So what's with the name of my blog? Ripples On The Road? Ripple is the name of a Grateful Dead song, one of, if not my favorite, tune by the Grateful Dead. It's a very simple song with deep meaning to me. Here is a link to the song on Spotify, and the lyrics are below:
Ripple
If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung Would you hear my voice come through the music Would you hold it near as it were your own?
It's a hand-me-down the thoughts are broken Perhaps they're better left unsung I don't know Don't really care Let there be songs to fill the air
Ripple in still water When there is no pebble tossed Nor wind to blow
Reach out your hand if your cup be empty If your cup is full may it be again Let it be known there is a fountain that was not made by the hands of man
There is a road no simple highway between the dawn and the dark of night and if you go no one may follow That path is for your steps alone
Ripple in still water When there is no pebble tossed Nor wind to blow
You who choose to lead must follow but if you fall you fall alone If you should stand Then who’s to guide you? If I knew the way I would take you home
Lyrics By: Robert Hunter
Music By: Jerry Garcia
Per our trusty dictionary, -Ripples are small waves or a series of waves on the surface of water usually caused by an object dropping into it or a slight breeze. If you look at the ocean, the waves begin as ripples. Science says they are caused by energy passing through water, causing it to move in a circular motion. But water does not actually travel in waves. Waves transmit energy, not water, across the ocean and if not obstructed by anything, they have the potential to travel across an entire ocean basin.
Like the energy in the ocean, there are ripples or waves of energy in our world outside of the ocean. Most of the time, we are utterly oblivious to the ripples/waves we cause with our energy and the effect those ripples have on family, friends, complete strangers, and the world at large. Nonetheless, the ripples continue in ignorance and disbelief. My understanding is we are all connected and all the same. Nobody is better than anyone else. We all want answers to the tough questions in our life, our minds and egos demand that we do, we all want to know…
I think the reality is, we are all the same and connected in ways we can’t comprehend. And because our minds can’t comprehend it, we dismiss it, so we call it faith, or a belief. Our common sense or logic tells us that we are different and separate, that there is a world out there and we're in it and God or science created it. Einstein once said, "common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down in the mind before the age of 18." He also said, " The only real valuable thing is intuition." And " The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination." Whether you're a fan of Einstein or not, you have to admit he was pretty smart. All I'm saying is there is much more to life than what we were taught as kids, by parents who didn't know any better and probably weren't happy themselves, but God forbid you ask that question. I know I wouldn't have without getting smacked.
I think we are all connected, and that there is no separation between us, the world, and God. We are all ripples and cause ripples, on the road or wherever we find ourselves.
Be well, my friends. Take good care.
Mahoney & Portia
