No...Yes...Maybe

With palms together,
Good Afternoon Everyone,


According to some, I was almost eaten by a camel yesterday at White Sands National Monument. Such reports are greatly exaggerated. In fact, the camel and I had an understanding. I rubbed his nose, he looked at me. We all want and need attention. Some of us when we've had enough, snort a bit, just to get the message out there. So too, camel. I think I like the camel's way. A clear, unequivocal snort. "Snush!!!" (I'm done, go away!) This is sort of like the kyosaku's smack.

The human way is to often be unclear and messy in our communications. Words like, "maybe", "if, "perhaps", "I'll try", used in the context of a plan between people yuk up the works. They allow for too much internal spin. Wiggle room. Its a fudge factor. So that when things don't go according to plan, or something better comes up, we can always say, "Well, I did say 'maybe'..." In so doing, we think this gets us off the hook and the other person should understand, and perhaps they should, but we are, after all, human, so we have clear limitations in that direction.

My practice is becoming, "Say yes when yes is meant; say no when no is meant; avoid maybe altogether."

This is, of course, not so easy to do. Lots of intervening variables...or so we think, but commitment is commitment, it is not a discipline of "maybe". The practice of learning to say "No" or "Yes" clearly and with definition is an excellent practice.

I'm working on it.

May we each be a blessing in the universe.