I received an e-mail from a reader of the BLOG wondering what had happened since the postings have not been from recent letters. The fault is not with Tom, but rather the editor, who has been very involved in other projects. Letters and articles will be put up once again until we come to the current time. Please keep reading and enjoy Tom's wonderful wit and wisdom!
The Editor
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July 5, 2009
I am writing this at a table in the dayroom. It’s 6AM, my quiet time away from the noisy chatter of the dorm, my time to reconnect with Spirit.
In reviewing the years (77 years old and 10 plus years in here), I have mixed feelings. There is a gratefulness for the miracle of being alive another day on this beautiful planet, but then, at the same time, there is a longing to be free of this narrow, restricted environment. I feel like a bird in a cage who dreams of the day he can spread his wings and fly. If I were flapping wings right now…
…I would have slept last night on a bed with a comfortable mattress
…I would have a breakfast of food that I had chosen.
…I would be fully deciding how to best spend my time today
…I would be wearing clothes that are not colored orange.
and
…I would be calling friends to make sure you are alright and to tell all of you how much I care about you.
My latest issue of Seasons of the Soul arrived and I am reminded what a precious publication this is. It always enriches and inspires me. I wonder if you realize what a blessing you are. I wonder…
My July/August issue of Unity Magazine arrived and I was surprised to see one of my articles in there. It is one I sent to them long ago and I had forgotten about it and thought that they had forgotten it, too. But there it is! I’m pleased to see it there and hope it will be helpful to the readers.
I wish I had something interesting to tell you, but it has occurred to me that nothing has occurred to me. Around here things start out slow and then they taper off. This sameness challenges me to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. After all, the difference is just that little “extra”, isn’t it? I try to mine the humdrum daily life here for the spiritual nuggets it contains. The nuggets are always found right where we are, so it’s a never-ending process of discovery, learning, sharing.
Because of the budget shortage, many of the fellows have been laid off from their jobs and those of us who are still working have had our meager pay cut yet again. One good thing from this, though, is that I see the fellows taking care of one another. We share what little we have and that is what truly matters – reaching out to one another and supporting one another. This reminds me of a favorite story; please excuse me if you’ve heart this, but it’s one I’d like to share with you.
As Ghandhi stepped aboard a train one day, one of his shoes slipped off and landed on the track. He was unable to retrieve it as the train was moving. To the amazement of his companions, Ghandhi calmly took off his other shoe and threw it back along the track to land close to the first. Asked by a fellow passenger why he did so, Ghandhi smiled. “The poor man who finds the shoe lying on the track,” he replied, “will now have a pair he can use.”
That’s what sharing is all about, isn’t it?
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