Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Connections

    There’s something to be said about how you connect with Spirit, though I’m quite sure I have no idea what. In all honesty, I am not even sure how I connect, though I know I do. I have moments when I cannot distinguish the physical world from the world of Spirit. In those moments, everything makes perfect sense. Every bit of how messed up our world is, every bit of visceral anger, every ounce of hate; they all make sense when I am floating in the realm of true existence. Yet, when I re-enter the physical world, every bit of calm serenity falls away and I am left with an immense feeling of dread. I know it’ll all work out the way it is intended, and I know the end result will be a better world for us all. Yet, I can’t help the sinking feeling I get when some new headline reveals more corruption, deceit and lies. I am not a Pollyanna, for I understand the corrupt nature of Man. However, it begs me to ask, why? Why are we so Hell bent on control? Why are we so focused on narrative? Why do we fall for Ponzy scheme after Ponzy scheme? What has been done to pull the wool over the eyes of the masses? These questions plague me so often, they make my heart hurt and my soul weep. We were not meant to destroy ourselves, yet that is exactly what we are doing. We must open our eyes, stand up for what’s right and speak truth no matter the consequence. For the truth is THE WAY. And THE WAY isn’t found in some religious text or spiritual leader. It isn’t found in the speeches of great men, nor in the actions of governments. No, THE WAY is only found in the connection each of us make with our Higher Power, whatever it may be. For when we understand how very small we really are in the Grand Scheme of things, we can be humbled by the fact that there is something or someone above us that knows way more than any simple human mind can even comprehend. In that humbleness, we can appreciate the beauty and Grace of our Maker. Regardless of what you believe, we can all agree that truth is in the connection. And that is what our world lacks more than anything, I think. In our pursuit to better our world, better our experience, we forgot about what and who made it all possible. We have this wonderful thing called FREEWILL, for which, most dismiss the brevity of such a thing. FREEWILL is not something to pass off as nothing. No, FREEWILL is actually everything. It is what makes our world good or bad. It is what makes us succeed or fail. See FREEWILL is more than just choice. FREEWILL is letting go of intellect and trusting our “gut”. And choosing to honor our Higher Power. It is the one thing that can guarantee success, no matter the circumstance, even if what we thought we wanted isn’t what we get. Success is not measured in material things, for that is just garb. Success is measured in growth of the soul. Afterall, in the end, that’s all we really have, isn’t it? All we take with us when we leave this crude shell we call a body, is the lessons, the experiences, the memories of what we did while walking in the physical world. So the question really becomes, What did you do to make a difference?


Sunday, May 8, 2022

Happy Mother’s Day

What it Means to be a Mother


It’s not the way your child looks at you when they’re happy. It’s not the advice you give when a child makes a mistake, or the tears you wipe away after a fall. Being a mother means to sacrifice your own beauty. To let go of your vanity and embrace the Grace of being responsible for molding and shaping the next generation of humans so they can make this world a better place. It’s a thankless job, most days, and you wonder sometimes what it’s all for. The constant driving your child(ren) to school, sports, music, or whatever they’re into. The shopping for clothes or an Xbox, or some kind of new fangled toy or device that’s the latest and greatest. It all seems so depleting and exhausting. You go to bed every night wondering if you did right that day for the sake of your child(ren). Yet, you wake up every morning and do it all over again. 

Watching your child(ren) grow and learn and discover the wonders of the world around them, is so much more rewarding than the prospect of a new dress, or a day at the spa. Knowing that who they are is because of the influence you have in their life, is nothing short of humbling. Seeing them change from one year to the next, listening to them as they figure out how to think for themselves, and acting upon those thoughts, makes one realize just how precious life truly is. The joy you feel when they work hard at something they want so badly, you can hardly contain yourself. It’s in the little moments that you begin to understand the beauty, the Grace, the “muchness” that we women hold for our children. 

The day your child is born, you stare in amazement. So many thoughts and ideas swirling in your head of what you want to teach therm, how you will care for them, what they’ll look like as they grow, what their voice will sound like. You wonder what the next 2 decades have in store for you, and you relish in the prospects. But you also feel dread and fear, “Oh God! I’m responsible for another human being!” And you think to yourself there is no way I can do this as well as my mother did. Funny, but it’s true. You will never do it exactly like your mother. But, you will do it according to each child’s needs. For every child comes with their own set of needs and desires. And every child has their own path to walk. Our job is to set them on that path, guide them as best we can and hope they listen to our sage advice. 

What it means to be a mother is so much more than words can ever express. It is sacrifice, exhaustion, love, joy, pride, disappointment and everything in between. It is the greatest and most important job a woman can ever do, yet the recognition is not only rare, it is overlooked much of the time. And it should stay that way. Ego has no place in a mother’s heart. For a woman who understands this also understands that when it’s all said and done, you have successfully made a difference in this world. And that is reward enough.

