Wake Up America (10 Time Bombs of Enlightenment)

8/14/2019 Wake Up America (10 Time Bombs of Enlightenment)

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Nothing has Changed since MLK, Jr.

Preface No. 1

Well that appears to me to be a kind of socialism for therich and rugged hard individualistic capitalism for the poor.

Excerpt, in response to a question from the audience, from MLK,

Jr.s The Other America speech at Grosse Pointe High School,

Michigan, March 14, 1968, three weeks before his assassination.


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I just saw this news bit in February, 2009. The commentary

really hit me hard.

Back, at a time when Martin Luther was describing thestate of economic affairs in the USA, he was also preaching about

equality and freedom for people of all colors. However, in the

context of this discourse, he was referring to a Federal bail out of

the agricultural industry where the Government was paying

farmers not to harvest certain crops by way of a subsidy. Sound

familiar?! And in the same breath, these monetary recipients were

stating that black workers should pull themselves up by their own

bootstraps to be successful. Quite a contradiction, if not

hypocritical opinion. So, the Reverend King simply pointed out

this discrepancy, and hence, the truth. And they tried to kill the

truth, but only the human body was snuffed out......

Return to today, in a moment of historical crisis where

highly paid and professionally deceitful businessmen, like Madoff,

Nadel and a host of unsolved others, who contrive Ponzi schemes

to defraud the public, abound, what is essential for reflection is

these insightful words of a wise man whos only goal was clarity of

purpose. With the weight on our new Presidents shoulders for

past wrongs done by Americans, and still being inseminated, there

rings an imperative upon which we the people must stand up,

accept responsibility for the truth, and act in that light. We shouldno longer tolerate complacency for banking executives crooked

deeds. There are no repercussions or recompense for the loss,

except possible imprisonment of the bad guy. And we have

already allowed $300 billion in 2008 to be awarded these fine

individuals to meet their year end bonus plan of corporate retreats

and charlatan budget entry shortfalls.

As of this date, no evidence exists to corroborate the

strategy of dumping the randomly designed number of 700 billion

dollars on this broken financial system. The experts said we had to

pursue this strategy or the system would have collapsed. Plus, this

trickle down theory would free up liquidity to loan. As a locally

small contractor remarked about his company recently, Give the

money to me; I can supply jobs for people. Instead, I had to fireover half my staff. Does not that sad tone ring in your ears?!

Banks are still not infusing any cash into the broken system or

lending to the small business owner to survive, and we are at the

beginning of the third quarter, July 1, 2009.


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Here it is full circle: we all need initial support to get a leg

up in this modern day depression. And I mean emotionally, most

importantly. Yes, the funding will help. But the crux of the matteris within. What makes a mediocre football team make it to the

Super Bowl, like the Arizona Cardinals? Chemistry, coaching,

tapped talent, teamwork, spirit, and more. What I heard those

players and coaches say in interviews this year was basic: you

have to believe in yourselves. See the dream; be the dream; live

the dream. Without the appropriate relief on this front, we will

become demoralized as a nation, and this ripple effect will spread

like a pandemic disease.

That is why the outpouring of millions of folks, with

diverse backgrounds and of many cultures, to watch the

Inauguration gives me hope. Its the difference in making this

country what it will become. Lets avoid the extreme separation of

classes and focus on assisting our fellow man or woman in need.

All for one, and one for all, as the four musketeers declared. Thatmight be the best game plan we have. I suggest we contemplate its

meaning and not let another 40 years go by with a certain famous

leader, like MLK, Jr., being quoted in paraphrasing an analysis of

the same unfortunate state of affairs then that exists today. Is this

forecast for our future, if not worse???

Fix It(Reference to SNL weekend update, 11/08)

Preface No. 2

Since the federal bailout debate, I have forgotten my own

preaching of re-creating a new society, as further enlightened in

Wake Up, America, the treatise that follows. I must re-ask thequestion: who are the new heroes of the 21st century??

AIG, Bear Sterns. Lehman Bros., Merrill Lynch, Wachovia,

and a host of other failed institutions to come? Federal buyouts

with our tax monies to save the day? Who are we kidding??

Why? The experts predict that the old school method would have

a major impact. On what?? As my wife reflected to me, at the endof last year, we allow the capitalization of profits but the socialized

approach to losses. Again, sound familiar? Are we communist??

Thats a hell of a rationale to offer us lay people who work, rather

slave, hard for what we get humbly in the trenches. No one

initially bailed out GM, Ford, or Chrysler in the blink of an eye.


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Instead, Congress scrutinized them like the IRS crawling up your,

well, you know what. Maybe they should have approved some

small measure of comfort. But no, last year as a farewell, toappease the unions, George W. had to save the day with a morsel

of crumbs not even fit for a mouse.

In 2009, President Obama had to attempt to salvage the car

czars, an American institution, like baseball, and help the failing

unions in association therewith. At least give them a last chance at

making a go. Now, two big companies are filing bankruptcy. Why

didnt we let the banks go under in this same way? I dont want an

ownership interest in a private group liquidating. Ill get 5 cents

on the dollar, and then they get a clean slate to start over and make

more money from scratch, as they wave bye-bye to me with my

nickel in my pocket....

Why dont we the people join this ridiculous party of

leaches. Theyre parasites, really. We all could use a bailout inthese uneasy, hard times. I mean we should have let them all fall,

crumble. Screw um!! As we can see, this horrendous theory of

economics has its flaws and weaknesses at the taxpayers expense.

For whats the worse that could happen?! There is all ready

new heights of unemployment, unbelievable levels of foreclosures,

and, for all intents and purposes, were in the tank. No punintended as gas prices have gone through the roof. We cant keep

passing the buck and the responsibility for bad decisions. For

deceitful stock practices. For untrustworthy service providers. For

corporate fraud on a subversive daily basis. All our dollars and

cents are spent rebuilding another country. Why not transport all

our resources there and start afresh?! Seriously, lets pick up and

move to where we invest billions. Just like the old Westernfrontier. We obviously dont give a hoot about this ole US of A.

Divided were fall, united we stand. But its difficult to wobble

about on one wooden leg thats infected with termites. Why do

you think the rest of the international community mocks us. We

are such an easy target for terrorists reproach. And, unfortunately,

it is not our ACTION that speaks louder than words because

theres no method behind our madness.

Before, a long time ago, the framers of the Constitution,

politicians of the Revolution, the Continental Congress, the

minutemen, who fought and shot the sound heard around the

world, started this original revolutionary bash against the mightiest


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warrior of the colonial times..... And what did they do first??

They thought about it. They aligned themselves to what was right,

truthful, filled with integrity, and that which would pursuefreedom, liberty, and happiness for all involved. Not just out for

themselves. Or the quick buck!!

We didnt have to bail them out, rectify a half-ass job, take

over when no one was watching or oversee their misdoings. They

were good down to the bone. And they convened as a community

and processed a plan that was actually workable for the people,

who wanted to live the same ideals and within that new precious

environment they had hoped to create. Yes, create!! They were

demigods creating a society for the betterment of all. So we could

all feel good about ourselves. We could all live freely without

prejudice and hate and persecution. We could all express our own

uniqueness without fear of harm and death. We could all live in

harmony, peace and joy. What happened since then?? Were all

dying, withering on the vine.....

So whats next?? Whats the band-aid solution?? Isnt that

the problem?? Short term answers for long term realities. The

original thinkers of the 1700s were not short sighted. They saw

deep into the future. Even our complete legal system rests on one

document. The Supreme Court revolves around the Constitution

fully. Too many exceptions have been pushed under the law.White collar criminals walk away scott free with a bundle in their

pockets, and then fire their entire workforce. Laid off!! After 10,

20, 30 years. Without any healthcare benefits. Even pension funds

are failing. You know, pull the good ole bait and switch, but as you

sit there comfortably in you quaint little home hoping to relax and

enjoy, finally, the fruits of your labor, we regret to inform you that

youll need to begin searching for another career position as whatwas left in the kitty to assist you into old age has been squandered.

No one cares about you anymore. Dog eat dog once again. What

the....., as my teen nephew says.

