Establishing....

I was sitting in an interview with a scholarship counselor for Kamehameha Schools. The counselor asked me what direction I'd be going in with my education. Up until that point, I had never thought about it in depth. I just thought that I'd go back to school, apply for the scholarship and make full use of the resources that are available. There is so much funding out there for people of Native Hawaiian ancestry through the Bishop Estate. Bernice Pauahi Bishop, a member of the royal family before the overthrow, established a trust for the children of Hawai'i to provide for their educational welfare. The Bishop Estate is one of the largest, most wealthy estates in the world.

There I was sitting in the interview, scanning my mind for an answer, really wondering what I'd do with my education. Of all the infinite number of answers I could have given, I blurted out that I'd like to establish a Leadership Academy to educate kanaka maoli (aboriginal people of Hawai'i). I hadn't expected that the interview with the scholarship counselor would be so intense. However it forced me to formulate in my mind, within seconds, the driving force behind my desire to return to school. I've kicked around the idea of going to law school. I've experienced a certain amount of satisfaction and have displayed proficiency in reading and analyzing legal documents and figured that might be an avenue to pursue. I've thought about majoring in English due to my love of the written word. I've also thought of taking up History, so as to be able to influence future generations with real history, objective history. Even though I had thought about a major, the real application of it manifested itself in a simple blurb: I'D LIKE TO ESTABLISH A LEADERSHIP ACADEMY TO EDUCATE KANAKA MAOLI!

My mother is Samoan. Her language and culture are still intact in a way that never was for my Hawaiian father. I think of my father's generation as the "assimilated Hawaiian's". The language was effectively colonized out of Hawaiian society until the renaissance of Hawaiian culture in the 1970's. This renewed interest came on the heels of the successful voyage of the Hokule'a, a traditional Polynesian double-hulled canoe. The crew of the Hokule'a successfully navigated their way, in traditional Polynesian fashion, without the use of modern seafaring instruments. It would be many years after that maiden voyage before we would see a resurgence of the Hawaiian language.

The development of "immersion" schools began to take shape in the years following Hokule'a's historic feat. They were modeled after Aotearoa's (New Zealand) Maori Immersion program where Maori children would be totally immersed in the language of their ancestors. Hawai'i followed suit and developed a successful program that still exists today. Hawaiian used to be the official language of the State of Hawaii. I'm not sure if that is still the case. To hear it spoken in leisure today is an enormous feat, considering it was on the brink of extinction just 25 years ago.

I have to give the Department of Education in the State of Hawaii some credit for requiring the study of Hawaiian history in the public school system. You can expect to review the Hawaiian monarchy at the 4th grade level, the 7th grade, and the 11th grade. (I wonder if the Oklahoma school system requires the study of Native American history. Does anybody know?)

There are several immersion programs in Hawai'i beginning in pre-school and continuing all the way through high school and beyond. There is a highly developed Hawaiian Studies program at the University of Hawaii as well as BYU-Hawaii. Even with all these things in place, I felt there was a few components missing in influencing a generation of kanaka maoli. I would like to see LEADERS. Real leaders with the ability to reason within the context of their culture and moral human behavior. Philosophical leaders that esteemed themselves highly and would take full responsibility for teaching and perpetuating their values.

I have not fully developed the idea of the LEADERSHIP ACADEMY but I find that it might be something worth looking into. First, because it instantly sprang from my mouth when I was asked what I'd like to do with my education. Second, I think it is a worthy goal to pursue in contributing to the preservation of my ancestral heritage. I love Hawai'i!

I believe we are each placed on this earth for specific reasons, to serve humanity with our unique talents and abilities. I feel privileged to be made up of the DNA that connects me to Polynesia. I feel such great pride to have a degree of melanin in my skin that makes me not-white. May the Creator find purpose in me to do HIS work and not mine.


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**Bernice Pauahi Bishop Photo Credit
**Canoe Photo Credit

In Search Of My Piko: Alabama

In a previous post, I gave a brief definition of piko. The piko is, literally, the navel in the language of Hawai'i. Figuratively and symbolically it can be referred to as the center, as the umbilical cord, as the thing that connects you to your surroundings. I bring that up only to say that I have always been umbilically connected to the islands of my birth. Hawai'i! I miss it immensely and have only been gone from it's beautiful shores for 10 days now. When you marry someone that is not from the islands and does not ever connect to the land (as is the case with myself and my husband), you may be forced to leave the 'aina; the land. It pained me to leave, as was evident in my previous posts. Yet here I am, surrounded by land, without an ocean or large body of water in sight.

