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Paulette Bodeman's avatar

As you continue to walk the path of your svadharma—your personal dharma —you remind each of us that it is each of our choices and responsibilities to accept the mission. If we're brave enough, because you indicate the path is not always easy, but it is our soul's calling.

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Diana van Eyk's avatar

I get the sense too that the Chocolate Taoist is your true path, Diamond-Michael.

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jesse porter's avatar

Meaning, especially the deep, spiritual, is barely expressible in language. Dictionary meaning barely captures what the soul desires to communicate. Etymology helps, but at its core, language is not much more than grunts, growls, whispers, and exclamations: sounds in reaction to emotions that bubbled up involuntarily to begin with. Linguistics, a field I have barely scratch the surface of may be the key to communication. I majored in communication in undergraduate school. Bluffton Collage, now Bluffton University, barely rose above English and literature. None of my classes even pretended to be linguistics. Most of them were various segments of literature: Shakespeare, poetry, American Short Stories, The Novel, and so forth. I didn't even have a grammar class. Speech and oral traditions just scratched the surface.

I was preparing for secondary English education, but when I got to the classroom, it was in urban poor neighborhoods, then in a vocational high school, which consisted of students uninterested in academic classes. They spent half day in auto repair, culinary arts (really for restaurant work), carpentry, and the like, and half days in English, history, mathematics, and so forth. I was actually trying to teach kids who couldn't read or write. After two years, I returned to trucking and then ten years in logistics management for a manufacturing company. I picked up an MBA before retirement, studying business as it had been done un until about the fifties, not relevant to the nineties and beyond.

But my lifelong love was language, before deteriorated in instant messaging on the internet. Once again my interests and skills were antiquated and on little interest to generations with no desire for depth or skill. I love substack for attracting people who love learning and avoid trivia.

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Diamond-Michael Scott's avatar

That’s quite a diverse education journey Jesse.

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Oma Rose's avatar

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Made my day and I am grateful to you for your being here as a soul friend indeed. You speak a love language that many resonate to and is a gift to your readers.

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Diamond-Michael Scott's avatar

Thank you Oma. That’s kind of you to say.

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Patrick B. Stewart's avatar

I'm glad to have found you and I congratulate you on all of your success so far. It can be a lonely road sometimes, but at least we have some company online :)

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Diamond-Michael Scott's avatar

Likewise Patrick.

BTW- I would enjoy doing a feature of you for The Daily Chocolate Taoist. Please DM me so we can explorer.

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Josie George's avatar

What a manifesto! Gorgeous!

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Barbara Schutt's avatar

Beautiful post! I just heard a podcast recently with Elizabeth Gilbert and Glennon Doyle where they talked of just making a difference and writing for even 5-7 people. Because you never know who will really connect with what you write. Thank you, for being you!

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