Over the holiday weekend I visited the Sleeping Bear Dunes of northern Michigan. To say the least, the journey was amazing. The woods were enchanting. The beaches were mesmerizing. The experience that struck deepest, however, was definitely the dunes. The sheer magnificence of their presence struck within my being an epiphany. It was more a feeling than a thought. However, what did come to mind was ironically the silence. If you have ever been, you are probably aware of the two mile journey that takes you up and down mountains of sand. Upon reaching a certain point, there was virtually total silence. No engines. No chatter from people. There was nothing beyond the sound of a few bugs and the wind blowing in from the lake. I suddenly realized how much noise we are inundated by in our society. I knew this before, but the experience is far different from the thought. In addition to this euphoric bliss, I noticed something peculiar about the people I occasionally passed by along the walk. At first there were many, all heading back in the opposing direction, complaining about the grueling nature of the dunes. Nearly all of them quit the walk without making it to the beach, but as I continued on most of the expressions changed. People who had completed their journey felt a sense of satisfaction. They completed the walk and journeyed into a realm of nature most of us will never go through.

The point of this is blog is for me to express the message: We are missing something in most of our lives, something only nature can provide. I suggest everyone returns to it at some point on the journey they call life.

Why are chances likely an individual placed in prison will go back at some point? Why does the average criminal record of a former inmate expand once he or she is released? Could it be that there is a flaw in the system? Perhaps our perspective is skewed on the rehabilitation process. Are we rehabilitating at all in America's prisons? Or, is the assumption that if an inmate spends time in a hell-hole it will rehabilitate him a step in the wrong direction? There is a serious difference between punishment and rehabilitation. One, more often than not, involves emotional revenge, while the other focuses on steering a lost soul in the right direction. Perhaps this is the reason the war on crime has only increased crime. If ever we are to overcome our faults and help out those who fault most often, we need to rise beyond the level in which the fault was created. An angry reaction is never the optimal solution. When's the last time you ended a fight by getting angrier, lashing out and or blaming the person responsible?

Our roots as pack animals seem to have carried with us even to this day. Naturally, we separate and form groups that reflect our personal traits and attributes, but there is something new in our human experience. With the proliferation and magnification of thought, our complexity has brought us to a sort of precipice. We can no longer shun out our neighbors without harming and damaging ourselves. We are truly becoming one community and if we do not take care of the community (the separate pieces to the whole puzzle) the entire civilization will fall. Specifically speaking, the great religions of the world need to unify, at least in some form of acceptance. There will never be a converting of all humans into "my" tribe simply because "my" tribe only exists because there are other tribes out there.

Perhaps I am defeating myself with my own advice. Perhaps what this means is that such acceptance is not possible. However, similar to the statement above, if total non-acceptance exists as the majority outlook, then acceptance is, by default, absolutely possible. Perhaps the real question is: Are you willing to accept people into your community?

There are many ways to get what you want in this world, and there are many books and articles that will tell you the secrets to doing so. The important thing to remember, however, is that we are always getting results based on our actions. Though, sometimes, those results do not reflect what we thought we wanted. I am an advocate of the notion that what we receive is a result of the energy we put into our endeavors. And, often our energy is not a pure reflection of what we think we want. Hence, the common situation of people being in relationships they hate and vehemently claim they want out or change. It would seem, therefore, that what is needed to achieve the desired results is not a change in circumstance (something beyond you) but a change of perception and energy (something within and something within your control and immediate influence).

Children are under attack constantly in today's world. They are force fed so much propaganda that they have no chance to escape it. Pop Culture has managed to infiltrate nearly every facet of their daily experience. Their idols are not genuine, strong characters that teach balanced living. Today's idols are whiney, rich brats who parade around a cosmetic city in search of the most adored night-life attraction. Even worse, many of today's idols get famous by "accidentally" submitting a sex tape. It may be a deeply personal image of what used to be held sacred, but it gets millions if not billions of viewers.

BAM, instant fame!

Couple that with a rich daddy and you've got a superstar. But, those imbeciles dancing on TV like hookers and whores are not to blame. They are merely pawns controlled by the puppet masters. Sadly, it doesn't stop there. Shows like American Idol, America's Next Top Model, whatever happens to show up on MTV (ironically, it's never music) are not created by these aristobrats, they are formed by white collar, dollar hoarding thieves, hell-bent on stupefying the world to make a few bucks. Still, blaming them is useless. For, it is the public that watches.

