Category: Poems and Writings

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Only god knows and only time can tell.


IMG_1078fb Where do we go from here? The world is suffering from earthquakes and extreme weather while there is civil unrest happening across the globe. Governments being toppled by both protests and warfare. The people want change from east to west and they starting to act upon their desires. Luckily here in the U.S. we can do it through political channels and also we can create change by utilizing all the media avenues available. The internet gives the people a power to express their concerns and to assemble as a political force like never before. So with all the sever weather, earthquakes and civil unrest in the world, where are we heading?

Seems we are at some kind of crossroads and which way we go depends on the choices the people in power make. With the fact oil is becoming less attractive as a fuel/energy source we desperately need to invest in alternative fuels and energy sources. Solar is the cleanest choice for energy though the current solar cells are still only capture a fraction of the sunlight’s energy. Still a viable energy source but the technology needs to be improved so we can capture higher percentages of the energy coming from the sun. Wind power works well but only when there is sufficient wind speed. Hydropower is the best out of the lot due to rivers are continuously flowing allowing for a constant energy source. This leads to the fact that batteries used to store energy also need to be improved so solar and wind power both can be good alternative energy sources.

The fact all three of the before mentioned power sources are renewable energy sources unlike oil, natural gas or coal they are the best bets for our future energy sources. We still face the problem of transportation and their use of combustible carbon based fuels. Besides the growing cost due to higher demand and that eventually the oil deposits will run dry, the toxic fumes the exhaust of such vehicles is harmful to both earth and the life that lives on it. The only alternatives at this time to petroleum-based fuels are Electric powered vehicles  or using natural gas, hydrogen or a synthetic fuel. Though I have heard of a compressed air powered vehicle being built-in the U.K.

If we survive the present problems in this world we just might figure a more efficient and less toxic or wasteful way to power our homes and  a better way to propel our vehicles. Maybe the civil unrest will bring  more of a positive change than a negative one. Only god knows and only time can tell.

Just a collection of random thoughts.
Raymond Barbier

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Just some random thoughts on a Sunday afternoon.


p10104  Why is it so many people over seas dislikes western culture and the governmental powers of the western world? Well far as our culture, to a morality based religious culture the western culture would appear to be quite decadent and low in moral standards. Besides the cultural differences there is the past colonization of the middle east by the British and French. Even though all the colonies were dissolved and abandoned the resentment is still there. Then the long dislike between Islam and both Christians and Jewish faiths doesn’t make things any easier between the western and middle eastern powers. Sometimes I believe the west in general seems to interfere too much with the middle east and that keeps mistrust and hatred brewing.  A lot of the tension in the middle east is spawned from the constant debate of the Holy places in Israel. The fact that civilized people can not come to a fair way of sharing the Holy sites. The holy sites do not belong to one religion, they belong to all of God’s children be they Muslim, Jewish or even Christian.

After all we are all followers of the same god regardless the fact that the prophets we choose may be different or we may believe the messiah has already came once or not. Religion put aside there is the presence of military forces in middle eastern countries, even if they are invited by the governments or not they are seen as invaders by some in that region. Places like Iraq and Afghanistan may require our presence for a short while longer but the sooner we pull out and let the active governments stand on their own the better. The fear of a terrorist supporting government taking over or infiltrating the new governments in Iraq or Afghanistan is a waste of time. Regardless of how long you train and support the current governments the fact remains there will always be the risk they will turn terroristic or unfriendly after we leave. Our military presence isn’t going to make any difference on that fact. Plus with a about a decade of military and financial support, both Iraq and Afghanistan should be able to stand on their own by now.

Diplomacy should be the first priority for both the west and the middle eastern powers, both sides need to put their past differences aside for the good of our world. Trust can be earned on both sides if they are both willing to work at it and maybe sacrifice a few things along the way. Peace is always a possibility if both sides are truly willing to work for it. Just think how much money both sides would save and be able to apply to helping the people who are in need. All the money spent by governments and terrorist organizations to wage war could be used to build houses, schools and feed the hungry or heal the sick.

Just some random thoughts on a Sunday afternoon.

Raymond Barbier

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To be stuck in such a vicious cycle


p10303 I have noticed a lot of people who go through life stuck in a vicious cycle of buying , using and wanting something more. It seems nobody can be satisfied with what they have, they want the newest and best of everything there is. Even when the newest isn’t necessarily better than what they already have. It doesn’t seem to stay just in the materialistic end of the spectrum, it is in every part of the modern psyche. From your house to your soul mate, nothing is ever good enough or there is greener grass on the other side of the fence. To be stuck in such a vicious cycle consumes your finances, energy and your happiness. The temporary gratification from the new wears off quickly leaving you wanting more. It seems modern society is addicted to consumerism and needs to reevaluate its priorities as well as its habits.

