There once was a good king choosing an heir

There once was a good king who wanted to ensure that there was an heir to his kingdom. He didn't have any children, and he was growing old. But being a democratic type, a kind of egalitarian, he decided that he would invite anybody who was interested in the job to come to the kingdom. in order to really make it equal, before they were to come up and be interviewed for the job, he provided an amazing wardrobe room for everyone to choose from. Everyone could wear whatever they wanted to wear; no one was going to be shown up as less than someone else; they could appear as their best.

So the great day arrived, and a huge stream of people came through the gates, excited by the idea of being king or queen. The king and his minister were waiting patiently in the upper chambers as people first enjoyed the bathhouses, then enjoyed special perfumes if they chose, then the dress and the jewelry. Of course, the king didn't want them to go hungry as they waited, so they were graciously supplied: all the food that they might like. All the people were milling around, flirting, admiring themselves, and also criticizing. And again, the king didn't want them to go bored, so they were also enjoying puzzles, games, and so on.

Hours went by. The king and the minister wondered why no one came up. They could hear the sound of people having fun, fighting and playing and the whole deal.

Finally, it got quiet. The king sent the minister down. When he came back, he reported that sadly, everyone had left - and they had taken the remainder of the food, the clothing, and the jewelry. They were full, they were tired, and they forgot why they came.

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This is a story about us. Every day - maybe every hour. We forget why we're really here. But every moment is an opportunity to ask ourselves and remember.

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- from a talk by Tara Brach, "Realizing Your Deepest Intention", dharmaseed.org

Democracy is the worst

No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.  - Winston Churchill, speech given before the House of Commons in 1947

After Hurricane Katrina I went down to help do muck-outs - cleaning out all the mud and debris that had flooded peoples houses, the moldy drywall, everything down to the studs. I did this kind of work off and on from then through Hurricane Sandy. We worked with Habitat for Humanity and AmeriCorps, the Mennonites and the Baptists and the Lutherans, some volunteers on college break, some who had retired from owning construction companies and now traveled the nation and did only that. After all the chaos, you could stand in the sturdy framework of an empty house, and as volunteers started to put up walls again, see how life could continue. As I looked for my own first house, I stood in many and thought about how that framework could look, ranging from bare bones, to disaster, to full of life and family.

A functioning government is like a house: a basic sound structure you could see yourself living within, if you can look past the mess.

Zen Dogs & The Wisdom of No Escape

I went for a walk with a friend to the book store on the Sunday before Election Day 2016, and I happened to pick up two books. One was a photo collection of relaxed puppies called Zen Dogs. It rested on my coffee table, rode peacefully with me in my backpack, then made a therapy visit to the break room at work. I called it "psychological first aid." Try this one out:

The second book has seen a lot of use these past three days as well:

What I Learned as a Broomball Referee

I like trying odd jobs and seeing where they take me. At one point in college I was a broomball referee.

I ended up at the ice rink because I was learning to play hockey, to spend more time with my dad. Getting the referee's perspective sparked my interest. But I was just a beginner at hockey. Why not try it for broomball?

If you're not familiar with broomball, picture all your college friends going to the ice rink after a night of drinking, and skidding around on their sneakers, chasing after a ball with whatever they can grab to push it around - sticks, brooms, their feet - making up the rules as they go along. Then take that, and make it an extracurricular.

"Friends" social media as your virtual living room

Picture everyone in your "friends" social media circle at a big (virtual) house party. The space is shared by friends, acquaintances, family, mentors, mentees. Each Comment, Like, and Share opens the door to other friends to walk in.

Let's say I open the door to my or my friend's house and let in someone who ends up being extremely rude, ignorant, upset or vitriolic. I'd consider it my responsibility to talk to them, and if I have to, remove them from the living room. I picture the faces of everyone I know who hears such words as if they were sitting on my couch, stunned, hurt, or waiting for my reply. What's the right response?