A Lullaby for Dreamchasers Everywhere

Hammock - Breathturn from David Altobelli on Vimeo.

Triple Digits... Finally!

It took awhile, but we finally crossed the 100-post mark.  Thanks to everyone who has stopped by!

We're hoping that over time, if we build it, the peeps will come.  That is, if we do our jobs correctly and follow through on our own goals, dreams and ambitions.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to send them along.

Have a great day or night out there, wherever you are.   Make it count!

Best wishes,
The Dream Team

Sade -- Soldier of Love

Here's to Sade for releasing an album of sensuous rhythms and passionate lyrics that matter.  I'm playing this again and again to buck up against the nonsensical, oncoming headlines:

Dalai Lama Claims China Set to Wipe Out Buddhism

After reading about the unconscionable massacre which recently occured in Nigeria, I've been wondering whether we're getting anywhere as a species.  Progress comes in fits and starts, if you can call it progress at all when such abhorent acts of primitive brutality can still exist.  Maybe as individuals we move forward.  But collectively, I'm not so sure.

As the Dark Ages showed us, advances made in previous ages can easily be wiped out.  Periods of tolerance and rationality give way to interludes of hatred, ignorance and repression.  No gains can be taken for granted.  Education and ongoing discourse are paramount to keeping dignity, compassion, love, decency and goodness alive.

READ MORE ABOUT THE DALAI LAMA'S COMMENTS HERE

Thank You, Fellow Dreamers!

I can't tell you how inspiring it is to log in and see posts from Jewlsdeluxe and Kamots alongside my own.  Even though Jewls was being a bit snarky, her point on rowdy Buddhists is well taken, and definitely in the spirit of this blog.

My fondest hope is that this becomes an ongoing dialogue about dream pursuit.  It certainly is not meant to be a one-way conversation. 

And thanks, Kamots, for the tip about Jessica.  I well know about her, but was boycotting the whole deal since it seemed to me like a new fad had been launched, a crazy child's crusade to see who could be the youngest to do suchandsuch.  What's next, infants setting off in a tub to float around the globe?

Once again, however, I'm always happy to be corrected in my ignorance.  (Which happens more often than I would like.)

What a great group this is -- Dream Teamers indeed!

Chasing a dream all the way around the world

On October 18, 2009, 16-year-old Jessica Watson set sail from Sydney, Australia in her attempt to become the youngest person to ever sail unassisted nonstop around the world. She is presently almost directly south of Madagascar, heading for home across the Indian ocean on the last leg of her journey. I have followed her blog since shortly before she set out, and I recommend it as an encouraging, inspiring read. One of the most moving entries is that of December 30, 2009, when she faced her first test of challenging weather, and a dolphin showed up and stayed with her the entire time until the storm had passed. I highly recommend spending some time reading this young lady's blog about the pursuit of her dream; she is, literally, in the midst of the chase, and I would encourage you to follow her home.

When Monks Behave Badly

I had to look this up, since I couldn't remember all of the details, but I did remember reading about this some time ago. Anyway, here's a link to a Times Online story about Buddhist monks jailed for their involvement in a riot in Tibet. To note, the story says the rioters were apparently Tibetans angered at Chinese rule.

Can't say I blame them.

Apparently, if you Google Buddhist, Monk, Riot and Violence, you'll get quite a few hits. Here's another one

The lede from this 1998 Independent story by Richard Lloyd Parry follows:

IT SOUNDS like a scene from a Bruce Lee film, or perhaps one of the wackier Monty Python episodes: rival gangs of martial arts monks beating up one another, throwing one another down the stairs and bombarding one another with potted plants, stones, petrol bombs and fire extinguishers. But this was the scene yesterday in Seoul, the South Korean capital, after 12 hours' fighting between members of the country's biggest Buddhist sect.