Wednesday Wonders #14: Cherry

I don’t know why I decided to do the wonders on Wednesdays, which are invariably my busiest days of the week. It’s been busy at both home and work, so no time to sneak in much writing, anyway.

The only inspiration for a wonder this week is not a person, but, as my friend Bill pointed out, something as beautiful as a woman, with curves in all the right places. This is Lee’s new baby, a Victory Vision Touring bike, 2008 model. What, a motorcycle? I know, not what I expected, either. But one that looks exactly like the side view photo now graces our driveway (still haven’t managed to get it home in the daylight for photo ops).

But look at that front, that side, that amazing back (at the bottom of the post)! The choir director had to drag us all in to sing last night, because we were out staring at its black cherry beauty. Reviews I have read also indicate that Cherry (as I call her) is great to ride, runs well and gets reasonable gas mileage for a behemoth.

Why is Cherry the Wednesday Wonder, especially if you know me and how much I dislike motorcycles? There are a few reasonable reasons.

1. This has made Lee really happy, and he has been one worried fellow lately. Being able to buy the new Man Toy means our tax situation isn’t horrible, and he can now figure out what to do with the proceeds of selling some property. This is all good. It means we have a little security cushion. And he didn’t run out and get the most costly thing he could get—this was a good deal, came with a 5-year warranty, and was not too expensive considering he traded in the Honda. It’s just great to see him happy, and I feel better knowing some of the safety features in this one—I’d like to keep him around.
   
   
2. I’ve had an interesting reaction to this thing. It symbolizes me trying to deal with some of my fears. I feel like, properly armored and after a lot of deep breathing, I just might be able to try riding this. That weird looking back end looks like it would keep me from falling off. And there are hand grips for when I am terrified (Lee asked the salesperson if he thought I could bend those handles). I have never gotten on a motorcycle, even a stationary one. But, since it doesn’t look like I will ever get that horse I always wanted, this may be the only dangerous saddle I’ll be having the chance to get on. I had a good talk with the guy at work who races cars, bikes and boats. His perspective on the danger aspect was good. He confirmed that the biggest danger was other people, assuming you are riding sober (which I assume we would). He said as long as you are always vigilant, you should be able to get out of situations. Then he said he’d had three wrecks on his bike. Yum. But it is red, fast and scary. I notice he always wears a full helmet, jacket, boots and gloves, so he is a reasonable risk taker. And he was right that life itself is risky, and that you are fooling yourself if you think riding in a car, walking in icy weather, etc., aren’t also dangerous. He said you just have to decide what degree of knowing risk you can put up with. So, I have been thinking about that, and think I might try this. I mean, I tried a roller coaster once and didn’t die. I just decided not to ride one again!
   
   
3. Another interesting thing is that I like this motorcycle. I mostly find them pretty ugly, loud and irritating. But this one makes a nice, throaty sound and it is, from an aesthetic stand point, a work of art. The designers deserve many, many kudos for this thing. I can see why it has been so universally praised. I keep imagining Luke Skywalker coming over to ask for his ride back. It’s just a wonderful blend of form and function, with a low center of gravity, heated seats and hand grips, a windshield that goes up and down, and a fine stereo that I can’t see why anyone would want, but hey, that’s OK. It has a place to plug in your MP3 player, too. I guess somehow the womanly curves of Cherry make her seem less threatening and scary. It’s an illusion, but at this point I will take it—anything to I can share Lee’s family hobby with him and not feel so much like a stuck-up stick-in-the mud when I am around them.
   
   
4. The thing gets weird reactions. Everyone thinks it’s pretty. But a few of the choir people really looked stricken at the thought of riding it. More than one person has said, very self-righteously, “You ARE going to wear a helmet when you ride this, aren’t you?” I hope I have never said that to anyone. It’s like, “You ARE breastfeeding, aren’t you?” to a new mother. Even if she is, she feels like you must think she’s a dork if you have to ask. Have I told the story of how my kids thought the definition of the word “idiot” was “person riding a motorcycle without a helmet”? That’s because their dad and I consistently used that word in that context, and really didn’t call anyone else an idiot. I guess now I just call them “organ donors.” I really value my brain. And, I do understand people’s fears. I am that way, too, and fighting it. I just really didn’t notice all the non-bike people out there when I was one of them—I have been feeling like I am the only one who isn’t an enthusiastic fan, with so many friends riding. Interesting to change perspective (and I’d rather change on this topic to see how it feels than, say, politics).
   