So whos running the show?? You or someone in whom

you had thought you placed your trust and faith. No longer.

Today, yes now, is the time for another form of rebellion. Not withguns and the primitive instruments of the past. But with love and

good will toward others. We are forced, coerced, to an action long

over due. I am grateful for the morass the higher ups have branded

us with. This stigma provides more incentive to carry on together

as ONE from the lower classified ranks.


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At one time, I too used to be a rape and pillager. As a

lawyer, I made $150 an hour, on the average. Now as a teacher, Imake $5-10 per hour. What a shame. In my honest belief, there is

no nobler position than teacher, educator, nurse, or whatever

worthy subject matter, similarly situated. Of course, chasing

green-backs has some perks, but only if you deserve it according to

the relative appreciative factor. Most of us do, but arent given our

day in court. As a result, we must accept what is. I say BOSH!!

Accept nothing! Only what should be: the what is making me

happy in life formula. I shouldnt be confined to an area where I

have to beg, steal or borrow my way into the ranks of survival.

Who is the big bad English nation to rebel against in

2009?! We are those barely trained men in Concord, Mass.,

listening to the echoes of Paul Revere. The British are coming!

Even better, Im instructing that theyre right behind you. So

before you run in fear or hand over your wallet in the symbol ofyour life savings, think again. Take a deep breath. Look around

and contemplate. Feel the vibrations of your heart. Listen. Whats

it saying? Be open. Be mindful. Be positive in your analysis.

Revolution is only curative if developed in truly soulful

understanding. Whole. Balanced. Loving. Caring. Conscious.

Deliberate. Thoughtful. In light of the greater source. Emanated

out from the inner being to reflect the desires and passions of yourGod, in goodness. Believe in that feeling, reach out to the

mountain top, stretch to touch the stars, and your life will change

and improve. In accordance with you true self. How perfect. But

first, we must modify being crushed, stamped upon, and burdened.

The American Revolution began with the abolition of the

Stamp Act. In a bizarre analogy, todays rebuilding is a mirrorimage of stamping out corruption, whipping out fear, overcoming

obstruction. In the end, let the big companies take their hit. Let

them experience bruises and restructure in normal bankruptcy. We

are already hurting and their loss is our gain. Lets stop buying,

paying for, their failure. The wealthy of this nation will recover.

But regardless, in each scenario, we, the average person, doing our

best with what we have got, will be stamped down even more. Wesoon will be filing a new form of bankruptcy .... of the soul.

LETS REPEAL this so called STAMP ACT thats

penetrating our very core and diminishing our worth. We are of

value. We have inherent self-esteem. Each of us has inherited


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something special that only each of us can release, expand, and let

grow. We cant afford to carry the wealthy anymore on our backs

to purgatory. They arent letting us grow into our true selves. Inshort, the environment is stale and suffocating. Without that

support structure in place, we will surely perish. Forgive any

doom and gloom sermon here. Just plain facts. Hear now the beat

of the drum of your own heart calling you to reform in your own

way. We are soliciting help. Each must give for constructive

purposes. Lets re-frame a document blessed to re-protect the

freedom of all of us in these grand States, United, for America.

At this stage, I direct you to a new initiative that follows

entitled, Wake Up, America. May it prove a source for further

enlightenment......

Wake Up, America

(A treatise)

Note

I originally wrote the first draft of this pamphlet back in

2002, and but for lack of courage or whatever, I buried it in some

drawer in my filing cabinet downstairs. I have since updated it a

tad. However, I sensed I was afraid of how its message mightaffect my start up business at that time in terms of adverse

feedback. But, in reality, my personality is such that I wanted to

avoid any conflict and not stir the pot. Now, I feel compelled to

pursue this theme once again as some things have not changed, and

it strikes a renewed nerve. My teeth have become so sensitive of

late. The doctors are not able to diagnose the problem. My ears

have developed a subtle ringing even. But, I know the medical

mishaps have to do with my stress over this subject. So like Walt

Whitman, or Johnny Appleseed, I bare the sacred cloak and mantle

and prepare to disseminate throughout our global network and

lines of communication in a promise of truth......a message......to

justify the means and the end, all in the present moment

The New Introduction

Like Judas Iscariot, like Benedict Arnold, like myself, I feel

that I am betraying my trained background and fraternal

compadres with whom I used to conspire and associate in my

previous life. Yes, I was a lawyer and businessman for almost ten


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years. What I saw disturbed me; what I did was disconcerting;

what I represented was a sad collection of humanity behind the

mask of a legitimate business. So in that light, let me spew forththe secrets that most see and most ignore, but prefer to remain

untouched by the reality of whats out there. (I expound on these

insights in the following ten sections entitled, Time Bombs.)

As a scary decision, from this instance onward, no one will

approve or accept you if you alter your position from the current

wolf in sheeps clothing that you wear today. If you decide to

change, relinquishing the label as one of the inclusive us, which I

know to be a farce, you will be actively rejected and abandoned by

the exclusivity of this Club. I know since I grew up in one, an

upper middle class country club environment. Let me expound

further beyond vague references, in spite of the tomatoes being

thrown at me on this hyperbolic stage.....

It is with a heavy heart and a sense of futility that I havecreated this sliver of what, I believe, to be a tome of thoughts,

expressions, and feelings on the following issues that have plagued

America throughout the ages. As an open vessel, I implore you,

the reader, to re-examine this basic tale of society, and in

particular, war: from Alexander the Great, to Caesar, to the

American Revolution, to the World Wars, to Korea, Vietnam, and

Desert Storm, to todays terrorist campaign. (A situation whichmakes you forced to live a life in which you are afraid to let go

because of the fear and insecurity draped around it.)

I am not a historian but I do know this: we have been

fighting for freedom for a long time. Not just from evil, like

terrorism, but from every disease or plague, from slavery in all

forms, from each other, from ourselves. Its never ending and verytiresome. We have come to a new millennium and a critical time

to decide anew. We must weave a new world fabric, and it must

begin at home in America. That is why my heart weighs heavy

because the average person does not realize that they have the

fortitude within him or her. The process begins with someone

special with a strong character, full of integrity and simple faith,

which may be me, but in all likelihood, refers to you.

As this war affects Americans immediately, and in

particular, in New York City and Washington DC, there were civic

personalities that have been carrying us through those catastrophic

times (and I allude specifically to 911): the firemen and women,


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all those police personnel who gave their lives, and ordinary

volunteers going beyond their day to day chores. If we need to

learn anything about that tragedy, it would be to observe thesepersons examples. We should interview each and every one to

determine how they tick, and listen, then digest what we are

starving for from their truths and begin restructuring our lives

around that. Then we can begin weaving this new fabric.

I would imagine their perspective to be one of a certain

Martin Luther King, Jr. or Jesus of Nazareth. He was a carpenter

and lived from moment to moment. He ate what he needed, he

performed his duties when needed, and he wore only what he

needed. He relied not just on his heavenly Being to provide, but

also he relied on his fellow human beings. Again, I refer to this

connection as a weave, a fabric of cloth, in which we are all

interwoven between and among ourselves.

When the tenants in downtown New York were displacedfrom their homes, who took them in? Their neighbors did. (This

includes their family, and moreover, the proverbial we.) Who

fed the working fire people and police force that came from all

geographic areas to help repair the damage in that horrible scene?

We did. (Or rather, local restaurants and volunteers from across

the nation that brought food and drink.) Dont you see that we

provided for each other? We can together. We worked hand inhand, side by side. And we sure dont need another bombing to

make this a daily occurrence.

What was done at the Pentagon and the World Trade Center

was a result of hatred. I do not condone it. However, I believe this

incident gave us a vision through this bizarre situational

microscope. We got to see what firemen/women and policemen/women do everyday. We saw the lives of a multitude of Jesus

personalities. We witnessed communities come together. We

experienced a love in a world that is in a poorly woven condition.

We desperately need new cloth, and that can only be sewn from

within. If each person could grab hold of one small particle or

edge of the blank template of this cloth and start weaving their own

thread, no matter what type, thickness, color, strand, orshape.well.theres the mosaic vision.

