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                                           Otis D. Ritch
                                          PO Box 154935
                                   Irving, Texas 75015-4935

                                    WHERE EAGLES SOAR
                                     “a spiritual adventure”
                                                  by:
                                         OTIS D. RITCH

                             Copyright 2004 by Otis D. Ritch

                                            FOREWORD
    Eighty-five thousand years ago the Red Race migrated in mass from the Mesopotamia area in the Mid-East,
which was the cradle of the Human Race, and came to what is now know as the North American Continent.  They
spread across the length and breadth of what is now know as Alaska, Canada, North America, Mexico, Central and
South America.  In the time that intervened between when they arrived and when the white man came in recent
times their numbers grew to the hundreds of millions.          
    About sixty-five thousand years ago the spiritual deliverer to the Red Race was born.  This highly spiritual
minded man gave the Red Man the concept of the Great Spirit--the one God of all that existed.  In eighty-five
thousand years the noble Red Man developed forms of governments amongst the different tribes.  They also
developed a culture that they used to live with the land rather than ruining it.  They had towns, trade centers,
farms, ranches, highly developed art forms as well as developing a highly spiritual mind.  The noble Red Man is a
highly intelligent people with a code of conduct and ethics that they live their entire lives by.  An Impeccable
Warrior would rather die than to betray his self-adopted code of conduct.  They strive to walk a path of truth,
beauty, and goodness as they follow the leading of the fragment of the Great Spirit who indwells their minds and
creates their souls.  
    There has been the worst holocaust in the history of the world right here in the United States of America.  The
Government conceived and implemented a planned genocide of the humble and noble Red Race for no other reason
than they wanted the land for their own use.  There has been very little written about the spiritual philosophy of
the American Indians.  The Red Man doesn’t talk much to outsiders about their spiritual beliefs and therefore not
much is know by non-Indians.  Suffice it to say that they had a concept of the one God of all Creation for sixty-two
thousand years before Jesus was born or the white man came to this continent.  In this book and the other books
in this series I have included the most profound and comprehensive essence of the spiritual philosophy of the
American Indians that has ever been written.  I wrote this philosophy in the form of the grandfather teachings in
the books.
    In today’s world with the congestion in the cities and the rush of trying to earn a livelihood people don’t seem to
have the time to work on their spiritual growth.  Yet the world needs a spiritual awakening today more than at any
time in the past.  Our world is much confused with the threat of war looming on every front.  Governments are
bleeding the people dry with higher and higher taxes in every country.  The people in power seem to only want
more power while it is the citizens who suffer the consequences.  Society in America today as well as the rest of the
world has become secularized and gives lip service to religion but they won’t allow their God to lead them into the
harmony and peace of the Brotherhood of man under the Father-ship of the God of all creation.  Even worse they
don’t even follow the dictates of their religions that teach love, peace, and harmony.  Rather, all nations kill, rape,
and pillage under the false banner of religion.  It is time that everyone everywhere should step back and take a
long look at where the world is headed and what can be done.  It is time once more to make a consorted effort to
slow down and end the hate and anger that is killing our world and start to live a life of love that all the spiritual
leaders have talked about throughout all times.
    There is hope for this world and the people on it but there must be love instead of hate, compassion instead of
indifference, understanding instead of anger, truth instead of lies, goodness instead of hateful actions, beauty
instead of ugliness.  It is time for all people everywhere to start trying to grow closer to The Great Spirit and start
walking the path of truth, beauty, and goodness.  All people need to find a quiet spot in natural surroundings to
relax, get quiet in mind, and ask the Great Spirit to fill their minds, hearts, and souls with love.
Have you ever been on the back roads of the hill country and stopped to visit with an old-timer who was sitting on
his front porch in his overalls and bare feet leaned back in an old cane-bottomed chair with a couple of hound dogs
laying in the yard?  Have you ever listened to the wild stories he could tell about coon hunting and fighting
panthers in the hills?  And did you get a chill when he told stories of dark nights and things unexplained that he
saw lurking in the shadows?  Stories of witches and haints and maybe legends of the outlaws that once came
through?  And did you hear something in his ramblings that made you sit up and listen closely because it brought a
question to your mind about what this life is really all about?  Something that made you wonder why we are here
and what is the real purpose for our lives?  Something that made you start a search for something missing in your
soul and to continue to search for a spiritual path?  Man does not live by bread alone.  Man must also feed his soul
-- for if life has any meaning it must be found on a spiritual path.   
    This is a story of one mans quest for a quiet place to rest his mind from the work-a-day stress of modern living
in a fast paced world.  He seeks solitude to rest and relax and to regain a balance of his mind, body, and soul.  He
ends up gaining a spiritual awakening that he needed more than anything else.  
This book is an indictment of the moral values, or lack thereof, of today’s society.  In writing it I wanted to
introduce some of the most profound and comprehensive spiritual philosophy of American Indians that has ever
been written.  Second I wanted to present a stark and harsh contrast between the forces of good and the forces of
evil.  The bad guy in this story represents the most debased, gross, and perverted character I could portray. Yet in
the end the forces for good prevail.
