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Dalton
Roberts |
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Tonight I went to a coffeehouse and enjoyed Doug and Tekesha Williams, a couple of fine folk singers. As much as I enjoyed them (and I definitely did) I felt one of my rare cravings to go to a nightclub to hear two friends who play some rowdy country and rock. To understand my feelings, bear in mind that I had a dozen fine country/rock bands over my life. I enjoyed them all. I see nothing any more wrong with playing music in nightclubs than being a plumber who goes there to work on the plumbing. Most of the people I met there over the years were good people and many became solid friends. So why did I quit? The bottom line was I was ready for a change. The smoke started bothering me more after I quit smoking. People who got drunk got on my nerves more after I lost my interest in drinking. It was not one of those religious things where I decided it was a “sin.” It was more spiritual than religious. I had changed from a man who liked to smoke and drink to a man who preferred peace and quiet at home to the noise and smoke of nightclubs. So why did I want to go to one tonight? Several reasons come to mind. One is that the two musicians I went to hear are personal friends and great guys and I enjoy them. Another is that I like to check myself out now and then to see if I still feel the same way about things. . I discovered I do still feel the same. I can enjoy hearing some good picking and singing but the old passion for the whole scene is gone. I have new passions. I have changed. It reminds me of a dear person who told me she recently quit drinking and going out because she saw so little good came from it and she had come to realize that the smoking and drinking made her feel bad. It was that simple. One night one of her former “partying” friends called her and she decided to go out with her just to see if any desire for it remained. She said it was one of the most boring nights of her life. There is some stupid streak in us that makes us resistant to change. If tomato seeds felt that way, we would never eat any more tomatoes. The seeds know they must fall into the ground and die if they are to experience new life. It is in dying to their seedhood that they give birth to their tomatohood/ The same thing happens to us. If we are growing and improving we will end up burying a lot of our old selves throughout our lives. I had a nightclub self that truly love the night life for several decades. The music side of it remained alive and well in my soul but I changed in the way I wanted to experience it. Taking on a spiritual practice of almost any kind brings gradual but dynamic changes in us. Many people are not even aware they have a spiritual pracrtice but their values keep changing and they are just not aware of this as a spiritual practice. But it is. A good example from my life was the impact of one visit to a Quaker church. I saw the value of quiet worship and reflection. I saw the beauty of silence. I did not become a full Quaker but the values I picked up there will remain with me forever. They changed me. Sometimes I honestly confess my weaknesses and describe my life challenges in the hope you will share some of your experiences with me. How have your attitudes changed over the years? What new values have you embraced? Would you mind sharing them with me?
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