I like possibilites

Have not had a chance to create or blog or much of anything lately, because I opened my own little spa; doing business as Sanctuary Massage. Sure its a rented room within an established Day Spa, but the business is Mine.  Takes up so much of my time being owner, boss and only employee!  Ya gotta do everything ...
But recently I finished a "possibles" bag that I'd been sitting with the design for some time; it is a good bag and may be used for many things.  Therefore, I called it:  Prairie Ocean Possibles Bag.  Inspired by my Udoi (Brother) Kicking Bear, full Tsalagi (Cherokee).  Please read his Blog, visit his Etsy shops ... He is a great teacher, gifted traditional craftsman and I am so blessed he calls me Ulv (sister).  He makes me smile :D

http://www.kickingbear.etsy.com/
http://www.coastalartist.etsy.com/
http://www.thegrandfathersspeak.blogspot.com/

Wa-do ...
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38159461

Competition

Etymology:  from the Latin competere.
Date:  1579
1:  the act or process of competing : Rivalry : a.  the act of two or more parties acting independently to secure the business of a third party by offering the most favorable items  b.  active demand by two or more organisms or kinds of organisms for some environmental resource in short supply  c.  the act of competing for profit or prize
You get the idea.
After two surgeries last year, to keep my mind off my pain, to keep my Self active in mind and spirit if not body, I began creating Jewelry.  Like anything one attempts, in the beginning one is hesitant, faulty, and can get very discouraged.  That was me.  I learned as I went along.  I found I enjoyed it all, tremendously.  Very soothing, relaxing, pleasure that may cost a bit in the end, but compared to other "entertainment" well worth the cost.
I have asked endless questions from those I consider good.  I have in turn, been asked by newbies the same and more, questions.  I have answered as I have been answered.  With fun, encouragement, providing resources and advice.  Just as was done me.  To Give and then, Receive is one of the most beautiful human experiences.
I have not once considered those I asked for help, competitors.  Nor they me.  We shared thoughts and ideas and experiences, laughing at some of the same mis-steps and congratulating each other with all the successes.  Giving a hug when things haven't gone so well.
I'm good at some things, not so good at others.  Some things take a long time getting the hang of.  Other things, well, to be honest will never be my forte.  And I accept that.  Typically, I Google whatever I want to know first.  If I can't find my answers, I will ask those that I trust, those that I care for, those that I know won't lie to me or lead me in the wrong direction.
For profit.  For personal gain.  For competitive reasons.
We share.  And we grow from the sharing.  It has been a wondeful journey ...
I used to be a swimmer in High School, I was on the "team".  And I was very good, I think, because it came naturally to me.  One day, at a particular meet, I won the big prize, the big shiny Blue Ribbon, First Place in the Butterfly Stroke.  And there in the crowd, dripping wet and shivering from the cold was this girl from the other Team.  (it was winter - what a stupid season for outside swimming competition!!).  I could see that she was also ... crying.  Crying because she had "lost".  Crying because she was not even in third place.  CRYING.
I felt so sorry for her.  Her coach was wagging his finger at her, very stern look on his face, body bent down to her because she was so little.  It was scary.  Something happened to ME that day, too.  I never competed again, for anything.
I learned that we are ALL WINNERS.  We all win the big shiny Blue Ribbon.
Every single day we get up and face the world.  Every single day we face our challenges.  We may not overcome this or that, but we have been honorable, we have been strong and we have not met adversity with Pride, Arrogance and Selfishness.
Because we Live.  And Living is the hardest task we humans will ever undertake.
Thank you Mr. Gray ... my Swim Coach who smiled when I told him, "I'm not a competitor.  I swim for joy."  And he understood, and hugged me as I walked away with my Blue Ribbon and gave it to that girl.  Her name is Cindy.  And I was honored to call her friend until her death four years ago from Cancer.


May your day be blessed ...

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Strong Vision

I dreamed once of long ago ...

