Back in June 2012 I posted two articles on my LifeCentering
blog about the development of an Utopian Society composed of the states of
Washington, Oregon and Northern California.
A recent post by one of my FB friends brought the book to mind again so
I looked up the two articles. I found
them to be personally relevant to things many of us feel post 2016
election. Do not quickly dismiss these
articles. I encourage you to join me in
a trip back to 2012. See if you fit into
the picture on any level.
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Post Election November 9, 2016
Walt Kelly, cartoonist and author
of the widely heralded comic strip, POGO, may have best said it. And since I have no words of my own, I share
these.
We have met the enemy
and he is us."
Perhaps more than any
other words written by Kelly, it perfectly sums up his attitude towards the
foibles of mankind and the nature of the human condition.
The quote was a
parody of a message sent in 1813 from U.S. Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Army General William Henry Harrison after his victory in the Battle of Lake Erie, stating, "We have met
the enemy, and they are ours." It first appeared in a lengthier form in
"A Word to the Fore", the foreword of the book The Pogo Papers, first
published in 1953. Since the strips reprinted in Papers included the first appearances of Mole
and Simple J. Malarkey, beginning Kelly's attacks on McCarthyism,
Kelly used the foreword to defend his actions:
“Traces
of nobility, gentleness and courage persist in all people, do what we will to
stamp out the trend. So, too, do those characteristics which are ugly. It is
just unfortunate that in the clumsy hands of a cartoonist all traits become
ridiculous, leading to a certain amount of self-conscious expostulation and the
desire to join battle. There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true
that those things which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at
hand. Resolve then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tinny
blasts on tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours,
he may be us. Forward!”—Walt Kelly, June 1953
So, there you
have it. We have elected a new
President. Can we change from being
“enemies” to being friends. We should
find that out very soon.
Credits: Except for the first and last paragraph of
this post, the material and cartoon were in the Wikipedia biographical sketch
of Walt Kelly.
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Still Alive After All These Years!
Like millions of other people around the world, I have a
Facebook account. Also like millions of
other people, my exchanges on Facebook comprise my primary means of
communication with friends, old and new.
While
writing has never been my primary career, there is hardly a time since my first
“professional” job as a minister in 1960 that I have not written on a regular
basis. At first the writing was
primarily sermon summaries, newsletters and special bulletins. Over my many years writing has become my way
of living and contributing to the stream of ideas that move through all of us
in one way or another. I now am the
principal author of three web logs (blogs).
Each blog was developed to serve a particular need to comment on some
facet of the lives we live today—personal, social/political and lately,
alternative dimensions of consciousness.
Imagine,
if you can, my surprise at finding on Facebook a fresh comment on an article I
wrote two years ago for my LifeCentering blog. It was titled, “The
Journey of Being Alive.” It was
about my discovery that I had become an observer of life rather than an
actor. I realized that after 20 years
of living alone I had become quite isolated and insulated from doing
things, anything!
As
I read and then re-read the article several times considering the words and the
implications of observing life rather than living life, I could not help but acknowledge
how easy it has become to stay on the sidelines. I do not write articles as often, but using Facebook I comment
often, much to the dismay of some I suppose, since it is mostly
social/political commentary. It is not
always pleasant.
We
are living in the most rancorous and angry times I have seen in my 81
years. I do not remember such
volatility in the responses to the Vietnam War. It is true that the physical
aggressiveness then may have been more present than what we see today.
However, today’s volatility is much more immediate and widespread due to
the fact that anyone can Tweet, post, write a blog, photograph and post events,
etc. There is a high level of engagement, much of it hateful and negative. Lost in this kind of engagement is the fact
that there is also a larger number of persons actually coming together to act
to bring about change. Observers still
observe. Writers still write. But the times are demanding actors,
initiators, doers.
It
is difficult not to see that social interaction is getting out of hand,
encouraged in large part by the current candidates for the Office of President
of the United States. It is almost
impossible to believe that someone like Donald Trump could actually be rallying
thousands of people who support his message aggressively. Unfortunately, the same can be said
regarding Hillary Clinton.
As
for me, I do not seem to be motivated to do much beyond comment. To feel this way would appear to negate the
conclusions reached in my original article from 2014. Is it enough to be an opinion writer? Is the attempt to inspire others to become involved in the
society we share together enough? I
cannot honestly answer that question. I
sometimes feel guilty about writing rather than walking a picket line or
knocking on doors to get out the vote.
However, long ago I knew that I was not the person whose calling was
demonstrating in the streets or engaging physically in the struggle for change. I think, I consider the facts as I discover
them, I share the philosophical conclusions I reach. That is what I do. You
are not required to agree with my conclusions or my particular philosophy of
life. If you end up thinking in a
slightly different way, or if you see other possibilities for change, of if you
find that you are led to be in the streets demonstrating for what you believe
as a result of something I have written, then I have served a purpose.
