thoughts of the lifeboat. An open letter to Larry Shook

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Millennium Salons : One Thread

Larry, Thanks for your kind words and support in all this. However, I must ask you to please not use the "H" word when you are sharing my work here on Kauai. As well as being a let down when and if people ever do meet me, (sarcastic self deprication :>) I am really just an average guy using above average resources such as your book, a good vocabulary, a supportive family who has allowed me to check out of the family business for awhile, and the mentorship of wiser individuals like you and your mileiu, Millenium salon, Cynthia, Bill, Tom, etc. Thanks though. Quite a few people perhaps misconstrued my questions. The fact is, as you said, we already have the answers, I just wanted to stir the pot. There is only ONE lifeboat on this planet. No need to say more on that. I guess like a hunter with a bird dog, I was hoping to flush out some real and honest thoughts. There is a truth to the concerns I voiced, but the reality in all of this always comes back to the micro reflecting the macro. Wether we are thinking of being selfish as an individual, a family, a neighborhood, a community or a government, the end result always cycles back to the same reality. When ever an individual or group entity chooses a selfish survivalistic perspective, a chain reaction is set in place and those around us who are not working hard to remain conscious, will react in kind. This in turn creates a shock wave of fear the reverbrates throughout local space, absorbing more beings in survival mentality and thus gaining more gravity, and momentum, which in turn increases it's area, which engulfs more beings and kablam! You have the human equivelant of nulear fission. A Cascade failure of consciousness. You know this, but I am just thinking out loud. The challange is to gently introduce peole to the concept of being awake. I have a whole island of people here who are escape artists in that most of those who where not born here, are running away from something. To most of the island, I am just a crazy idealist, and a "haole" to boot. The local population has a deep and inherent mistrust of the "haoles" as caucasions are called in Hawaii. Not entirely unjustified. It's origins mean "the peole who are without breath when speaking to God". I really feel a resonance with that meaning. Most of the Hawaiians do not even know the origins of the word any more. When humans get excited and focus on fear, the breathin does become shallow, and we are suddenly not filling our being with life force. On some level, this sets of a fear of lack...of oxygen if nothing else, and the chain reaction begins.

As far as raising awareness of the bigger issues that loom largely barely hidden by the shadow of the great God of motivation (Y2K)...If it can be done here, it can truly be done everywhere. I met with a new subgroup of the CSRC and got orders for fourty five books. Those books just keep opening doors. I want the county to buy a copy for every family. I would like to propose a "Workbook". With actual excercises for participants. As a retailer, I guess I am always excited when I have something to sell I believe in. As an idealist, it is even better when I can direct them to wholesale prices. My goal is a thousand of your books on Kauai. I think I am at 10 percent and only just begining. I am going to have Borders books and music order 10 or 20 in the next few days. Should they go through you or is there a different protocal with corporate accounts?

I really appreciate that you understand how I am approaching this whole thing in my humble attempt at writing. I am clear that I am not a great writer, so I have to make up for that shortcoming by being as honest as possible. If I can just tell the truth, people will overlook my terrible spelling! (not to mention horrid grammer):>

If you are over booked please don't worry. No need to respond either. Just appreciation and a few thoughts in passing. Aloha.

Aloha,

K.

-- Karlos deTreaux (y2k@aloha.net), November 13, 1998


Moderation questions? read the FAQ