What is essential is invisible to the mind.

Tuesday, August 22, 2000

What is essential is invisible to the mind. – Mr. Roger’s motto

My Tao daily meditation book points out, "Each of us who has intelligence and ambition has profound desire. We want things. We devise strategies to get them … the follower of Tao knows how to eliminate desire, accept personal shortcomings and work toward a patient elimination of the mind’s own hunger for outward satisfaction."

I think this takes time, and perhaps it was easier to "eliminate the mind’s hunger for outward satisfaction" when enticing people for product consumption was not what our society was about.

As a kid we had the Sears Christmas catalog to satisfy our hunger for "things" as we penned our letters to Santa.

But hasn’t that changed.

Part of my own elimination of my owns minds hunger for outward satisfaction has been an even greater reduction in television viewing where folks are constantly bombarded with new and amazing items that you can’t live without.

Cars are a good adult example.

But it’s the kids I feel sorry for. – wearing the right shoes, the right hat, the right clothes, bike, Walkman, stereo, television.

I remember a professor telling us in an alternative lifestyle class in the early ’70s of studies that revealed a higher level of creativity of students living in the slums of Harlem – because they had to create their own fun – they weren’t burdened with all the material items that more affluent families subscribe to.

It made sense to me. It still does.

Looking around Austin today, I see some new faces, signs of new life. Pedaling my bike I see people playing volleyball down by the Mill Pond court, people I assumed to be Vietnamese or a Southeast Asian team, speaking in their own language playing an Hispanic team, most of them speaking Spanish, both sides enjoying the play together, no arguing, each side making random substitutions, playing good volleyball and having fun.

And it wasn’t organized formal play – a relief.

When I drive to the mall there always seems to be a group of what I suspect are mostly Hispanics shooting hoops and they always seem to be getting along.

I’m also seeing some beautiful flower arrangements on the front stoops of houses in old neighborhoods some, I suspect are homes of Hispanic families or other minority residents and I see the pride these homeowners or renters take in their surroundings.

The little garden in front of the Downtown Motel with the bright flowers on display is alive and well.

These porch flowers, for some reason, appeal to me more than the 400 flower baskets that were purchased in mass and watered by miniature water truck(s) – pretty, yes but almost institutional in nature.

When I lived in Riverside, Calif., I used to drive through Casa Blanca, the Hispanic community, to admire the building art and graffiti – a powerful expression in art but a "bad element" here in Norwegian country.

How challenging it must be for our "native" population to witness all these new and exciting cultural expressions against the background of subdued everything.

It also pains me to subjugate the "problems" in Austin to the "changing face" of Austin. These so-called "problems" have existed since Austin came into existence, in fact, wasn’t Chauncie Leverage, the founder of Austin, murdered in a saloon? My uncle was after leaving one in the mid ’50s when we were all white.

I also think its important that we recognize the stages of life we pass through as we move through life and our own adolescence, our first years as young adults and the age (sometimes inappropriate) expressions where young adult years are not respected unless one marries, settles down, gets a good job and goes to church.

But even in "good families," abuse occurs.

Aren’t one in four women abused in our society, even in Minnesota, maybe even Mower County and perhaps right here in Austin?

This abuse seems to reach across America.

I once talked to a counselor who had worked in Washington, D.C. She said I wouldn’t believe the number of women who call in abuse reports there but couldn’t say who they were because of who they were – mostly women married to men with high profiles.

I really intended to write about the movie "The Replacements" I watched with my son, Skyler. It’s a brilliant example of male aggression and the exploitation of women, instilling unloving desire, especially for the young minds who wonder. I found it pathetic and somewhat vulgar.

I respect JOe Lieberman for his voice in these affairs.