Regardless
of what you do, or don’t do, or what I may do or not do, change is coming. It has been coming for a long time. I personally believe there is a strong
possibility that it will be disruptive in a manner we have not seen since the
Revolutionary War or the Civil War. Oddly, the same issues are at stake: freedom from what some consider as an
illegitimate governance (as in the King of England); freedom from slavery
(Civil Rights for all individuals and groups); and a desire for a country and a
government that is truly representative and responsive to its constituencies. Except for Native Americans, we have all come here from somewhere else. We all are part of the fabric that has always made this a great nation. If we are to "make America great again" it will be by coming together in harmony, mutual respect, and acceptance of the unique cultures we each contribute.
I
am still alive after all these years of my personal history. I expect to be alive for a little more
history. I continue to make new friends and think about ideas in new ways. I will probably continue to write about
it.
Sunday, September 25, 2016
It Won’t Be The Same Anymore
Sunday morning, 7:00 – 8:30 AM, just will not be the same anymore now that Charles Osgood is retiring from “CBS Sunday Morning,” after 22 years as host.
I
have been a listener to this outstanding program since long before Charles took
over the reins from Charles Kuralt. On
the rare occasions that I overslept and missed the opening, or heaven forbid if
I missed even more of the program, I would rush, still in my pjs to catch
whatever I could. Yes, even before
COFFEE! Since the advent of modern
coffee makers, I would set mine on automatic so the coffee was waiting for me
upon arising.
I cannot begin to tell you the range of emotional
satisfaction that the stories each Sunday morning had for me. “News” was the least of what a listener
would hear. A brief news opening, but
after that, only rich and meaningful stories would unfold. It was almost
impossible to not enjoy seeing and hearing little known facts about some part
of the world or some population, or some special person.
There
was something for everyone and I could not help but find myself drawn into some
special part of the program every Sunday morning. This morning the hour and a half was a retrospective of the 22
years of broadcasting hosted by “Charlie.”
I could remember almost all of the features recounted.
Jane
Pauley is scheduled to be the new hostess of the program. Although I like Ms. Pauley, it just will not
be the same. I expect the quality of
the programming to continue to be top notch and I will be there every Sunday
morning as long as I am able to get out of bed. Maybe you would like to join me
and the millions who follow “CBS Sunday Morning.”
Until
then, as Charles would always sign off:
“I’ll see you on the radio.”
So
long for now, Charlie!
Sunday, August 28, 2016
The Trashing of America
I try to take a 30 – 60 minute
walk every morning on days I do not have my fitness class. I find my brain working overtime on a
variety of ideas that come to me along the way. Sometimes they are such that I hope I will still have them fresh
in my mind by the time I get home so I can write them down. Most times, though, they are gone by then.
Today was one of the days my
thoughts stayed with me. I had gone
over and over them until they seemed set in form. What struck me today, and it often has, is the amount of
litter—trash—that I see along the streets and walkways.
Years ago, when I was director of
youth education for my national church headquarters, one of my responsibilities
was the organization of an annual teenage youth conference for about 350 young
folks from all over the country. In one
of those conferences I met a young man who was from another country
participating in an exchange program.
One day as we were talking he mentioned to me his disappointment in
finding so much litter in “America the Beautiful.” He said that in his country he would be castigated for simply
spitting on the sidewalk. Regardless of
what other conditions might be discussed about issues in his country, the point
stuck with me through the years. It
seems far too easy for Americans, especially young people, though not they
alone, to simply drop trash where they stand.
It occurred to me as I walked
along past the middle school, the small park and the aquatic center on my way
to the path through the woods along Rickreal Creek, that even if we had trash
barrels every 50 feet, there would be those who still would drop their candy
wrappers, pop cans and bottles—beer cans in some cases—right on the spot. This morning I even saw a plastic bag of dog
poop that an owner has obviously picked up and bagged. I wonder who is supposed to take care of
it. Maybe mom is coming by later, like
she does picking up after others in the home regularly. I doubt it.
I suppose one could find all
kinds of reasons we do not seem to care as much for the way we treat our
country. The National Parks Service has
been running advertisements during this year of celebrating the history of our
national parks, showing the tons of garbage left in the parks by visitors each
year. Granted this is not necessarily
litter, but it is garbage. The tag line
in the ad is “We are what we leave behind.”
Cannot be said much clearer than that.
Among the many things I was
taught as a child was to NOT leave litter behind me. I wrapped used gum in the original wrapper or other paper and
disposed of it appropriately, carrying it home in my pocket, if necessary. Pop bottles were collected and redeemed at
the grocery store. (This was before the
many litter laws encouraging recycling.)
Besides the cleanup that was accomplished, I always had pocket money, an
incentive for my actions. I suppose I
could take a bag with me to hold litter that I find along my walks. I do pick up things that I find close to
garbage cans that someone couldn’t take the two steps to toss in the can.
