BOOK #9: An Electrician’s Guide To Our Galaxy—Living Life On The Widest Frequency

Chapter 22, 23, 24:

The Unseen Crossroads: How Our Neglected Wounds of Yesterday Shape Our Today

We stand at an unseen crossroads, our present shaped indelibly by an unspoken agreement between past hurts attempting to hold us in a pillory and a future teetering on the edge of acceptance and change if we can find liberation. It is the story we seldom share, the narrative of many a silent soul who, in the dawn of their yesterdays, encountered trauma so unfathomable that its echo lingers like a ghost in the somber spaces of their today. The quiet crescendo of these individual woes throughout history eventually transforms into a cacophony that shapes the paradigm of our collective society today.

Let me peel back the layers and share a sliver of my reality. I have often appeared happy throughout my life, yet the shadows behind my eyes whispered a different tale. My light was often severely dimmed, the dial capriciously or unconsciously turned by the effects of a bruised childhood. Each of my smiles covered over a deep run of wounds, rarely acknowledged and hardly healed. For those like me, the trauma of that opaque, unkind past never dissipates without full insight into it. It merely morphs into the described norm, shaping choices, relationships, and well-being until faced fully with healing intentions.. Through my story, I witnessed the patterns that arise from untreated childhood trauma, like the railroads of a train blindly being laid without its conductor knowing the destination. It molded the very core of my identity, offering me twisted internal advisors that impacted my relationships, mental health, and prospects. What I recognized with an ache was the universality of my experience, albeit the particulars differed. In the eyes of many survivors like me, we see mirrored in the world the profound weight of unrecognized trauma, and I no longer wonder whether this was just a personal concern, finding that it is a societal one, too.

It is one thing to recognize the pervasive tendrils of childhood trauma across society and another to realize the implications. These individual experiences collectively ripple into our communities’ structure and society’s tapestry. It shapes how we approach education, religion, healthcare, the justice system, and politics. Collective trauma becomes a silent force drafting the blueprints of our laws, norms, and religious and cultural mores, often in ways that compound the suffering of those who are already bruised by their past. Education systems neglect to address the growing needs of children who stand at the nexus, begging for understanding and support. Healthcare systems, rather than being bastions of healing, become conduits of implicit negligence for untold numbers. Religious fundamentalists and their communities continue promoting outdated and soul-damaging theories as divine facts rather than the misrepresentations of truth, if not toxic lies, that they are. By choosing to look the other way, we inadvertently perpetuate the cycle of trauma, ensuring that future generations will find themselves at the mercy of our present inaction.

The most disheartening failure of our society is the recognition, or rather the lack thereof, of the deep-rooted issues surrounding childhood trauma. We are a world that breathlessly pursues technological advancements and material riches, relegating such psychological quandaries to personal problems and individual and family misfortunes. We fail to connect that the very fabric of our society, riddled with its own traumas, is a product of this ongoing neglect. This oversight is a systemic failure. It stifles growth, perpetuates inequality, and corrodes the soul of a society that boasts of advancement but leaves so many behind in its march towards a utopia that probably never knew how to spell ’empathy’ in the first place. 

In recognizing this crossroads, we are confronted with a most profound and disquieting reality:  our futures, collective and individual, hinge on the passage we choose – one of recognition and subsequent action, or one of perpetuated ignorance. I implore all who share in the human experience – parents, educators, religious leaders, policy-makers, and every individual in the tapestry of community – to stand and decide. Decide for the amelioration of the silent ache that cripples not just the individual but society at its core. We must champion the transformation of our institutions to recognize, address, and support those bearing the unacknowledged weight of their past. The call to action is not merely to bandage the wounds but to build a society that safeguards its children, nurtures them with understanding, and charts a collective path to heal the wounds that all of our yesteryears have etched deeply. 

In the quest for a society that genuinely thrives, we must acknowledge the role of childhood trauma. It is no longer just a psychological concern but a societal one. There is no us or them – only a collective ‘we,’ bruised yet resolute, standing at the crossroads of change. It is our decision and our actions that will guide the next generation into a world that stands on the gold standards of welfare, compassion, and inclusivity. It is time to reveal the unseen, acknowledge the unnoticed, and pave a future free from the chains of yesterday’s trauma for the progress of both individual well-being and societal advancement.

