Shan't we be quixotic?

Yesterday afternoon I was browsing videos on internet, in hope to understand the dismal economic situations, and bumped into this video clip from Bloomberg news.  It'd be just a normal one out of the hundreds, had I not noticed (perhaps only my own imagination?) the unnecessary and unprofessional, tricky smile on Margaret Brennan's face, 4:00 into the video, when Ron Paul was first mentioned.  Then Ron Paul's photo/video were pulled in.  Suddenly for the first time I connected Ron Paul with the image of Don Quixote, and Margret, one of the hottest and popular female news anchors in NYC, with the Duke and Duchess in Cervantes' fictional work, the arrogant high class who exploited Don Quixote's delusion for their own entertainment and cared little about their own honor.


I then came to realize that I could not be the first person to see this connection for Ron Paul, so I googled.  Right, I was far from being the first.  Media referred to his being "Quixotic" often in a somewhat derogatory manner; while some of Ron Paul's supporters proudly claimed that's a badge of honor, and they made a video out of Ron Paul's pictures with "the impossible dream", the song from the movie "Man of La Mancha".  


I absolutely love the term "quixotic" and proudly adore "quixotic" Ron Paul. 


Don Quixote was delusional.  But I doubt this mad man's story would have become one of the greatest literary fictions if the whole point is just that Quixote was delusional.  It is more the message than the man.  Honor, pursuit of dreams, protection of the weak, romance, justice, performing good deeds, persistence... Well, some Dukes and Duchess might not have interest in really learning what it is all about.  So be it.


Ron Paul is not delusional.  He is a brilliant human being who understands the real crisis this nation faces, and he sticks with his purely principled stance, albeit unpopular, being a sturdy flag for his followers.  


Do I agree with him on everything?  Still learning and debating myself, I cannot answer yet.  But I definitely like his views on issues such as sound money, non-aggressive foreign policy, free trade, etc.  But these aside, what I adore him most is his integrity and his being "quixotic".


He never minded casting the only one dissident vote in Congress.  He does not pick where and when and to whom he applies his philosophies.  He is utmost consistent.  He has been devoting to what he believes in, active on the front line fending off arrows and bullets to get the messages across.  BTW, he was a great medical doctor too having helped many in his community.


With such qualities, even if that person stands on the opposite side to myself, I will still respect him.


Before knowing of Ron Paul, I did not realize that I am actually a romantic heroic character too.  What is life to us?  A good education, then a decent salary, a spouse, a house, a couple of kids, and some vacations?  Is that all?  Might be, for some; might not be, for many others.  I adore people who do "silly" things to pursue passions, to chase after dreams - "silly" in forsaking the tangible comfort and/or pleasure.  Ron Paul is an excellent example.


I'd like to conclude with the lyrics of  "the Impossible Dream".  May we all be courageous, be true to ourselves, and living without regret - only so can we say it with a peaceful smile that "I lived" in the death bed.


It is the mission of each true knight...
His duty... nay, his privilege!
To dream the impossible dream,
To fight the unbeatable foe,
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go;
To right the unrightable wrong.

To love, pure and chaste, from afar,
To try, when your arms are too weary,
To reach the unreachable star!

This is my Quest to follow that star,
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far,
To fight for the right
Without question or pause,
To be willing to march into hell
For a heavenly cause!

And I know, if I'll only be true
To this glorious Quest,
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest.

And the world will be better for this,
That one man, scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove, with his last ounce of courage,
To reach the unreachable stars!

Sophia's painting

Sophia is my friend Yan's daughter, not even 5 years old yet.  Yan showed me this photo of one of Sophia's paintings the other day, and I was so impressed that I had to ask for a copy and since then having been "showing off" to many friends as if I was showing off "my" daughter :D.

But seriously, look at the use of the color, the blending of it, the details, the composition of stillness and motion, and that was entirely pictured from her imaginative mind.  Not to belittle myself, but I guess I would have a hard time emulating her on this front.

How can one not respect children and their abilities?!

I have only met Sophia once, but she has been giving me abundant fun - sharing her creative "language manipulation" skill and bubbling thoughts has been a very enjoyable pastime between Yan and myself, and the amusement is much more safely guaranteed this way than subscribing to a "joke du jour" iPhone app.

Two years ago my favorite Shambhala teacher Joe mentioned the concept of subdue adult arrogance and respect children.  I think it's wise and necessary.

Extinguish not their originality, and trespass not on their solitude. 

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Update on June 2, 2011, 12:22am

It's said that Sophia herself does not like this painting - "it's one of the worst", she said.  I am certainly bewildered by such a shocking twist :-)

My yoga teacher Kevin

**Yoga is not about twisting the body into a pretzel, but about raising self awareness and compassion.

Kevin is my favorite yoga teacher.  He teaches only once a week on our work site.  Without his inspiration I am not completely sure that I will be such a fervent yoga fan.

I have a lot of good things to say about his teaching.  He has a tremendous repertoire of poses and he picks a coherent set to teacher in one class.  And he adjusts combination of poses based on the class size too.  He then compiles them into a fluid sequence and mandates it at a comfortable pace.  This sounds like routine, but if one has experience with different classes, one will not take it for granted.

But what motivates me to write a post about him is not his capability of presenting a good sequences of yoga poses and governing it well, but his spirituality, his amazing characteristics, and his charity.

