America at the "Y"...

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Since the election… nothing has been the same… It’s as if the illusion I’ve been living was struck by a lightning bolt… which destroyed even the thickest of stones… and the condition of the foundation on which I thought I could depend… became clear… Not that I haven’t realized for quite some time… that change was upon us… Even so, it was still a shock… leaving me in unfamiliar… uncomfortable… and frightfully new territory… Until this morning, I had been unable to put my finger on what I was feeling… I wasn’t able to voice what I was sensing… However, now, I can…

The election of Donald Trump is symbolic of the fact that the bottom has fallen out… the foundation has cracked… the rules… beliefs… laws… which held the illusion together… are no longer dependable… (They never really were.)… Donald Trump represents the fall of the illusion… the “blowing up” of the system… And though many of us have sensed the drastic need for change… due to the fact that we’ve outgrown our own illusion… I’m not so sure we were ready to be tossed into the deep end… The President-elect doesn’t believe in rules… He doesn’t follow “tradition”… He has his own protocols… and his beliefs, as well as allegiances, seem to change second-by-second… depending on what he wants… There is nothing sacred… and little to be respected… at least this is what is implied through the actions and words of society's perfect reflection -Donald Trump… 

The election of Donald Trump is symbolic of the fact that an old reality is imploding… its time has come… and we are now faced with the decision as to what will replace it… What will stay?... What will go?... What are our values as Americans?... What is the foundation on which we can depend?  We the People are at a “Y” in the road… and stepping up… taking a stand… empowering our voices… remaining vigilant… is crucial…

There are those of us desiring to continue the “grand experiment” the founders began… We desire to pursue the utopian society envisioned… a society based in freedom for all… where our unity is emboldened and strengthened by the inclusion of our diversity… a society policed by the individual empowerment of each member… standing at their border… while respecting the border of every other… a society where our systems are strong because we've created them together...

Then, there are those of us who wish something very different… a society based in one language… one religion… one ethnicity… one race… one type of marriage… one type of sexual orientation… one of everything… not realizing that this type of society will not escape “diversity”, either… and will eventually – and perpetually – be at war… deciding which “difference” has to be destroyed… outlawed… next…

And finally… there are those attempting to gain control of it all… establishing a hierarchy… where the “have-a-lot-of-a-lot’s” continue their dominance… while the “don’t-have-hardly-anything’s” disappear…They benefit from all the infighting and fear-mongering… separating all of us into factions… However, in this scenario  as well… a time will come when even the most ardent of supporters is next on the “voted-out- of-this-incarnation” list… Only one can win in this game… and, of course, in the end, they won’t win, either…

  

Yes, my descriptions are overly simplified... but the fact remains... we have arrived at a juncture where the rules of the old illusion are no longer dependable… many are no longer applicable... many are no longer worthy of support… many never benefitted the whole, ever… Whether we participate or not… the rules of a new foundation… a new reality… are up for grabs… What will America look like… be like… in the years to come?... Will she still be a beacon for freedom?... Will she collapse into fascism and corruption as other societies have done before?... For those of us who believe in the “grand experiment”… who desire to create a reality we know is possible… a reality empowered by the uniqueness of God’s creations… now is the time to step up… claim our power… and never… never… give in… This is the time we’ve waited for… so "Buckle up, Buttercup"… this is why we’re here.

In Love and Freedom,

Karrie

So...what are YOU screaming about?

