Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, February 20, 2021

11

 
Mountain Views News Saturday, February 20, 2021 


CHRISTOPHER Nyerges

A PLEA FROM LIFELINE FOR PETS

It’s a difficult time 
for pet ownerS, AND 
heartbreaking that 
MANY HAVE BEEN 
forced to surrender 
their beloved pets. 
Pets in shelters 
will increase, while 
adoptions will decrease. Yet, pet care must 
go on. Lifeline for Pets would love to help, 
but we are GREATLY IN NEED OF Local 
FOSTER HOMES. EVERY TIME WE PLACE 
A KITTY IN A FOSTER HOME, WE MAKE 
ROOM FOR ANOTHER ONE IN NEED, such 
as young lenny here. If you are looking for 
a way to make a difference, this is it. If you have room in your 
home and in your heart to foster until placed into a permanent 
home, please contact us. Call 626-676-9505 or email us for our 
foster application at info@lifelineforpets.org.


BE HERE NOW

[Nyerges is the author of such books as “Extreme Simplicity,” “Enter the Forest,” “Foraging 
California,” “Self-Sufficient Home,” and others. He can be reached at www.SchoolofSelf-
Reliance.com.]

“Be here now.” Remember that mantra from one of the 60’s gurus? Though 
the slogan was widely used and spouted by weekend philosophers, Ram Dass’ 
simple quote was perhaps the most profound thing anyone could have said.

It can also be said as “Now is now,” or “Now is the only reality.”

I recall waking up early one Saturday morning. I was still in my early teens, and though I woke 
up in the early morning, it was also a time of simply waking up to my own awareness, waking up 
to the larger reality all around me, still largely not understood. 

In my earliest years of childhood, I was always living in the moment. There was no other option. 
I think, based on my own experiences, the perspective of reality of the child is probably very 
much like a dog, a cat, a wild animal, in the sense that the animal has no choice but to be very intensely 
in the moment. Survival requires that. The animal does not think about things like getting 
older, planning for the future, what will I wear tomorrow, how I look to my friends, how can I get 
more people to like me, what costume I will wear for Halloween, how can I make money during 
summer vacation, why does time go so slow, what will I be when I grow up, etc.

In other words, once I became aware of how the “adult world” operates, I lost my innocence of 
my own self as an autonomous and pure being in the universe.

 Somehow, I was no longer like the dogs and cats and deer and wild animals, focusing solely 
and intently on the moment. I was no longer focusing on “being here now.” I learned though my 
osmotic study of adults that it was important to think about the future, even the distant future, 
even the unlikely future.

And slowly but surely, like the grown-up adults of the “real world,” I found that I was more and 
more thinking about, and worrying about, and planning for, the distant future. I was not in the 
moment.

This is not to imply that adults in the adult world should not plan and prepare for the future. 
That would be silly to suggest. However, somehow, we need to do both. We need to think about 
the future, while living and being in the moment. We need balance because we have become 
obsessively and dangerously imbalanced. Why else would so many people have found meaning 
in Ram Dass’ quote?

Part of the process of “being here now,” I have slowly discovered, is the idea that the journey is 
more important than the destination. How often have you driven on a long car ride, or been on a 
backpacking trek, and someone is constantly asking, “Are we there yet?” or “How much longer?” 
Since that mindset has not found a way to enjoy and learn from the journey, once it reaches the 
destination, it will begin to ask, “When are we going home?” 

It took me a long time and concerted effort to enjoy the journey. I remember one mentor, Linda 
Sheer, who grew up in rural Appalachia, who used to tell me that I needed to quit focusing on 
getting somewhere in the woods. She slowly explained the process of being in the moment, little 
by little, and after awhile, it no longer mattered where I was, or where I thought I was going.

My childhood growing up in Pasadena was all about trying to do something “exciting” and “not 
boring.” I believed that other people, elsewhere, lived exciting lives and somehow I should find 
them and try to be like them. Gradually, as I actually met and interacted with some of the most 
“exciting” people in my orbit, I found their lives empty, hollow, mostly window-dressing. Not 
only did I further my efforts to “be here now,” but also to just “be myself,” and learn to be OK to 
be alone, or to be comfortable with anyone, anywhere, under any circumstances.

