Here it is the end of April and I've got nothing to say. Nothing. What is that to mean? Absolutely NOTHING. How many times are we caught with nothing to say? We sometimes use cliches like 'cat's got my tongue', being 'dumbfounded', to name a few. There are so many events taking place around me, but alas, I've got nothing to say. Some might say that I have said enough so far and that it's good that I've got absolutely nothing to say.

However, I beg to differ. I want to say something yet I think it's all been said. I am therefore content in calm contemplation of existential paradigms. There is a redeeming quality to this type of thought. It is a regrouping, if you will, a reflection just before I embark on a new venture. A reflection which will be based in an eclectic freedom. Bucking the status quo can sometimes be admirable and necessary. Necessary because if our great inventors, thinkers, writers and politicians, yes politicians, did not say no to the status quo, we would therefore not grow as enlightened human beings. Even physics has to be creative to produce invention. We should all learn from the study of quantum reality.

So, as I enjoy my time of repose in preparation to rejoin my cohorts and others, I must say again, I have indubitably and absolutely NOTHING more to say.

Keep this thought - Nothingness is only a state of mind.

"THE VOICE OF THE IRISH"

May the road rise to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face

May the rain fall soft upon your fields

And until we meet again,

May GOD hold you in the hollow of his hand.

from the Watts' kitchen on Downie Street

For many of us, honouring Saint Patrick occurs each and every day. We honour him in action, words, thought and heart. Patricius was born during the time that the Roman Empire ruled Europe. Kidnapped from his home in Roman Briton at the age of 16 by raiders, brought to Ireland and sold into slavery, Patrick finally escaped at age 22. Patrick came from a wealthy family who themselves owned slaves. Plus, the Irish at this time were known as the largest slave traders of the land, not to mention warring barbarians who took frequent rituals of human sacrifice. Druid paganism at its most extreme.

Interestingly, the title of this piece came to Patrick in a dream after he had returned home to Briton (was not spelled Britain until later). Six years of being a shepherd in captivity and no formal education, he began to study for the priesthood upon return to Briton. Ordained as a bishop at the age of 43, Patrick returned to Ireland to fulfill a calling he believed from Christ. His mission was to rid Ireland not of snakes as common myth would proclaim, but of the serpent symbolism of the Druids.

Consequently, Patrick procured protection from the Kings and began evangelizing to the Irish while setting up and establishing monasteries. As well, he ordained Priests. Whether or not he used the Shamrock to teach the uncivilized primitive Irish is a mystery. The Shamrock represents the Holy Trinity of three divine people in God, not what we commonly refer to today. Remarkably though, the Christian foundation he set up in the Irish Monasteries was the only literacy that survived the fall of the Roman Empire.

Saint Patrick showed ultimate courage, humility and forgiveness to return to the place which was the source of his pain. He was the first to speak out against slavery; his message was to include all. He held women in high regard and spoke of them as individuals, as Jesus had. During this time, women were merely servants of men and objectified in asceticism. Essentially, he defined Christianity as a celebration of God, creation and the natural world. This took a strong hold in Ireland due to the fact that the land had no Greco-Roman political baggage. It was still Catholicism, but not Roman Catholicism.

Christ will judge all other Nations;

Saint Patrick will sit in judgement of the Irish

Old Legend

By the time Saint Patrick died, slavery was to an end never to be revisited in Ireland. He is buried at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick of the County of Down. In the Annals of Ulster, his life began in 415 A.D. and ended March 17th 493 A.D. Saint Patrick revolutionized and created a road map for his successors to evangelize in distant lands.

I have always felt a familiarity with Saint Patrick. My great-grandfather came from Ireland to the east coast of Canada as a school teacher, roll-top desk and all. My family's religion has Catholicism roots in Ireland, and upon learning of Saint Patrick, folk lore passed on to me makes sense.

I must leave you, the reader, with a most profound prayer, words taken from the breastplate of Saint Patrick:

"Christ shield me this day:

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down,

Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,

Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me."

Concluding then, every day is Saint Patrick's Day to some, but to all, everyone is Irish on Saint Patrick's Day.

Pondering a Thing or Two

"Well then," said I, "What is the private character of such men, as they show it even before they are rulers? Whom do they mix with? Either with flatterers who are ready to do anything for them; or if they want something, they themselves grovel and condescend to any grimaces of friendship - but when they have got what they want, they don't know you!"

Socrates, 469-399 B.C.

Human nature has not changed one iota. Humans have only become what one can characterize as more civilized...but that does not translate into changing human nature. Every day we bear witness to acts of kindness, greed, hate, love and envy. One's personal end game often is the result of a combination of these emotions that moderate one's behaviour. Some of us are stars and need no announcement; others crave to be noticed and will do anything for the end game.

SINGLE OR NOT

All of us, at least in Western civilization, contemplate the single life. Think of this...we are born alone...we die alone. As we grow up, our psycho-social being is inundated with a learned moral cognizance. Essentially, we learn right from wrong including that of social mores according to our ethnicity, religion, race and culture. From anthropological science to judeo-christian credo, we contemplate nature vs nurture.

So, I ask...are some of us meant to be single for life, married for life, hangers on or just quitters? I think it is an individual learned preference. Can one be described as a maximized individual if one prefers one's own company to that of others'? Or, in more specific terms, one may prefer to not co-habit with a partner of one's peers and still thrive on valuable intimate and casual communication. Alternatively, one may need to be in constant company of a partner and not want or need the company of any others.

In some cultures, co-habitation with a partner serves a practical purpose to keep the family line and/or race going for survival. In North America, we have a somewhat relaxed attitude. We are constantly putting our social trends to numbers to make sense out of how our mores and religious values have changed. We can't truly judge another human being for what style of life they choose to live.

Rather, we must celebrate their life...help one another when it is needed...all to appreciate the gift we have of existence to effect positive change.

KEEP GOING!!!!

How we lose track of time in the throes of everyday life's responsibilities. It is so terribly easy to not take note of the wonderful creations before us. Everything is a creation; from the smallest moments to the largest monument.

My youngest will be leaving the nest this year to embark on her very own journey. With hard work near completion, she will begin a new threshold to endeavour bigger and greater experiences and milestones. She has been grounded to keep it going, to turn it around, to relish all there is as she moves on. All that is bright awaits...celebrate!!