The Voyage: Experiencing Our World Through the Voices on the Web...

First, let me be honest, my goal with this particular site was to dig and find the new or stifled voices that have now found an outlet for their thoughts via the Internet.  I failed to follow through on that, which I do acknoledge in a post I made.

Just be for that post, a reader using the name Web Design had this to say:

Web Design responded:

they are good and noteworthy, but they do not tell a story, it is really a series of random posts 

To Web Design: you comment is right on.  I did indeed stray off track from my original goal.  I can honestly say that I am working to get back to it and away from the random posts.  I don't post often, however, I do try to make sure there is some relevance to a good many people in what gets posted.

My other site, (and this is no excuse, but, just a real life explanation) http://www.stephencarey.com is about my life going through a nasty cancer, going on 7 years now, and now living with incredible, extreme chronic pain. 

It is odd, there are two universities who have teams from their medical schools studying me and my pain.  To them, well, they say one can not remain consious in this much pain.  They say that shock occurs and usually a coma.  It is kind of weird hearing them talk like I am their ticket to publication.  At times there is a bit of glee.  I have no idea why most pain meds do not work, why most eastern medicine has failed, or even why  the longest I have been out during a surgery is 20 minutes. I wake up, having felt everything that went on.  The other site goes into how one moves forward, being thankful for what I do have. Particullary, the strong relationships with those I call friends, not a word I toss around lightly.

It is time for me to move this site back to the original topic or change the name and the goal.  I would rather find a way to hit my original mark.

It is not possible to have a better time than I had last night.  We had part one of my partner's full month Birthday Month.  But, this month of celebrations of his 50th Birthday, is actually one of him giving thanks to those who have helped in in his adult live, starting at about 17 yrs. old.

So, he invited over a few hundred people to one of the bars where he is the lead bartender and a manager.

This was a night in which we saw him thank not only us in the crowd, but, more, two four people who really led him in a positive way to working in bars and also have a fulfilling life.

From 7pm until 9:45pm he and the four guys, in full drag put on a show that everyone, straight, gay, bi, whatever, for none of that mattered. This man is truly loved by so many due to his everlasting compassion, friendship ideals, making people laugh and it goes on and on.  Damn, I have never seen a birthday person spend a good amount of money to turn the tables on those who really helped him become the adult so many of us which we could be; you know, from integrity to sincerity and more.

I have not shown any of the audience, though in this day it should not matter, I do not want to risk the wrath of ignorant hate on anyone in attendance, which had nothing to do with sexual orientation.

I find that part so very sad and it is like people who attending and performed at this extravaganza that will keep pushing people to see the truth.  The truth that anyone with any free thought knows. we are all in this together, plus, not one person ever decided - made a decision - with whom they would fall in love.  It is as natural as it gets, we know it, but, some people need someone to hate - no matter what justification for their hateful, but safely couched words which tells the other person you are not as good as I am.  Yet, when asked, the first person, the person with such hate can not remember the day or week they decided on whom they would fall in love.

The main thing, so many people had such a great time due to the love of a great guy.

For pictures head over to Google Plus and Stephen Carey.

I must admit that the quote that follows, or the accuracy of the quote, has me stumped.  To make sense of my confusion, I must take us all the way back to a particular grade school and a very special teacher.

I remember back to my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Kool.  We had just moved to Wright Patterson Air Force Bace, from, I believe, Fort Cambell, Kentucky.This move and this new school would have the same pattern as all of my schooling until High School.  We were the consumate Army Brats.  Something, I would never change.  Sure, I spent a lot of time in Summer School, working to catch up what I had missed at the beginning of the school year, or, catching up on what I missed at the end of the school year, for we were moving yet again.

I say this with such a strong conviction of my beliefs: I just loved moving and meeting new people, living in different countries and many states.  That made for many friends.  Now, on the subject of friends, I would soon learn, when I entered the 10th Grade, the beginning of high school, in the state my parents felt it was time to find and settle a home, our home.  I do know that out of the four of us children, I was the one who protested the loudest about the decision to stop moving.  To be truthful, I was the only one begging that my father change his mind.  But, no, he would not take my sister out of high school.  That was one thing that he always knew would become a fact, a self-promise, which he kept.