If we can start in this way with a new common purpose, I

think there will be revealed about and around us a more beautiful

American design. But again, each of us must be worthy and true


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on the inside to play a positive role. Otherwise, the fabric takes on

hurtful strains that make it look like it currently does: the state of

our torn nation.

Take for example a bakers dozen of problems that arise in

our conversations every day at the coffee shops or book stores but

are not publicized because they suggest the untouchable sores of

the walking wounded, lepers, that we fear to confront:

1. The War on Iraq, i.e. Terror International, which continues to

snuff out the lives of our soldiers, that amount to thousands per

year and costs hundreds of billions of dollars. (Again, as guised

under policies of liberty and freedom, the only resultant outcome

has been the doubling of gas prices that is helping to cripple our

economy and make oil and gas barons wealthy.)

2. The apparent questionable role of politicians who play in self-

dealing: receiving huge government contracts where there areobvious conflicts of interest.

3. Tsunami and Katrina: powerful examples of the devastation

due to the unpredictability of natures wrath.

4. The white collar crime (like the ENRON debacle), which

screwed seniors from their life savings, and forced them back intothe working field.

5. Bogus church groups and other stepchildren of falsity that use

religion to defrock.

6. Identity theft and consumer credit fraud each year that amounts

to billions of dollars.

7. The Wall Street dot com financial bust that left us hovering

above recessionary levels since 2002.

8. The bailout of Bear Sterns Investment Group with our tax

dollars setting a new precedent for high end economic deception:

not just corporate icons taking golden parachutes to jump shipwith millions just before the companys failure leaving us to

hold the bag, but with the added proviso of our government

subsidizing this action.

9. The $700 billion government bailout package which has gone


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unaccounted.....where we might recover 20 cents to the $1.00 in 10

years, best case, after having set up a RTC like entity paid by

taxpayers and that will re-hire the wall street crooks as consultantsto advise this agency since they were the ones who created this

debacle. As a result, they make money on the back end too.

10. Poverty thats close to the worst in the world.

11. Multiple diseases, which kill without mercy and affects larger

groups of people each year, running the spectrum from kids to

seniors.

12. Homelessness of children and adults that is appalling.

13. Uninsured families that receive sub-par medical treatment for

chronic conditions, which lays the foundation for a busted

healthcare system.

14. Sexual molestation and abuse of minors from trusted adults

like priests, coaches, friends, relatives, or family members.

15. And forget the statistics on murder, rape, road rage accidents or

drunken driving deaths, drug addiction and overdoses, and

suicide (since mental illnesses still goes hardly noticed in spite

of the 400% increase in adolescent suicides).

PS. Take the untimely demise of Heath Ledger, David

Carradine, and Michael Jackson, and the questionable

promulgation of prescription medication via licensed doctors

pushing the drug companies agenda.

(NOTE: And who pays for all this morass?? Taxpayers!! Always.What kind of fabric design do you think we have created and

continue to promote for ourselves in the technological and digital

age??? Things are moving too fast without much contemplation of

whats happening at this second, or without even a break of

silence, to hear ourselves breathe.)

We need to go back to the firemen/women, the policeofficers, and the carpenters. When I was a boy, thats who I

wanted to be. But as I got older, things changed. Why? Because

money issues surfaced, and I longed for what it could give me.

And not just the money, but the conditional value system of

restricted dependency that is attached to it. In other words, it


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straps your hands in a straight jacket and you feel trapped unless

you play the game. As a result, you sacrifice yourself and forgo a

way of life that would have helped you maintain the faithful courseof what and who you truly are at the core. Why do I have to suffer

to learn this? When one falls, we all fall. Thats who we are. That

should be America. Each of us represents that symbol, or at least,

we should.

Its a heavy task in this day and age because its easier to

just give in. The power machines and structures that exist hold

sway over us. We are still slaves to each other. The Civil War

taught us nothing, but how to kill each other with innovation and

fight better biological and technological wars? Come on! What

sense of freedom, peace, and harmony do we really have? How

much does one person really need? (Oh, yeah, right, maybe if I

were wealthy, I would be singing a different song. Let me tell you,

I live reasonably well, but I try to picture an existence as if

impoverished. What a real eye opener, which I could hardlyimagine in any reasonably comfortable existence.)

There, that should be it! Put yourselves in someone elses

shoes. Before you act, ask yourself how the person youre

affecting might feel. We need to relearn empathy and compassion.

We need not a physical revolution but an emotional resolution to

be reborn in every sense of that word. The time has come; yourtime is NOW!!!

What I elaborate from here I portray as ten (10) Time

Bombs to include in your decision making process. In an

unfortunate act, the terrorists forced us to see ourselves as we

currently exude globally. And not all of us, mind you, but most of

us. And we cant delete ourselves from this picture as co-conspirators in some tangential form. Even though the buildings

have been destroyed, lets rebuild that which we know to be right

with materials that we know to be true. In a leap of faith, detonate

your emotional lethargy to wake up !!!!!!!

Time Bomb #1 - Re-Examine Your Lifes Story

Examine your life! That seems like a very simple request.

But I bet if you tried to do it, that procedure is, as has been

paraphrased, It would be harder to put a camel through a needles

eye. There that concept is again. Its ages old and still unheeded.

But we have found those who can follow that example: the


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firemen/women who gave their lives for love, for duty, for another.

(This generic role model should also extend to our modern soldiers

overseas placed in harms way.) There are people in this world whohave accomplished this parable. We need to locate them and begin

asking them questions and LISTEN.

As I mentioned, as a kid I wanted to be either a fireman or

policeman. But as I grew up, I was led to believe by societal

forces (and I will not name each one that influenced me, but you

can figure out who and what they were in your own lives) that

money was God. So, you guessed it, I strived to become one of

those ambitious working class Joes. In my twenties, I looked for a

steady job that would pay the bills and give me a little extra to help

receive credit, mortgage a home, buy a car, stereo (and now, a flat

screen TV, cell phone, iPod, updated computer, HD network, and

video equipment including, Guitar Hero and Wii) and go out with

the boys buying dinner and drinks ever so often. In that, I found a

sense of financial independence.

However, what my job had become was something I was

not. As a lawyer, I would represent clients who coordinated the

issuing of loans to people in monetary difficulty, or individuals

who wanted to pay off their debt, or to live in retirement

comfortably, or to buy a house bigger in size than they could

afford, and the developers who could supply that. I was green andthrew myself in whole heartedly. I was polite, worked hard, and

competent. I actually cared. Yet over time, I became callous and

jaded. I was turning into someone I was not: from kind to mean;

from caring to careless; from creative to festering and verbose;

from joyful and loving to hateful and angry. I had to set aside my

professional training due to the societal stress and start fresh.

By way of a confessional, as I closed those above

referenced deals, below are a few illustrations of what I and my

associates would tackle and co-promulgate.

Scenario 1: A middle-aged couple with two kids have

maxed out their credit cards. The father is a plumber unable to

make a living because of all the bills he has to pay to everycollector, you can imagine, just to survive. He has a bad credit

history. But my mortgage broker client gives him a loan to

refinance their debt (pay it off) at a lower interest rate than his

15%. My client offers them 10%, saving 5%, but still well over

the going prime rate, 6.5%. The couple is satisfied because


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everything is consolidated into one debt, and, the kicker, they pay

no closing costs. Of course not, because these fees are all

(including a point at 1% of the loan amount and associated bankfees) financed in the loan. In other words, they still pay for the

costs, just over time in their interest payments.

For example, if they needed $30,000 to pay off their credit

cards, the mortgage broker gave them $40,000 which includes

$10,000 worth of his fees to do the deal. Even though they have a

lower payment, its still at a higher loan amount. Does that make

sense? Well, it wasnt my duty to say because I was hired only to

settle the transaction and record the documents, and not to give an

opinion. But, to make it even worse, to get this broker clients

business, I also had to agree to fraudulently modify the HUD-1

statement: one to show the borrower without certain bogus fees

the broker never disclosed, including the kick back the broker

received from the final bank that would service the loan, and then

another revise the HUD-1 to the final lender where the loan wouldbe placed with all the charges. My fee was only $250 per closing.