While I am here, I must find my piko. I must find the thing, the place, the 'something' that is here on this continent that will wholly and umbilically connect me to this land. This is the land of my husbands ancestors. The slave blood in his veins, the same blood that soaked this earth several decades ago is what draws me nearest. The struggle, the heartache, the need to overcome insurmountable odds beckons to me and I am intrigued. The "strange fruit" that once hung from the tree's in these parts baffles my mind. How could one group of people condemn another based on the color of their skin and the circumstances through which they are born? I find myself drawn to the struggle that once was, drawn to know the woeful slave narratives of yesterday. In this, I connect to my own human experience.

I am in search of my piko! Will you come along on my journey?

Hawai'i Aloha

I spent the weekend in Maui without my laptop. Thanks to my handy cell-phone, I twittered my bunz off and updated my facebook profile often.

Maui is so gorgeous. It used to be my favorite island but it lost some of its charm with all it's recent housing developments and strip malls. I didn't get to visit as many places as I had wanted to since I was on the island to help at a Youth Conference. This was not a leisure visit. I am glad, however, that I was able to hang out in Iao(pronounced ee-yow) Valley. That was probably the highlight of my stay there.

The many tourists that trample the valley contrasts so boldly against the legends that surround the valley, the bloody battles that took place there, and the symbolism of the phallic formation. We sat at the foot of the stairs that lead to a breathtaking view of Iao needle and broke out in Hawai'i Aloha.

I was in Maui with a singing group, many of us of Hawaiian heritage. There we were, singing such a beautiful song, in a beautifully ancient setting; all of us breaking out into traditional, Polynesian 3-part harmony. It was truly moving and I did shed tears of extreme longing for the Hawai'i of yesterday. A Hawai'i before my birth into this world. The Hawai'i that was free of American capitalism in it's earliest stages -- American/ Christian missionaries. **heavy sigh**

E Hawai'i e ku'u one hanau e
Ku'u home kulaiwi nei
'Oli no au i na pono lani ou
E Hawai'i, aloha e

E hau'oli e na 'opio o Hawai'i nei
'Oli e! 'Oli e!
Mai na aheahe makani e pa mai nei
Mau ke aloha, no Hawai'i

TRANSLATED:
O Hawai'i, O sands of my birth
My native home
I rejoice in the blessings of heaven
Hawai'i, aloha

Happy youth of Hawai'i
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Gentle breezes blow
Love always for Hawai'i

Ironically, this song is credited to a Christian minister, Lorenzo Lyons, who was born in Massachusetts and set sail to Hawai'i in 1831. He died here after erecting over a dozen churces in 1886. The words of Hawai'i Aloha are sung using the tune of an old hymn, "I Left It All With Jesus".


**Photo Credit

The Secret Life of Bee's and the Ramblings That Were In My Head

The Secret Life of Bees... I just got through watching the movie. I attempted reading the book several years ago but was thoroughly uninterested in the way the story was moving. I wonder if the movie is how the author intended the story to be portrayed.

In the media, there is an archetype and/or stereotype given to American Black women, pre-civil rights era. It is termed the "mammy" archetype. (FYI: According to wikipedia, "mammy" is now a slur.) The characters in the movie that portray these archetypes are Queen Latifah as well as Jennifer Hudson. They both mother a little Caucasian girl who is in search of someone to love her.

I don't necessarily object to the implied relationship between the little white girl, played by Dakota Fanning, and the "mammy's" because the story is probably a product of the time period. It astonishes me though that the same story is perpetuated throughout American Culture, in several American-made movies. White "savior" saves the brown people from themselves, as though we are helpless without them. I think of movies like The Last of the Dogmen starring Tom Berenger. He saves an ancient tribe from the outside world. Dances With Wolves - Kevin Costner gets absorbed by a native american tribe. The absence of multi-ethnic characters in the media of yester-year is staggering.

How a society views themself is shaped by the stories that are told. A hundred years from now, maybe two or three hundred years from now, what will our posterity say about us? That "grasshopper", from the Kung-Fu dramatic series of the 1970's, could only be played by a white male (David Carradine)? The role was written for Bruce Lee but he was too Chinese. Is that the story America will leave for it's posterity? That the founding fathers of the United States purported to believe that "All men were created equal", yet every single one of the people involved with the American Revolution owned slaves. Are these the only stories that can be told to America?

