There Are a Lot

 I have a moniker I use for myself associated with a YouTube account.  I thought at one time I would publish under that moniker.  But I've decided at some point to use my real name, but I do have a few accounts where I use "Brother Ralphie" for my name.  And because it is a name that at least sounds religious, I get a lot of YouTube videos that are spiritual in nature.  But I hardly ever respond using that moniker.

I'm no longer interested in being Brother Ralphie on-line.  There are those who know who Brother Ralphie is and for this reason, using my real name doesn't hide anything.  But my point is that I thought at some point I could be some kind of Spiritual guide for others.  But instead of offering advice, I choose rather to listen.  Some people just need someone to listen.  

I believe listening is what I do best.  I don't seek advice from anyone, and I have found that all I need is for someone to just listen.  But I don't need the world to listen to what I have, if anything, to say.  People who seek advice post their problem and wait for others to respond.  And they do.  Reddit is a good forum for this, as is  even Facebook.  One, I don't take advice well, but too being a Spiritual person, I have my own guides that no one could understand.

I listen to the Spirit to guide me, but that means humans are often over ridden.  I can't explain this in a million years, so I don't.  And for this reason, it would be difficult at best to give advice to most anyone.  Maybe one exception might be wife or family, but even then I meditate on problems and know everything will work out for the best.  In my thinking it always does.  

So, if I were to be some kind of Spiritual guide, all I could do is listen without interference.  Some people just need someone to listen.  I enjoy smoking my pipe while listening taking to heart the words of C. S. Lewis who once said a pipe closes the mouth of the foolish.  I find pipe smokers make for the best listeners.  One might want a reply, but instead a pipe smoker might inhale, exhale, tamp down the ashes in his pipe, and repeat, maybe over and over again before saying anything.

This gives him time to listen.  If I'm not smoking a pipe, I will imagine that I am.  I've had my best conversations with other pipe smokers.  My wife knows when I am on the lanai here, or anywhere I might be smoking a pipe.  But these days I am never far from her.  I might be typing on my phone, or listening to YouTube and if she thinks I'm not paying attention she asks I put my phone down.  But I DO listen.  It's what I do best when I'm not doing two things at once, unless it's smoking my pipe.  That's when I listen the best.  Thank you for your time and Peace to each one of you.

Dave