Craig's Fire

….in this case, the Beast being us and Beauty being what we describe as such. I heard an NPR show on How Pleasure Works and it got me thinking….. Read More…

It seems that chance encounters often offer the best opportunity for seeing the world from another point of view….and so it was with a 10 minute cab ride I took in Boston today! Read More…

“But a Rasta never Marry, Cause a Rasta Never Sorry”
The tune still sticks in my head – it was part of a walking song our Jamaican friends called out as they trekked over the hills and ravines leading us to their bush outposts.
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Readers of this post should first catch up by reading the first part.
After hanging with Ken (the Fisherman) for a day or two, he pulled us aside for a personal chat and said “you folks don’t belong here (in town). I have some people I’d like you to meet”. Heck, we figured anyone who was alright with Ken was fine by us, so we answered in the affirmative.
He took us on a long walk up the coast road……for those who know Negril, this is past the caves and cliffs where the road gets lost in the bush. At some point we turned into the bush, and walked down a rugged path into the hills. Read More…

Here is an interesting article on a man who made it in life – and then came to an understanding of what he had and what he didn’t.

Here is a paragraph which expresses well the way I feel when I’ve been on vacation in certain places:
“The tipping point came while he was on a three-week holiday with his wife to islands of Hawaii.
“It was the biggest shock in my life, when I realised how horrible, soulless and without feeling the five star lifestyle is,” he said. “In those three weeks, we spent all the money you could possibly spend. But in all that time, we had the feeling we hadn’t met a single real person – that we were all just actors. The staff played the role of being friendly and the guests played the role of being important and nobody was real.”

As mentioned, I often feel the same. In fact, Martha and I were sent to Jamaica on a FREE trip by one of our vendors way back in 1986…..and I was unable to enjoy myself due to the wide and obvious gulf between the residents and the tourists. That has held relatively true to this day…not that I don’t enjoy luxury (I very much do!), but I don’t like going places where I am the center of attention as opposed to just visiting. An example might be that I would prefer touring Montreal or London rather than being enclosed in a fenced “all inclusive” places which was secured from the locals “for my protection”.

I’m not judging those , obviously numerous, who can feel comfortable in those situations. I am admittedly over sensitive in many ways, and this is one of them!

(Note: This is an older story that I found and resurrected – the dog in the article has long since passed on)
You’ve heard the political rambling, the current events and all the opinions. Now I’ve gone completely looney and just had: A talk with my dog… Read More…

Ok, I have a blog….but will I blog often? Who knows? However, it is quickly becoming clear that I have a lot of old stories and experiences to write. However, the other end of blogging – that where folks keep up with an almost daily or regular commentary or thoughts…..could be another story. I’ll try – if anyone reads this stuff, I’ll be more willing to write it!
Being as it is Sunday, I think I will start with a comment on religion – more specifically my religion or lack of it! Read More…

April of 1970. I was only 16 years old at the time. The world was in turmoil due to the social and societal changes brought about by the 60′s. The Vietnam war, race riots, killings of Dr. King and Malcolm X, LSD and Woodstock were all relatively recent news. It was a time which is difficult to explain to those who did not live through it. The closest I can come is to say that it seemed like virtually everything was up in the air. Any day could have brought the “revolution” that would have split the country even further apart. Read More…

(Note – this is from a retreat I attended in 2002
Greetings, my fellow human beings.

I have returned from the depths of my own personal hell. The ten day meditation retreat (http://www.dhamma.org/) that I attended was quite a trip, to put it lightly. I’m be writing more about it, but suffice it to say:

IT KICKED THE SHIT OUT OF ME! Read More…

Take it from me—the original type “A” personality. It pays to keep yourself rested and healthy. I worked 60 to 70 hours a week for many years while I started and ran my businesses. Yes, I enjoyed it, but this stress took it’s toll. Read More…