Monday, December 27, 2021

Dreams of Gators and Snakes

  Woke up this morning with my dreams on the front of my brain, so I’m going to write this one out because it feels pretty significant. Usually, I can work through the dream within a few minutes upon waking and I can see what it was meant to work through. This one however, is perplexing and I’m struggling to find it’s meaning. So without further adieu, here is the dream…

I’m in a warm place with lots of grass on small rolling hills, scattered large shade trees here and there, and a stream winding through the terrain with a foot bridge arching over it. I am talking with someone and look behind me to see 2 small alligators at the ready to run towards us, but they don’t. Suddenly, I see movement from my right and turn to see a large gator run up to my dog from out of the stream and grab him. My dog seems unaffected, but his head is now in the clutches of this gator. I start running toward the gator waving my hands wildly and screaming for it to let my dog go and suddenly someone comes up and releases the gator’s grip. My dog doesn’t run away, and is completely unharmed, with his ears perked up looking at me as if nothing happened. There are gators all around and I feel very threatened. I turn back to the person I’m talking with and suddenly, they are no longer there. So I start walking away. I see both my dogs basking in the sun on a grassy knoll, but they are completely unaware of the danger slithering towards them. Now, there are 3 rattlesnakes making their way toward my dogs. Suddenly, I see snakes everywhere. But they don’t seem to be threatening me. (Keep in mind, I am terribly afraid of snakes and have been my entire life, so to not feel threatened by one is surprising.) Though they seem to not notice me, I am still very cautious making my way through them towards my dogs when suddenly the snakes stand up on end and look me straight in the eye. I am frozen. I close my eyes, fearing the worst. When I open them, the snakes are no longer looking at me, but coiling up ready to strike. No matter where I run, snakes are hiding in the bushes, hanging from the trees, slithering toward me and I have no where to run. Again, I am frozen. All I want is to get away from them, but no matter which way I turn, snakes seems to appear. My fear is now compounded by the fact that I am trapped. Next thing I know, I am yanked out of this place and find myself in a dark room. No furniture, nothing on the walls, the room is completely empty and I am alone. Then I wake up.

I guess what I really need to interpret here is why I feel so threatened, why I feel trapped and frozen. Honestly, I think I already know the answer, but I’m going to write it out anyway. After all, it is how I process everything. 

My place in this world used to be set in stone, or so I thought. I met my husband at a young age and focused on that relationship for my own stability and sense of purpose. I set my sights then on establishing a career as a hairdresser (a dream since I was very young) and focused on being the best I could be. I spent my 20s focused on that career and supporting my husband in his schooling. Once I reached my 30s, my world began to fall apart. The stability of my marriage was brought into question during my husband’s graduate program and shortly after he completed his degree, he fell prey to his own demons. I tried for nearly 10 years to keep our marriage together through therapy and faith, but ultimately, I realized nothing was going to save this union, so I left. That was February 1, 2012. At the time, I thought our divorce would happen swiftly and I’d be free to rebuild my life, focus on my clients again and be able to support myself. Oh how wrong that was. It took just over 8 years to get the divorce and in the process, I lost my career, my home, my friends. Pretty much everything I held dear was taken from me slowly and painfully. The only saving grace is my son. He is the only part of my life that has remained. 

Now, as I face the coming year, reflecting on what it was all for, I wonder what this next decade holds. I have a home again that is all mine, I have some new friends and a decent vehicle that transports me from one job to another. I hold on to my fading career by the skin of my teeth, knowing it doesn’t actually pay any bills and ends up taking more from me than it gives. So I have another job that I actually enjoy (to an extent), as it gives me time with myself in which I can be with my own thoughts and have solid conversations with the “Man Upstairs”, as my father used to say. I have a much better understanding of who I am and what I’m all about, yet I don’t know what direction I should take it. I know I can write and I am pretty good with art. I am also quite handy with tools. I could try to rebuild a clientele in my new town, or I could spend the next year building a platform for my art and writing. The problem with the latter is, in order to do that, I need enough money to support myself and my son while I’m not making anything. And the only way I’ll get that is for the house that I purchased with my husband to be sold and I use the money wisely to eliminate the debt I’ve incurred, invest some and use the rest to pay the bills and fix this house. I’ve been waiting a very long time for this, and feel like a broken record every time it comes out of my mouth, and I’m sure everyone else is sick of hearing it. But I keep putting it out there, to G-d, pleading that this one wish be granted. 

On Christmas Day, driving to my cousin’s for dinner, I had what we Jews call a Mi Chamochah moment. It’s one of those moments where everything in front of you seems impossible and then the seas part and the path is revealed. And though it’s not completely clear, the understanding I got from it was nothing short of divine. Like Joseph, I was a braggart in my youth. Not in the ways of malice or deceit, but in the ways of pride and wanting everyone to know just how capable I was. And like Joseph, I was despised by many. I rubbed people the wrong way and didn’t understand why. Then, I was thrown into the pits, not once, not twice, but three times, just like Joseph. And when Joseph came out the last time, he was not only revered, he was placed in a position of power and control, for he had been humbled by his gift and understood it wasn’t something to brag about, but to use, quietly, for good. Everything he ever held dear had been removed from his life and yet he still managed to utilize his gift without resentment of what he lost. For in the time he spent in the pits, he was alone, as I am now. And in that time, he reflected on what it all meant and why he was chosen to hold the gift he possessed, this gift of sight. What came to me on that drive was a simple truth, and one I have refused to accept for a long time. 

The gifts I possess as a Wordsworth and artist are not anything that make me better than another. In fact, they are the things that put me on a level playing field. I am not above anyone else, as I have acted in the past, nor am I the braggart. Now, these gifts humble me and I feel as though in some small way unworthy of their grace, though I know I was given these gifts to help transform the darkness into Light. I lost everything I thought was important so I could see and understand the true purpose of this life. It is not just to learn and grow, but to give back all the wisdom I’ve gained to help guide anyone and everyone who comes to me lost and looking for answers. Several years ago, I reached out to someone who was doing just that and asked him how do I get to where he is. His simple yet profound answer was, “keep giving tones of value to your. community. Eventually, people will come to you and want to work with you.” His name is Kerwin Rae, and I will forever be indebted to those words. So here I am, giving these tones of value to the only community I actually have, you. And someday, these gifts will reward me with enough to not only survive, but thrive. Which brings me back to the dream. The only way for me to interpret this dream is to prepare myself for those who will try to destroy what I put out there, and though I will fear their criticism, their threats will be empty and I will continue along my path, weary of their presence, but not so affected that I fail. For I take these gifts not for granted, but with great honor and hope that I may do them justice.