In traditional Polynesian cultures, we enjoy oral history. Western philosophy requires things to be written before it is considered a valid entry into it's history. However, Polynesians didn't need the documentation for proof. Our proof is in the stories that are handed down from generation to generation, in our genealogy that is carefully, painstakingly preserved in chant.

Children of Hawai'i grew up with stories of Maui, the demi-God who pulled the islands from the ocean so that we could live and flourish; who stopped the sun from progressing too quickly across the sky. My favorite, above all, are the tales of Pele the Fire Goddess. Though her lava flows destroy everything in its path, the lava creates more land and brings balance to the landscape. Her beauty, her shape-shifting, her jealousy, her love; they make her utterly human. Yet, her ability to create land make her a goddess. These are the stories I want to tell my children one day; that they are part of a beautiful, ancient heritage. That they must have strong, self-assured knowledge of who they are because of where they come from. That they will define themselves and identify wholely with the richness of their birthright.

Stories like the Secret Life of Bees will never fall on the ears of my children. And if they did, I will tell them more of the heritage from which they came. Even if the world would call Polynesians savages, my children will know the stories of our ancestors through me and they can determine who the real savages are. Me and my house will never bend to the whims of popular media. I decide my identity, not based on what "they" think of me but of what I think of myself.

NeenaLove drops the mic

**...Bees Photo Credit
**Grasshopper Photo Credit
**Maui Photo Credit
**Pele Photo Credit

History Lesson : The Angry Hawaiian

The past couple of days have been an emotional journey.

Saturday, January 17th, 2009 marked the 115th anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. I blog on occasion about the plight of the native Hawaiian. Previous entries include:

Stolen

Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act

To mark the tumbling of the Hawaiian kingdom to a handful of Caucasian businessmen who were descendants of Christian missionaries, Hawaiians rallied together and marched down the streets of Waikiki. The march was also in protest of Hawai'i's Governors decision to sell ceded lands for profit. The ceded lands are the crown lands of the original monarchy. When America dethroned the Hawaiian kingdom, the land, according to U.S. Federal law was placed in the hands of the United States. When Hawai'i became a state, the U.S. transferred title to the State of Hawai'i. Kanaka Maoli, people whose ancestry lead back to the ORIGINAL settlers of this land, pre-dating western contact, have yet to be heard on OUR claim to the ceded lands.

The march was a great spectacle of Hawaiian unity for the tourist crowd to examine. I despise tourism!

For an overview of the overthrow, read this article.

The march had me nostalgic for things I have not experienced in this lifetime. Nostalgic for an easier life, void of heavy taxation (income, SSI, licensing, property, etc). Nostalgic for a life where all I have to worry about is feeding my family and providing shelter. Basic human needs!

Anyway, I was quite pleased to find out that my District Representative, Jessica Wooley, marched in the procession on Saturday. I had previously written my concerns to her regarding the plight of the host culture of Hawai'i and she replied with her view on the issue. I'm happy to say that it is in alignment with my own current beliefs.

It would appear that I am an Angry Hawaiian. I am! Is it hard to understand why I feel so strongly? I would like to see Hawaiians governing themselves, to split completely from State and Federal government. I would like to see those all of the lands of Hawai'i come back into our possession. Hawaiians would unite and form our own government and have full autonomy over our destiny. We would allow the U.S. government and its citizens to exist here and they would lease the lands that they are currently on. The highways would remain, maintained by the State and Federal goverment, and they would lease that from the Hawaiian goverment to generate revenue for the Hawaiian nation. There are just so many possibilities!

Wandering Around the Bookstore

I have a serious addiction to Amazon.com and purchasing books. When I was younger, on occasion, our family would go to the mall. My favorite place to be in the whole mall was the bookstore. I could sit there for hours on end browsing titles and reading the first couple of chapters of books that seemed interesting. I loved looking at comic books and seeing the beautiful illustrations. I love looking at photo books of far-off destinations and scenery of distant lands. Books were my escape as a young girl.

As a teen, I was interested in the young adult fiction section but none of the experiences of caucasian teenagers could hold my interest for very long. Their experiences were not similar to mine at all. I consider that most in approaching the writing of my first novel. I want to feed the need of a Polynesian young person perusing the bookstore shelves for books for "us" and about "us". I think about powerful stories like Pouliuli, by Albert Wendt. His portrayal of familial responsibility, as defined by Samoan culture, hurts to the bone. Yet the desire to please family seems universal.

