FROM THE EDITOR
In the 1980s, the diamond industry decided to intensively market diamond rings and jewelry for Valentine’s Day. Before that time flowers, chocolates, a nice Valentine’s Day card and perhaps a date on the town would do as manifestations of a man’s love and commitment to a woman. In crafting this policy, the thinkers behind this marketing strategy were playing upon human nature and activating its worse, superficial elements. Their advertising teams equated a diamond with love, and the absence of a diamond with the lack of love. Weeks before Valentine’s Day, television shows were being bombarded with diamond commercials, and magazines and newspapers contained a barrage of print ads of a similar nature. A guy without significant spending cash who would watch such a commercial, particularly if he were in the presence of his honey, would feel like a loser and schmuck, while the woman would wonder if the dream of getting something expensive would ever come true for her. Comparisons and humiliation were being slyly played up by the marketers, simmering under the camouflage of love and caring. The real losers in this ploy were both the men and women the advertisements were directed at; the currency (and currency it was) for caring became a diamond or some other expensive jewelry. The balance of love and gift-giving tilted heavily toward the gift. The wonderful simple gift, from the heart and clean of excessive covertness and materialistic debasement, was trampled upon and forgotten. The winner in all this was, of course, the diamond industry, which since the 1980s has seen record earnings rise year after year. If there’s one positive aspect to the downturn in the economy it is that people are getting realistic about the extravagances that they cannot financially afford. “Let’s get real” takes on a different meaning now. The fact that a parent cannot buy the most expensive present for a son or daughter, or a man an expensive gift for a woman or a woman for a man, is not indicative of a lack of love, just a lack of money or, primarily and hopefully, a shift in values. My most cherished, warming memories in maturity are never of gifts I’ve received during this time. They are the times when a loved one (a parent, a partner, a son) made me happy by his or her presence, caring, laughter—and love. A diamond may be forever, but love can be eternal. A diamond may be transfixing, but it’s not transforming. Besides, a diamond is cool, without passion or heat. Not so, love, which radiates with warmth, exuberance, activating thrills and giddiness and, yes, at times pain and heartache. (Welcome to being human!) A diamond cannot laugh, cannot make you feel warm, it cannot comfort you and make you chicken soup if you are sick or buy homeopathic medicine for your ills or listen to your troubles when you are down. If you worship a diamond, you worship a thing (the element carbon); if you worship love, you worship that which is the deepest spiritually within you and the other. It’s time to reclaim love, not material goods, as the “currency” we value most and the one we wish to give to special people in our lives and, in our best moments, to the world in general. Miro Lipinski Editor, New Visions Magazine
INTEGRATIVE HEALTH We are honored to have contributions from the
Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine at Thomas
Jefferson University Hospital, under the directorship of Dan Monti,
M.D. The Center houses one of the foremost integrative clinical
practices in the world, and its doctors will be submitting articles
on integrative health issues that are sure to be of tremendous value
and interest. For more information call 215-955-2221.
THOUGHTS AND MEDITATIONS Hajjar Gibran is the ancestral and soul desendant of Kahlil Gibran, the author of the beloved classic, The Prophet. Adolescent visions initiated Hajjar on a lifelong odyssey that culminated in his past life remembrance and spiritual awakening at Kahlil’s tomb high in the mountains of Lebanon, as told in Hajjar’s acclaimed book, The Return of the Prophet. Hajjar lives in Thailand. Visit his website at hajjargibran.com.
CHRISTINA'S KITCHEN In 1983, Christina Pirello was diagnosed with leukemia. Using the whole food approach, she cured herself and now teaches whole foods cooking classes, lectures, and broadcasts her message via her public television show, “Christina Cooks.” (Seen on over 135 public television stations nationally). Christina has been featured in the weekly food column in The Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine and Newsweek. She is a member of the advisory and editorial board for Taste for Life magazine, and a faculty member of the Restaurant School of Philadelphia, where she is the director of the Whole Foods Academy. For more information on Ms. Pirello’s classes, appearances or seminars, call 215-551-1430, 800-939-3909 or visit her website for all kinds of info about her TV show and recipes.
ENERGY HEALING Barbara Brennan, Ph.D., is a world-renowned spiritual leader, healer, educator, and the best-selling author of Hands of Light,® Light Emerging, and the inspirational Seeds of the Spirit® series of poetic channelings. She is the founder of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing®. For information call 1-800-924-2564 or visit www.barbarabrennan.com.
NUTRITIOUS & DELICIOUS
RESTAURANTS Born and raised in Philadelphia,
Peter Eobbi has catered private and corporate events and is connected
to the conscieger network in the Philadelphia area and has eaten
his way around the world. E-mail him at info@newvisionsmagazine.com
if you have any questions or comments. | |||||||
