Karma larma whatta?

Those of you who know me have heard me say the phrase "karma larma ding dong" often enough. Some of you have a sense of what karma is, while others simply hear a catchy phrase of sorts. But there is a meaning behind this for me.

Karma is certainly hard to fathom in its full complexity, and no, I don't think of it as a judgement for/against past actions. It simply is what it is, and if you've been a jerk you are also an idiot if you question why people are unhappy with you. Of course if you've been a terrific person deductive reasoning points to some good effects. It's a natural assumption and most often is accurate enough. But here is the rub: karma stretches accross so many aspects of our lives- mental states, physical conditions, how we relate to others including family, friends, customers, strangers, etc.- that there is no simple way to pin down causes and effects that span more than the last few minutes, hours, or even days. Nor any convenient way to explain away a looooooong string of negative events as simply "bad karma, dude!"

In my case things have gone from uncomfortable, to stagnant, to bad, to worse, to worse than I thought it could get, to worse than "what the f*@k is going on?" But that's just the circumstances I have to work with. So what is to understand about it all? Other than it's just karma playing itself out; some good, some bad... (ok, lately most is bad but that doesn't diminish how cool it is to swim at Kaimana Beach each morning before my shower, or watching the clouds along the Ko'olau's catch the evening glows of sunset)

So out of this interplay of karmic forces comes a chance to keep some perspective and humor about things. Hence the "ding dong" part. How can you be too serious if you're saying "ding dong" in a sentence? The "larma" part is simple poetic rhyme; unless there is an ancient meaning that I'm unaware of at this time. I'll google it and see.

As mentioned in an earlier post, my trusty soccer-mom van was sputtering of late and getting worse. Well it needed a new battery, and thanks to a kind and dear friend I traded some services for a new one this past weekend! Yay!! That's good karma coming to fruition and being propelled along for more in the future. Now the van cranks up like its got more of an engine than a wheezing, old lawnmower. The "ding dong" part is all me. Every time I get in I still have the habit of mentally fortifying myself that this time we're not moving. Then it turns over beautifully and I go "oh yeah!" That's the bad karma part... perpetuating an old habit that already has no bearing on present reality. Thus the cycle continues and I shouldn't be surprised to be the ding dong once again.

Here's to fulfilling the good karmic opportunities; causing some more to come along; stopping the bad karmic moments from propogating; and preventing them from coming up at all. Cheers!