Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: New winds are two edged swords ("When people call themselves brahman )
On Feb 21, 2008, at 6:23 PM, Marek Reavis wrote: Sal, let's switch next time around. ** Deal, Marek. :) Sal
[FairfieldLife] Re: New winds are two edged swords ("When people call themselves brahman )
Sal, let's switch next time around. ** --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Sal Sunshine <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Feb 21, 2008, at 12:04 PM, Marek Reavis wrote: > > > Life -- it's like a metaphor for surfing. > > Marek, in my next life I want to come back as you. > > Sal >
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: New winds are two edged swords ("When people call themselves brahman )
On Feb 21, 2008, at 12:04 PM, Marek Reavis wrote: Life -- it's like a metaphor for surfing. Marek, in my next life I want to come back as you. Sal
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: New winds are two edged swords ("When people call themselves brahman )
Thanks for the kind words. The public defender was not really a bad man. The system did not give him much of a choice because of the prejudice of the community that would have lynched my grandson just a generation ago. And to his credit, the lawyer recognized that this boy is a really good young man (the goodness of "conaturality") and honest, even when it goes against him to tell the truth. The boy and the lawyer both understood the irony: it was telling the truth that got Aaron in trouble, and it took telling a lie in a shameful plea-bargain that saved him from prison. I could see that this was not easy for the lawyer. Yet, they manipulated the situation so successfully that fear of the alternative made his mother and his attorney counsel the boy to tell the lie, while tying my hands so I could say nothing--while all within me was screaming, "Make them go to trial!" I've promised Aaron I'd write his story. --- Marek Reavis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Angela, you and your grandson have my sincere > sympathy. It's been my > experience that anyone who has had to interact with > the criminal > justice system, regardless of how they're involved > or on which side > of the "V." they fall, find it very much a maddening > arrangement. > > There is very strong pressure from the Courts, law > enforcement and > the system as a whole to "move things alongs" > expeditiously and make > it easier for the system to put people away. Public > Defenders > frequently have to deal with being labeled "dump > trucks" for the > common perception, which unfortunately is sometimes > true, that they > don't care about their clients and are merely part > of the system that > is prosecuting criminal defendants. I tell my > clients that, as a > Public Defender, my role, if nothing else, is to be > sand in the > vaseline of the system; to make it difficult and > costly for the > system to deprive my clients of their liberty; to > make the > prosecution prove their case and not just roll over > because it means > less work for me or the prosecution. Fortunately I > work in an office > and in a jursidiction where most of the public > defenders as well as > most of the criminal defense bar operates within the > same ethos. > > That's what the Constitution mandates, and what was > ratified in the > landmark 1963 case, Gideon v. Wainwright, that was > the basis for the > development of all the different Public Defender > systems throughout > the USA. ( > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gideon_v._Wainwright ) > > It's unfortunate that your grandson's appointed > attorney apparently > didn't do as good or as zealous a job as the > Constitution requires, > but it can be a hard job and a draining one, too, > and the temptation > to just go along can be difficult to resist. I feel > lucky that I > didn't get into this line of work until I was nearly > 50 and I still > had all my idealism intact. Maybe if I had started > in my mid-20s I'd > have become jaded and cynical by now. > > Your grandson is very lucky to have you in his life. > > Marek > > ** > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Angela > Mailander > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Marek, God bless your hands. > > My black grandson was in the hands of Fairfield's > > criminal justice system when I returned from > China. > > If I hadn't been there, they would have knowingly > sent > > an innocent sixteen-year old boy to an adult > prison. > > I was able to reign them in because I made them > > understand that I was capable of watching their > every > > move and making very loud and intelligent noise > about > > them. Had I had your advice, I might have been > able > > to keep them from making lie in a plea-bargain > > arrangement which cost him probation and > registering > > as a sex offender till he's almost thirty. Tell > me, > > just for example, what kind of court-appointed > defense > > lawyer refuses to depose the alleged victim? And > when > > I made enough noise about it, deposes him, but > asks > > not one pertinent question? > > > > > > > > --- Marek Reavis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > Angela, one of the great satisfactions in my > life is > > > to meet with a > > > client in jail (and for the very first time), > and > > > have her/him say > > > that they were really happy that I'm their > attorney > > > because they've > > > heard about me from other inmates and they know > that > > > they are in good > > > hands. > > > > > > ** > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Angela > > > Mailander > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > Such a person would be awesome in the > courtroom, > > > > Marek. