Millennials

Millennials are the generation born from the early 1980's to early 2000. My two daughters are Millennial. The largest and most diverse population in the United States, they came into adulthood after a protracted period of economic downturn. Unlike the way their baby-boom parents were raised, who often flourished in a  benign-neglect sort of way, they were focused on with intensity.

They were raised to think about what they would want to do for the rest of their lives, not what job would help them to keep up with the Joneses. Their parents, on the other hand, did just that.

One of the more interesting statistics to come out is that Millennials actually like their parents. This generation often chooses to live close to parents and families. 23% actually reside with parents now. One reason can be attributed to the job market, and corresponding downward pressure on salary and benefits, but not all of it. Millennials are close to their parents. They like and get along with them. Extended families are "in."

They are an optimistic group, despite the myriad of problems they face. Shaped by technology, they share more easily than other generations. They are creative and work better in teams and groups. They are not religious. They tend to identify more as Seekers.  (Which is right up my alley, having always been one.) What is weird, is that they are less sexual - yes, you read that right. Despite all the sex we see on television, they are less sexually active. They are also marrying later in life.

This group will fix our institutions, government, and infrastructure. They will redesign education.

Why do I think they will accomplish all of these things? Because each successive generation deals with the problems (or solutions) of the previous generation. Once we finally get out of their way, both politically and in the job market, they'll go about their business. They'll work with Generation X, who tend to be no-nonsense task masters, and they'll figure it out.

One word that continues to pop up in conversations with my Millennials, and may actually define their generation is sustainability. Unlike previous generations, they are less likely to own their own home, and they often prefer living in urban settings.

So, they may live with us in our big houses now, but when they think about their own home, it is not a McMansion.

Forty Years

(My husband and I with our lives stretched out before us.)

A few weeks ago a dear friend died, leaving his wife of 45-years and a young, vibrant family behind. He died way too soon. His funeral was last week. Attending were a myriad of people, bits and pieces of his life throughout his lifespan.

He and I met while I was still riding my bike around the block - around 13 years old. Throughout the years we shared many memories, a lifetime of laughs, and a few tears. We've been a part of different groups of people, corresponding to whatever our interests were at the time. But throughout, we have remained friends. Separate, but somehow together.

As I've mentioned, a diverse group of people attended the funeral, but none more interesting than the group we were friends with at the beginning. The ones we were friends with while on the cusp of early adulthood. I had not seen many of these people for 40+ years. We literally lost touch for the bulk of our lives. We went from young and hot (a euphemism used by several), to grandparents in a blink of an eye. The middle years somehow cut from the whole, leaving bookends, instead of chapters.

We caught up on marriages, children, illnesses, and gossip. Was there really some question about the gun used in our friend's suicide 25 years ago? Could her husband have been the culprit? How is your sister? Did she ever marry that guy you hated? Seriously? They want to remove your entire colon? You talked to my ex-husband last week? I'm so sorry to hear about the death of your daughter....

On and on we tried to fill in the blanks. To match the face in front of us to the face we remembered. The twenty-something that had life stretching out before them, with everything still to come, to the face that has had its share of pain, strife, struggle, and joy. Grandchildren. Comparing numbers, you could see the pride we all shared in our little ones. Most were close to their own children and had good relationships with extended family. A few struggled with substance-abuse issues and one or two actually found themselves in really bad circumstances at some point in their lives.

(My dearly-departed friend.)

One thing stood out. None of us were unscathed. We all had something that we endured that put a wrinkle here or worry-line there. I guess that's what life is about. Dealing with the curve balls as best we can and enjoying the small things that life has to offer. Like old friends catching up on the years, sharing stories about the ones that are no longer at the table.

He would have loved every minute of it.

I hate to say this, but I might have to do Facebook.

What Exactly Are Orbs?

I have noticed the subject of Orbs popping up with more frequency. What are Orbs? Are they living creatures? Are they people without bodies? Are they energy-sucking aliens? Are they angels? Or is there a more pedestrian explanation?

Orbs can be multi-colored or white, and show up especially well with digital photography using a flash. Some think they are merely dust particles, or water droplets. Some think they are an energy signature or craft of a high-frequency being. Some people believe they are ghosts. 

I'm not sure what to believe.

There is plenty of literature on the subject. In the film "Orbs: The Veil Is Lifting" on Gaiam TV, several guests shared their insight into the phenomenon. One theory that resonates with me is that we are multi-dimensional beings that have been in a trance-state that has us believing we are the center of the Universe. We are uneducated about other realms and other dimensions. We know very little about consciousness. Our ideas about the paranormal are shaped by Hollywood, not in-depth scientific study. All this may change, by the way, with the money and research being pumped into the field of transhumanism 'ala Google's Ray Kurzweil, and his seemingly unlimited resources. Not to mention the Obama Administration's $3 billion foray into mapping the brain. This research is bound to spill into the topic of consciousness.  