Be Well Everyone,

Miriam

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Which Side Are You On?

     

    This path, the one we are all set upon, is inevitably going to lead us to a great deal more destruction, despair and disintegration. There is really no way around it, though I wish there were. To what extent and just how this plays out, is not clear to me. However, what is very clear is just how hard Evil is pushing itself in our world. It has infected almost every dark corner and shows no signs of stopping. The only threat that stands in it’s way is us, Humanity. The biggest problem I see is not enough individuals are taking any notice. Therefore, I don’t see a way out of this without dismantling everything that has allowed this Evil to flourish. We must return to a simpler way of thinking, living and acting. We’ve got to turn away from Idol worship. From Hollywood actors to news pundits to political leaders, corporations, cars, money, and the like. All the things that corrupt, we must re-evaluate. Not that we need to destroy these things completely, but we must acknowledge the fact that we’ve looked to these things to tell us how to live, how to act and what to say, for far too long. We must change the way we look at them, for they are nothing more than a means to an end and should not be given the status they currently hold. Most people wouldn’t know the first thing about how to live if they didn’t have their movie stars, news outlets, commercials, prescriptions, and all the noise that drowns out what’s real. We are constantly bombarded with mindless chatter that serves only to keep us asleep. To keep us from the truth of what is happening in our world. When an entire society is constantly put in fear of one thing or another, the end result is nothing short of destruction, and we are seeing it happen right before our eyes. I think Timothy Leary said it best, “kill your television”. The real things in life that sustain us, that allow for us to not only survive, but thrive, have nothing to do with anything outside of our own purview. The places and things that matter most are the ones we have direct connection to and affection for. These things that we focus ourselves upon serve only to distract us from what G-d intended for us. They keep us from utilizing the very gifts and talents we were given, the ability to critically think for ourselves, to determine the best way for us to live, first as individuals, then as a whole. It’s not the other way around. Think about when you’re on a plane and the attendants are going through the emergency procedures. You must place your own mask on before assisting another to do the same. In other words, take care of yourself first, then help those who cannot help themselves. It’s really that simple.

You see, more than 100 years ago, our “leaders” got together and decided what was best for us and laid the groundwork for their own selfish interests. They created a monetary system that doesn’t actually allow for natural growth. It allowed “them” (the elite among us) to dictate to the rest of us what we “needed to live”. In truth, all it did was line their pockets with our successes, our dreams, our individuality and gave them the power they needed to control the world. Just take a look around. They control what products are on the shelf, what movies and television shows are acceptable, what cars we can drive, the schools we attend, the list goes on. And if you think they don’t then you’ve been hoodwinked. The only real way we will get out of this mess is to turn our backs on those who seem to think you cannot make a single decision for yourself. But it doesn’t stop there. We must reform the way we look at the world, the way we educate, they way we conduct business, the way we interact within our communities. In short, we’ve got to dismantle the things that keep us from being our best selves. 

So, how do we go about that? How do we change ideology? How do we change education? Or business? How bout interactions? I think, first, we must acknowledge the lack of morality, the lack of common decency, the lack of manners. Then we must look at how we lost those things in the first place. I have an idea, though it probably won’t be very popular. It began when women went into the workforce, which was, by the way, not as much of a choice as some would like to believe. Women ended up in the workforce for myriad of reasons, such as, the need to supplement the household income as cost of living was rising faster than income levels, they lost their husband to the War and needed to support their families, and they were incentivized to put their children in daycare for the “socialization” benefits, etc. Then there’s the fact that many women simply had fewer men to choose from after the war, for many died. Very few women went to work because it was their first choice. And I know it sounds cliché, but if given the choice between going to work and staying home to raise the family and manage the home, most women would choose the latter. Though 20 years ago, I would argue this point. Now, however, I would fight for a women’s right to stay home just as I fight for our freedoms. See, women are the nurturers by nature, whereas men are the protectors and providers. It isn’t something that ideology can change, for it is one of those pesky traits that are inherent. And when you go against the inherent nature of any living creature, the inevitable result is nothing short of disastrous. Which of course it what we are seeing currently. 

The next thing that led us down this road is our education system. The breakdown of which can also be correlated to women in the workforce, as they were no longer home to teach their children from a strong moral foundation. The schools were designed to teach the basics of math, science, language and history, not morality, or discipline, for that fact. Yet, the more women entered the workforce, the more pressure and responsibility was placed on the schools and their teachers. And the less parents paid attention, for they were too worried about their finances and too busy in their jobs. 

In business, it is common to step on others as you are making your way to the top. The problem here is, that goes completely against human nature. It is not natural for one man, or woman, to hurt another simply for their own gain, which is exactly how business as usual has run for many years. But when you really think about it, would you crash into another car simply because it’s in your way? Of course you wouldn’t, because the hassle is far too much. Yet, when we look at just how cutthroat the business world is, that’s exactly what’s happening. Business should be about not only successes and growth of your own ventures, but for others as well. But just how we go about fixing it eludes me currently. 

