Keeping it real

I have been observing people lately.  That in of itself is not unusual, because it’s an old habit of mine and it’s served me well when I choose to read others.  What I have seen are those who portray themselves one way and then pervert themselves to fit another’s mold.

I see it every day with people who live as they choose, speak as they will and sit on a church pew every day the doors are open(and living here in the south that is pretty damn often).  But in reality, they treat people with such disdain and a lack of respect in both their actions and their words that it makes one to vow never to step foot into whatever denominational building they belong to.  They act, when they think  others are looking, all sweet and kind on the surface and yet let you walk away and you become fodder for that sharp tongue .  It’s crazy how they feel that what they do isn’t of any importance because as they say “god will forgive them”.  Good luck with that.  Because as I understand the book that I’ve read..you know the one that is given as instruction to your particular faith, supposed to be from holy men?…that one is supposed to treat others as yourself..hungry, then feed them, need shelter, provide a means to make that happen, in need of love..give that too..without expecting a damn thing in return.  Why?  Because we are ONE race..HUMAN.  They do not seem to be able to grasp the  ONE simple concept given by the one they  worship  as the standing tenet of their faith.  Love UNCONDITIONALLY.  Not decide that if they look, speak, dress, live, worship, love etc as they do, then and only then can they embrace them in love. Just hard for me to wrap my brain around the things they do in the name of god.

And I am finding that I have a real issue with those who walk other paths as well.  Like those who talk the talk, claim affiliation to one path, deriding those who don’t follow like them, and then for the sake of the almighty dollar, doing a 180 and sounding like many other pagan authors looking to shill their works.  That is not to say all authors are sell outs, they aren’t.  Some truly want to put forth accurate information while making a little extra pocket money.  But one has to wonder about the authenticity of those who speak out of both sides of their mouths when they give “information” to others.  Just what is their agenda?  To fill the coffers? Gain prestige? Notoriety?  Probably some of all of the above.  But  if one cannot be true to self then what is the point?  You might as well not have any spiritual path,  and write, speak, teach etc whatever you wish without any regard given to those who follow those words for guidance.  That to me is unethical on so many levels. It violates my own personal ethics as a pagan as well as a human being, because I was always taught “to whom much is given, much is required”.  So it is when we choose to speak up and offer guidance.  If your path that you followed is no longer relevant, I have no issue with that.  Many practitioner has changed and tweaked things as they grow.  But if you are still going to claim that path and speak in favor of something that you once overwhelmingly labelled bullshit, then one can understand those who look askance at your motivation.  There are also those who yell blue murder about their works that they themselves offered publicly without thought, and now want to cry foul over  others using it without credit or monetary remuneration.  Why the change?  Well imho, it all comes down to placing themselves in the middle of the relevant conversations of plagiarism and copyright that other authors(including this blog and others) have had to contend with. Their own pathetic views, while once filled with great belief of empowerment for women have long since lost its luster and refused to grow and change as time moved on.  So now they are simply irrelevant to many who are coming to the path in a more enlightened world, and are trying to grab whatever attention they can receive.    So I call bullshit and tell you to check that mirror because you are beyond faking it.

I even have to check myself from time to time.  Is how I live, practice, believe real?  True to being who I am and choose to be?  If I have  a problem answering in the affirmative, then I need to go through the checklist(yeah I have one), and see where I need to tweak or change.  Sometimes I have been known to toss out things, people, beliefs that no longer serve me or hinder me from positive growth.  It’s a necessary part of keeping it real for myself.

Life is all about change.  We need to be willing to stretch the boundaries, to stop placing limits upon ourselves, but most importantly, we need to be honest and real, not only for those who sit and observe us, but for ourselves.  If we cannot do that, then we are merely existing within this human shell with no spiritual connection anywhere.  and that would be a sad reality indeed.

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