Daily Kos is my Community. This is why I feel getting or gifting a life-time subscription is vital. And they aren't gonna be available after December 31st!
I live in the West. I was born and raised in Colorado and spent as much time as possible in the mountains year-round. I've been almost everywhere in the 11 western states and have lived in Oregon and now California. I've lived in towns on the Pacific Ocean and towns in the mountains.
Driving through the western states is really a zen-type experience for me, especially in the deserts. You can tell a lot by how people drive.
There are always those who drive like rockets. They pass every other car and just have to be at the front of every group of cars on the highway they come upon. In their minds, they are competing with everyone else.
They are the Yang Warriors.
Yang Warriors can't keep it up. After passing me hours earlier, they eventually slip into an alpha state of mind. I bypass them now. They aren't aware of it. They weren't aware of me or anyone else, when they passed us hours earlier.
They are individuals - only aware of how they are being affected personally. Oblivious to others and to what surrounds them, they don't feel or experience anything other than the CD they are listening to and the thoughts in their heads.
They are separate.
I drive across the deserts in a consistent and unwavering manner. Persistently aware of everything around me. I am aware of every devil wind and every hawk sitting on telephone wires...every bird in the sky and those prong horns miles away in the distance. I'm aware of every train snaking across the land 20 miles to my left or right. I don't even need to look in my mirrors because I know where all the other cars are.
I'm connected.
Going through darkness and pain with awareness teaches Humility.
Now, I live in a part of the country that is really "red." Locally, I actually have to keep a fairly low profile about how I feel philosophically and politically because I have a business and need to make a living and, believe it or not, the area where I live has such a small population that being really out there about how I truly feel could be potentially damaging, in terms of being able to make a living.
So I lurk in my own community...but I don't lurk in another way...I'm all in!
Finding Daily Kos was truly wonderful for me. I've been here since only June 8, 2008...just 3 1/2 years. For folks like me, DKos isn't only a blog...it is home. It is a world of communities that I've seen grow and mature, even in the time I've been here.
It's organic...infused with life. It's just like Occupy Wall Street. It's where the consciousness of inclusion, acceptance and caring thrives.
There are so many blogs out there that are progressive or left leaning. There are tons of blogs out there about politics or the economy. I visit many of them.
There is nothing, however, like the Daily Kos anywhere out there. A special synergy happens here that is unique. And it keeps changing, growing and learning because it's really an organism. I've seen the end of the "pie war era," a few other scuffles and the recent "purging era." And so it goes. And it grows...and changes, but always for the better.
There is a reason why, and we're all part of it.
Humility and Knowledge is Wisdom
The community here has everything. The most amazing and intelligent people you could ever come across are here! There are people here that are more knowlegable about politics than any media wonk and probably more than 90% of every Congress Critter. There are people here who are at the top of their field in every facet of science and technology.
Everyone shares what they know to teach and enlighten...not for selfish ego neediness. They do so for everyone's benefit.
I learn so much. There's too much. How do you take a drink from a firehose? You just ingest what you can while most of it all just gushes past you. And that's cool as hell!
Wisdom and Compassion is Love
There are people here who will help you in every way imaginable. I've seen people ask simple things, like how to write a diary or format and place pictures in their diary.
There is always someone here to help...just because they can.
I've seen people here that are suicidal and pleading (sometimes enraged with anger!) for help. And help is always there.
I've seen people going through very tough health issues and empathy and compassion is always there.
Heck, I wrote a diary a couple weeks ago about The Affordable Care Act regarding a specific situation in the little mountain town I live in...and this community embraced my message and HELPED me make it better.
The title really needed massaging especially, and so this community helped me do what I could not do alone. There wasn't any selfishness...only joining in helping. The Daily Kos community cared about one little diary of mine because there was something in it that was useful for others...and so others made it better for everyone.
Do you know how special that is?
But then...it wasn't my diary, now was it. It was ours.
I felt gentle wisdom and compassion swooping in...selflessly.
Love and Generosity is Consciousness
Truly, there is only consciousness...and it is not born of separateness.
Consciousness feels and is aware of ---> consciousness. It includes and grows...ever changing, but always in the direction of more and better. New consciousness is born and then is anchored here by all of us.
This is what Daily Kos is. This is where this is happening and continues to happen...one pixel on the screen after the other.
But, they aren't just pixels, are they?
I am a Yin Warrior
It feels right here. I am so grateful to be part of his wonderful community made by all of us for all of us.
Here's a list of folks you might outta think about gifting a DKos lifetime subscription:
9thkvius
aaraujo
Alexandra Lynch
Alfonso Nevarez
akmk
AoT
Avenging Angel
asterkitty
bionic
CayceP
chaunceydevega
Charles CurtisStanley
CodeTalker
Dave in Northridge
DawnN
Debs2
detroitmechworks
DrLori
DSC on the Plateau
ekyprogressive
Ellinorianne has a tech issue, go to gift another person then change out the giftee name in the box
ferment
FindingMyVoice
fly
Geenius at Wrok
gramofsam1
HoosierDeb
HoundDog
James Allen
joe pittsburgh
jwinIL14
JTinDC has a tech issue, go to gift another person, then change out the name in the giftee box
KAMuston
kefauver
keori
KibbutzAmiad
Killer of Sacred Cows
kirbybruno
Kitty
kjoftherock
Knucklehead
ladypockt
LamontCranston
LeftofArizona
leftynyc
Liberal Granny
Louisiana 1976
M E C
makettle
mapamp
megisi
Miss Blue tech issue, start by trying to gift someone else, then switch out names of giftee
mrsgoo
ms badger
MsGrin
Neon Vincent
Noor B
notdarkyet
onceasgt
paulitics
people power granny
petulans
Pithy Cherub
psfinla
pvlb
quarkstomper
raina
rebel ga
Rogneid
roseeriter
rubyr
ScottyUrb
sdf
Siri
Spirit of Life
state of confusion
Steven D
Syoho
tdub901
TexH
The Book Bear
wasatch
watercarrier4diogenes
whatGodmade
Xavier Onassis EMTP
yella dawg
yg17
Youffraita
ZenTrainer
Zoskie
Dingodude
dynamohum