Perhaps the problem and solution is much closer to home than imagined. Perhaps the problem is not media but mental submission. And perhaps the solution is not censorship but awareness.

Our days on Earth are often akin to a ride on a rollercoaster. Some days we are high on top. Other days we have sunk to new lows. And on the craziest of days we are going through some wild twists and turns. However, the important thing to remember is that all of it is a part of life. This may be tuff on the days your car has broken down or when your husband or wife has left you, but it is a great reminder. Like our weather, the sky, no matter what we want, will not always be sunny and cloud free. We in fact need those thunderstorms to roll in and drench the lands. Out of the chaos comes new growth, growth that would not have been possible if it were not for the hurricane that destroyed what we held on to so dearly. Another favorite analogy of mine is that of sleep. Whereas most of us would love to stay awake constantly, if it weren't for those hours of slumber we would not enjoy the time we spend awake. And remember that darkness is needed for that crucial period.

The point is life needs contrast. If you allow for this contrast to come through your ride will be enjoyable, perhaps not always smooth, but enjoyable nonetheless.

I stood witness to occurrence that is sadly no rare sight. Two females, for whatever reason began violently punching and yanking on the others' body. Hair was pulled, eyes were socked and blood was broken. Over what: words that were spoken. You've got to wonder (of course, calculating blood alcohol level) did they ever stop to wonder if it was worth it. Yes, whatever concoction intoxicating their body certainly enabled at least a portion of the feud. But, this is not an excuse, and it is certainly not uncommon. If I were a betting man, I'd say that this was not a first for these individuals.

Going out on the town, one will more than likely run into something akin to this behavior, but not everywhere. There are, indeed, group gatherings of large crowds that do not warrant such behavior, even with alcohol. It would seem that a mix of insecurity, booze, and a predisposition toward stupidity is what will cause such an eruption. How can you avoid running into this sort of crowd? I suggest avoiding places that have a tendency to attract such a crowd, but if this is unavoidable raise your awareness as to direct the negative aggressive energy elsewhere.

"Hello, my name is Joe Shmoe and I am a blank-oholic." This is usually the mantra spoken before a confession at some meeting designed to rehabilitate an addiction. But, is there a fundamental flaw in this saying? Is there a misleading principle that will keep an individual stuck in their particular addiction? Furthermore, is the addiction who you are? Are you not reinforcing that particular behavior by identifying with it? Would it not be better to disassociate yourself with your behavior, as to separate you from your actions? Cause I've gotta be honest, I've seen some very intelligent people act out some extremely stupid things. The psychology of crowd behavior is a classic example. When influenced, normally reserved people will do some incredibly stupid things.

If you start from the origin, if you reach the core of your being, you will find that you are simply you; a being of awareness. Everything else, your thoughts, emotions and so on, is guided by your upbringing and genetic predisposition. The key to mastering you is simply to remember that you are the key. No matter how many times you screw up, no matter how many times you fail, the source of power is within you. Once you realize that, you will see that you are not a convict, but someone who was convicted. You will see that you are not alcoholic, but someone who drinks too much. No matter where you are or what you have done, you always have the freedom and potential power to cognitively think and, furthermore, be aware of those thoughts and make a choice.

Violence is a regular response in our society. When a violent crime is committed, the people want violent punishment. When people are hurt, they often want to inflict pain on the source that caused the initial pain. Sadly, violence is all too often used to resolve an issue. The belief is that the violence will correct the behavior of the other person and so achieve a desired goal. However, as many of you have surely noticed, violence only lends to more violence. There is a reason for this. Nature flows with balance. If things get out of balance the flow ceases or, worse, gets out of hand.

In order to correct unbalanced behavior you must use a balanced response. In other words, if someone is thwarting violence in your direction use a calm assertive response instead of violence. You might find that you not only have resolved your issue, but have ceased any further reactions against you, which happens almost always with a response of violence.

Recently, I was blessed with a response to one of my blogs titled "Drugs Are Bad, M'kay". This very bold individual anonymously posted the following message:

"Maybe drugs ARE bad, m'kay? Perhasp they uffect ur speling."

I would like to thank this person because they truly brought out the essence of the blog. I wasn't writing to justify or shine a positive light on the use or addiction of drugs. I was making a point on how people, like this individual, are quick to judge another for their mistakes. First, aside from my misspellings (which often slip through my fingerz), I've been cleaner than most newborns for all of my life. However, that is not the issue. Drug use is not the issue. That is why I shed light upon the various legal drugs available with a prescription. How can a drug be "bad"? Drugs have no volition or intention of their own. Drugs are, perhaps, bad for you. Drugs are, perhaps, harmful. But, the issue is the addiction and it is people who are addicted and not just addicted to drugs.