When we talk about the degradation of society, we must look at the roles men and women have played historically versus today. We can postulate that women are equal to men and vice versa, but are they truly equal to each other? I argue, no. Never have been, never will be. And we shouldn’t strive for equality, for that is a fallacy. 

First off, physically, men and women are fundamentally different and not interchangeable. And I refuse to accept any argument stating otherwise. Genetically, men are XY and women are XX, that alone influences how a body develops. Muscularly, men possess far greater strength due to the layers of fibers all running in the same direction, whereas women’s layers are perpendicular. Men can build more muscle mass, but also have a higher risk for hernias and muscle tears. Women’s bodies are designed to expand and contract for the purpose of pregnancy and birthing, but lack massive physical strength. 

When it comes to the way we think, DNA and those pesky hormones play another major role. Testosterone allows men to stay focused in the left hemisphere of the brain (logic/reason) for far longer periods of time, whereas women jump from right (creative/emotion) to left and back more easily and tend to stay in each hemisphere for an equal amount of time. A simple way to explain this-

-Men’s thoughts are like telephone lines in rural areas, few calls, but they tend to last a while. 

-Women’s thoughts are like telephone lines in dense cities, calls are constant and only last a few minutes. 

    And the way a man’s brain is structured is also very different than the way a women’s is-

- Men’s brains are like the silverware drawer, orderly and organized. 

-Women’s brains are like the junk drawer, everything’s there, but you may have to dig a bit to find anything.

See, men and women complement each other. Where one lacks, the other makes up. If we were all equal, then the weaknesses of both genders would be the thing that destroys us. Because when a woman is equal to a man, it neutralizes all her power and when a man is equal to a woman, it does the same to him. When it comes down to it, men and women are balanced, but not equal. And we should NEVER strive for equality. We should strive for balance. And we should champion the strengths of both sexes. 

I personally don’t want to be a man’s equal, I want to be what complements him. And I would argue most men feel the same way. I have no desire to do the work of men, as I suspect most women would agree. Nor do I feel men want to do the work of women. Now, that’s not to say there aren’t certain situations and individuals who  would want that, but I argue the majority don’t. It’s hubris to think that could change. And we shouldn’t believe some bullshit narrative, spewing all kinds of rhetoric about equality amongst the sexes is what we need to fight for. That in and of itself is the antithesis of human experience and growth. Men and women were designed for very specific tasks. Men are, at their core, protectors, providers and procreators. Women are the nurturers and child bearers. Any deviance from that leads down a path of extinction. And I’m not being hyperbolic here. With the emasculation of men, and de-feminization of women, we are beginning to see a major decline in birth rates, fertility and success in families. We are witness to a major depopulation of humanity and a possible collapse of society as we know it. Now, I do believe we are overpopulated, but I do not believe in mass genocide or depopulation, for I am not a eugenist. I believe the best way for us to whittle our numbers down is through proper education, a strong moral fabric and changing the way we view the sexual revolution. It isn’t a quick fix by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it will likely take 2-3 generations before we can get the population to a healthy balance again. Anthropologists have studied for decades the ramifications of mass depopulation as well as mass population explosions. Both are detrimental to civilization as a whole and both lead to mass extinction. So, how can we stop this insanity?

It starts at home, with a solid foundation in morals and conscious living. By teaching our children that every action they take has an impact on the world in which they live, and that being a productive, contributing member of society is of the utmost importance, we can change this world. It continues with these ideas being reinforced in our schools, our relationships and our positions in society. It’s not an easy task, but it is one worth not only it’s weight in gold, it is imperative if we want to continue to inhabit this beautiful planet. We must stop raising up bad behavior, lifting up those without virtue, and championing malice. We’ve got to stop pointing fingers, placing blame and dismissing our own contributions. It’s called accountability, and it’s something we have lost. Along with Faith. 

Now I’m not a religious zealot, by any means, but I do have a strong Faith and practice. I do not believe it is my job to convert every person I meet, for Faith is very personal. I do not care what name someone uses to refer to their higher power, but I do care that they believe in a higher power. I believe that when you have someone or something to answer to, you become more accountable and conscious of every move you make. You “censor” yourself by restraining your impulses and understand how that impacts your own life first, then the lives of those you encounter. You keep yourself “in-check”, if you will. They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and I truly believe that. For when you have no moral grounding, you may think what you are doing is good, but in fact, what you are doing is destroying individual freedom, and in turn, civilization itself. 

Think back to Eastern Europe in the 1930s. The propaganda machine convinced an entire population that Jews were diseased, dirty and undesirable. It started with health and safety concerns. By the time the “Brown Shirts” were coming through Poland and rounding up all the Jewish communities, the rest of the population cheered it on, for they lived in a false fear. A fear propagated by the media and the “Powers that Be”, which led to a mass genocide of millions. And while what happened to us Jews is unconscionable, far worse happened to the Russians, something most don’t want to talk about. It is estimated that more that 20 million Russians lost their lives during WWII, though the numbers are debated. Despite the arguments over the exact number, the fact remains millions were persecuted and murdered to push a totalitarian ideology. One that was propagated with fear as it’s driver. Fear that Jews were bent on world domination and total control. Fear that Jews were unclean and carriers of Typhoid. Fear that Jews were taking jobs and professions away from non-Jews. All of this fear was driven by the media. Media with an agenda to be the voice of the regime in power. Constant bombardment of these lies over a very long period of time allowed the average citizen to believe them to be not only true, but that Jews threatened their very existence.      