    This story presents a story within a story.  At the end of each chapter there is a variation on a theme which
gives glimpses of Johnny SkyHawk and his grandfather when Johnny was growing up.  This is the first book of an
eight book series.  Each book is a complete and exciting adventure story and can stand alone yet I used the same
main character and his descendants through several generations throughout the series.  Each book contains
flashback memories to complement the stories in the form of grandfather teachings.  It is through the grandfather
teachings that the essence of the American Indian spiritual philosophy is presented.  I wrote this philosophy in the
form of the grandfather teachings in the books as a part of the stories.


CHAPTER 1
             “If you are tired in mind and soul seek out a secluded spot to
             enjoy the beauty of nature.  Close your eyes and feel the cool
           breeze on your face and the warmth of the sun while you allow
             Our Spirit Father to regenerate your soul and give you rest.”

    Johnny Skyhawk was one tired Indian.  Not only was he tired in body but his mind was tired also.  He was bone-
weary, tail-dragging, mentally fatigued.  The job he had been on for the past three years was completed and the
boss had just handed out the final checks.  He had also brought a number 3 washtub full of ice and Bud light beer.  
Everyone was hanging around the tub soaking up suds and talking about partying.  Johnny took a beer from the
tub and walked over to where his truck was parked in the lot.  He took off his safety harness and tool belt and put
them in the toolbox on the back of the truck bed.  He opened the door and climbed in and sat with his eyes closed
for a moment.  He leaned his head back against the seat and took a long pull on the beer.  He sat with his eyes
closed and thought back over the three years he had just gone through.  He hated to think about how much steel
he had tied and how much concrete he had poured.  The total would be so many tons that he couldn’t calculate it.  
They had just finished building a large dam and the job had been dangerous and nerve-wracking.  While there had
been several accidents, and some that were quite serious, no one had been killed.  He was glad the job was done
and he could take a few weeks off to rest his mind and body.
    Growing up in the backwoods country in Oklahoma he had had lots of time to walk the mountains and woods
and be close to nature.  While he got along well with people he was just naturally a loner.  While the other men on
the job had gone to the local beer joint after work Johnny had always driven to the outskirts of town to sit and
think while unwinding from the day.  He had managed to save every bit of his money from the job for the past
three years except the money for his room rent and food.  It was not a fortune but it was enough that he would not
have to work for a while.  The company had another project scheduled in California that would start in another
month and they wanted him to go with them.  He was a good worker and had the best safety record of anyone in
the company.  He was good at his job and could help new workers avoid mistakes while being productive and
efficient.  He had been offered a Forman's position but he didn’t want to have the responsibility of the other
workers.  He would rather just do his job and leave the interactions with the men to the bosses.
    As he sat there with his eyes closed and resting for a few minutes he thought back over his early years to a time
he was with his grandfather on the back side of a rugged mountain in an old forest with tall oak trees.  The old
man had taken him to a particular spot where he pointed out a massive tall old oak with twisted branches.
    “My grandson,” the old man had said, “this tree is several hundred years old and it is straight and tall.  It found
the perfect soil conditions to establish a solid foundation of roots so it could grow strong and live for a long time.  
This is what you must do, child, establish a solid foundation to grow strong and live for a long time.”
    Johnny had asked, “how can I grow roots, Grandfather?  I am not a tree.  I am a person and I have to have my
feet free to move about.”
    “Yes Child,” the old man answered, “you are a person but still you must have roots.  You must plant your roots
in your soul.  Your soul is the foundation that your life grows from.  Your soul is the real you and it is the only
part of you that will endure time.  As you look at the old oak tree here notice the many branches and how they
twist and turn.  You can learn a lot about life if you study this tree and think about what you see.  You must look
past the surface of what you see in the world around you.  You must learn to see the spiritual side of things.  The
spiritual part is the real part but you must get past the illusion of the outer in order to understand and learn the
real meaning of life.”
    Johnny had been silent for a minute and had a quizzical look on his face and then he had asked, “what should I
see when I look at this tree Grandfather?  How can I learn to see the spiritual side of things that you talk about?”
The old man smiled and knew that Johnny wanted to learn what he could teach him.  He knew that the child had
an inquisitive mind and thought deeply about what he learned when someone told him anything.  The child wanted
to know the why of everything and this was good.  The old man knew that with enough questions the child would
seek answers all his life and would gain much wisdom.  He needed direction in his life though and the old man
knew that he should teach him everything he could while he was here to help him.  He knew that if he could get
the child to look past the surface of things that he would learn to look at the world in a spiritual way that most
people never knew.
    “Look at the trunk of the tree,” he said, “see how it grows straight and tall until it reaches the sky.  That is how
a man’s life should be child, a path that grows straight and tall and reaches the heavens.  Yet if you will notice
there are many branches on this tree.  Some of them are large and twist this way and that.  A man’s life has many
choices and each choice will take him off the main path and will be a side path with many twists and turns.  Also
you will see many little branches and stems off the larger branches.  These are like the little detours from the
many paths a man may walk.  Life is full of choices and temptations and one may wander far in his travels and see
many things and experience many tribulations as well as pleasures.  The leaves on the little stems are like the
people one may meet in life.  Each one is different in texture and color and size and yet at the same time they are
the same.  Look even closer now and see the branches that have died and are breaking off from the tree.  These
are like some of the side paths a man may travel that lead to a dead end and serve no function, but rather they
just tend to waste one’s time.  You must be careful, my child, to always think about your direction in life and be
aware of your true path.  You must not allow yourself to be distracted by the many side paths that lead to nothing
and that will waste your time.  You will have only a short time on this earth in comparison to eternity and you
should spend your time wisely.”
