Acceptance is a thought that's been on my mind a ton lately. Being welcomes to a family, or a social circle or a spiritual group. There is no feeling like feeling warmly welcomed and embraced. I recently redubbed The Open Mic I host here in Ocean Beach, The Winston's Wednesday Welcome. The idea is people, no matter how unique they may be, as long as they are respectful and everyone pretty much is, deserve a place where they can go, be themselves, and express themselves if they so choose. It's been working quite well for some time now.
Tonight my dear friend, 98-year old WWII and Korean War vet, The Soul Man joins us. He is in a group called Guiro Grass. They met at Open Mic It is Soul Man on guiro, a Latin percussion instrument Travis Oliver on old-time bluegrass chicken picking and vocals and my acupuncture pal, Aquilino. I love that I helped make an environment where all these folks can storm in, do their thing and feel the love they deserve. Everyone deserves that, actually.
It feels great to be accepted. Lastly, I've noticed that this is where a lot of personal relationships run off the rails, especially those of a romantic nature. No one is going to be exactly the way you want them to be. If you love them and truly want things to work out with them, the best thing you can do is accept them. Love is great, but without accepting and embracing the person you care for, it is not enough. If you all want to do is change someone then you don't really love the one you're with. You don't even accept them. If you can love someone who is being themselves, that is a great place to start. People change anyway. We can't help it. Folks might change in exactly the way you want them to if you just give them some love and the space to find out for themselves, who it is they really are.
Patience. It's not just people at the hospital.
Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 251 “Teach Your
Children” by Crosby, Stills, & Nash
Staying in my spirit of acceptance chatter, this is a
beautiful CSN song. I believe it is a Nash number. Ahh, the glorious days where
songs had meaningful messages and still got played. “Teach Your Children,” I
believe was a number one hit for CSN when the Kent State massacre erupted in
Ohio. Neil Young then wrote “Ohio” and they released, It went to the top of the
charts, unseating a song by the same band. That is acceptance on their part, of
what is important. What the world needs above what they need.
I wrote a song the other day. I was thinking about what it
would have been like if I thought all the stuff from school was interesting
instead of annoying and boring. I sure would have learned a lot more. I wrote a
tune called “Everything Is Cool,” to try to frame things in that way. No idea
if that would ever work. Kids can be quizzical, but I like the idea that they could
be taught to think it’s all cool. Dream.
Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Words - 251 “Breaking It
Down”
I read some stuff from time to time that I find outrageous.
It seems clear that seem people are truly convinced they know way better than
everybody else. What a tough way to live, always readying for another fall from
one’s tenuous perch. It’s great to believe in stuff and believe in what you believe,
but that really only extends until you’re looking down on everyone and
lecturing from that perspective. No one wants to hear it. Any discussion where
both sides don’t approach one anther with love and respect is a conversation not
worth having. No one will learn a thing.
So here, I break it down (wiki wiki wiki). I break down my humble
take on having respect, love and what really matters most. Love you. Bye.
“God
grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to
change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” - Reinhold
Niebuhr
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