Now, take a look at what’s going on right now worldwide. People are being “othered” because they are choosing to to do their own research, they are not living in fear and they are not taking an experimental medication that may or may not protect them from a virus that has a ~98% recovery rate. The Prime Minister of New Zealand was pressed by a reporter on the mandates and posed, “you’re essentially creating 2 classes of citizens.” She simply answered, “Yes, and these mandates won’t end.”  This is happening in country after country. Why, just the last week, it was reported that a man in Germany, I believe, killed his entire family then himself because of the mandates and a fear of the backlash against his family. A woman here in the US was just found guilty in a “court of law” of violating the shutdown mandate and sentenced to prison. And just exactly what did she do that was so egregious? She dared to keep her restaurant open. Suicide rates are up, crime rates are up, inflation is up, and mental health is in serious crisis, just to name a few. In Israel, they are now requiring not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 shots to be “fully” vaccinated. Soon, that will be the norm here as well. 

What happened to 2 weeks to flatten the curve? What happened to protecting the vulnerable? What happened to individual rights? We gave them up when we decided to go along with this charade, thinking it was the right thing to do, never looking to history to see how the 1918 Influenza pandemic was handled. And though Ben Franklin’s famous quote was in fact about taxation, it holds true in this current scenario, “He who is willing to give up essential liberty for a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” I cannot speak for everyone, but I can say a great majority feel the same as I do, “FUCK YOUR FEAR MONGERING BULLSHIT!” My freedom, my safety, are mine to hold. It is my responsibility to ensure my safety. It’s called being accountable and understanding the impact I make in this world. Now is the time to rise up and say, “No More!” My favorite President, Thomas Jefferson understood more so than anyone in his time, that freedom is essential to a successful society, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” But the problem we face is simple, not enough people understand or even know history. So how can we fix that? It is not a quick or easy fix, but it is worth every ounce of effort we can put forth. It starts with a conversation. It continues with research and study. It ends when we are all well informed and committed to keeping history alive. As I’ve often said, “History is full of ugly truths and we do ourselves a great disservice to ignore it because it’s uncomfortable.”

“Educate and inform the whole mass of the people. They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.” Thomas Jefferson understood that education is the foundation of a free society and one governed justly, by the People. It is not the government’s job to tell us how to live, but our job to limit their power. And we’ve become so complacent that we have folded like a cheap suit when it comes to upholding these values, expecting that our government will do that for us. Except we’ve forgotten that it is our responsibility to hold our elected officials accountable, to question their motives and remove any that abuse the power we have given to them. It is time to get our butts in gear and fight for our way of life, for if we do not, we will end up under the regime of tyranny. That’s not an opinion, that is fact. It is an uphill battle, that I will not deny. But anything worth fighting for comes with challenges. I ask, will you stand up? Will you fight? Or will you cower, frozen by fear?

What I ask of you is not to begrudge or belittle, but to inspire. To challenge you to dig down deep and find that strength within to do what is right, for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do.

We are at a crossroads. One path leads to freedom and liberty. The other to tyranny and suffering. The elite of this world have told us, this is an opportunity for a “Great Reset”, one where you will own nothing and you will be happy. These people seriously think the majority will be just fine giving up everything they’ve worked so hard to amass. Again, I cannot speak for everyone, but I do speak for many when I say, “Hell NO!” I will defend my right to own what I’ve worked so hard to get. I will fight to keep my property, my vehicles, my business, and everything contained within them. It is human nature to take pride in our accomplishments and successes. And while I do hope for a future similar to that of Star Trek, I also recognize humanity is not there yet, not even close. Because change, though the only constant in the universe, is neither something humanity comes to easily, nor quickly, for that matter. Change is difficult, uncomfortable and something we resist, but eventually we come to terms with. But when change is forced upon the masses by those who who ride high horses, it’s not only resisted, it is resented. And when the masses resentment reaches a breaking point, conflict arises. Which brings me back to the beginning of this dialogue. We are on the brink of the greatest battle we’ve ever faced. The path we are upon is heading towards a breakdown of western civilization. 

We need look no further than the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. I know I’ve written about this in the past, and I still hold this truth, so bear with me here. Abraham begged and pleaded G-d to spare the twin cities, if He could find 50 innocent citizens. He could not. Ok then, 45 innocent people. He could not. What about 30, or 20, or 10 innocent people? Still, no luck. But G-d, if there be but 1 innocent person, I plead, do not destroy these cities. Ultimately, G-d could not find 1 innocent person among the entirety of the population. Why? Surely, there would be 1 person amongst them who’s life, who’s intent, who’s deeds proved they were righteous. Unfortunately, the corruption and sin had infected all who lived within these cities, for all the righteous among them had already fled, but 1 family. So G-d sent 2 angels to search for the innocent. At the entrance to Sodom, they met Lot, who graciously attended to them and their needs, his family was the last. The next morning, the angels urged Lot to take his wife and 2 unmarried daughters and flee, for G-d was to destroy the cities. They instructed them to flee to the wilderness and not look back, not once. Lot feared that the wilderness would be his undoing and begged to flee to Zoar instead, so they did. But, Lot’s wife could not resist, and she turned to look upon the cities as they burned. She was turned to a pillar of salt. To this day, nothing grows in the place that was Sodom and Gomorrah.

