We are only an instance.

Fill it with smiles for as long as possible.

Courage

Once again my little monster flexes her courage.  She rode her first major roller coaster.  This is exercise for life's metaphorical daunting rides.  She has in the past been afraid to ride roller coasters so to see her trying scary things and taking risks is exciting to me.  Efficacy is contagious.

Social Grace

It is my dream to vindicate my mother and father of their shortcomings, by embracing the wounds they have given me. It is in these wounds that I can investigate the criminality, motive, and irrationality of their behaviors, actions, and words. I can then build an image of what is not there. The void will be the workbench for what is longed for, my creativity, and forgiveness. It is incomplete to only remind myself of my parents greatness, because their greatness is the part of my expression that will perpetuate consciously, their injustices will perpetuate unconsciously, if left unattended. Life is a creative experience...or not.

Learn for balance not success

Lets make Education a framework for culture...not success.  We learn long before we are educated and when we are educated we slowly also begin to unlearn.  If schools are about success then where do we learn about failure. 

Watch Middle School Moment on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

Jealousy

When I stop being excited for those I love, I have found my shadow.  When I compare myself to others, I have fallen into sadness.  It is here that I can befriend my shadow.  It is here where my shadow shines.  It is in jealousy and comparison where my shadow is willing to be vulnerable.

Principled Violence

Wishing a Happy Birthday to a great example of principle.  We can be species of desire, greed, gluttony, fear, convenience, glamor, comfort, vanity, pride, perversion, exploitation, and hate.  When we refuse to acknowledge or deny these shadow qualities I think we move further into violent imbalance, as opposed to violent balance.  A simple analogy of the balance of violence would be to picture a man angrily striking another man with his fist.  This is unbalanced violence.  Balanced violence would be a strike to that man's wrist, intercepting the inbound fist, to avoid being pummeled.  Non violence has shadow qualities too, self doubt, frailty, hesitation, shame, cowardice, victimization, fright, ignorance, and passivity.  I think it has been unhealthy for me to deny my violent nature.  I am more hostile when I deny the qualities of my inner warrior.  There is a shadow for the warrior and a shadow for the pacifist.  It is not a measure of what is good or bad, but a measure of balance.
I'd like to recognize how the little bit that I know about Mandela has demonstrated a good picture of what it is to be violent and yet in balance. It makes little sense to see the violence in destroy hate. It is beautiful and sad for hate. Mandela seems to have a healthy compassion for hate, a respect that gives paradox to the concept of having love for hate. It may be that balanced violence is not to overcome but to untangle misconception.

Tradition

I can't express how happy I am to have two daughters so connected to the concept of service.  I am a difficult man to be around at times.  In keeping with the Shadow theme, I carry a viscous critic around in my head.  My daughters get the brunt of it.  This summer they have quieted that critic.  They have nuzzled up against it and possibly tamed it.  I can't express how grateful I am to be blessed with such loving daughters.  I want my girls to be intelligent, independent, confident, and loving.  I am hard on them, only because I am afraid of what the world might do if I don't lay down a good set of habits.  I want to instill in them a Chicano culture based on tradition, sustainability, respect for elders, and honor for life.  How can I do that other than demonstrate some example of it.  And now I watch as they set the example for me.  So young yet so calm, organized, responsible, and aware.


My daughter Elena has represented herself with grace, elegance, sophistication, and fuerza.  This is my daughter Elena in the video.  She is a princess, a Burquena.  My daughter Veronica is just as spectacular.  She was not videoed or interviewed but she was there and involved.

A special thank you must go out to a woman I love dearly.  Stephanie Heikkinen forwarded me the invite to this program with a message I think Elena and Veronica would like this.

They both wanted to relax all summer and pouted about having to participate.  By the first day they were hooked, often bringing there projects home and into our back yard.  The volunteers and program leaders are special people making special impacts on local youth.  When you look for blessing they reveal themselves.  When you look for joy it hides.  When you become joyful joy pours itself onto you.  There will be fall and then winter, but right now I am enjoying the summer of my daughter's lives.

Catalina Sanchez their mother is another woman I love deeply.  She supported the decision to try this program out.  I think she provided the girls with the spirit of kindness.  I am a happy dad.