The year 2008 has seen me spend more time investigating and studying local and global economics than all the previous 49 years put together! I am not particularly savvy when it comes to economics or global economies. However, I decided that the current situation required that I make the effort.

In light of the past years events, I have taken little actions such as having no debts; keeping a stock of dry goods and essential items (always a good idea when you live on an island in an earthquake zone); moving all (though very small amount) of my investments out of the stock market early in 2008 (thankfully just a month or two ahead of the losses); purchasing a bit of physical gold (though I am still considering green coffee beans and a good roaster as a reasonable investment); having a small amount of emergency cash on hand; planning for a larger food garden; and, actively working in my local and global community.

I am also still searching, pondering, and exploring.

Beyond mainstream news, two resources stand out as particularly worthy of sharing:


I would love to hear your thoughts and about the changes you are making in your own life as a result of your global economic awareness.

Terrill

In the summer of 2008, thirty Palestinian, Israeli, and Canadian teen-agers gathered in and around Vancouver, British Columbia to participate in an extraordinary dialogue and filmmaking experience. Based on the successful 2006 program, the youths lived and learned together for three weeks, discovered their personal strengths and created inspiring short films.

The Peace it together Society vision is to build a culture of creative leaders inspiring and educating others to work toward peace. It is unreasonable to expect youth to come to a peaceful resolution to a regional conflict if they are growing up in an environment of fear, anger, and alienation. Their programs are designed specifically to overcome these hurdles, while at the same time giving youth educational tools to disseminate to wider audiences, and facilitating their transition to community leaders. They are currently focusing on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

I found all of these short films frank and and inspiring. However, my favourite is Sweet Like Chocolate (about peace)...




Thanks Peter!

Terrill

Tarra the elephant and Bella the dog; best friends at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. With no human encouragement, Tarra adopted this stray dog on her own several years ago, and the two are now inseparable. Their inspiring, "odd couple" story was recently featured on CBS News and in "Bark" magazine. For more information about the Elephant Sanctuary, please visit http://www.elephants.com

Footnote: Since Bella and Tarra's recent television exposure, a lot of people have asked how the spinal injury happened. When Bella was found in a shallow ravine in the elephant habitat, unable to walk, she was rushed to the veterinary hospital. X-rays revealed that she had sustained a spinal injury. The absence of deep tissue damage and puncture wounds led the veterinarian to surmise that Bella's spinal injury was the result of an awkward twist, most likely sustained when she was running and jumping over something. The good news is that Bella has recovered from her injury.  (Source: The Elephant Sancturary)



more videos  http://www.youtube.com/elephantsanctuarytn

"In the early dawn, I slip off my sandals before entering the zendo and padding barefoot across the carpet to a matt and cushion. I bring only my blanket to the spot I’ll occupy for most of the next eight hours. I have left a lunch, water, work gloves and jacket by the door – leaving me free to be reminded that it is only a matt, not my matt, and it is only a space I occupy for the day not my space.

I sit. I bring my attention to my breath, to the room, to the windows with a view out to forest greens, browns and yellows. I have always liked yellow. It is the colour I am painting the south wall of my studio … it’ll be great to be able to have a place to paint … I observe my thoughts as they swim through the water of my imagination. Again and again I bring attention back to my breath. In and then out and then in again. Now is the only time to be present—everything else is either gone or not yet here.

The room is full of an eclectic group of meditators. Some live on the island, others have come by ferry from Victoria and Vancouver. Some have been meditating for years, some are new to Zen practice, and some are new to meditation altogether. Some sit in chairs, others on cushions on the floor, yet other on meditation benches. We are all welcome to a day of silent meditation that is structured into 25-minute segments.

Peter’s warmth, integrity, humour and practice leads us through the meditations of sitting; standing; walking; a tea service; a meal; a rest period; a period of outdoor work practice, and then, all too soon, we are invited to use our voice, ask questions, or share a discovery before returning again to the final silent meditation of the day. It is mid-afternoon as I leave to gather my things at the door, say good-bye to fellow mediators, and exit into the rest of the day with appreciation.

I breathe in, and out, and in again … remembering that some day I will breathe in and then only out. I smile a smile that comes from deep within and then seeps along the edges of my eyes before resting across my cheeks. I breathe in once more!"

 

Two silent meditation retreats have come and gone since I wrote these words. Now I have a zabuton placed in a space of its own. Now I must practice with purposeful intent... a little each day and then maybe a little more each day.

I will continue my daily living meditations. The ones where I sit on the concrete steps at the bottom of the hill and look over to where the Buddha statue is watchful. The ones where I wash the dishes. The ones where I sip my tea. All these meditations are part of what happens on the matt.

 

May we notice each moment of today.

 

Terrill:)