   

5. We helped the economy by buying something. And it is made in the USA, too. I am not an isolationist, but I do feel good whenever I can buy something that supports folks like me, trying to make a living here. Any big purchase we make from now on has to be significant in more than one way. If I’m buying things made elsewhere, I prefer to get things that can’t be made here (like lovely Danish or Japanese yarn, ha ha, and I certainly buy enough US yarn as well).

I will let you know if I actually try riding. I’d hate to have Lee buy equipment and then not use it. That’s probably why I rode my road bike so long—the ex had invested so much in the bicycle, the helmet, the outfits, the shoes, etc., that I felt like I needed to get my money’s worth, even if he only rode with me once, ever. So, huh. How about that. Cherry the motorcycle.

Wednesday Wonders #12: Kelli Brew

Forgive my lapse, but I just don’t have it in me today to do a full-fledged Wednesday Wonders. If I had one, it would be Kelli Brew, a woman I went to high school with, who is living a life I very much admire: she is focusing on what matters to her most by living simply, consuming as few resources as possible, and enjoying the beauty of the people and places around her. She is also helping others learn to do the same, caring for those less fortunate for her, and being an artist (judging from her photographs, she is an artist!). She personifies “intention” in the best sense, and rather than preaching or hitting you over the head, she exemplifies her morals and spiritual beliefs by how she conducts her day-to-day life.

I knew Kelli as a sweet, nice and fun person in high school, but we were in different social circles, so I didn’t know her well. Now I wish I had known her better! I know her choices, living in the Gainesville, Florida Catholic Worker House in a downtown setting, with all kinds of people coming and going, can’t be easy all the time. Their car was recently stolen, for example. But, she has figured out what she wants to do with her life and (most important) she has found a way to make her dreams a reality.

One reason I can’t write up a full "tribute" today is that I am spending a lot of mental energy trying so hard to figure out a way to make my own life this meaningful. I want to do work I love, help others, and make the world a better place. But, I also want to make a reasonable living. I’m working on it, and realize that, like Kelli, I will have to make some sacrifices. But, I think it’s important at this point in our lives that we re-evaluate and figure out where we want to go. The economic downturn, along with the maturity that (I hope) being over 50 years old, combine to provide an unexpected opportunity to think about new possibilities. I know it’s important—I even dreamed about Kelli’s life last night—so it’s nagging at my subconscious! How can I take this inspiration and do something with it that’s right for me and my family? Probably just composting and recycling isn’t it!

Read some of Kelli’s beautiful blog entries, please, or visit the website about the work she and her colleagues are doing at the Catholic Worker House (a really amazing collection of doings and happenings there). There’s a lot to learn from their choices to live simply, locally and with care for the earth. You regular readers know I am not a Christian, but this is the kind of Christianity that I admire greatly and am proud to share the planet with.

So, I guess I did find inspiration enough to write a nice tribute to someone after all! Thanks to Kelli and her companions!

(The photo is one she took on a walk in the woods, shamelessly stolen from her Facebook pages--but she gave me permission!)

Wednesday Wonders #11: Baby Abigail!

This week’s Wednesday Wonder is again a little late, but that’s OK, so was the Wednesday Wonder.

Today I welcome little Abigail G. to the world. My new BBF (best baby friend) was born on St. Patrick’s Day, a week after her “official” due date, to a very happy Katie and Andrew. I am so happy that this has worked out for them so well, and welcome them to the exciting, scary and rewarding job of parenting. And don’t think it’s just an 18-year gig—you get to worry about this child the rest of your life! But the rewards are great!

I really enjoyed being there throughout Katie's pregnancy and listening to her baby joy and her baby worries. It's hard to balance being a good listener, not giving too much unsolicited advice, and sharing helpful information, but I gave it a shot! I hadn't been around a pregnant friend since my days with the nonprofit. I am glad I have another pregnant friend who's up next, too! I'll have two little girls to hold when their mommies' arms are tired!

I am looking forward to meeting Abby and seeing what the little being I’ve been chatting with through the barriers of Katie’s body for so long actually looks like (I hear she has hair!). I am hoping both parents and baby are getting some rest and bonding time together—everyone deserves a “babymoon.” Welcome, welcome to one of the world’s newest citizens. May you live a life of endless learning, wonder, and most of all, peace.