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

There are some who would say Facebooking isn’t real activism… I would disagree... and for the following reason… Sometimes, just a simple, authentic conversation, can make a huge difference… a conversation where we aren’t afraid to find out why the “other” is so upset… why they’re screaming…

I’ve been screaming since the election results… and I’m not the only one… Protesters are screaming… Anti-protesters are screaming… Many, many people are screaming… I say “Awesome!... Let’s get it out!”... Most likely, all of us have plenty of anger, frustration, grief, disappointment and resentment stored up… and not from just this election… This election is the catalyst for the release… and maybe we need to take advantage of it… Maybe we need to scream… and scream… and scream… if only to get to the place… where we can finally ask each other… “Hey... what are you screaming about?”…

I had such a conversation this morning… and it began with just asking a simple question… do you believe in freedom and equality for all people?... I mean, wasn’t that what the Declaration of Independence was really about?... Isn’t that why we revere it?... For me, this is the foundation… and without this foundation… the other conversations about government spending and programs, for example… are going to be rough going… Perhaps it’s helpful for you to know that about me… I’m certainly willing to have conversations about programs and spending… I would welcome them… However, freedom and equality come first… If we can’t simultaneously work toward these ideals… we probably aren’t going to get very far.  In my perspective… if freedom and equality truly were the law of the land… many of these government programs people scream about wouldn’t even be needed… But the truth is… we’re still working on the freedom and equality thing…

So… some people are screaming about freedom and equality… some are screaming about God and religion… some are screaming about government programs... trade agreements…  immigration… the second amendment… free speech… etc… etc… etc… And what I’m finding is… there is no clear-cut dividing line when it comes to these issues… You can’t lump those protesting for freedom and equality into opponents of the second amendment… You can’t lump those protesting for freedom and equality into some anti-God movement… and vice-versa… We all have core issues… but that doesn’t mean we don’t agree on other issues… This is where political parties, or the lumping of separate issues together, become dangerous… What we’re going through as a nation isn’t that simple… it cannot be solved by a political party… This is an issue by issue process… a sorting out… and perhaps the only way to wade through it successfully is via conversation… And, real conversations – where each participant listens as well as shares - take courage, don’t they…

I have a sense… that if we could do this… we might just find out… that as far as a majority goes… we aren’t as polarized as we might think… and that perhaps our unified focus could actually be very useful elsewhere… other than on each other… So… perhaps one form of activism begins with a conversation… one conversation at a time… where we each muster the courage to ask another… “So… what are you screaming about?”

Here’s to empowering our voices… as well as our ears… J

Much love,

Karrie 

PS This doesn't mean I won't be tenaciously defending my border... and I expect nothing less from each of you. 

As we make each other uncomfortable...

Sunday, November 20, 2016

I have spent much time since the election attempting to figure out my new strategy for living… my new approach to life… my old strategy having been completely disintegrated by the realization of a reality completely blown apart… Something happened with this particular election… something shifted… something erupted from the core of my being… and nothing… absolutely nothing… will ever be the same, again…

I have spent much of my life persevering to be “good”… “kind”… doing my best to “understand”… making every attempt to “unconditionally love”… while simultaneously taking the hits… taking the judgment… accepting another’s experience-less opinions… and stifling my own expression to great degree… burying my own pain… because I didn’t want to make others uncomfortable… (Perhaps, too, I didn’t want to make myself uncomfortable)… If nothing else… this election has awakened me to the fact… that I’m not willing to do this anymore… I’m not able to do this anymore… I won’t do this anymore…

It occurs to me, now… that I’m not here to make another – or myself - comfortable… I’m here to be who I am… how God made me… no matter how others may judge… that’s between God and me… I’m not here to be like everyone else… and I really doubt… any of us are here… to be… like anyone else… It seems assured… we have that much in common…

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all [human beings] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

I’m also getting a deeper understanding… that it is our discomfort with difference… which challenges us to grow… to wake up… to share and listen… to move beyond judgment and falsities… delusions ages old… It is our own uniqueness… which challenges the status quo… if only we have the courage to live it… eventually moving beyond fear… coming from a place of empowerment… and authenticity… living from freedom… becoming a more truthful contribution to our world…

This election has already catalyzed a huge shift… a shift which has forced me into empowerment… the willingness to stand for my own diversity… the Right to be who I am… the Right to live my life as I was individually destined… my Rights to Life and Liberty…

We hold these truths to be self-evident… Yes… I, for one, do…

Much love,

Karrie

As I continue to process the election...

