i see this bumper sticker around a lot, especially now that i live in seattle- you know the one that says COEXIST all in different religious symbols?

it used to really aggravate me. i used to feel very preached to (ironic that i find it aggravating, since i do it so often here on the blog, huh? hahahahahaha).

the people who need to hear the message aren’t going to take guidance from a bumper sticker, and the people who have the bumper sticker aren’t the ones who need to help to coexist.

it reminds me of a more plaintive version of the famous rodney king query, “can’t we all just get along???”

and the answer, quite obviously, is no.

but within the last few days, i’ve had a completely different take on the whole situation, and i wanted to share it with you.

perhaps the sticker is not about preaching at all.

perhaps it’s about projecting.

maybe it’s a wish for the world and it’s just the owner’s way of putting some positive energy out into the stratosphere and saying, “you know what? it’s a crazy world out there, but i wish everyone could just coexist. so i’m going to broadcast that wish to the world.”

i have some friends who are very spiritual.

they are very tuned into people’s energies and the spiritual power of this or that. they can talk at length about various forces in the world at any given time.

i find them very inspiring, but i am not one of those people.

i once met someone who told me that i must be very “right-brained” because i am religious. i was like, “whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?” and he said, “yeah, all religious people are right-brained because they conduct their lives based on faith instead of reason and all sorts of other flights of fancy.”

so, okay. aside from that, i can say with pretty much sincerity that i am a logical thinker (or at least i try to be). sometimes i am a bit too grounded. if you would ask *h, he would tell you that i am rational to the point of being maddening.

so what’s all this talk about broadcasting wishes?

i think (read: this is a delicate mea culpa and really means i know) that i have been putting out waaaaaaay too much negative energy lately. i have literally been spewing it into the cosmos.

so i have decided that it is time for some spiritual housecleaning.

i have decided to try to be more vigilant about what i project.

and i hate to say “i’ll try”- because i’m generally a believer that you don’t try. you either do it or you don’t.

but i’m kind of at a stage where i’m going to try to try.

hahahahahahahahaha. this is so not me.

but i think i really have to watch it.

if not for the energy then for the example that i set.

if not for the example then for the repercussions i can’t know ahead of time.

if not for the repercussions then for my own growth as a person.

if not for my own growth then for more peace in my household.

if not for our peace then for the state of mind i’m allowing to fester in myself.

and if not for myself, then for everyone else.

so i guess that’s kind of like coexisting, huh?

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