Now, that I have taken you away from the quote I wish to share, let me jump back to Mrs. Kool's 4th Grade class.  I was a great note taker.  I had to be, for I never knew what the next school would be studying at the time of our next move.

Mrs. Kool was a, I believe, a teacher a bit ahead of her time, or, maybe the truth is, she was just one of the very special teachers, which if we are lucky, we will have a few in our school years.

A topic which I believe was pretty bold, yet, on mark, for 4th grade students, was one of how this country had always depended on the compassion of others.  In doing so, our country, made up of people with names that was much like a stew.  We each were part of the USA, yet, by our last name, we never had real "American" names.  That was something I have held onto since that time.  When I see the news and they roll the names of the most recently killed soldiers in battle, the names belied the fact that each of us had a uniique history.  The names were Italian, German, Chinese, Japenese, English, Spanish and so many more.  This country is, by itself, the only country where so many names, so many people of so many places came to make one, great Union.

Back to Mrs. Kool and compassion.  One day she wrote what was for te school a somewhat daring quote from a true hero author, on a subject many would think better for older students or, more likely, a quote that should just have stayed out of the classroom.

This quote came from the great author, Herman Melville.  I wrote it down as I thought I saw it on the chalk board, a real chalk boared.  The quote questioned those who criticized the poor, the hungry, the out of work in the "Western" countries.  (I remember living in Berlin, and we had those quite scary practice sessions should a nuke hit us.  Somehow, even at that age, hiding under our desk seemed a bit silly.)

Again, I wonder from this quote.  I still have the paper I wrote the quote on.  The quote I copied off of the chalk board is the first quote below.  It is a very thought-provoking quote, particulary for a 4th grade student to bring home to his parents.

(To be so very honest, quotes like this, assignments that stretched and questioned our beliefs were exactly what my parents were looking for in our education.  So, yes, they loved what I brought home that day.)

I copied the quote as I saw it written on the chalk board.  Yet, in trying to confirm that it was indeed a quote from Mr. Mellveill, I never found the exact quote.  I found a quote with the same sentiment, but worded differently. 

The quote which is below the quote I wrote down so many years ago, seems to have some additional words added to it, perhaps to make the quote even stronger.

I have checked many quote sources and I have never found the quote I had written down. No matter, the point was made and it was and is still all too honest, correct.

I have listed the Web site where I have confirmed the correct quote language, but, to be fair to the meaning of the quote, Mrs. Kool's error did us no harm.

Please, read on and drop me a line or please comment, sharing your thoughts on this quote.

This is what I wrote and what I still have on a very used piece of paper.  I wrote it in Mrs. Kool's 4th Grade class, at Wright Patterson Airforce base.  I will try to scan the quote, as soon as I can get my scanner back to scanning.  It seems to have taken a sabatical.

From that chalk board, in Mrs. Kool's 4th Grade classroom, I wrote this:

Of all the proposterious assumptions of humanity, nothing exceeeds the criticism made of the habits of the poor by the well housed, well warmed, well fed. (from my 4th grade class, with Mrs. Kool, who was cool.)

A bastardization of the Melville quote??  I don't know, but, the truth is told.

The confirmed Herman Melville quote:

Do not presume, well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed, to criticize the poor.   (confirmed)

Another Melville quote, which, I feel, has to be part of the first quote.  At times, at most times, we have to remember that we are part of a fabric of humanity.  That fabric can be one of beauty, or it can be a rag-tag mess.  It can become frayed and then, well, we all know what happens.  We forget the bonds of this great nation and begin to look to others for blame on whatever less than stellar we find our country in for that period of time. 

As an adult, I still have trouble with the fact that the fabric will and does fray.  I am told that I live in a Disney-esque world.  I would take that line of thought over one of blamming and hatting.

This is Herman Melvilles quote on that very metaphore - fabric.

We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.  (confirmed)

My main source for confirmation of the original quote was from www.thinkexist.com.  A wonderful site with tens of thousands of quotes from everyone and anyone.  Please, click on the link and visit the site.  Be warned, you may end up there for many hours.  It is a world of discovery.

