(no subject)

Finally! Something other than a terrier won best in show at Westminster! A Newfoundland named Josh, it seems. Big fluffy happy dogs make me smile. So do small happy dogs. I never used to follow Westminster, but last year as a gift to my mother, I took her to the show, both the day program, where the individual breeds get judged, and the evening program, which judges classes (working, toy, etc.) and the best in show. It was fascinating, and getting into the back area and talking to some of the breeders was great. I heard some really great stories from a Japanese Chin breeder that I'll relate some other time, although I swear, Chins are really cats in wigs - a more un-dog-like dog I have *never* met.

A topic familiar to this journal has popped into my mind again, one more layer of the onion peeling away. I was reading a question and answer column in a magazine on karma, and how to understand it without falling into a 'blame self or other" trap. The passage struck me; "Acknowledging that things do not occur randomly can help of develop equanimity when dealing with difficult conditions. Equanimity allows us to remain balanced and steady in the face of suffering...instead of reacting with blame or hatred. And it allows us to open our hearts to suffering rather than react with aversion or indifference." Mulling this over, it led me back to Escobar, and the long process on forgiveness and letting go, and I saw something I feel liek I've been missing for quite some time - causation, and how my own reactions/thoughts/feelings brought up by events blinded me to *why* events were going as they did, focusing only on the events themselves. While I probably would have reacted much differently had I been perceptive enough to see the root causes behind events, following that line of thought wanders far into the land of 'what if', not a useful place to be. However, *understanding* that culpability, how my focus on my own suffering caused me to miss so much opens my heart a little, softens the memory some.Of course, I still have a long way to go, letting go of my tendency to hold grudges long past their expiration date, but each new understanding makes me feel a little lighter, a little bit more whole.

Another quote in the same essay struck me; "...without equanimity, genuine compassion is not possible." It took some work to untangle this, but I think I understand - if we can't maintain our equanimity when faced with suffering, our own or that of an other, it becomes about *us*, just as I described. I think this really underscores the problem of intense empathy - when confronted with great pain, either self or other, it can be really difficult not to be rocked by it, and lose focus. That's something I struggle with a lot. Obviously.:)

(no subject)

Another interview, from wordweaverlynn
1. If you could have been born into any other time, when would you choose?
( I wonder about this a lot myself )

2. What appeals to you about the Arts and Crafts movement?
( Beauty and truth )

3. You and holzman have quite different personalities, at least expressed via LJ, but it's clear you' have a deep and loving relationship. Why does it work?
( Hah! )

4. When and how did you first realize you were interested in BDSM?
( Long and long ago )

5. What song or smell or object can transport you directly back into childhood?
( Not many )

The rules are as they ever were, ask and I will ask.