    Johnny had a perplexed look on his face and asked, “but Grandfather, how will I know if a certain path or choice
will be good or not?  How will I know my true path, and just what is my true path?”
    “My child,” the old man said, “every man’s path is different but yet we are all searching for the same goal.  We
are here to learn and experience and to gain wisdom from that experience.  Our goal is to eventually stand on
Paradise with the Spirit Father who created all things and everyone.  It is our main duty to ourselves to try and
gain as much spirituality in this lifetime as we are able.  I am telling you these things so that you may be aware of
your true path in life, and that is to gain spirituality and grow closer with Your Spirit Father.  All other things are
secondary to this main goal and all other paths are secondary to your main path.  Our choices in life sometimes
lead us off our main path but we should always be aware of our true path and not allow the small detours to take
much of our time.  And now I will tell you that you must develop a set of values so that you will live your life with
your values to guide you.  If you have a high set of values then life’s choices will be much easier to make.  You
must choose your values and incorporate them into your mind and be true to your self by living by those values.”
    “But Grandfather,” Johnny asked, “what values should I choose?  What sort of values can I choose and how will
I know if they are good for me?”
    The old man only smiled because he knew that the boy had no more idea than a haint what he meant by values.  
The boy was only ten years old and had not been exposed to much formal education so he was not familiar with
some words, but he was exceptionally smart and a fast learner.  Having spent much time with his Grandfather he
had quite a store of knowledge of nature and the skills of surviving in the wilderness.  The boy may have been
somewhat illiterate but he was extremely intelligent.
    “Grandson,” the old man said, “the values you should choose are those things that are good and will give you
pleasure in your soul.  Some of the values you should choose are truthfulness, faithfulness, loyalty, honorable
actions, selflessness, altruism, and compassion for those in need.  Your values are the same as your ethics.  The
ethics you live by shows the world what the nature of your character is like and what is in your soul.  If you adopt
impeccable ethics you can always stand proud and tall like this old oak tree.”
    It was nice to think back about his childhood and the wisdom of his grandfather but now Johnny opened his eyes
and sat up straight behind the steering wheel of his pickup and started the motor.  He decided that he would go to
the motel where he had been renting a room by the week and check out.  He finished his beer in one long swallow
and threw the bottle into the back of the truck and drove off.  It was about five miles to the motel and Johnny was
not in any particular hurry.  He had always felt that people in general were in too much of a hurry.  One missed so
much of life when they hurry.  He had been taught by his Grandfather to take the time to enjoy the beauty of his
surroundings as he went about his daily life.  He now looked for the last time on the countryside he was driving
through and picked out the things that he wanted to remember about it.  
    While he was not in a hurry and consequently he was only driving about forty miles an hour, the man in a large
van behind him was visibly perturbed by having to go so slow.  The road was narrow with a lot of curves and not
many places to pass someone else safely.  The man finally laid down on his horn with a long drawn out blast while
angrily motioning for Johnny to pull over or to speed up.  Johnny decided that he didn’t want to speed up and he
didn’t see any need to piss the man off by staying in his way so he pulled off the road at the next place that was
wide enough for him to get off the road.  The man was not satisfied that Johnny had gotten out of his way and
when he passed he flipped him the bird and hollered “dumb ass”!  Johnny just sat there for a short time slowly
shaking his head.  He started thinking about people and the things his grandfather had taught him about how to
look at people.  The day was pleasant and he was relieved to be off the job so he was determined that he would let
nothing spoil his good mood.  He knew that some people were just ignorant and that he could do nothing to change
them so he didn’t usually allow their actions to bother him.  Johnny knew his own mind pretty well and he had
exceptional control of his emotions so it was a rare occasion that anything could disturb his peace of mind.  This
was pretty country he was driving through although some people would think it was pretty barren and rough.  He
liked rough and rugged country and this scenery suited his sense of taste for pretty colors and a rugged look.  He
well knew that beauty was in the eye of the beholder yet this was beautiful country to him.  
    As he sat there taking in the sights of the beautiful countryside before pulling back onto the road Johnny
started thinking back to a time when he had just gone to live with his grandfather.  They had gone to the woods
one day to gather blackberries so they could make some jelly and it was the time of year that everything was lush
and green.  There was a lot of color in the meadows with flowers blooming and the whole mountainsides aglow with
color.  Johnny had remarked how beautiful everything was and his grandfather stopped and sat down on a large flat
rock at the foot of the mountain by the edge of the woods.
