This movie had a 60 and a 56 rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which, If I had any sense, should have informed me that it was a complete waste of time, but because I saw it show up on a couple of lists for “spiritual” films, I endured it. Normally Wes Craven’s films are not just pure horror and this movie was supposedly based on a true story, but I failed to find anything redeeming about this movie except the fact that it was only 98 minutes long.

I have no idea why Craven decided that the best depiction of this story was the horror genre, but that is where he chose to take it. I suppose the storyline simply lent itself to that area of film, which is one I have no interest in.

Just in case I haven’t discouraged you from watching this movie let me give you a quick glimpse of the supposed true story: Dr. Dennis Alan (played by Bill Pullman), an anthropologist, had some type of shamanic experience in the Amazon and barely escaped with his life while bringing herbs from the rain forest which were new to American Scientists. Upon hearing of his discoveries, the head of an American Pharmaceutical company commissioned Dr. Alan to travel to Haiti to obtain some alleged “Zombie” chemical so that the researchers could develop an anesthesia of remarkable capabilities.

Dr. Alan was shown evidence of a zombie, yes the walking dead, and it was his mission to locate and research this individual. Unfortunately, for Dr. Alan, Haiti was in the midst of a revolution aimed at removing an evil dictator, “Baby Doc” Duvalier. Alan was apparently exposed to hallucinogenic drugs and he was continually harassed and eventually tortured by one of Duvalier’s evil minions, Dargent Peytraud (played by Zakes Mokae).

(Spoiler Alert—Just in-case you are intrigued by this film’s premise and have not figured out that Dr. Alan lived to tell his story.) Anyway, if you really want to watch this, stop reading here.

Fortunately, for the planet, the persevering researcher overcame the evil, mind-controlling Peytraud, after Duvalier’s reign collapsed and he was able to share the Zombification Drug with researchers, not to mention the fact that he saved the lovely, love-interest, Marielle DuChamp (played by Cathy Tyson) from certain decapitation.

As the film ended there was a notice that the Zombification Drugs are still being investigated for their properties and possible uses in America and Europe. Since the film was made in 1988 and the Wade Davis book was written in 1984, I am guessing that if science had discovered many beneficial uses for these compounds it would have been big news, by now.

I do not mean to suggest that I doubt the veracity of the Wade Davis book, but I saw no value, whatsoever, in the presentation Wes Craven created. Perhaps it will appeal to you horror lovers out there, but it is not my cup of tea. As someone always on the lookout for movies which lend themselves to discussions of the spiritual nature, I cannot imagine why this film would ever make anyone’s spiritual film list. Of course, I suppose everything is spiritual so, there’s that.

I AM DAVID 2003

Director: Paul Feig

Writers: Anne Holm – Original Novel

            Paul Feig – Screenplay

My Rating: 7.6/10

Personally, I liked this movie. I will be adding it to my list of spiritually significant films, and will include it on my list of films to use for spiritual cinema. When I was adding this movie to my database I reviewed some of the comments that critics shared, I found the most common complaint to be that there were too many positive coincidences for the film to be believable. For me, it was exactly these so-called coincidences which made the film so enjoyable. It is my belief that when one is committed to a goal, the Universe conspires to help make it happen. It would appear to me that the writer’s share my truth.

Through this story, we caught a glimpse of the extremes of human behavior ranging from ugly cruelty to loving kindness. Most of the people encountered fell somewhere in-between these two.

We witnessed the evolution of this beautiful 12 year-old David (Played by Ben Tibber) as he escaped the only life he had ever really known, by courageously throwing himself into a world of uncertainty; freedom being more important than the safety of the known. While some of the assistance he received along his journey may have seemed a bit too fortunate, I did not find anything that seemed unreasonable.

The lovely ending was foreshadowed so effectively that even though we knew what was coming it did not detract from the feel-good payoff at the climax.

