Join LaRonda as she compares present times at DeafRead with “The Time of the Bear.” A time of hibernation. A time to seek balance and be rejuvenated by the source of all life. LaRonda plays her peace drum to honor this sacred time of aligning ourselves with bear energy. May we all find the balance needed to reenter and continue successfully in the v/blogoshpere.
Transcript:
Hi. Pretty cute, huh? That’s my son’s bear. I just noticed it laying there and it got me thinking and mulling things over. You know what? I think that DeafRead, in it’s present time, is going through “The Time of the Bear.”
It’s true. How, you may ask?
You know, when we first notice a bear, we are at first struck with its’ large size, strength and power. Our tendency is to focus on those physical attributes. That stuffed teddy bear is cute and sweet, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m thinking about the big bears, and what stands out when we notice them. When we see them, we are often awe-struck!
Well, I believe DeafRead has similar traits to a big, strong, powerful bear. We are first a large mass of people who have gathered in this space, forming a large, powerful and strong body.
About Bears:
1. Bears love adventure and set out on quests. They hunt and wait for the biggest fish they can scoop up and savor.
2. They follow their noses as they seek out the variety of flavors and scents in the world.
3.They love the taste of honey, and often brave angry bees to indulge in the sweet taste of life.
Well, DeafRead certainly has some similarities to bears.
1. Often, each of us seek out the best and biggest “fish.” We want to scoop it up and find that “big topic,” “good point” or “awesome post” that we can savor.
2. As a diverse d/Deaf community, we often bring a variety of flavors to the v/blogosphere. We each have different likes and tastes. We go around DeafRead sampling v/blog posts, looking for new or interesting flavors.
3. Like bears, we often brave those “angry bees” in order to find “that which is as delicious” to our minds and bodies, like honey.
Taking this “bear time” thinking a little deeper, I begin to ponder “hibernation.” We know that each year, bears must find a quiet, warm, safe, womblike environment to let their physical bodies rest while their spirits enters the dreamtime. Why do they do this? Because their bodies must find the balance they need to rejuvenate, reenter and continue successfully in the world.
To me, it’s as if DeafRead is now in a season of hibernation. Some people have left or withdrawn. Maybe it’s time for them to seek balance and find what’s important to their hearts and souls. They realize, for whatever reason, the balance is off. They now seek clarity and time to focus on that which really matters.
Bears can guide us deeper into our experience of life. They help us understand that there is a season to enter the dreamtime where we can travel in the realm of the spirit and be rejuvenated by the source of all life.
Then, after traveling through this time, mentally digesting and learning from our experiences, we can come out of hibernation. We can reenter and continue thriving in the world, carrying our renewed energy with us as we move through our days ahead.
It’s important to note that bears do not stay in hibernation forever. Yet, they stay long enough to find what’s important and recreate their vision. It’s the same way with many of us at DeafRead. I hope, really hope, that people will come out of hibernation.
Right now at DeafRead, it is a very sacred time. It’s not dark, ugly or awful. No. It’s sacred. It’s a time of awakening. People are saying, “This place of anger, wars and hostility is not what I want. This is not how I want to live.”
I applaud them. I think it’s farout! Yes, go find the balance. And then, hopefully, after a time of healing and rejuvenation, you’ll come back, and enter the d/Deaf v/blogosphere once again.
(LaRonda plays her peace drum to honor this sacred time.)
LaRonda and Bear: Bye (ILY wave)











It would be much better if the Deaf community used FaceBook.com as the main “gathering place” on the Internet.
FaceBook is a much healthier environment.
Deaf Read will never work, because there will always be a few bad apples who want to destroy the good work that other people are doing.
Left by FH on July 19th, 2008
Truly beautiful! Far out! How I love peace drum!
Time to…..
Time to…..
Time to…..
Cyclically, yes!
Paix,
Jean Boutcher
Left by Jean Boutcher on July 19th, 2008
That one groovy vlog there. Cute teddy “ms. bean” lol
I agree with you on the whole hibernation analogy. Some times people just need to take a break, find themselves again and realize how useless and pointless all that bitching back-and-forth was.
Usually it takes a tragedy for people/families to realize how stupid they were for all the fighting that has been going on for years (all funerals are usually proof of this). When I go I don’t want people coming up to my casket telling me all this “i’m sorry we fought all those years or you really were a cool dude” stuff. Fuck it- Tell me all this stuff while I’m still alive, don’t wait ’til I’m dead because it would mean nothing because I’m not around to hear it. lol
Left by Roberto on July 19th, 2008
video comment at DeafVideo.TV
Left by Jon Savage on July 19th, 2008
You sign/sing to the parlance of the “gods” living in the realm. You “sang” in the language of our human stories (”mythologies”) from (y)our inner oracle.
You invoked with peacedrumming, sacredness, time of the bear, from the dreamtime. DeafRead hibernating - like the bear season we now have at Wall Street.
