Remember

There is sacredness in this life that has been forgotten.

At this time we are being called up to remember:

Remember who we are.

Remember why we are here.

Remember what our part is in this play of life

We have been graced to have.

There are many ways we can have this remembrance,

For most of us none of it will come to us on its own.

We must attend to the deepest part of our beings,

Reach to the highest within us,

In order to get even the smallest glimpse of what is to be done.

Artists, writers, poets, sculptors, actors,

All creative people,

All people with imagination,

Play an important role

In reunification of the human family.

Tribes, clans, family,

We all need to join with others

To help bring our earth and our humanity back

In harmony with the divine nature of creation.

If we have an intelligence,

We know many things are way out of harmony in our world.

It might be true:

Humans are the primary element creating the disharmony.

So only we,

We humans, with perseverance,

Can bring harmony

Back to this amazing planet.

The healing of our earth is not going to happen by itself.

We humans defiled our planet.

We need to clean her up otherwise it’s not going to happen.

Small things to do: Grow your own.

It’s as important as anything else one can do.

Find a community garden or your own backyard or front yard.

There’s a chant I used to sing with others,

now sometimes it comes to me as I garden:

The earth is our mother we must take care of her. 2x

This sacred ground we walk upon with every step we take. 2x

Eat real food for life.

Fast food is death.

Don’t be in such a hurry.

Slow down and breathe.

Plan ahead; take a lunch to work.

Plastic bags: Wash, dry and reuse.

Plastic water bottles: Never, if you can avoid it, buy them.

Use and reuse and reuse stainless steel water bottles.

Paper towels, it was a tree. We forget. Use rags to wipe up spills.

Don’t be an idiot. Don’t insult yourself or the planet.

Reusable shopping bags:

I’m annoyed when I see people gallantly walking out of supermarkets

with their plastic shopping bags as if being human

gave us the right to defile whatever we want.

We humans are not stupid beings.

We just act like we are.

We know that.

It’s time to wake to all we know and become as wise as we can.

Get out of our egos.

Find soul.

We can jive around all we want,

Nothing is going to change if each of us doesn’t make that decision.

 Bob Sh’mal Ellenberg. Seventy-two years old. Born in Irvington, N.J. A thumb nail sketch of a life well guided by spirit and forces beyond my reckoning. In 1968, I began work as teacher and community organizer for Head Start. It became my groove in life. Once I began helping others, my soul was touched. In 1974 I started Mother Earth Foods in Parkersburgh, W.Va, which is still there. For 10 years in the ’70s and ’80s, my ex-wife and I cared for elderly and partially disabled adults in our homes in W.Va, Pa. and Florida. I was a well published freelancer to the Gainesville Sun, Gainesville, Fl., where I lived for 23 years and was involved in many social and peace issues. You can go to the Gainesville Sun’s opinion section, put my name in the search box and see some of those pieces. In Peace, Sh’mal.

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Ed: Brianna Bemel
Assist: Christa Angelo