But, first, please leave a comment on how our feel about the above; share your thoughts and memories with the masses who have not had the true hard times of yet.

I wish us all the best as we move through this tough time in the world's history.  And, it is my hope that we find and rebuild compassion towards each other.

I first learned of what revenge was when I was in the fourth grade.  We had just arrived at our new posting, as we were a solid band of Army brats. 

The house we would be moving into was not ready when we got to the base.  To get us through the next ten days, we were put in a two bedroom appartment.  That is two parents and four kids.  We still had fun.

On about the fifth or sixth day we had all rain.  Plus, it was summer, so no school.

A movie sounded great.  There were two showing on base.  One had the word,"Revenge" in its title.  I asked what that meant and my parents spent about an hour with us explaining what it was and why we might feel like getting revenge.  However, they said that revenge was never a very good thing, unless one is protecting themselves.  But, beyond that, revenge begets revenge (no, my parents never used the word, "begets," I just wanted to find a way to use the word.

I have remembered that day and talk for a number of decades now.  I know how bad it can make one's own life, let alone the other/s involved.

I find this quote from Marcus Aurelius, a man who figures highly in my spiritual beliefs, had this to say on the subject:

The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.
Marcus Aurelius

Be honest, have you ever taken revenge?  Did it give you the satisfaction it had given me at times when I was younger.  Or, did it give a feeling of shame and guilt, as I had when I "got my revenge" on others, when I was a bit older?

This site was going to bring the words of those who have paid a price for wanting to live in a free society.  And, with that, I would share their words, now that many of these heroes have gotten their messages out via the Internet (not always just the Web, there is so much more to the Internet, as you all understand.)

I have done a horrible job at doing this.  So, I am just going to share one of my favorite quotes which shares a thought with which I have certainly experienced.  I find this a very honest post by, C. S. Lewis.  It is quite simple:

Experience is a brutal teacher.  But, you learn, my God, do you learn.

C. S. Lewis

There is not a post which is more honest that this one by Mr. Lewis.  How have you learned from experience?  Did you find it, at times, to be a "brutal teacher?"  Drop me an email or text or drop a line here sharing your thoughts on this post, should you care to do so.

Now, when I should be doing the research to get this blog back on track, I need to find and buy tickets to the Manchester United vs. Barcelona Football (soccor) match, which we in DC are priviliged to having it played out right across the border in Maryland.  I just have to do that.  Really.

Photo courtesy of:

Daniel van Buyten of Bayern (L) and Alberto Paloschi AC Milan go up for a header during the Audi Cup match between FC Bayern Muenchen and AC Milan at Allianz Arena on July 26, 2011 in Munich, Germany
Image by: Christof Koepsel / Bongarts/Getty Images

T.S. Elliott, wrote the following, leaving open many interpretations; not the least of which is that we hide parts of oursleves within our "shadow." Do you?  Are you sure?  What are they? Dare to be honest?

From T.S. Elliott:

Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act, falls the shadow.

What shadows do you cast?  Have you ever really looked at what is hidden by those shadows?

It is NOT necessarily evil, is it?  Can't it be altruism?  The list could go on and on.  But, the answer is only as brave and honest as you are willing to look.

 
Now that I have a true direction for this site, I thought I would start with a voice that is well know, but has been drowned out by all of the politics of this election, and, more so, by those who do not want the truth of what this voice has accomplished to be shared with the citizens of our own country.  I am speaking  of President Barak Obama.

It is impossible, at times, to get the facts or to see the many things accomplished in any headline.  That is because not everything a US President accomplishes is sexy or volatile enough form much of our media, and the many talking heads on a certain cable network. 

Please take a look at this site (http://tinyurl.com/2fl9gzk.)

Again, to start off this program of finding voices which may not have had a chance to be heard until the development of, not only the Internet, then the Web, but, now, the many social community and network tools which exist for everyone who can get an Internet connection.  And, if they can't do that, many of these voices have had others smuggle out their writings and have had them posted on the Web.

When I realized the first voice would be that of our current President, I was kind of saddened.  It just reminded me of how ugly things have been and are when it comes to governing this great country.  It seems, to me, that with all of the ugly words, the "blame this one for your troubles" talk, and the general misinformation that is sent out, the many things that do get done are just drowned out by the hateful noise.  

