Here, There, and Everywhere
A Clarification of Reality
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Lamar the Philosopher It’s a new day. There is so much to learn from the past. I have learned there are no boundaries to the Everywhere and more questions come to me. On a clear night, I can see thousands of stars and yet, I now know there are more. It’s amazing to grasp the wholeness of the Everywhere. I ponder, are there more planets than stars? Not a second goes by and a scholarly man slowly and deliberately approaches. His name is Lamar. He is not in sleepwear, but in a PhD type of cap and gown with many colors on his yoke. Lamar is a studied spirit, a guru of sorts. He is a philosopher who has pondered the existence of the Everywhere. He studied and taught at many leading universities around the world over many lifetimes. He is different than most spirits because he had similar paths on many journeys. My first reaction is why are you so different? What about balance? What about the agreements? What about fairness to other spirits? Do you have preferential treatment having a similar journey many times? Lamar speaks softly but sternly and with reverence. He says, you are correct. Having the same journey, frankly, is not fair. I would love to have a varied and balanced journey. It would be wonderful. Frankly, it is not fun having the same assignment. But I have yet to complete a journey. It’s like I am in a revolving cycle of sameness. Being a philosopher, I never can seem to get the answer. I only can come up with the questions. My assignment, every journey, is to find the answer. Your question today was encouraging. I have been trying to answer that question for journeys. It is one of the most difficult questions to answer. It’s like the orbit of the earth. Every year at the same time, it’s always in the same place in the universe. Yet, it’s always traveling. So, is the earth moving as rapidly as we say or is it just “running in place”? These are the questions I, as a philosopher am always burdened with. And for me to have a normal journey, my assignment is to find the answer. I would love to be a ditch-digger, or a farmer, or trash collector in a neighborhood. I don’t care. I would just like to be anything but a philosopher. And to do so, I must find an answer, that’s all. You are not the only one I have asked. First, I ask myself every day. I ask here and on my journeys. It’s never ending like the traveling earth that doesn’t travel? Descartes once asked, if I take a half step halfway closer to the wall each time, will I ever reach the wall? Just guess who that was? Hello? If you ever get an opportunity to select your journey and the topic of “philosopher” comes up, do not say “yes”. It’s not as glamorous as you may think. I know, everyone jokes about being a philosopher of sorts. Must be an easy job to sit around and think about “things” all day. Well, it was at first. And then maybe the second time. But just give me an answer and I’ll dig ditches. Okay, Lamar, now I am a bit confused. I thought everyone knew everything in the Everywhere? Lamar says, well yes, the Everywhere is all knowing, all powerful and all loving. Yet, let me remind you that every journey is to learn more so the Everywhere continues to be all knowing. I ask, if the Everywhere is all knowing, then why does it still want to learn more? Lamar laughs and says, “welcome to my world”. The torture for a philosopher is being a philosopher. There are still questions to be asked and answers to be found. Learning is ongoing. That is why humans must study history. You can’t know where you are going unless you know where you came from. That question in itself, has an ongoing answer. Lamar, so what can come of my question to you today? There seems to be no way you can answer it for me. Can you at least try to give me a hint as to the number of planets vs. stars? More or less? Lamar says, not sure but I can give you a clue. First, you can’t have a planet without a star to orbit. There must be at least one planet per star. After all, there are eight or nine planets that orbit your sun. They cannot exist without a star to orbit. Not sure, but I suspect that is where meteors come from? Former planets, stars, or moons that tried to run away. Now that is a thought. Are moons like children trying to run away and play? If so, I guess they find the answer too late and become a meteor? We may be getting somewhere, Lamar. If a planet can’t exist without a star, does that mean yes, there are more planets than stars? Or are there stars without planets? Lamar says, maybe the moons are “planets in waiting”. They are learning to be a planet to run away and join another star? Hmm. Now that is a thought too. As you can see, being a philosopher is like trying to learn what can’t be learned. There seems to be no real answer and yet, shouldn’t every question have an answer? Here we go again, says Lamar. I feel like a philosopher that can’t philosophize? At least I can keep my sense of humor, he says. I get Lamar’s attention and ask him one more time. Look at me Lamar. Focus on me. I have a question. I have learned that there is no boundary to the Everywhere. The universe as we know it is the Everywhere and it has no boundaries. It is all inclusive. So, if there are no boundaries and the Everywhere is all inclusive then the number of planets and stars can’t be determined because there are no boundaries? Right? Can you answer that for me Lamar? Lamar looks at me with astonishment and says since there are no boundaries to the Everywhere, then asking for a boundary to the answer can’t be answered. There is no answer and THAT is the answer! Lamar screams in joy. He answered the question with an answer. There is no answer. It is never ending which is the answer. He can now be a ditch digger or whatever. He is elated. He hugs me with the most wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Lamar’s circle of philosophizing is over. He can now move on with a journey by not being stuck in the loop. He has now completed his journey of journeys and is jumping for joy. He runs into the huge crowd of spirits with all the love and excitement for his future. After all, his future is undecided. He has no clue what his next journey will be and that’s the beauty of the Everywhere….still learning more that needs to be learned. Because learning is never ending. Family, love, honor, trust and peace. The big five are still the basics of life but there is always more to learn. Peace and love to all. Lamar is a happy spirit today.
Select Format
Book Details
About the Book
Growing up on a farm in the Amish region of central Pennsylvania, Bill would have many conversations with his family on their wraparound front porch—especially with his grandfather, Pap. Pap’s assignment, or at least part of it, was to prepare his grandson for the lessons he’d receive later in life from the Everywhere. As a youngster, Bill sensed the Everywhere, which is like a waterless ocean of all that is. In our current lives, we are part of the whole. Lives now, before, and after sort of happen concurrently, although the only life we currently sense is our present life, which we refer to as “life as we know it.” In Here, There, and Everywhere, Bill reveals the core lessons he learned from his grandfather: family, love, honor, trust, and peace, explaining their significance so that others can benefit from them throughout their journey. Join Bill as he shares life anecdotes and blessings from growing up in a family of “plain people” in this uplifting book of memoirs.
About the Author
Bill Holtry, a.k.a. Just Plain Bill grew up a plain person on a farm in the Amish region of central Pennsylvania. He was mentored by his grandfather, Pap, who lived by the values he taught: family, love, honor, trust, and peace. He seeks to pass on those lessons in Here, There, and Everywhere.