A few summers ago my then teen age daughter joined me for a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert at the Delaware State Fair. As I watched the fans of Skynyrd Nation I saw as many fifty year old fans, as I saw twenty something fans, all have a great time together. This was validated by my daughter who joined me, and told me at the end of the evening how much she really enjoyed the concert.
Back in the 1970's singer songwriter Mac Davis wrote the song "I Believe in Music." While I remember the song well, It was not one of Mac's biggest hits. That's a shame for a song that proclaimed "music is the universal language."
As someone who studies music and philosophy, I often see comments on the differences in generations, and how these differences are often marked by differences in music.
I don't beleve the music is what divides, but is indeed that universal language that brings us together.
Many years ago I did a work shop for a social services agency with people from very diverse backgrounds. I used music as way to start conversations, and find common interests.
In 1999, as I was building web sites, and helping to create a community on Tripod, I became the moderator of the spirituality Pod at Tripod under the name philosophyguru. A Pod, as it was known back then was simply an online community where there were moderated forums and chats centered around a theme, and folks built web pages. The name philosophyguru fit the topic. When the Pods were shut down, when Tripod merged with Lycos, I started looking for a way to create a "playground" like the online community I moderated on Tripod.
The goal of the Philosophyguru is not to try to get someone to agree with any specific beliefs, but to help folks to understand ideas and philosophies, so they may look at things in ways they never have before. It's about love and laughter and being human. It's about sharing ideas and being a little bit crazy in order to stay sane. Studying the wisdom of Confucius and Zen, then back to Bob Seger and Rock again,
I started reading the works of the great philosophers when I was old enough to read. I took my first philosophy class back in high school. As time goes on, I continue to organize my notes on philosophy to share with those who care to learn, and for those who dare to dream.
There is no one "perfect" society, but in a perfect world a person should be able to freely travel between different societies. To understand the world today, we need to appreciate the roots of our ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It's time we all revisit the dreams and visions of Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence, and those who influenced the birth of our nation.
Just as it would be bold for me to say I've discovered the ideal society, it would be just as bold for me to proclaim I've discovered the ideal religion. I've been raised, and exposed to many segments in the Christian faith. I've also studied, and explored many of the world's religions and philosophies. I consider myself very open minded when it comes to religion. I live deeply and passionately, and have a great respect for people of many beliefs, for people without beliefs, don't have much. Once again, the "ideal" is not so much about any one religion as much as it about the freedom to practice our beliefs.
A few summers ago my then teen age daughter joined me for a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert at the Delaware State Fair. As I watched the fans of Skynyrd Nation I saw as many fifty year old fans, as I saw twenty something fans, all have a great time together. This was validated by my daughter who joined me, and told me at the end of the evening how much she really enjoyed the concert.
In 1999, as I was building web sites, and helping to create a community on Tripod, I became the moderator of the spirituality Pod at Tripod under the name philosophyguru. A Pod, as it was known back then was simply an online community where there were moderated forums and chats centered around a theme, and folks built web pages. The name philosophyguru fit the topic. When the Pods were shut down, when Tripod merged with Lycos, I started looking for a way to create a "playground" like the online community I moderated on Tripod.