No more turning away, we must break the conspiracy of silence, and heal ourselves.

Acknowledging Our Shared Wounds: The Urgency of Global Healing from Trauma

Trauma—universally feared, pervasively misunderstood, and often hidden behind veils of silence or ignorance—cuts across the human tapestry, leaving indelible marks that waywardly shape our lives. From pre-conscious children yet to understand the complexities of the world to distant individuals half a world away whose faces we shall never see, trauma’s indiscrimination speaks to a shared vulnerability that connects members of the human race in the most profound, mostly unconscious, and often harrowing ways.

We live in an era of unprecedented global interconnectivity where information about others’ hardships spreads with velocity across continents. This unceasing input casts a shadow on our collective consciousness, subtly altering our societal compass, stirring collective anxiety, and engendering a shared sense of vulnerability. Humanity finds itself at a pivotal moment wherein the collective pain of past and present traumas sits heavily upon our shoulders. Present-day wars in Ukraine, Israel, and Gaza, the displacement of citizens through civil unrest in Haiti, African nations, Cental and South America (which drives excess immigration to the US) drive much of the world’s trauma.  So also does the global effects of climate change, pandemics, mutual discrimination, distrust, and violence by groups of religious adherents against others not of their mindset, centuries old and outdated Christian teachings of original sin, hell,  and other misanthropic fantasies, and social inequalities that continue to scar our collective and individual consciousness. Yet, the realms of awareness regarding these wounds remain shrouded in the penumbra of our collective inattention, often unseen or forgotten like the pre-conscious trauma of an infant or ignored at later stages when trauma’s insidious effects are felt within the body and mind.

When we speak of trauma, the dialogue often centers on the individual—those visible faces of suffering whose stories resonate with our innermost fears and empathies. However, unseen and unrecognized is the collective identity that bears the brunt of wounds inflicted by history’s relentless and mostly unconscious march forward as it carries its intergenerational trauma. Like a young child who, despite not recalling the traumatic event, carries the burden of its impact throughout life, societies carry the weight of historical traumas. Early childhood experiences, like long-forgotten cultural and historical trauma, embed themselves within the deepest substrata of our being, influencing behavioral patterns, emotional responses, and even neurophysiological development without needing a conscious narrative to accompany them. 

Awareness of trauma afflicting those with whom we share no personal connection triggers an empathic response, one that transcends mere cognitive empathy and is felt in the visceral reality of our collective emotional landscape. The child touched by trauma may not recall the event but is nonetheless shaped by it; similarly, we, as a society, may not directly interact with those suffering afar, but we are undeniably altered by the knowledge of their suffering. Both instances reflect a non-linear, almost ethereal, form of developmental consequence—an unspoken and invisible legacy passed through the currents of human connectivity. In contemplation of trauma’s far-reaching impacts, it becomes apparent that the human psyche engages with such experiences through a web of interconnectedness that transcends time, space, and conscious memory. This recognition invites us to consider that the trauma affecting pre-conscious children and the hardships experienced by unconnected individuals elsewhere exert similar influences on our collective existence and on the fabric of society at large.

Apprehending the abstract similarities between these two manifestations of trauma guides us toward a moral reckoning. Acknowledging the often unseen and unacknowledged effects of trauma endows us with a sense of communal responsibility. Just as it is our collective duty to shield and heal pre-conscious children from the enduring impacts of early trauma, so too must we respond to the silent reverberations of distant suffering by fostering compassion, taking action, and bolstering support systems designed to heal and unify. Closer to home or far away, trauma visited upon one is trauma shared by us all to some degree—a ripple in the water, a shiver in the spine of humanity. We are all part of an unspoken web of shared pain and healing. These echoes of pain reverberate through time, shaping the attitudes and behaviors of communities and nations unbeknownst to them. It outlines our policies, forges our prejudices, and, most insidiously, informs our inactions. We are products of our ancestors’ legacies, and within us, their unresolved traumas linger, demanding a salve we have yet to apply.

