Monday, July 27, 2009
This is a happy place. Happy thoughts.
Visited Aaron last night. He proudly showed off his T-ball trophy. I congratulated him and then said, in a silly voice, “But what is T-ball? Is that the one with the net where you spike the big, white ball…?” “NOOOOO.” “Is it the one with the really heavy ball that you try to knock down pins with?” “NOOOOO.” “Oh! Is that the one where you hit the ball with a bat and run around?” “YES!” “After you hit the ball, where do you go?” I asked, expecting "around" or "home plate." Aaron exclaimed happily, “THE TROPHY STORE!”
Friday, July 24, 2009
But we are thinking not just of the children who are living beneath the bombs.
From "Peaceableness Toward Enemies, 1991."
This latest war has been justified on a number of grounds: that it was a war to liberate Kuwait; that it was a war to defend ‘the civilized world’ against a dangerous maniac; that it was a war to preserve peace; that it was a war to inaugurate a ‘new world order’; that it was a war to defend The American Way of Life; that it was a war to defend our supply of cheap oil. These justifications are not satisfactory, even when one supposes that they are sincerely believed.
...
This war was said to be ‘about peace.’ So have they all been said to be. This was another in our series of wars ‘to end war.’ But peace is not the result of war, any more than love is the result of hate or generosity the result of greed. As a war in defense of peace, this one in the Middle East has failed, as all its predecessors have done. Like all its predecessors, it was the result of the failure, on the part of all of its participants, to be peaceable.
...
A war against the world is helplessly a war against the people of the world. Against everybody. The innocent. The children. Increasingly, as modern militarism builds and brawls over the face of the planet, people of ordinary decency are thinking of the children. What about the children? we ask as our leaders casually acknowledge the inevitability of ‘some civilian casualties’—or ‘collateral casualties,’ as they put it. But we are thinking not just of the children who are living beneath the bombs. We are thinking, too, of our own children to whom someone must explain that some people—including some of ‘our’ people—look on the deaths of children as an acceptable cost of victory.
...
The essential point is the ancient one: that to be peaceable is, by definition, to be peaceable in time of conflict. Peaceableness is not the amity that exists between people who agree, nor is it the exhaustion or jubilation that follows war. It is not passive. It is the ability to act to resolve conflict without violence. In the face of conflict, the peaceable person may find several solutions, the violent person only one.
...
Finally, if we want to be at peace, we will have to waste less, spend less, use less, want less, need less. The most alarming sign of the state of our society now is that our leaders have the courage to sacrifice the lives of young people in war but have not the courage to tell us that we must be less greedy and less wasteful.
WENDELL BERRY
This latest war has been justified on a number of grounds: that it was a war to liberate Kuwait; that it was a war to defend ‘the civilized world’ against a dangerous maniac; that it was a war to preserve peace; that it was a war to inaugurate a ‘new world order’; that it was a war to defend The American Way of Life; that it was a war to defend our supply of cheap oil. These justifications are not satisfactory, even when one supposes that they are sincerely believed.
...
This war was said to be ‘about peace.’ So have they all been said to be. This was another in our series of wars ‘to end war.’ But peace is not the result of war, any more than love is the result of hate or generosity the result of greed. As a war in defense of peace, this one in the Middle East has failed, as all its predecessors have done. Like all its predecessors, it was the result of the failure, on the part of all of its participants, to be peaceable.
...
A war against the world is helplessly a war against the people of the world. Against everybody. The innocent. The children. Increasingly, as modern militarism builds and brawls over the face of the planet, people of ordinary decency are thinking of the children. What about the children? we ask as our leaders casually acknowledge the inevitability of ‘some civilian casualties’—or ‘collateral casualties,’ as they put it. But we are thinking not just of the children who are living beneath the bombs. We are thinking, too, of our own children to whom someone must explain that some people—including some of ‘our’ people—look on the deaths of children as an acceptable cost of victory.
...
The essential point is the ancient one: that to be peaceable is, by definition, to be peaceable in time of conflict. Peaceableness is not the amity that exists between people who agree, nor is it the exhaustion or jubilation that follows war. It is not passive. It is the ability to act to resolve conflict without violence. In the face of conflict, the peaceable person may find several solutions, the violent person only one.
...
Finally, if we want to be at peace, we will have to waste less, spend less, use less, want less, need less. The most alarming sign of the state of our society now is that our leaders have the courage to sacrifice the lives of young people in war but have not the courage to tell us that we must be less greedy and less wasteful.
WENDELL BERRY
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
We couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars or ropes of diamonds.
"Did you see all the diamonds those ladies wore?" sighed Jane. "They were simply dazzling. Wouldn't you just love to be rich?"
"We are rich," said Anne stanchly. "Why, we have sixteen years to our credit, and we're happy as queens, and we've all got imaginations. Look at that sea--all silver and shadow and visions of things not seen. We couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars or ropes of diamonds. You wouldn't change into any of those women if you could. Would you want to be that white lace girl and wear a sour look all your life, as if you'd been born turning up your nose at the world..."
"I don't know, exactly," said Jane unconvinced. "I think diamonds would comfort a person a good deal."
"Well, I don't want to be any one but myself, even if I go uncomforted by diamonds all my life," declared Anne.
ANNE OF GREEN GABLES.
"We are rich," said Anne stanchly. "Why, we have sixteen years to our credit, and we're happy as queens, and we've all got imaginations. Look at that sea--all silver and shadow and visions of things not seen. We couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars or ropes of diamonds. You wouldn't change into any of those women if you could. Would you want to be that white lace girl and wear a sour look all your life, as if you'd been born turning up your nose at the world..."
"I don't know, exactly," said Jane unconvinced. "I think diamonds would comfort a person a good deal."
"Well, I don't want to be any one but myself, even if I go uncomforted by diamonds all my life," declared Anne.
ANNE OF GREEN GABLES.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tanzania.
Zazu!
Cooling off after safari.
Baboons in the road. I will forever regret being too dumbstruck/captivated by the male baboons getting it on to snap a picture of THAT.
Just one of the many road hazards in Arusha.
This was really as good as it got, as far as latrines go.
A little boy in the Nkoranga Orphanage.
Bubbles.
Boys lounging.
Hyena in Ngorongoro Crater.
Hippos, immense and portly beings that they are, can roll over in the water with no struggle at all.
Eagle-thing.
Chameleon farm. This Tanzanian family farm is raising about 10,000 chameleons to sell to American pet stores.
DIGI DIGIS!
Young male in Ngorongoro Crater.
More baboons, not giving each other head for once.
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