“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet nonetheless go out to meet it” -- Thucydides
Thanks for reminding me of Mayer's book. I had read it several years ago and now, because of your Daily Rant; I shall shake the dust off and reread it again. I will then send it to my wonderful grandson for Christmas.
I love all the lights people display to ward off the darkness heading into winter solstice with the promise of longer days ahead for the spring planting season, thus ensuring survival for another year. And, of course, evoking the gods to restart the cycle with esoteric incantations also ensured a position of honor among the villagers for the local shaman who intervened on their behalf.
Such pagan pageantry may well be one of our most ancient traditions, at least in the northern regions where the sun's arc travels a more divergent path. Can you imagine how frightening that must have been to think the gods have abandoned their children plunging into the cold, dark night? Or, maybe under the right circumstances, fear gives way to something else entirely.
The more we understand, the more we do not know -- questions without answers. We are antennae covering the face of Earth like hair, loudly and constantly broadcasting our presence, hoping someone or something out there is listening as if we are somehow important to the Cosmos.
Every form of life is important no matter how insignificant, but perhaps there would be less strife if humans would learn instead to be more silent and to receive. In other words, shut up and listen!
To nature.
Personally, as a mere human, some of my most profound experiences of "stillness" occurred unintentionally on the railroad while stuck in the siding waiting for trains, standing alone on the vast frozen prairie east of the Rockies in the middle of those remarkably clear and deeply starry winter nights, gazing into the abyss -- that timeless "aha" moment also as old as the first hominins capable of wonderment and astonishment.
Thanks for sharing those Milton Mayer’s stories. (Just another thing I wish we all got to read when we were in school.) It brought to mind another perspective of what happens when incremental badness infects a country or colony, as in the case of Thomas Jefferson’s reasons the colonies decided to be their own country. In the Declaration of Independence, he noted that “…all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.” (Sounds like contemporary America to me). In other words, I think we will continue to engage in “frog-in-warm-water” behavior until enough of us do something about it and do it with best practice-based solutions. Jefferson also wrote in the Declaration that “…when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” We have ratcheted downward as a nation for about 50 years and experienced a sufficient number of “abuses and usurpations” to exercise our right (and duty) “to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” Fortunately, 21st Century citizens have access to all the knowledge and technology we need to compel our elected and appointed decision-makers to promote our general welfare and protect us from the morbidly rich.
Some might say that it's too soon to point out Dole's political and character flaws. I think that hypocritical assholes who do things adverse to our rights and communities' interests don't deserve a time out from the truth, even if they have just passed on.
For posterity, the truth of someone's life seems more important to understand than feel-good reinterpretations based on wishful thinking. Although, for the friends and families grieving, positive eulogies lend to the healing process.
Thanks for reminding me of Mayer's book. I had read it several years ago and now, because of your Daily Rant; I shall shake the dust off and reread it again. I will then send it to my wonderful grandson for Christmas.
'Tis the season...
I love all the lights people display to ward off the darkness heading into winter solstice with the promise of longer days ahead for the spring planting season, thus ensuring survival for another year. And, of course, evoking the gods to restart the cycle with esoteric incantations also ensured a position of honor among the villagers for the local shaman who intervened on their behalf.
Such pagan pageantry may well be one of our most ancient traditions, at least in the northern regions where the sun's arc travels a more divergent path. Can you imagine how frightening that must have been to think the gods have abandoned their children plunging into the cold, dark night? Or, maybe under the right circumstances, fear gives way to something else entirely.
The more we understand, the more we do not know -- questions without answers. We are antennae covering the face of Earth like hair, loudly and constantly broadcasting our presence, hoping someone or something out there is listening as if we are somehow important to the Cosmos.
Every form of life is important no matter how insignificant, but perhaps there would be less strife if humans would learn instead to be more silent and to receive. In other words, shut up and listen!
To nature.
Personally, as a mere human, some of my most profound experiences of "stillness" occurred unintentionally on the railroad while stuck in the siding waiting for trains, standing alone on the vast frozen prairie east of the Rockies in the middle of those remarkably clear and deeply starry winter nights, gazing into the abyss -- that timeless "aha" moment also as old as the first hominins capable of wonderment and astonishment.
Happy holidays and peace to all.
Wonderfully written. Happy Holidays to you
Thanks for sharing those Milton Mayer’s stories. (Just another thing I wish we all got to read when we were in school.) It brought to mind another perspective of what happens when incremental badness infects a country or colony, as in the case of Thomas Jefferson’s reasons the colonies decided to be their own country. In the Declaration of Independence, he noted that “…all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.” (Sounds like contemporary America to me). In other words, I think we will continue to engage in “frog-in-warm-water” behavior until enough of us do something about it and do it with best practice-based solutions. Jefferson also wrote in the Declaration that “…when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” We have ratcheted downward as a nation for about 50 years and experienced a sufficient number of “abuses and usurpations” to exercise our right (and duty) “to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” Fortunately, 21st Century citizens have access to all the knowledge and technology we need to compel our elected and appointed decision-makers to promote our general welfare and protect us from the morbidly rich.
And, as we see the honoring of the bravery and ever balancing attempts in Bob Dole’s life.
https://www.rawstory.com/the-mean-old-man-of-the-gop-is/
Some might say that it's too soon to point out Dole's political and character flaws. I think that hypocritical assholes who do things adverse to our rights and communities' interests don't deserve a time out from the truth, even if they have just passed on.
For posterity, the truth of someone's life seems more important to understand than feel-good reinterpretations based on wishful thinking. Although, for the friends and families grieving, positive eulogies lend to the healing process.