This has been a busy week for me, and much that I wanted to write, I have not had time for. Much time went into finalizing PolSci.com Version X. It took a year to update it this time whereas before it was updated every few months. As stated in it, it was a very turbulent year which deposited me back where my journey began. Instead of a circle completed, it ended up more as a spiral. Whether the spiral leads up or down has yet to be determined and as with everything in regards to perspective views, that view depends on where you stand.

         Another delay was caused by the visit of the Dalai Lama to Maui. I could not pass up the chance to see him, especially here in what is for me a very special place in the world, my backyard, my home so to speak, a place for me like no other. Since I consider myself in part a Buddhist because that comprises a major tier of my belief system, I was honored to be able to see someone whom I respect give a speech on Buddhism and Buddhist principles.

      Eventually I will write the Dalai Lama post, but this is not it. It is too much to write now and full articles like that, that I consider important, take many hours to write and eat up entire days usually. I liked that he spoke of identity and time at the beginning of his speech though, and will write briefly about that instead.

      In my version X of PolSci.com mentioned above, I was unsure about leading off with Symbol of the Soul, about a sense of identity driving events, but coupled with internal and external views upon it and how you view your environment, as an external or a part of yourself. It was wordy, what I wrote, but I still think it was important enough to lead off the rest with, even if no one understands why.

      Our identities are both built on what we remember of the past, combined with our hopes and fears about the future, and nothing is less important to understand when we contemplate,or have need to contemplate, changes of direction. And for those who think the US has no need to seriously do some soul searching and contemplate a change of direction, I am truly baffled and disheartened both by and for them.

      The original "Best of" the notes I write, "All good things" and "Growth" were compiled originally to be given to the Tibetan Buddhists as a present. They would understand them, I thought, as I was searching within myself at the time to get their perspective (and others) on what I was going through. There have been many recompilations of the notes now, the newest and most prominent in this version, is of course, Fearlessness.

      There is a connection I share with Buddhism and Taoism, am built in a way from them and made whole by their past, but look now more to the future than ever, as unreal as it may be. It too is necessary to give perspective upon the present, the only time we ever exist in or ever will.

      I will write the Dalai Lama article soon I hope, the one I thought of on the bus not so long ago, and I will try to tone it down as best I can. I do not wish to offend anyone, least of all him. I will try to find the time to touch the most important bases of what I think should be said soon, as waiting too long, the muse dies.

      Through the time until recently when I was forced to remain silent, not easy for me, I found refuge in these words I wrote. "Hesitation is a myth. You know somewhere inside yourself what you will do if you have enough time to do it by the time you are ready to do it. If you do not have the time to do it by the time you are ready to do it, perhaps it ought not to have been done."

      If only it were always that easy. Too much left undone by myself and others has made the future that much harder and more difficult. While I am usually the first to say, "Yeah, right on, make it as difficult as possible," one does not have to look far to see how many near and far suffer the brunt of the pain our inactions, and the suffering it causes. Lucky are those can be detached from the sufferings of our mistakes spreading like wildfires, but for those who still have hopes invested in the future, detachment and silence is becoming untenable. Much now ought to have been done that wasn't, so being ready or not is 
becoming less of an issue everyday