“It’s A Doggie Dog World”

But Only If We Make It So!

You can clearly see how far north the sun is rising now compared to earlier in the year, as the Earth turns and inclines.

Happy day, beloved Joy Train Rider! Bless you! I hope you enjoyed a restful and rejuvenating weekend as we did here in Jamaica. Frank and I did nothing except hang out with each other and watch movies; birds outside our window and celestial bodies rising over the Blue Mountains. I am mindful of our blessings including the fact that we have what we need, and pray that your needs are met as well.

One of the movies we watched was Bombshell, which gave me a new appreciation for the challenges many women face in their work lives and the courage it takes to call it out while feeling diminished and insecure about their livelihood and future. It makes me feel extra grateful to have been my own boss since 1992. I salute the women who stand up and all who support equality and respect in every aspect of life.

On the Joy Train today I want to take you back to a brief experience I had many years ago that opened my eyes to how we are programmed and the effect I believe it can have on our lives:

I was in a department store in Atlanta when I overheard a young woman on the phone telling the person on the other end, “ It’s a doggie dog world,” and what must be done to remedy a hurt that someone in their circle was perceived to have inflicted. Overhearing the conversation I thought there might be other ways to interpret the experience, and chuckled at her statement since the correct expression is “ dog eat dog world.”

What really pierced me was the innocent face of the toddler - maybe three or four years old, that she was pulling by the hand. I couldn’t imagine what he was thinking as he heard her loud, agitated words. What other negative programming might he be exposed to and how will it affect his outlook on the world, and therefore his life, I wondered. I do not doubt that his Mom was also unwittingly programmed, as we’re all programmed when we’re young and defenseless.

I reject the dog eat dog world, the feeling that someone is “out to get me” and I must stay continually on guard. I can hardly count the number of times I’ve started to share something and the person I’m speaking with jumps ahead to a negative conclusion. While watching TV and movies I continuously remind myself that the ideas expressed are coming from someone else’s mind and do not necessarily reflect a state of reality. It’s like a net that traps baser concepts and prevents them from sinking into my mind.

This morning I consciously went looking for information about how to expand my consciousness and found something called “The Silva Method,” which intriguingly purports to help you access deeper levels of your mind and being. I plan to check it out and let you know what I discover.

But the greatest blessing I can already tell you about is how fortunate I feel to have grown up in my little village in Jamaica (70 years later I can still go back and be welcomed) where I learned the principle that it’s “all of us together,” and cooperation is the name of the game. More dramatically, standing among the giant sequoias trees in Sequoia National Park, California, I noticed how their shallow roots intertwine with the roots of the other trees, linking them together underground. The sequoia “toes” combine to give the impression of giant feet striding up the mountain. These trees have survived for more than 2000 years by collaborating with each other.

Closer to home, looking out at a patch of grass I think how many complex biotic communities it contains and supports, and I say a silent prayer of thanksgiving as I walk upon the earth.

This is what the base of a giant sequoia tree looks like. (Majestyoftrees.com.)