Merry Meet

A long time ago, in a decade past, I used to be all about peace and nonviolence. It was then I became interested in the pagan universalist path. This path is accepting of diverse cultures and beliefs and viewpoints. While I would no longer self-identify as nonviolent, I could hardly see myself serving in a war I consider unjust or punching someone just because I’m pissed. I guess now I just feel like sometimes it has to go to violence, even though I would rather it not.

Part of this journey has been spiritual on my own personal path as a human; this is formulated over my own years and my own experiences. The other piece to it is an outwardly spiritual reflection. Some of this reflection is on my ancestors and how they lived–something I always try to consider in my spiritual beliefs and personal practices. How would they act? What would they think of where I am now?

Another influence on this belief was a counselor who actually ran a Christian-based service. I didn’t know this when I went to see her, and it did make me feel kind of weird that my insurance company sent my pagan ass to faith-based counseling…but that said, the counselor’s point makes sense. She encouraged me to look at the Bible and to think about how Jesus and people during the time of Jesus lived. Things kind of sucked because they had to live day to day. Money and food were sometimes scarce and that made them think about their convictions.

This lady probably wanted me to walk out of her counseling session and right into church. Well, that’s not what I did, but I really did appreciate what she had to say and found it just as easy to apply to my own personal and spiritual path. This was during a ridiculously rough time in pre-recession America…when things in Michigan were worse than they are now, mid-recession, on the East Cost.

Glad I thought about this crap at that time. It’s one of the only things holding me together now. I could smile to everyone and chalk my resolution up to faith, but it comes down to the fact that I’ve never given up on my ability to be my own best resource and educate myself out of any situation.

So yeah, every now and then I’ll kick a wall or punch a door or yell the F word. Descended from Celts. That’s just what I do. (I also drink alcohol and caffeine, sometimes together.) Sometimes it brings me peace.

So, thanks, Jesus. Thanks, universe. Thanks, ancestors. You are all right about that, and have helped me well on my earthly travels thus far.

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