Why stop there?

[Jordan Myska Allen]

I am Douglas Adams´ point of view gun;
I point one hand at Israel and one at Palestine,
one at the US and one Iraq,
and instantly we understand each other's perspective

Why stop there?
I am a Bodhisattva,
I am on a cross
I am the river bed and God
is the water flowing through me

I am in love with the world.
We practice the Golden Rule with ease-
we are all neighbors
and are always ourselves.

We love George Bush (even!)
for his challenge,
how he taught us forgiveness-
still we voted him out of office.

Why stop there?
I don't need;
I overflow with compassion,
love, and understanding.

I don't need to solve the world's problems
because I have no guilt!
I have excitement! Creativity! Dedication!

I am a detective, solving riddles because
it makes my blood rush into my brain,
because the world is a book yes
reading makes me high!

Why stop there?
I am synchronized with the Earth
I fly with frisbees and dance on slack lines
I embrace seeds alongside rotting flesh,
fill my mouth with spring rain with volcanic ash-

I'm simple. I love my wife (and we have great sex)
and I am a wonderful dad.

Why stop there?

[libertytexan]

Jordan your poetry skills are only outdone by your ability to drink a logical amount on college night

Anyways, I'm not to keen on this topic but in the spirit of supporting this website I will attempt.

I want to be me but a better me. I want to be less hypocritical and live the philosophies that I preach. More importantly I want to be better educated in these philosophies. When I speak I want to know what I am talking about. I try my best but I know I am nowhere near where I could be. I want to be persuasive. I want to make people to understand and convert to my way of thinking. If I can't have all these things, I will be happy. I am me and that is all I need to be.

[Jordan Myska Allen]

Anyways, I'm not to keen on this topic but in the spirit of supporting this website I will attempt.

Thanks libertytexan, we appreciate it. This is a hard question to have a heated online discussion about, but I think it's an important one nonetheless. I also think its really cool to ask our friends and family, see what they think, and how we can help each other achieve what we want. Which is why I'm excited that you responded. On that note:

I want to be less hypocritical and live the philosophies that I preach. More importantly I want to be better educated in these philosophies. When I speak I want to know what I am talking about. I try my best but I know I am nowhere near where I could be. I want to be persuasive. I want to make people to understand and convert to my way of thinking.

I fully agree with strive for these things as well. And if you see me being hyprocritical, please point it out. This is a dangerous and difficult thing for me to ask you to do, and it may not even be fair - I may not take it well at first. But we've been friends long enough to get past that. Do you want me to do the same?

I do want people to understand my way of thinking, I'm gunshy of the word "convert." I hope that my way of thinking has enough truth in it that people will adopt it of their own accord. I think this is what you want as well, and perhaps the difference between adopt and convert is only semantical. As much as I love pontificating it stills makes me cringe to think I'm out converting people. I prefer thinking that I'm sharing ideas and thoughts and that I can learn new things from others sharing with me. Perhaps thats why "convert" is so scary - it seems to imply that I have something set in stone for others to become. Although I have some good ideas I know I don't have "all the answers" by any means.

If I can't have all these things, I will be happy. I am me and that is all I need to be.

This is wise, and I have no doubt the world would be a much more peaceful, happy place if everyone kept this in mind.

[libertytexan]

I have a couple suggestions for this forum:

The first is a location on the forum to give suggestions, I know there is a place to suggest topics for the next discussion but there should be an administrative thread for posting technical and other suggestions. Might as well use our collective intelligence to improve the site. The other is a topic which I will post in that said section.

[SharkeyShark]

When I can stop, when I can breathe,
I realize that what I see
of you and me
across a cup of tea

Is especially
uniquely
a complicated simplicity

Where stains of coffee
do not reach
I lend my pinky
outwards to hopefully
touch one person quietly

Moving, weaving, not really
wanting to crash violently
Perhaps its repeatedly
repeating the same story
that I tell me
that keeps
me
holding back just slightly

-Or- maybe-

what i really need
is to shift gears.
To not be afraid when problems are near
to live without fear
Maybe drink less beer?
Hunt less deer?
Maybe what I really need to fix
Is not just the homeless and the sick
Maybe its me
that I begin with myself every
day, moving towards progress and not away.

Across a cup of tea
Across a table cloth with stains of coffee
I look you and me
over once, twice, infinity
Realizing that what I want to be
is you, me, we.