One more time, please click this link and just be open-minded: http://tinyurl.com/2fl9gzk

Thank you. 

I am on www.TED.com at least once a day and watch at least two speaches or talks.  I love learning and www.TED.com is a very special place to do so.  The video below is a speech by Malcolm Gladwell, the journalist and author, of such books as The Tipping Point, Blink, The Outliers.  But, more, he can describe his observations in a manner that will allow almost anyone through the door of more knowledge.  The speech he delivers below is really about happiness and how we avoid getting it or finding it, and, how one man showed the food industry how to make us happy, changing what is on grocery shelves forever.  I urge you to take a look, and more, please do visit www.TED.com and have a trip just learning about almost anything, enjoy.

Food Research = Happiness

(Please read the following, it is all true.  But, let me get the plain facts out to whomever cares about life.  When you or your friends shop at the well know, pretend upper-class store, Target, you may be helping their friends find ways to execute your sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, either of your parents, best friends, whomever they feel may be gay.  As you read on you will see that this is not made up.  It is just Target doing business, taking your money, willing to have a few people executed along the way.)

Hello, all.  People say that I worry too much, lately.  You know, how the country seems to have forgotten it roots.  How it has forgotten that its founders left countries, their homes, due to the very real mistreatment for being different in some way which, for some reason, bothered someone.  And, those someones came to this land also.  And, the settlers and then the great country of the United States of America, fell into a dark spell.  The country formed and broke treaties with the indigenous peoples of this land.  If one can really own land, then it was theirs.  The treaties made people feel good, until they needed more land, oil, cheap labor, whatever.

Since that time, but, mostly - and, this is just how I see it from my limited life on this planet - in the near past and the very present, the idea is not to think about things, not to critically think and examine ideas.  Rather, it is to write something, usually misspelled, on a piece of cardboard.  What is being written?  Signs of hate.  Someone has to be blamed for the tough times - and I know how tough they are, for as I fight cancer and am not working, I struggle to keep my home.  I can't wait to get back to work, but, no smart company is about to hire someone who needs a number of surgeries to make them even partially useful, including my brain work.  I love that work, but, still, I have to be healthy.

So, the hate goes on.  I hear, "no, it isn't about a black President, it is his policies."  I hear that our FBI, CIA, NSA, and the recently 1600 various groups to make sure we stay safe, that we do things correctly, were left in such bad condition by the last administration, that they let through a person who had a fake birth certificate, gave him some of the highest clearances possible, and let him become President of these wonderful United States.  For me, as bad as the last administration was, I don't think they were so bad that a phony birth certificate got by them. 

Friends of mine, friends who really wanted our current President to win at the beginning of the campaign, began to feel that it would be better if he lost, for the mess he and his administration would inherit would limit him to one term.  I felt the opposite.  I want him in there if things are that bad.  I believe that he can help lead us out of this mess.  Though, anyone who gives it real thought, would know that it will take at least two terms to move things along.  After all, it took only two terms to make one of the greatest messes of our country, from all parts, in all of its history.  But, people want to focus on hate, they don't think, they just point fingers.

So, today, I open this email and I am stunned.  How is this possible?  Can people really put money toward people who would have me executed for loving someone they don't love, for following my spiritual life into an extremely spiritual relationship.  But, they don't approve and want me dead.  And, Target, the store people feel special about, is just fine doing business with them.

It bothers my family a bit, when I tell them that I am actually getting nervous for my life and that I do see moving to a home I am lucky to have in Costa Rica, where this Catholic country is decades ahead of our country in civil rights and in loving all.

For now, I will fight with my words, my time, speaking to one person at a time, helping them to see how to think in a critical manner and not just go by what some comedian on a radio talk show says.  I feel sorry for them that they don't realize how many millions of people laugh at them for even listening to these nobodies who have no special education in what they yell on about.

Anyway, this made me sad.  It is not the United States of America that my father fought for and so many others who did and are doing the same.  Here it is, as I said.  Damn, scary and sad.

This is where the Human Rights Campain logo would go, if could figure that trick out on this blogging stuff.

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Joe Solmonese