How does listening to music impact your spiritual understanding? 

“Any minute playing “Good Vibrations” is a minute that I feel spiritually whole…” (Brian Wilson) – See song link below. 

https://youtu.be/Eab_beh07HU?si=S0RHEeth7RrcQcGV

The accolades now intensify in response to the recent death of Beach Boys member Brian Wilson.With respect to his musical effect on my life, I take notice of those numerous occasions during my teenage years when AM radio stations gave plenty of “live air time” to those harmonically “catchy”  tunes composed by him in the late 1960s. In retrospect, I should have paid more attention to his deeply expressive song lyrics then which seemed to accomplish much more than glorify the appeal of the Southern California surfing culture at the time. When I met my wife a few years later, she seemed to fill in those gaps of knowledge for me quite well as she added a strong personal touch to the personalities of various Beach Boys members.

Yet those youthful impressions of Brian Wilson’s artistry seemed to fade away for me when his concerts stage efforts increasingly seemed seriously “out of kilt.” At two Beach Boy concerts, I recall we attended in So. Cal., for instance, I detected a noticeable lack of enthusiasm from him to perform for the crowd. With various changes to The Beach Boys membership now happening due to the death of brothers Carl Wilson, and Dennis Wilson, Brian stood out even more for me watching “You Tube” concert replays as being noticeably withdrawn. Perhaps my most vivid memory of Brian’s “dark side” happened two years ago at an Irvine gig”, when he staggered to the bandstand with both arms being held by stage crew and later sat idly through most of the songs during a long set list at that performance.

But looks can be deceiving when I choose to question how Brian’s troubling state of mind impacted his lasting musical legacy. For that statement brings me to the iconic song “Good Vibrations” that Brian composed for the Beach Boys during their early era of success. For as Art Garfunkel  of Simon and Garfunkel fame once said, this tune might be “the greatest, most creative record of them all.” In fact, I now listen to this song in greater depth than I once did on pop radio, and I’ve observed it in my road trip travels to be an ideal theme song for me to spread thoughts of  love and peace within  myself and toward the world around me.

Thus feeling Brian Wilson’s “Good  Vibrations” today, I attach the following original poem along with some soothing images from our California coastline travels. 

GOOD VIBRATIONS FAREWELL BRIAN 

Good vibrations, they surround me still

A gentle hum, a soothing pill

In every moment, I feel the vibe

A sense of peace, a heart fully alive

With every breath, I let go my fears

And welcome love, and calm, and cheers

The universe, in whispery flow

“You’re safe, you’re loved, let your spirit glow

Good vibrations, they lift me high

A feeling of joy, that touches the sky

In harmony, I find my way

Through life’s ups and downs, come what may

So let the good vibes flow, and never cease

Guiding me forward, with love and peace

Key Source:

https://www.biography.com/musicians/brian-wilson

What era in American History most reminds you of what’s happening now both within country and abroad?

How did you react to the President’s Saturday night decision to go ahead with American bombing of Iran?

“When the truth is found to be lies and all the joy within you dies. Don’t you want somebody to love? “ (Jefferson Airplane , 1967 – see link below)

https://youtu.be/a-C9pUGszsw?si=N1asVJ-PxhD2M7VO

During last week’s “No King’s Protest”, I kept flashing back to our most recent road trip visit to San Francisco (SF ) with the turbulent era of the late 1960s in America coming vividly to mind. Notably I was not reminiscing about Bay Area counterculture events in those times at such highly publicized places as Haight Ashbury, Berkeley, and Golden Gate Park. Nor did I wish to return to my teaching days when I prepared my American History students to remember testing material about the Vietnam War protests and Civil Rights disorders happening in cities then. Instead I felt intense interest in an innovative pop art exhibit I saw at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art that vividly depicted such historic rebellions of social and political issues in conjunction with a colorful psychedelic setting appropriate to that time period.

