Most days, people begin leaving the beach when daylight fades. But on Saturdays at Siesta Key Beach, things are just getting underway as the sun sinks toward the horizon. At first, the gathering is small. People trickle in from the parking lot and, kicking their shoes off in the sugar-fine white sand, head toward the sound of drumming.

Every Saturday evening, just before sunset, hundreds of spectators flock to Siesta Key Beach to witness the drumming ritual

A short distance down the beach, half a dozen rag-tag hippie musicians beat out a rhythm on a collection of percussion instruments. Some are hand held tambourines; others are carried underarm and played with one hand; still others are squeezed between the musician’s knees and played like a bongo. One young man has even hauled a traditional drum set down to the beach, complete with bass and cymbals. Read the rest of this entry »

The pure white sand on Siesta Key Beach makes for a realistic snowman

Ancient Chinese philosophy teaches that forces seemingly in opposition to one another are inextricably bound together. The Chinese refer to this concept as the Yin and Yang of life, which is represented by the black and white circular graphic shown below.

In simplified terms, Yin and Yang teaches that there is value in opposites. Without having experienced darkness, we would be unable to appreciate the sunshine. Without cold, heat would be less meaningful. Were there no evil in the world, there would be no distinction for goodness. And without sadness or depression, there could be no joy or happiness.

I am intimately familiar with this concept. Whenever I experience a period of extreme happiness in my life, it is inevitably followed by a period of depression. In recent years this has happened less and less often and I suspect that’s because my definition of happiness has changed. I used to believe that I needed to be deliriously, uproariously joyful, that anything less did not qualify as happiness. I was constantly in search of a paradise where life would be perfect.

My views are different these days, or perhaps it is my understanding that has shifted. I now believe that true happiness has more to do with Read the rest of this entry »