An Open Letter To My Friends

[TheBigChicken]

The past few years have not been very kind to me. I've buried both of my parents, have been alienated by relatives, unemployment,and this morning had my mothers dog put to sleep due to illness. I don't want self pity only for you people to realize how precious life is and no matter what knocks you down on you can always pick yourself up and dust yourself off. Some of you know that I have been fighting a few inner demons of late and I am slowly getting a grip back on my life. It would be impossible to think we can all get along...Just the next time before you go putting someone else down think about what they might be going through...That's all I ask. I love everyone of you guys and would give the shirt off of my back if it would help. So if you can help someone today then do it.Who knows,it just might make a difference.
Love
John

[Jon T.]

 :)

[dragonboy]

Like the Bad Motherf**ker said  :)

You're one of the good ones John, thanks for the wise words & stay strong my friend!

[megalicious]

What a very special letter. Thank you, John. I am sorry to hear that you have recently encountered so many difficult times, but I am glad to know you've maintained such a great outlook on life through it all.

:)

[dragonboy]

I'm not a religious man (spiritual? maybe...) but I don't know how many times I've found comfort in the lyrics of this Willie Nelson song:

These are difficult times, these are difficult times
Lord please give me a sign for these are difficult times.

Remember the good times, they're smaller in number and easier to recall.
Don't spend too much time on the bad times,
Their staggering number will be heavy as lead on your mind.

Don't waste a moment unhappy, invaluable moments gone with the leakage of time.
As we leave on our own separate journeys,
Moving west with the sun to a place buried deep within our minds.

[ycartrob]

We are all longing to go home to some place we have never been — a place half-remembered and half-envisioned we can only catch glimpses of from time to time. Community. Somewhere, there are people to whom we can speak with passion without having the words catch in our throats. Somewhere a circle of hands will open to receive us, eyes will light up as we enter, voices will celebrate with us whenever we come into our own power. Community means strength that joins our strength to do the work that needs to be done. Arms to hold us when we falter. A circle of healing. A circle of friends. Someplace where we can be free.

Starhawk

[Taterbug]

Thanks John for the letter.  You are truly one the the real ones on the interweb.  Thanks for sharing.

 The fog of death will lift and the sun will brighten your face with a warm glow and appreciation for life.    
tg

[mjkoehler]

Take care RC. You know I'm there if you need to talk.

[.Walt]

Thanks RC  :)

[red]

All my best RC.  And thanks for the words.   :)

Tracy, there's a Constantines song that mentions (and I believe is dedicated to) Starhawk.  That quote you posted is excellent.   

[Love Dogg]

I have been in a funk for a few years too.  Pretty much everything you mentioned except the death part.  I really feel like I can relate to you RC.  And I really feel great comfort around this community and I appreciate all of my friends here.

I got up this morning and looked out my window (I live at work) and across the parking lot crawled an old box turtle.  I assume he came from the creek/wooded area behind my place but I wasn't sure where he was going.  I knew he wasn't going to get ice cream.  And I knew he wasn't going to get his oil changed, but I didn't want to disrupt him.  He apparently was on vacation and was headed east.  Or maybe visiting his old home place.  Or looking for a lost love.

I checked on him over the course of the next half hour and I was thinking about him a lot, and was concerned that he would try to cross the street.  The biggest issue I had was that this particular street has roughly 20,000 cars pass by daily.

The next time I look out, he's gone, but had an idea he was still safe.  He was parked on a rock by a little patch of saw grass I have near the sidewalk.  He looked perfectly content, but I knew he likely wouldn't stay there.  I told him that he needed to be careful and that he needed to stay away from the street.  But I left it alone once again, as he didn't seem to like me being around.  

I couldn't get him out of my head because a few times over the passed couple of weeks, turtles have come up in conversations I have been in, oddly.  More specifically in terms of feeling like a turtle on it's back.  Or that a turtle is always slow.  

But then I started thinking about how the turtle always winds up beating the hare in the race.  And that there once was a turtle named Toby.  And that turtles seem to be wise beyond their peers.  And they're cute and I always hear a dumpy little rhythm whenever I think about how a turtle walks.

And I thought a lot about karma.  And I thought a lot about reincarnation.  And I thought a lot about even when someone doesn't want help...sometimes they need it.

And sure enough, I walked back out there to check on him, and he was right at the side of the street.  And I'm certain that all the people who drove by, had to've wondered with great concern, about the man in the suit who was talking to a turtle by the side of the road at 9:15 in the morning.

I then realized there was a nice wooded area behind the buildings across the street. And he had his eyes locked on all those tall trees and greenery.  So I gently picked him up and carried him across the three lanes well into the grass of the other side (which, by the way was not greener).  All four legs and his head all the way into his shell.  But as soon as I set him down in the dewy grass, he seemed to relax a little.