Keep in mind, I’ve never considered myself a “hippie” gone wild who savored free love, drug use, and mainstream societal disengagement. Thus over a half century later, I simply desire to retain my legal rights and earned freedoms of an American citizen as our democracy crumbles now before my eyes. In particular, I am most interested in how late 1960s counterculture provides me with rational ideas for such useful action focus now. So in giving  consideration to such a purposeful  mindset, I present a few of those relevant SF museum images in the photo series below.

Source Material:

https://www.sfmoma.org/

What’s your current state of mind about your country?

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” (Abraham Lincoln)

I’ve been reading about the planned military parade in Washington D.C. happening on our current President’s birthday for several months with alternating reactions of anger and apprehension happening to me daily.  So it seemed right to join my wife Ruth as we exercised our constitutional right to protest on the morning of June 14 with two large signs  at the “No – Kings “ rally at Fort Lauderdale, Beach.

Leaving shortly after 7:30 am, we realized parking on this narrow beachfront area would be difficult to find. Making matters worse, I wondered why so many signs were conspicuously placed along this vicinity, warning people that off street parking lots were closed for special events happening on this day. An eerie tone also ensued as I noticed a heavy police presence already parked around the perimeter of the event in these now vacated lots. Fortunately, in arriving early, we were able to find safe refuge for parking for our vehicle at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. A short walk then led us to the rally meeting point at East Sunrise Blvd. and A1A along the ocean. 

We next claimed our seating spot along a sea wall and found this a convenient way to display our signs. With each passing minute, the crowd grew larger in waves in what seemed like an organized fashion. Bullhorns chanted for people to be beware of unauthorized places to congregate while water bottles seemed easy to find. One might also have interpreted the polite decorum of human interaction with singing, dancing, and chanting going on as suitably casual. Yet most protest signs I saw  as protesters passed by  displayed graphic calls for action to current issues and the obvious character flaws  of our current President. 

So what seemed missing from today’s rally? With a hodgepodge of country concerns clearly the focus of the rally today, it would have seemed right for some charismatic state and local government leaders be in attendance to fire up the crowd further. Perhaps music, art, or other displays demonstrating South Florida’s regional diversity would have also made this gathering more effective. As for me, I just did my duty today to support my democracy in these anxious times. I sincerely hope you will too. Enjoy the photos. 

How does your favorite place allow you  to  “let go” from usual routines when needed? 

“This is how memories are made… by “going with the flow.” (Amanda Bynes)

One important goal I’ve strived to attain recently in my roadtrip travels relates to being open to new experiences of an intuitive nature in the face of uncertainty at the time. This insight can be be best described as “going with the flow”. To illustrate this quality, consider the following examples that demonstrate how I react with “flow” actions intended in an “uplifting” manner.  

So to begin, consider those erratic flight paths of shore birds I have seen moving swiftly inland at several Pacific Ocean beaches. For I’ve sensed this action as a legitimate warning that a severe tidal surge or other extreme weather event might be coming ashore that day. Or consider why I’ve randomly veered off a marked  foot path sometimes during a nature hike. In one such chance occasion, I happened to discover a strand of giant  redwood trees to photograph with high energy along a “protected” Marin County coastline. Ponder as well those annoying traffic delays I’d often experienced on congested California freeways. For such slowdowns provided an opportunity to aimlessly gaze at colorful shrubs and flowering blooms in the near distance as a way to stay calm.       

I can also report that in lieu of sunbathing idly at several state park visits along the famed “Pacific Coast Highway, I liked to move along the sand to pick up unusual stones or seashells.  Such collections inspired creative thoughts about how to apply color, shape, and physical texture in my writing efforts. I’d also found such flow experiences as a desirable way to foster meaningful face to face conversations with others. In one such instance, I observed that as I joined with strangers sitting around enjoying the fresh air and green grass of an A’s or Dodger game, a neighborly feeling of togetherness toward greater cultural understanding would take place that day.