Carlos Castaneda, when queried about inorganic beings:

"They are possessors of consciousness but not possessors of an organism," Castaneda responded. "Why should awareness be the exclusive possession of organisms?"

He talked of "flyers" feeding on mankind's awareness, reducing the sheen on our luminous eggs (a membrane surrounding us from the moment of birth, once thick, but much thinner as it is nibbled upon until there is only a mix of self-absorbed ego and mania.) 

Orbs show up throughout history in paintings and frescoes. They are often depicted with halos or as cherubs. It was suggested the wings were added because the orbs were flying. One photographer found that after taking hundreds of pictures of orbs, some of her pictures became mists that seemed to consist of millions of individual orbs. She believes this to be inter-dimensional art. Many have mandala-like designs, some have "faces", or look as though beings are inside of them. 

The Orb that seems to be haunting Nasa's Hall of Fame Museum is interesting:

Very large multi-colored orbs have been reported by pilots, including President Obama's.

Whatever they are, they seem to be very curious and comfortable around humans!

Our Already Militerized Police

The Obama Administration and the Department of Justice have decided to "crack down" on our increasingly militarized police force. Unfortunately, that ship has already sailed. The military has been feeding even the most obscure police departments tons of deadly military equipment for years. To now say that they can only buy these war toys with their own money is laughable, especially since local police, state troopers, and DEA agents have been confiscating money, cars, property, etc., through the seized-asset program to the tune of billions of dollars.

In one instance, a highway patrolman confiscated a young man's $2,500 that his father had given him to start a business, because it might be "drug money." Other instances have brought attention to Nevada's cash grab. But it is not the only state doing this - 23 other states have laws allowing this to occur. Questionable search and seizure, overuse of stun guns, shooting unarmed black men in the back, militarized raids that kill and maim innocent babies, dogs, and anything else that gets in their way. This is not the America my forefathers fought and died for. This is fascism.

I wrote about this back in 2011. It is now 2015 and the Department of Justice is just now putting some restrictions on this issue? I say too little, too late. And by design.

I honestly do not blame Texas for being watchful and suspicious of the multi-state military exercise going down this summer and lasting over three months. Jade Helm 15 may not be anything more than what it says it is - military training for its elite. It may not be a conspiracy to acclimate American citizens to a military presence, but with everything else going on - can they blame us for being paranoid?

Obama signed into law in the NDAA of 2012 that anyone, anywhere in the world, can be taken right off the street, held without due process, indefinitely. He assured us this would not happen to us. It was just a precaution, not something he would ever use against us.

Yeah, right.

And before you start to blame one political party over another, realize that is also by design. Keep us occupied fighting and arguing with one another over things like same-sex marriage, abortion, liberal and conservative labels, food stamps and welfare, while they continue their work for the multi-national corporations. Just this week they authorized a foreign country to drill in the Arctic. We're supposed to be assured nothing untoward could happen in the wild Arctic similar to the BP oil spill that devasted the Gulf of Mexico. I say SHELL NO!

Republican or Democrat - just two sides of the same coin.

What's On Your Intention Board?

My husband and I are at a crossroads. He retired about a year ago and spent the last year adjusting to a much slower pace. He's not rising at 5:00 a.m. to go running, now it's 8:00 and he's had a couple cups of coffee. Many afternoons include a nap, reading novels, watching netflix, playing with the dog.

However, like most people who have worked challenging careers and suddenly find themselves free to do whatever they want to do, he's getting BORED. He wants a new challenge, something that requires him to stretch his mental muscles.

I'm with him on this. I've been waiting a long time for him to retire so we could play.

So the home at Tahoe is going on the market, and we've decided to buy a boat. (We've been highly encouraged in this endeavor, both by friends that have their boat in Anacortes, and by this beautiful blog.)

The kids are grown, educated, gone. Our responsibilities to our family are few. Maybe it's time to indulge ourselves, maybe even take some chances. We're healthy enough for one last adventure, one more roll of the dice.

We recently visited Anacortes, WA after my husband helped crew a 61 foot trawler from San Francisco to Anacortes with three other men; two of which he had worked with for over 25 years at one point in his career. All were now retired.

I drove with one of the wives to meet them, only to fall in love with this area of Washington. The San Juan Islands are a group of islands in the northwest corner of the United States. Part of the state of Washington, they lie between the United States and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They consist of about 428 islands at high tide, with ferry service to four. You could spend years and never visit all of the little inlets and coves of these islands.

The beauty of this land is infused with the smell of water. Rivers, streams, lakes and ocean. Add the gigantic forests, and you have a feast for the senses.

We're ready to meet like-minded people, talk boat-talk, teach ourselves and our grandson about navigation, piloting, engines, maintenance, fishing, and crabbing. Take some awesome hikes (at a breathable sea level), visit some quaint little towns, eat clam chowder and be grateful for every minute of it.