And the most rewarding part was when he stuck his head out as far as he could, looked right at me and stared me in the eyes as if to say, "Thank you.  For not fucking with me.  And because I needed your help but didn't even know it myself."

He was on a journey...and so determined to get there, that he was unable to see the obstacles and dangers before and around him.  I think we get that way too in life, except that our obstacles are so amplified, because of finances and peers and dramas and relationships.  

The important thing to remember is that there are obstacles.  And there are dangers.  But we are not alone in our journeys.  We have each other.  We have complete strangers.  We have My Morning Jacket for crying out loud.  And most importantly, we have futures.  Futures with children or marriage or adventures or other happinesses.

PEACE, LOVE and TUNES!

-Toby

[Sparkle]

Thanks John and Toby - your words really hit home, I just don't have your way with words. I've not been round here for long but everyday I'm reminded what a great community you've got going here.

Thanks for sharing.

[goodjam2bn]

I just wanted to say that I try to treat other people the same way I would like to be treated by them. I remember when the tornado hit here and complete strangers came out to help other strangers. Some lasting friendships came out of that disaster. Hardships help us to become stronger and better.  :)

[Leontheslut]

]I have been in a funk for a few years too.  Pretty much everything you mentioned except the death part.  I really feel like I can relate to you RC.  And I really feel great comfort around this community and I appreciate all of my friends here.

I got up this morning and looked out my window (I live at work) and across the parking lot crawled an old box turtle.  I assume he came from the creek/wooded area behind my place but I wasn't sure where he was going.  I knew he wasn't going to get ice cream.  And I knew he wasn't going to get his oil changed, but I didn't want to disrupt him.  He apparently was on vacation and was headed east.  Or maybe visiting his old home place.  Or looking for a lost love.

I checked on him over the course of the next half hour and I was thinking about him a lot, and was concerned that he would try to cross the street.  The biggest issue I had was that this particular street has roughly 20,000 cars pass by daily.

The next time I look out, he's gone, but had an idea he was still safe.  He was parked on a rock by a little patch of saw grass I have near the sidewalk.  He looked perfectly content, but I knew he likely wouldn't stay there.  I told him that he needed to be careful and that he needed to stay away from the street.  But I left it alone once again, as he didn't seem to like me being around.  

I couldn't get him out of my head because a few times over the passed couple of weeks, turtles have come up in conversations I have been in, oddly.  More specifically in terms of feeling like a turtle on it's back.  Or that a turtle is always slow.  

But then I started thinking about how the turtle always winds up beating the hare in the race.  And that there once was a turtle named Toby.  And that turtles seem to be wise beyond their peers.  And they're cute and I always hear a dumpy little rhythm whenever I think about how a turtle walks.

And I thought a lot about karma.  And I thought a lot about reincarnation.  And I thought a lot about even when someone doesn't want help...sometimes they need it.

And sure enough, I walked back out there to check on him, and he was right at the side of the street.  And I'm certain that all the people who drove by, had to've wondered with great concern, about the man in the suit who was talking to a turtle by the side of the road at 9:15 in the morning.

I then realized there was a nice wooded area behind the buildings across the street. And he had his eyes locked on all those tall trees and greenery.  So I gently picked him up and carried him across the three lanes well into the grass of the other side (which, by the way was not greener).  All four legs and his head all the way into his shell.  But as soon as I set him down in the dewy grass, he seemed to relax a little.

And the most rewarding part was when he stuck his head out as far as he could, looked right at me and stared me in the eyes as if to say, "Thank you.  For not fucking with me.  And because I needed your help but didn't even know it myself."

He was on a journey...and so determined to get there, that he was unable to see the obstacles and dangers before and around him.  I think we get that way too in life, except that our obstacles are so amplified, because of finances and peers and dramas and relationships.  

The important thing to remember is that there are obstacles.  And there are dangers.  But we are not alone in our journeys.  We have each other.  We have complete strangers.  We have My Morning Jacket for crying out loud.  And most importantly, we have futures.  Futures with children or marriage or adventures or other happinesses.

PEACE, LOVE and TUNES!

-Toby
[/size]

This is by far the best post I have EVER seen about turtles!

[Ruckus]

Cheers guys and thanks for the letter John.  You can never be reminded enough.   :)

[pawpaw]

:)

I agree.  :)

[capt. scotty]

Its never nice to hear about people struggling, but it looks like youre back on the right track and thats all that matters right now. Its been one of the hardest years of my life as well, but nothing like that.

Thanks for the words RC and LD.

Great thread.

[Ghosts_on_TV]

Cheers man, that was nice. Thanks.  :)

[Vadie Stark]

Love and only Love

[Penny Lane]

thanks for reminding us of how precious life is RC.