Practicing yoga without spirituality, to me, is like a pretty face without content in the brain.  And one can sense it right away without the help of x-ray.  Kevin has the aura of energy that all of us student benefit.  His class never fails to energize me up, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

The prevalent form of yoga classes in the western society is mostly physical.  Our classes too.  So he rarely gets any chance in class to talk much beyond the name of poses and instructions.  The spirituality is embodied in minor details in the instructions.  For example, at the final relaxation pr meditation, he would ask us to only watch our thoughts coming and going without judging, "you are not this body, you are not these thoughts, you are not this ego.  There is something mysterious, inexplainable, unfathomable, that is at some corner of you, waiting to be unfolded, filling you in with courage - no fear, compassion - to give somebody this indulgence, gratitude - how can we not be grateful for such abundance, and love - fearless love";  in Samasthiti (equal standing) he would say "be humble" when we need to have chin to chest; "stay in  the present, not the past, nor the future" when he corrects the warrior two pose when somebody either leans forward or backward; when it's a demanding pose, he'd guide us by saying "breathe your way through, with patience, rather than muscle your way through.  Send your breath to any tight spot, physical and mental"...  These simple philosophies work for me on the yoga mat and beyond.

His spirituality does not come in a stoic manner, in stead, he is quite a humorous teacher.  Somebody might step the left foot forward in a high lunge when his instruction demands the right foot, then he would playfully cup his hands around his mouth and broadcast the kind reminder"the other right foot, the other right foot";  when he introduced nagasana (serpent asana) to us, he suggested us to imagine how a serpent slithers, and because "serpent practice nagasana everyday so they do not have low back pain or tight hips"...

Before a class begins, he often asks what we want to focus on that day.  At the end of a class, we usually have 3-5 minutes to practice our favorite poses.  My favorite pose is Hanumanasana (sort of a front split, named after Hanuman, a divine entity in Indian epic Ramayana).  He once told me that my interest in that pose inspired him so he decided to practice it everyday for a few months.  A couple of months ago when he returned from a trip to India, he brought me a gift, Hanuman with Himalaya held on one hand and his club on another, painted on a piece of ceramic tile.  He encouraged me to keep up practicing.

Kevin has been involved in helping Indian kids to go to school.  He and his wife, together with another couple, have been not only offering financial aid, but also visiting the kids a couple of times a year.  He said they have to "bribe" kids' parents first so that the parents will release kids from labor work.  During the most recent visit in Indian, they successfully sent some girls to the school, first time in that area, in fact, to have girls in school.  He told me that it was by accident that he watched a documentary in MoMa then he decided to help.  As he himself mentioned, they are not rich.  The whole program costs them about 6,000 USD every year.  I guess that does not include flight tickets and other travel expenses.  I was quite touched by such amazing things that they have been doing for Indian kids.  I am personally extremely passionate about kids' education.  Such deeds have definitely inspired me great deal.

He organizes a group of yoga practitioners to go on that trip, couple of times per year.  Besides helping kids, they practice yoga.  He told me after his Feb trip that he was already booking tickets for his Nov trip, and he could not wait to go again.  He said he felt super charged each time from the trip.  His passion and optimism, as well as his big smile, are quite contagious.

I enjoy having a few minutes' of brief conversation with him after class, which could go all directions.  I guess he must be at his 50s, but I find that he is glowing youth and energy and hope every inch of his skin.  Compared to the option of spending my life with somebody at a young age but with a blank mind or a polluted mind, I'd prefer companionship from somebody like Kevin.

A friend, Y

Y is a friend at work. 

Most of our features are opposite: I am crazy about sweets but she is not interested, I finally can have my voice to be not too loud in public after being conscious for 2 years and she is trying all she can to increase her voice at a group meeting, we like completely different styles when it comes to fashion...

Yet, we get awfully well along with each other.  Sometimes I joke that Y is my soulmate.  What makes her a "soulmate" of mine?

First she is a fun person.  This is probably not obvious to those who do not get close to her because she appears to be very quiet and sedentary.  She is intellectual,  especially compared to most other females that I know.  She knows a lot of subjects and can carry out a information- or opinion- stuffed conversation.  She is fond of learning new things including new gadgets and new games.  She is actively improving herself although many times the goal is only to entertain herself.  For me, it's fun to spend time with such kind of people.

Second we have good communication: one talks, the other listens, no judgement.  We do not often have the luxury of chatting for long because most of the time we have together is at work.  So our chat only goes lengthy when there is actually such a need.  By now, she probably knows more "skeletons in my closet" than anybody else, but I feel her respect to me has not been dented at all.  I probably know of her share of problems in life than of others', yet I think she is one of the most beautiful person that I've ever known of.  It's her who taught me "he/she is no more, nor less" (than myself).  With empathy and mercy, we provide each other a place to share and shed stress.

“Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away.”  (by Dinah Craik, A Life for a Life, 1859)

Third, she thinks, and she is kind and ethical.  It's important to have both together to avoid being either a push-over or a world-destroyer.

Fourth, Y is independent with a complete "self".  Unlike many people who live for others, she has not lost her own pursuits, not even to her child.  Having a family with a kid, she still cares about how she looks, cares about her own happiness that is not based on anybody else.  Not to comment what is better, I am only saying I like it.  I believe one is not defined by anything external, including her own kids.

What's more, despite the fragile look she possesses, she is in fact strong, smart, and efficient.  Many times, I am shamefully the opposite :-P.

A friend, whom I do not spend much time with, yet magically feel close to and trust, who encourages me, corrects me, and sometimes enlightens me, whose company I utterly enjoy.