    The old man had said, “my boy, it is good that you can see the beauty in nature and have appreciation for the
majesty that the Great Spirit has spread like a blanket over the meadows in the valley and in the woods on the
mountain.  Yet I would have you learn two other aspects of beauty and they are truth and goodness.  You see child,
there can not be beauty in anything false or a lie.  There can not be beauty in hateful actions.  You can only find
beauty where you find truth and goodness.  Beauty is presented on the outside as a reflection of what is in the
inner.  Without truth and goodness on the inner there can be no beauty on the outer.  You will see many things in
your lifetime that men would call beautiful yet you must not be deceived by the false beauty of worldly things that
amuse the masses.  If you would hope to become an impeccable warrior you must learn to look past the physical
and material things of the outside and look into the core of the matter seeking the spiritual aspects of anything to
see the real beauty that it may contain.”
    Johnny was somewhat confused by what his grandfather had said about becoming an impeccable warrior and
asked, “what is an impeccable warrior and how do I become one?  Do you think I should be an impeccable warrior?”
The old man could only shake his head and smile.  He knew that he had so very much to teach the boy and he only
had a few short years in which to do it.  Looking at the child he saw that the boy was not dumb but was just
confused as to the meaning of what he had said.  So he said, “an impeccable warrior is one that walks a path of
truth, beauty, and goodness.  An impeccable warrior lives his life by a set of impeccable ethics and values and
would rather die than betray his honor.  An impeccable warrior lives his life perfecting his spiritual nature until he
can have conscious communication with the Great Spirit.  When that moment occurs he will become a perfected
human and truly an impeccable warrior.  Therefore my son, fill your mind, heart, and soul with the love the Great
Spirit is sending you and keeping your heart focused on that love let him lead you ever onto the path of truth,
beauty, and goodness.”
    Johnny didn’t say anything but had a thoughtful look on his face.  The old man had looked at him for a few
moments and saw that he was thinking about what he had just told him.  Finally the old man arose from where he
was sitting and they continued walking toward where the berry bushes were located.  It took quite some time for
Johnny to fully understand what his grandfather had told him.  His lessons continued for a number of years right
up to the time of his grandfathers death.  
    He sat there thinking for a while and then with a sigh he pulled back onto the road and continued on towards the
motel.  He continued to drive slowly and enjoyed the view as well as the fresh air and the pleasant weather.  
When he pulled up to the motel he noticed the van that belonged to the belligerent man parked at the convenience
store across the road.  It was a large utility van that looked as if it had been converted into a camping vehicle.  
Johnny went into his room and quickly packed all his things in a duffle bag and after taking a last look around
loaded the bag into his truck.  He then went to the motel office to tell the old lady that ran the place that he was
leaving.  He had not socialized much while he lived here although he would always say hello when he saw the lady
about the place.  She was a quiet sort herself, never saying much, and stayed in the office most of the time.
    “I’m sorry to see you go,” she said.  “You have been a good tenant and never caused me any worry.  I wish all
my tenants were as quiet as you.  If you ever come back this way you will be welcome.”
    “I have enjoyed my stay here,” Johnny said.  “But the job is over and it is time for me to move on down the
road.  There are lots to see and a lot of things to do while I am still young enough to enjoy them.  If I ever do come
back this way again you can be sure that I will stop by.”
    He started to get in his truck but changed his mind.  He was going to go to the convenience store for a few items
and since it was only across the road he couldn’t see any sense in driving.  He wanted to stock up on jerky, nuts,
dried fruit, and a few more items that he could carry and eat on the trail without stopping to cook.  He also planned
to get a few canned goods and other things he could heat up and eat without a lot of trouble.  He planned to go to
the mountain country around Sedona Arizona and spend a few weeks camping and hiking up and down Oak Creek
Canyon.  He was tired in mind and body and he knew that the energy level around the mountains there was
exceptionally high.  It was a spiritual place if a person was looking to get in tune with nature and commune with
the Great Spirit.  It was only about a three-hour drive from where he was and he was already beginning to unwind
and relax with the anticipation of the adventure.
    Johnny crossed the road and opened the door to the convenience store but hearing an angry voice he hesitated a
moment before he went inside.  He looked to where the commotion was coming from and he saw that it was the
bellicose man that was driving the van that was parked in front of the store.  He was talking to the beautiful young
Apache Indian girl that worked there as a clerk.
    “What the hell kind of store is this anyway,” the man was yelling.  “I never heard of anyone not taking an
American Express Card.  Hell fire woman I have enough credit on that card to buy this whole damn store.”
    “I’m sorry sir,” the young lady said.  “I can’t take American Express but I can take Visa if you have one.  
American Express charges us too much on each transaction so the storeowner doesn’t take it.”
    “I don’t want to use my Visa for this piddling amount and if you won’t take my American Express Card then I
will just not buy anything,” the man said.  “Hell lady, your prices are too damn high here anyway.  There is a
discount super store down the road and I know they will be glad to take an American Express Card.  Their prices
are a lot cheaper than yours are anyway.”        
    The man raved on for a little bit and then turned as if to leave and saw Johnny standing in the doorway.  “What
the hell are you gawking at dumb-ass,” he asked?  Just get out of the way cause I am going out.”
    Ordinarily Johnny would have just stepped aside and ignored the man but he didn’t particularly like the way the
man had been talking to the young girl behind the counter.  He never did like to see a bully push people around
and this man was surely old enough to know how to act around decent folk.  Johnny decided that this man needed
to learn something now that he should have learned as a child.
