I grew up in the sagebrush outside of San Diego. My father and grandfather were prospectors from Arizona.

My great-great...grandfather Dibden O'Connor was an Irish steamboat Captain who was among the first to arrive in California for the Gold Rush. He made his fortune and launched the Los Angeles "Fishermen's Wharf."

Other relatives fought in the Civil War and the last to arrive in California came by wagon train in the 1860s to Southern California.

So, when I appear in my formal attire for a Mason lodge meeting, I wear a neckerchief bandana, not a business suit tie or bow tie. Actually, I turn my neckerchief backwards and the square knot may be the origin of today's modern bow tie. Someone recently told me that the Croatians were the creaters of the modern business suit tie. I'm not so sure I'd be proud to be the inventor of society's modern slave leash.

My neckerchief? If you've ever been horseback riding or been around cattle you discover that dust is your biggest enemy. It can be difficult to breathe and you've got nowhere to go. So, folded into a triangle and covering the nose and mouth, you get your Western dustmask.

Along with my Stetson cowboy hats, bandanas, Levi & Strauss pants, pocket knives, Bowie knife, and rattlesnake stick I was the King of the Canyons. I caught, collected, and protected the wildlife of San Diego County. With my Peterson Field Guides for birds, reptiles... I knew the name of every wild creature in my world.

As a Patrol Boy in Elementary School, I was also the protector of the crosswalk, with badge, whistle, and wooden staff. Another ominous future omen as I later mastered the Shaolin White Waxwood Staff, spear and...

My hero? Zorro. I am also descended from the delaVegas of Spain. When I learned that the original Zorro was a delaVega--I inherited that civil guardianship. My dreams became dangerous wargames of saving my neighborhood from military invasions during the cold war after I ran into President Eisenhower in downtown San Diego and later also saw President John F. Kennedy at San Diego State University.

Buddha Zorro? Maybe. Buddha Z. I like it. Just stumbled on this web domain a few weeks ago and it has reinspired my childhood hero fantasies. As a Shaolin Disciple, I inherited more than just Buddhism. I inherited the responsibility to protect and defend. Interesting how life conforms to our dreams.

Yesterday, in the shower, I had an inspiring thought that has been bubbling in my brain: "Our choices determine our possibilities."

Make great choices so you can have some great opportunities and have a great life!

 

Love and best wishes,
Buddha Z