Topic #1
I took out the spiritual cognitive therapy stuff on the last post and a reader wanted to know why.
In that post we were talking about how people cope with crises, and I suggested that when you lose your job, one of the things you might do, if you have a spiritual side, is to use that side to your advantage. I think there were three ways to do this in the long footnote that's now history.
I deleted it because I felt it took away from the post, made it all about religion, which gives the wrong impression. One thing I'm not, I hate to disappoint anyone, is all about religion. Sometimes, however, it creeps into my posts, my beliefs, maybe even, dare we say it, a little spirituality. I've even referred to the "Old Mighty," the moniker my grandfather dubbed his higher power. My grandfather was European, didn't always catch the nuances of the language, or so we think. He also said he was hard of hearing when my grandmother talked to him.
Anyway, what I left out, one of the things I deleted, was a quote from someone I admire.
This young woman attended a funeral and it changed her life. She listened to the many things said about the deceased, a guy who had suffered most of his life. He suffered with illness and poverty, had difficulty supporting the family he loved, that loved him. He devoted himself to doing "good" to doing things for anyone who needed him, the family, the community. He worked selflessly, no money, no job success, no fame outside of his deeds. Mainly he helped others for very little in return-- the type of person who has nothing-- but they rob him anyway, twice. True story.
"Maybe we suffer," my friend said to me, "so that when we die, others will hear stories about us, and they'll learn what it really means to live." Or something like that.
For the life of me I can't remember what the other two spiritual cognitive strategies were. Does anyone else?
That's how spiritual I am.
Anyway, there's nothing good about death, not usually, except perhaps when there's too much suffering, and there's nothing good about war and senseless killing, which is why I'm posting #2.
Topic #2 Flotilla Passengers Shooting at Israeli Soldiers
I can count on one hand the number of times I've discussed Israel on this blog. Actually, one finger.
At the time I was in Israel and scud missiles from Gaza dropped on cities only a few miles away from me. I thought, "People in America just don't know, they don't get it. The Palestinians are not the defenseless people they're made out to be in the media. They get weapons from other nations who have much to gain in a war against my people."
Anyway, today I hear that Israel is on the defensive once again, this time for intercepting a ship bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza. As a rule these ships are intercepted to ensure that the flotilla do not carry arms to Gaza that will be used against the Israelis.The top paragraph of the Jerusalem Post:
It didn't happen peaceably, the humanitarian drop. First fire came from the flotilla, not the Israeli Defense Force. But that's not the coverage you're going to hear on television, I can guarantee.
But if you're Jewish, you get all kinds of email about Jewish things, and today the email was all about what happened, complete with links to Youtube.
First, if you're interested, read the story by Yaacov Katz.
Then go to Youtube. Experience war.
Okay, feel free to shoot the messenger.
therapydoc