I remember identifying with the Scott O'dell book, Island of the Blue Dolphins. Not only was the main character, Karana, marooned on an island but she witnessed the desecration of her people by foreigners. My 4th Grade Language Arts teacher, Miss Elly Tepper, read a single chapter from this book to us every week. Here I am, 25 years after having first experienced that book, marooned on my island by choice and witnessing the desecration of Hawaiian people and Hawaiian land. I feel so utterly helpless, almost, in regards to the foreigners total disrespect of native people. Had the white man never reached these shores, would my ancestors still be living as Karana did? Would we be able to roam free on our land, fish our waters and truly enjoy life; food and beautiful objects being our only currency? I wonder!

I think of books like The Isis Papers. I never seen this book in a regular bookstore. I acquired it from my ex-husband. The first time I read it, I couldn't even finish it. I thought her ideas on white supremacy and male dominance were beyond wild and crazy. At that point in my life, she was asking me to push beyond my limited experience, beyond reason, to accept her ideas. Now, as a somewhat mature, more open-minded thinker, I see the truth in her words. I laugh at how some of her ideas explain events in history. I warn readers about this book because it will truly push your minds boundaries to its limit! DO NOT acquire this book unless you can stomach extreme description of the male and female anatomy, to say the least.

As an aging adult, time has moved beyond bookstores in the mall to shopping in the comfort of my home. The bookstore has finally come to me. At the touch of a button, millions of books are at my disposal! Thank you Amazon.com, for bringing the book world to me! It truly aids me in my effort to keep my mind quick and strong and free-thinking. I cannot be bound by ignorance with so much knowledge in the universe.

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**Photo Credit: Bookshelves

Pro Pono

I was quite interested in a story that appeared in the Honolulu Weekly, a free publication that is distributed at the local grocery store. The cover reads, Ho'oponopono A Hawaiian sense of peace, and features a photograph of the last ruling monarch in the Hawaiian islands, Queen Lili'uokalani. Also pictured is Gandhi and Martin Luther King. The Queen fits perfectly among the two very public figures of peace resistance. The picture and the title of the cover story piqued my interest.

The cover picture alluded to the fact that the Queen should rank as one of the great leaders of peaceful resistance. However, the story details the life and thoughts of Reverend Kaleo Patterson, a current Hawaiian activist. The beginning of the editorial runs through a list of credentials for Reverend Patterson, from his education to his protest activity.

The article skims the surface of "ho'oponopono" and barely touches the non-violence resistance of the past. I would have enjoyed reading more on the similarities between Gandhi, Lili'uokalani and MLK, Jr. That topic is the name of a class that Reverend Kaleo Patterson offers at the Center for Indigenous Leadership and Peace Making, housed at the US School of Social Work. I suppose if I'd like to know more on the topic, I have to take the class. **giggles**

Many cultures in the world practice "ho'oponopono" in their own way. I interpret it to be a form of repentance and restitution for the sinner/criminal and the victim. If practiced correctly, it allows the sinner to make restitution for his indiscretions until the victims family can fully forgive and accept the wrong and put it to rest.

The act of restitution and forgiveness is all but absent from our contemporary jail systems. The criminal is never allowed to attempt to clear his name and make restitution to the people he has wronged. He is never called to admit his guilt or to ask for forgiveness. Rather, he "does his time" and is released, only to repeat the behavior that placed him in jail in the first place.

Ho'oponopono would work for both the offender and the offended. The offender seeking for forgiveness is an act of humility that places the offender in a state of submission to the offended. The psychological act of forgiveness by the offended to the offender brings a peace of mind that is so absent in contemporary society. Both pieces are necessary for a successful reconciliation.

The story sparked several thoughts for me and I'm grateful I stumbled upon it. As I attempt to adopt ideals into my life, forgiveness ranks at the top of my most admirable qualities.

Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2007

I said in a recent blog how I HATED the Akaka Bill. In the halls of the U.S. Government, the Akaka Bill in its current version is called The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2007. I say it again: I HATE THE AKAKA BILL. To give you a brief overview, Senator Akaka introduced the Bill to gain recognition from the United States corporation for Native Hawaiians. According to Senator Akaka and his supporters, the Bill would allow for a Native Hawaiian entity to operate and negotiate with the United States corporation OR Federal Government and also with the legally termed State of Hawaii. The Native Hawaiian entity would operate on behalf of the indigenous peoples of Hawai'i and mirror other indigenous tribes within the borders of the corporate United States. ie Eskimo's in Alaska and hundreds of Native American tribes.

There are several ideas in the Akaka Bill that proponents argue will be beneficial to Hawaiians. Here are a few of them:

The Bill will begin the reconciliation process of the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai'i.

The Kingdom of Hawaii will gain federal recognition by the corporate United States.

The Bill will force the federal government to provide for Native Hawaiian's in the form of health care, education, employment training, economic development, childrens services, conservation programs.... etc.

If you read the actual bill (click HERE.), it gives a very brief history, in terms of U.S. treaties and Congressional Acts, of the relationship between Hawai'i and the corporate United States. For those not familiar with reading legal documents, pay close attention to the Definitions section of the document. Also, you should reference back to any act mentioned in the Bill. You MUST read the mentioned act in its ENTIRETY. In general, what you see emerging is a mess of legal prose purposely meant to discourage further research. I say, the choice is yours. For me, my mantra is KNOW THE LAW AND BE WELL DISPOSED TO USE IT.

Proponents arguments as mentioned above seem like admirable and noble. On the surface, it would seem that way. Though I could place my own spin on the ENTIRE bill and its verbage, I present my "flip" on just those three items above.

The overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893 was masterminded by a very small minority of white American male's. Most of them Protestant missionaries or descendants of the people that came to "save the heathen's". Surprised? Their greed and appetite for land and power and the subjugation of the Hawaiian race orchestrated the events that led to the overthrow of Queen Lili'uokalani (pictured above). It has been just over a hundred years since the OVERTHROW and today's politicians purport to be apologetic. They tout that this bill will RECONCILE and heal the indigenous people of Hawai'i. How? How does a legal document create this magnificent change? A legal document cannot change behavior nor erase the wrong-doings of the past.

Why would federal recognition be good for kanaka maoli (Hawaiian people)? I assume that people look to the federal government for the "handouts" that come with federal recognition. As I mentioned above, the Bill wants to introduce federally sponsored health care, education, employment training, etc. You get the picture. I have several issues with this.

1. It is reminiscent of the 10 Pillars or 10 Measures of Communism as outlined by Marx and Engels. Go google it folks! You'll be alarmed at how many current U.S. Laws are in harmony with Communist thought. All our freedoms will be wiped from our memory's if we continue to progress down this road. Anyway... free handouts is not my idea of a self-determined nation.

2. The legal verbage in the actual Bill suggest that kanaka maoli (Hawaiian People) are native American's. NO!!!! Hawaiians are NOT native American. Hawai'i is NOT a part of the continental United States and federal recognition would put kanaka maoli in this category.

3. Finally, what has federal recognition done for the Indian Nations that exist in the United states? Native Americans are the MOST regulated group of people. If that is the model for what this Bill sees for Hawaiians, I don't wany ANY parts of it! THE END.

To tie this all back together, my final conclusion is that the AKAKA Bill smells like a pair of funky socks on a hot summer day after playing 3 hours worth of basketball. Nothing good can come of the funky, ole Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2007. Get rid of it. Kick it out. Kick it WAYYYY out. Get in touch with your congressional representative and ASK them to REJECT this bill. VOTE NO!!! I don't want any parts of it.

I'm out!

Stolen

I despise tourism.

I despise foreign-owned holdings in Hawai'i.

I hate that Hawaiian people are living on the beach while foreign investors over-develop what little land is left... cause the property taxes to SKY-ROCKET and cause the "host culture" to be displaced in our own land.

I hate that Hawaiian "blood" will continue to dissipate.

I hate that the UNITED STATES federal government wants to "qualify" Hawaiians.

I hate the Akaka Bill!!!!!

I despise the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

I hate American "nature conservationists". All they want from Hawai'i is to place more and more "conservation" land INTO the jurisdiction of the United States federal government.

I truly despise the thought of my children and the rest of my posterity having to defend this land and keep the foreigners away from land ownership.

I hate that my generation is lulled by a false sense of security that all will be well -- when OBVIOUSLY our rights, our lands and our freedom is continually being stripped from us. WAKE UP!!!

