Native American Prayer

Oh, Great Spirit
Whose voice I hear in the winds,
And whose breath gives life to all the world,
hear me, I am small and weak,
I need your strength and wisdom.

Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold
the red and purple sunset.

Make my hands respect the things you have
made and my ears sharp to hear your voice.

Make me wise so that I may understand the things
you have taught my people.

Let me learn the lessons you have
hidden in every leaf and rock.

I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother,
but to fight my greatest enemy - myself.

Make me always ready to come to you
with clean hands and straight eyes.

So when life fades, as the fading sunset,
my Spirit may come to you without shame.

(translated by Lakota Sioux Chief Yellow Lark in 1887)

Thanks Buck!

A prayer to the Universe...

Please grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
the courage to change the things we can,
and the wisdom to understand the difference.

Give us the patience for the things that take time,
appreciation for all that we have,
and tolerance for those with different struggles.

Grant us the freedom to live beyond the limitations of our past ways,
the ability to feel your love for us and our love for each other,
and the strength to get up and try again even when we feel it is hopeless.

Full Moon

Full moon,
a breath of fresh air.

To hate it,
to Love it,
to hate it even more.
The city, when dark
seems friendlier.

One block, two people.
Five blocks, eight.
The city is becoming smaller,
or I'm expanding too fast.

In that expansion,
I slowly suffocate;
in this insanity
of loud noises,
bright lights and
mental consumption.

I'm consumed by the lack of humanity.
But Friday nights I am glowing
like a full moon...

Your food, your choice... right?

It was Friday night and I was on my way home from a meeting with my friend Eugene, an extremely talented violin player better known as Dr. Draw. Amongst the things we discussed, we talked about the possibility of him playing for a Beads for Beds event; the organization I'm directing.

I left his studio in a state of bliss after he treated me to a bit of his violin. His music is an experience difficult to reproduce in words but all I can say is that it makes you look at the world from a different perspective, a hyper-realistic-down-to-earth one; where everything becomes more tangible and enticing.

As I walked to the subway station, his music resonating in my head, the outside world seemed perfect. The streets were deserted and the snow on the ground had a magical orange glow, a reflection of the lamp posts' light above. One car passed me by and the sound of its tires against the slushy pavement made me feel alive. I was free and extremely aware of my surroundings...

I entered Ossington station and was overwhelmed by a group of teenagers on the opposite platform that were yelling at each other, obviously intoxicated. A man on a long black coat shifted a Rubik's cube in his hands at a speed that fascinated me and it gave me the feeling that some invisible force was directing the whole scene. People's public behavior changes on Friday nights and me, I was the silent and oblivious participant of many stories.

Amongst the over-excited voices of intoxicated youth, I sat and observed the string of ads above the passenger's heads. All of a sudden I became disenchanted, the feeling of oblivion was gone. One after the other, the signs seemed to be telling me what to do. "Build your own box" the ad for Taco Bell read. Right next to it, "Share the good" -Foodland Ontario. "Look no further" -French Education board. "Transfer some money at your next transfer" -RBC. "Protect yourself from the flu" -Government of Canada- Okey, at least they care about my health, right?. "Turn yous passion into a career" -Ontario Government. "Change your life" -some book of self-help. And finally, the BIG punch: "Do you need a psychiatrist?"

So yes, you are crazy. You are also fat, ignorant, unhealthy and have no idea what to do with your life. So let us tell you what to eat, what to wear, what to smell like and what to do with your time. I looked at the ads with perplexity, realizing how many subliminal messages we are being force-fed daily. I wonder if I'm the only one noticing that all these ads have one thing in common: they all start with a verb. A verb! What does that mean? Advertisement today does not work as suggestions, they are commandments; at least so it seems...

On the bus from Dufferin to King the same scenario. One thing was different though. Amongst all the ads telling me what to do, one stood out from the crowd; it was from Centennial College. "What did you want to be? Over 250 programs to help you become what and who you always wanted to be" It was a reminder that we still have a choice...

Here is a video on The Command Economy. Humor is the key...