The Zen Of American Culture

It's tempting to try and keep up with all the recent developments on this blog, but that's not the point here. I'm not a news source, or a political pundit. I want to stream my thoughts out onto the Internet, but without diluting the primary theme. I am trying to find the underlying Zen ground of being within the stream, and to communicate that in a way that's very personal to me. Over time, I will have a diary I can reference, and trace back along the paths I've travelled. It's open to you because I have spent a lifetime in art and technology, and I have the background to realistically aspire to a level of creative input in these offerings.

There are Zen lessons to be learned from the recent scandals and resignations, and I will be remiss if I don't weave them into these pages in the weeks to come. But it's useful on occasion to pause and reflect, and remind ourselves of our tiny place in the world at large. On the occasion of Blogger's 8th birthday, I regret that I've taken so long to access this forum.

Over the last 5 years, I might have (carefully) written about the process of developing software for Microsoft Windows Vista, which defined my existence until February of this year. If you're using Windows Vista now, at least every few minutes you're using something I've had a hand in writing. I apologize. I have never been a particular genius at writing software, but I loved everything about it for a very long time. It already seems long ago now. Technology will come into play here at some point, but I was also an actor for twenty years. Some of my friends (unnamed) have become famous, though I've lost touch with them, and the creative approach of the actor still informs all aspects of my life. I have also practiced Zen meditation, with varying degrees of commitment, for thirty-five years.

I was told by multiple doctors in August 2006 that my condition might allow only three to five more years. So, I've stopped working, and rededicated myself to zazen with considerable zeal. As I also used my newfound time to look more closely at our troubled society, this blog has become important as an outlet, an organizer, and hopefully, a creative effort of sorts. It has the benefit of being relatively free from any desire for personal gain, other than a wish to create something worthwhile, and a desperate hope for peace.

There is word of increasing interest in investigations regarding corruption in Iraq. I'm hoping those trails will lead to further knowledge about the torture of Donald Vance. For the moment, that is the overriding Zen of our American culture. But the saga of Larry Craig has a lot to say about us as well. Sexuality is just one aspect of what can become perverse when we emphasize what has become the conservative perspective. If we want to be truly life-affirming, we must see the life-denying impulses for what they are.