Ahhh....the smell of love in the air or I just drove through Swink..one and the same..

My little Saxettes, sure hard pressed to believe that your favorite author would lead with such a negative title. Is he mad, is he lonely, what would cause this student of Eros to cast aspersions at his favorite past time. This would be akin to a steroid dealer refusing to walk into a weight room out of fear that all the naturally built posers would run him out of town. No, I have not gone all Alaskan rogue on you, but as the minutes tick away ending this officially anointed corporate day of love, as the young ladies working lotion stores attempt to scrub the horrible odor of all the fragrances combined out of their skin, and the sensitive women at Victoria's Secrets lay out those garments which, if paid for by a rate equivalent to how long they stay on a body, would bankrupt this peddler of these "why even bother to put it on trinkets" in a matter of days.

The problem, in my rambling mind, is the notion that, not dissimilar to other holidays meant to remind us to behave in a certain manner towards fellow human beings, for many it is a temporary fix. What prevents anyone for showing love and kindness on a daily basis to those they care about. I am not talking about buying the bouquet, or the candy, the card, but just basic, genuine acts of love and kindness.

Just like the other mentioned times in which, from the depths of who know where, we find a sudden rush of sympathy, compassion and understanding for fellow human beings, it all seems to be governed by the Gregorian calender rather than from inside our souls. Basis human kindness towards others is a rare virtue in a world flooded by a media which reports the vile nature of the rhetoric between those who govern our life. The idea of discourse aimed at advancing our society and at least attempting to guarantee all who live in it has been reduced to petty squabbling by petty individuals. We walk around this society more concerned about why we are not immediately responded to by text than examining a remedy for the inhuman conditions many live in as we enter the 21st century, a youth who feel entitled to privileges that most of us in the past were taught had to be earned. These are to but to name a few of the concerns we see in this world.

But within the collective soul of humanity, there are incredible answers to all these problems if we are willing to listen to each other and work together. As I develop more bag lines because of the passage of time, there is incredible hope in a time of despair. If we can only look inside ourselves for that basis goodness that exist in all of us, the answers will come to us if we only listen.

This notion was affirmed as I sat in a pew at one of our local religious gatherings listening to music. As I sat there, one of our fellow human beings who is in a bad way for now sat near me. As he removed his worn and tattered hat and unshouldered a backpack that probably carried everything he owned, he sat there enjoying the incredible sounds that permeated that building. I was there not to listen to scripture, but to see the praise band play, he seemed to be there to get out of the cold and rest. Then, this man, as lyrics talking about forgiveness and redemption were being sung, began to cry. Quickly, the crying turned to sobbing as tears streamed down his weathered face into a beard that was grey and matted. By the time I had returned, one of the older woman seated nearby had given this poor soul some tissue and was wiping these bloodshot blue eyes. And the band played on. I soon realized that this man had brought me to tears as I watched him deal quietly with whatever had brought on this cathartic episode.

Who was this guy? What was his story? Had I no friends in my time of need could that have been me? Had a person bent on my destruction and humiliation been successful, would I have resorted to a life of anonymity among the faceless people on the street? As I watched the look of empathy on the faces of those more affluent but just as human who were seated within earshot of this man, I was hopeful that their care and concern would extend outside the confines of a church and was confident that these people would have done the same if they saw him on the street. Being who I was, when the band stopped, I made like a banana and split prior to the sermon.(Been waiting to use that line from my favorite show for years).

Therein lies faith in humanity, for if this group could transfer this love that generated from their soul for a total stranger, then there is still incredible hope for all of mankind. It is in pockets that we can make a difference if we only make the effort. Even if we do not have all our own wits about, this does not prevent anyone from growing as a human being based upon their interaction with another.

We must learn to unleash our love and fulfill our inherent duties to others while not being tethered to a season for doing so. Giving of yourself and sharing experiences not only enhances the lives of others, but moves you forward in this quest for a happy, fulfilling and rewarding life. After all, isn't that what we are here for?

So Sez,
Sax