Today's MOZEN 7/16/2013

Words by F LoBuono

I should be reading
but I'm not

I should be writing
but I'm not

I should be exercising
but I'm not

I should be resting
but I'm not

I'm just being
me

Today's MOZEN 7/14/2013

Words and photo by F LoBuono

My policy is when there is so much to say AND too much has already been said, say little. So it will be with sharing some thoughts on The People of the State of Florida vs. George Zimmerman.

I'm not interested in discussing the legal aspects of the case. I am not a lawyer. Besides, The People have spoken and the law and verdict must be respected. However, I say this: my heart is broken. A 16 year-old boy is dead. Trayvon Martin. A sixteen year-old boy. A boy who went to buy candy and never returned. Now, a mother has no son. A father clings to memories of the boy whose photo he clutches in his hand. TWO families are broken. Why? A reasonable question to ask. Did race play a role? Perhaps? Many say likely. Fear? Certainly. Finding the answers, if we can, may help us to heal.

But my focus is on the singular force that altered the fate of not just two men, but two families. It is a small object that weighs no more than a few pounds. It was legally obtained and easily concealed. And it changed everything. EVERYTHING. That gun not only killed Trayvon Martin, it emboldened George Zimmerman to the point of unnecessary confrontation in the first place. The bottom line is: NO GUN - NO DEAD BOY.

Justice, as written by Florida law, has been served. I hold nothing against the jury or defense lawyers. However, morally, this is a tragedy in every sense of the word. It moves me to the point of exasperation. A young man, walking home from buying candy, walks no more. Ultimately, I don't care if he was white, black, or green. He was a young man, a boy, with every right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These things, he was denied. And there are no words left to describe the grief . . .

Today's MOZEN 7/12/2013

Words and photo by F LoBuono

I am so fortunate to live in a beautiful apartment, located on a wooded lot, that has large, bay windows. In addition to the wonderful light the large windows grant me, they also allow me access to my little "half-acre" of nature. This means that, every morning, when the windows are wide open, I'm serenaded by a cacophony of sweet bird melodies. In fact, sometimes, it's an actual riot of sound! However, I also live about two blocks from the NYS Thruway and the Tappan Zee Bridge, two MAJOR transportation routes into New York City and the surrounding metro complex. In other words, there's plenty of traffic and the noise associated with it. And, this, my friends, provides the perfect metaphor for the yin and yang that is also known as life:

You can't enjoy the sweet music of the birds without the sound of the traffic, too. It's a matter of choice and perception. Which one will you choose to "hear"?

Today's MOZEN 7/4/2013

Words and Photo by F LoBuono

I often ask myself, why bother writing? I'm sure others ask the same thing: yes, Frank, why ARE you still writing? When you stop laughing, I'll explain. Just when I'm feeling like it's all some colossal waste of time (I mean is anyone REALLY reading this stuff? Does anyone care? SHOULD anyone care?), I'll read something that demonstrates why ALL writers are compelled to write. When one skillful enough can marry the passion of ideas with the power to communicate through the written word, the results can transform the world.

So, it was, on this Fourth of July, the anniversary of the Birth of a Nation, I was once again truly inspired by one of the greatest documents ever conceived and brilliantly executed: The United States Declaration of Independence. The power in the words makes them ALIVE and, through that strength, moved us to the action that changed the world forever. Their eloquence captures the essence of dignity, liberty, and justice.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men 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. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. . .

Do yourself a favor and read the entire document. Whether you consider yourself a "traditional" patriot or someone, perhaps, a bit more "anti-establishment", one cannot help but be moved and inspired by such a noble attempt to show the world a possible path to real freedom. And, 237 years later, those words still ring true.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY EVERYONE!!

Today's MOZEN 7/2/2013

Words and photo by F LoBuono

It's pretty obvious to most who read my work, or know me personally, that I'm not a particularly religious person. One might say my approach to things spiritual are non-traditional to say the least. In fact, the many of those who see me as downright iconoclastic in my approach to traditional religion would, indeed, be accurate. But I've also tried to make it clear that, at the same time, I certainly see myself as a spiritual person, i.e. a seeker of inner truth, clarity, and, subsequently, enlightenment and eventual salvation. And I see how the two can be interpreted as different.

So, I pray. It may be my version of what a prayer is, but it most certainly is just that. I pray to many of the entities that have been with us from the beginning of time and shine the light of love on the path to justice, righteousness, consciousness, and lasting peace. I want to live with passion and compassion. I want to know what it is to live without hate, avarice, greed, and intolerance. I want to sow the seeds of justice, patience, and understanding. And I pray. I pray to the Buddha to share his way of enlightenment with me. I pray to Jesus, Prince of Peace, to open my heart and accept the true way to salvation through forgiveness. I pray to the earth, the wind, and the sun, and the rain. And I pray to my ancestors to give me guidance on the long and winding path of life.

I have no church, no temple, no ashram. I endorse, nor condemn, any religion (unless it harms others). I pray where I sit, where I walk, where I stand, where I lay. And I pray whenever the spirit, any SPIRIT, moves me.