Obama or Hilary? Character or Experience?

February 5th is approaching fast. I’m glad I’m not a registered Democrat. So few choices this year. Either a noble young leader, or an angry middle-aged, oft’ scorned woman, with a Machiavellian taste for achievement and power. In the end, our destiny is always about how our character responds to experience.

Ironically, Obama and Hilary are separately rich in what the other lacks. Obama needs a resume of experience. Hilary needs the character and mindfulness for noble leadership. Could we lock them in a room for a few months until they become one?

Obama lacks experience. Since when do we hire people to do jobs - who are junior - to the biggest leadership role in America. Could we have co-presidents please?

However, I admire what I perceive to be an indication of noble character in Obama. He doesn’t lose his cool. Not even when Hilary, screams or gets her husband to scream at (or about) Obama. Jeez! Hilary & Bill! Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

It’s sad to watch candidates like Hilary (and her lackey, Bill) disgrace themselves.

Whether we’re talking about a family member or candidate for U.S. president - when people set out to destroy someone’s reputation in order to achieve personal gain - we’ve been warned. When we know how someone operates from their “shadow-side” it’s as if they’re transparent in the most useful way.

Seeing a person’s character is like seeing the blueprint of their operating system. Look at Hilary: overt anger about being more experienced than Obama; and covert action to obfuscate the noble character of her opponent.

It comes down to a bit of wisdom: “How you do anything is how you do everything.” If someone lies to destroy another’s reputation, what would they do to win a war?

Obama will need to surround himself with deep experience but that’s easy to find.

Hilary has been compensating for being “the scorned woman” far too long. Is it too late for Hilary to comprehend the power of humility, the grace that surrounds wise and noble leadership? Is it too late for Hilary to care?

Perfection aside, we humans are a fascinating species.

The World in a Grain of Sand?

Macro viewing through the camera lens reminds me of the freedom of falling into a new perspective, paradigm or view. The first line from William Blake’s poem, “Auguries of Innocence,” gives me that free-fall without a bungie cord. How many ways can I understand what it means to ’see the world in a grain of sand?’ And why bother? Here we go . . .

To see a world in a grain of sand

And a heaven in a wild flower,

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand

And eternity in an hour.

More jolts:

1. Remember that the difference between a weed and a flower is judgment. Oh what violence is born in judgment.

2. A bad man is a good man’s child. And a good man is a bad man’s teacher. Can we separate the effect of our impact from what we intend? Can I see without judging?

I like Wayne Dyer’s metaphor - about how when we use violence to get rid of dandelions we only double the amount of dandelions that will bloom next time.

Verse 25 of the Tao - “To know humanity know the earth. To know the way - understand the great within yourself.” Wisdom is knowing that I am nothing. Love is knowing I am everything. And in between the two is where I choose my life. End all conflicts with love.