We need to revisit the ways of our grandparents and great grandparents, they lived their life in simplicity and only bought mostly only what they needed. They would buy a few luxuries but they knew happiness came from the people around them not trinkets or toys they can buy. There is nothing wrong with buying a few things you want but you should not be consumed with having every new version that comes out. Seems this generation and the generation growing up are stuck with the mentality that everything is disposable and replaceable. Shame is that this is not just limited to possessions, it also includes people in their lives. If a lover isn’t perfect just dump them and get a new one, if grandma is becoming a burden dump her into a rest home. If a friend becomes boring or disagrees with you toss them aside like a used tissue. This kind of mentality is corroding the core of society and eventually there will be nothing sacred or valuable in our world.

Family, friends and community should be the first priority for each one of us, keeping up with the Joneses or having the biggest and newest shouldn’t be a concern. For what makes lasting happiness is in the social groups we form and not in the trinkets we gather along the way. Since life is but a temporary state for all of us, we should live life in peace and loving one another instead of satisfying our selfish wants. I look at it in this way, I am not the only person or living creature on this planet. Thus I am not the center of the universe or even this planet. I share this world with so many and should enjoy the fact I have some great company here on earth. I will not always agree with them all, but I will always accept them as fellow travelers of this path called life.

Wrong or right, This is my 2 cents worth.

Raymond Barbier

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You can not force a change on a society that is not ready


IMG_1077  Should we be in Afghanistan or Iraq? Afghanistan I believe was a necessary step in both retaliation for 9/11 and to reduce the abilities of the terrorist. Iraq on the other hand I believe was an Unnecessary war, the removal of the Iraqi government and military might left a vacuum of power in the region giving Iran a stronger position in the region. Regardless of what war was justified or not, it is time to bring our troops home and allow both countries stand on their own. Our military forces in the middle east is unwelcome by most if not all Arab nations, even the ones that say they welcome them. We must learn to have a foreign policy in the middle east that is less threatening.

I understand the position western countries take when it come to human rights and the fear of unstable nations achieving nuclear armament but our interference in the region is not going to stop the enviable only postpone it. So instead of trying to control the nuclear threat we should be concentrating on both the defense against the threat and the reduction of nuclear stockpiles globally. I have never understood the reason why any nation would want to possess such horrifying weapons of mass destruction. The thought anyone would want to kill that many innocent civilians . No religion, Nation or principle should be worth the death of so many.

We should learn to respect the right of each nation to rule their land as they wish, as seen the people in those countries eventually enact the changes necessary in the end. Of course change usually is painful and costly in the end, but the change is a necessary part of any society’s development. And you can not force a change on a society that is not ready, it’s a process that must happen on its own. The United States has a long way to go far as learning the above lessons and in creating a better relationship with middle eastern countries. Our reputation in the middle east is not a positive one and obviously we need to change our policies in order to improve that reputation.

I know I am no military strategist or foreign policy expert but I do know that our foreign policies are not working and usually using military force is not the best idea, because wars cost us in casualties and in money.

Just some thoughts this modern layman had. Right or wrong They are here to share.

Raymond Barbier

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Are you using a rake or an axe?


p10131There once was a man who had a tree that constantly dropped leaves on his lawn. Every day he would rake up all the leaves and debris in his yard. He really hated that tree, it ruined his perfect lawn each fall. For years he raked the leaves tirelessly every day during autumn. This was so until one day his neighbor saw him raking leaves while cursing the tree. The neighbor asked him why are you using a rake when you could simply use an axe to cut that tree down?

Are you using a rake when it comes to your life problems? Are you just cleaning up the symptoms and results of a bigger problem or are you using an axe to cut down the source of your problems? You can either use the rake and react to the problem or use the axe and act on the cause of the problem.

Just a silly thought I had, right or wrong it is mine to share

Raymond Barbier

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The life you live is yours to live as you choose


IMG_1077 There is two ways one can go through life, one is going through life reacting to everything and everyone. The other is to walk through life as an activist,this means basically  being the cause of events in your life not being the effect. You can either ride the waves made by others or make your own. The problem with riding others waves is you have no idea where you will wind up most of the time along with the fact your life will be at someone else’s mercy. Riding your own wave you at least know where you aimed to go and the results will be yours alone. A good example of riding other people’s waves is when you are around someone who is persistently grumpy you tend to reflect the same attitude over time. You could have chosen to be happy or blissful instead, you choose how you feel at any given time. Even in times that are bad you can choose not to let the circumstances to control your emotions.

