Gandhi, The Final Chapter

I recently finished reading Gandhi's autobiography. It took me a while, but it was well worth it. Here are some of his thoughts.

My uniform experience has convinced me that there is no other God than Truth. And if every page of these chapters does not proclaim to the reader that the only means for the realization of Truth is Ahimsa, I shall deem all my labour in writing these chapters to have been in vain.

Ahimsa is the Sanskrit term used by Gandhi to describe his philosophy of non-violence.

... a perfect vision of Truth can only follow a complete realization of Ahimsa.

To see the universal and all-pervading Spirit of Truth face to face one must be able to love the meanest of creation as oneself. And a man who aspires after that cannot afford to keep out of any field of life. That is why my devotion to Truth has drawn me into the field of politics; and I can say without the slightest hesitation, and yet in all humility, that those who say that religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion means.

... To conquer the subtle passions seems to me to be harder far than the physical conquest of the world by the force of arms. ... So long as a man does not of his own free will put himself last among his fellow creatures, there is no salvation for him. Ahimsa is the farthest limit of humility.

In bidding farewell to the reader, for the time being at any rate, I ask him to join with me in prayer to the God of Truth that He may grant me the boon of Ahimsa in mind, word, and deed.

Gandhi was one of the most amazing men I've ever come to know. Though I don't know him well, reading his autobiography has given me a glimpse into the man's soul and it has been humbling. I would like to be a man as pure in heart as I believe Gandhi to have been. God bless the man. He did a great deal of good, but did not seek the praise of the world or rich compensation for the work he did. He sought for truth. And in that, I feel a sense of kinship to him because that has become my primary quest in life too.

Cinderella

I heard a song about a week ago on the way to work called "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman. I had heard it before, so I was able to sing along a little. As I listened and sang a few words, I found myself choking up with tears. I haven't listened to a song that made me cry in a LONG time! The imagery of a father, busy with work, but making time for his little girl - that got the tears started. Then thinking of the girl growing up and eventually leaving home - well, that sealed the deal. I couldn't stop crying, thinking about my own little girls and how I want them to have all the good that life can offer, but how it leaves me feeling a little sad when I think of them leaving home someday. It's hard to describe what becoming a father has done to me, but I'm definitely not the same man I was. I'm grateful for the change. Here's the song - the video isn't important. Listen to it once before reading the text at the bottom of this post.



What makes the song even more powerful is knowing that Chapman wrote and published it for his oldest daughter when she became engaged, but shortly after it was published, he lost his five year old daughter in a car accident. Knowing that, listen to the song again. That gives it a little extra meaning that makes me even more prone to tears than just the original, intended message by itself. It makes me want to cherish the relationships I have with my girls and with all of my family, knowing that our time together is limited ... and may be more limited than we sometimes think.

My Girlfriend's Boyfriend

Emily and I watched a really good movie lately called "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend". It's an independent film with a really clever story. It's about a girl who is dating two guys, but neither seems to know about the other. The plot sounds a little weird, but it is REALLY satisfying at the end. I wish I could say more about it, but it would ruin the effect if I did and I don't want to spoil it for anyone. When I finally realized what was going on, I had the most amazing "aha" moment and it had me thinking about it for several hours after the movie was over. The resolution at the end was really well done and I thought it was beautifully artistic.

References to Star Wars, My Little Pony, and Charlie Brown made it kind of fun for someone in my generation and I'm guessing it was written by someone close to my age. We watched it last weekend and then watched it again last night. It wasn't as powerful the second time, but it really helped to put all the pieces together. Great screenplay! Good story. And CLEAN! Who knew people could still make clean movies? To be complete, there are a few references to sex in the dialogue that would likely be lost on children, but I didn't think they were nasty.

Check it out. It fits the romantic comedy genre, but it's just a little atypical. It should make you feel good, but it should also get you thinking. And pay attention to the girl's brother. His character has the funniest subplot and the guy's acting is perfect!

The Casts Are Gone

My son and I got our casts cut off last Monday. Same day. True story. The injuries were completely unrelated, so since they came off the same day, we thought we'd throw a cast-cutting party that night. We had friends over and had cake and ice cream. We probably don't need an excuse like that to celebrate, but whatever works. It felt good to be free of the cast.

I wasn't sure it was my leg I saw when the nurse cut the cast off. The calf had shrunken so small, it looked like a chicken leg. And my ankle was still swollen and so stiff that I could barely flex the joint. I now have a fashionable orthopedic boot to wear around town (for only $95). It looks something like the picture here. No, that's not my leg.

I'm slowly putting more weight on the foot when it's in the boot ... and yesterday, I was able to walk a little bit without my crutches! I'm very proud of myself. I am constantly amazed at the human body's ability to repair itself. I think it's miraculous that a bone can stitch itself back together and make itself almost as good as new.

My son's knee is still pretty stiff too, but it's starting to limber up a little. It's nice to have our bodies healing. My orthopedist has been really helpful, but once we're done with healing these injuries, I think we'll be done supporting our friendly local orthopedists for a while. Emily and I have outlawed broken bones in our family for the next few months.