August 30, 2004

• God, we’re rich!  (Part II)

  
  

  Okay, this time I mean we as in me and my pack–er, family.  Okay, pack–three domesticated primates, one canid, two felids, one to come (I hope).  We are not rich in money, I think I made that abundantly clear.  But we ARE rich in other, arguably more important, things.

  
  

  Like, well, things.  Our income is maybe one-third the average for Alaska, but boy do we have a lot of things.  Some were gifts, some were courtesy of the dumpster deva, some were stolen, some we actually bought and paid for.  Like my Leicas, the Rolls-Royces of cameras.  I have two, a black M-4 MOT and a red dot, double stroke European model M-3.  Either one is worth more than my car, together they are worth more than our trailer and land.

  
  

  And artworks.  We have this wonderful ugly bronze vase, had a $2000+ price tag on it fifteen years ago.  And another bronze, of a running wild feline of some sort.  And Kathys collection of story-teller figures, and our Alaskan prints and lithos and photographs, mostly of wildlife.

  
  

  And weapons.  Sure, I’m an arms dealer, so guns and knives DO tend to come and go.  But I am sure that Kathy will be keeping her .357 magnum snubby and I’ll be keeping my .44 magnum Ruger Super Blackhawk and my derringers and a few other goodies I don’t want to mention.  And Kathy and Doug’s joint knife/sword collection is getting impressive.

  
  

  Then there’s the rocks.  The rocks kept us together during a few rough spots–I refused to leave, didn’t want to deal with the custody battle for the choicest ones–like a big elestial quartz crystal and an even bigger dogtooth calcite crystal and rutilated quartz to die for.  My latest acquisition–a big black tourmaline crystal that has quartz crystals growing out of it, and an aquamarine crystal growing out of the quartz.  Any rock and mineral museum on the planet would love to have it–and it’s mine, all mine bwaa ha ha ha ha.

  
  

   Then there are the really important things.Like freedom.   Kathy and I are somewhat constrained by our physical health and finances, but other than that, we pretty much do what we want to.  Like when Kathy (aka SuSu) took off for a weekend NA camping trip.  I run my own business, so I set my own hours, usually work longer and harder than when I was a wage slave.  But it is my choice.  Right now, I’m blogging, soon I’ll be shopping, then I’ll open my stand.  I am pretty much always open, weather permitting, and enjoyed my two days off due to the recent rain storms.

  
  

  We also have a lot more freedom since we are no longer in thrall to various drugs.  Now we make our own decisions, instead of having the dope make the decision–dope usually decides to do more dope.  That is no way to have a life.

  
  

  Finally, I enjoy my freedom to carry a concealed weapon without needing a permit.  Of course, I could have carried concealed before, but in my old age I am getting much more careful about the laws I break.

  
  

  Then there are the spiritual riches.  Kathy is one of the most highly evolved people on the planet, and it has been my pleasure and privilege to sort of ride on her coat tails, learn a tremendous amount of stuff from her.  Okay, it hasn’t always been fun–living with a saint/Zen master/anarchist/brutally honest former Hell’s Angels ol’ lady isn’t always fun, but it is always interesting.  Through her influence and my own shamanic work and studies, I feel lucky and privileged to have come to a higher degree of spiritual evolution than I once had thought possible. I have been taught, and accept as true, that gratitude is one of the higher spiritual values.  Boy, am I grateful–to god, to my extended family (which includes critters and dope fiends in NA), to the very universe itself.  Heck, there are even rocks I am grateful to.

  
  

  Last, and most important–we have love.  Lots of love.  Kathy is  one of the most loving individuals on the planet, and I have learned a lot on that score from her.  Love is arguably the most spiritual of all attributes, and I have been taught–and come to accept as true–that when one can manifest unconditional love and transcend fear, one has attained spiritual perfection.  That is my ultimate goal–nothing less will do.

  • 3:19 pm
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