My favorite scene occurred when David had the following conversation with a dear, sweet woman who helped him, immensely:

A Lesson from Mrs. Sophie Anderson

Scene from movie I Am David
David: Why do people do such terrible things?
Sophie: Like what?
David: Like beat people and kill them and make them prisoners.
Sophie: Well, most people don’t do that David.
David: My friend Johann always used to tell me, “Trust no one.”
Sophie: Well, Life wouldn’t be worth living, if we did that David.
You can be cautious, but you have to let people in.
David: How can you know if they are bad or not?
Sophie: David, Most people are good. They have families, and friends, and they just want to live their lives as happily as they can. While there always will be bad people in this world, and you’ll usually know them when you meet them, and sometimes you won’t; but you can’t let that stop you from living your life fully, and freely, and making friends and seeing the goodness in people. Because if you don’t do that you will never find any happiness.

I Am David reminded me that to live without trusting is not to live at all, and that to exchange safety for freedom is a tradeoff for those who are fear-dominated. The movie may have been a bit hokey, but I loved it, and am most grateful for the reminders.

I have been using the same auto repair shop for 30 years because the owner has always proven to have integrity above reproach. Earlier he called me and shared an experience which occurred this morning.

Another customer, of his, was preparing to take his wife and kids on an extended road trip, and although his Chevrolet Yukon was fairly new and well-maintained he just had a feeling he needed to bring it in for a check-up before setting out on the trip.

My friend had one of his mechanics pull the vehicle up on to a lift so that they could raise the SUV to inspect it from the underside. Just as the mechanic reached the end of the lift and was braking to stop in the perfect position, the unspeakable happened: The brake pedal went all the way to the floor. Fortunately the vehicle was moving very slowly and it stopped before moving over the end of the lift.

Once they raised the vehicle they noticed that brake fluid was leaking all over the lift and the ground. Upon further inspection they found a metal brake line had broken completely in half. Prior to this happening, there had been no indication that anything was amiss, with the vehicle.

My friend related to me that if that brake line had not broken, just when it did it was something he would have never caught. Because of its positioning, the metal line was fully concealed by a mass of wires.

My friend was nearly speechless. He forms close bonds with his repeat customers and he intimated to me that without this line breaking, just when it did, it would have happened, most likely, while the family was on their trip. He shuttered when he considered what may have happened.

This is one of the many examples of grace that I see all of the time. Why did the man feel he needed to have his well-maintained, late-model Yukon inspected before heading out on his trip? It was not something he typically did. Why did the brake line burst when this mechanic was positioning the vehicle to be raised and inspected?

The answers to these questions will never be fully answered, but I consider it to be God’s Amazing Grace. It was not this family’s time to be involved in whatever would have occurred had this not happened just exactly as it did.

God is so good.
All the time.

As everyone who has open ears or open eyes in America knows, Colin Kaepernick, of the San Francisco 49ers, chose to remain seated during the playing of the National Anthem in the opening week of the 2016 National Football League season.

According to interviews, following the game, Kaepernick remained seated because of injustices being perpetrated against African Americans and other people of color.

The football franchise’s spokesperson later stated that while the playing of the National Anthem has been and will always be a part of the team’s opening ceremonies, the freedom of expression, which the song itself represents, applies to the star quarterback, as it does to everyone.

Kaepernick’s actions have caused two things to happen: 1) It has encouraged more people to stand up, in whatever ways they deem appropriate, to the oppression felt by many people in the poorest communities of America, and 2) It has outraged the nationalists in our country.

The first result of this individual’s choice, I think, is a positive thing. Opening and keeping alive a dialogue about the lack of equality, in a country which promises to strive for such a lofty ideal, is an important first step toward healing. The fact that one man’s choice could inspire others to follow suit is significant. As a country, our criminal justice system needs restoration. As it appears, right now, justice is something which can only be purchased by those with the means to do so. This is a tear in our societal moral fabric and it can only be repaired through thoughtful discussions and sincere proactive change. If Kaepernick’s decision helps lead us in that direction, then I say remaining seated was ultimately a patriotic choice.

As for the second issue, that of the nationalists being irritated by this football player’s defiance, I say “Grow up.” As someone who served both in the military and on civilian police departments I want remind everyone that we have soldiers dying every day to give people, like Kaepernick, the right to express his disappointment with our democracy, in any legal means he sees fit. What a waste of human life if such sacrifice means nothing.

