When Did It Become Okay?

October 11, 2015October 11, 2015 / Penny L Howe / 10 Comments

When did it become okay to eat chemically processed food? Food that we know, for a fact is chemically processed, but oh so amazingly convenient – a part of our modern addictive lifestyle and easily available with very little effort on our part.

What is food today in Consumer Land (you know – right here, right now)?

Food (a loose interpretation): Items bought packaged for longer shelf life in megastores and minimarts. Food bought at fast food locations. Food grown and sprayed with poisonous pesticides and processed using artificial methods and mutiple chemical additives for flavor enhancements and longevity.

When did it become okay to make money off of treating and healing sick people? Or worse, not seeing them at all if they haven’t got the right insurance.

When did it become okay to not be able to afford to take your animal to the vet? When did it become okay to buy products (almost everything) with built-in, short term obsolescence … guaranteeing you’ll buy the “new & improved” version?

Not only are too few of us not thinking about cause and effect, even more of us are not seeing beyond our nose, or should I say the view screen of our smartphones, tablets, computers, television, and so on. Not my opinion, just absolutely true facts!

“It saddens me when, as a race, we humans have been given so many advantages and yet our worst emotions still rule us.”~ Plh

Greed (now called profit margins & for us lesser folks, the constant seeking for a “better quality of life”)
Laziness (now called convenience)
Sloth (now called comfort)
Hatred (against anything and everything you don’t like or fear)

And so we’re left with our own personal rationales for why we do what we do, as we each (more or less) contribute to our downfall.

Wake up! Open your minds, your heart and your awareness. We can bring about dramatic improvements, if we want to, or continue to be harbingers of our eventual failure as a human race.

As always – our own individual choice to make.

Penny L Howe

When Elephants Cry

September 5, 2015September 5, 2015 / Penny L Howe / 24 Comments

Did you know that elephants cry?

They do. And even though many scientists attempt to scientifically explain away these reoccurring elephant tears towards a non emotional based rationale, most people do recognize the truth.

Elephants are intelligent, caring and loving mammals. Period!

Which leads me to wonder if they know of their own plight towards extinction. Don’t be too quick to discount the wisdom in nature.

I believe, at some level of awareness they do know, as do other damaged and endangered species.

My hope and dream is that we can do more to stop and overcome the cruelty and killing of not only our own kind but all life on this, our awesome planet.

“When the heart is filled with love embracing life, there is still room for caring and sharing … always.” ~ Plh

♡

Thank you,
~ Penny

Drops of Pure Water

January 4, 2015 / Penny L Howe / 17 Comments

Drops of pure water

to succor and secure life

plus many drops more

A few words, a haiku, to illustrate the importance of pure clear water in our lives. I humbly suggest “we” make reasonable changes in our personal lives to help insure the well being of a fresh water supply for our future. Something we can take a positive hand in, beginning in our home and work place.

Thank you,

~ Penny

The Tears of our Life and the Strength of our Convictions!

September 29, 2014September 29, 2014 / Penny L Howe / 13 Comments

“Humanity will owe its survival in the future – as in the past – to those with the strength of their convictions who carry on through the compassion of their tears … despite the burden of their fears.”

Penny L Howe, 2014

Which reminds me ladies (of the U.S.A.) you will be voting in your state elections this year, right? Most important for you to do so … MOST!

The Abyss of Autonomy

September 15, 2014 / Penny L Howe / 10 Comments

Are you your own person? Congratulations but I caution you to remember the following:

A necessary component of independence will always be the ability to recognize not only one’s right to freedom, but also the acknowledgement (at the same time) of one’s own short-comings; to know that within your sphere of self- determination there also exists a need for others.

An abyss, exists as a deep and bottomless pit and if you were to find yourself within a physical chasm of this kind, there would be no way to remove yourself without the aid from others – and so it is in life. No matter how free, independent and “on our own” you wish to be, you cannot succeed without support.

Autonomy or free will of self, serves no useful function unless it is partnered with the shared need and responsibility of and for others.

Life shared is life well lived. No man or woman is an island, nor should they be. Our need for one another has never been greater than it is today.

Let us build no further gulfs between each other, instead, close the existing gaps. Let us cultivate and grow within (and in spite of) our differences. There can be no autonomous abyss where free thought is coupled with the partnership of love and understanding among all.

Have an excellent week, with great affection,

~ Penny

Addendum to famous Quotes … That which does not kill us …

July 17, 2014 / Penny L Howe / 32 Comments

“That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.”

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)

While Nietzche’s words are true, I just felt he left a little something out so …

Addendum to his quote: “However it is also certain we will

get chewed up, quite a bit, during the process of survival

… stay away from the teeth!”

PL Howe, 2014

Everyone be careful, but have a great weekend. Remember to have some fun!

Witih affection,

~ Penny

The Why of “Fracking”! A Poem of Nature

July 10, 2014 / Penny L Howe / 24 Comments

Photo Credit: Andrieski/AP

Meanings of the word Fracking

1) A creative word signifying a strong emotion (originally from dialogue on the TV series Battlestar Galactica) used or spoken to replace a profane word that we can all figure out.