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- Duveyoung <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > > > > > > > "Marek Reavis" wrote: "A truly good person > is > > > in > > > > > the flow of life, > > > > > the Tao. In that flow ownership of action > > > doesn't > > > > > exist because > > > > > everything is
[FairfieldLife] Re: New winds are two edged swords ("When people call themselves brahman )
Angela, you and your grandson have my sincere sympathy. It's been my experience that anyone who has had to interact with the criminal justice system, regardless of how they're involved or on which side of the "V." they fall, find it very much a maddening arrangement. There is very strong pressure from the Courts, law enforcement and the system as a whole to "move things alongs" expeditiously and make it easier for the system to put people away. Public Defenders frequently have to deal with being labeled "dump trucks" for the common perception, which unfortunately is sometimes true, that they don't care about their clients and are merely part of the system that is prosecuting criminal defendants. I tell my clients that, as a Public Defender, my role, if nothing else, is to be sand in the vaseline of the system; to make it difficult and costly for the system to deprive my clients of their liberty; to make the prosecution prove their case and not just roll over because it means less work for me or the prosecution. Fortunately I work in an office and in a jursidiction where most of the public defenders as well as most of the criminal defense bar operates within the same ethos. That's what the Constitution mandates, and what was ratified in the landmark 1963 case, Gideon v. Wainwright, that was the basis for the development of all the different Public Defender systems throughout the USA. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gideon_v._Wainwright ) It's unfortunate that your grandson's appointed attorney apparently didn't do as good or as zealous a job as the Constitution requires, but it can be a hard job and a draining one, too, and the temptation to just go along can be difficult to resist. I feel lucky that I didn't get into this line of work until I was nearly 50 and I still had all my idealism intact. Maybe if I had started in my mid-20s I'd have become jaded and cynical by now. Your grandson is very lucky to have you in his life. Marek ** --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Angela Mailander <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Marek, God bless your hands. > My black grandson was in the hands of Fairfield's > criminal justice system when I returned from China. > If I hadn't been there, they would have knowingly sent > an innocent sixteen-year old boy to an adult prison. > I was able to reign them in because I made them > understand that I was capable of watching their every > move and making very loud and intelligent noise about > them. Had I had your advice, I might have been able > to keep them from making lie in a plea-bargain > arrangement which cost him probation and registering > as a sex offender till he's almost thirty. Tell me, > just for example, what kind of court-appointed defense > lawyer refuses to depose the alleged victim? And when > I made enough noise about it, deposes him, but asks > not one pertinent question? > > > > --- Marek Reavis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Angela, one of the great satisfactions in my life is > > to meet with a > > client in jail (and for the very first time), and > > have her/him say > > that they were really happy that I'm their attorney > > because they've > > heard about me from other inmates and they know that > > they are in good > > hands. > > > > ** > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Angela > > Mailander > > wrote: > > > > > > Such a person would be awesome in the courtroom, > > > Marek. > > > > > > > > > > > > --- Duveyoung <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > "Marek Reavis" wrote: "A truly good person is > > in > > > > the flow of life, > > > > the Tao. In that flow ownership of action > > doesn't > > > > exist because > > > > everything is flowing with their intentions, > > like > > > > having the wind at > > > > your back." > > > > > > > > Marek, > > > > > > > > Thanks for using that popular metaphor -- it > > > > suddenly hit me from a > > > > new angle. (So keep using those old saws out > > there > > > > people!) > > > > > > > > To have the wind at one's back, it turns out, is > > > > merely one side of > > > > the concept. > > > > > > > > There's the other side too. > > > > > > > > Case in point: To be literal, a "lesson" that > > all > > > > trikke newbies have > > > > happen to them is that they start out trikking > > with > > > > the wind at their > > > > backs, but it is such a slight breeze that they > > > > never notice it; then, > > > > when they decide to return home, the same > > pathway > > > > now has this > > > > "hurricane" blowing them to a standstill. Oh, > > > > there's another "wind" > > > > too: a Trikke is lovingly called a "invisible > > slope > > > > detection device" > > > > by trikkers, because if you're just learning how > > to > > > > carve, you find > > > > out that virtually no surface is level and that > > in > > > > one direction you > > > > can trikke pretty good as a newbie, but in the > > other > > > > you cannot go > > > > even a