Who do you think collected the most on this legitimate

transaction? The banker brokers absconded with thousands.....

Scenario 2: An older couple only have social security to

rely on for retirement. They have both worked their entire lives

until 65 and just had some money invested in savings bondsbecause they were afraid of the stock market. They have their

home, but they took out a home equity loan to make repairs over

the years and used any extra money to pay off that. My bank

lender client offered them a new type of creative financing.

Without going into the technical details of it, needless to say, when

these folks die, the only thing they leave their children or heirs

would be another pile of debt. In other words, the inheritancewould end up zero, but instead became a negative number or less

than nothing, because all the equity in their house would be tapped

in the reverse. This loan was based on a inflated appraisal, which

reality later dictated to be of much lower value. The sale of the

home upon their demise didnt even cover all the outstanding new

debt.

Scenario 3: I was required to account for every one-sixth

of an hour on a time sheet for the law firm, which I did religiously.

I did not make up any time for stuff I did not bill; however, most of

the partners did. My hourly rate was $125 and the partners rates

were usually $250. There would be times when I would sit in a


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partners office for less than fifteen minutes and see that partner

mark two hours on his time sheet, classify it as a conference with

the associate on the case, and promptly leave for an early lunch.Then I would go to work the rest of the day or week researching

the case on behalf of this partner in charge, who then would deduct

my time and override it with more of his or hers. This

misrepresentation hampered my growth for truly and accurately

accounting for my time and was reformatted falsely by the partner

to allow the firm to bill the client at a higher rate. This negative

reinforcement also made it tougher for me to get ahead without

resorting to the same scheme.

So, enough elaboration.......

These few experiences made life hard for me to sleep at

night knowing somehow I was a co-conspirator in these unfair

practices disguised under a legal mask. And as we in America

know, there are other scams in different industries that we breathein every day. I dont mean just those perpetrated by the lower

classes of society, but by real educated people. (On a side note: A

whole separate book would be needed to elaborate on the constant

cheating and affairs by and among the office staff: lawyers with

secretaries, paralegals or court clerks, and clients.) With that

knowledge, I decided to change careers and to help others:

students. But even that experience was disillusioning in manyregards.

In this second stage of my life as a teacher, I realized that

the cracked framework lies beneath the scum of this earth and

has insidiously pervaded the very paradigms of the systems for our

youth. I left the realm of money and power as an attorney, and

began collecting the lowest paycheck I had ever received as aworking class stiff. An institution of higher learning hired me to

teach middle and high school kids. I had seen how the elementary

children behaved, which looked real fun, as they were still unsoiled

and genuinely curious about life. But since I didnt have an

official teaching certificate at that age level, I had to pursue private

schools. Suffice it to say, there was some overlap with my prior

life. In this newer environment, my fellow teachers and I facedsome of the following unsettling scenarios.....

Scenario 1: As a new teacher, who was initially unfamiliar

with the territory, I worked diligently from 7AM until 10PM on the

average staying up at night preparing for class and learning more


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about this new educational routine reading how-to resources. At

the end of the year, the kids were tough but good to deal with in

the larger sense, and I knew my efforts were making a difference.But not once, did I ever get a thank you or job well done by

my superiors or other administrators. I think they had forgotten

what it was like to be in the trenches because I felt like a delegated

servant jumping to their every whim or idea, in the form of an

order; or, being convinced to take on more duties, for free, so that I

was physically on campus almost every weekend. Now, I enjoyed

being with the students, but sometimes one needs a break. I soon

discovered that this was one of the reasons this profession, as noble

as it is, has a high turnover rate.

Scenario 2: My fellow teachers were totally inconsistent in

their dealings with the students and me. Consistency in discipline

is a must, I understood. I had heard this principle from my

supervisor. But I was the victim of the chairperson of the

department not supporting my rules or classroom environment.For example, she was guided by her need to be a popular teacher

and made fun of my policy of having students be to class on time.

In another situation, one minority student who had academic

problems was kicked out of school for plagiarizing, while another

unruly kid, whose parents were connected locally, received a slap

on the wrist for drinking on campus and shooting his fellow

classmates with a slingshot.

One day, we had a school meeting about honesty and

respect, and I discovered later that while the heads of the school

lectured on this topic, as we were all enclosed in the chapel facility,

they also had instructed other teachers, in cahoots with them, to

search the high school lockers for certain paraphernalia in question

at that time. Constitutional rights what? Invasion of privacy?What real lessons are we teaching our children? Like radar, the

students knew, saw and listened to what was going on around them

in spite of the administrations disguising.

Scenario 3: And the most troubling of all was the teachers

interaction among themselves, and the parents apathy toward their

childrens behavior. Some teachers, married or not, would haveaffairs and then bicker over things when they went soar. Some

threatened harassment suits. One new teacher had an affair with a

teaching couples husband and broke up the marriage, where he in

turned married this new teacher after a year. One teacher was

reprimanded for making snide remarks to the girls he coached


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because he allegedly looked up their skirts. Another teacher

started relations with several single parents of students. And

finally, at almost every parent teacher conference, no matter whatthe child did (poor grades, bad behavior, etc), the blame was

thrown always on the teacher or the school procedure as the fault.

And the school administration supported this denial perspective to

avoid negative feedback from parents, and at the private

environment, to insure their financial commitment next year. We

were like rats in a big maze scurrying about aimlessly to avoid

being unjustly targeted. No accountability!

Scenario 4: For academically weak students, a long term

teacher advised me to flush them through the system. Why?

Because what I was doing was requiring more parent conferences

than my co-teachers due to my giving kids lower grades, who had

received higher grades the year before. Not only did this action

make my co-workers look bad, but it showed a hole in the system.

Moreover, where access to firearms is unlimited, aka, Columbine,this same mentoring teacher instructed me to give the student the

B to avoid him or her coming back the next day with a gun and

shooting me.

Scenario 5: And lastly, discovered when one of my close

friends left for a higher paying job at the nearest public school for

a similar position, he remarked there was only 5 minutes to teachper class. He said he daily called a security guard to break up a

fight or some disturbance. In addition, due to all the bureaucratic

requirements, he couldnt teach anything except the test, which

the students had to take statewide. No wonder we have the worst

public education on the planet.

Now, I ask you, which one of these careers reveals what ismore damaging to our society?? When I am on my deathbed

looking back, is this effort what I have to be proud of? When those

firemen/women went up in the Twin Towers, did they understand

that they were responding with a true clarity of purpose and were

prepared to die then? What about the victims? These are hard

questions to ask, but ask we must. For to begin the new fabric, to

begin again, to go beyond just mere survival and pain every day,we must help each other. And this effort of love, an extension of

your frail being, will involve re-examining your life. This

reflection will involve quiet time. This analysis will require you to

slow down and really soak it all in and think, yes, think, about your

life. Think about YOU! What do you really want? Listen to your


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heart from within to find the answers.

Time Bomb #2 - Where Are You Going? Ask YourselfDirections!

By way of an analogy, lets examine our lives as one big

traffic incident. Let us pretend that we are Mr. and Mrs. Victims in

this court case. This is how the ordeal in the courtroom would

proceed hypothetically. In this light, it is important to reflect on

your thoughts, your feelings, and your arguments on your behalf.This contemplation will be the ultimate to a final resolution!

Stage setting: Mini-Court Room Drama:

The Issue: (As I stated, I practiced law for a while before

deciding to give it up to teach. If you will indulge me, I am going

to employ a few legal stunts, as you might see on Judge Judy or

Judge Joe Brown, to begin my premise about our current state of

affairs, as we argue our case in trial.)

Pretend we are in the courtroom before a real Judge. We

are the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, Mr. and Mrs. Victims,

who are prosecuting the case. The defendants, who are several

parties, include Mr. Hurry and Ms. Its Your Fault, as well as Mrs.

Deep Pockets. We are presenting the following issue: whether the

defendants are liable for damage to us, the plaintiffs, for

negligence, and in the alternative, an unconscionable act, i.e.,

against the norms of basic equity and moral justice.