So in the photo set below taken on our most recent road trip, I showcase some uplifting images of California nature scenery that have helped me attain “flow.”  Perhaps these positive images will provide some much needed visual relief for you from current media strewn images of broken glass, profane graffiti, and angry street confrontations happening in association with mass protests going on in various cities around the country right now.

What’s the most difficult travel experience you’ve ever encountered?

“The desert! You must see it and feel it…in all its horrors. But heaven save you from the experience.” (Eleazar Stillman Ingalls, 1850) 

As an American history lover, I’ve often strived to follow those rugged “Trail Blazers” who traversed the vast emptiness of the American West in the mid 19th century. Fortunately many of these routes they took were built conveniently parallel to Interstate Highways. For that reason, I believe our road trips have made more convenient study of these events possible. So depending upon where I’m at during these lengthy adventures, I’m taking note of weather conditions, natural barriers, or endurance challenges that these intrepid pioneers experienced at the time. 

However, our most recent journey to and from California this past April brought to light other important perspectives about such “Far West” travel. The key event in this regard happened with our short stopover at the California Trail Interpretative Center located along I-80 in western Nevada. For example, I considered that we would be allotting from this distant location a manageable six days by car to go cross country back to our next destination in Ohio. Yet I learned that those wagon trains in pioneer days traveling from eastern states would have been slowly traveling west to this distance for months at a time. While our route would in addition provide a safe crossing  of the “High Sierras”at the famed Truckee Pass, I furthermore noted that confusion would likely have set in amongst those  early westbound travelers as they wondered how and where to proceed to their “promised land” in California over these formidable mountain barriers. Stopping occasionally in this vicinity inauspiciously known as the “Forty Mile Desert”, I’d also realized certain advantages of this museum oasis and other small settlements along the way. For each of them were pleasantly filled with amenities I needed such as a well shaded parking lot, clean restrooms, suitable map offerings, and some human conversational contact. Yet for those determined 19th century settlers who’d made it this far toward their so called “promised land, I got a firsthand look at several scenes from their daily life in this arid desert environs. For unfortunate circumstances now set in for the remaining portion of their journey as their thoughts increasingly turned to unsettling dreads of disease, famine, social isolation, and fears of Indian invasion.

So history does transcend time and place for me in my westbound U.S. travels. For in discovering where and when to visit, I never lose sight in my own time  of those struggles for freedom that have gone on before during these long western ordeals. Enjoy the photos. 

How do you view your country’s passport privilege?

“Blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures.”  (Lovelle Drachman)

My American passport running valid from 2021 – 2031 resonates for me as not only legitimate proof of my identity but also confirms my birthright freedom to travel. For clarity, my passport booklet boldly states on the opposite side of my photo ID  page after the words “We The People”…..secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves” in reference to the  exalted preamble section of  The U.S. Constitution. In leafing further through he document, I notice historic  quotes from individuals lauding the American spirit of how liberty should reign in our country. Notice a couple of these inscriptions below.

“The cause of freedom is no the cause of a race, sect, a party, or a class. It is the cause of humankind  the very  birthright of humanity. “ (Anna Julia Cooper)

“The principle of free government adheres to the American soil.” It is embedded in, immovable, as mountains.” (Daniel Webster)

So, I wonder about the urgency to make best use of the passport as freedom of speech, press, and assembly and other legalized rights Americans enjoy seem confusingly under attack in this country now?  Simply put, I fear out of the ordinary custom checks that might require legal reference to this document that international travelers must hold in their hands. What happens if one makes the wrong impression with an overzealous  border guard? What right would an agent have to forcibly search the contents of traveler emails or social media postings?  Could such an official detain a passenger without need to tell them the charges? So hold on to that passport. It might be the best  protection you own against any such abuses happening. 

