Emotional Pro

Greetings from near the Equator, headed for the International date line, with our next stop Samoa.  I am so impressed with how MUCH water there is on this planet.  We are on our second five-day sailing where we see nothing but water, water, water.  Out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, we seldom even see wild life.  No birds, just an occasional California flying fish.  The water must be teeming with critters, but we are hard-pressed to know because they don’t break the surface!  We can see out to approximately a 7 mile horizon, and also have some powerful binoculars, but still have been unable to find signs of life as we pass by.

We have CNN on board, so we’ve been able to watch the first Presidential, as well as the vice Presidential, debates.  We’ve been able to follow news of the economic bailout.  We live in this unreal world where people are happily spending their money buying jewelry, art, gambling in the casino, etc., as if dancing while the world self-destructs.  We made our commitment to this trip long before the news began reporting this downturn, though I have known that things would be falling apart, having been long-forecast by such futurists as Gordon Michael Scallion (who has been a guest on Full Power Living).  I know that things must fall apart before the new can arise. 

This is where age helps, too.  I was in Spain on that November Thursday in 1987 when the bottom fell out of the U.S. Stock Market.  Reports of panic were widespread.  Things were down for a while; and then they began to get better.  With the years comes a greater awareness of the cycles of things, leaving me with the certitude that things will evolve, eventually getting better.  I’m focusing on what I want to “become”……

So many people from so many places.  We have met folks from Germany, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, the U.S. and England.  It is interesting to get their perspective.  They range from highly liberal to highly conservative, with most non-US people expressing dismay and curiosity about whatever is going on.  The most commonly-expressed idea is that they find the length of time this campaigning goes on interminable!  More people from other countries than from America are dismayed with Governor Palin’s candidacy, recognizing her extreme lack of preparation for such a formidable job. 

As a person who specializes in manipulation (Energy Sapping—see my e-booklet at our Store!), I am amazed that a national figure is again so blatantly manipulating the American public—trying to at any rate.  And the degree to which it is working is the most amazing thing.  Despite how pretty, articulate (at times) or feisty a person is, how can people continue to allow themselves to be so blatantly manipulated?  Governor Palin’s candidacy is totally designed to “plug in” features appealing, much as we use sexy women to sell cars and refrigerators on advertisements!  Palin, who is clearly willing to fill this role, apparently does so for her own ambitions (“should I be so privileged” does not divert my attention from this!).  Considering the number of times we Americans have allowed ourselves to be manipulated in recent years—and the disastrous and costly results—you’d think we would at last catch on and refuse the “invitation”!  I am most disappointed that we even consider allowing ourselves to be duped into making unthinking, costly decisions, once again.

And how interesting to hear the Senators and Congresspeople explain the many, many trillions of dollars of our children’s children’s money they have committed to bail out those who embraced such massive greed!  As a person focused on human emotions, every explanation sounds like this to me:  “It all has to do with emotions.  We were frightened.  We’re scared of a collapse, scared of losing our jobs, scared of taking too long to figure out a solution.  We’re spending millions on the production of wooden arrows for children (and subsidizing the rum industry), largely because of our need to persuade our colleagues to join us in our fear.”  I know that breakdown must occur before we rebuild, but this process IS tedious!  For me it is difficult to watch people pander to their own fear, rather than operate on the basis of integrity, look toward what they want to become, or master their emotions so they remain emotionally balanced—for our sake as well as theirs!

This is the report from the high seas of the Pacific (they’ve been moderate all the way, actually).  Onward, to Samoa, as we enjoy the good life.  We are told that this is the last voyage of this ship before the cruise line severely cuts the number of employees offering service to customers such as ourselves!