Many respected intelligent minds now believe that a civil war here in the US is inevitable. And while most people here think a civil war means 2 sides fighting on the battlefield, the reality is quite different. Our country is no longer united. And many don’t know what to think or do about it. What will likely happen is states take back control and push the federal government out. If we are going to survive as a country, this is imperative. Each state will have governing control and the federal government will lose a great deal of power, as it should. We were not set up to be ruled by the feds, but by the People and for the People. Our state government is a reflection of that, and anything that needed to be decided nationally fell to the federal level, which is governed by our state representatives. The Constitution states that anything not laid out within is to be decided by each state according to the will of it’s People. Because State’s Rights come before Federal Rights and the People’s Rights come before the State’s. It wasn’t and still isn’t the other way around. I truly believe we are already in a civil war, with social media as the battlefield. So now is the time to decide which side you are on, the side of Liberty through Truth, or the side of Safety through Tyranny? The choice is yours…

Be Well everyone and remember

Stand Up

    Stand Out

        Be the Light

-Miriam the Levite 


Friday, November 26, 2021

To Be Thankful

  Reflecting upon the year I have just come through, I realize though there was a lot of pain and struggle, there was also a great deal of accomplishment. And for that, I am Thankful. It is no small feat to care for your parents, whether it be physically, or mentally, or psychologically. It doesn’t matter how they need you, it matters that they need you. I am humbly thankful today for my own conscious choice to sacrifice everything so as to ensure they be comfortable in their last years and in their home. I am thankful that I was able to honor their wishes, even though it was the most difficult time of my life, thus far. I know my parents, each in their own way, were grateful for their youngest daughter. I recognize it wasn’t always peaceful in the house, and there were many times we all fought against each other. But in the end, it mattered not. In the end, the thing I take from the last 10 years, cherish each and everything moment. Hold the experiences consciously, so as to ensure the memory lasts within you, for there is wisdom in those moments you may not see. There are sweet moments and strong moments and beautiful moments that you cannot appreciate until they’ve passed. And when they do, you can look upon them with Love in your heart, for they make you who you are.

        And who we are is the very essence of our own existence. Identity comes not when we stand aside and do nothing. Identity is defined by our deeds. And our deeds are driven by our thoughts, our morality, or lack thereof. For action without thought is performed without merit. Conversely, action driven by conscious thought is not only meritorious, it is wholly virtuous. It is in the moments of reflection only, that you begin to see the true identity of your SELF. We get so caught up in the day to day hustle and bustle that we rarely stop and count all the moments that makes up who we are. So when those reflections come upon us and we take the time to digest them, the patchwork of our existence takes form, much like Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors. 

In Va’Yeshev, (Gen. 37-41)Joseph is given a coat, by his father Jacob, handed down from Noah, a coat of many colors. An action showing Jacob’s favoritism towards his youngest son, because he sees a pious man, a child with prophetic dreams and a righteousness that will not allow him to dishonor HaShem. I take that coat’s patchwork of materials to represent all those moments that make up a life, a story, if you will. Woven into and out of each other, these pieces, held together with barren thread, take shape into something real, something tangible. Something representative of something else. On their own, they serve no real purpose, but together, they can provide shelter, protection, prestige. It is what the coat represents to which Joseph’s brothers held their envy and anger toward him. And that envy which drove them to treat Joseph with disdain and contempt, is the very emotion that also led them to eventually bow at their youngest brother’s feet and grovel for forgiveness. If they only took that anger and envy as a warning, maybe the story would have turned out very differently. But Simeon, Levi and Reuben could not rise above their own selfishness, and they throw Joseph into a pit, intending on retrieving him later. But Judah sells his youngest brother to the Ishmaelites, while Joseph is in the pit, the brothers dip his special coat in goat’s blood and tell their father that he must’ve been attacked by a wild beast. Jacob, distraught, weeps and mourns his youngest son. 

  Meanwhile, Judah, marries Shua’s daughter, a Canaanite, who bears him 3 sons, Er, Onan and Shelah. He takes for his eldest son, a wife named Tamar, but Er dies early. Judah instructs Onan to take his brother’s wife and raise up a seed in his brother Er’s name. Onan, knowing his seed would not bear his own name, spilled it onto the floor, an act G-d perceived as evil, so HaShem slew Onan. Judah, now having only 1 son, instructed Tamar to remain a widow in her father’s house until Shelah was old enough to take a wife. During this time, Judah’s wife, daughter of Shua, dies. Judah is comforted and goes to Timnah with his friend, Hirah, an Adullamite. Tamar, seeing her farther-in-law, throws off her widow cloths, veils herself and sets to wait for Judah at the entrance to Enaim, on the way to Timnah. She sees that Shelah is grown, but has not been taken to be his wife yet. Judah thought her to be a harlot and asked to lay with her, not knowing her real identity. She asks what he will give her if she does, to which he responds, “I will send a kid from the flock of goats.” She responds, saying, “what pledge do you give until you send it?” “What pledge shall I give thee?” Tamar responds,” your signet and cord and your staff that you hold in your hand.” He agrees, and they lay together as husband and wife. She conceives, gets up from the bed and vanishes. Replacing her widow cloths, she returns to her father’s home. Judah sends the kid from the flock with his Adullamite friend, but Hirah cannot find her. He asks the men, who know not of this woman. Hirah returns with the news to Judah, who says, “let her take it, lest we be put to shame; but she is nowhere to be found?” About 3 months later, it was told to Judah, that his daughter-in-law in fact played the harlot. Judah, angry with her, sent for her to be burnt. But when she arrived, she brought with her the pledges that Judah had given her, the signet, cord and staff, “by the man, whose these are, I am with child.” She said, “discern, I pray tee, whose are these, the signet, cord and staff?” Judah acknowledged them and said, “she is more righteous than I, for I gave her not to my son Shelah.” From then on he knew her again no more. She bore twins, first named Perez, second Zerah.

