of the exit of a

GET-GO STATION

with a sign that read:

I   HAVE  DIABETES

AND  NEED  TO  EAT

I had just filled up my tank

and Erin and I were about

to fill up our stomachs

with a Sub-Sandwich we had just bought.

I rolled down my window and offered him

my still un-wrapped Italian Sub

and he declined my offer

by pulling out his own Sub from

the big bag he had in front of him.      .      .

He gave me a great

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm   Of   The   Day

So finally after a lifetime of waffling

with the   SHOULD   and   SHOULDN’T’S

of  what to do

when faced with an opportunity

of someone imploring

my meek earnings

I think I’ve come to a

S     E     T     T     L     I     N     G :

From now on,

there’ll only be two times when I give:

1) When      I      have     IT

2) When      I      don’t      have     IT

.          .          .A     N     D

What    say    YOU ?

When You Can’t Feel, T O U C H

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Sometimes it happens. . .

THE   WELL

THE   HEALTHY

become the unhealthy.      .      .

the   U N – W e l l

.    .    .    .and it ain’t  pretty.

The Statistics aren’t all that promising and back up the UN-PRETTY-NESS of it all.     .     .

A recent study, finds that one quarter of all family caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease patients succumb to the stress of providing care to a loved one and often become hospital patients themselves.

Specifically, Indiana University researchers discovered that a quarter of family caregivers of Alzheimer’s dementia patients had at least one emergency room visit or hospitalization EVERY SIX MONTHS

Caregiving is not easy. . .even when you get paid the big bucks for it

Caregiving is not easy.      .        .even when it’s your Lifestyle,   and not just your profession

Caregiving is not easy.    .    .

even  when  it’s  absolutely  easy  from  time  to  time

The Murder/Suicide rate among senior adult couples is some  50% HIGHER  than younger adults

S H O C K I N G ?

Some  40%  of family members caring for a loved one with dementia suffer from signs of mental distress, according to a new study from the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

Some literally see Suicide as a  C U R E

.           .           .So is there a Remedy?

When  you  can’t  feel.       .       . 

T      O      U      C      H

  • Maintain some kind of life outside of caregiving; have friends, routines, hobbies and USE THEM
  • Keep healthy; get check-ups, eat and drink right; e x e r c   i   s     e
  • Breathe; I recently heard a great technique for this:  SNIFF IN,  BLOW  OUT
  • Join a support group; not always for what someone can   GIVE   you, but what you might be able to share

Wait.        .        .is that too simple

Wait.        .        .is that too cost effective

Wait.         .         .

is   it   that   easy

P s s s s s s t.           .           .

Y        E        S

So.      .      .

when  you can’t

f      e      e      l ,

t         o         u         c         h

and see the results for the

Touched

and the

Touch’er

And the Most COMPASSIONIST

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2936021.large

WHAT GET’S IT FOR YOU?

A Movie?

A News Story?

A Song?

A First Act of Witnessed Kindness?

A Rags to Riches Story?

W H A T    G E T S    I T    F O R    Y    O    U ?

What Stomps on your

C O M P A S S I O N     B U T T O N

Like an Elephant’s Foot on Your Aorta?

Is it because you are

Religious

Spiritual

Agnostic

Atheist

+    *    ?

You may not really like this. . .

but when it comes to

C     O     M     P     A     S     S    I    O     N  

uhhhh.      .     .

the more

R      e      L      i      G      i      O      u      S

the less

compassionate.

 LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

turns out to be   less   of a thing for

The Religious

than

 The Less Religious

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley suggests that the highly religious are less motivated by compassion when helping a stranger than are atheists, agnostics and less religious people.

In three separate experiments, social scientists found that compassion consistently drove less religious people to be more generous.  For highly religious people, however, compassion was largely unrelated to how generous they were, according to the findings which were published in the July issue of the Journal of Social Psychological and Personality Science

Obviously, these results challenge a widespread assumption that acts of generosity are largely driven by feelings of empathy and compassion, researchers said.  In the study, the link between compassion and generosity was found to be stronger for those who identified as being non-religious or less religious.

“Overall, we find that for less religious people, the strength of their emotional connection to another person is critical to whether they will help that person or not,” said UC Berkeley social psychologist Robb Willer, a co-author of the study.  “The more religious, on the other hand, may ground their generosity less in emotion, and more in other factors such as doctrine, a communal identity, or reputational concerns.”

COMPASSION is defined in the study as an emotion felt when people see the suffering of others which then motivates them to help, often at a personal risk or cost.

Y’ O U C H

Now. . .seat belts fastened, please. . .

Professor Willer concludes:

“Overall, this research suggests that although less religious people tend to be less trusted in the U.S., when feeling compassionate, they may actually be more inclined to help their fellow citizens than the more religious. . . .”                      

 (More information: Social Psychological and Personality Science April 26, 2012 doi: 10.1177/1948550612444137)

THE   TAKE ?

It’s    N     O     T

to become

Less Religious

or

More Religious.    .    .

Uhhhhh, how about just simply

to become

more COMPASSIONATE

no matter what!

Borders are overflowing with refugees not so much in search of land than an open heart

Diseases aren’t seeking cures more than open acceptance

Hands are outreaching not so much for food or money so much as returning outstretched hands

The  WHOLE   WORLD

is turning.     .     .running the other way

THE COMPLETING COMPASSIONATE

are SPRINTING

towards the unfavored

.    .    .which DIRECTION

are you

j  e  t  t  i  n  g  ?

B U S K E D

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Are you

Are we

B     U     S     K     E     R  ‘   S  ?

Some of the best Buskers I’ve ever seen are where I was actually looking for them:

At  The  Beach

Union Square in New York City

Outside of a Playhouse at Christmas

Outside of a Sporting Event

Street Corners.     .     .

A       N       Y       W       H       E       R       E.          .          .

Street Performance

or

B U S K I N G

is an

a     c     t

of performing in public places

for

tips.   .   .g r a t u i t i e s

b u t

B     U     S     K     I     N     G

is really associated with

singing  or  playing

m   u   s   i   c

TO     JUST     PLAY     M U S I C !

Joni Mitchell wrote a great song several years ago called,

REAL   GOOD   FOR   FREE

“I slept last night in a good hotel

I went shopping today for jewels

The Wind rushed around in the dirty town

And the children let out from the schools

I was standing on a noisy street corner

waiting for the walking green

Across the street he stood

And he played real good 

On his clarinet for free.

Now me I play for fortune

and those velvet curtain calls

I’ve got a black limousine 

and two gentlemen 

escorting me to the halls

and I play if you have the money

Or if you’re a friend of me

but the one-man band

by the quick lunch stand

He was playing real good, for free.

Nobody stopped to hear him

Though he played so sweet and high

They knew he had never

been on their tv

So they passed his music by

I meant to go over and ask for a song

Maybe put on a harmony. . .

I heard his refrain

As the signal changed

He was playing real good, for free.

Well. . .

I’ll ask again:

ARE

YOU

A

BUSKER. . .?

or.     .     .or

do you charge a price.     .     .     ?

W          a          i          t – – – –

that’s   a   much   different   name ,  

h  u  h ?

Professional Speaker, Author, Assurance Man