Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 04/Jan 03:43

Rise from the mud and bloom

As I write this, it is 8.05 am on January 1. It is a relief to hear only cocks crowing after what was the most horrific (in volume, frequency and duration) fireworks onslaught I have experienced in over a decade of living in southern Tobago. The existing fireworks legislation enabled a free-for-all of “festive explosives” – (from what I heard) daily from December 22, both night and day, and in zones that are designated forbidden for fireworks. On January 1, explosions ricocheted until up to 3 am – or longer; I eventually fell asleep, so would not know. The barrage might even continue tonight . . . But let me not get carried away. I have said enough on fireworks, as have others; increasingly, citizens are demanding a complete ban (import, sales, usage) on fireworks in TT. A friend sent me the following message this morning via WhatsApp: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” I am applying that to fireworks, and also ended up applying similar thinking when someone recently reported to me a case that I found sufficiently horrific to show signs of deep psychosis. It was one of those unfortunately frequent “Just when you think it cannot get worse, it does” scenarios that one encounters on the local animal welfare journey. There is a saying attributed to Albert Einstein, among others: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” I certainly do not want to go insane. How many more articles can I write about fireworks, animal abuse, dumping and other things that we want to see change, but which somehow seem not to matter, in spite of the level of awareness raised? On a drive past the canals with rotting entrails I wrote about last Sunday, it appeared nothing has been cleared (probably as no one worked in that regard over “the season”); in fact the area is in even more of a rubbishy state. It brings additional meaning to the term “lawless dump” recently ascribed to TT. My resolve now, if I can stick to it, is to write about uplifting things. It is important to rewire our brains and set our sights and feelings to a higher sense of well-being – to know that such a state exists, even amidst the perceived muck. [caption id="attachment_1200245" align="alignnone" width="995"] -[/caption] The lotus flower comes to mind. Across cultures it is seen as a powerful symbol of supreme purity, and perseverance – because it rises up from muddy waters, coming into full bloom without traces of mud or debris on it. Such beauty, arising from darkness, illustrates purity, enlightenment and rebirth – the kind that I wish TT and its people would realise and experience before it is too late. Is it ever too late? “Spirit is never too late,” said the late metaphysician Florence Scovel Shinn (one of my favourites). Many people are saying, “Happy New Year.” While I appreciate that they are extending good wishes to me and others, that term does not necessarily evoke the required effect – just as “Merry Christmas” does not (to me). I say this because not everyone is happy or merry, which is understandable, given the state of the world today, and the challenges faced by multitudes. At home, I create my own bubble of peace. Many of you probably do, too. This is not escapism. It is a necessity in today’s world to cultivate an inner sanctuary – primarily within oneself and within one’s immediate space – whatever that means or looks like to you. Once that inner world is peacefully intact, the external world will, ideally, begin to reflect it or, at least, will not have the potential to shake one’s peaceful fortitude as much as it could, had you not had your inner sanctum. I will end by sharing a quote from Eileen Caddy. I discovered her years ago when, as I was walking down an aisle in the Toronto Library, a small book about her and her life dropped from the shelf, to the floor at my feet. (This was one of two books that I chanced on in that way). She wrote: “Expect your every need to be met, expect the answer to every problem, expect abundance on every level, expect to grow spiritually. You are not living by human laws. Expect miracles and see them take place. Hold ever before you the thought of prosperity and abundance and know that doing so sets in motion forces that will bring it into being.”   The post Rise from the mud and bloom appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.