    “You know something mister,” Johnny asked?  “That is twice now today that you have called me a dumb-ass,
which is not such a bright thing to do, so I would think that the appellation would be better applied to yourself than
to me.  Also I couldn’t help but notice how you were talking to this young lady and it seems a shame that you
would try to run roughshod over her that way.  I know that your mother probably raised you to be more
considerate than that and I know she would be pleased if you would apologize to this young lady for being so
confrontational and insulting.”
    “Oh, I see,” the man said.  “You are not only a dumb-ass but you are a smart-ass too.  Let me show you how I
deal with a smart-ass.”
    As he said this the man took a wild swing at Johnny’s face with a ham-sized fist.  All this did was prove that
Johnny had been right in saying that the appellation of dumb-ass indeed was applicable to this bellicose and
offensive fellow.  Johnny was not a large man, being only five feet ten inches tall and weighing one hundred and
eighty pounds.  Not having an ounce of fat on his frame he didn’t appear to weigh even that much.  Yet each pound
of flesh that hung on his body was solid muscle and he was at least twice as strong as the average man.  
    Being quick of eye and having super-quick reflexes Johnny simply caught the man’s fist in his hand and then he
started squeezing.  The man’s eyes suddenly opened wide and a look of stunned surprise covered his face.  The
surprised look didn’t last long before it was replaced with an expression of concern and pain.  Johnny kept
squeezing and bent the man’s wrist backward and down until the man dropped to his knees and shrieked out in
anguish.  School was in session and the man was ready to pay attention to the teacher.
    “It must certainly be frustrating,” Johnny said, “to think of yourself as self-important and super intelligent and
then to discover that you are extremely stupid.  I don’t know how old you are but it is amazing that someone has
not taught you to be more polite before this.  It is not a very wise thing to do to call someone you don’t know a
dumb-ass.  It is even more stupid to berate a nice young lady for only doing her job.  The humble position you find
yourself to be in at the present time can be conducive to gaining wisdom or at least to learn to be more discrete in
your actions.  You should practice kneeling more often and talk to the Great Spirit about helping you to become a
better person.  I’m sure if you ask him he will help you to become more altruistic and compassionate as well as
becoming more humble and considerate in character.  Now I think it would be nice if you would apologize to the
young lady here for being such a bore and acting so belligerent.”
    The man cried out, “anything you say, just don’t hurt me any more.  Please let up the pressure on my hand -- it
feels like you have broken it.”
    “Oh it’s not broken yet,” Johnny said, “but if I don’t hear you apologize to the girl here in the next few seconds
it will be.”
    “OK, I apologize.  I’m sorry miss,” the fellow said.  “Now if you will just let me go mister, I will leave and not
bother anyone here again.”
Johnny let up the pressure on the man’s hand and turned him loose.  The man just stayed on the floor for a few
seconds and held his hand while rubbing it.  Finally he climbed to his feet and stumbled out the door.  As he opened
the door to his van he turned and gave a long hard look back at the store and then climbed into the cab and
slammed the door.  He was muttering to himself, that this was not over by a long shot, as he drove off.  
“I hope you are all right miss,” Johnny said.  “I’m afraid there are a lot of obnoxious people in the world and every
once in a while they bother decent folk if they think they can get by with it.”
    “Thank you for helping me,” the girl said.  “I was starting to think the man was going to strike me.  Nothing I
said to him seemed to help and he just kept raving on more strongly.  I know that our prices here are higher than
other stores but we don’t buy in the volume that they do so we pay more on the wholesale price than other stores.  
Also we don’t carry a very large selection of items.  We specialize in those items that people will buy here when the
other stores are closed and they have to have them.  The reason this store is called a convenience store is because
we are open earlier and close later than regular stores and it is convenient for people to shop here rather than wait
for the regular stores to open.  It has really hurt our business since that national chain opened the large super
store up the road.  It has cut our business in half because their prices are a lot cheaper than ours are and they are
open twenty-four hours a day.  The reason that main street looks like a ghost town with all the store windows
boarded up is because the discount store put them out of business with cheap prices.”
    Johnny said, “discount stores started as a way of giving people cheaper prices on the same goods they were
buying elsewhere.  The problem is though that soon people started expecting something for nothing.  Quality and
cheap are two different things.  When more and more discount stores started up the regular specialty stores had to
lower prices to compete.  But what has happened is that in order to lower prices the manufactures had to cheapen  
quality.  Now most items you can buy at a discount store is the cheapest trash the manufacturers can produce.
