Tuesday, October 30, 2018

A BIRTHDAY GIFT ... TO MY READERS

by Ray Jason

It is dawn on the anniversary of my birth – long ago. I sit quietly and peacefully marveling at one of my favorite panoramas here in the Archipelago of Bliss. In the foreground, lovely ocean-striding sailboats gently tug at their anchors. Beyond them, the sun’s first rays accentuate the elemental beauty of the neighboring islands. And far in the distance is a range of mountains crowned by a sleeping volcano.
       Last year, on my Northwest Passage crossing, I saw the northern extremity of this mighty cordillera that stretches past my handsome sloop and extends all the way to Cape Horn. Will I one day see that legendary southern peak that has brought such ecstasy and agony to ocean wanderers?
                                   
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       Blessed and cursed as I am with an overactive “introspection gene,” I become even more contemplative on my birthday. But how could it not be so, when one is in the Autumn of one’s life with the years thundering by and the disappointments mounting?
       These last five years since I started my Blog, which strives for a deeper understanding of the human project, have been rewarding but also very unsettling. Initially, my research via the internet was exhilarating. Here was information and knowledge without gate-keepers. Explanations and narratives that had seemed suspicious to me during my college years, could now be fully investigated.
        
      Unfortunately, this research revealed that what we perceive as Reality is actually an enormous deception. We exist in a sort of hall of mirrors where everything is obscured and distorted. And this is deliberately being done by a tiny group of elites who manipulate the vast bulk of humanity.
       They con us into believing that we have free choice in our lives because we can choose between 67 flavors of yogurt while wearing 54 colors of lipstick. And these numbers are dwarfed by the hundreds of TV channels to distract us; and the smart phone apps to addict us.
       Meanwhile, the politicians lie about serving the people, when their only genuine allegiance is to their wallets and limousines. The economists doctor their statistics to deceive us into thinking that their profession is actually of some value to society. The actions of the intelligence agencies just prove that they should be called “ignorance agencies.” And the military industrial complex keeps inventing enemies to slaughter, so that they can move up into a higher class of Mercedes.
       And yet as appalling as all of this is, after about three years of study, I began to learn that the crimes of the Malignant Overlords - as I like to call them - are so much worse than I had anticipated. They are almost unimaginably horrific. A month of research will reveal an Underworld of obscene darkness and evil. Start by investigating “Jimmy Savile” and see how connected his horrors were to supposedly respectable bastions of politics and media.
       Besides the degeneracy of the ruling elites, I also kept confronting their agenda for the future of Humanity – and it is grim. They are trying to shape a technocratic dystopia that is a hybrid of these elements: Brave New World, RoboCop, 1984 and The Hunger Games. A total command and control grid of Overlords and Serfs.


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       How can my immersion in such research not batter my philosopher poet’s soul? How can I retain an optimistic perspective despite so much evidence of malice and deceit? I found myself repeating the question, “So, what then is the answer?” Eventually, I recognized that the best solution would be to share with you, my unknown but beloved readers, some suggestions for weathering the troubled waters trying to submerge us.


  • Rediscover a connection to the natural world. So much of our societal neuroses are directly caused by the severing of our ties to the non-human world. This can be as simple as walking to the park and feeding the ducks. Lessen your screen time and increase your swan time.
  • Slow down! Ever since I was a teen, the hucksters of advertising have lied to us about how much richer our lives would become if we just purchased one more time-saving device. We have all purchased a hundred, and our lives are more chaotic and unsatisfied than ever.
  • STUFF is not the solution, it is the problem. Every wise and spiritual figure throughout history has lauded the rewards of voluntary simplicity. The endless quest for more stuff keeps us from discovering our true inner self and from establishing meaningful relationships, which require time and attention.
  • Divorce yourself from the real world as much as possible. If you can go full sea gypsy, that is probably the ideal alternative, but probably not achievable by many. Instead, turn off the TV, limit your social media time, ditch the car for the bike, quit watching spectator sports and start participating.
  • Concentrate on things that you can control. Realize that your ability to change the world is almost microscopic, so stick to modest, realistic improvements with your family and friends and neighbors.
  • Laugh at the Lunacy. Trying to combat the Insanity may very well lead to your catching the Insanity. Keep your distance and your sense of humor.


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       It’s almost twilight now. I’m sitting in the same spot enjoying the view of the same boats and islands and mountains. But the sun is no longer greeting them. It is disappearing behind them. Another day lingers … and then leaves. Certainly, it has been a more special day, but perhaps that is the answer. To sculpt as many days as possible into SPECIAL DAYS.
   

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