I’ll post a picture when I have one—the only photos I know of are on the dad’s Facebook account, and I am only friends there with the mom!

Wednesday Wonders #10: Beccano!

This week I want to salute someone in my own family. Just don’t mention it to him, OK? Today’s Wednesday Wonder is my son, Beccano. Yeah, yeah, I go on and on about these kids all the time, but here I go again. Maybe once I write this you’ll see why.

Beccano has always been an incredibly creative person. That’s a given. Just look at that art he finished yesterday. It’s like my doodles used to be, only, well, better. And he made the stencil for the shirt in the picture of him, which was taken just a week ago. But, the creativity is just a part of him, and not why he’s been impressing me lately.

Beccano has had a hard time with traditional schooling. He is not someone meant to thrive in the US school environment. I am not a good homeschooler, and never had the money for a private school, so he’s had to muddle through. You may recall he had a really bad time at the end of elementary school (though it was before this blog). He was able to pull himself together, thanks to good therapy, and got through middle school OK. High school has been harder for him. And the last 6 weeks were a mess. He didn’t understand his Spanish (irregular preterits) or his Geometry, and even though he tried, he couldn’t bring up his grades. Here’s why I am proud, though. He does NOT take his issues with school as indicators that he is not an intelligent, worthy person (like I would have in his situation). He understands that he has a processing issue (that is what the testing revealed), and that it doesn’t mean he’s stupid. AND, he has buckled down and is getting more help, actually doing his homework (one of his unhelpful coping mechanisms is to just “forget” things—he is much better at this, but not great). He didn’t do this because we yelled at or threatened him. He did it because he knows he needs to get through high school and because he wants to do band contest. I am proud. I am just as proud of him as I am of his brother’s good grades!

I am also very proud of what a well rounded person he’s becoming. He keeps up with current events and can talk intelligently about all kinds of subjects. He is serious about music and actually practices. A lot. That is a huge change for the better—when he finds something he likes, he WILL concentrate! And he is moving past some of his isolationist tendencies. While his friends always call him the funny one and seem to enjoy him a lot at school, we never saw them here and he never hung out with them until recently. Thanks to joining the band, he has had to spend time with friends outside of school. That has enabled him to actually get a girlfriend, and has encouraged him to go to a party and a couple of school events. He’s really pushing himself to move beyond his comfort zone. This is a huge step toward maturity in him.

Plus, I see how kind he can be, how he cares for his friends and puts up with their quirks, and how he expresses appreciation to others. I am impressed with how he treats his band members and the kids in his circle, even if he complains about some of them, sometimes. He also seems to treat the girlfriend very well, too (I guess he’s watched his brother). It’s clear that he is loving, generous and thoughtful. The best recent example is that he went out of his way to get me the birthday gift I wanted, even though it was a financial stretch for him. I think he was as excited about it as it would have been for a gift for himself. I certainly responded in a way that reinforced the idea that giving is a good thing. But, that wasn’t hard, because I really, really love these Converse All Stars with a “The Who” theme. I have very happy feet!

It’s very heart-warming to see my little boy with the distant eyes growing up to figure out how he can be himself yet interact with the rest of the world positively. He’s different. Not standard issue. But, he is growing more flexible and confident. I just can’t wait to see what he does next, and know he will succeed in his own way, on his own terms.

That’s my Beccano!

Website for Beccano

Triskelion on MySpace

Wednesday Wonders #9: George Lakoff

This week I have a lot of work and a lot of evening appointments, so I can’t write as much as I’d like to.

Nonetheless I just have to give a little “shout out” (not my favorite recent idiom) to someone I always wanted to be when I grew up (or a female version thereof): George Lakoff. I know, in the past four years I have mentioned him a bunch of times. But he popped back up again today, so it’s time to make him an official Wednesday Wonder.

Why today? I ran across an article he wrote in the Washington Note that does a wonderful job of analyzing Barack Obama’s use of language to present ideas in a new light.


I’d been waiting for an article like this for some time, having grown very weary of reading about how the conservatives took nice, neutral words and turned them into awful things (liberal, choice, feminist, atheist, Democratic) and turned anyone who self-identify themselves with one of those terms into demons. (I still can’t find my horns or pointy tail, but I’m sure they’re somewhere.)

