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     Now I suppose this is a rather obvious observation, yet one that I believe needs to be stated.  While some may say the following is a prediction, one cannot dispute the fact that the Homo Sapient population on the planet Earth has more than doubled in my brief lifetime, and apparently (as I see it), as the population increases, our tolerance of one another’s shortcomings decreases directly proportional to the increase in technology, and the decrease of our personal space.

With the decrease of our personal space comes an increase in our apprehension and our own personal desire to preserve what we have.  If we were only trying to preserve what we have that would not be as big a problem as the one we have.  We want more – greed, and it is greed for wealth, or power, or both, that is the underlying force of all the ills on this planet.

Lets start with one, because it deals directly with existence.  One need only view the many homicides in the United States each day, or count the number of homicides during any twenty-four period on the planet to acknowledge a truth:  We kill, and not only do we kill every other thing on this planet, we kill each other.

What to do……..what to do.

Here is a start.  "Thou shall not kill."  Yes I know, this is from the Bible.  It is quoted here only to indicate how long ago we understood this to be a truth.  Therefore, it is the law-of-the-land of most (not all) groups of individuals on Earth.  Yet, one way or another, we justify the killing of another.  This one simple dichotomy is but a microcosm, a sample of how we know something is wrong yet justify the action, and if we cannot establish an honest justification, we succumb to retribution (greed).  The question is:  How can we say to another not to kill – ever, when we justify the killing of another?

I am often told that not all things are black-and-white, yet we all know this is just another justification, thus allowing us, so it is thought, to manipulate the personal (group) desires, irrespective of the truth, which here is:  "….one shall not kill another."

A new question arises:  If we cannot take a life when one kills another, what shall we do as punishment?  To punish, a killing needs to take place.  Yes, I am proposing prevention.  Law enforcement does not prevent crime.  Rather, law enforcement captures, after the killing has occurred.  Some tell us that the punishment is a deterrent – this is just not true (unless you manipulate the facts).

     "Spectacular…..isn’t it?"  These are the first words I’d say when walking someone new out onto the deck of the cabin.  Seeing Lake Superior from this vantage point makes it hard to believe this is not one of the great oceans of the world.  A few minutes up a winding gravel road, an old logging road actually, puts you atop a mountain where an A-frame cabin waits quietly in the woods.  On entering the cabin you notice a glass wall looking out on to a raised deck.  Sliding one of the glass panels aside, you step out and see Lake Superior as you have never seen Her before.  Four hundred feet below and about a half mile away, Mother Earth presents you with a panoramic view the likes of which you would be hard pressed to duplicate.

     "Let’s sit over here Michael.", Deb said without taking her eyes off the lake.  "This view…..it’s everything you said it was…..and more."

     We are looking south-east across the width of Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, and the largest body of fresh water on the Earth.  When you see this view for the first time you are forced to suspend thinking, for a moment anyway.  Because of the tremendous depth of the lake, not the deepest on Earth, that’s Lake Bacall in Russia, the cold blue water looks so inviting it almost quenches your thirst.  I have found over time that it didn’t matter what time of day it was, nor even what the weather was like.  When I step out on to the deck I am always captivated by the view being presented.

     "Can we smoke some pot, and…..do ya have any beer?"

     "Yes!", I quickly replied.  "But of course."  I think she likes the cabin.  I know she likes the view.  "Here’s the pipe…..do you need a lighter?"

     "No.  I’ve got one here."  Deb began digging her hands into the pockets of her cut-offs, and cut-off they were.  When she walked ahead of me I could see the firm tan cheeks of her beautiful bottom.

     "Here it is!", she exclaimed like a child having found a long lost toy.  I watched her tug on her hands while dancing in place.  Then, removing her hands from those small pockets, she turned to face me.  "See!"

     Watching this beautiful woman, not so innocently standing before me, created an image that burned itself into my mine, creating a pleasant addition to my permanent  memory.  Side stepping myself back to reality, I handed her the pipe, and a jar of pot.

……….to be continued                            Sailor  April 1st, 2007