Sunday, September 25, 2011

TO THE PONCE DE LEON WITHIN

As a young man when I first started to sense that mortal life was limited and physical prowess was fleeting, I pondered upon the blessings which we all might have been able to enjoy had Ponce de Leon been successful in his quest for the fountain of youth.

However, as the years have turned into decades, I have come to realize that those same emotions which drove him in his search and stimulated my youthful pondering are often detrimental to the achieving of ultimate happiness. Time and time again experience has reinforced on my consciousness that idols worshiped by unobtainable, unnecessary or undesirable quests usually turn out to be standing on feet made of clay.

If some time in the far, far away an archeologist were digging in the remains of the
cities buried beneath the present day megalopolis of Los Angeles, California, and happened to discover the film and tape vaults of that then, ancient movie and television industry they would be overwhelmed with an impression which would be very distinct from the realities of the 21st Century.

Even today advertising and program content lead most of the world to have a distorted view of what reality is in Los Angeles, Las Vegas or New York. They would lead many to believe that our world is dominated by beautiful people who are constantly involved in committing or resolving criminal activity, who drive oversized limos and live in mansions which are never inhabited by faithful mothers and fathers. As we open our eyes to the world around us we quickly realize, as we stroll the streets, we are surrounded by people who wouldn’t be considered as ‘extras’ in a Hollywood production. We walk daily with people who generally have rather plain and unsplendored countenances. We drive down streets lined with comfortable homes inhabited by families which are functional.

Magazines extolling wondrous bodies with near zero body fat levels are sold by the millions both above and below the counter. ‘Ordinary man’ observing himself in a mirror quickly finds himself on a steep path leading toward feeling like an ugly duckling as he longingly compares himself to the ‘spray tan muscle beacher’ portrayed on the glossy page. After only a few minutes on any beach laden with ‘sunners,’ reality quickly reaffirms in all our minds that the vast majority of society have bodies which contain fat cells which manifest themselves as ungainly rolls in funny places about the body.

The good life, which has been correlated with one’s possessions and purchasing power, is often propagandized upon us as the necessary key to acquiring earthly pleasantness and pleasure. One only needs a minimal exposure to the masses who reside in meager abodes, who can be seen, gratefully and happily enjoying lives minimally encumbered with possessions.

The masses are seen gaining greater pleasure in having pure water to drink than others find in fine wines.

The masses sleep better cocooned in their hammocks than those on the hill restlessly bouncing on their multi-mattressed four posters.

The gourmet with his napkin still spotted from the sauces and sweetmeats of the ‘rich and famous’ quickly downs a handful of pills to quiet his digestive system
which is seconds shy from revolting and racking his body with pain. Ironically, the fundamental diet of the grateful masses often labeled the ‘less fortunate’ results in satisfaction and health.

The blame for the damaging twisting of society’s decaying value system should not be placed solely on the shoulders of those who through the process of birth have been blessed with certain attributes; being blessed with beauty, being well framed or in circumstances of abundance, but with those pseudo-priests who practice their priest craft of unrelenting commercials, spewing forth their propaganda, postulating these attributes as the only standards which are to be accepted and valued.

I really hope we are not jogging ourselves toward a day when Jack Sprat and his wife may be forced to closet their shameful bodies hidden away from the beautiful people.

In our relentless pursuit of the mythical ‘American Dream’ we may have already relegated the middle class to the other side of the tracks.

As we frequent the gourmet section of the frozen foods in the giant box store, (not hard to find contradictions in that statement) filling our oversized cart to overflowing, do we even casually yearn for the little corner store where fresh produce was never sold if it was more than two days old.

Reason and our grappling natures will never allow us to encourage the development of society content with mediocrity, but I often wonder if it might be well if we were to move toward a measure of balance. Would it be so bad if we were to become a little more rational and much less susceptible to what others consider to be of most importance in life.

If we were capable of seeing with vision unclouded by the propagandizers and were able to understand with greater clarity I believe we would be far less prone to desire those things in life which, in spite of all our efforts, will ultimately wrinkle, sag or decay. Would it really hurt us if we were more prone to set our goals and thus use our precious moments of life in the pursuit of those attributes which are lasting, stabilizing and comforting.