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: New winds are two edged swords ("When people call themselves brahman )
Marek, God bless your hands. My black grandson was in the hands of Fairfield's criminal justice system when I returned from China. If I hadn't been there, they would have knowingly sent an innocent sixteen-year old boy to an adult prison. I was able to reign them in because I made them understand that I was capable of watching their every move and making very loud and intelligent noise about them. Had I had your advice, I might have been able to keep them from making lie in a plea-bargain arrangement which cost him probation and registering as a sex offender till he's almost thirty. Tell me, just for example, what kind of court-appointed defense lawyer refuses to depose the alleged victim? And when I made enough noise about it, deposes him, but asks not one pertinent question? --- Marek Reavis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Angela, one of the great satisfactions in my life is > to meet with a > client in jail (and for the very first time), and > have her/him say > that they were really happy that I'm their attorney > because they've > heard about me from other inmates and they know that > they are in good > hands. > > ** > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Angela > Mailander > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Such a person would be awesome in the courtroom, > > Marek. > > > > > > > > --- Duveyoung <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > "Marek Reavis" wrote: "A truly good person is > in > > > the flow of life, > > > the Tao. In that flow ownership of action > doesn't > > > exist because > > > everything is flowing with their intentions, > like > > > having the wind at > > > your back." > > > > > > Marek, > > > > > > Thanks for using that popular metaphor -- it > > > suddenly hit me from a > > > new angle. (So keep using those old saws out > there > > > people!) > > > > > > To have the wind at one's back, it turns out, is > > > merely one side of > > > the concept. > > > > > > There's the other side too. > > > > > > Case in point: To be literal, a "lesson" that > all > > > trikke newbies have > > > happen to them is that they start out trikking > with > > > the wind at their > > > backs, but it is such a slight breeze that they > > > never notice it; then, > > > when they decide to return home, the same > pathway > > > now has this > > > "hurricane" blowing them to a standstill. Oh, > > > there's another "wind" > > > too: a Trikke is lovingly called a "invisible > slope > > > detection device" > > > by trikkers, because if you're just learning how > to > > > carve, you find > > > out that virtually no surface is level and that > in > > > one direction you > > > can trikke pretty good as a newbie, but in the > other > > > you cannot go > > > even a single foot forwards -- until you truly > learn > > > how to work the > > > beast. Can't call yourself a trikker until you > can > > > go up a steep hill! > > > > > > To have the wind at one's back (God's help) and > not > > > be enlightened -- > > > , prepare for a shock any second! You're > going > > > along great and > > > think you're on top of things, then suddenly > your > > > direction in life > > > changes and you come to dead stop without any > > > resources to move > > > forwards at the easy-peasy pace you were > enjoying > > > just moments before. > > > One thinks one's really trucking entirely on > one's > > > own merits, then > > > OOPS! where's my support of nature go? I have > this > > > happen all the > > > time to me when a scenario requires me to have a > > > whole notch more > > > compassion or insight or other personality > dynamic, > > > and BANG, there I > > > am with no real traction and a lot of growth > needed. > > > > > > I'm reminded of Karna, Arjuna's evil twin, who > had > > > this tapas-earned > > > boon that would have wiped out Arjuna's whole > army > > > in a blink, but > > > when he went to use it (a mantra that basically > was > > > like pulling the > > > trigger on an atomic bomb) he couldn't remember > the > > > damned mantra! > > > Just like that, suddenly, Karna came up short -- > > > thought he was a big > > > shot -- "It's all downhill from here, Baby!" -- > but > > > when the direction > > > of the battle changed, he suddenly found that > all > > > his powers were for > > > naught, and that he was lacking the ability he > truly > > > needed to call > > > himself a complete warrior (trikker) -- in this > case > > > it was his > > > inability to retain subtlety while in the heat > of > > > battle. > > > > > > Trikkers know all about subtlety, let me tell > ya! A > > > small scattering > > > of pebbles can getcha plowing the sod with a > > > shoulder if hit them > > > "just so," and a "light wind" can slow one down > so > > > much that people > > > with aluminum walkers start shooting by like > hot-rod > > > teens! Oh, the > > > shame of it if one doesn't have the chops to > meet > > > the challenges of > > > wind and pebbles. > > > > > > So, thanks, Marek, for a new ins