Though sometimes one must allow the circumstance to control their emotions at least for a short period. Circumstances such as the death of a love one is one of those times. You must grieve in order to have closure and so you can move on. But this should be as short of time you can manage for grieving too long can become depression. For the most part though you are in charge of how and what you feel. This only so once you realize you can choose to act instead of react to the world around you. There are two schools of thought on life, one is the school of destiny and the other is the school of Karma. The first school Destiny is the ideal that all things are predetermined and that there is no freewill or choice in what happens or what your final destination will be. The school is Karma, the idea that each thought and or action you take is what determines the outcome of your life.

Karma is the school of thought that supports the idea of freewill and self-directed paths of life. This is the school of thought I tend to believe in since I do not believe that we are totally predestined nor that we are without freewill. I will set aside the fact maybe some things may be predestined to a point but still we can choose how, when and why that predestined event happens. But far as our final destination is life, that is solely our choice as well as how we live that life. Being an open-minded Christian by faith I can see the idea of karma to a degree playing out in our scriptures. Freewill is the gift god gave us and we are responsible for both the good and bad we bring into the world. The wage of sin is death and the wage of goodness/righteous living  is life.

The life you live is yours to live as you choose, no one person can deny you the right to be happy in life. Others can only influence you if you give them the power to do so. Do not allow others to kill your happiness nor allow them to push on you there negativity. You only live this life once so make it the happiest and most peaceful one you can.

Just Some Thoughts That Came to me, Right or Wrong they are mine to share.
Raymond Barbier

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Not even happiness can exist indefinitely


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Emotions, friend or foe to the modem man? Both, for without emotions we would be nothing but uninspired automatons. Each emotion serves a purpose and some emotions serve several functions. Fear is meant to protect our physical body by directing us away from things that endanger our well-being. Anger serves as a protector emotion by putting us in fight mode when there is either no escape or we feel secure enough to fight. Happiness is an emotion that inspires us to be creative and social so we can grow culturally as well as socially. Sadness keeps us rooted in reality, it reminds us that loss is a part of life as well as the constant reminder of our mortality. Even jealousy can serve a good purpose, for it shows that we cherish our mate when it is over a person and inspires us to work harder so we can better our life when it is jealousy over possessions. Each one of these emotions can either serve us in a positive or negative fashion and which way it does is based on our ability to control them.

Since emotions are a necessary part of our physical experience they should never be shut off or suppressed. The negative aspects of our emotions will exist and even though we can not turn them off we can learn to make them short-lived as well as temper their impact on both ourselves and others. They must be expressed and allowed to come to fruition but they can be channeled into a less destructive way of expression. Surprising them are an unhealthy way to control them and causes a lot of physical side effects that can create an unhealthy body. This is one of the most common ways people get high stress levels, and that in turn creates health problems such as high blood pressure and mental problems such as depression and even nervous breakdowns in the long run. One way to express the negative emotions with little impact on others is to write a journal or log and express them through writing. This gives them an outlet but restricts the negative effects. Express them and then let them go, for no emotion is meant to be permanent. Not even happiness can exist indefinitely, though it would be nice to be in permanent euphoria but it would be unproductive and probably would be troublesome down the line.

Seize the moment, Leave the past and hope for the future.
Raymond Barbier

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We dig a pit in which we feel there is no escape.


003 I see the emptiness in the eyes of others, they endlessly try to fill it with material goods and through pharmaceuticals. Unfortunately these are only temporary distractions from the emptiness they feel. The lack of meaning in their life and the absence of self-worth makes the empty feeling in them harder to overcome. What exactly is that emptiness or what causes it could be something as simple as low self-esteem or depression. It also could be the lack of spiritual fulfillment as well as not being accepted by their peers. It seems quite apparent that humans as a species require some sort of community and to be accepted in some sort of social group. We tend to be a very social species and we thrive on being  a part of such a group as well as being loved.

Sometimes we tend to create a false image of ourselves within and can not see the real person we are. We deceive ourselves into believing such negative things that we dig a pit in which we feel there is no escape. The hardest part is coming to the realization that we are not as bad off as we believe. It’s so easy to fall in to the pit but it is very hard to climb our way out. It is one of things that it probably took you many years to create such a negative self-image and it will take some time to teach yourself to have a more positive image. There are many methods of building self-confidence as well as improving your self-image such as attending religious meetings, meditation, exercise and even writing poetry or a journal.

