It’s not at all uncommon for me to spot a hawk perched proudly in a tree alongside the highway, or purposefully soaring over the median in search of small prey. 

Yesterday, while driving along Route 8 in Connecticut on the way to Jess’ parents house, I thought I saw just that.  But after a second look I realized that it was actually a Bald Eagle!  I have never had the opportunity to spot one of these rare birds outside of a zoo or magazine.  So naturally I was excited.  So excited, in fact, that I smacked my head on the doorframe of my car as I quickly craned my neck so that I could continue to watch as the eagle flew perpendicularly across the highway. 

For some people, this wouldn’t be anything to get worked up over, either because they’ve seen many an eagle, or maybe they just don’t care.  But I get excited everytime I see a hawk common to the area, so you could imagine the adrenaline working when I saw something entirely new.  Besides, I try to really take in every experience, even if it is "the same", it’s technically never the same. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a camera more powerful than the one built in to my cell phone, and so we didn’t stop and try to capture a photo of the bird.  But it makes me regret times like that when I don’t divert my course of action to enjoy a spontaneous moment.  This time I was also without camera, but that’s no reason not to indulge!  Of course, that also means I don’t have any pictures to share, save the ones I can paint with words.

Either way, it was very cool.

So we called the guy we had won our “free” cruise from, and it turns out it’s not free at all.  Not even a little bit.Basically, the deal is that he works through another travel agency, and basically does the work of funneling people to them for some cut of the profits, no doubt.  

However, it was a better deal than we could find ourselves.  At least, that’s what a quick search tells me.  But not by much.  So the question becomes, do we book the cruise ourselves for an additional $50 or so solely on principle?  Or do we succumb to the symbiosis and leech off him as he leeches off us?  Remember, he had said that the cruise itself was free.  

We would only have to pay taxes and port fees.  Or maybe, that’s all their is to the cost of a cruise?  In any case, he deceived us, and I don’t like being deceived.  Not even a little.  I also really REALLY cannot stand the fact that people gouge all things related to weddings, and only want to make tons of money off people who are getting married.  That’s one big reason our wedding is small.  Damn the man!

The “real” travel agent is scheduled to call us on Monday, so we are going to ask them a few questions about what is included in the money we’re paying them, and what else we should expect to have to pay for.  If it is even a little shady, we’re out.  

We’re also going to do some more extensive searching to see if we can find a cruise for less.  Though, like I said, he did get us a pretty good price on a room with a picture window during peak season…  But was it good enough.  That has yet to be seen. 

So I decided to do another fast yesterday, and a thought struck me.

From what I can recall of the bible and other religions, fasting is a regular part of life if you follow the guidelines set by them.  Which is interesting, because from what I gather, you should fast regularly to allow your body to catch up.  Additionally, from what I’m learning, you shouldn’t eat meat or other animal (dairy) products in abundance.  Mostly because it’s difficult for your body to break down.  So if you do, then you especially need to fast.  And it’s probably a good idea to pass on meat, say once per week?  Jeez.  That sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

So, the old religions already knew this, and passed that wisdom on.  Wisdom from God (Which someone told me the ancient hebrew translated from the bible actually literally translated to “Powerful Ones”.  Aliens maybe?  I dunno, I’m not going to go that far.  Just something to think about). To me, God is everything. All the laws of physics and nature… that’s all God.  Know what else we got from God?  Don’t eat pork.  Why?  Just ask Chris Rock.  Or, think about it a little.  Poorly cooked meats, pork in particular, carries parasites and bacteria that are harmful or even fatal to humans if not properly prepared.  Technology that was unavailable at that time.  So it would seem either that people were eating poorly and getting sick, so it seemed God was punishing them.  Or there was someone who knew their shit, but needed a way to convince the populace to practice healthy eating habits.  And if history has taught us nothing else, it is that if you want to make a large group of people do what you want, you need a religion.

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking.  Tom really doesn’t like or believe in religion.  Not true.  I don’t believe in a lot of parts of religions the same way some people do.  I believe that you need to learn the religious texts and ceremonies for yourself and let the message of those speak to you.  Not the priests.  Though they can sometimes be very helpful, they can also be harmful.  What I believe is that oftentimes, things can be misinterpreted, and that’s dangerous.  Basically, I don’t believe everything I’m told just because someone told it to me.  I like to discover things on my own, with God’s help. Sometimes, if you pay attention, God will speak to you, but not in words.  They say God works in mysterious ways, which I wholeheartedly believe.  But there are many people out there who will try to tell you exactly what God is saying to YOU.  I find that extremely hard to swallow.  Especially when I was in church school and I found everything they told me contradicted what I had learned from the bible.  At that point I made it a mission to read it for myself and make my own conclusions.  You’d be surprised what you can find with an open mind.

Anyways, I digress.  My original point was that I had noticed the interesting coincidence between Ancient Religious traditions and how they relate to modern health practices.  Additionally, I remember learning that among the many revolutionary things Jesus did, he also ate reclined (lying on your left side), just like the Romans did.  This was extremely controversial, but then again, so was much of what he did.  The reason for this being that it makes it easier to digest.  The same reason certain teas and desserts started.  Some things, such as Peppermint, Anise and Ginger, all aid in digestion.  And there are many things which our bodies struggle to digest.  Especially when you add in all of the chemically engineered products that are added to our foods today.  Which is why I mostly eat organic, natural foods, and prepare all my own spices and sauces as often as I can.

I have also decided to put myself on a schedule of fasting and less animal products.  Basically, you have to maintain a balance.  If you eat something difficult to digest, you must then give your body a chance to digest it.

I also believe that many references to the devil in the bible are just generic references to some malady that befell mankind.  The actual devil (Satan), the cast down angel, is clearly a replacement for Prometheus,  who, if you know any Greek mythology, was cursed for giving wisdom to mankind.  Interesting that the Church doesn’t want us to have wisdom, and yet readily hands it out in the bible.  Sounds like someone was trying to repress the knowledge-givers, so they made a system of doling out that wisdom right under their oppressors noses.

So anyways, I make connections like this all the time, and am always open to change, so if you feel I’m wrong, or blasphemous, or maybe you want to hear more of my thoughts on the matter, please leave comments!  I am very open minded and always willing to admit my mistakes, as love the opportunity to expand my mind.