33Nicolas's blog

But where do the Children play?

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Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic spread, politician responses, experts and doctors often left behind, companies are asking for help.

70% of employment comes from small business owners in the US. 80% of the GDP -- that other almighty faceless God -- comes from small to mid-size businesses.

And this song has echoed in my for days:

https://youtu.be/F_vy-eWGKSk

Indeed, where do the children play?

 

"Where Do The Children Play"
 

Well I think it's fine, building Jumbo planes
Or taking a ride on a cosmic train
Switch on summer from a slot machine
Get what you want to if you want, 'cause you can get anything

I know we've come a long way
We're changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?

Well you roll on roads over fresh green grass
For your lorry loads pumping petrol gas
And you make them long, and you make them tough
But they just go on and on, and it seems you can't get off

Oh, I know we've come a long way
We're changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?

Well you've cracked the sky, scrapers fill the air
Will you keep on building higher
'Til there's no more room up there?
Will you make us laugh, will you make us cry?
Will you tell us when to live, will you tell us when to die?

I know we've come a long way
We're changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?

Rest, Dig, And Shed Before Being Back!

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Or it would seem that much is being asked of us. The little virus that could is sending the business world in a tizzy while folks are asked to stay at home. Stay at home, but do what?

We're asked to stay away from work or telecommute. Many are losing their jobs, others hanging on in uncertainty or bissfully unaware. We're asked to take a step back. Sometimes I feel I've been waiting for this moment all my life. I feel I was born to see this gigantic turning moment in humanity. We're asked to take the time to change, to make real profound changes. The rest is up to us.

This chance for a change is a spark. But it's up to us to use it to light a sea of changes. For my part, I'm withdrawing in. It's not without discomfort. Decades of repression, childhood scars, and running around chasing every challenge has left me... tired. I'm burned out from writing covering the world of electric mobility. As much as the initial shock of losing one of my spots in one of the most prominent online outlets, it's led to a sense of deep inner peace at times. I also feel guilt. While my wife goes to work, I'm shutting down for repair, upgrades, digging in the old, and resting.

After the storm, the sun shines. It usually does. But there is danger. There is a real chance we will miss the gigantic opportunity to change the course of our destiny. There is a chance we might get back to work and feed the faceless master, eager for more money, more resources, more power. It's up to us not to give it away again. It's up to us to not disempower ourselves again. Enough voting left and right. There is a real chance for us to say stop, enough.

The Magic This Little Virus Can Do For A Community

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It was about 5 pm. I was walking back my friends' dogs. I heard clapping. Strange, clapping now? Here, in these odd times riddled with fear and uncertainties?

Then I saw a house with children and an adult playing classical music. It was soothing the overhanging fears. The neighborhood gathered but kept its distance. positive emotions were pouring. I was moved to tears. How amazing Americans are in times of crisis. How united they are when not listening to divisive politics or religions.

This 8th-grade orchestra teacher had his children play classical music for us, on their porch. It was surreal. It was a reminder that no matter what, that unquenchable human spirit is indomitable.

As long as we focus on those moments and let the best of our nature come out, what nefarious agenda can trap us?

https://twitter.com/i/status/1244838894517882880

Limpid, Splendid Quietness

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It's truly unreal. This little virus did what no government could nor military or even great economic powers. It has brought the world back to a standstill, long enough to catch our breaths and recalibrate our lives. What shall we do? What shall we do?

Cars are not speeding anymore on our street. The skies are nicely quiet. There are no jet trails anymore. Just limpid splendid quietness. The occasional one to two-propeller aircraft buzzes. That's it. The once a day rare occasion jetliner roars above, maybe once. That's it. 747s are retired after 50 years of gracing the skies. It's sad for me. I first started flying in them since the mid-70s. 707 and DC8 have long gone but the 747 is something else. It's the one easily recognizable for almost anyone. It's the Queen of the Skies, never eclipsed by the A380. And it's now gone, turning a passage on our aviation history.