         When there were only regular stores in rural America they were owned and ran by families that had been in
business for several generations.  They tried to give their customers the best quality products they could find and
they would stand behind the products they sold.  The reason for this was they were selling to friends and neighbors
and wanted to help them.  The storeowners demanded top quality merchandise and the wholesalers demanded top
quality products from the manufacturers.  But people forget their friend that has a store and treats them right
when national chains opens a store and starts selling things retail for less than a regular store can buy it for
wholesale.  Of course the discount corporation buys things by the trainload for thousands of stores.  They don’t
care even a little bit how poor the quality is as long as it is dirt-cheap.  Once they have put all the other stores in
town out of business they raise their prices back higher than the other stores were selling similar items for.  The
really bad thing is the other stores were trying to sell a quality product and discount stores are selling a piece of
crap that is now costing the poor dumb customer more than a good quality product should cost.  In the mean time
all the families that owned stores are out of a job so they either go to work for the discount store at minimum wage
or else they move to a city.  The town then becomes a ghost town.  Major chain discount stores have done more to
ruin the economy in America than any other single thing.  The reason they have such a big smile on their face is
that they have all the business in town and they are padding a large bank account.  People are stupid for buying
stuff from them but the people in this country have been growing more stupid since they have lost pride in quality
goods and service.  There doesn‘t seem to be any family values any more, nor self discipline since both the father
and mother work and the children have to learn their values on the street.”
     “I think you are right Sir,” the girl replied.  “At least that is how it has been in this town.  A lot of people have
moved away and the ones that are still here are driving quite a distance to their jobs.  Most of the people that
owned businesses here have gone bankrupt and some have even lost their homes.  I don’t know how much longer
the owner can keep this store open because he is not making any money.  In fact I don’t know if he is doing
anything except just breaking even.”
    “By the way,” Johnny said, “my name is Johnny SkyHawk.  I don’t think that man will be back to bother you
anymore but keep an eye out for him anyway.  Those kinds of people are on the very edge mentally and it doesn’t
seem to take much to push them over.  I have never understood the bully mentality but there is a lot of it,
especially in large cities.  It must have something to do with the indifference and selfishness that cities generate in
people.  When everyone is in such a rush and never have the time to relax and reflect on life I guess they just tend
to feel bad and start to place the blame outside themselves.  I have been feeling pretty tense myself lately and I
am going to go to the mountain country and enjoy a little solitude to rest and relax.”
    “My name is Lena SweetWater,” the girl said.  “I am certainly grateful that you were here and I hope you have
a nice time in the mountains.  If you come back this way again you will always be welcome in this store.  All the
times you have come in here you have always been a gentleman and you seem to be a good person.  The world
could use more people like you.  It seems as if more and more obnoxious people stop in here since the town has
started falling apart.  I sometimes think I should move away myself but I don’t know where I could move to that
would be much better.”
    Johnny didn’t say anything but instead just shook his head and smiled.  Then he proceeded to pick out the items
he had come into the store after.  It did seem to him that the girl was right and that there did seem to be more
obnoxious people than at any time in the past he could remember.  His Grandfather had told him that when people
are concentrated in one place and conditions became crowded that they tended to become more irritable and
indifferent to the suffering of those around them.  Johnny could understand that because he knew that when
people are trying to earn enough money to feed their family, and it took both the mother and father working to
just exist, they didn’t have time for anything else.  In most large cities a lot of next door neighbors didn’t even
know the people next door.  
   The way the Government was being operated didn’t help matters any.  The Government was originally set up of
the people, by the people, and for the people.  But now it seemed as if the Government was being run by political
parties that had their own agenda and didn’t care what the people wanted or needed.  The Government had become
a parasite bleeding the people for more and more taxes while growing like a cancer on society.  They kept finding
ways to raise taxes without it appearing that they were doing it.  A good example was how they were doing the
tobacco industry.  First the Government subsidized tobacco farmers to the tune of several billions of dollars a year,
which tax payers paid.  Next they started a strong campaign to make the general public not like smoking.  The
campaign was subtle in that it was a gradual thing to  where smokers were being treated like second class citizens
so they could be discriminated against without anyone thinking anything about it.  When there was a strong
enough sentiment against smoking to where no one would object the Government sued the tobacco industry.  
When the tobacco industry lost all the lawsuits they had to raise the price of their product to cover the loss of
revenue from the lawsuits.  
   The Governments purported reason for the lawsuits was to recover the cost of medical expenses that smoking
caused.  This was a smoke screen and people believed it.  Johnny had not seen any evidence that even one penny
went for anyone’s medical expenses.  All that he could see that happened was that with the tobacco prices being
three times higher than they were was that the government was now collecting three times the amount of taxes.  
Actually, when put in to the proper perspective, the Government is in fact an active partner in growing tobacco and
selling it too.  The only ones who suffered from all the propaganda and burden of the whole mess was the poor
suckers who were addicted to the tobacco products.  So long as the Government subsidized tobacco farmers and
allowed tobacco to be a legal product there would be more and more young people becoming addicted to it.  Johnny
couldn’t understand why the Government didn’t encourage the tobacco farmers to raise other crops instead of
tobacco.  If they were going to subsidize them anyway, why not subsidize them to grow herbs or vegetables or some
other crop that would be profitable and healthy for people to consume?  Johnny paid for his grocery items and
loaded them into the truck.  He was still pondering the ways of the Government and the indifference of the people
as he drove away.


                                      VARIATION ON A THEME
                                    Further Grandfather Teachings
As Johnny drove along the highway and the scenery changed to more vegetation and especially some pine trees he
started thinking again how beautiful the country was becoming.  These thoughts soon led to his thinking about how
people were as different in their thinking as the country was different in it’s landscape.  He was reminded of going
with his grandfather to the first Pow-Wow he attended.  He had been small for his age and therefore he was
somewhat shy from being self-conscious about his size.  This was not an entirely bad thing because it gave him a
chance to stay in the background and study other people.  He was fascinated by the things people did and how they
acted toward and interacted with other people.  Being of an exceptional intelligence he gained a lot of knowledge
about people.  Being a boy of an extremely honest nature he could see people’s faults and understand them without
judging them.  