Sunday, November 13, 2016

I really do acknowledge there were many reasons Americans voted for President-elect Trump… It wasn’t just about hatred… I really do understand this… The status quo is no longer relevant to the vast majority of Americans… The Clintons represented a very large shadow in regard to the establishment… The Democrats cheated… they rigged the primary… I could see what was coming way back in June… We make our choices… and there is a time… when we’re going to “pay the piper”… Donald Trump’s statements, comments, tweets during the campaigning were incredibly outrageous to many… He, too, is, in many ways, paying the piper via protests and more… For me, the Republican Party is perhaps even more outrageous… If you haven’t done so… take a look at the 2016 Republican Platform – the party agenda for the next 4 years… If you want to understand the protests… the fear… the anger of many people… you will find many answers in this document. That’s not to say there aren’t some reasonable elements in it… but if you really want to understand what’s happening… then you will read this document through the eyes of another… and perhaps get a glimpse of the reason behind the protests…   

For me, the expression of the pain… anger… fear… I felt, and expressed, after the election… was the release of the pain… anger… fear… I have buried for years… I make no apologies for that expression… It has cleared the way for my own empowerment… as I will no longer play “invisible” to any degree for those who find the expression of who I am… uncomfortable… As I stated before, I will stand at my boundary… I will march… I will put my life on the line when my soul demands – as so many patriots have done before me - because I truly believe in the essence of America… I always have…

Life and Liberty are the core essence of my belief system… They are my foundation… And, they are unalienable… they cannot be taken away… To be held hostage by the more narrow-minded beliefs of another (which they have the right to)… is something that might be allowed out of fear… but it is an illusion… These Rights cannot be taken away because, essentially, they are of the Creator… that’s what makes them unalienable.

This being said… I do not have the right to infringe upon another’s life… just as another does not have the right to infringe upon my life… This is a two-way call to action… First, I must stand at my boundary… empowered… safeguarding my right to my own life… I must be my own best representative… and second, I must do my best to not infringe upon another’s life… understanding that when I choose to step into another’s life, uninvited… there are consequences…

This most likely speaks to many – and on many levels – who, for instance, believe the government has far overstepped its bounds in many cases… I don’t disagree… What has come before us is a tangled, complicated, enormous ball of issues and challenges… that can no longer go unaddressed… There is much work ahead... many a heated discussion… and each is called to share their perspective and, just as importantly, listen… We can no longer afford to fight for an “either/or” society… We must find a way to make it a “both/and” if we are to have any hope of peace…

Finally, as far as an individual’s Rights to Life and Liberty are concerned, I really appreciated a comment from a Christian woman… who said, “We all have things we will be judged for. Those things are between us and God. He will judge each one according to His Word.”… She may or may not agree with my expression of life… but she leaves it between me and God.  And as my mother – whom I cherish, respect and admire - said to a minister, who suggested that anyone friends with a gay or lesbian person will also go to hell… “I’ll take my chances with God.” Thanks, Mom… your inherent “goodness”… is a continued light, inspiration, and aspiration in my life…

Desiring the best for all of us… as we make our way through these challenging times… learning to be our own best representative… as well as learning to respect the Rights of another… sharing and listening… creating a new world that works for All of Us…

Much love,

Karrie

A shift has occurred...