The article above points out seven very interesting tenets that come through the things Obama says and writes. My favorite one is making progressive values American values. It hints I could even be proud to care about others, want a fair wage for all, care about the state of the whole planet, and other fine progressive ideas.

But, back to Lakoff. He is the linguistics professor who most impressed me in grad school. I loved how he looked at how people really use language, without trying to force it into an artificial model of how language should work (a la Chomsky). Sadly, I didn’t go to grad school at Berkeley, and I didn’t get to use all his ideas in my own work. I truly wanted to be able to take my skills in looking at language and people and do something useful with it. I never have gotten the chance, but Lakoff did.

He’s managed to take his ideas beyond academia and apply them to current events—things people are actually interested in! He’s managed to get interesting jobs in fun liberal think-tanks, where he can interact with other smart people and apply pragmatics and semantics concepts in all kinds of ways that provide real and useful insight into how humans communicate concepts way beyond the actual literal meanings of words.

What I really admire about him is that he stuck with his beliefs even when they weren’t popular in the mainstream. He didn’t shrink away from his point that conservatives were not-so-subtly manipulating the American population until finally more and more people actually paid attention to him. Then he spent a lot of time trying to get progressives (as he calls us, so as not to use the tainted word “liberal”) to come up with our own metaphors for our viewpoints. He must be so thrilled with Obama and his advisers! We finally have someone who CAN use language to convince people of a point on our side!

I used to get sort of nauseated by the repeated themes of the day blared out on every news medium by the people in charge of G.W. Bush (I don’t care if he DID say all the decisions were his, I just can’t believe it—though there WERE a lot of bad decisions). Even though nothing got through my thick skull, I felt battered by talking points and inane reinterpretations of events, with my only respite the lampooning of those very things by Stewart and Colbert. I am now soothed by the subtle and nuanced shapings that Obama’s team comes up with. Yeah, the goal is the same, to get people on board with some plan or another, but the delivery sure is different (see the link above for examples.)

What to Read by Him?

I’ve said it before: Lakoff’s wonderful book, Don’t Think of an Elephant (2004)is one of my all-time favorites. It really helped me see how conservatives were messing with us and we weren’t messing with them back near enough. I haven’t gotten his latest, The Political Mind: Why You Can’t Understand 21st-Century American Politics with an 18th-Century Brain (2008), but I will.

Want to know more theoretical underpinnings to all his political analysis? I recommend Metaphors We Live By (1980) by him and Mark Johnson. It’s where I started thinking more deeply about metaphor, and a book I treasure—I realized metaphors are not just cheesy things in poems and songs, but ways of shaping human thought! It just about killed me! (Ha ha, snuck in a war metaphor—English is full of them.) I also recommend Women, Fire and Other Dangerous Things (1990), an academic book that does a great job of defining the entire field of cognitive science, which is the thing I’d be doing if I were still doing what I always wanted to do (other than knit).

Well, that was me, not being long-winded. I will try not to put any more linguistics professors on the list. I guess I have just been thinking about linguistics a lot lately.

More on Lakoff

Bio
Books on Amazon
Rockridge Institute: where I always wanted to work, but it’s dead now. Lakoff founded it.

Wednesday Wonders #8: Gwynneth of Braesgate

Yesterday was a hard one. As if the job disappointment wasn’t enough, we had come to the very hard decision that it was time to let Gwynneth, our Welsh corgi, go off to join all my past canine and feline companions. It was not a fun thing to do, at all. I know it was right—she couldn’t walk anymore and had lost control of her bladder and bowels. Not fun for either her or us. Picking her up to bathe her after these incidents was hurting me, too, as was the close contact (I have grown allergic to her dander since her illness). It was so hard for her to get around, not being able to walk or see. Lee and I took her to the vet, hoping for a peaceful last few minutes, but it didn’t work out that way. She got all scared and upset when they were putting in her IV, which took forever. I feel horrible about that, and about how upset she was when we were trying to comfort her during her last minutes. I wanted her to peacefully transition, but, as usual, her plan was to make a lot of noise and fuss. I guess it fit her disposition.