The Prosecutions argument: I begin with the facts as best

we know them and use a black board to illustrate. At the

Intersection of Life, where Forward Ave. and Backward St.meet, our clients, the Victims, were driving their car. They were

trying to move forward on Forward Ave. There was no light, no

signs, nor police officers to direct traffic, and they simply wanted

to go straight through. But every car on Backward St. traveling

under the same traffic conditions would not yield or stop to let the

Victims move forward. That posed the dilemma. And note, there

was no option to turn back or seek another route as they wereunavailable.

After fifteen minutes of waiting, a reasonable period in

traffic, the Victims decided they had to do something. So they


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took matters into their own hands, knowing they must take full

responsibility for their actions, and they inched forward. But the

cars, trucks and buses on Backward never slowed down. No oneever looked their way to show any sign of concern.

After another fifteen minutes, they decided they had to

move ahead. And, bam! Mr. Hurry was smashed into on the side.

And then wham! Ms. Its Your Fault crashed into them from the

other crossing lane. And, here we have Mrs. Deep Pockets

stepping up and acting as the savior for the defendants by insuring

and indemnifying all their liability and loss.

As we present our case, we realize that with our clients

limited funds and resources, and since they were lucky to be alive

after surgery and possibly additional years of hospital care and

rehab, that things began to look rather dim. Here we have your

normal everyday couple, who pay taxes, work hard, obey all the

rules, and now become vegetables just because they wanted tomove forward on Lifes Boulevard. And what held them back?

Not themselves since they exhausted every remedy to improve

their situation. No, instead, the current world forces crushed them

and are prepared to beat them down now.

Since this case did not involve a jury, the Judge was the

mediator and final arbitrator. The Judge represented the symbol ofblind justice subject only to a higher force. However, the

sympathy we were trying to exude from this Judge, based only on

the facts, did not move him/her. We had to argue something more.

But what? What could we say to convince the Judge that our

clients want to move beyond being Victims in this world, and long

for a life free from anger, stress, hatred, and apathy.

Our time was up and it was the defendants turn to defend

their position.......

The Defense: The defendants didnt have a lawyer

representing them because they all believed they had done no

wrong. Mr. Hurry stood up and proclaimed the following:

Your Honor, I am here today because Mr. and Mrs.

Victims hit my car. I had many things to do that day, as I do every

day. First, I had to run an errand, then pick up some flowers, then

go grocery shopping, then do lunch with a friend, later start the

laundry, then pick up my kids for their sports games of soccer and


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basketball after school, then drop one kid off at piano practice, then

get them back home to let the other kids in, then go to the subway

to pick up my wife from work and dinner at the fast food place; Icould go on and on forever. I think you get my point.

They expect me to slow down from my busy daily routine

and stop, yes stop, for these people who have nothing to do but go

forward. Are they even productive in our society? It doesnt seem

like it since they have all this time. Obviously, my personal

concerns are more important than theirs are so I should not have to

stop on their behalf. No one else did or even would have.

Then he sat down disgusted as if put out, and Ms. Its Your

Fault took that as her cue to begin.

You see, Your Judge-ship, I was minding my own

business, doing what was asked of me by my boss and focused on

the road, when out of no where these Victims plow into my lane.Now, I dont care why they did it, or for whom they did it, or if

there was an emergency or whatever. I just want to be left alone

and not be bothered by this whole ordeal. I mean, cant we just

strive to keep the status quo. You know, business as usual. I know

Im not to blame, and I dont care again what happens as long as

my stuff is repaired back to what it was in the first place and I can

go on my way. Thanks.

I sat rather slumped over in my chair as I was getting a six

sense that since my clients initiated the action, we looked like the

bad guys. Next up was the big golden lady. I just didnt want to

hear it.

Your graciousness, may it please this court of holiness andgood, I am Mrs. Deep Pockets. Folks call me that because we

seem to have all the money. I even knew that for a fact, because

as standard procedure, you sue everyone but especially the one

with pockets that carried the figurative gold coins. And she

represented the insurance industry literally in her stead by

collecting years worth of premiums and hardly ever paying out.

I was served by the prosecuting attorney, it appears, for no

apparent reason to stand before you in this case. As he stated quite

simply, his clients, the Victims, ran into ongoing traffic to create

this suit. It is unfortunate that Mr. Hurry and Ms. Its Your Fault

have only reasonable salaries and that the plaintiffs only pursued


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us for our money. What a shame! We arent related to these

defendants and we have no connection with the plaintiffs. It is

absurd, and we have no need to speak further as we sincerelybelieve we hold no, not even an iota, of liability to anybody. Our

only role is a self-perpetuating and growing giant to feed our own

stomach and desires. Good day and good riddance to the Victims.

Wow! I thought. Short and sweet. I stood up to rebut

them all but the Judge motioned me to be still.

Your Honor..... I tried to speak.

He continued to look down and take notes as he ordered to

defendants in a monotonous tone, You may be excused.

But ......I ...... I stammered in a last gasp effort.

Please.....in the name of justice, it is not fair............

The Ruling: I slumped down in a cold wooden chair and

peered over at my clients, the Victims, who were huddled together

and shook in fear of losing their case. They had used all their

money to pay for the car damage, their lost wages, the continuing

hospital bills, and everything that might make things better. I

knew I wouldnt get paid either. I only believed and laid my faith

on the blind justice balance. Maybe, there was hope left. TheJudge had yet to make this statement.

We waited for some time before the Judge looked up and

started his monologue.

We live in a world that lies before us. We are ruled by the

rules that were crafted over the years by our predecessors. I amappointed to view your case as one from this world, not from

above or below, or even, extraterrestrial. In that light, I must rule

in favor of the defendants.

At that last word, my clients broke down in tears. My heart

sank.

It came down to the simple determination that you are

legally at fault. People are in such a rush to travel backwards and

thus dont care what direction they are going if only not to be

bothered by you or other worldly problems. And we all know that

those with a lot of money are the last to come to anyones rescue


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by reducing their portion of the overall pie. You see Mrs. Deep

Pockets would expend every last penny she has to not have to give

to anyone else a portion of her gold coins. She is alive for herselfand those that run her. Having said that, the defendants need to be

made whole due to your unforeseen negligence. For you changed

the environment. You moved proactively.

So you see, you are in the wrong world to move forward.

You will need to appeal to a higher force than I can afford. The

sad thing is you are stuck in this situation. The reparations are up

to you; again you must choose your next course of action. But

remember this, no one listens to only one person alone digging...

their own trench. You will need strength in numbers. An orchard

of forward travelers. Its really a matter of planting a multitude of

seeds. It starts small and grows beyond your wildest imagination.

I tell you this as no consolation to your loss today; but

rather, as the real legal ruling to this problem. There is noconscionable alternative on this stage. It is the best I can offer.

Good luck.

We had enough energy to acknowledge the Judge

respectfully on his/her departure, and looked at one another in a

bewildered way, and then hugged each other compassionately. We

realized the award of humility at that moment, for we had nothing.

And what a perfect circumstance to act without fear in the

future. We were prepared to ask the tough questions of ourselves

in tune with on our internal, heart-based guidelines. The

directional standards would come from there. Not in that court

room. What did we want and why? From there we could accept

the present and live in the present with only that expectation. Andlike determined farmers, we would begin reaping a wider audience

of friends than what we had been sowing.

Time Bomb #3 - Where To Start from Here?!

I guess the basic question I had to ask myself after several

years in the grind was simply, am I happy? Its that obvious. Andif you feel that living as you do as either the Victims, Mr. Hurry,

Ms. Its Your Fault, or Mrs. Deep Pockets is all you want out of

life, and that way pays the bills, and you may or may not have a

significant other, but thats OK, and you guess there is love in your

life because you have the kids to bond you in perpetuity, then best


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of luck. But part of that is called complacency or inertia.

