"as your perimeter of knowledge grows, so to does your perimeter of ignorance."
-neil degrasse tyson
so... what is Love, really?
it is definitely a connection, a mutuality, a closeness. the ego-side of it has a need that needs to be met. the Spirit-side of it has a selfless, burning desire for the lover's well-being and life-happiness.
it is a Oneness.
kind-of like pornography, you'll know it when you see feel it.
Love... can be projected, it can be received, and it can be shared. it is hard to put your finger on it... until your finger is on it. it can be a fleeting feeling. it can be a "forever" feeling.
love/Love can be soooooo dichotomous as to render lovers helpless -- yet hopeful & energized.
we love the Love and Connection that is experienced by humans on these holidays. heck, i was probably conceived with the holiday spirit in mind.
on the other hand, aliens see beyond the veil and through the marketing. we can't help but notice that it's just another man-made story (similar to "diamonds are forever") that result in billion$ of dollar$ in $ale$ (and $ale$ tax). capital wins... again and again.
it may seem a tad bipolar, but aliens can have a love/hate relationship with valentine's day. part of us wants you-mans to "be mine." another part of us wants you (irrespective of man) to experience your best life.
my hope, on this day, is a little bit of both.
Love,
joal
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*drawings by j. m.
see how valentines was conceived: https://joalmartino.blogspot.com/2023/02/b107-27-12022-tiny-val-tine.html
**the experience of love is certainly the most addictive of any experience. my feeling is that it is a positive addiction.
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...if the decorative bath-towels match the shower curtain?
the type of person who really cares if my "decorative" dish-towels match my "good" china is not the type of person who i care about what they care about.
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disclaimer: this is not to say that those who like to have matching stuff in their house are (in any way) being criticized in this post. it's when they criticize/judge others' homes.
why do people confuse the legal, religious, cult-like construct of matrimony ...with the connected, sensational, mutual-bondedness of Love?
while both can be in play simultaneously, they are (obviously) not the same thing.
we closed book 112: happy new year and began book 113: close shave at 12 noon on 2/9/2003.
· actually, there are 100 trillion cells, each of which contains 100 trillion atoms.
· for reference, scientists estimate that there are 200 billion-trillion stars in our universe.
· other estimates say that there are a million times more atoms in the body than stars in the observable universe… which would make each of us… a Megaverse.
· is y/our head spinning on its collective axis yet?
conclusion: there is a lot going on, right here/right now, inside of each of our bodies.
while we might not be able to save the planet (or the universe, for that matter), we do have quite a say – when it comes to how we treat our host.
as a part-time bartender and a part-time human, i get to engage-in and listen-to conversations by people... and about relationships.
in the u.s.a., many have this unreasonable notion that it takes effort to "make a relationship work."
most can't even define what "working" means... but they will be more than ready to share their insights in a new york-relationship minute.
since i'm not from this planet, i'm amazed to learn that the average american believes that, for a relationship to "work"...
lifelong friendships are different, for some reason. when the expectations are lessened, we can really love another and want our beloved to experience his/her best life (whether it is with us, or not).
friendships aren't as possessive as u.s.a. "relationships." friendships don't have to "work" -- because friends don't need a contract, or a vow, a ring, or a lawyer or a minister or a government to tell them what they have to do -- to be friends.
friends, after All, just IS.
:)
ignoring the news won't make the bad stuff go away... but it does allow for the possibility of re-cognizing the good stuff that we aren't paying attention to.
the bodymind can tap-into illness and/or wellness.
which direction would you like to go, in this Now moment?
graphic with permission by wellnessducation.us
my massage chair loves me [i]
by i. justgotta massage· why would someone want you to believe what they believe?
o
their desire for safety in numbers.
o
their need for a sense of righteousness in
numbers.
o
their agenda.
o
their egoic “win” when someone joins in.
o
their (financial/psychological) benefit (when you join).
from the used-car salesman… to the fraternity pledge-trainer… to the cheerleader… to the politician… to the newscaster… to the minister… we don’t have to seek long to find someone spouting something that we “should” believe.
belief (based upon sound evidence and demonstrated truth) is worthwhile, and still best done with the use of continued critical-thinking skills.
blind belief, however, is a fool’s game.
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martino, j. (1.26-1.2023). believe. book 112: happy new year.
© 2023 by joal martino.
*of course (it goes without saying): blind belief avoidance applies to anything that you read… including this
thoem.
**we all can fall victim to
confirmation bias, so question everything
– until it makes verifiable sense… and even then, my friend, question again.
o friends don’t promise.o friends want what is best for their friends.o sometimes, friends allow friends to find their own way. this can be difficult.o best friends don’t need a contract or a ceremony or symbols.o “commitment” isn’t a “should,” but rather an Is that is earned every, single moment by Be-ing that best friend. striving for it would be to suffocate the allowing of it.o “best friends” is a two-way street: one cannot be a best friend unless s/he is (first and foremost) he/r own best friend.o it’s logical: put the oxygen mask on yourself first, so that you can help others don theirs.o the notion of inter-independence (assisting our beloved to become independent of [and with] us) seems odd, when viewed from the quagmire.