Call it insight and necessity, but the time has come to cast light on the parallels of individual and collective healing. Just as cognitive behavioral therapy seeks to bring the subterranean layers of personal trauma to the healable vistas of conscious thought, so must the world endeavor to recognize and address its invisible afflictions. We are a mosaic of cultures, each piece colored by its experience of suffering and loss, resonating with a call for acknowledgment, validation, and empathy. Our need is clear and unwavering: recognizing our global need for healing from traumatic wounding is as urgent as tending to a bleeding wound. To heal is to acknowledge, validate, understand, and empathize. The monumental task requires a universal culture of mental health awareness and support mechanisms extending beyond borders and differences.

Imagine a world where history’s lessons are not just recounted but felt; where empathy radiates not only from personal experience but from an understanding of collective experience; where the salves of acknowledgment, shared narratives, and mutual support heal wounds left unattended for too long. This vision is neither naive nor utopian but a reachable horizon if we extend a hand in compassion and solidarity. It necessitates change at every level—from grassroots community efforts to international policies—that prioritizes mental health and recognizes the undercurrents of trauma affecting populations globally.

It involves integrating trauma-informed education into our learning, encouraging dialogue across cultural and national divides, and initiating comprehensive strategies for peace and reconciliation. We can only undress the festering wounds we share and begin the venerable collective healing process through such multifaceted approaches. Binding the world’s traumatic wounds starts with acknowledging that our collective identity is weathered and weary but not without hope for recovery. As our world moves forward to a more compassionate world that looks inward at the individual and outward to the vast human narrative, we can then treat the traumatic wounds that bind us all in silent unity. Our efforts at healing are an ode to our resilience, a testament to the enduring human spirit that, when united, can overcome the severest afflictions. And as we buoy each other through turbulent tides, we must remember that each wound healed is a chapter of horror closed and a fresh page of harmony forged, not just for an individual but for humanity.

The universality of this emotional experience should not incite despair. Still, rather it should ignite an empathic fire, driving forward policies, therapies, and personal gestures of goodwill that contribute to a more understanding and less fractured world. Trauma’s reach is long, and its roots entangle the very core of our shared humanity. The imperative to understand and act upon the implications of this comparison is critical—for in doing so, we accept the full measure of our interconnected human experience. We are individuals, yet undeniably parts of a whole; when one of us flounders in the wake of trauma’s touch, a part of us all needs mending. Through this awareness and commitment to empathy and collective healing, our global community can hope to surmount the silent adversities that echo through the annals of our shared human existence.

Acknowledging the Traumatic Norm: Humanity’s Resilience in the Face of Collective Wounding

In an era where the buzz of background noise often emerges from the collective wounds of society, we are witnesses to a jarring truth: what we consider ‘normal’ has been fundamentally disfigured by trauma. The resilience of humanity, its inherent ability to spring back into shape after being bent or compressed, is not just praiseworthy; it is essential to our understanding of what ‘normal’ means today.

Traditionally, resiliency has been viewed through an optimistic lens. It’s praised as the human spirit’s dogged determination to overcome adversity. Floods, wars, pandemics — history is rich with stories of people bouncing back, returning life to its familiar state. But what if that familiar state differs markedly from the one before? What if the resilience leads us not to restoration but to an altered reality, one that we benignly label ‘normal’ just for the sake of comfort?

The omnipresent trauma, whether visibly scorching across the news or silently corroding the shadowy corners of individual minds, influences this so-called normalcy. The ‘normal’, in this view, is a tapestry woven with threads of past hurt, current challenges, and the silent roar of collective subconscious distress. The societal, cultural, and environmental traumas that pervade our daily lives shape our responses, our decisions, and, ultimately, our future.

It’s time to shift the dialogue from not only championing resilience but also acknowledging and understanding its power to redefine norms. Each communal or individual response to trauma leaves a mark on the fabric of ‘normal’, molding it in subtle, enduring ways. As such, it’s crucial to understand that the ‘normal’ we strive for post-crisis is, in truth, a reflection of our collective wounding, colored by our resilience.

