What Brought Ya Here

A couple of friends of mine like to talk to me about the benefits of moral and ethical training as taught under the umbrella of religion. Both of them grown men, one childless and the other a father of two grown children, have demonstrated to me the comfort and guidance that community religious centers provide. In other words, they have put their money into their community and watched others of our species turn into contributors rather than detractors, claiming the religious center as their inspiration.

I agree with their understanding of our species' habits, where we become obsessed with or addicted to unhealthy behaviours, which lead many to destructive lifestyles.

How do we overcome socially unacceptable personal habits if there is no reason to, nothing greater than ourselves worth emulating?

I address this to those with the perspective of a grownup. From that view, we have all been children. In our childhood, we had our parental types, biological or otherwise, who provided some idea(s) of what a being in our species should act like. We have our favorites, our heroes, who gave us hope, direction and a sense of purpose.

You believe what you believe. You have reached this moment because of who you are, which is the result of your interaction with those you chose to be around (and some you would choose not to).

I live in this world because of you. Although I know I have no desire to change you, we change each other by being here, here being this blog but also the moments before and after where we might run into one another and have a jolly good time.

I like a good pint of draught or a short pint in a bottle. I also like water to drink. I find enjoyment in the pub but also in a building dedicated to religious practice. My holy place, my reverent center, is the whole universe. I don't distinguish one place from another in meditating upon the wonders of life.

If the core of your comfort zone is located in a religious center and you want to help others whose habits can change for the good of society at a similar religious center, I commend you. You are treating our species with the attention it deserves, as least as equal to your own existence and social habits.

I am not quite so gifted socially. My life has led me here, where I blog almost daily, write poems, short stories, and novels, prepare student lesson plans as instructor at a technical institute and play with toys. I am not fomenting a revolution or trying to make our society better. I am experimenting with the only life I have, which may or may not improve our society's future survival but leads to interesting stories to write. Life is my religious center, with you in it. I wouldn't have it any other way.