In the movie Forrest Gump, Forrest describes the unpredictability of life with the iconic quote, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.” Well in this post, I’m going to describe life in these turbulent times by using not chocolates but rather the metaphor of an ocean wave—including the inevitability of a positive outcome…
First, a lesson from Mother Nature. There are several stages of a wave:
- Formation—A wave starts far out at sea, usually caused by wind blowing across the water’s surface and transferring energy into the water, forming ripples.
- Growth and Travel—The nascent wave travels across the deep water as a rolling “swell” that rises and falls as it moves forward.
- Shoaling (Wave Builds Up)—As the wave approaches the shore’s shallow waters, the bottom of it drags against the sea floor causing friction that slows the wave’s base while the top continues moving quickly. The wave height increases and becomes steeper and more peaked.
- The Critical Point: the Poised Peak— The wave’s energy reaches its maximum tension: gravity pulling down, forward momentum pushing ahead, friction holding back. It crests into a tall, sharp peak and appears to “hang” there seemingly frozen at that peak.
- Breaking—When the wave’s slope becomes too steep and is poised at its peak, it can no longer support itself, gravity takes over and the crest topples forward, crashing down in a chaotic, powerful, roaring, swirling vortex of water like a giant washing machine. If you’re caught in it, the weight and momentum slams you down, knocking your feet out from under you and pulling you under. The various currents of the vortex pull you in different directions. Visibility vanishes because of bubbles and churned sand, sound is muffled to a roaring rumble, you become disoriented—not knowing which way is up, you’re trapped in the vortex, and breathing is impossible.
- Swash—After breaking, the wave’s remaining forward energy pushes a smooth sheet of frothy water up onto the beach. It rushes up the beach until all the energy is expended so it slows and then stops in a fizzle and bubbles.
- Backwash (the return to the sea)—Eventually, all of the wave’s energy is gone, and gravity reclaims the sheet of water. The water reverses and rushes back toward the ocean, often interacting with incoming waves and reshaping the shoreline.
Ok, with that little lesson in oceanography complete, here’s the metaphor:
Consider the forward motion of the ocean to be the path of U.S. history beginning back when the country was founded…
- The wave forms—The “wind” of “freedom from taxation without representation” results in the Bill of Rights and Constitution being written. These visionary documents enshrine certain freedoms— but only for a narrow group. After heated discussion by the founders, compromises include that the promise of equality leaves out enslaved people, women, Indigenous peoples, and non-property-owning men. Likewise, there’s a disagreement about state vs. federal power. These unresolved issues combine to form a ripple from the very beginning of our democracy.
- The wave moves forward in time—Some of the revolutionary “wind” pushes those original issues (and new ones) forward in the “ocean” of history. They rise and fall in a rolling “swell” with a particular issue occasionally rising up to the surface—often accompanied by violence—then being submerged again without resolution by the opposing/predominant “wind.” Like a Civil War that didn’t really resolve the issue of slavery as intended; it just pushed it along.
- The wave builds and builds—Over time, the issues and conflicts grow bigger and bigger.
- The wave reaches a critical point—Egged on by increasingly strident voices on one side and too much complacency on the other, the wave of our history reaches its peak with the 2024 election and hangs there until Inauguration Day 2025.
- The wave breaks into a chaotic vortex—Once in office, the new administration implements policies and actions (with the complicity of other branches and levels of government) that stir up every one of those original conflicts—and more, and we’re pummeled right and left with one horrendous, catastrophic action and situation after another.
And that’s where we are now: we’re in the “washing machine” part of the wave: the chaotic vortex. We’ve been knocked off our feet and are being flung violently around. There’s roaring noise from the loud “turbulence” around us—so it’s hard to discern what’s real and true. We’re disoriented and don’t know which way is up. It feels like we’re trapped and can’t get out.
Instead of just one issue rising to the surface, the actions of these perpetrators (as well as others globally) have brought up ALL of our unresolved issues, for example, the intolerance, hatred, and even violence against anyone who is “other”; a multitude of injustices; the inequality of the “haves vs. have nots”; states vs. federal powers; and a lot more.
But just like it’s inevitable that the energy of the breaking wave runs out, and the water smooths out into a sheet toward the beach, I and MANY others believe that it’s inevitable that our current “turbulent” process will be resolved and we’ll find our footing again as a country, and globally as Humanity. Then we can rebuild what’s currently being damaged or destroyed. And because now we’ve observed all the weaknesses in the system that were taken advantage of by unscrupulous persons, we can rebuild it so it’s better and stronger. For example, we can make sure “guardrails” are codified and not assumed.
Regardless of how the corporate media makes it appear, the perpetrators of the turbulence and their followers are actually beginning to falter. The perpetrator’s poll numbers are tanking fast, and the “red hat” movement is splintering—with many of them becoming totally disaffected.
So questions:
- What if the ever-increasing damaging policies and actions are actually signs of desperation because “they” know they’re losing ground?
- What if their policies and actions are mostly theater intended to intimidate, and to instill fear and paralysis in any “resistance”?
- What if, because of all the “bubbles and churned sand” and the perpetrators’ braggadocio, we don’t see that it’s true that many of their egregious policies are actually being thwarted one way or another (like by the lower courts) or are ineffectual and often even bounce back and damage them? And…
- What if the adage “Congress has the power of the purse” is wrong. That it’s really “We the People” who have the power of the purse? (Case in point: that late night comedian who is back on TV.)
It’s actually WE who have the power in this situation—if we use it. There are waaay more of “us” than the complicit federal and state government officials, and the hardcore red hats combined. We just have to speak up and peacefully drown them out (figuratively, not literally😁) with our positive “wave.”
I really don’t believe that “end times” means the end of Humanity and the planet. Instead, I believe “end times” means the end of an era: Humanity’s long history of unresolved issues and wounds. And I think that our abhorrence of the inhumane and even cruel policies that has us saying “This is not who we are,” means that we’re finally beginning to be able to answer the questions I’ve posed many times:
Who do we want to be as a nation?
Who do we want to be as Humanity?
But right now, I think we all need hope—to understand that we’re experiencing the unfolding of a process whose goal is to wake us up to take action to—once and for all—resolve the issues and heal the wounds that have been made obvious by this “turbulent water.” And to create an entirely new reality—a New Paradigm.
I’m completely confident that we will. It’s inevitable. “We” just have to make it happen.
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P.S. In light of the ever-escalating actions by the perpetrators that are intended to distract and demoralize—“Look over there (so you don’t see what we’re REALLY doing here)”—I urge you to be especially discerning about your news sources, to limit the amount of news you consume, and to be careful to differentiate between sensationalistic, fear mongering pundits’ opinions vs. actual facts. I also urge you to not take anything the perpetrators say at face value; and pay attention to (and don’t freak out at) what they say they’re going to do—not everything they threaten to do gets implemented. Not by a long shot.
P.P.S. As I said, “WE just have to make it happen.” So I urge you to make whatever your inner-knowing tells you is your contribution to this process. Maybe participate on the 18th, or donate $$ to a worthy cause, or volunteer at a food bank, or help a neighbor in need, or even just generate some positive energy to counteract all the negative energy—do something that brings you joy. Do what works for you. We’re all in this together, and we each have a contribution we can make.👍😁
Your Path to Oneness 