I hate ignorance!

The other day a caucasian male told me that Hawaiian's should "get over" the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. It is exactly this attitude that fuels my anger toward foreigners. I'm amazed that he felt he could speak on it.

I hate that a FOREIGN legal system has been imposed on Hawaiian people and my people are ignorant to the ways to navigate through the legal fodder.

I hate that the prisons are filled with Pacific Island people.

I don't want to assimilate into mainstream American culture!!!

I hate that foreigners have NO concept of Hawaiian values and want to impose their own values instead of adopting ours.

Revolution!!! Protest all that is WRONG! Wake up and DO SOMETHING!!! Get involved. Grass Roots is where its at.

I'm done!!!!

My Weakness: The Antagonist

It is us against them. This is my weakness -- that there must be an antagonist in the story of my life. Me being the protagonist or the HERO.

Lastnight was Husband's birthday. We had dinner at Ruby Tuesday's and watched Blood Diamond after. I wish to share with you my reaction to the movie.

I was moved to tears in several scenes in the movie. The apparent disregard for human life was sobering. I swelled with anger in scenes depicting Black African's killing each other. One side represented the government of Sierra Leone while the other side represented the Revolutionary United Front. Though I can certainly identify with the revolutionary spirit, it seemed that the RUF sought to advance its own purposes at the cost of its own people.

In my own endeavor towards revolution, I do not seek to exploit the plight of my people nor do I wish to place them in harms way. I am awakened to the many atrocities that the foreign man has brought to my shore and I am moved to do SOMETHING! ANYTHING!

The first foreigner arrived in these islands in the late 1700's. This cluster of islands, the most isolated place on the planet, hasn't been the same ever since. The foreign man brought disease, chaos and greed to a people that were very obedient to the will of the Gods and the will of mother earth.

The foreign man changed the political landscape of Hawai'i -- as it was soon discovered that, "He who wields the biggest gun holds the power". The steady loss of power to he who wielded the biggest gun climaxed in 1893 when the U.S. Military docked its ships in Honolulu Harbor, pointed their cannons to 'Iolani Palace, as white, American businessmen demanded that the Queen relinquish her throne or suffer the anihilation of her people.

Had I been there, I would have GLADLY fought the greedy American from invading and occupying my island nation. I would have laid my life on the line to preserve a way of life that was subservient to God and Mother Earth. The sins of white America are lengthy but I reserve judgement because it is not mine to pass.

An American system of government was imposed on my people and it has proven to be profitable for U.S.A. It makes me sad that Hawaiians haven't been given the necessary tools to be able to navigate through America's legal system. Most are content with the free handouts - welfare - and have no desire to lift their level of awareness. My heart burns with sadness at the diseases that plagues the indigenous people of Hawai'i... the greatest being IGNORANCE.

And as Hawai'i turns into a playground for the rich, with skyrocketing property values and a billion dollar tourist industry, my people are being displaced. This land once belonged to the Gods until white America found it, exploited it, continues to exploit it and sells it off to the highest bidder.

REVOLUTION!!!

Hawaiian Mind

Ancient Hawaiian theory on the mind is that there are three levels.

1. Subconscious or the LOW SELF
2. Conscious or the MIDDLE SELF
3. Superconscious or the HIGH SELF

Most of us operate strictly with our conscious mind. Some of us dabble with the subconscious or at least acknowledge its existence. Yet, very few of us have the capacity to accept that God has placed a part of THEM in us and we find this at the highest level.

The subconscious or the LOW SELF is very complex. The term LOW is in reference to being beneath the surface, not as level of importance. It records EVERYTHING. It is our MEMORY. This part of our existence is the TRUE director behind ALL our actions and emotions.

The conscious mind, our MIDDLE SELF is in relation to the senses. Sight, Sound, Scent, Taste, Touch, our ability to reason. This MIDDLE SELF is an energy body, whereas the low self is an etheric body, metaphysical OR a shadow.

The superconscious, our HIGH SELF is our connection to GOD. It is the link to divine heritage. It is the link to other high selves, our ancestors, infinite wisdom and intelligence.

Prayer and meditation help to GROW our higher selves. When we pray for insight or solutions to our day to day problems, we allow the God in us to work its magic. Folks may call this line of thinking, blasphemy. I think it's God's perfect order of things and an affirmation that I truly AM a child of God. A portion of HIM AND HER reside in me.