Just a last note to the Ponce de Leon which still lingers within:

Rainbows are for viewing and enjoying not for chasing!

Life is for living and enjoying not for mortgaging and spending.

11 comments:

  1. Hi there,
    Loved your thought. How are you and your family. All is well this way. Getting ready to leave on Monday to go to Yosemite, yeah! My last hospice patient has died and I promised her 83 yr. old husband that I would take him to spread her ashes where ever he would like. I presumed since he had a boat and he has a view of the ocean from his condo that it was going to be out in the ocean but he said she "hated that boat". He then informed me that she loved Yosemite and that would be his first choice. So we are going. And this is how good God is....... I was talking with my friend, Jean Matlock at church, we taught primary together and ride to the Temple every week. She said she was going to Yosemite and staying at her timeshare in Bass Lake at the same time and invited us to stay with her, and since then her daughter backed out from going with her. So now we even have a place to stay and maybe we can share the gospel since he will be stuck with us for 5 days, ha!

    Anyway.....I thought of you, like I do at times, but never got around to writing until now. But can you think of something I could read out of the Bible, he has a Protestant backgound, while we are having our little ceremony.

    I was concerned that we may be involved in a federal offense spreading ashes in a national park, but they do have permits. You have to write a letter and it has to be something like 100 yards from any water source. But my 83 yr. old friend didn't feel that it was necessary.

    I hope you and your family are doing great. When I think of the goodness of God and all the people he has blessed me to know.......you come to my mind. I love you! And thank you!

    Much love,
    Marcia Recendez

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  2. Your last few lines are so powerful they should be on t-shirts and bumperstickers--
    in every language. Great thoughts.

    Best to you both,

    Sis Cocanour

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  3. Hermano me parecen muy acertados sus pensamientos y con satisfacción me identifico con ellos. Y digo que satisfactoriamente, porque siempre he tenido la impresión que la Iglesia por causa de la exactitud de la doctrina le corresponde ocupar una posición conservadora en la sociedad y que por ese mismo hecho se mantiene al margen de este tipo de cuestionamientos y criticas de las dinámicas sociales actuales. Pero sus ideas me hacen ver una posibilidad de entender lo que pasa en el mundo.

    Siempre me cuestione por sentirme inclinado a reflexionar críticamente la sociedad siendo miembro de la Iglesia, pero sus ideas me dan algo de claridad en como eso puede ser. Me gustaría seguir en contacto porque hay muchas otras cosas de las que quisiera conversar con usted si le interesa.

    Gracias por sus buenas intenciones y feliz día.

    Alex Ruiz

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  4. o o o o o yes yes yes exelent

    alexander mosquera reyes

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  5. Dear Brother Riley, Thank you for the ageless message. It proved to be a great reality check. I stopped off for a few days to visit with my daughter and her family in New Jersey after my trip to Turkey (which proved great). Anyways, their au pair is from Spain and I told her about your great messages. She loved the few I shared with her and asked me to forward them on to her each week, and she will then send them on to other au pairs, friends, and family members. She might be thinking at this stage of the game that they are a great English learning tool, but I know that will be only the beginning of the valuable seeds you are spreding thru out the world. To put it mildly, your influence shines on many continents -- pretty special, just like you.
    I hope your day is going well and your week brings you joy.

    Bonnie Lynn

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  6. Me gusta! Gracias por tus pensamientos!
    Verdaderamente los disfruto, y los pongo en practica tambien!
    Gracias!

    Angela Maria Stuart Chaparro.

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  7. Al leer sus palabras, recuerdo lo mucho que aprendía en las conferencias de la misión y cada vez que le veía, sentía fuertemente el Espíritu al enseñarme y agradezco aún poder sentirlo.
    Gracias una vez más por toda su ayuda, enseñanza y amor cuando estaba en la misión. Saludos a su esposa. Les recuerdo con mucho amor.

    floralba bolivar restrepo

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  8. hermano quiero agradecerle los correos pensamientos no sabes cuanto me has fortalecido que dios lo beniga

    Dora Alba Posada Usme

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  9. Excelente artículo, muchas gracias por compartirme sus pensamientos.

    Con respeto y admiración.

    JULIANA BARRIOS

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