    When they arrived at the Pow-Wow they found the people had parked their cars in a large field and had set up
booths and tables to showcase their crafts.  There were also booths that offered different assortments of food and
drinks.  There were a lot of people there and Johnny stayed close by his grandfather’s side as he was intimidated
by the noise and all the people.  The youngster was not a coward in any sense of the word and in fact was quite a
courageous young man.  Yet this was the first time that he had been around this many people and with the
excitement that was being displayed he was somewhat nonplussed by it all.
    As the afternoon progressed Johnny began to feel more comfortable with the situation and started to enjoy all
the excitement around him.  As it became late evening some of the elders of the tribe approached Johnny’s
grandfather and asked him to come and speak to the people.  Johnny knew that his grandfather was a medicine
man and a spiritual leader to the people but he didn’t realize just how important the old man was to everyone.  The
old man agreed to sit in council with the people and they went over to the campfire that had been build out in the
field.  They motioned for the old man to take the seat of honor next to the chief and of course Johnny sat next to
him.  After they were seated the Chief asked if anyone wanted to ask the old man anything and of course several
people raised their hands.
    The first to ask him a question was a young girl that would soon become married.  She asked what he thought
the duties of a good wife should be?
    He answered saying, "the first thing is to never think of a relationship with someone you love as a duty.  Duty
implies bondage, and even voluntary subjugation of one mortal's will to another is still a form of slavery.  When
two people decide to be married, they are embarking on life's journey as two individuals who will become as one.  
Each as important as the other, each with their own part to compliment the other to make a whole.  To be a good
wife takes the same criteria that it does to be a good husband.  Each day, you must make a new commitment in
your heart to be considerate, compassionate, thoughtful, generous, understanding, and forgiving, but most of all
you must be loving.  Love is the most powerful creative force in the universe.  There is no obstacle that can't be
overcome by love.  Love is like a rainstorm--any in its path shall get wet.  Love is like a rain in the desert, it gives
life.  So if you would be a good wife, continually shower him with love."
    Then a man asked, "tell us about anger."                                                                  
Johnny’s grandfather replied, "anger is a terrible emotion.  Anger robs you of reason, which in turn may cause
you to act in foolish ways, which are almost always destructive.  Anger  is  a direct result of lack of
understanding.   To have understanding you must be honest and objective in your observation of events in your
life.   Anger denotes lack of maturity, and to a certain extent, a lack of higher values.   To overcome anger in your
life,  you  must develop patience, understanding, compassion, mercy,  and  a  forgiving nature.  These values are
the result of filling your mind and heart with love.  When you can  feel  the  love the Great Spirit  pours out  to  
you, then you must channel this love throughout your being, and direct this great love to all you encounter.
   Negative emotions are like a disease that would ravage your body.  Positive emotions are like the soothing touch
of a healing lotion.  Therefore, examine your emotions and re-channel them into positive emotions, for our body is
only as healthy as our mind.  Our mind has power, and if we will use our mind to direct and control our emotions
instead of allowing our emotions to control our mind, we will soon see a beautiful change in our lives and the
conditions in which we find ourselves.  As our mind will attract and draw to us, that which we hold in mind and
dwell upon, what better thought to constantly have to dwell upon and envision, than the thought of the Great
Spirit.”
    Next an older woman asked how you can help someone gain maturity.  
After thinking for a few moments the old man replied, "when we care for someone and are concerned with their
welfare, we sometimes forget they have free will and choice.  Until they will decide they want your help and
concern, and truly want to use your advice and help to strengthen their desire to help themselves, there is nothing
you can do to help them.  To continually give your energy and help to someone that doesn't use that help as
encouragement to help themselves--then you are harming that person as well as yourself.  Maturity is a growing
process, which comes from wisdom, gained through the knowledge gained from experience.  Know also that you
cannot bestow maturity and wisdom upon anyone.  You may advise and counsel, and share your intellectual
knowledge, yet until a person will experience something for themselves they may not relate to what you say.
   Though it would sometimes cause you to feel sad and have a heavy heart to watch someone you love going
through the painful experience of learning to live, face life, and overcome their hardships as lessons to gain
maturity, know that each must walk their own path, no one can walk it for them.  Know that the only way they will
grow and attain will be to experience what they must, and that eventually they will attain.  
   And if we experience sadness over the ones we love, think for a moment of all the ones the Great Spirit must
feel sadness with.  Yet if we could see the total picture as the Great Spirit can see, then we would know the
perfection that exists in all conditions, and the ultimate benefits that will result.  Also, you must realize that our
main purpose while we are here is to gain knowledge and wisdom through our experience.  
   And so, if knowledge through experience is important, than hindsight is better than foresight.  Through
hindsight we review our experience and gain wisdom, but with foresight, we might tend to abort the experience and
thereby fail to learn."
    Then a young man asked, "Why are some lucky and some unlucky?"