Take, for example, the way societies now operate in the aftermath of a global health crisis. Work, interaction, education, and travel all reflect the trauma-induced shift — a new ‘normal’ that draws heavily from our collective experience of adversity and loss. The resilience that carried us through is the very reason these changes have been etched into the day-to-day.

The digital age amplifies this effect, broadcasting the trauma in high-definition, real-time feeds into the psyches of billions. While this constant connectivity can exacerbate the collective sense of wounding, it also presents an opportunity. If we recognize this new ‘normal’ as resilience’s offspring, we can work more mindfully to heal, grow, and potentially innovate out of necessity.

Recognizing this paradigm allows us to view resilience not just as a bounce-back mechanism but as a powerful agent of change. By identifying and unpacking the trauma woven into our new ‘normal’, we can confront these challenges with eyes wide open, making conscious choices about how we will allow our collective wounds to shape us.

What we need now is not just the acknowledgment of societal trauma but a profound, structured conversation that facilitates post-traumatic growth. It’s only by addressing the disfigurements in our current notion of the ‘norm’ that we can attempt to craft a society that is not merely resilient in the face of trauma, but also wiser, kinder, and more reflective of our shared humanity.

We are at a juncture where ‘normal’ is laden with the weight of our past wounds. Resilience, then, must be not just reactive but proactive. It should embody the lessons learned, the strength gained, and the empathy nurtured from these experiences. By acknowledging the traumatic norm, we are better equipped to redefine it, aiming for a future that doesn’t just replicate the past but actively constructs a more conscious, connected, and healing-oriented world.

The mark of resilience is to come out of the crisis, not unscathed, but evolved. After all, the most profound growth often sprouts from the deepest of wounds, and perhaps this is our collective cultivation, the chance to redefine ‘normal’ to encapsulate our strength, wisdom, and shared vulnerability. Now is the moment we take the paintbrush, soaked not in colors of denial but in hues of awareness, and redraw the outlines of a new ‘normal’, one stroke of resilience at a time.

Releasing the Constricting Chains of Religious Trauma

Over 85% of the world acknowledges that it engages with some sort of religious practice captured by the philosophies of Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, or others. Yet religion and spiritual practices have not eliminated mankind’s propensity for violence against itself, Mother Earth, and her plants and animals. In Russia, Vladimir Putin even claims, like Donald Trump, that he is a Christ-like figure deserving of ultimate respect or even reverence; our Christian religion is indeed corrupt at the deepest levels as its members continue to traumatize the world and all of its inhabitants.

People wave the flag of their religions while engaging in battles against themselves and with each other. But there is one flag they wave the highest, and that has the greatest power, and they don’t even know that they are waving it nor do they recognize it. It is their flag of surrender to the force, immediate damage, and lifelong effects that trauma has had upon them. Christians and Jews claim a divine heritage, that we are all created in the image and likeness of God. The Buddhists point to our fundamental Noble Nature. The Hindus have Tat Tvam Asi, or You Are That, yet the truth is that we are created in the image and likeness of our collective, historical, and personal traumatic wounding until we find our ultimate release from trauma.

In the grand carnival of human society, where the colors and standards of faith are plentiful, one flag flies higher than the rest. It is not emblazoned with religious symbols or the insignias of divine heritage, as so many worldwide raise with conviction. It bears no star of David, crescent moon, or the cross of Christ. It is the flag of our deepest, most pervasive, and, at times, most elusive identity – the standard of our surrender to the march of trauma through our individual and collective experiences.

Religious symbols, rites, and customs have long served as the bedrock of cultural identity. They offer comfort in belonging, a narrative thread that weaves the tapestry of lives and communities together. Each flag of faith, whether Muslim, Christian or any of the myriad others, carries a banner of stories that run deep – a lineage of the belief that defines and defends. Their power is undeniable, capable of fueling the most fervent of passions – loyalty, love, and a sense of purpose. The shield allows one to stride through the world, head held high, protected, and proud. We pin our hopes and dreams on the stitching of these standards, letting the fabric of faith clothe us and dictate our daily struggles and joys.