I once asked my sixty year old high school mentor aboutlife. We were sitting around his desk after school one afternoon,

just the two of us, and I told him that I wanted to be like him,

which made him smile. I asked him two things: one, how do you

do it? And two, why dont you be a principal where I knew he

would be a greater influence and make a huge difference. He

chuckled and said that first, he has tried the best he could with

what he has been given; and second that he was complacent,

which he explained to me as being set in his ways and too old to

change.

At that moment I lost a little respect for him. I loved him

for all the rest he had done for me, in addition to his past and

current students, but I felt sorry for him for not having the energy

or will power to continue to act in change. If he would have said

that he loved his job and was perfectly happy, I would haveaccepted that answer much better because he WAS making a

difference for me in these trenches, his classroom. But maybe

there was something more like he was afraid to move forward. He

was afraid to become vulnerable, to surrender to the overwhelming

forces of this universe. Did he not have other dreams in this world

or for himself before he died? Looking back on it, he did give

more that he knew because he empowered my life to become ateacher, and I carry an imprint of his spirit with me to this day.

I guess what we need to examine is this: Is what youre

living truly you? Its hard to take the microscope to your life.

People would rather watch TV (I know I did) or drink (guilty) or

do something else other than sit down and relax and take some

time, maybe, ten minutes, to figure stuff out. Look deep insideyou. Are you the 21st century picture of Dorian Grey and melting

away under your skin while you look normal and sane on the

surface? Is whats inside of you bursting to come out? Let the true

fabric spin out of you like a self-propelled loom!

In my case, the catalyst was creative writing. I started out

as a shy kid who hung around the cool guys in school. I never didanything bad but was around or watched the activities happen.

Whenever I succumbed to peer pressure and did something bad,

like shoplift or cheat on a test, I always got caught. That was my

fate. Also, I bloomed late as a boy. I didnt know about the birds

and the bees until college. In high school, I studied too much.


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Later, girls became an obsession, or rather, a long phase. However,

through college and graduate school, my carousing became more.

I socialized and womanized well into my law experience. I wasthoroughly off track and wandering, using money and power to

leverage my position with women and improve my career.

Almost all my friends now look at me and say, I still cant

believe how much you have changed. Did you join a cult?! I

have tried to transform myself into who I really was and must have

been slowly doing it subconsciously as best as I knew looking

back. The turning point happened, and it erupted when I found

love. Usually you need a geiger sized trigger to get moving. She

was the right person and is wonderfully supportive. As my friends,

family and societal connections chastised me initially for my

chipping away at my previous real man persona, my wife then

and now stood by me. After several years, I have regained my true

friends respect, or instead, found out I never lost them, but just

that our friendship had evolved.

Ive been constantly changing ever since. The process has

been a struggle to be aware of ones true identity and some days

you slip, for were only human. In my case, I left the law, became

that English teacher, and then took a sabbatical to write creatively.

But how could I afford being an artist? Tapping into some savings,

I went to conferences, attended seminars, and read how to bookson the subject of self-publishing. And I became one of the first

childrens picture book companys in the country to produce 4-

color prints. Few outside my expertise and geographic region have

heard of me. Why? Cause Im a below average marketing agent.

I love to write but am not thrilled with running the business.

However, I still had some energy to break even every year in order

to survive.

Over time, I published several health resources for

hospitals and created programs for schools. The business unfolded

as if I hadnt any plan. I wasnt meeting any goals because I

hadnt really formulated any. I knew there was a methodology to

not recreating the wheel yet conducted it at my own pace. I

struggled with success as my family held the bar of success asbeing on Oprah, but I found that making an impact on those select

kids was enough. Since my wife had a job, we could make ends

meet. And I write every day. Someday, Ill get the strength to

(self) publish that diverse collection of other genres that remain in

my file cabinets. Regardless, helping children makes all the


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difference for me, and I can see the reward in their happy faces and

hear it in their positive comments, hugs and feedback.

Just know that in the beginning I sought outside support.

We are all frail, and its OK to seek the help from your family,

friends or others. By giving, you receive within the wellsprings of

your soul. That sounded a bit preachy. I do what I do to assist in

discovering me too. You may want to explore with a journal:

write down your feelings, or seek some professional counsel, or

talk with someone. It all helps. These are all stepping stones to

taking the ultimate path in your life. The transition takes a bit of

courage to face the unknown.

Once, I was being transferred by a rental car driver from

the car repair shop to the dealership when we actually were stuck

at an intersection. Almost like the Victims case. The cars in front

of us wouldnt let us in to turn. Nobody looked our way. Sound

familiar. The driver gazed at me and asked, Whats that about?Here I was in a real life Forward/Backward trial scenario. All I

could think about was that people are generally angry (as seen in

common day road rage) and seem to thrive off of a low level of

daily angst. We eventually turned after roughly five minutes, and

he told me some advice his single mom gave him when he was

growing up.

She said, Son, I dont care if youre shoveling poop in a

zoo, you do it the best you can. And he said he didnt believe her

at first, until people were saying hed never amount to anything.

But he proudly told me that he is doing it now, and had been, and

started out as a part-time driver years ago but now hes the head

driver. The higher ups ask me about everything now and my

opinion about what we should do, he concluded. And, he was infact good: efficient, polite, and competent.

Using this new model, I think the test is what my old high

school principal stood for, as he used to say, and I paraphrase,

Manners maketh men and women and We should strive for a

balance in our lives emotionally, physically, mentally, and

spiritually. And the standard is integrity. As defined by Webstersdictionary, integrity is the quality or state of being complete or

whole, of sound moral principle; upright; honest;

sincere. (Footnote: Websters New World Dictionary, 3rd

College Ed., Copyright 1988)


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If you can look at yourself and see if you are living in those

terms, I know you will find some issues that need to be addressed.

And if you discover some and are unsure of whether or not to dosomething about it, then I say to you, how lucky you are to be

alive! Can you imagine the horror those people felt, at and to their

very core, who crashed to their deaths in New York City or at the

Pentagon. We do not need that way of life. You can do something

about it in your own way. The rebirth always starts small, like any

plant seed, and grows and grows, if you keep watering your soul

with love and maintain a healthy perseverance. Thats a good way

to start. Be a gardener.

Time Bomb #4 - When you Gaze through Your Eyes,What do You See?

I once heard somewhere that your environment, that which

surrounds you, is a reflection of your true personality, i.e., who youreally are. Now, Im not talking about the case where you take me

literally, but that indeed is part of the context. Is the room you

inhabit cluttered and dirty, full of things that distract you from your

course? I believe that to be the question as opposed to do you see

all that glitters and fabulous riches before you? We all have a

level of comfort that we must have. And so we strive for that. But

while we are striving, are we also sucking off from the men andwomen who are truly in need? And are we abusing our good luck

in life that has been mysteriously apportioned to each his own??

Have we forgotten about the effects of positive energy?

Again, I go back to the interview with a fireman/woman or

policeman/woman. They are the modern day Jesus, Martin Luther

King, Gandhi, or whatever religious or non-religious personality

you feel honestly would fit this role model. If we can talk with

these real people, who gave their lives for total strangers, much

light would be shed on our daily troubles.

As an aside, I started painting. I am not very good at it, but

there is something about it that soothes me. I purchased an easel

and paints and draw whatever my mood is that minute or inspired

that day. In essence, I am reflecting my spirit on the canvas. I am

discovering a unique kind of beauty: the real me. The final

pictures may appear disconcerting at times but that is part of the

journey. I am purging my soul of that which I cannot comprehend.

There is no explanation, just feeling. I am no longer becoming


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Dorian Grey trapping everything inside me like some ice man, but

instead taking the paintings out of the attic and displaying them in

the light. Others may not appreciate them at first, but then again,they may not have my new sensibilities as I weave my newest

fabric. More importantly, they are for my growth and stimulation

and not meant for sale commercially.

I also have tried my hand at leisure reading (not business

related). I prefer classic literature and uplifting books so I tend to

stick with those. But I never was a good reader. My skills were

slow, and it would take me forever to finish even a small sized

book. Reading was very frustrating only because I had this

underlying feeling of failure that I should be doing something more

productive at that time, like doing the laundry, or cleaning the

house, or making a marketing call. Thats why I have taken toward

reading at bedtime because there are no distractions.