I'll keep you updated on our little adventure and I would love to hear about yours.

What's on your intention board?

Near Death Experiences Are No Longer Woo Woo

For many of my readers over the years the near death experience is something that they take for granted. They may have done their own research, or maybe it was a knowing that was passed down through generations or through their religious training. But for many, it has always been in the realm of woo woo. Not to be taken seriously. Certainly not something that one could absolutely count on. But things are changing. We have a wealth of new information that may very soon dispel the notion that there is nothing after death.

Meet Dr. Jeffrey Long, who was a recent guest on Coast to Coast. Dr. Long, in his spare time from being an oncology radiologist, has been researching the Near Death Experience and cataloging over 4,000 cases from all over the world. His site uses 20 different languages, and he has very generously posted all of the information on his website. Like researchers before him, such as Dr. Raymond Moody, Dr. Ian Stevenson, and even Emanuel Swedenborg, he has come to believe that there is no longer any doubt that life, in some sense, continues after death. In fact, the evidence has never been stronger.

It doesn't matter where you live, NDEs are all very much the same. A typical one would begin with the life-threatening event. They then leave their body and travel through a dark tunnel emerging into bright (unearthly) light which often has surreal colors. (Many of the colors do not have earthly names.) They often see people, buildings, and feel totally pain-free. Sometimes the people are loved ones that are joyous to see them, and they feel intense feelings of love and connection. They may then have a life review, free of judgement, at which point they may have a one-on-one with a higher being that discusses in detail what the goals and objectives were for that lifetime. Did you fulfill your life purpose? Did you work through the issues you intended?

Almost everyone returns with the knowledge that the number one goal is learning to love. That life is purposeful. We're here to learn humility, compassion, and that our life is a gift. People who came back from suicide attempts did not do it again, realizing that was not the answer.

I will go into more detail, including some of the not-so-nice near death experiences in one of the chapters of my book, but if you're wondering - play nice - it's the best way to avoid one of those that are frightening. Fear, hate, anger, jealousy, are all emotions to avoid.

• 58% received mystical experience about the importance of LOVE
• 24% considered themselves compassionate before their experience - 74% after
• Some came back with psychic abilities.
• Some had increased levels of EQ (emotional intelligence) and were able to intuit non-verbal cues better than before.
• None were afraid to die again.

I think it is time to take this information out of the woo woo and realize we now have so much scientific evidence that points to an afterlife. Wouldn't it change everything if we realized that each individual on earth is dearly loved? One not more important than another? Each on their own path, often playing a part for others to learn by - even the bad guys?

Synchronicity and The Bad Back

A few months ago my daughter called and said she had a conference in Disney World and would we like to join her there to take our grandson around Disney and Universal Studios while she worked? We readily agreed as it had been on my bucket list to take him sometime after he turned eight. He is only seven and a half, but we felt that was close enough as his mother already had a room, airfare for herself, etc. In other words, it was a good time as part of the trip was already paid. 

So I made a pact with myself to walk and swim at least five times a week for the next two months to be in good shape for all the walking we would be doing for three days. (I was coming from a good place - lots of beach walking and swimming three to four days a week.) Well, to make a long story short, I didn’t do a thing! We arrived back home at Lake Tahoe and after living at sea level for six months, I struggled to adjust to the altitude of 6500 feet. (A doctor later told me it takes two months.) So that accounted for at least several weeks of not wanting to work out, but then the weather changed and was warmer and the excuses began to fade. We then started a low-carb diet and that took a week or so to adjust, or so I told myself. 

So bottom line - I didn’t do a darn thing to prepare for Disney for two months and the day was arriving fast.

My clothes were lying on the bed ready to go into the suitcase, all the necessary fast-passes arranged at Disney, and a host of very expensive tickets purchased. Two days before we were to leave my back began to spasm! And when I say spasm - it was unlike anything I have ever experienced! Off to the ER the day before we left - with me taking little old person steps into the building. Nothing to do - cold compresses, pain meds, don’t do anything that hurts, was his only recommendation. You mean like riding Splash Mountain? Sitting on a plane for 7 or so hours? Rushing to catch a close connection in Phoenix, a notoriously large airport?

Needless to say, the suitcase left without my clothes or me. My husband met our grandson in Orlando for three days of fun and sun. They walked 12 miles the first day, 10 miles the second day, and on the third they lost count. I would have slowed them down without the “training” in all probability, but without it I would have been exhausted.

On the day my husband returned, my back was back to almost normal. A day after that it was perfect. This from being flat on my back in bed the whole time he was gone. 

The Universe was letting me know if I wanted to be able to keep up and have fun at the ripe old age of 61 - I’d better quit with the excuses and exercise every day. As soon as I said I’d learned my lesson - no more excuses - my back was fine. I missed the trip, but I learned a valuable lesson. There are no coincidences, only subtle and not so subtle nudges.