There are those who insist that this is a slap in the face to the young men and women who are fighting for our freedom, but anyone who would be outraged by this man’s expression of that same freedom, reacts emotionally and not thoughtfully. What is the use of having freedom if its demonstration must meet our egocentric guidelines? Such freedom is not freedom, at all; it is a narrow, arrogant, meaningless caricature of freedom which forgets that the root word “free” must allow actions which may offend our experience-driven sense of what is right and wrong; or what is acceptable and what is not.

As a country, we need to come together and have open-hearted, open-minded dialogues about “Black Lives Matter” and all injustice directed against people of color, poor people, or anyone who finds the so-called
“Justice System” unavailable, for any reason. We are at a crossroads in which the old guard can no longer build high enough or strong enough walls to prevent the brave, new world from encroaching. We MUST become empathetic to the plight of those less privileged than ourselves and demand the change necessary to truly become a kinder and gentler nation.

Of course that change must begin within our own hearts before we will ever see it manifest in the nation or on the planet. We must realize that the new world is going to move into our neighborhood and it is in our best interest to help them unpack and make them feel as welcomed as we have always found ourselves.

Colin Kaepernick: Good Job. I have refused to put my hand over my heart for many years when standing for the National Anthem because I have long felt that there is really no effort, being waged, to live up to the ideals of the American Dream. While the song, itself, is a salute to the flag, the sentiment that America is a land of equality, with justice for all, has gotten lost in our greed-driven, fear-based society. I hope that your actions lead to thoughtful dialogue. If that happens you may become known as a hero, a champion of the American Constitution, which at one time represented the Truth that all men are created equal and therefore entitled to all the benefits inherent in that equality. I applaud you and I thank you.

To all the haters who cannot find it in themselves to recognize that not all people in this country are treated with respect, open your minds and see if you can’t put yourself in the shoes of those who are treated unfairly. Do you live in the country you dreamed of when you were a little kid being taught the words of the Pledge of Allegiance, or did you just learn the words so you could recite them without any thoughtful consideration? “With Liberty and Justice, for all,” were not just words which sounded good to Francis Bellamy, when he wrote them in August of 1892; they point to ideals which we, as American Citizens, have failed to apply equally to all members of our society. We, as communities, are only as strong as our weakest neighbors. As Americans, we are tasked with striving for a higher standard, not because it is written somewhere, but because we know, in our heart of hearts, that it is the right thing to do.

At the end of the day it does not matter that Colin Kaepernick did not stand during the National Anthem. It is not disrespectful to any individual. It is an act by a man who feels that our system is unjust. Instead of being angry with him for exercising his right to free expression, let us see how we may work to mend our country; a nation that is more broken and divisive, right now, than it has ever been in my lifetime (a life that is reaching into its sixth decade.)

We do not need to agree with Mr. Kaepernick’s choice in order to ask, “Where do we go from here?” If we can find it in our minds and hearts to seek answers to this question, we may, just maybe, be able to keep our wonderful country from exploding. Talk with your neighbors. Talk with people with whom you do not usually associate. Write to your senators and congresspersons expressing your concern for the disparity which exists. In other words, instead of sitting in your recliner feeling outraged at this young man for using his national platform to express his frustration, Do Something. Do something constructive. Even if it is only to examine your own heart and ask yourself why you feel so angry. If you can get past your own prejudices you may find out that you have been living your life on autopilot and that this no longer serves you.

We must change. We must evolve, and there is no reason this evolution needs to be bloody or destructive. We are intelligent enough as a race, as a collective humanity, to become a nation which not only espouses but actually lives up to the ideals of “Liberty and Justice, for all.”