Yesterday, I began to notice a shift in my Facebook news feed… Perhaps it was subtle… perhaps not… whichever, I felt it… Less anger and pointing fingers… more love and coming together…

I saw posts of police officers and African Americans hugging… talking… supporting each other… I saw marches – not so much in protest – but as a call for change… (There is a huge difference in the two.) I saw beautiful videos which transcended “color”… (“I’m not a color. I’m me.”)… reclaiming the fact that beneath it all, we’re human beings... This is a shift… more people coming together… regardless of role, race or surface level difference… joining as human beings… joining through love…

One thing, I really love about Facebook is the “evolution” I’m privy to. If I can hang in there long enough… and not only bear the opinions and perspectives vastly different than my own… but listen… really hear where people are coming from… something, many times, shifts within me… I had one of those moments this morning…

I’ve been advertising my book, the Tea Room, on Facebook… and there are times when someone not only clicks on the ad… but likes it… or shares it… Many times, I’m curious about who the person is… This morning, I tapped on the picture of someone who had shared the ad… and up pops the Facebook page of an African-American woman from Detroit, Michigan… I noticed immediately her page was primarily African-Americans… and as I scrolled down the posts… I came across one posted by an African-American male in regard to his son… The child was about 3 (I’m not very good at guessing ages.), sitting cross-legged, his head slightly bowed, and his hands held in front of his face in a prayer position… Evidently, that morning, as his dad was getting ready to leave, the little boy said, “I love you… Please be careful.” This, of course, deeply moved his father… as well as others who responded to the post.

All the posts I read in response to this post were by African-Americans… For me, it was like being a fly on the wall… listening to a conversation I would never be privy to otherwise… It was incredibly authentic… the concerns… the pain… the fear… the confusion over how to handle the circumstances which were no longer bearable… Perhaps for the very first time, I felt it… I felt what they were feeling… and I understood from a totally different place… from a human place… a heart place… This was an incredible gift…

I sense the shift I felt within me… is the same shift I felt in the collective as I perused my Facebook news feed.  This is a shift from fighting for our own perspective as the only truth… to understanding that each of us has a perspective… a perspective created by our own experiences… and therefore, indisputable. We cannot argue or debate another’s experiences. We can only persevere to understand… That’s the only way we can transcend the challenges presented by uniqueness… and move toward real and inclusive solutions, together.

Much love,

Karrie

The Brilliance of Political Chaos

Last night, as with many nights of late, I dreamt politics.  My dreams have been filled with a passionate desire to understand… part of me desires to know, what’s going on?! Last night, after a very long day of travelling… the dreamtime gave me some brilliant answers.

Stepping back from my perspective… looking at the big, big picture… feeling beneath the surface of the political chaos… what we see… is not the whole of it… The chaos… the struggle… the incredible pace at which things are moving… is Consciousness… the flow of the One and Only… commandeering change… Can you feel it?  Politics is the stage on which we get to see all our beliefs displayed… all the starring archetypal forces of old… none of which we may have been aware… This particular election… may be more about what’s to come… than the immediacy of who’s elected president… because the transformation being called forth… will continue to morph, grow and intensify… well beyond November 2016…

Things are changing… and the “traditional”… the “establishment”… the old power structures… are like dams, stressed by the increasingly rising force of flooding waters… The pressure isn’t going to go away… It’s not going to be quelled… It’s only going to grow… and it’s meant to…

My dream last night… had me looking at Donald Trump very differently… Beneath the surface… his character plays the part of the catalyst… a catalyst that can’t be ignored… What he says motivates people… one way or the other… He also shows us what it can be like to be empowered… free… unafraid… owned by no one… He refuses to be “heeled” by the media… a political party… the establishment… He is the catalyst that gets people moving… He’s the hurricane… the wild card… and he’s a force that cannot be denied… Look at what’s happening to the Republican party... openly trying to figure out how to stop him… Good luck… Change… Change… Change… Consciousness moves in mysterious ways… doesn’t it?…

On the other end… we have a similar character in Bernie Sanders… Where Trump is the “hare”… Bernie Sanders is the “tortoise”… Bernie isn’t owned by the media… a political party… or the establishment, either… Though the Democratic party has attempted to barricade the barn doors... the rotting wood is about to give… or those doors may be blown off… Where Trump is the hurricane… blowing up structures… catalyzing people to move, NOW… Bernie represents a slow burn… a growing movement over time… the people reclaiming their empowerment…. His character represents that which will endure… long after each of us is gone… Trump is the “I”… Bernie the “We”… and both are necessary… when it comes to change…