The Israelites make their way to Egypt, and sell Joseph to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s butcher, who’s wife tries desperately to seduce him, to no avail. And only when he rejects her advances and states he could never do such a thing to dishonor his master, does she cry out and tell her husband that Joseph advanced upon her. Naturally, Potiphar has Joseph arrested, where he ends up in Pharaoh’s dungeon. Down there, he gains the trust of the guards who give him some authority in the prison. It is there that he befriends Pharaoh’s butler and chief baker, who were imprisoned for offending their Royal Master. One night both men have awful dreams which Joseph interprets. In 3 days, the butler will be released and the baker will be hanged. Joseph asks the butler to intercede on his behalf with Pharaoh. His prediction comes true, but the butler forgets about Joseph and he is left to rot in the dungeon.


The repeating pattern of sibling rivalry is told again. This time, however, it hits close to home. My own sibling, my sister, and I have struggled throughout our lives with a healthy, loving relationship. I spent the better part of my childhood wanting to be just like her, while she spent it resenting me tagging along. Like Joseph, I endured the envy and mistreatment from my elder. And like his brothers, my sister wanted to rid me from her life. It does not come easy to me to say that I do not have a relationship with my sister, despite wanting it so. I do hope someday it will be granted to us both, but I cannot allow this regret to consume me, as it did not consume Joseph. Though he endures a great many hardships, he knows his gift of prophetic dreams will eventually save him and he will rise above them all. And he knows his brothers will be with him again, but this time he will have the upper hand. It is this story that gives me strength within my faith. That what I am writing and learning and teaching and creating will eventually be what lifts me to the level I know I am destined to hold. All the sacrifice, the frustration, the challenges, the joys, laughter and memories, they are the swatches that make up my Coat of Many Colors. Held together by the thread that is my journey. Each piece, carefully laid to create a tapestry of emotions, a landscape of experiences, to which I am humbly Thankful.


Be well everyone.


Stand Up

    Stand Out

        Be the Light


            -Miriam the Levite-


Monday, November 22, 2021

Ignorance & Apathy

 The 2 most dangerous words in the English language are Ignorance and Apathy.

        Why, you may ask, or how, more appropriately, are these 2 words dangerous? They’re just words, after all. Ah, but your presumptions would be wrong. These 2 words are paramount to the movement to destroy our society, our country, our FREEDOMS! For those in power, who seek more power, and ultimate World Power, NEED an entire population of ignorant and apathetic people, the “plebs” if you will. The masses who don’t know and don’t want to know the truth of their corruption and deceit. As Michael Malice states, “most people don’t want to be free, they want to be safe.” I argue, as Ben Franklin did, “those who are willing to sacrifice essential liberty for a little temporary safety, deserve neither Liberty, nor Safety.”

A well educated society is an essential foundation for maintaining the Liberty and moral fabric of that society. And I’m not talking about college education. In my opinion, the more degrees one has typically means they cannot think for themselves. Because their entire intellect was ‘spoon fed’ to them through “institutions of higher learning”. I’ve often said that a BS means you know how to spew BullShit, an MS is just More of the Same, and a PhD is just Piled Higher and Deeper. Don’t get me wrong, I do respect the discipline it takes to spend that much time in an institution. However, it seems to me, the more “highly” educated one is, the more difficult it is for them to relate to anyone outside of their field of expertise. Which, in my view, makes them the most ignorant and apathetic group out there. They don’t even know what they don’t know and don’t care to ever research anything on their own. It’s a Catch 22. 

I spent most of my life being “encouraged” to get a college degree by my father and my ex husband, which I have not done. They argued that I could have a really good job that pays well if I just got that piece of paper that states I know how to jump through hoops. Funny, I ended up in a trade school and at the peak of my career was making almost 30% more than my “college educated” husband. AND, I don’t have the debt that he still carries, almost 20 yrs after he graduated. More importantly, I spent all my leisure time researching and studying the subjects that piqued my interests on my own. I am one who prescribes to learning through curiosity, not force. And if I’m not mistaken, Abe Lincoln never went to college, yet he studied law on his own, took the Bar Exam and passed. I believe John Adams was also self taught. In fact, some of the greatest intellects throughout history have been self taught. 

For far too long, we’ve been convinced to believe you are nothing without a college degree, yet when we look at what these “institutions” are turning out, we realize they are nothing more than cogs in the machine. Regurgitating only what they were told and never questioning whether it was correct or moral. Just because someone stands in front of a class to “teach” doesn’t mean they truly understand what they are teaching. And just because someone doesn’t have those letters behind their name doesn’t mean they are stupid. Some of the most intelligent people I know never went to college. I do have some college background, though I was told that English classes would be a waste of my time because I already possessed a natural talent for writing. Of course, being the rebel I am, I took all the English and writing classes I could, because no one tells me no. And I learned much more of how to edit and refine my writing, a skill that has proven invaluable to me. But to spend all that money and time and energy to get a piece of paper that says I know how to write was foolish to me then and still foolish to me now. 

I do recognize there are some professions that require a degree, however, too many people focus on the paper and not the substance. We have saturated the workforce with people who have some degree or another, yet have no work ethic nor actual value to bring to the table. They are the “Hubris Ones” as I call them. And they look down upon those who work with their hands, all the while never realizing that without all the manual laborers, they would not be afforded the luxuries they possess.

