Today's MOZEN 8/27/2013

Words and photo by F LoBuono

It's a pretty well established fact that I love animals. Always have. Both my parents loved animals, too. So, you could always find some other being, besides the human kind, in my house. Mostly, we had dogs (my mom, at that time, was afraid of cats, since radically changed!) of all shapes, sizes, and genetic make-up, but that could be supplemented with the occasional baby rabbit, chipmunk, or mouse. Even tropical fish fascinated me well into adulthood. Lots of life was always important around our house. It still is. My cat, Big Red, climbed in a bedroom window nearly 19 years ago and we still cohabitate!! Photos of my big lug of a lab, Rex, make regularly appearances on my Facebook page. After viewing a particularly brutal PETA video exposing the incredible cruelty of factory farming, I became a vegetarian. And, believe me, it is NO easy task for a Sicilian boy to become a vegetarian! I believe in respecting all living things.

However, I don't anthropomorphize them. We don't have to. They are entities unto themselves. In fact, some would prefer the company of animals over that of humans. All of us who love animals relate to and understand this. However, humans are animals but animals are not human. Thinking of it this way helps to give us some perspective.

The other day, while scanning through Facebook, I took notice of photo of a cute kitten. I mean, who wouldn't notice LOL! The corresponding copy asked for people to sign a petition to stop The George Washington University of St. Louis from doing research on cats and kittens. Apparently, the school is experimenting on cats to innovate new techniques to insert tubes into the throats of children. Of course, this must produce a cruel and painful situation for the cats. Proponents would argue that. although "distasteful", these types of experiments are absolutely essential in perfecting new procedures that will save human lives. The opponents point of view would seem obvious; it is cruel and heartless. The moral debate over the pros and cons of animal research has raged for years and still does. It is a most complicated issue. In fact, it is so much so that I would like to save that debate for another entry. What I would like to do with this one is address the responses to the posting.

Quite a number of people responding suggested this: instead of experimenting on poor, defenseless little kittens, we have thousands of horrible human beings wasting tax-payer dollars in our prisons, let's use them. Really? Conduct experiments on human beings? Hasn't that been done before - with disastrous results? I recall something about Nazis. . . Even our own country has conducted scientific research on humans without their knowledge or consent. It's a sad and shameful chapter in our history. And it perpetuates the cruelty that the original post aimed to end. You see, it is not about just saving poor, defenseless felines (although that is a worthy goal). It is about ending CRUELTY. If you just perpetuate the act with a different living being, animal OR human, you are simply defeating the purpose and missing the point. And that point is to find a better way. Is it possible, using today's mind-boggling technology, to find a method to perfect the new technique without cruelty to any living creature? ANY.

If we always take the easy way, playing to our baser human emotion, we will never end the cycle of cruelty and brutality. Everything is connected. Every effort we make towards improving the lives of all living creatures works cumulatively to improve the lot of every sentient being. Only love conquers hate. You can take all the religions, all the philosophy, all the great thought in the world, but if you don't believe that, if you don't LIVE that, we are doomed to live in a cycle of hopelessness, hate, and despare. The choice is ours. I've made mine - to renounce cruelty. Now, it's your turn.

Today's MOZEN 8/24/2013

Words and photo by F LoBuono

Lately, for many reasons, I've been feeling distracted and, more importantly, disconnected. The more I read, the more I see, the more I hear, the more disillusioned I've become. The news, in whatever form you find it, seems to be worse than bad - it's horrendous. Senseless murder, wanton greed, forcible rape, genocide, and general mayhem dominate the headlines. And when we look to escape, often through the medium that was designed to provide the means, television, we are barraged with a plethora of mindless, meaningless, so-called "reality" crap!! Duck Dynasty? The Real Housewives of Anywhere? Really? This is food for the mind and soul?? No wonder we lose faith in mankind!! I can only speak for myself but it makes me want to SCREAM!!!!!!!!

One morning, while driving to pick up a buddy, ruminating on all the ills in the world and feeling generally helpless because of it, I noticed a young woman in a wheel chair being escorted down the street by an attendant. It was a beautiful summer day and the sun was shinning brightly. The woman appeared to be severely disabled and her movements were restricted to her face and head. It was that face that so greatly moved me. She positioned herself so that the brilliant sun would strike it fully. And she was smiling - a great, big, full-faced smile. It was apparent that, at that moment, there was nothing more important in her life than that ray of sunshine. It caressed her. It nourished her. It filled her. I could see the joy clearly written all over her face. And that was all that mattered. So simple. So sublime. So REAL.

