A Beautiful Saturday, and There Is Still Sunday When We Practice “Ancestor Worship” or “Hi Great Grandma!” – Dr. Plastic Picker
 

A Beautiful Saturday, and There Is Still Sunday When We Practice “Ancestor Worship” or “Hi Great Grandma!”

| Posted in Star Trek/ Philosophical Tangents, Trash Art

Yesterday’s trashart. I naturally organize by color and shape.

June 13, 2021

by drplasticpicker

It was such a lovely Saturday. I didn’t blog yesterday. I think that’s why the trashart was flowing yesterday. I’m still using bits and pieces of the ocean beach plastic from eco-services of Mission Beach Cathy fame. I combine it with winecorks donated by my real life friends and then “clean” trash from around the house. I think I must be thinking about Christmas, and also in general I tend to make happy wine-cork people.

But yesterday was really lovely when I sit and reflect on how things were. We did go shopping for our teen daughter’s best friend’s unbirthday present (inside joke) at Barnes and Noble, but I put back the single-use expensive gift bag. We instead wrapped it in the pretty paper the World Wildlife Federation sent us, and ribbon that was essentially “new” that has been in the house for many many years. I also had two books in hand, but I put them away at the last moment. I realize there are so many books at home I haven’t finished reading and these days I prefer my own thoughts and writing/blogging rather than other people’s voices in my head. I started rereading “You Are Here” by Thich Nhat Hanh which not surprisingly resonates with me since I was essentially raised within a philisophically Buddhist household that also practices what Westerners term “ancestor worship.” I am essentially a Westerner but I find the term ancestor worship inadequate. On one general information webpage writes, “The Vietnamese accept as a fact that their ancestors continue to live in another realm and that it is the duty of the living to meet their needs. In return, the ancestors give advice and bring good fortune.” https://www.vietnam-culture.com/articles-107-3/Ancestor-worship.aspx It’s more like the ancestors are here. They are living spirits. Not acknowledging that they are here, is like having someone literally sitting at your kitchen stable and you don’t talk to them, acknowledge them, consult them or even feed them. It’s just rude. It’s not even really a religion, it’s just a reality. The ancestors are here literally right here. Why not ask their advice? Why not have them in your dreams help you fight your demons? Duh.

I’ve always known my mom’s mom is with me, guiding me. Maybe that is why Mr. Plastic Picker is so conflicted sometimes. His ancestors on his father’s side is more complicated since his father was adopted. I don’t think Mr. Plastic Picker wants his paternal grandmother in the house. My grandmother’s spirit is already here and it’s really my house, so I don’t think the more negative spirit of Mr. Plastic Picker’s grandmother is here. She died in South Korea anyway many years ago, and she’s burried in one of those Korean mounds and his family doesn’t practice “ancestor worship” so I think we are safe.

But it was really a great day yesterday, for other various reasons. But mostly it was a great day because we have been trying to live a regenerative life. There must be a lot of other really happy ancestor spirits all around our house. I wonder how they found our house? We built this house a few years ago so there are no relatives buried here? I think they probably just told eachother that we had settled in and needed some advice, and just came by. It’s really blooming and everything is growing in our house. Thank you Ancestors, Great Grandma, and all the positive spirits in the neighborhood!

Good ancestor? Or does it look like the scrab from Sponge Bob?
I think there are generally good spirits in this house.
Regenerative life. It’s not a religion for me, it’s more of a philosophy or a set of personal beliefs and truths.
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