I  can make no guarantee that now’s the right time to undertake overseas adventure. But Ruth and I have decided to once again exercise our time tested  freedom to travel abroad by booking a ten day Rhine River cruise in November. In doing so, both of us look forward to adding several more official stamps to our extensive passport collection without unnecessary delay.  For as you can tell in the photo collection below, we’ve obtained plenty of practice worldwide in obtaining passport clearance in the past when needed. 

Source Links:

https://blog.library.in.gov/a-not-so-brief-history-of-the-united-states-passport/

https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/law/passports-united-states

What unexpected images have crossed your mind recently in travel? 

So much of life, it seems to me, is determined by pure randomness.” (Sidney Poitier) 

Sightseeing along the vast land expanses of West Texas typically can be a real challenge for me to deal with. For my concentration often lapses into mindless “autopilot” mode then as I pass by predictably flat and empty prairie along the way. So during a recent road trip route taken along State Road 287 through the state’s northwest corridor from Denton to Amarillo, I found a way to “shake up” being affected by such monotonous boredom during this three hundred mile drive. Very simply, I added the element of wishful chance to my observations. This plan involved stopping at local rest stops and just randomly looking around for “eye catching” artifacts displayed along surrounding grounds and visited interiors. At two particular oases, my mindful inspections thus unexpectedly “brought to light” several  topics of interest that seemed to market well with a “true Texan” state of mind.

Take a look then at this collection of fourteen stimulating images in the photo set below. Do any of them surprise you about what you think living in Texas is like? Do these opinions add to or detract from your interest in the Texas travel experience?  Please feel free to share. 

What sights/sounds of spring season most excite you?

“Spring adds new life and new joy to all that is.” (Jessica Harrelson)

During the last week of our  road trip going eastward, we’d decided to change our intended route back to Florida.So heading further eastward with great interest, I observed a diverse natural landscape of hillside valleys covered with dense forest cover along Interstate 80 straddling Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountain region. Stopping over in the tiny town of White Haven as a suitable lodging base to see an upcoming local concert nearby, we’d fortuitously chosen a site  to feel the full brunt of spectacular springtime conditions in the Pocono Mountains. Knowing very little beforehand about where to go during our two night stay, we opted for a morning visit to Hickory Run State Park. 

At the visitor center, I then studied up some to learn that this now government “ protected” habitat of over 15,000 acres had been once ravaged over centuries by massive wildfire spread and devastating flood conditions. It’s quite striking as well to know that more recently a period of forest logging destruction centered upon a local tannery nearly wiped out the existing Hickory tree population in this region and caused waste filled pollution whereby local rivers reportedly “ran black.” It thus made good sense to me why I’d walked along the park’s main hiking path aptly named the “Shades of Death Trail.” For this label served for me as a reminder of the heavy price paid to keep this beautiful landscape intact.

On a larger scale,  I thus reach out to my global minded readers to cherish those glimpses of springtime blooms and again free flowing rivers and streams with warmer weather happening locally or in travel as a suitable reminder of how fragile our “Mother Earth”  remains for us to enjoy as we wish. Enjoy the Pocono photos and and attached short video link below.

https://youtube.com/shorts/lHtxDIvGghU?si=aYldC6KS7k0iGMjK

How do your friends best spread messages of love?

“Love is shown more in deeds than in words.” (St. Ignatius)

Ruth and I look forward to renewing three close friendships in California at least once a year as part of our cross country road trip regimen in the United States. In doing so we typically cover most of the state’s Pacific coast region along the State Highway 101 corridor with several  preplanned stopovers along the way. To clarify further, our itineraries run south to north beginning with a three day stay with our old, Florida neighborhood friends, Tommy and Jenny, in the hills of Thousand Oaks. We’re always treated like royalty by them in their spacious house and enjoy elaborate homemade meals along with their total respect for our need for privacy each day. They also share with us their dog pet dog “Archie”, who roams around the living room and outdoor patio to play with us throughout the day.  Moving north several hundred miles up the coast to the busy Pacific Heights region of downtown San Francisco, we next enjoy leisurely  visits with our urban sophisticate buddy, Dan, who likes to inform us about interesting articles concerning current issues of the day. Dan also offers his services as a tour guide around his community as we accompany him along the city streets each visit to window shop for a couple of hours. 

