the phone rings ,it is Michael.

do I have five minutes for a survey?

um ok. I’ll give it a go.

it is about politics –

which party do I prefer?

the Greens and that is the last time I can offer them as an answer.

who has the best policy on the economy , health, housing , education etc??

I have two choices.

labour or liberal.

I don’t like either and fail to see much of a difference.

Michael explains I have to choose one of them for the purposes of this survey.

and this where we go down the rabbit hole folks

you have a choice but it is the choice given you

not yours

you can have chocolate or vanilla 

which one?

caramel is not on the list.

chocolate or vanilla

…

dangled in front of us is a world of ‘free choice’ and because we can change channels we believe this is so.

this is so only within certain parameters .

how can I play when the playing field is rigged 

with mindfulness by  becoming  Present and getting creative.

I chose to play that day with Michael

adding my views ideas and wishes to each question asked,

after all, it was being recorded.

Michael was very patient with my raves and along the way we developed a bond,

at one point he giggles

oh I bet you aren’t allowed to do that

no, he says I’m not.

tell me my friend

did you have a choice about sending your child to school

about the hours of the day in the classroom

about the curriculum?

did you have any say about the incipient spread of plastic packaging in our food markets?

or the sheer volume of poisons being used on your food?

or whether you vaccinate your child or not?

or how often your government makes war on another country and its peoples?

Michael thanks me, suggests his supervisor may contact me and ta ta.

the survey did not want my views,  the data collected will simply reinforce existing policies but I chose to  speak from my Heart.

and so we ask ourselves

how can we choose caramel when it is not on the menu.

because we can

because in every single moment of our lives we can choose even when the stakes are raised and there appears to be no choice and even though we know it is rigged .

in the time leading up to the invasion of Iraq the people took to the streets to say No No No to our government.

I learnt a simple thing then,

I learnt the power to accept I had no choice and the power to choose –

I could say ” you do not do this in my name.” 

so  despite knowing we cannot choose caramel we can

creatively choose to make our mark,

take a stand, to in our very humble and polite way choose to live a life examined,

a life creative,a life of courage refusing the status quo of inequity,

a life of strength to call out the bullying tactics and

a life of humour directed at the foibles of humanity exploring it Self.

before I go I tell you this 

I apologise not

for bending your ear

tugging at your heartstrings

and singing to your spirit.

the wisteria is in full glorious openhearted petalness

surrendering to the probe and suck of the bees,

the hum is loud bending the fragrance thru the house.

the sky is sharp today , a clear precise no questions asked blue

the sun a summer warmth,

everywhere in the forest nature is surrendering to the longer days

to the warmer hours

to the recent rainfall

to gestation and fertilisation.

nature beckons 

and to her we give thanks.

and to you all 

blessings 

xxx