Furthermore, how can one hope to live in a better society when ignorance and judgment is the response to one's bad behavior? I would argue that many who find themselves addicted to the many illegal drugs available are in such a predicament because of the excessively judgmental world around them. So, thank you, anonymous! You are a prime example of what happens when ignorance and judgment find a free hand.

I could not help but notice, whilst walking through Summerset Mall the other day, the large amount of plastic inserted in today's human being. Now, I'm not just talking about the usual mammary implants, I'm also referring to cheeks, legs, buttocks' and whatever other places people are willing to shove a little silicon into. And plastic surgery is only the extreme. Everything from diet pills to over-use of makeup is designed to fight off the inevitable. Why the preoccupation with youth? As a society, we have not stopped to ask: what are the benefits to aging? We damn near shove away our elderly from public view. We teach our youth that everything in life that is worthwhile is done when you are young. Aren't old people the ones that have been through all of the trials and tribulations? Aren't those the people with the bulk of wisdom? I find it funny that a culture so preoccupied with rushing to get things done seems terrified of the end results…

If you didn't catch on to the reference of the title, then you are not a fan of Comedy Central. It is a quote from a teacher, Mr. Mackey on South Park, who preaches to his children that drugs are bad and we should all stay away from them, that is unless you wish to be a raving crack fiend. And, while this is potentially true I would like to shine light on a few of the narcotic legal drugs that some of our upstanding citizens take every day like Vicodine, Norco, Xodol, Maxodin are just a few examples. The point is, why judge others because their drugs are deemed illeagal? We as a society tend to deem others as bad as long as they are viewed in that light by the mass majority.

Desire is like swimming in an ocean; it's fun to play around in as long as you don't swim in it for too long. Now, I am only talking about the mental aspect, not the physical, not acting it out (as some of us have some strange and harmful desires, but that alludes to a whole other ballgame). Being an advocate of the notion that all feelings are potentially helpful, I suggest that we not run away from feelings of desire and right them off as bad or wrong. Unfortunately, as many of us have grown up we were taught to feel ashamed of some of our desires (unless it was money related), especially sexual desires. This seems to have created an epidemic of perversion in our society. You can only suppress an internal feeling for so long before it gathers too much strength and releases itself. My remedy: face it. Be honest with yourself about what you are feeling. Why hide from it? If the feeling is there, you pretending it doesn't exist won't help to eliminate it. You'll just be ignorant about yourself (funny how that's come up lately).

You know, for such an advanced society we in the western world tend to carry along a lot of very old and very bad habits. We have a tendency to shut away other people, even if those people are of no threat to us. This attitude repeats itself even within our "tribe". If you think of it, the concept of a foreigner is simply an arbitrary concept that illustrates your own personal ignorance. I do not mean ignorance in the derogatory sense, but ignorance as simply uninformed. Everyone and everything that we do not know is foreign. Your neighbors down the street are foreign to you. But strangely, we create this weird concept of "outsider" in our heads and so see the foreigner as something other than human. Part of the reason I am writing about this is because of the recent issues of Mexican immigration into the states. There seems to be an uproar in the "good ol boy" community about a group of people who come to this country, work some of the worst jobs with some of the worst pay during some of the worst hours. I am not Mexican, if you are wondering, nor do I have any affiliation towards that particular race… aside from the fact that I am equally as HUMAN. And that is it; we are all human on the same planet. Barriers certainly have their use but there is no land that belongs to us. We belong to the land. Perhaps I just find it ironic that a country that thrives on invasion would protest against people wanting to move here.

A few blogs ago I wrote about race relations. The subject itself, at least for me, begs the question: What is a race? Racism is indeed a funny thing. A person or group of people with a particular set of physical traits will harbor hatred or disdain against a group of people with a different set of physical traits. However, the line often blurs. Since people all come from the same place, if you date back far enough, we truly are the same. Furthermore, no one is originally from "their" country. Everyone's ancestor is an immigrant from some different land. Even the Native Americans migrated from foreign ground. So really, what is the point of harboring a feeling of disconnect with someone you have far more similarities with than differences. In addition, when you think about it, what you hate about someone else is your own ignorance. Clearly, it bothers you that you don't know about someone else's origins, because if you did, you wouldn't have a problem to begin with.