Sitting crossed legged before a warm fire, chill winter night howling outside, shadows bouncing off the sides of my cave, my man softly blowing upon his pipe.  Smells of smoldering sage filled our lungs and peace was mellow and soft like the white fur around my shoulders.
I placed black stone and blue stone beads upon a leather cord, little bits of round wood colored like the last dropped leaves of Fall, and finally, savoring precious black horn pipe beads my man made from the horn of the last buffalo he slew for our winter meat, I placed only two of these.  Buffalo was his Spirit Animal and each part of each kill was precious to me.
From a trade made long ago with Black Hair Long White Nose - a white man who lived deep in our mountains and forests - I added a metal plate to hang the last of my blue stone beads from.

It was a good necklace.  Strong, peaceful and beautiful.

My man smiled, and then said to me ... "Make your earrings then come lay with me.  The night is long and my feet are cold."

And so I did ... and his feet grew warm.

Truth

I ask my Self many's the time, about the word Truth and its meaning.  So many questions I ponder over this 5 letter word;

is Truth the same for everyone?
is Truth a matter of perspective?
is Truth based upon personal or situational circumstance?
is Truth always within Human Beings?
is Truth ignorned because it is sometimes painful, or negative?
is Truth a choice?

And so on.

Following my Path, actually understanding that I even had a Path, only began in 1998 after a meteor disguised as a Human Being, crashed into my Life.  The blow was physical, mental, emotional, psychological and rather devastating; and yet from it ... I was reborn.

I began to hunger for understanding about Human Beings - being one my Self, I thought it a good idea.  Along with many philosophical studies, I delved into psychological studies and associated miseries thereof.  Hmmmm ... iteresting stuff when I considered my own near break from "sanity".  Buddhism, Tao and Zen were yummy treats I digested easily, but Native American really hit my Spirit head-on.

And so I read ...
Lots of history ... all tragic and I felt supreme disgust with my WHITE blood and heritage.  The tiny drops of Cherokee that flows thru my veins is hardly a calling to kinship and yet, I cannot deny the emotional tugging that song, art and stories does to me.  Don't ask me why; I get tears at every Pow Wow Ceremony, whenever I listen to drums and flutes and there is a particular someone that I would love to meet ... someday.  I wonder does he know this?

What was I looking for?  What answers did I hope to find?  The question being, What had caused this nasty person to hurt me so deeply, all words spoken with slippery tongue spewing lies.

I wanted to know about TRUTH.

Truth is within every human being from the moment of conception, thru birth and then their surroundings and circumstances and experiences does some "thing" to that Truth; twist it, turn it, mold it, ruin it ... until it actually becomes a choice whether to be a Truthful Human Being, to speak the Truth, live a True Life.

Do we lie on purpose?  Sometimes.  Do we lie without realizing it?  Sometimes.  Do we lie to hurt others?  Sometimes.  Do we lie to better our Selves and our circumstances?  Sometimes.  Do we lie to keep from telling the Truth?  Always.

And so ... the other day I discovered I had not spoken (actually it was written) the Truth about something.  I did not realize I had lied.  I did not do it on purpose.  I certainly did not do it to hurt someone.  I would have profitted from the lie, so that would have bettered my Self and my circumstances.  When I discovered what I had done, I felt the most supreme shame, the ultimate of  embarrassment.  And quickly rushed to rectify what I had done.

I doubt the person who lied so grievously to me and hurt me so thoroughly as to change the course of my very existence, felt supreme shame and embarrassment for what he'd done.  Though he knew it.

And I think that Truth never changes what it is, but it certainly changes those it touches. 

Truth is Truth.  Pure, but certainly not simple:
"That which is considered to be the supreme reality and to have the ultimate meaning and value of existence."

My my my .... supreme reality, ultimate meaning, value of existence ...  yes, certainly NOT simple.

~ Mystic Dragyn ~

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