An epiphany in a nutshell. I cant enjoy any time readingduring the day because that time is unproductive from a tangible

perspective, for it doesnt make me any money, so to speak. Why

do anything that doesnt produce money? Or why engage in any

service to mankind, for your child or yourself, if you cannot see

any hard rewards. Reading is beyond the intangible! Out of it,

you travel far, experience new worlds, and see life from a new and

different view. In other words, you learn more about yourself andothers and how to express your feelings better. So now, I read

anytime I want. This desire is a state of acceptance that what you

may be doing this instant is just it, all there is to life. So what you

do all matters even if its not considered productive.

Physical activity can also induce the same reaction

physiologically. Whenever we exercise, our bodies activatehormones that maintain our equilibrium. Im talking about

walking, jogging, raking leaves or mowing the lawn. As a kid, I

played tennis. I had the worst temper but that exercise afforded me

an outlet to compensate for my anxiety in general. It also gave me

a chance to apply problem solving techniques, and participate by

being involved in a team sport to develop a sense of community. I

may not have been the best player on the circuit but I enjoyed theoutdoors and sun. I was grateful for a healthy physique then. Now

I long for that aerobic shape as I grapple with nutritional concerns

in my 40s. And our news media groups recognize obesity as the

next great epidemic.


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However, there it is facing you as the biggest barrier, the

largest wall, which you can never surmount, forget about ever

trying to climb it. And that phrase is as follows: you need money.My father once told me that money is my salvation. Whereas, my

father-in-law said that the only thing money gives you is that you

can suffer more in comfort. Either way, money overcrowds the

picture. The goal is to start anew. Lets begin the drawing of our

lives without money first, not putting it in the formula.

Youre responding in your gut that this approach is

impossible. I disagree. Lets look at a few simple examples of

passions in everyday life that do not involve the dollar as almighty.

(Granted you need a few coins to buy or borrow the initial

supplies.) In most cases, if youre living the dream, sometimes the

initial status will improve and your avocation will become your

vocation.

1. Writer-- need pen, paper and dreams.

2. Artistic Painter-- need paint brush, paper and imagination.

3. Basketball Player-- need basketball, public court, and physical

ability.

4. Football Player-- need football, open yard, and determination.

5. Tennis Player-- need tennis racket & balls, public court, and

love (my favorite sport).

6. Carpenter-- need wood, hammer, nails, and trade skills.

7. Fisherman-- need fishing rod, tackle, bait, and patience.

8. Gardener-- need seeds, mulch, and knowledge.

9. Fireman-- need hose, fire hat & suit, and courage.

10. Policeman -- need badge, training and dedication.

11. Barber -- need scissors, chair and school certificate.

12. Teacher -- need education, school and caring.

13. Nurse -- need degree, hospital and love.


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These are just some avocations that turn into vocations. Rather, if

you can merge your dream way of life with your day job, then youhave accomplished plenty. From the list of things mentioned, all

of them will bring a living in time.

So what do you do in the meantime? First, work with what

you know you have as talents or experiences. Calculate them.

Make a list and then try to narrow down the choices to your top

three. Now what? Well, we need to support one another and not

bury the other guy. It has been said that the new Messiah will

come to us in a form that we least expect. Have you been visited

by a messenger of the Messiah and turned them away? We should

be cultivating our own souls in this new light so that we are ready

and open to others. For who knows what we will face hereinafter.

The tally is here and now, and each day counts, no matter how

small the contribution. So, ask the universal forces how you can

help?

When I desired to switch careers and become a teacher, and

no one took me seriously, as I had no training and was still an

attorney, I volunteered at my church as a lay instructor for middle

to high school grade kids. I did it with my wife every weekend for

three years and further assisted non-profits in that related area at

their charity functions. These experiences and contacts led me tofinally becoming a teacher.

This same philosophy applies to every group. For those

who cannot afford healthcare, it should be provided by the rest of

us who can assist. There are groups who offer this arrangement

now. For those who cannot hire an attorney, there is the pro bono

service. There are many non-profits established to fill the gapswhere our government cannot reach. However, after reviewing the

most recent national crises, we, as Americans, are not sure where

that money is actually going and if any victims truly get actual

assistance. These things should be re-evaluated.

And that is the crux of the issue. Why should we have to

beg, be taken for granted, or second guess charitable work. If ourinner selves were whole, then our environment should be too. The

deduction simply follows. I am not espousing a communistic way

of life. We have survived on capitalism for years. All I am saying

is whatever system we have chosen, it should not tear and rip the

fabric of our community. We can adjust our capital society to


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maintain in moderation (and not extremes) the new fabric that we

will weave today.

Freedom does not exist everywhere in America. We are

trying to defend that precious concept across the globe. Yet we

should not overlook our own backyards. As was once uttered, we

need to take the stick out of our own eyes before we can see clearly

to dispatch the negative gossip we impose judgmentally and willy

nilly on another. My minister used to say, whenever you point

your finger at someone or something, there is always three fingers

pointing back at you.

Its an easy tool to remember that your completeness

should be continuously updated as you sew the new cloth. And

once we have come to terms with focusing on our dreams coming

to life, we will need some positive reinforcement to rely on. It is

through that process that our self-esteem, empowerment, and

emotional independence will grow and be fostered. We needmentors. And where can we go to find them?

Time Bomb #5 - Who are Your Great Influences??

How difficult to see beyond the humanness of our behavior

and reach out to our underlying divinity?!... But role modeling

unprofessionalism and hypocrisy, like some past Presidents in theWhite House, Governors of major cities, or even Mayors from my

region, provoke stumbling blocks to our society for what is right.

Yes, this ripple affect also reaches well into the sports arena,

celebrities, and many facets of our daily structures concerning so

labeled heroes, that in their own right are effective at first, but lose

focus, and we pay the price following their example.

We need to reflect back on our lives and ask ourselves who

were our greatest influences or who were the most meaningful

people to us. Again, the simplest way to do this is to take a piece

of paper and draw a line down the middle of the page. On the left-

hand side, write the person who had some positive impact on you.

And on the right side, write down what you think that was. To

make it easier, try to brainstorm names for the left list before youbegin on the right (unless you can handle this technique together).

In our lives, we must have had specific personal contact

with these persons. (In similar fashion, you could do this exercise

in the opposite way and discover all the bad people and how to


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avoid becoming like them. This method is an alternative and acts

as a process of elimination. In other words, it allows you to reject

what thread you dont want to use in your new fabric.) At first,you may not think a certain person was a mentor, but remember to

be open as you enter names on your paper. For sometimes, one

good characteristic can outweigh and rise above all the bad.

Lets see what you have discovered. Here was my list (in

its partial form):

Names Positive Influence

1. High School English Teacher Love of writing

2. Best Friend Love of reading and to

support my true self

3. Wife Total support, love and

respect of my life; increased

self-esteem

4. High School Music Teacher Love of music and to be a

good listener

5. College Tennis Coach Learned independence and

taking responsibility for my

actions

6. Elderly Lawyer associate Taught me the ropes and

made me feel apart of theteam

7. High School Principal Living example of how to

foster goodness and balance

in life

8. Father Taught me self-discipline

9. Mother Taught me to care for others

less fortunate


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10. Mom-in-law Showed me respect for my

artistic talent and enlightened

my self-respect

11. ME Trust my inborn source for

good

12. Barack Obama Revealed how hard work and

determination can make

miracles happen...

This list can go on or stop short depending on each of our

individual lives. When I reviewed my list, I noticed how only 3

persons in that list also taught me how to make any money or

cherish power, social status, or own expensive things. Without

thinking, my role models (not people I havent personally met)

gave me the tools to become the next 21st century fireman.

It is with these tools, which constitute my new trade, that I

can cope with my life. And as the new firemen/women, we must

become mentors to others and seek more mentors for ourselves as

we get older. Most importantly, we must understand how to be

vulnerable, i.e., ready and open to fearful changes and transitions,

and brave, i.e., prepared and courageous to figuratively die for

each other and our own causes. If we have that kind of conviction,then we have the characteristics of being fully alive.