Let’s not forget those we deem to represent the “establishment”… those who we may see as representing the shadows… the outdated… the “way it’s always been”… They have a part too… Humanity changes through oscillation… We oscillate… back and forth… between the old… and the new… what has always been… and what is to be… That’s what we do… Everyone plays a part… We would do well not to judge ourselves…  

It’s also become clear to me… that I’ve had a belief regarding how change should happen… There’s a right way… and a wrong way… There are people who are wrong… and people who are right… I’m finding… that none of this is true… Consciousness moves how Consciousness moves… and none of us really knows how things get done… Our beliefs, many times, have no substantive value when it comes to the workings of Consciousness… most likely because they were never really accurate… Every character plays a part… We’re moved when we’re meant to be moved… And when it’s time to move… no one can stop us… not even ourselves… We may be appalled by how we’re moved… not understanding the sudden shift… the desire to speak… to use our voice… to march… to write… or whatever it may be… And what I’m learning is to pay attention… go with it… enjoy it… don’t judge it… It’s happening to all us… so carry on… however you're called... When we look beneath the surface… seeing the brilliance for perhaps the very first time… it becomes very clear… all is moving as it is meant to… 

With great respect and love,

Karrie

I'm pissed.

I’m pissed.  In fact, I’m outraged.  And I blame Bernie Sanders.  If it weren’t for Bernie Sanders I wouldn’t be able to finally put a finger on the root of my building anger over the last several years.  The system is rigged, folks.  It’s corrupt right down to the root.  Whether it’s the Media… the Democratic National Committee… the insidious takeover by the 1%... the curtain has been pulled back… and I am absolutely furious. Yes, I blame Bernie for waking me up… he has been nailing the rigged system for a very long time… However, because I do support him, I’ve gotten to see the corruptness first hand.

The media has repeatedly done what they can to make him and the movement he speaks to, insignificant.  Thousands of people across the country have marched for Bernie… thousands… (check out some of the larger cities – literally, thousands)  How many people know this?  Each panel on any of the major media outlets is stacked with anyone-other-than-Bernie supporters.  Even the head of Hillary Clinton’s PAC is on the panel.  Bernie has received very little media attention and if he were the insignificant force they want to make him out to be, that would be one thing.  But he isn’t, is he.

The Democratic National Committee is about as corrupt as it gets.  They have rigged the system in favor of their chosen candidate.  Check it out yourself.  The vice-chair of the committee just resigned due to this problem.

And then you have the 1%, the few who control the system with their resources.  Money speaks in politics.  It buys media coverage.  We get to hear the message that “they” want us to hear.

The only reason I’m not mentioning the Republican National Committee is because they have no control over a rogue candidate like Donald Trump.  And the media, jumps at Donald Trump’s finger-snapping. 

People cry out all the time, "don’t speak negatively about the Democratic frontrunner, because we may get Donald Trump in November."  Quite frankly, I may vote for Donald Trump in November.  Are you shocked?  I’m a revolutionary.  I’m a person of integrity.  I’m appalled by the words of Donald Trump.  However, the cancerous root has to be addressed.  The system is rigged.  It’s corrupt.  It has to change.  Hillary Clinton is not going to bite the hands that feed her.  If HRC is the Democratic candidate, the only way I will consider voting for her is if she too, begins to take on the system… speaking out about the corruptness… taking on the media bias… the DNC’s bias… the rigged system.  That is how she will get my vote.  My vote will go to the person that is willing to speak up… shout it out… take it on… the person willing to lead the revolution – which can be passionate and peaceful… or not.  This election is about far more than electing the first woman president.  We can’t afford to be that self-serving.  The denial of what’s been exposed is like a growing cancer.  Eventually, the people will have enough.  Vote for change.  Vote for America. 

With love,

Karrie