Yet, within the folds of these majestic banners, another force is at play – a shadow that often goes unacknowledged, neglected, and rarely denounced. It is the trauma of history, the wounds of wars, the scars of oppression, and the echoes of violence that resound through generations. It is a personal and collective trauma, shaping the very contours of our stories and soul. The human tendency to find comfort in a communal narrative often blinds us to our collective trauma’s subtle yet relentless pull. The faithful gather to share stories of resilience and purpose while carrying within them the weight of their pasts. The narratives of scripture, of salvation and sacrifice, often mirror the struggles and sufferings caused by humanity across time.

And there lies the paradox. While we wave our religious flags high, we often overlook the influence of trauma that underpins the need for faith. The battles waged in the name of divinity so usually mirror those fought within the dark corners of our subconscious minds – battles against the fears that history has written on our very being. Yet, there is a power in recognition. In acknowledging the trauma that has shaped us, not as individuals alone, but as a species, we unfurl the second standard – the flag of surrender. It is a flag that requires a different kind of faith, a faith in transformation. This surrender is not one of defeat but an act of resilience, a daring to believe that the horrors we carry need not perpetuate or chain us to their history.

In this act, we find healing for our personal wounds and the potential for collective salvation – a unity that transcends the divisions sown by trauma. Surrender becomes a gateway to empathy, peace, and a future where flags need not be carried into battle against one another but can be celebrated as the myriad colors of the human experience. It is through this dual acknowledgment of our religious flags and the flags of trauma that we can truly heal. It demands a deep introspection, a revisiting of stories held sacred, and a reckoning with the past.

Communities that acknowledge their trauma and the consequences of historical battles fought and lost gain a different understanding of their identity. Acknowledging trauma and the consequences of internal and external wars becomes a touchstone for empathy, for the shared human condition that transcends the boundaries of any one faith. It is a surrender not to the will of a higher deity but to the overpowering force of humanity’s shared experience of suffering. And in that surrender, there is the potential for a new narrative of unity and collective recovery.

Thus, we look to the flags we carry – visible and invisible – and challenge ourselves to honor and understand both. Only through this harmonious acknowledgment will we be able to chart a course to a brighter, more understanding future, where the standards we raise identify not our divisions and traumatic wounde but our shared resilience and the promise of healing.

The greatest trauma to the human soul is being forced to believe in ideas that simply are not true, yet due to the need for safety and social conformity, we make internal accommodations to them. We become characters in someone else’s play, the marionette’s dancing images on the screen of a traumatized and corrupted world’s mind, while losing sight of our true divine, noble heritage.

There is no greater evil.

Navigating the Undercurrents of Baseline Consciousness in a World Marred by Trauma

It is said that the human spirit possesses an innate resilience, a tenacity that allows it to endure and emerge from the tumultuous storms of suffering and affliction. But the question lingers, how does one measure the resilience of a soul, or a society, when the fabric of consciousness itself is interwoven with threads of pervasive trauma?

The world at large operates upon a baseline consciousness—a collective mind-space sculpted not solely by the pursuit of progress and enlightenment but significantly marred by the traumas of history and the relentlessness of present-day adversities.  The seismic waves of historical events have left indelible marks on the collective psyche. Wars, genocides, colonialism, and slavery—these are not merely chapters of a textbook but are the harrowing narratives that have contributed to shaping the global consciousness. Our societies are built upon the upheaved grounds where once these tragedies played out.  How then does one fully display resilience without the shadow of these monumental events looming over?

Stepping into an understanding of such resilience requires acknowledgment of a baseline of suffering and grief that humanity carries. The resilience exhibited is always in proportion to the heaviness of history’s baggage, a compensatory balance rather than an unfettered springing forth.  The assumption that we have extricated ourselves from the morass of historical anguish may be a comforting thought, but it is a falsehood. Modern-day challenges—from the existential threat of climate change to the incessant grinding machinery of inequity and discrimination—serve as constant reminders of our vulnerabilities and the fractured nature of our societal resilience.