As I shared on my Secrets to Peace blog, I recently uncovered an old, small book of poetry and prose from Helen Steiner Rice. The book is over forty years old. Mrs. Rice was a writer for a greeting card company. Her poetry is simple, but in that simplicity her words find a quick and easy path straight into my heart.
I want to share an example here entitled: Where There is Love

Where There Is Love

Where there is love the heart is light,
Where there is love the day is bright,
Where there is love there is a song
To help when things are going wrong. . .
Where there is love there is a smile
To make all things seem more worthwhile,
Where there is love there’s quiet peace
A Tranquil place where turmoils cease–
Love changes darkness into light
And makes the heart take “wingless flight”. . .
Oh, blest are they who walk in love,
They also walk with God above–
And when you walk with God each day
And kneel together when you pray,
Your marriage will be truly blest
And God will be your daily “guest”–
And love that once seemed yours alone,
God gently blends into His Own.
See. Just as I promised, the writing is simple yet it touches us in the soft spot that guards our Sacred Heart.

Citation: Rice, Helen Steiner. Everyone Needs Someone. Fourth Prining ed. Old Tappan: Pyramid Publications, n.d. Print.

This afternoon, as I was going through paperwork, looking for some needed tax documents, I had the movie, “I Am Chris Farley” playing. When the movie was drawing to a close, one of the actors in the documentary pulled a piece of paper from his wallet which he identified as the Clown’s Prayer and he read it aloud:

As I stumble through this life,
help me to create more laughter than tears,  
dispense more happiness than gloom,
spread more cheer than despair.
Never let me become so indifferent
that I will fail to see the wonder
in the eyes of a child
or the twinkle in the eyes of the aged.
Never let me forget that my total effort
is to cheer people, make them happy
and forget – at least momentarily –
all the unpleasantness in their lives.
And, in my final moment,
may I hear You whisper:
‘When you made My people smile,
you made Me smile.’

Thanks to Jackmac34 on Pixabay

This short poem really resonated with me. Growing up, I was sort of the class clown. In truth, I suppose I still am. Growing up it was because I craved attention. Now it is just that I like to break up monotony with laughter. Perhaps this is why these words really spoke to me.

I like to imagine a world where people spend more time laughing than they do taking themselves and life so seriously. Laughter is not only good medicine, it makes every moment here better.

I am going to try and post, as I said yesterday, more often. I also have several other projects percolating in my brain. Some of them have been brewing for way too long and their time has come. I am not prepared to reveal what is coming, at least until I am sure of the due dates. Suffice it to say that I plan to release a couple of different podcasts, the subject of which I will wait to discuss.

One thing I know I want to do is to interview interesting people from my timeline on Twitter and Facebook. I cannot imagine that too many people will find me here, since I am doing nothing to promote these posts, but if you do and you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, or you decide you want to, I would love to interview you. It is my firm belief that everyone had an interesting story. I think the man who is doing Citizens of New York is proving that.

That is it for today. I will share another quote for now.

Unbelievable.

I have been intending to set up this one page as a catch-all so people could see all the different things that I am into. Yet, here I sit, in 2015 and this is still sitting with nothing attached.

I cannot imagine that anyone has ever found this site, but I make this promise, here and now. I will be getting busy here and soon this will be my headquarters.

I also need to get busy writing at http;//www.secretstopeace.com  I made myself a promise that I would post more there this year and we are nearing the end of the fourth month of the year and it has probably been six weeks or more since I have posted. My organizational skills are the only tools that are weaker than my self-discipline.

I am wanting to set up several new blogs, which I know I could do in about six or seven hours each, but I cannot manage what I have. What I need is a boss. I need my wife to be my administrator who would tell me what to get done today and reward me when I deliver.

For now, it is past my bedtime and I am procrastinating going to sleep. Something which is not a good idea tonight as I have things to do tomorrow.

I will leave one of the picture/quotes I have been making on backgrounds from shots taken on my walks.

Peace,

ET Out for now..

We make room for love when we nudge our ego out of the way.

Hello Friends.

I started this site several months ago and have not gotten any closer to bringing it to fruition. I seem to have to repeat my learning curve each and every time I try to do anything with any of my blogs. It is my hope that I will soon have them all set up the same, more or less, so I will not have to relearn everything each time I try to do something new.

I hope to have this web page up and running before the end of September.