The Charles
Schulz Philosophy

The
following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz,
the creator of the ‘Peanuts’ comic
strip.

You don’t
have to actually answer the questions. Just
ponder on them. Just read the post straight
through, and you’ll get the
point.

1. Name the
five wealthiest people in the
world.

2. Name the
last five Heisman trophy
winners.

3. Name the
last five winners of the Miss America
pageant.

4. Name ten
people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer
Prize.

5. Name the
last half dozen Academy Award winners for best
actor and actress…

6. Name the
last decade’s worth of World Series
winners.

How did you
do?

The point
is, none of us remember the headliners of
yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields. But the
applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are
forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried
with their owners.

Here’s
another quiz. See how you do on this
one:

1. List a
few teachers who aided your journey through
school.

2. Name
three friends who have helped you through a
difficult time.

3. Name
five people who have taught you something
worthwhile.

4. Think of
a few people who have made you feel appreciated
and special!

5. Think of
five people you enjoy spending time
with.

Easier?

The
lesson:

The people
who make a difference in your life are not the
ones with the most credentials.. the most
money… or the most awards. They simply are the
ones who care the most!

Pass this
on to those people who have made a difference in
your life, like I did.

“Don’t
worry about the world coming to an end today.
It’s already tomorrow in Australia
!”

“Be
Yourself, Everyone Else Is
Taken!”

We need something new on your blog. I’m tired of the stupid meter ripoff.
Tell us about your visit with Michael or whatever strikes your fancy.
Show us some Texas scenery.

love,
Mom

I was having a good conversation with the girl at the counter when her friend brought over a home made smoothie for her, and the girls decided to take a break. They invited me outside into the cool evening air. We sat down on the grass and the conversation drifted around a bit and we got onto the subject of people who didn’t understand why they couldn’t just camp at the wellsprings for free. The concept that it was private property and this was the owner’s business just seemed to escape their logic.

Counter girl had to go back into the office to take care of some customers. Smoothie girl and I continued talking. The subject of homelessness came up. For most people in this country the homeless are those dirty, ragged looking people pushing around an old shopping cart piled high with all the possessions they own. They live in a shadow world constantly shuffling around panhandleing, and probably wondering where they would sleep for the night. Doesn’t seem like a life one would choose, but I suppose they are reasons.

Smoothie girl and I started talking about other kinds of homelessness. She told me that for the past year her family had been living in a tent at the wellsprings, and for a long time she said that she felt like they were homeless. Then she said one night sitting out under the stars with her kids she began to take stock of how they were living. She had a large tent with electricity. She had a microwave and a television. Her and her children had access to all the amenities that the wellsprings had to offer which included the spa and the pool. It wasn’t a nice two bedroom house with a white picket fence, but she came to the realization that she was pretty far from homeless. She realized that it didn’t matter where they slept as long as it was the same place each night. Her kids were happy, well fed, and she was taking care of them the best way she could while working at the local Wal-Mart.

It’s coming up on three years since Tracy threw me out of her life, and I’ve certainly felt like I’ve been homeless ever since. I’ve managed to live in some nice places since then, but what I know for certain is that having a house or an apartment doesn’t make a home. When I was with Tracy, for the first time in my adult life I knew what having a home was like. It was her house. It was a small two bedroom one bath place in a nice little neighborhood. Being with her if felt like a palace. That break up is one of the most crushing experiences of my life. The wounds have taken a long time to heal and the scars run deep. I’ve learned from this that it’s not the bricks and mortar of a house that make a home, its the ties of the heart. Love is a powerful force, given a chance it will change the way you look at the world.

That being said here’s a very cool hobbit hole that looks like it would make a wonderful place to live with your love.

This article on having a happy home and the simondale house brought to you by Philip Robert

What was it about that relationship that made me know that I was in love? Part of it was that my happiness came from making her happy. We did things together that we both enjoyed. We found pleasure in being in the same room together no matter what we were doing. Our sense of each other’s humor was finely honed. With a look we could crack ourselves up. We had a routine that worked for us. In the morning I would get up to fix coffee, and then we would go through a little work out together. I swear it was only ten minutes, and I was in the best shape of my life. Then time to shower and get ready for the day. We would always talk about what we were planning to accomplish that day. What were we going to do? Sort of a little plan of action. Then in the afternoon we could discuss what we had planned to do and what we had actually done.

I found the intimacy addictive. Never was there a companion to whom I could reveal everything the way I could to her. Of everything that was lost this more than anything else hurt the most. One minute she cared and then… nothing.

Now it’s like she never existed. No one I know has any idea where she is. It’s just as well because the last time we talked she made it very clear that it was over. Still I find that my heart has love for her yet.

Do you have a love? Tell them tonight how much they mean to you. Let them know that you care for them above all else. Make sure that they’ll never forget the love in your heart.

Tango Argentina

Finally I managed to make it to the free Sunday Tango classes in Ashland. The first Sunday I made a mistake on the time. Last Sunday I was in Portland. This Sunday I made it and had a great time. The steps in this dance are simple, you can learn them in a day… Be careful though, this is a very deceptive simplicity. Learn the steps in one day, then spend a lifetime learning to master them.

