Me, Not Buddha

There are just three of us. My wife Mary, my son Dylan Thomas, and me. Mary and I work full time while Dylan attends school and is involved in scouts and band. Be that as it may, we stay quite busy, let me tell you.

Even if I just worked and were single, I would not have the capability to attain the sort of enlightenment pictured to the left.

If not busy on the outside, I certainly am busy on the inside and have only recently learned the art of quieting things down on the inside and obtaining just a little subjective Peace.

As I've heard more than one wise person say, 'Life is short, and the art is long'. At 44 years old, I don't see myself attaining buddhahood anytime soon, if till now, I have not had the time.

Just the drive to work, cars careening around, people behaving badly, and the rushaday morning starts the day off the way my life seems to tend. Fast, chaotic, somewhat out of control at times.

Me not running off to an ashram, or climbing some mountain in Tibet, I am fated to live in the center of the Western experience. Work, mortgage, loans, car payments, and so on.

Peace, Peace, but there will be no Peace, the prophet said, and this I can attest to wholeheartedly. Having eschewed the single life for that of marriage, I chose to live as I am quite consciously, and now am at midlife in the whole thing.

But lest I begin to sound like I am complaining, be assured, my protests are small. I have a loving wife, a son I dote on, and overall lead a very fulfilling life. Perhaps everyone is destined to lead this life at some point, as others, and so why not make the most of it?

My mantra is 'Strength, Wisdom, and Beauty'. These three I have found are available to a man in my shoes, and are well within reach throughout the workday.

But enlightenment? It's like Van Morrison says in his song, er, 'Enlightenment' - 'Chop that wood and carry water, what's the sound of one hand clapping? Enlightenment. Don't know what it is'.