Previous Page DEEP THOUGHTS UNKNOWN Gods Choosing Just think you are here not by chance but by God's choosing His hand formed you and made you the person you are He compares you to no one else you are one of a kind you lack nothing that His grace can't give you He has allowed you to be here at this time in history to fulfill His special purpose for this generation you are GOD's servant in GOD's place at GOD's perfect time ------------------------------------------------------------ I AM BECOMING the woman I’ve wanted, grey at the temples, soft body, delighted, cracked up by life with a laugh that’s known bitter but, past it, got better, knows she’s a survivor¬ that whatever comes, she can outlast it. I am becoming a deep weathered basket. I am becoming the woman I’ve longed for, the motherly lover with arms strong and tender, the growing up daughter who blushes surprises. I am becoming full moons and sunrises. I find her becoming, this woman I’ve wanted, who knows she’ll encompass, who knows she’s sufficient, knows where she’s going and travels with passion. Who remembers she’s precious, but knows she’s not scarce¬ who knows she is plenty. --------------------------------------------------------- You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles thorough the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting - over and over announcing your place in the family of things. -------------------------------------------------------------- "And she is going to dance, dance hungry, dance full, dance each cold astonishing moment, now when she is young and again when she is old." ---------------------------------------------------------- Think of no one as "them" Dont' confuse your comfort with your safety Talk to strangers Imagine other cultures through their poetry and novels Listen to music you don't understand Dance to it Act locally Notice the workings of power and privilege in your culture Question consumption Know how your lettuce and coffee are grown: wake up and smell the exploitation Look for fair trade and union labels help build economies from the bottom up Acquire few needs Learn a second (or third) language Visit people, places and cultures -- not tourist attractions Learn people's history Re-define progress Know physical and political geography Play games from other cultures Watch films with subtitles Know your heritage Honor everyone's holidays Look at the moon and imagine someone else, somewhere else, looking at it too Read the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights Understand the global economy in terms of people, land and water Know where your bank banks Never believe you have a right to anyone else's resources Refuse to wear corporate logos: defy corporate domination Question military/corporate connections Don't confuse money with wealth, or time with money Have a pen/email pal Honor indigenous cultures Judge governance by how well it meets all people's needs Be skeptical about what you read Eat adventurously Enjoy vegetables, beans and grains in your diet Choose curiosity over certainty know where your water comes from and where your wastes go Pledge allegiance to the earth: question nationalism Think South, Central and North -- there are many Americans Assume that many others share your dreams Know that no one is silent though many are not heard Work to change this. .I swear I will not dishonor my soul with hatred, but offer myself humbly as a guardian of nature, as a healer of misery, as a messenger of wonder, as an architect of peace.. --------------------------------------------- I've Learned I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them. I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back. And it's not the end of the world. I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it. I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts. I've learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you'd better know something. I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do. I've learned that it's not what happens to people, It's what they do about it. I've learned that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides. I've learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them. I've learned that you can keep going long after you think you can't. I've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done When it needs to be done regardless of the consequences. I've learned that there are people who love you dearly, but just don't know how to show it. I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't five me the right to be cruel. I've learned that true friendship continues to grow even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love. I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have. I've learned that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that. I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself. I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief. I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. I've learned that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean that they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do. I've learned that sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of their actions. I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different. I've learned that no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves get farther in life. I've learned taht your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you. I've learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help. I've learned that writing, as well as talking, can ease emotional pains. I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon. I've learned that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings and standing up for what you believe. I've learned to love and be loved. I've learned... Omer B. Washington