Our instructor Clay Nelson walked us through some basic steps. Some quick-quicks, some step-togethers, and some check steps. We practiced in a practice embrace, and he was continually encouraging us to try a close embrace. The close embrace was nearly my undoing today.

My first partner was an older lady. The steps were simple and we moved comfortably in a close embrace. The music was a slow tempo classic Tango piece and quickly I felt myself daydreaming about how much my ex-girlfriend would have enjoyed doing this. I was daydreaming about how powerful this dance would have been had I been dancing with her.

It is possible to dance the Tango with a complete stranger and become very close to them over the course of a song. Imagine the feelings, the intimacy, the desire and passion if you danced this with the love of your life. I wonder if my partner could sense any of the feelings I was projecting as I closed my eyes and imagined that I was dancing with Kate. I wonder if she could feel my emotions flow into the sad tango music?

I look back and imagine dancing a slow sweet tango with Kate in our socks and pajamas in the kitchen. Playing out our attraction and desire for each other over and over while the dogs looked at us like we were crazy. Take your partner and tango. Tango in, tango out, tango in your pajamas and socks in the kitchen. Just Tango!

This morning when I arrived at Ashland’s Bikram Studio for my morning practice one of the ladies who comes on a regular basis walked up to my truck.

Her name is Lou. I think that’s how she spells it. She is a very sweet woman who comes in and quietly practices her yoga with out a lot of fuss. She’s new to this hot stuff as she likes to say, and in the short time that I’ve been coming I’ve never seen her miss a morning class.

She walked up to my truck and presented me with a small package. I’ve got a gift for you. she said. Peering through the wrapping, which was a simple red plastic bag, it appeared to be a box of TAZO Lemon Mate.

As it turns out it wasn’t TAZO at all, but an entire box of Emer’gen-C vitamin and mineral supplements. Easily a month’s worth of no calorie, no sugar, fizzy drink.

Her note said:

Philip,
I overheard you celebrating your progress in this crazy hot stuff here!
That’s so cool you reminded me Yes! this is cause for celebrating our growth
and recovery in Spirit, Soul, happiness!
Thanks
yours
Lu

This is the sweetest gift I’ve ever received. This one was given in a pure spirit of love and happiness.

There is an active Tango community in Ashland, and I became aware of it through my friend Jesse at Bikram Yoga. About a week ago he was asking one of the ladies if she was planning to attend the Tango workshop coming up. Tango? Workshop? I couldn’t help overhearing, and I just had to ask. A Tango workshop sounded like a fun way to meet more people in my new community.

Jesse gave me the website for Southern Oregon Tango, for more information. The link for the workshops didn’t work so I called a Mr. Roy Wright who emailed me the information on the workshop. Friday night I was heading out to TANGO!

All the people I’ve met this weekend have been fantastic. When I walked into Britt Hall I was greeted by Kalani, one of the Southern Oregon University students helping out with the workshop. She got me signed in and I started looking around. One of the first people that I noticed was an attractive lady walking across the floor. Except for the streaks of grey in her hair it would have been easy to mistake her for one of the college students. A bit later when I met her properly I discovered that she was the person responsible for organizing the Tango club at SOU. She was responsible for putting together this workshop. I developed an instant crush. And then the teacher’s arrived.

Korey and Mila have been dancing together for three years. Between them they’ve got a couple of decades of dancing Tango, and they teach it well. I was impressed at how easily and naturally Korey made beginners feel welcome and comfortable. He didn’t begin by talking about steps, or what Tango was, but about walking and music and connection. Soon we were working with a partner taking steps forward or backward or sideways. The idea of a leader and a follower wasn’t really discussed in these first exercises. We were just two people collaborating on moving in a certain direction together. A bit later when we were more formally dancing and there was a leader and there was a follower Korey and Mila introduced us to the idea that more properly there was a negotiation and a collaboration as the couple decided together what would happen in the dance.

Light bulb moment! This seemed like a perfect metaphor for life, for relationships. Good relationships work because the people involved in them collaborate together on what they are going to do together. Ok now I’m really fired up and excited about this dance. The steps came, the basic ones anyway. I met a lot of fun interesting people who share a common passion, and I figured out that couples should learn to Tango.

It will catch you unawares leaving you breathless, your heart racing. It locks you in and lets you go all at once the world is right. Your world comes closing in leaving you and your love together. Everything else fades to silver, to black, to red, to every conceivable color and texture and it doesn’t matter. All that matters is your darling love standing next to you their arms wrapped around you in warm embrace.

How do you find this magical thing? This wonderful feeling called love? Can you summon love out of the universe? Can you spot it in a look? Can it be manufactured on a whim? I don’t think so. Love is smarter than that. It seeks out those who are open, but not necessarily looking. It finds us when we’re ready, or not.

Love is bliss. Love is happiness. Love is the greatest emotion ever conjured up out of the primordial mists.

Love is magical.