2) The process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc., so as to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas. It is obvious that Big Business would rather rape our lands to get that extra dollar instead of investing in alternative, safe and healthy energy forms.

The Tracking of Fricking “Fracking”

The land on which I dwell is supple rich and pure

… which makes it prime for rape.

The land on which we depend, needs be supple, rich, and pure

… and yet they take and take.

The Land on which we dwell, suffers from misuse.

… Will misusers not awake.

The Land on which we dwell cannot exist for long

Earthquakes

Polution

Drought

Please Stop … for all our sakes!

$fracking$

For more up to date information click here! And here!

~Penny

Why there are rude, nasty people out there today!

June 25, 2014 / Penny L Howe / 33 Comments

It’s because they have forgotten author Robert Fulghum’s wise words regarding what many of us learned as kids.

“These are the things I learned (in Kindergarten):

1. Share everything.
2. Play fair.
3. Don’t hit people.
4. Put things back where you found them.
5. CLEAN UP YOUR OWN MESS.
6. Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
7. Say you’re SORRY when you HURT somebody.
8. Wash your hands before you eat.
9. Flush.
10. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
11. Live a balanced life – learn some and drink some and draw some and paint some and sing and dance and play and work everyday some.
12. Take a nap every afternoon.
13. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
14. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Stryrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
15. Goldfish and hamster and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die. So do we.
16. And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned – the biggest word of all – LOOK.”
― Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

I think we’ve got the “Looking” part down pat, but most of the other rules, the ones related to good behavior seem, for many, to have gotten lost. And it feels like the more we stress “social correctness”, the more we see the breakdown of basic, good, everyday manners. Our politicians and other “people in the news” are certainly among some of the worst. But we’re (the private individual) not far behind them. Just go online for any subject, in any social media to find the very worst of how humans can be.

Don’t get me wrong, the very best is out there too, but there are those days when it seems we have to wade through the negative to get to the positive. Come on guys, knock it off. We’re better than that.

When we’re out there making a positive difference and helping others we illuminate the best of who we can be. And sadly there’s not an “app. for that”, so it’s up to us. Let’s be more focused on what’s right and less on what’s wrong.

And let’s be polite and show respect (this includes politicians of all parties). We’re getting darn tired of our politicians behavior, and I believe I speak for most Americans, even though we may individually disagree on a given issue, we all expect better of those we’ve elected to represent us in our government.

So that’s all – just so very weary of negativity. Hopeful for lots more positiveness, which is when things really do happen – for the better.

Have a positive “rest of your week”,

~ Penny

It’s a jungle out there! Are you surviving?

May 9, 2014May 9, 2014 / Penny L Howe / 19 Comments

It really is a jungle out there … in the real world of today.

So, how’s it going?

Surviving seems to be happening more than thriving. But you can do it. We humans are at our very best when it comes to adversity. It does bring out what is fine and noble in each of us. It’s when we care even more about our neighbors and friends. Both those near and those far away.

And thriving seems to happen when you reach out and make a difference for others. Your problems won’t appear quite so bad if you’re helping someone else and I’ve noticed that when we help others, many times those blessings rebound right back to us!

Kind of a “Karma of the Universe” sort of thing. Even if you’re in the midst of your own jungle. You can do it! I know you can. I believe in you!

Have a good weekend, sending lots of positive energy to all those in need! And always take care of you, so you’re there to make that difference for others.

~ Penny

The Strength of A Woman!

April 8, 2014April 9, 2014 / Penny L Howe / 14 Comments

Tears of Compassion

Tears do not make one weak. The salty liquid flows freely into the wounds of our trials, increasing resolve and determination to make things better – equal – balanced.

When looking at one of the symbols for justice, you will see it’s represented by a blindfolded female holding the balance scale. I’ve always found that intriguing and representative of how a woman’s role has historically been viewed – still is.

It is increasingly obvious that it is not the woman who is blinded by what she is or isn’t, but rather she is blindfolded by those who see her as – less than.

Personal strength is not about being more physically capable (although all bullies consider it so), strength is also about character, determination, our individual willingness and ability to care. To balance all of our human attributes with greater awareness and understanding and always with compassion. When a woman cries she demonstrates this – crying is not weakness. I repeat – not a weakness.

The sad truth is, too often, weakness of character manifests into physical brutality by an otherwise weak individual – to get their way. Winning by being mean, physically/verbally abusive and in the extreme, killing other people (even in the name of war) is often the easy way out. War achieves first and foremost – death and misery. Power, and the misguided belief “might makes right” has been in existence since the beginning of our caveman days, and continues on today in many areas of society, government, and big business.

A woman’s compassion is one of humanity’s greatest survival strengths. A man’s physical strength poses for him some of his greatest’s blind-spots and handicaps. Most women want to protect all life, inherently a part of their nurturing nature, and a large part of their strength.

Those who view women as “lesser than” also tend to consider life as just another commodity to be used – as needs be. Again history bears this out. So does the repeated raping and brutality of women, children and the planet itself that we ALL live on.

Universally recognizing the female’s important and ‘completely equal’ half in the “human equation of life”, along with her amazing and natural strengths, can only assist mankind in truly becoming more balanced – it’s time for the blindfold to be gone.