[FairfieldLife] Re: New winds are two edged swords ("When people call themselves brahman )
Angela, one of the great satisfactions in my life is to meet with a client in jail (and for the very first time), and have her/him say that they were really happy that I'm their attorney because they've heard about me from other inmates and they know that they are in good hands. ** --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Angela Mailander <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Such a person would be awesome in the courtroom, > Marek. > > > > --- Duveyoung <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > "Marek Reavis" wrote: "A truly good person is in > > the flow of life, > > the Tao. In that flow ownership of action doesn't > > exist because > > everything is flowing with their intentions, like > > having the wind at > > your back." > > > > Marek, > > > > Thanks for using that popular metaphor -- it > > suddenly hit me from a > > new angle. (So keep using those old saws out there > > people!) > > > > To have the wind at one's back, it turns out, is > > merely one side of > > the concept. > > > > There's the other side too. > > > > Case in point: To be literal, a "lesson" that all > > trikke newbies have > > happen to them is that they start out trikking with > > the wind at their > > backs, but it is such a slight breeze that they > > never notice it; then, > > when they decide to return home, the same pathway > > now has this > > "hurricane" blowing them to a standstill. Oh, > > there's another "wind" > > too: a Trikke is lovingly called a "invisible slope > > detection device" > > by trikkers, because if you're just learning how to > > carve, you find > > out that virtually no surface is level and that in > > one direction you > > can trikke pretty good as a newbie, but in the other > > you cannot go > > even a single foot forwards -- until you truly learn > > how to work the > > beast. Can't call yourself a trikker until you can > > go up a steep hill! > > > > To have the wind at one's back (God's help) and not > > be enlightened -- > > , prepare for a shock any second! You're going > > along great and > > think you're on top of things, then suddenly your > > direction in life > > changes and you come to dead stop without any > > resources to move > > forwards at the easy-peasy pace you were enjoying > > just moments before. > > One thinks one's really trucking entirely on one's > > own merits, then > > OOPS! where's my support of nature go? I have this > > happen all the > > time to me when a scenario requires me to have a > > whole notch more > > compassion or insight or other personality dynamic, > > and BANG, there I > > am with no real traction and a lot of growth needed. > > > > I'm reminded of Karna, Arjuna's evil twin, who had > > this tapas-earned > > boon that would have wiped out Arjuna's whole army > > in a blink, but > > when he went to use it (a mantra that basically was > > like pulling the > > trigger on an atomic bomb) he couldn't remember the > > damned mantra! > > Just like that, suddenly, Karna came up short -- > > thought he was a big > > shot -- "It's all downhill from here, Baby!" -- but > > when the direction > > of the battle changed, he suddenly found that all > > his powers were for > > naught, and that he was lacking the ability he truly > > needed to call > > himself a complete warrior (trikker) -- in this case > > it was his > > inability to retain subtlety while in the heat of > > battle. > > > > Trikkers know all about subtlety, let me tell ya! A > > small scattering > > of pebbles can getcha plowing the sod with a > > shoulder if hit them > > "just so," and a "light wind" can slow one down so > > much that people > > with aluminum walkers start shooting by like hot-rod > > teens! Oh, the > > shame of it if one doesn't have the chops to meet > > the challenges of > > wind and pebbles. > > > > So, thanks, Marek, for a new insight into the > > support of nature being > > an all time reality for the enlightened who are > > always sliding down > > the gravity well with the wind at their backs -- > > it's a free ride all > > the way! They're surfing, always in freefall, and > > wondering what the > > rest of us are talking about: gravity? eh? whacha > > talkin' 'bout > > gravity? There's no gravity! > > > > Edg > > > > > > > > > Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com >
[FairfieldLife] Re: New winds are two edged swords ("When people call themselves brahman )
Comment below:
**
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Duveyoung <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> "Marek Reavis" wrote: "A truly good person is in the flow of life,
> the Tao. In that flow ownership of action doesn't exist because
> everything is flowing with their intentions, like having the wind at
> your back."