She reminded me that we must live in the moment. We must cherish the little things that make life so precious. We must reward ourselves with the simple pleasures, like feeling the sun on our face. Sometimes, it's all you need.

Today's MOZEN 8/14/2013

Words and photo by F LoBuono

Ordinarily, I write my own Moments of Zen (MOZEN is the witty acronym). After all, they are MY thoughts. Of course, they are often inspired by other sources. Infrequently, however, I am compelled to present someone's else work virtually in its entirety and with little additional comment. So it is today with this verse from Simon and Garfunkle's immortal song The Boxer. Its metaphor of boxing as a paradigm for life is brilliant in its conception and execution.

In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade and he carries the reminders of every glove that layed him down and cut him until he cried out in his anger and his shame, "I AM LEAVING. I AM LEAVING". But the fighter still remains . . .

Be true to yourselves and your nature, my friends. Always.

Today's MOZEN 8/13/2013

Words and photo by F LoBuono

Life is much better when we share. It makes us smile.

When we get down and depressed, most of us tend to retreat within ourselves. We may even welcome a rainy, dreary day like today. It helps in our withdrawal from daily life so that we may avoid, even temporarily, the issues that may be causing our depression. Who hasn't woken up, feeling down, looked out the window at a rainy day and said, "screw it", and went right back to sleep? There is certainly nothing wrong with that. In fact, many of us find it downright therapeutic. However, if we still feel the same way after our lengthy retreat, what then? We can't sleep forever (although I know that some of you sure try!). What happens when we are forced to return to "the world'? Do we walk around in some type of haze, awake, but not quite there? Do we wallow in self-pity, torn between wanting to disappear but then becoming more depressed when no one seems to notice your angst? It becomes sort of a "Catch 22" - damned if you do, damned if you don't.  This creates a type of vortex that, if we are not careful, can suck us up and drag us down.

I offer this as a simple solution: the next time you get the urge to crawl under a rock, it's OK to do so - for a while. But after a period of introspection and, quite frankly, escapism through rest, get up and get going. Make an EFFORT (and, at first, it will seem like an EFFORT) to do more for not only yourselves, but for others, as well. When we extend ourselves with loving compassion, we tend to shift our mindset from worrying about ourselves and our own problems to making the effort to help and comfort someone else. Think about it; if our mind is occupied with the task of aiding someone else, it can't be used to incessantly dwell on the issues that where causing us pain. There is even scientific evidence that, when we do this, our body responds in a very positive way, sending the necessary chemicals to soothe our aching minds. It's nature's way!! Besides, when we do this, we create a positive energy for the word that has a cumulative effect. Think of it this way: what we are doing for others, someone maybe doing for us and so on, and so on. In this way, we create a positive energy in the world that is efficient, effective, and non-polluting! LOL

So, share something of yourselves today and smile, smile, smile :)

Today's MOZEN 8/12/2013

Words and photo by F LoBuono

Have you ever flown though heavy cloud cover? As the jet climbs into the heavens, I marvel at the skill of the pilot to navigate up and over that nebulous realm. And I always anxiously anticipate breaking the cloud barrier and emerging to a stunning blue horizon and brilliant, almost blinding, sun light. We have faith that, if we keep climbing, we will surely reach clear skies and beautiful sunshine once again.

So it is with life. Sometimes, it seems that we will never break the cloud cover. Like that sad comic book character who constantly walks under a rain cloud, "bad weather" can seem to dog us. But, if we keep faith in ourselves and our mission - if we keep climbing like a jet - we WILL break the cloud cover and travel in brilliant clarity. NEVER lose faith in your own goodness and your ability to transcend misfortune. Be the pilot of you own plane.

LIVE IN THE LIGHT. SHARE THE LIGHT.

Today's MOZEN 8/11/2013

Word and photo by F LoBuono

The world can often be seen as a hard, cruel, merciless place. Perhaps, too often. And it's not just in the "headlines", either. It can hit us on a highly personal level, too. All of us must experience tragedy and loss in our lives. To not would be, well, not human. However, sometimes, these dark times seem to come crashing over us in waves, like some inexorable, evil tide. It leaves us with a feeling of; why me - AGAIN?! If we are not careful we can get sucked down by that dark vortex. It's then that we fail to see that life is wondrous and wonderful, too. It's all around us. Everyday. Even on the darkest day, there is light. Sometimes, we just need someone to remind us. . .