In “The Education of Little Tree,” this idea is described in a slightly different way. Little Tree’s 
grandmother explains that there is the body-mind and the spirit-mind. The body-mind deals 
with all the things of the world and the body (money, security, jobs, that sort of thing). The spirit-
mind deals with trust, honesty, treating others as you would like to be treated, concern for others, 
and all the things we tend to think of as spiritually and morally-focused. Grandmother said that 
both minds should be developed in life, but some people only develop the body-mind. Then, 
when they die, since they can only take the spirit-mind with them, they don’t have much at all to 
carry them through in the hereafter. 

A conversation with my friend Monica made me think back on these topics of childhood. We 
were discussing the concepts of “heaven” and “hell.” Sometimes, we have everything possible 
that we need and yet we are not happy, and want more, and want what our neighbors have. Such 
a person should be in a state of heaven, but their desire for more physical things keeps them in 
a state of hell. I know that’s not what religions mean when they speak of heaven or hell, but my 
point is that when we are always thinking about what happens after we die, we lose sight of the 
fact that our countless everyday decisions are actually forming our very destiny. We do better 
when we focus on each moment, what is right to do, what should be avoided, how we should treat 
people that minute. 

That is how I understood “be here now.” It may not be how Ram Dass meant it, but the idea 
that I should never lose sight of the fact that now is the only reality has stayed with me life-long.


Pet of the Week

 Looking for a big puppy? Meet Milo! Milo is ten months 
old and full of energy. He likes to jump when he’s excited, 
just like a puppy, so his ideal adopter would be someone 
who wants to teach him his puppy manners and give him 
lots of playtime. Milo already knows basic commands, 
so we know he’s very smart. If you’re looking for a fun 
dog with boundless energy (and a super cute face), Milo is 
ready to spring into your life!

 The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions 
include spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate 
vaccines.

 New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-
wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a 
goody bag filled with information about how to care for 
your pet.

 View photos of adoptable pets and schedule a virtual adoption appointment at 
pasadenahumane.org. Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoption 
appointments are available every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. for the following week.

 Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by 
phone calls or email.


PLEASE STAY SAFE!

SOCIALLY 
DISTANCE!

WEAR A MASK! 

Tournament Foundation Now 
Accepting Grant Applications

 The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2021 grant 
program. The grants support new and ongoing programs benefiting children, teens, adults, and seniors. 
Since its inception in 1983, the Foundation has invested more than $3 million into the community by 
supporting 200+ Pasadena-area organizations. The grant awards in 2020 exceeded $140,000, which 
funded 16 organizations in the San Gabriel Valley. 

 The 2021 grant cycle will be structured as follows – Tier 1: a one-year grant for $35,000, Tier 2: a one-
year grant for $15,000 and Tier 3: several one-year grants for up to $10,000. The Foundation will also 
require applicants to include information on how their program will be delivered, despite the continued 
challenges of the pandemic.

 Eligible applicants are organizations with 501(c)(3) status, as of the 2021 submission deadline, that 
serve one or more of the following communities: Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, La Cañada Flintridge, 
Monrovia, Pasadena, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, and Temple City. As 
in previous years, grants will be given in the categories of Performing and Visual Arts, Sports and 
Recreation, and Education Programs (Early Childhood, Middle and High School), Literacy and STEM 
(Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

 To apply and for additional details on the 2021 grant cycle, eligible organizations should visit the 
Tournament of Roses Foundation page: tournamentofroses.com/foundation/.

 New and returning applicants will utilize a new application system for the 2021 grant cycle. The 
application system instructions and Foundation Grant guidelines can be found on the foundation 
website. The website will direct users to a welcome page with instructions on how to begin the application 
process.

 Applications will be accepted through March 1 at 5:00PM. The Foundation’s Board of Directors will 
make the final grant selections at its annual spring meeting, and applicants will be notified of their 
funding status via email in April 2021.

 Applicants can contact the Foundation directly at foundation@tournamentofroses.org for further 
questions. 


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