>
> Marek,
>
> Thanks for using that popular metaphor -- it suddenly hit me from a
> new angle. (So keep using those old saws out there people!)
>
> To have the wind at one's back, it turns out, is merely one side of
> the concept.
>
> There's the other side too.
>
> Case in point: To be literal, a "lesson" that all trikke newbies
have
> happen to them is that they start out trikking with the wind at
their
> backs, but it is such a slight breeze that they never notice it;
then,
> when they decide to return home, the same pathway now has this
> "hurricane" blowing them to a standstill. Oh, there's
another "wind"
> too: a Trikke is lovingly called a "invisible slope detection
device"
> by trikkers, because if you're just learning how to carve, you find
> out that virtually no surface is level and that in one direction you
> can trikke pretty good as a newbie, but in the other you cannot go
> even a single foot forwards -- until you truly learn how to work the
> beast. Can't call yourself a trikker until you can go up a steep
hill!
>
> To have the wind at one's back (God's help) and not be enlightened -
-
> , prepare for a shock any second! You're going along great and
> think you're on top of things, then suddenly your direction in life
> changes and you come to dead stop without any resources to move
> forwards at the easy-peasy pace you were enjoying just moments
before.
> One thinks one's really trucking entirely on one's own merits, then
> OOPS! where's my support of nature go? I have this happen all the
> time to me when a scenario requires me to have a whole notch more
> compassion or insight or other personality dynamic, and BANG, there
I
> am with no real traction and a lot of growth needed.
>
> I'm reminded of Karna, Arjuna's evil twin, who had this tapas-earned
> boon that would have wiped out Arjuna's whole army in a blink, but
> when he went to use it (a mantra that basically was like pulling the
> trigger on an atomic bomb) he couldn't remember the damned mantra!
> Just like that, suddenly, Karna came up short -- thought he was a
big
> shot -- "It's all downhill from here, Baby!" -- but when the
direction
> of the battle changed, he suddenly found that all his powers were
for
> naught, and that he was lacking the ability he truly needed to call
> himself a complete warrior (trikker) -- in this case it was his
> inability to retain subtlety while in the heat of battle.
>
> Trikkers know all about subtlety, let me tell ya! A small
scattering
> of pebbles can getcha plowing the sod with a shoulder if hit them
> "just so," and a "light wind" can slow one down so much that people
> with aluminum walkers start shooting by like hot-rod teens! Oh, the
> shame of it if one doesn't have the chops to meet the challenges of
> wind and pebbles.
>
> So, thanks, Marek, for a new insight into the support of nature
being
> an all time reality for the enlightened who are always sliding down
> the gravity well with the wind at their backs -- it's a free ride
all
> the way! They're surfing, always in freefall, and wondering what
the
> rest of us are talking about: gravity? eh? whacha talkin' 'bout
> gravity? There's no gravity!
>
> Edg
>
**end**
Edg, it's really difficult not to always relate everything to surfing
since it's the perfect metaphor for life. If given half a chance I
find myself talking like one of the sea turtles in Finding Nemo.
Kind of like you and Trikking -- groovy.
I love your "invisible slope detector" term, and that's what a good
life cultivates, I feel; and a good life includes meditation ("it's
what intelligent people do" - R. Williams) or something similar to
meditation.
We're catapulted into this life with absolutely no choice in the
matter or idea of what's happening (puffed rice shot from cannons)
and somewhere along the way we start taking stock of what's going on
in our life and how do we 'work' this thing and sooner or later we
learn to detect and take advantage of all the invisible slopes that
make up the greater part of our lives. The better we become at
detecting and utilizing these slopes, the easier and more enjoyable
our life's trajectory. Just like Trikking.
And it's so totally like surfing. It's been a year since I started
and it's only been recently that I've surrendered my title of the
world's worst surfer to some other hopeless doofus cracking his head
(like me) one more time as he clumsily falls *onto* his board rather
than off it. Oftentimes I'll spend two or three hours in the surf
and catch maybe a half-a-dozen good waves (and screw up on half of
those) and finally while wading back