Johnny’s grandfather said, "my young friend, things may not always be as they seem.  You see, conditions do not
make the man, nor are they thrust upon him by chance.  It is but the reaping of the crop from the seeds of
thought he has planted in his mind--man creates his own conditions.  Circumstances in which you find yourself are
but a reflection of the purity, or impurity of your thoughts.  Our mind is the soil, our thoughts seed, and our
emotions, the force to grow our crops.  Therefore it behooves us all to guard our mind against negative thoughts.
   Also, we must keep close rein on our emotions and become pure minded.  As our conditions are a reflection of
our true thoughts and actions, we realize that wishing and hoping will never accomplish anything.  We must
instead change our inner nature to reflect our outer conditions in the manner in which we would approve.  When
you are dissatisfied with your lot in life, then look in your heart and see what has caused the problem.  Know you
not, that what you have caused, you may change?  And if you think your thoughts are pure and you still find
yourself in negative conditions, go within and search your soul, for inside there still exists impurity.  As an apple
seed can only grow apples, the same with seeds of purity.  Know that purity is as purity does.  
   Know also that secret thoughts are not secret, for you will soon see the results manifest, as a beautiful tree with
a rotten core will soon wither and die.  Your inner thoughts will cause you to act in certain ways, which in turn will
cause certain circumstances.  For with every action there is an equal and just reaction.  
   People have deductive and inductive reasoning, so if things are going bad for you, simply review the situation in
your mind, being honest and objective in your evaluation.  Then make those changes necessary to keep from
making the same mistakes while improving your life and the conditions in which you find yourself.  Always
remember, curse not the mud in which you stand, for was it not your own blindness that let you step into the
puddle?”
    The Chief then said, "talk to us of sharing and charity."
The old man answered saying, "look to no man for substance, for all substance comes from the Great Spirit.  Look
to the Great Spirit and you will always have that which is sufficient for your needs.  And if you help your brother,
give willingly from your heart, for to grudgingly give your assistance will build hate, and hate builds negativity in
your soul.  Put your faith in no man, for man is mortal.  It is better to put your faith in the Father Spirit, who
dwells within, and your faith will be rewarded abundantly--you will never know disappointment.  
   Always remember, in living your lives by helping all your brothers, you are living the life that your Spirit
Father, the Great Spirit of all, would choose.  If we fail to help our fellows when they lack payment, where will we
turn when we find ourselves in that condition?  Share all that you have, for through your sharing you will be
shared with, and through giving you will receive.  Waste not that which is given you, and with right usage it will
multiply.  Eat that part of your food today that you need for proper health, and share the rest with others that
hunger, for what the Great Spirit has given you today, will he not give to you tomorrow?  
   And if a man demands your time, give it freely.  If he demands your material possessions, give all with love.  
And if he demands your life, fear not.  But if he demands your worship, then close your mind to him.  For your
worship belongs to the Great Spirit, and put no man before your Spirit Father.”
    Next a young widow asked, "please speak to us of suffering."
The old man smiled sadly and said, "pain and suffering is a part of life simply because we are physical beings in a
physical environment.  Mental anguish is a part of life because we are thinking beings with emotions.  It is these
things that make us human.  It is our reactions to these things that help us to build character.  Always remember,
there can be no burden so heavy, no hurt so much, no eyes so sad, no grief so binding, that the morning sun can't
bring joy and gladness that you are starting a bright new day with hope.  
   And should your problems be so much more than you can bear, seek out a quiet spot and ask the Great Spirit,
your Spirit Father, to come into your heart and lift the burden from your shoulders.  And know also that you are
truly a child of the Great Spirit, and will not the parent always provide for the child?  Remember also, that in times
of suffering it is not well to isolate oneself.  Remain active, stay busy, and seek out friends who may help to change
the perspective with which you view the situation.  With the passing of time, pain will dull and the heart will grow
lighter, for the Great Spirit has designed his creations with seasons for all things.  And when our seasons for joy is
in full blossom, then the season for sadness will be forgotten.  The same as when the springtime has arrived and
the weather is pleasant; the long winter is forgotten."
    Then the old man said, "there is more I would tell you on sharing and charity.  When the accidents occur in
life's struggle that causes blindness or physical disability, never forget that man has dignity and self-respect.  Each
person would like to know that he is useful and that he is earning a livelihood for himself.  Help the lame and blind
to keep their self-respect and dignity.  Find work for them that they can do.  Never forget that our Spirit Father
loves each of His children, and each person is a child of the Great Spirit.  So let us always help each of our brothers
maintain the respect and dignity as a child of our Spirit Father.  It is no act of charity to reduce a brother or sister
to the status of a beggar.  True charity is helping them to earn a livelihood and be a useful and productive member
of your society.  There is always a useful and needful task to be done, and any person with dignity would be more
than willing to do productive work to earn their livelihood rather than have to lose their self-respect by begging.”
    Johnny and his grandfather stayed late into the night and when it was time to go home the boy was fast asleep
and his grandfather carried him to the pickup and drove home.  Johnny was so tired from the day’s activities he
didn’t wake up until nearly noon the next day.  He long thought about the things his grandfather had told the
people.
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