So, the long and the short of the
story is that we could be doing a much better job of keeping our streets and
byways free of litter and trash. Lady
Bird Johnson, wife of former President, Lyndon Johnson, took on the mission of
beautifying our roadways by planting flowers.
We all get to enjoy that beauty.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
There Is Too Much Pain and Suffering
I can hardly see my computer screen for the tears. Suffering seems rampant; needless suffering caused by inexcusable actions by an increasing number of people.
I have just finished reading the entire 12-page letter written by the victim of the outrageous rape committed by Brock Turner, the Stanford University student, who felt privilege entitled him to brutalize a woman without penalty. In my opinion, every male student entering any college should be required to read this letter and be tested on its contents. Perhaps female students would be well served to do the same. No, it will not stop the abuses, but it may bring a greater degree of sensitivity to what happens when alcohol enters the equation. And, no, every rape is not the result of alcohol abuse.
For me, the anger I feel about the context of privilege versus victim makes me want to scream along with the victim of Brock Turner. (Every time I type his name it seems an extra letter accidentally gets appropriately added: Brock Turdner.)
To the pain and suffering all have experienced in this ordeal, we then add the ridiculous six-month sentence handed down by Judge Aaron Persky! Certainly, one must not cause permanent damage to a star swimming athlete’s future. After all, as Brock’s father so succinctly noted: “That is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life.”
Even one of the juror’s, a person who recently became a US citizen after living in this country for 30 years, wrote the judge regarding the relative light sentence compared to the severity of the crime.
There is too much pain and suffering.
And this is but one of the terrible events we are facing in what seems like a daily assault on our senses. I do not need to list them here. We all know what they are. When are we going to “re-civilize” our society? It is not enough for outrage to last a day or two. We must return to teaching responsibility and being responsible. The personification of “privilege” as a right will never be right. We must respect and honor the dignity of EVERY PERSON. Women are not sex objects to be fondled and raped because a male feels privileged to do so. Minorities, of all types, are human beings to be respected for their beliefs and cultural practices. I could go on and on with what we all know are the attitudes that we must recover and express if we are to remain human.
There is too much pain and suffering!
Please! Please help to heal our hearts, minds and souls.
Friday, May 20, 2016
In Memory of
John R. (Jack) Marsh
June 20, 1923 – January 2, 2016
And
Erwin A. (Buff) Marsh
July 12, 1926 – March 21, 2016
I learned this week of the passing of my two cousins. Though they were closer in their ages to my brother, Frank Perin, and my sister, Lucille (Perin) Kruse, we were closer in our later years.
Both were members of the U. S. military during World War II and served in the Pacific theater. Jack was a member of the 41st Infantry Division of the Army. Buff served in the Navy aboard a destroyer.
We were double cousins due to the marriage of our fathers, John Marsh and Arthur Perin, and our mothers, Christine Perin and Esther Marsh. Photos of us together showed a remarkable likeness, as one would expect.
Jack, Buff, Dan
Blessings for my
cousins as they continue on along the road of life that never ends.
Peace and comfort for
the family members.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
On Mothers And More
I have not written an article for my LifeCentering blog for some time now. In fact, on several occasions I have felt I should write one indicating it was the “last word.” Obviously, the last word has not been written—yet.
I am writing this on Mothers’ Day 2016, and my heart is filled with the emotions of memories of my Mom. She made her transition one month short of her 100th birthday in 2002. However, it is not simply memories of her that sparked this article.
For many, memories of our loved ones who have gone beyond our physical site are often tinged with thoughts of things we might have done differently regarding our interactions. Sadly, these retrospectives can tend to leave us feeling we did not do enough, or that “unfinished” business should have been taken care of before they left.
Today, I find myself thinking of current situations in the lives of others I know for whom I am aware there is “unfinished” business that it would be well to take care of while it is still possible to do so. Back in November 2014 I wrote an article detailing how I had waited too long to make amends to my sister for a misunderstanding that we had. See the article here:
It is often very difficult, especially after much time has passed, to make amends to someone we may have offended or hurt in some manner. Let me assure you the difficulty one faces when the amends are NOT made in time is much worse to deal with emotionally. There is a good reason Twelve Step Support groups emphasize the importance of making amends (Step Nine). It is the step that offers an opportunity to become resolved about past actions that have been hurtful or limiting in some way to others. When we move toward reconciliation we are saying, “My life is not fully in order as long as I have not forgiven others or asked forgiveness from them.” Further, it brings us clearly face to face with what stands in the way of our healing and happiness. Our action in making amends is what is important. What the person to whom we offer our amends does is not our business. Our business is taking care of OUR actions and freeing ourselves of the burden of regret and perhaps even shame.
So, on this Mothers’ Day I hope all of us who are reminiscing about our mothers will use the time to celebrate all they have done for us. And should there happen to be some bit of unfinished business in the relationship, now is the time to do what you can to resolve it. Free yourself and your mother (or whomever else may need it) from anything that stands in the way of healing. Bless you, Mother!
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