Steal or Illicitly Remove

More from the good doctor.  Although he's talking about the general public, man, is this spot-on for alcoholics.

 "How are we inclined to react when told what to do?  For most of us, resentment progressing to obstinacy is the most common response.  We are not obedient people.  Most of us are descendants of those who undertook dangerous voyages in pursuit of freedom and self-determination, and we're willing to sacrifice a great deal in defense of these ideas.  We are genetically programmed to question authority.  As with most things in life, our expectations are generally realized."

Take: Reach for and hold; capture or gain possession of by force; dispossess someone of something;  steal or illicitly remove; cheat someone of something.

I believe that love is an opening of the heart.  I am at a place in my spiritual life where I am open to the possibility that I will love someone from the moment I meet them.  I generally understand that I won't like them, of course, but I figure I'm going to love them at some point so I might as well get on with it.  I embrace this love in all its forms and iterations, from romantic type love to bro-love, love between boys and girls of all ages and orientations and marital status, cherishing the oldest friends I have, present in my day to day life or not, basking in the knowledge that every person I meet is someone that at some point I'm going to be able to say: "Love you, dude" or "Love you, sweetie."  Powerful words.  Powerful words when you mean them and I don't say them unless I mean them, and I'm not afraid that this feeling might diminish or fade or evaporate over time.  Such is life.

There's a retired salon owner who lives in my community who made a promise to the park management many years ago that he would cut the hair of any resident for a flat $10 fee if the park would provide him with a room where he could set up shop.  He's a nice man, someone who radiates kindness and good energy.  When we were on our last trip to Spain he exchanged some emails with SuperK where he revealed that he was a member of a specific religious group and they came at a time that she found very helpful.  I got my hair cut yesterday - I give him a twenty because this is still far below standard barbering rates locally and also because I appreciate the service he's providing to the community, where some residents are on a fixed income and no doubt appreciate the bargain fare - and we lapsed into a long conversation about goodness and spirituality and the energy we throw off as we walk through life.  What a great conversation!  People who are trying to grow in their belief in a power greater than themselves and who are trying to be of service to others are of a similar ilk.  I didn't criticize his specific beliefs with the rules and regulations and he didn't dismiss my non-denominational approach to spirituality.

This dude doesn't need the money and he's in his mid-70s so standing on a hard floor cutting hair is likely not the easiest thing to do but he's giving back.  He's not taking.  He's through  with taking.

We should all  be through with the taking.

Can you believe those primary definitions of take?  Whew.  Brutal.