Navigating day-to-day life within a system that perpetuates stress, anxiety, and inequality, presents an additional layer to the baseline consciousness that we speak of. This is not to diminish the extraordinary examples of individual and collective resilience around us but to contextualize their magnitude within the arena they operate in.  True resilience, thus, demands more than endurance; it whispers a summons for change.  The trauma-informed consciousness calls for actions that mend not just the present but strive to heal the past. Measures that range from policy changes addressing systemic injustices, to education curricula that fodder critical thinking and empathy toward historical traumas, are crucial.

Nevertheless, we must also question what resilience means for those continuously faced with socio-economic disparities or for communities reliving the trauma through systemic racial discrimination. Their fortitude is not simply about overcoming but about persisting in a space that continuously resets the hurdles.  Therein lies an unspoken beauty of the human experience—the ability to embody resilience within the very constraints of a scarred consciousness. Our capacity to find hope, to foster communities of support, and to resist despondency is integral to redefining what it means to be resilient. 

Individual stories of overcoming adversity and creating impactful changes ripple through the baseline consciousness, catalyzing potential shifts. They extend a narrative that outgrows mere survival to one of transformation.  Our baseline consciousness, if it is acknowledged for its full complexity, should not be seen as a deficiency or a grave from which resilience strives to climb out. Instead, it serves as the rich soil that grows the seeds of change. Genuine resilience is then characterized not only by the ability to bounce back but by the power to reform and redefine the very grounds of existence.

We must not simplify the concept of resilience to detached stoicism in the face of trauma. It’s an intricate dance—balancing the scales of historical and present-day consciousness, often tipping under the weight of a world bearing scars and yet somehow, remarkably, still moving forward. We are a testament to the very essence of resilience, marked by an unwillingness to settle for the baseline and a relentless pursuit to elevate our collective spirit.

We Are Not Just Individuals; We Are Humanity

In a world adept at highlighting divisions, the profound truth that our intricate lives are nothing but reflections of a shared, vast mind of humanity often escapes us. This revelation—that you and I are not solitary entities navigating through an indifferent universe—is both humbling and empowering. When we grasp the magnitude of our interconnectedness, the recognitions that emerge resonate on both individual and global scales. Our choices, behaviors, and attitudes are indeed a microcosm of the human condition. We need to understand this, not as a poetic metaphor but as a vivid reality: What impacts the individual impacts the whole, and what impacts the whole impacts the individual.

Our actions, as imperceptible as they may seem, create ripples that can span the breadth of the globe. We witness it through the butterfly effect of social movements sparked by singular acts of courage, through economies trembling at an individual’s financial decisions, and through environments altered by our personal consumption habits. The interconnected nature of our modern world has proven time and again that the line between personal and collective responsibility is growing increasingly blurred. The mere act of throwing away plastic, or choosing not to, can either contribute to a floating island of trash in the ocean or to the health of marine life—and, by extension, to ourselves.

The concept of global citizenship becomes not just relevant but essential when we recognize our roles as contributors to the shared mind of humanity. Our local actions have national and international consequences, necessitating a vision of ourselves as active participants not only within our communities but also within the broader context

The thought is as staggering as it is profound – each of us, an essential thread in the intricate tapestry of humankind. We are not merely silhouettes against the backdrop of history; we are the vast mind of man. In a world increasingly marred by division and isolation, the recognition of our inherent unity is more than a philosophical musing, it is an urgent call to action. What touches one of us reverberates through the sinews connecting the entirety of human consciousness. And conversely, the global mosaic is reflected, piece by piece, within each one of us.

Consider the ripple effect of individual actions – how the local ignites the global, sparking a chain of events that transcends borders. In our globalized era, an entrepreneur’s innovation in Silicon Valley can transform lifestyles in distant lands, just as a protest for democracy in one country can fan the flames of freedom in another. Our planet whispers the eternal truth: the actions of the individual echo far and wide.