Every day is but one more step in your personal journey through life and each step leads you forward in your self discovery.  If you search within to find out who you really are you may just find that you are far better person than you once believed. For we seem to be a far stricter judge upon ourselves as well as or actions than we are on others. We have to look at ourselves like we look at friends and family. Judge ourselves with compassion like we do those we love and care about, knowing no one is perfect and to expect perfection from ourselves or others is just plain illogical to say the least. To remember your past mistakes is wise but to punish yourself over them is foolish. We paid the price for the mistakes shortly after we committed them and guilt shouldn’t last beyond a few day to a week. Forgiving ourselves and others seems to be one of the hardest things to do., but it is a necessary part of our life.

Well enough of my Psycho-babble Nonsense.
Peace and Love to All
Raymond Barbier

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Learn to love and accept ourselves as we are


006 The many yeas or tears and fears take a toll on this aging body. The mind becomes hardened and slow to respond from age and its lack of use. The soul calls out for happiness, peace and solitude as the mind seeks a rational solution. Music becomes a refuge for the soul and the soother of the chaotic mind. Fear of death rears its head occasionally to remind me of my mortality. Yet I fight on and press forward into the uncertain future. Exploring outwardly as much as inwardly to find the truths as well as the balance in my life. Finding answers one day only to lose them the next. Seems it’s a vicious cycle of my spiritual path and my timeline.

Still fighting the little child within me that craves to be loved and accepted while I try to establish the blueprint of whom I desire to be. Time is no longer a friend like it used to be in my days of youth. Between the aging of the body and the knowledge of my own mortality I find myself struggling to make it through each day. The distractions of everyday life become stumbling blocks on my spiritual path. Too many light shows, bells and whistles going off to keep focus most of the time. Though I manage to block them out for the most part. The struggle to find a balance between my religion and my spirituality is not an easy task.

It is so hard to have compassion for everyone when you are surrounded by so many who care not for themselves nor for others. So much fear, anger, greed and such a lack of love in this world. Sometimes I believe people are just terrified by the thought of loving and accepting each other. I guess it must be the fear of being hurt and the experiences they had with those they loved before. If there are no risks involved then there is no real benefit in the action of loving. First off we must learn to accept and love who we are, for each one of us are unique and special beings. We must learn to love and accept ourselves as we are before we can love each other. Through self-examination and self forgiveness we learn to forgive the shortcomings and sins of others.

As my days grow shorter I realize that though we are all individual we are also a part of a complex whole. I see all of us as small pieces of a magnificent collective of thoughts, feelings and ideals. Independently operating, yet somehow collectively manifesting the reality we live in and forming the future yet to come. This gives each of us the ability to enact change on a mass scale by creating a chain reaction. The right words, thoughts or actions can create a chain reaction that could change the world and reality we currently live in. A single voice in the dark can grow to become many voices and eventually change the course of not only mankind but the reality in which we live.

 

Well enough of my babbling for now.
May wisdom be your light and Love be the fuel on your life journey
Raymond Barbier

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We can not allow fear to be what leads us into the future.


003  Fear controls this world, fear of recession, fear of war, fear of famine, fear of Armageddon and fear of the unknown. Too much fear is pushed via the news and by even the politicians. We can not allow fear to be what leads us into the future or let it be what rules us in the present. For fear clouds our ability to make decisions and keeps us from fulfilling our potential both as individuals and a species. As a Politician once said there is nothing to fear but fear itself and I believe fear is a tool that many people in power use to try to control the populace. We must face the fear and put it in its place before it devours us and creates a world that is chaotic.

Fear has started many of wars, it has created mass hysteria such as the War of The Worlds episode done by Orson Wells. Fear is even a greater enemy to mankind than anger and or greed. Fear can destroy just one person as well as a whole society of it goes unchecked. The shame is most fear is created by either misinformation or the lack of understanding. Even though our modern society has become desensitized to many things both good and bad we still seem so ready to embrace fear. Though fear has its place it is seems to be running wildly through the world. Look how easy the stock market is effected by negative outlooks and reports.

This is not the time for fear but the time for hope and for coming up with solutions. We just need to learn to either control our fear or to put it behind us for the good of mankind. Fear is the enemy of progress and the stumbling block of humanity.

 

Well that’s my 2 cents worth.
Though I could be either wrong or right, I have no fear in expressing my thoughts.

Raymond Barbier

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