And with that, I'm happy. The serenity that is palpable in the street in undeniable. People are mellow. They're nice to talk to. They engage, from far but the engage nonetheless.

Will it last?

I hope so. It's really up to us to say: "Stop. Enough is enough. Non-serviam. I will not be your slave. I will not worship the faceless economy God anymore." It's really up to us to say once and for all, enough is now enough. I am my own person and acknowledge my healthy needs above all. If not, how else can I give the best of myself?

Embracing that All Pervasive Non-Dual Reality

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Dzogchen says it, so does the great Tao, as do countless of old religions and philosophies. So why are we still so rooted in duality and seeing everything through the lenses of duality?

I just read one of my EnneaThought daily emails for my type (7) as of March 27th:

"The Holy Ideas are universal perceptions of non-dual reality that are transformative no matter what our type. When we know the Holy Truth all sense of separateness, alienation, fear, and desire ends. We feel our unity with the One and realize that it has never been otherwise. (Understanding the Enneagram, 59)"

When it comes to it, deep down inside, we see and feel everything is connected. Never has this been more obvious than with the pandemic spread of the Covid-19 virus. It slowly started in one country, spread to neighboring countries and took to the world in a month.

In a year of low-brow elections where the choice seems to sadly gravitate -- yet again -- to a right versus left, Democrats versus Republicans. Isn't it time to stand back to see the bigger picture? IT would be nice to say no thank you. You, political parties, haven't done anything in decades but divvy up power among yourselves. It's time to let the adults back in the room.

When Do You Know It's Over?

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For the past 13 years, I've been doing something I'm no longer sure I enjoy. Actually, I dread it.

I used to love being a journalist. I even fancied myself as a writer. Writers depend on editors, all do. Good writers have good editors. At heart, I'm a communicator. Like most enthusiastic communicators I like writing, but conveying news is something professionals get trained for. After well over a decade of traveling the world, speaking with the brightest shakers and movers, I dread writing another story, interviewing another person, shooting another video, and God forbid, doing a podcast.

I've received the boot last week. It was embarrassing, humiliating, ego-bruising and crushing. But why didn't I pay more attention to this creeping feeling? It was only getting worse. Finally, a high-quality magazine asked me to write. The dream writing job. Good pay, illustrious, no comments, the dream. But I fear. I fret at night. Will I fail again? Where's the passion anyway?

Trinity Esoteric asks today: "...is this time serving the purpose of showing you how out of balance your life has become? Do you give and receive love?" It follows up with: "Are your connections based in the heart or out of obligation or habit?" Yikes, mine aren't, at least, not most of the professional ones.

It continues with: "Do you trust and have faith?" No, not really anymore. If I quiet enough, I hear the inner Master.

"Do you really walk your talk?" Not sure I do... anymore. 

"Do you lead through your own truth and energetics?" I'm not sure where to begin when all I want to do is stop and sleep, catch my breath, and take it easy until something comes up again.

Reaching Out and Reaching Within

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Tuning in to the holy inner sanctuary and keeping mindful of the Universe, that's the challenge we are being asked to face. And to face it is not as difficult as the idea we make of it.

One think I notice is how we all flock outside since the Covid-19 social distancing and stay at work movement. While politicians fret and billionaires see their fortunes dwindle -- coincidentally asking us to get back to work sooner than later, this period is offering an amazing gift. What is the real master? The one who asks you to go to work for the sake of this thing called the economy or that which is within all of us, never failing?

Have you noticed how as soon as we were told to stay at home, most people went out? While I rejoice seeing others engage in ways they've never done before, the social distancing should be taken as a wonderful opportunity to tune in to the inside as well. While our first reaction is to go out and reach out, we also need to take the time to reach within.

Of course, easier said than done. But this social media picture made me laugh yesterday.

Seriously, let's not mess this one up.

The calm before the tsunami storm

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I hate sensationalism but a modicum of common sense would have us be more careful.