Moving on to the more “laidback”atmosphere of the Santa Cruz vicinity, seventy five miles southwest of San Francisco, our interests in music, travel, spirituality and sports bring us together annually with a longtime companion couple, Bobbi and John each year. Over the years, this popular tourist region has become increasingly more difficult to visit with heavily congested highways, exorbitant lodging  prices, and difficult mountainous  

terrain to cross. But Bobbi makes it very easy for us to settle down quietly for a few days there by offering us free stay in her guest bungalow in the back of her primary residence. While the house location and structural features are nothing special, there’s a magical landscaping/artistic touch she’s created there which provides a genuine atmosphere of inner peace/loving care whenever we choose  to stay there. Meanwhile, John her friend lives conveniently in his townhouse a mile way from Bobbi with other common interests in mind. On a given day, he might thus share with us interesting facts about his extensive record collection in the rock n’ roll era, review road conditions along our intended roadtrip route or offer us his couch to watch popular professional teams – Giants, A’s, Sharks, and Warriors on his big screen television .   

So I’m making a reasonable prediction then that such mutual affection existing with our highly regarded friends in California will inspire us to slow down some from “bopping” around the country so much in the future. Instead we’ll likely focus on much longer stays in both of these familiar coastal vicinities. Thus it seems appropriate to end here by recognizing some tokens of loving care received by our California friends in the following photo set, courtesy of Bobbi’s homemade artistic talents.

How might the idea of living in the woods interest you or not? 

“Our life is frittered away by detail. “Simplify, simplify!” (Henry David Thoreau)

The timing seemed to be right to fantasize a new lifestyle for me as I had just finished Henry David Thoreau’s mid 19th century novel,”Walden” describing his simple cabin life along the shore of a New England pond. Thus his two years  of quiet seclusion  came to mind during our early May road trip excursion at Muir Woods National Monument. For as I walked leisurely along  the giant Redwood tree forest along the coastal ridge  north of San Francisco Bay, my imagination ran wild then plotting ideas about how I might similarly live like Thoreau once did at Walden in such a special place. 

In this regard, I recognized how Redwoods evolved over thousands of years to thrive in this harsh mountainous landscape. For such enhanced sensations of Redwood survival on this mist shrowded day seemed to offer timely questions about how I might best co-exist with such thick forest species  in these largely isolated conditions. Most importantly, how might conditions of light, elevation, and water source  influence where my cabin location would be ? Moreover, what tools would I need handy to climb tall tree limbs, chop solid wood, make a sturdy walking stick or convey heavy logs to survive? Or of what practical value  would a decaying tree trunk, open root cavity, or nearby ground plant cover help me with regard to stockpiling nearby food and other needed indoor supplies? 

With my daily needs of staying warm, safe, and healthy reasonably met, I would then turn my attention to how I might I best combat aloneness in these secluded conditions. Might a particular redwood specimen become a human like  friend to just talk to? Could such an inner conversation inspire an urge for nature drawing and poetry writing?  Or how might self satisfaction be attained by taking time to gather nearby seeds and nurture my own nature garden? What wildlife could I most easily catch sight of along a tree to satisfy my photographic curiosity as well ? With loneliness escalating at times, I might furthermore feel the need to plot a path through the Redwoods and just take a slow walk into town now and then.     

Thus in Redwood land, I’d found a refreshing escape from my oftentimes “autopilot” urban routine to instead energize  myself moment by moment  amid life’s natural beauty  that day.  Check out the following website to evaluate if you desire to be such a Walden person. 

Blog Source:

https://www.wikihow.com/Live-in-the-Woods