Grappling with a Warrior Spirit....

I've been thinking lately.

Can you smell the burning rubber?

Seriously though, I have been trying very hard to take the advice of my mentor in Thailand who says it's time to lay down the mantle, time to put the warrior to rest. He says it's time to hand the torch to those who are younger and have more fighting energy.

The reality is that it seems too soon. I'm not ready.

I still have the fire in the belly and can not seem to squelch it. It's unlikely at this stage that I will be able to walk the path of the peacefully detached.

There are conditions in the world that still enrage me, still make me angry to the instinctual core. It's useless trying to pretend otherwise.

There is value in the warrior spirit and it is needed, just as the peaceful, the detached and the more spiritual are needed. It is all part of the tapestry of this life. We are all needed and integral to the process of making the world better.

While I respect entirely those who have chosen another path, this seems to be mine. I may not be able to change anything single-handedly - but with those others, those who have a gentle voice can join with my louder one and together we can make the world a little better for those who come after us.

So I will continue bringing people's attention to the things that need to be changed and offer solutions where I can. I will continue raising my fist at the injustice and the harm perpetrated on those who are innocent or unaware. I will continue to deconstruct western culture as I see necessary and maybe - just maybe - I can plant a seed. If one person changes his or her way of seeing things and chooses to change behavior in even a small way, I've done my job.

My warrior spirit is too strong to simply put the fire out and retire to my garden. It's too much a part of who I am. It's not like choosing to change my hair color.

As Joan of Arc once said, I won't be looking behind me to see who is following - but I do hope some will listen.

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