I'm lucky enough to have traveled to China until this year. In fact, I was there between Christmas and New Year's Eve as the Coronavirus, now rebaptized Covid-19 hit the country. I was born in Europe and still read the news there. I'm a journalist. I keep in touch with my Chinese contacts and friends, as I do with my European counterparts. We saw the tsunami wave start in China, hit Europea and now witness the nonchalant ways we're treating it in the US.

It all started in Wuhan, a Chinese province well known for its genetic research institutions. While the Chinese government downplayed the risk at first, it quickly reacted thereafter. Today, two months later, the situation is under control. It then hit Europe. The south was hit hard. Italy today has closed its borders. It has a high aging population and hit the hardest. Unless you watch International news, you won't know that its army trucks are used to pick up coffins to be burned elsewhere. Hospitals don't have enough room for everyone. Push comes to shove, younger folks are treated first and elders after, if at all.

France is in the middle of a typical king of the hill battle where a southern hospital has had good results with hydroxychloroquine for about two months or more. Paris won't have any of it until it has been thoroughly tested withing its own hospital. Such is the way of politics. The problem is that drug has been found to be effective and as doctors are saying, what is there to lose, people are dying. Recently, the minister of agriculture has called on the French to go to work in the fields and feed them, supposing politicians? Oh, my how wide is the disconnect?

Discovering quality of life

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There was something in the air today again, no pun intended. It was more about something was missing in the air. It took me a little while to realize the absence of air traffic noise.

The last time I heard that lack of noise was living in New York City after 9/11. The time before that was when I was a kid roaming the hills of my native south of France. There weren't a lot of airplanes above our heads then. Life simply was. There was a Universe of things to do outside.

I'm seeing something amazing happening in our Southern Californian city. People are talking to one another. People are sitting outside in parks with babies. People are engaging with one another. I've met people I had only seen before but never spoken. Yes, people are worried. Many are losing their jobs, others learning to work from home. But overall, people are communicating, talking to one another. Boy, people sound like fun again!

Our mayor is astonished that people are not staying at home. I'm stunned he's stunned. Why would they? After spending all their time chasing money, running around, they have downtime. Why would they stay at home? They're going out and seeing others doing the same. They are getting acquainted with quality of life.

But, yes, people shouldn't congregate on the busy beach path and playing sports in close contact outside. I see parties braving the imposed "social distancing". Staying a few feet away from one another means squelching the pandemic spread of the virus. That puts all of us at risk.

Are we having a taste of what quality of life is? Could it have been something as devastating as a fast-spreading virus to do that?

Either way, some are electing to risk lives, others stay at home and some are careful. Isn't that life, a gigantic quantum kaleidoscope?

Good news is trickling in

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Despite the dismal mainstream news, some Covid-19 news is positive, but you have to hunt it down.

I'm lucky to read European news, as well as the US and Asia. My Chinese friends keep me up to date on what is happening in the country. In fact, at the moment, they worry that we are too individualistic and don't follow the rules. Case in point, Italy, and France had to toughen their stay-at-home orders in order to curb the pandemic spread of the Coronavirus.

I read that young folks in the old part of Nice, France are asking older folks if they can help with groceries. Being particularly prone to the virus, elders are staying home and avoid going out.

As I walk my friends' dogs, I see more people on the streets than ever before in southern California. What's strange or perhaps pleasing is that everyone talks. Of course, there is the occasional older person who stays clear from anyone walking in the street. Overall, this Covid-19 virus might actually deliver the long-awaited positive reactions. People are talking. People are going outside to exercise. At least, that's what I'm seeing.

It's important to keep spotting out the positive news. I just lost my biggest job. It didn't p[ay much, but it gave me a lot of publicity. I was stubborn. I kept at it even though I was burned out. It had been over a long time but I thought if I kept at it something good would happen. It was quite the other way around. Now, I'm looking for what I want to do next.

My, what interesting times we're living! And this being is ready for the next human race evolution stage.

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