The return of the ERA

What happened to the ERA? The Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced to Congress in December of 1923, and every subsequent session of congress through 1970.  After almost five decades of being constantly buried in committee, the ERA finally got put to a vote by the full House of Representatives in 1971, where it passed, and then the Senate in 1972. The passing of this historic amendment by Congress, however, was insufficient for the constitution to be changed.  It needed

Pathwalking 106

Do you overthink things? This is a very important question, because knowing the answer makes a tremendous difference in how and where you find satisfaction in life. I often remark that my inner skeptic gets in the way of my plans.  But more realistically, I think, it is my tendency to overthink. What exactly is overthinking? Overthinking is when you consider every possible aspect and angle of a given situation, apply reason and logic, then rethink the whole thing, applying

Pathwalking 105

Around the world today people are celebrating the New Year. Why is this significant?  What does it mean?  What way, if any, does this effect Pathwalking? Let’s break this down to its very core.  New is unfamiliar, a start, an origin.  Year is an easily marked measure of linear time.  New Year’s implies a time of rebirth, renewal, and new beginnings.  Its very name speaks plainly of a fresh space in time.  As much as many fear change, people are

Pathwalking 104

Today I wish you love and joy, peace and happiness. Today should be no different from any other day.  Today should have no greater emphasis, no deeper meaning, no sharper focus than any other day. Today is Christmas day.  All around the world this day is celebrated in a wide variety of ways.  Whether you attend Mass, have been furiously shopping the malls for gifts, or living somewhere between these extremes, the greatest emphasis that emerges from this particular holiday

Pathwalking 103

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”  – Albert Einstein. As a Pathwalker, I choose my path every day.  I have a course plotted, an idea in my head for where I am, where I want to be, and even how I want to get there.  As I have stated before, there are numerous twists, turns, bumps in the road, diversions and other incidentals that will occur along any given path. As much as

Pathwalking 102

Along your chosen path you will encounter a wide variation of people. Some you will simply pass by.  Some will be allies, some opponents.  Friends, acquaintances, family, lovers, other dreamers will come into and in many instances depart from your life. As we grow and change so to do our associations.  Friends become lovers or enemies or fade away or simply remain friends.  Family become closer or more distant, those once close are lost and those once lost become close

Pathwalking 101

Who is in control of your life? That is where choice comes in.  That is what Pathwalking takes ahold of.  Control. We often look at the world and see who is control of what.  Some of the controls we perceive are pretty enormous, like which corporation controls your elected officials, and what organizations are controlled by the government.  Some are more personal, like the spouse who seems to be in control of your friend and his or her actions and

American Culture and Thanksgiving

Let’s pause a moment, the day after Thanksgiving in America, and reflect on what this means. More importantly, though, let’s reflect on what it SHOULD mean, versus what it APPEARS to. (Yes, I recognize the other issues with Thanksgiving and the mistreatment of the Native Americans and such, but that is not the topic I am addressing here). What it SHOULD mean:  Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day to spend with family and friends, grateful for the things we

Pathwalking 100

Perseverance is the difference between a fleeting notion and the pursuit of an idea. After one hundred weeks of posts about this concept of Pathwalking, I thought it an apropos topic. Perseverance is not simply having an idea, it is moving forward in making the intangible idea into a tangible thing.  It is a part of the means to the ends. Dictionary.com defines perseverance thus: noun 1.steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. I think nothing summarizes the entire concept of Pathwalking quite like this

Pathwalking 99

Don’t ever give up hope. I could spout all sorts of platitudes and ideas and clichés on this topic, but that gets old and worn fast.  Hope, for its own sake, is a belief, an emotion that is sustenance for the soul. Hope is this strange, obscure tenet that is tremendously misunderstood.  It is often held to simply be that intangible something to be clung to, something worth living for, something not to be let go of.  But it is

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