You know who they are. Those who seem to think because they spent tens of thousands of dollars jumping through hoops, they have authority over anyone who did not. They are no different than those who wear masks and got the “jab”, only to get mad and aggressive with someone who doesn’t wear a mask and didn’t get the “jab”. The virtue signaler who screams in your face because you didn’t buy into the narrative they did. The ones who look down upon you because of some perceived hierarchy. Really, what they are saying is quite simple, “I fell for it and you didn’t and that’s just not fair!!!!”

The most difficult part for those of us who live with eyes wide open is to have empathy for them. To see it for what it is, ignorance and apathy, and acknowledge their pain. It is a task we must face. For if we are ever to truly heal, unite and rebuild our broken world, we must first hear their grievances with compassion. When someone is so angry and hateful, ask yourself why. How. What happened in their world to cause such strife? Is there a way I can help relieve some of it through an open dialogue? Are they open to understanding the truth? Can I approach them with Love, and will it be accepted?

When we understand that the battle we face is to combat ignorance and apathy, the war becomes ours to win. It’s a matter of educating the truth, relentlessly standing in that truth, and regurgitating it until you turn blue in the face. It’s time to step up to the podium and let the truth be known. People will follow whomever steps up to the microphone, so step up. Keep bringing truth with the understanding that many will fight against you. Keep speaking, even if you have to scream it. Stay resilient and never, ever let fear consume you. 


Be well my friends, 


Stand Up

    Stand Out

        Be the Light


Miriam the Levite  


Monday, November 8, 2021

Remembering History

                                                                                                                Sun. Nov. 7, 2021 1:26pm

Going back in history to the road paved by generations before, I can’t help but weep at what we’ve become. The state of our world spits in the face of our ancestors. And we can’t point the finger at any one thing or another without recognizing that there are 4 more pointing right back at ourselves.

So let’s continue the history lesson. Take Eastern Europe from the early 1800s to the 1940s. After Imperial Russia acquired territories consisting of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire, regions with large Jewish populations, the modern oppression against Jews began. (The Russian empire was diametrically opposed to the Jewish People based on differences in religious ideologies.) Jews were restricted from migrating to other parts of Western Europe unless they converted, got a degree, or were a first guild merchant, although they could move to certain approved parts of Eastern Europe and Asia. 

In 1881, following the execution of Gregory V (a Greek Orthodox Patriarch) by the Ottomans, 14 Jews were murdered, in response, by local Greeks. It became known as the Odessa Pogroms and considered to be the first. From 1881-1884, more than 200 anti-Jewish riots spread throughout Russia, most notably in Odessa, Kiev and Warsaw. The assassination of Czar Alexander II (blamed on foreign influenced “agents”, i.e.-the Jews) and a narrative pushed by Russian press, triggered the violence to ramp up. The narrative, being that the assassination was carried out by Jews (one conspirator was of Jewish decent, but the others were atheists), continued to fan the flames of hatred. Economic conditions such as debts owed to Jewish moneylenders as well as the contribution of railroad workers and competing businesses compounded the situation and gave regular people something to rail against. With the industrialization of Russia and the introduction of the railroad, travel across the country became more readily available. Which, in turn, led to this anti-Semitic ideology spreading throughout the Russian Empire, bringing more riots, displacement and murder of Jews. Eventually, these ideas spread into Western Europe and by the turn of the century, Jews were labeled the “enemy”. They were dishonest, diseased, unclean and uncivilized. An entire people were “othered”, all based in dishonest deceitful propaganda. The more it was pushed, the stronger the mainstream belief became, the easier it was for good people to do nothing. It’s how an entire country got behind the eradication of a population for the sake of health and safety concerns. (Sound familiar?)

What have we been experiencing here in the US for the last decade or so? Character assassinations on white people, conservatives, Asians, Jews, and the like. Riots following the death of a black man at the hands of a white man or the police. The rise of the “anti-racist”, Antifa and Black Lives Matter. A strong push to keep us divided along racial, political, cultural and ideological lines. Take what happened in Europe and multiply it the world over, because it’s not just relegated to our neck of the woods, this is worldwide. This division is now focused on fear. Fear of a virus that has a 99.97% survival rate. The divide is no longer concentrated on color or politics or culture. It is focused on “othering” those who don’t live in fear of an illness. It is now a common theme that those “in power” can use to manipulate and control the masses. 

The last time fear controlled the world, the Allies won. But what of this time? Will freedom win? Will good people stand up to fight this tyranny? Will these “hard times” make strong men? Have we learned the lessons of WWII? Do enough people remember? Will we be a free people? The only way we can win is to face down our fears and stand strong in our resolve. To Stand Up, Stand Out and Be the Light. Resist the urge to “other” anyone for any reason. Be at the ready to defend at all times, even when, no especially when it means putting yourself in harm’s way. To challenge ANY ideology designed to divide with one that UNITES. The only way we win is to keep speaking up, keeping standing up and be bigger and louder than the bully pulpit. And not just stand AGAINST this tyranny, but to stand FOR something good. To be willing to fight this with ideas that UNITE, to be willing to offer REAL solutions and  something better. It’s not enough to defend, we MUST build a solid foundation of MORALS and TRUTH. And somehow, we will get through this, hopefully somewhat intact.


Blessed Be Everyone.

Stand Up

   Stand Out

      Be the Light

-Miriam the Levite