LIFE'S MEANING

THIS IS ANOTHER E-MAIL TO GLENN BECK, CONSERVATIVE RADIO TALK SHOW HOST. LORDY, LORDY, LORDY, WHY HAVE YOU NOT READ OR HEEDED MY PREVIOUS E-MAILS? YES, YOU ARE ALL ABOUT GREED, 'WANTING IT ALL'. TODAY YOU ADMITTED TO FEELINGS THAT YOU STILL HAVE NOT ACHIEVED PEACE. TAKE A LESSON FROM THE DINKY, SOCCER IDIOT FROM FRANCE, ZINDANE AND GIVE IT UP. GIVE UP THE STRUGGLE TO CONQUER THE INNATE DEMONS LET LOSE AT YOUR BIRTH OR TO USE A PHRASE FROM THE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING AMERICAN MAN OF LETTERS, VAN WYCK BROOKS, YOU WILL LIVE FOREVER DISSATISFIED IN A "PALPITANT DESERT."

I TIRE EASILY EACH MORNING OF YOUR "I." YOU NEVER DO. YOUR ID, EGO AND SUPEREGO ARE ROLLED INTO ONE DISCONTENTED, "I." IF YOU CAN SEE THROUGH THE LIE ABOUT SECOND-HAND SMOKE YOU OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO SEE THROUGH THE LIES TOLD BY YOUR MONEY, SUCCESS, TRAVELS, MATERIAL GOODS AND WORLDLY ADDICTIONS, FUELED BY YOUR SELF-DIAGNOSED A.D.D. BASICALLY, YOU THINK TOO MUCH. CHARLES CHURCHILL SAID: "WITH CURIOUS ART THE BRAIN, TOO FINELY WROUGHT, PREYS ON HERSELF, AND IS DESTROYED BY THOUGHT." GET IT? THINKING TOO MUCH IS MY PROBLEM AT TIMES TOO, GLENN, BUT I KNOW THAT THE SOLUTION IS TO WHITE-OUT MY "I."

PERHAPS AN INSPIRATIONAL EXAMPLE WILL DO. A COSMOPOLITAN SEEKS TO BE A CITIZEN OF THE WORLD, A STRANGER TO NO PLACE. HE OR SHE IS ROOTED IN MATERIALISM, NOT TO HIGHER MEANINGS. FAMOUS, EARLY AMERICANS, JEFFERSON, FRANKLIN AND PAINE, THREE LIBERALS AND OFTENTIMES PHONIES, SOUGHT TO RISE ABOVE THE PAROCHIAL AND MUNDANE BY ENQUIRY AND COSMOPOLITAN PURSUITS. BUT WHAT TWO PAST PRESIDENTS MOST OFTEN GARNER THE LAUREL WREATHS FOR MOST ADMIRED, MOST IMPORTANT OR GREATEST LEADERS? LINCOLN AND WASHINGTON, TWO LOCAL BOYS, SELF-EFFACING, UNINTERESTED IN GLOBE-TROTTING, POWER OR GLORY, WHO KNEW THAT YOU CAN NEVER "HAVE IT ALL." YET, AS MEN OF RESIGNATION AND CHARACTER THEY ACHIEVED GREAT THINGS. ASK YOUR SELF, GLENN, LIKE ALFIE, "WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT," COSMOPOLITANISM OR ROOTS?

THE BUDDHA (THE ENLIGHTENED) ANSWERS THAT HAPPINESS DOES NOT RESIDE IN FINDING AND 'PURSUING YOUR PASSION.' ITS SECRET RESIDES IN SURRENDER TO SELFLESSNESS, RESIGNATION TO LIFE'S LIMITATIONS. IT ALLOWS, OF COURSE, FOR SAMPLING UNSELFISH LOVE (FAMILY, GOD, CAUSE) UNENCUMBERED BY WORLDLY ADDICTIONS AND SIMPLE PLEASURES OR JOBS WELL DONE. GLENN, WHY NOT JOIN THE RANKS OF NORMALS WHO JUST GO ON LIVING WITHOUT CONTINUAL INTROSPECTIONS, SOME TIMES WITH BOREDOM AND MOST TIMES WITHOUT 'HAVING IT ALL?' THAT'S THE PATH THAT MY PAROCHIAL, LOSER SELF, ROOTED TO A COUNTRY LANE, TRIES TO FOLLOW.