As in any community on earth, there is a cycle common to all - the cyclial nature of time, a time of advance and a time of retreat.
It was an interesting turn of events in the DeafRead sphere after we had the DBC, AGB, and NAD conventions.
And you producing this kind of vlog . . . oh such you are doing the Hierophant duties . . .
keep on drumming and we (me, too) join the communal drumming . . .
we drum by keeping on posting there . . .
[ [ [ ( ( { { 00drum00 } } ) ) ] ] ]
[ [ [ ( ( { { 00drum00 } } ) ) ] ] ]
[ [ [ ( ( { { 00drum00 } } ) ) ] ] ]
it is beating, posting, throbbing - continuing
and so is Deaf Read.
Left by cnkatz on July 20th, 2008
LaRonda,
Beautifully said!!!! This is an incredible metaphor of an animal such as a bear (which it is adored along with other animals) which I fully agree with you on what LIFE gives each and every of us.
Thank you!
~Ginny
Left by PANY Lighthouse on July 20th, 2008
((((((((LaRonda))))))
AWESOME!! Loved what you explained about the Bear, excellent analogy, so right!!
HugS!
B.A.D.
Left by B.A.D. on July 20th, 2008
Very nice your story and good one! That help the tips to bring the idea to look over all.

Where is your indian feather of your peace mind with go along drum.
Davy
Left by Davy on July 20th, 2008
Great analogy you had which most of us hadn’t thought of…I believe it was a time of quietness when you thought of this bear analogy which made some sense. I enjoyed watching you share your thoughts and lastly, to see you drumming your peace drum as a peaceful closing of your vlog for today. Thanks for sharing your peaceful mind and heart with us! Hugs n smiles!
Left by DeafWoman on July 20th, 2008
Nice vlog!
I am left with this image: http://www.cartoondollemporium.com/Pooh/pooh_honeycomb.jpg
But the bees are stinging Winnie outside…
Left by J.J. on July 20th, 2008
Hi, LaRonda,
Left video comment in DVTV! ;D
deafk
Left by deafk on July 20th, 2008
Hi Everyone. Thank you for your comments. I’d like to respond to all.
FH - Yes, facebook has become more popular for many people for a variety of reasons. I play with is now and then, but it’s not the same s DeafRead for me. Deafread may not work for all, but it works fine for me.
Jean - Yes, there is a time for every purpose under heaven!
Berto - Absolutely right! How important it is to appreciate each other here and now and not wait until it’s too late. (Mrs. Bean?? Oy! Ha)
DeafK & Jon Savage - I will respond to your msgs on DVTV.
Thanks for leaving them there. I like the variety.
Ginny - True. bears teach us a great deal about LIFE. They’ve popped into my life a bit lately. We saw a mother and 2 cubs at Yosemite recently, we ate at Black Bear restaurant, and my son had his bear laying about. Made me think Bears were trying to tell me something. So I paid attention and found a metaphor…. heh.
JJ - I LOVE the Pooh catrton! Like Pooh, I seek the sweetness of LIFE!
(((((B.A.D.))))) - I love the vibrations baby! Yes, it is a time of analogies and metaphors. I love finding the hidden meanings in things.
Davy - I do have Indian feathers and dream catchers hanging on my walss behind my computer. The do bring peace.
Deaf Woman - Yes, it is in the quiet reflections that we can find our peaceful mind and hearts. ~
And finally, Charles….. Dear one…. Your words always touch me so viscerally. Ah, to play the role of an interpreter of sacred mysteries…. it is a gift when I am called. Yes, we need more stories, more retreat, more dreamtime, more peace. it is time to bring people into the presence of that which is holy. Help me, dear one. For you, too, are called. By the way, I love your visual rhythm. I could see you [ [ [ ( ( { { 00 drum 00 } } ) ) ] ] ].
Hugs to all.
~ LaRonda
Left by LaRonda on July 20th, 2008
The bear analogy made sense, I myself am embittered with DeafRead because of the way we turned out-quarrelsome on the internet. We are all accountable for ourselves, not DeafRead, but it all comes back to DeafRead in how they foster such a climate which is more divisive than uniting, which is not a good thing for the Deaf community.
I don’t want to be a little dramatic here, but you can be a guru for uniting the Deaf community- not necessarily a leader, one who is deep in the etches of the Deaf community, but a “spiritual mentor” who has an ability to exude some kind of mantra that brings a settling peace to the unsettled.
Like dust settling, the bears can come out of hibernation and stake their claim into a more peaceful blogsphere, providing on making better choices on who to respond to. If we respond to those who sow discord in the Deaf community, their vibes will come back stronger. But if we ignore them and choose the more amicable, agreeable folks to respond to, it will be safer ground and a better community for the more fruitful discussions.
Did I make any sense?
Your drumming intonations in playing the sacred mysteries, only those who see the light can understand.
Left by John Critser on July 20th, 2008
a BEAR HUG for you! Beautiful!
XXXXXX!
Julie
Left by Julie Rems-Smario on July 21st, 2008
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