Author: Rebecca

We just finished watching Apollo 13 again, for the first time in a long time. I’ve seen it many times before, and every time I do, I get that upwelling of hope, and joy, and triumph when the Odyssey lands safely in the Indian Ocean and the voice of Tom Hanks as Jim Lovell comes on the air, saying, “Houston, this is the Odyssey. It’s good to see you.”

At that point, the entire crew of mission control erupts into claps and shouts of triumph and tears of relief. They, along with the families of the astronauts, and along with the entire world, give thanks and praise for the safe return of the three men of Apollo 13.

Of course Ron Howard’s masterful directing, the superb acting of not only the Apollo 13 crew ~ Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and William _____ ~ but also of the ensemble cast, masterfully led by Ed Harris, of actors peopling Mission Control, and the cast inhabiting the roles of the astronauts families and friends, and  especially the music that wrings the full range of emotion from the audience, all contribute to that joyful up-swelling.

But I think, more than anything else, what taps into that wellspring of hope and joy in me is the portrayal of a world, the entire population of the earth, united in compassion and concern, all sharply focused on one goal: to bring the astronauts of Apollo 13 safely home.

I was young, but I remember the flight of Apollo 13, and the intensity of energy and attention brought to bear by the governments and by the peoples of the world, congress passing a resolution asking the American people to pray for the astronauts safe return, the Pope leading prayers in Vatican City for the same.

That kind of energy, focused in harmony all over the world, is exactly what has been missing in the world for a long time ~ a focused harmony that has as its goal the greatest good for ALL of the people.

I believe that focused, harmonious energy may be the ultimate vehicle of change brought about by the Occupy movement that is  even now uniting the world and illustrating that every human being truly is a member of the global community, with all the privileges and responsibilities such citizenship carries with it.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to find ourselves filled with that same upwelling of hope and joy and triumph for having secured to every single person in the world the right not just to survival but to that abundance of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for ourselves and our posterity” which is, in fact, the birthright of every human being?

It is possible. It is, in fact, easy.

“It isn’t a miracle,” says Jim Lovell of the first moon landing. “We just decided to go.”

Isn’t it time we made the same choice for ourselves and each other?

http://occupywallst.org/article/thousands-gather-foley-square/

. . . and our responsibility, as citizens, to put a stop to it.

I’m posting this on my personal blog because I don’t want to be perceived to be speaking for anyone in the Occupy movement except myself.

There has been some misperception about who, exactly, we are protesting against.

The “rich” or “wealthy” or those in the top 1% of earned income, are not the enemy. I myself hope someday to be, if not wealthy, at least much better off financially than I am now, but even when I am, I would not qualify as a member of the “1%” we’re talking about here.

Indeed, the largest percentage of those who are perceived as rich or wealthy, including business owners, are actually part of the 99% ~ those of us who have been disenfranchised by a government which has been and continues to be corrupted by the 1% of the super-rich corporate “persons” who fund the candidates, government officials, law-makers, and governmental activities that sustain and reinforce their corporate stranglehold on the other 99% of the American Public.

When mainstream media (like the Washington Post: “Who are the 1 percent?” Oct 6, 2011) and others define that 1% as “wealthy earners” they are, deliberately or not, indulging in misdirection and misinformation.

The 1% we oppose are NOT “earners” by any definition, their wealth deriving mainly from the rightly termed “unearned income” of investments etc. ~ which is taxed at about half the rate paid on earned income.

So understand, please, that we, members of the 99%, are protesting against the Wealthiest 1% of Americans NOT those whose earned income is in the top one percent.

To paraphrase Mark Twain: the difference between the two is like the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.

If you want the facts, don’t go looking for them in mainstream media ~ search out the truth for yourself. Here’s a good place to start: 5 Facts You Should Know About the Wealthiest One Percent of Americans (http://www.alternet.org/economy/152601/5_facts_you_should_know_about_the_wealthiest_one_percent_of_americans/?page=entire).

And when you get done with that one ~ I recommend: 5 New Rules for an Economy That Works (http://www.alternet.org/economy/152654/5_new_rules_for_an_economy_that_works) ~

Only, I’d like to suggest one more Rule for that new Economy:

#6: (as Dylan Ratigan suggested when he spoke at Occupy Wallstreet) Apply the NCAA rule to all those who hold government office, from the top down. If you take money from anyone (other than your paycheck), you’re out.

We are the 99%, and this IS what democracy looks like. Join us.

“What if you could be in the midst of a community of world leaders who have Yes! Energy in all areas of their life? What if you could know how they harnessed that energy to continually produce positive results day after day?”
This evening, the first of 44 Yes! Energy Masters, gathered by and including Loral Langemeier, will start sharing their paths to success.

~ ~ ~

It doesn’t seems possible that it’s been nearly two months since I posted to this blog. Have I really been in a funk that long? As it turns out, yes ~ emotionally, financially, and in many other ways more personal still.

This has gone on long enough, now, that I’m unsure, still, of my judgement or abilities or even the worth of what I’m writing right now. It’s a dark place to be in, and its walls are made of thin, darkly translucent rubber that gives when you push against it, but bounces you back at the end, and only rarely breaks.

But like I said a few months back, I won’t give up ~ even though at times like this that’s all I want to do. I will continue to believe that certain people, books, emails, websites, etc. are dropped into my path for a reason.

Like Loral Langemeier, and her Yes! Energy Summit that starts today. I encourage you to go there; look through her website, see what is there that is of value to you, what she offers that can help you to create the life you want for yourself and your loved ones.

Loral Langemeier’s Yes! Energy Summit ~ I’ll be there, listening and taking notes ~ and believing. I hope you will, too.