As an example, my wife and I have taken up yoga. Sound

funny! Well, the most phenomenal thing has occurred. I can

stretch one inch farther since doing this nightly class once a week.

One buddy, who I hadnt seen in some years observed, Have you

grown or something. You seem taller. And I have scoliosis.Again, every form of growth takes practice. Moreover, my spouse

and I walk more together in our neighborhood. It allows us to

discuss stuff we dont have time usually. We even walk to local

restaurants for dinner on occasion as a treat. And, of course, we

walk back home as a respite before retiring for the evening, to

settle our stomachs. Every little stride helps.

With this under our belts, most will now be overcoming

fears and low self-esteem to become champions of their own

freedoms and passions. Love will play a magical part in this

transformation and will act as a source to further development us

as new empowered persons in this new world. We must each be a


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fruit bearing tree as our mutual orchards will begin to spread from

sea to shining sea and soul to shining soul.

Time Bomb #6 - Positive Attitude! Why?!

When I was a public middle school student, I was

considered lazy. I had normal schoolwork, average grades, but

preferred being socially in and hung out with the cool guys. I

didnt know it then and may not have known it now, but I had

some severe problems with reading and maintaining my attention

span. I wasnt hyper just unfocused. Then I took the entrance test

for the local private school and barely passed (they wanted to hold

me back a year) for the ninth grade.

I was so grateful for getting admitted to this tough

academically challenging school that I promised myself that Id do

the best I could with what I had as a result. I was giddy with

excitement and enthusiasm to start fresh and do better than sub-par

marks, which I usually received.

When classes began, I didnt care what anyone thought

about me and so I gave everything I had. I was a nobody with

nothing special. I participated in class, took notes, did all the

assignments, read every text, studied intensely and diligently; and

when the rankings were posted after a few months, I waspositioned at the top. I remained number one in the class (with a

4.0 GPA) for the entire year. When my classmates made fun of me

or tried to distract my goal, I just ignored them in a respectful and

pleasant way and kept to my program. In the end, they revered me

too, including my space, and stopped giving me such a hard time.

There, I developed friendly relationships, if not the most intimate

in my life.

When I re-examine that experience, I contribute most of

everything I did to my attitude. I had a positive outlook, never said

anything bad about anyone else, was enthusiastic and curious about

learning, and laughed and smiled a lot. I know that mental frame

of mind was the fuel and strength that maintained my course. I

could say it was my intelligence, but I was no smarter than anyother student in that class. My SAT scores were miserably low, so

how do you explain my grades? My consistent positive attitude,

reinforcing my pursuing this narrow path, nurtured me into

someone who was becoming smart. I didnt start that way, but

strove for it with a purely upbeat perspective. Your mind is


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incredibly powerful and gives you talents you never thought youd

possess. (On the flip side, your mind can also act to stall your

progress and throw constant static and obstacles in and along yoursteps. That deserves research on the ego and how deceptive that

id can be.)

Based on that. this is my speculation on what the new

America lacks. First, you need to believe in yourself. Doesnt that

seem like a catch 22? How can you believe in yourself if you

dont have any skills? Well, thats just it. You must have faith.

Give yourself a small dose of faith. Forget about what the future

holds. Worrying about unknown events lurking just prolongs

atrophy. Snap out of it!!! Remember, it may not happen

immediately. Small steps are required and that takes time.

Practice some patience. If you are having trouble still, visit

multiple and a diverse set of churches and try to understand the

meaning of faith. This is what you are creating. Your person is

becoming its own church and steeple with its own faith andspirituality. Your thread that you will weave in the interwoven

design of the new fabric of America begins here.

Second, you will need to think positive thoughts. If you try

and are happy with your efforts, look to what can be learned about

the experience. The other day rather than letting my mental

complaining get the best of me; I stopped and noticed whatillusions I was milling over, which were irrelevant. Then I said out

loud, I feel great today. And you know what, I did, and a suit of

confidence fell over me into place. So, turn the dilemma into an

opportunity to grow. You may need to take some time to socialize

with others, who are supportive and/or see this fresh way of

thinking and being. Avoid associating with the negative vibes that

bury the uplifting and inspiring stories in our world. What is thenews these days but war and death? What are the stories that sell

but betrayal and disease? Why do these topics have to be the

leading subjects of this day?

I no longer watch the news. In reality, how does it affect

me? It doesnt. Sure, I need to know certain things, but this world

gives us enough of a challenge than being hit with more badreports. Again, now is time to create some good news. A classic

example is all the great performances that came out of the

Olympics. And, these awe-inspiring individuals from all across the

globe gave me hope and made me feel brave and unafraid. Thats

the key: to think and dwell on positive images to spark the action


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that lies latent within your heart and soul.

Third, it is important to laugh at ourselves and in general.My entire life, I have acted silly. And in some rare cases, my

whimsical antics have disappointed me. One example is during

college when I dressed up over Halloween like Adam Ant, the

punk rock star, and was jumping around a dining room /dance hall

being foolish when the girl I had a crush on walked into the party.

She saw me and left. I found out later from her friend that she

thought I was acting uncool. But that foolishness turned out to

be a blessing because it allowed me to understand who I really was

and with whom I really wanted to be associated.

In almost every other situation, my humor has offered great

joy and comfort. I love playing around and being silly with

children. They totally identify and shine up to me. Adults, in

certain circumstances, are unsure at first how to react but usually

crack a smile and chuckle as a visceral reaction or to be nice butsome look at me funny. I love being and doing nontraditional

things because it makes me feel young and energetic. Being me

restores my wellspring which feeds my soul. The children get it.

And this skill allows me to tap into kids and get them to respond

positively.

There have been studies which have revealed that humorhas a direct correlation to health. More is being done in this field,

and I believe we have only fathomed the superficial epidermal. A

whole universe of exploration and the inexplicable exists in this

field. Again, we must simply have faith and give in to its sway.

So, when you are having a bad day, find or do something that

provokes laughter, a smile, to break the trance.

Fourth, if you are living a life full of integrity, then you

should not have overwhelming worries or guilt about yourself.

Understandably, we all try to redeem ourselves for past wrongs

done from which we are trying to repent and be forgiven. But on

the other side, we must learn to forgive as well. It allows freeing

our mind to help us be in a place so that our vulnerability will

invoke our surrender to our true convictions and beliefs. As wehonestly deal with our neighbors, we can honestly cope with lifes

ordeals.

Moreover, Ive heard of strategies of scribbling the things

that frustrate you and describe why that is so, and then burning


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them in the fire as a way of letting go. It depends on your own

proclivities and tactics that will fit your style of coping.

Its a matter of practice. The young firemen/women must

learn how to handle the water hose, how to approach a burning

building, how to resuscitate lives, and how to handle life and death

predicaments. As the firemen/women learn over time, he or she

gains more experiences to rely on, meets more mentors and friends

to count on, and eventually becomes a mentor and example for

others. This is the goal of the new America. We must be fully

prepared, confident in ourselves, and fully whole in our moral

convictions when the alarm goes off at the station house that calls

on our worthy services that precarious day.

And lastly, or fifth, we must never forget the acts of love in

our life. Love is the regenerating force that supplies the power to

make your human mechanism perform in a state of gracious living.

When we love another, we love everyone. By loving in this way,we learn to love ourselves and others begin to love us. There is

nothing better than this intricate and phenomenal web of love. And

produced from this giving is the balance we so desperately need in

our daily lives. Miraculously, your attitude becomes one of love.

Close your eyes and imagine hugging someone in need, a close

friend, an enemy even, a disgruntled employee, an ostracized

family member, your elected council or town officials, yoursignificant other, child, city, state, country, the entire globe. It feels

super!

Time Bomb #7 - Do You Live with Purpose?

Here you are ... looking at your face first thing in the

morning in your bathroom mirror. You are slouched over,exhausted, hair kinked out from a restless sleep, eyes full of sand,

and breath reeking. How in any higher powers name can you

make it another day? You try to solve this problem with a shower,

coffee, and a bagel for your growling sto

Wake Up America (10 Time Bombs of Enlightenment)

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