Danger Dave Ball

Everyone has a dream. Big or small everyone wants something. Anything from wealth and fame to simple health.

I have dreamt of being a rockstar. I even spent many years working toward that dream and the few people who’ve seen me perform tend to agree that whatever that certain something is, I’ve got it. I’m not bragging. Just stating a fact. I’ve had guys from South Central LA, ten years my senior and steeped in the funk rhythms of James Brown, George Clinton and Larry Graham tell me repeatedly and with great emotion that I am one hell of an entertainer.

So why, you ask, am I not famous? Why have I not made my dream come true and become the rock star I so long(ed?) to be?

Short answer: I don’t know. I just haven’t been able to make it happen. For one reason (can’t seem to get a band together) or another (really I’m a morning person. Late nights kill me.)

But there has to be more to it than that. I try to let the LORD lead me and it seems that his leadership doesn’t point toward the stage. But… But… But, I’d be AWESOME!!! I don’t… understand. Why not? Why can’t I?

There’s either a reason or there’s no reason. Let’s take the tack of there being a reason because nihilism doesn’t really suit us now does it?

Dharma. Tao. The Way. Path. When we are beginning our journey we make decisions and agreements before we ever arrive at this our physical destination. We have decided. Krishna said to Arjuna that it is better to follow your path no matter where it may lead than it is to succeed greatly at the path of another. He also said we should not be attached to the fruits of our labor. Being a rockstar is all about the fruits, is it not?

I believe the cornerstone of personal happiness, health and livelihood is responsibility. The ability to take responsibility for all situations seen and unseen that affect us on a personal level. If I stay up too late, I take responsibility for being wasted tired rather than feeling victimized by it.

Social responsibility may be that same quality but applied to a group or family.

To whom shall I be responsible? Th what group or groups shall I give my service? This might be something like personal responsibility taken to the next step.

I believe that we, as a species, are evolving constantly and at an accelerating due to our self-awareness and our population growth.

When I ‘grow’, i.e. learn new skills, improve my ability to communicate or simply begin to percieve things in a new or deeper way, I suspect I am altering my genetic code on behalf of my, as of yet, unborn progeny.

I believe that were we to anthropomorphize nature, she would have intended and be thrilled by this.

I suspect that there are some of us who are super-accelerators of this process. People who grow a great deal. Some people grow a little and some learn a lot. I have learned a fair amount and I have several friends who have as well.

One of the things I am currently struggling with is my ego. When someone to whom I am close tells me of things they did which elicit negative feelings in me I find myself trying to ‘change my mind’ i.e. alter my consciousness in order to empathize with them while curbing my own judgemental nature.

These situations cause me emotional/psychic stress (which I do my best to avoid) and they offer me opportunity for growth.

Nature LOVES my growth. So much so that she offers up numerous opportunities for it. They are the back end of an initially pleasurable experience. It’s the old bait and switch. “Here’s something delightful! And here! And now comes the bill…”

As I say, I do my best to avoid psychic stress. Stress subtracts from my overall joy/peace/harmony/sense-of-well-being. I LIKE my overall sense of joy/peace/harmony/sense-of-well-being. But it seems that things that are pleasureable (ice cream/loose women/etc.) often cause me to suffer. Therefore I often forego those situations possibly to the chagrin of Mother Nature.

Question: Did Mother Nature create addicts in order to foster evolution?

Question: Does quality of life suffer or benefit when avoiding pleasure (and the consequent growth)?

Comedy is an attempt to involuntarily elicit laughter/mirth/response. It is stealing. Yet it is a welcome process.