But why does this matter? Because in recognizing our role as global citizens, we no longer view ourselves simply as inhabitants of a particular stretch of land. Instead, we become stewards of a collective home. The welfare of others, near and far, intertwines with our own, beckoning us to a higher responsibility, demanding a deeper compassion.

Our individual experiences – joy, sorrow, triumph, and despair – are chapters in humanity’s living autobiography. The struggles we face, the laughter we share, the knowledge we accumulate; these are not our moments alone but humanity’s shared chronicles. To acknowledge this is to understand that our most private reflections are the silent conversations of a thousand other souls.

This understanding can pilot us toward a civilization rooted in empathy and responsibility. Decisions, then, would not be made in isolation but with a nurtured awareness of their broader implications. From policymakers to everyday citizens, the recognition that what befalls the part also befalls the whole could reshape our society’s contours.

Imagine the potential for transformation when we awaken to the magnitude of our existence in relation to the whole. It is a realization that breeds not just accountability but a sense of importance — the belief that one’s contributions are significant, that they matter in the grand drama of human existence. Herein lies the fertile ground for collective efforts for sustainability, equality, and peace.

It is when we conceive of ourselves as a microcosm of humanity that profound change becomes conceivable. The solitary drop becomes the ocean; the single grain, the beach. We are tasked, then, not just with being but with becoming – becoming a people who are conscientious, who are attuned to the silent symphony of interconnected lives. It is when the ‘I’ recognizes itself as the ‘We’ that the horizon of possibility for humanity expands unbounded.

I say: look within and all around, and see not the division but the unity that binds. We are more than flesh and bone navigating a physical plane; we are part and parcel of the vast mind of man. You are not just you, and I am just not I – you and I are all of us, and in this realization lies the key to our collective future.

https://youtu.be/s3wNuru4U0I?si=RgeN4vULV-KAIgd2


Bruce

Presently, I am 67 years old, and I am learning how to live the life of a retired person. I am married to Sharon White, a retired hospice nurse, and writer. Whose Death Is It Anyway-A Hospice Nurse Remembers Sharon is a wonderful friend and life partner of nearly 30 years. We have three grandsons through two of Sharon's children. I am not a published writer or poet. My writings are part of my new life in retirement. I have recently created a blog, and I began filling it up with my writings on matters of recovery and spirituality. I saw that my blog contained enough material for a book, so that is now my new intention, to publish a book, if only so that my grandsons can get to know who their grandfather really was, once I am gone. The title for my first book will be: Penetrating The Conspiracy Of Silence, or, How I Lived Beyond My Expiration Date I have since written 7 more books, all of which are now posted on this site. I have no plans to publish any of them, as their material is not of general interest, and would not generate enough income to justify costs. I have taken a deep look at life, and written extensively about it from a unique and rarely communicated perspective. Some of my writing is from 2016 on to the present moment. Other writing covers the time prior to 1987 when I was a boy, then an addict and alcoholic, with my subsequent recovery experience, and search for "Truth". Others are about my more recent experiences around the subjects of death, dying, and transformation, and friends and family having the most challenging of life's experiences. There are also writings derived from my personal involvement with and insight into toxic masculinity, toxic religion, toxic capitalism, and all of their intersections with our leadere. These topics will not be a draw for all people, as such personal and/or cultural toxicities tends to get ignored, overlooked, or "normalized" by those with little time for insight, introspection, or interest in other people's points of view on these troubling issues. There also will be a couple of writings/musings about "GOD", but I try to limit that kind of verbal gymnastics, because it is like chasing a sunbeam with a flashlight. Yes, my books are non-fiction, and are not good reading for anybody seeking to escape and be entertained. Some of the writings are spiritual, philosophical and intellectual in nature, and some descend the depths into the darkest recesses of the human mind. I have included a full cross section of all of my thoughts and feelings. It is a classic "over-share", and I have no shame in doing so. A Master Teacher once spoke to me, and said "no teacher shall effect your salvation, you must work it out for yourself". "Follow new paths of consciousness by letting go of all of the mental concepts and controls of your past". This writing represents my personal work towards that ultimate end.

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