To honor the 12 years we spent with her, I have made Gwynneth of Braesgate the Wednesday Wonder this week. We got Gwynnie right after we moved into this house. We had decided the kids were old enough for a puppy, and that since I worked from home, it would be not too bad training one. I chose the breed, looking for something not too big or small. I now wish that the cute “frapping” the corgi magazines and websites all talked about had been adequately translated to “incessant sharp barking.” I was ready for the “blowing of coat” aspect of corgis, but I think I thought it would last a few weeks a year, not about half.

We got her from a breeder in San Marcos, and were able to meet her parents. We were relieved that she was raised in the home, not a cage or anything. She was the puppy that seemed to like us the most. We enjoyed her puppyhood a lot, and even did puppy training. She failed at “lie down” because she was so short-legged that you couldn’t lower a treat enough to get her to go down. She loved to go for walks, but had a life-long habit of wanting to hold the leash in her mouth as she walked. So, we let her do that, and she did fine. We walked her a lot, for years, until the mean neighbor chased me down on a walk with Scrunchy, because I’d used up all my poop bags and he went again. I was heading home to get another bag, but he was so awful that I just never walked the dogs again, other than a couple of short ones since Lee moved in. (The joy of walks is diminished by having to carry smelly dog crap around with you, anyway, though I agree it is nice to clean up.)

Gwynnie always “smiled” like my mother, and sometimes I got the feeling she was like Mom. Who knows, maybe people show up again as dogs. This agnostic grants that anything is possible, and I have no proof either way. But it’s a nice thought.

She was mostly a very happy dog, and would have been an ideal canine companion except that she just barked too much. Way too much. If she saw someone moving on the cul-de-sac, heard a car, thought maybe there was a cat outside, or whatever, she’d start to bark. Bark. Bark. Bark. Slightly off rhythm. And that inspired the other dogs to join in. I have to admit it was incredibly annoying. And we could never cure her of jumping up on people, no matter how many knees to the chest we delivered or how we ignored her until she did the right thing. Only blindness cured that—she couldn’t aim anymore. Her other annoying habit was trying to eat other dogs’ food. Poor Scrunchy can’t eat as quickly as her, and for years we have had to stand between them so she wouldn’t rush over and finish his food. Rose eats so slowly that it took Lee quite some time to get them all calm and only eating their own stuff! Again, blindness helped. Lee took to scattering some of her food near her dish, so she’d get all distracted ferreting that out that the other dogs would have time to finish their meals.

Gwynnie liked all the other dogs, and she and Scrunchy had a blast when he was a puppy. They played and played. They’d tug on the same chew toy until they were totally spent. Those years were fun, when we had those two and lots of time to spend with them. She enjoyed Rose, too, even when she couldn’t see her. Rose learned to bring a toy to Gwynnie to play with her.

The last couple of years were hard for Gwynnie. As you probably know, she suddenly went blind right after one of my jobs ended. I spent so much money on the various vets, when I didn’t have anything to spare. And we never got a better diagnosis than “some fungus or something.” She did OK until 6 months or so ago when there seemed to be something wrong with a foot. They said it was the fungus and that it would only get worse. Then it became harder to walk, as I’ve mentioned. The last few days were really bad. She made a lot of mess in the house and was cutting herself on the legs by dragging them. A couple of people I know have mentioned having dogs like this, where the front half seems happy and the back half so sad. How do you know when the balance between OK quality of life and not-so-OK quality is reached?

I wish I’d had more time with the dogs the last few years. I like to have someone home with dogs. It worked out fine when I worked from home, then when Jeff was home most days. When Lee came, not only did two more dogs show up, but when we are both working, the dogs end up alone during the day. They get into mischief then. This is not really how I wanted it. And I feel bad for the dogs not having much human company. At least they have each other. I hope that the other three don’t get too sad when they realize she’s gone. Buddy will be breathing a sigh of relief, since she and he didn’t get along to well at first, and she was always getting in his way during the mad scrambles to eat or greet some poor unfortunate visitor. On the other hand, as the photo shows, toward the end, Gwynnie and Buddy spent a lot of quality time together. She used him as a guide dog sometimes, following him wherever he went (to his annoyance—he has been known to pee on her).

I guess you can see I have mixed feelings here. I really enjoyed Gwynnie, especially when we just had two dogs. It was challenging accommodating her special needs for the past couple of years, but I didn’t mind all that much—it’s part of the commitment you make when you get a pet. I do think the house will be quieter, and there’s at least a little chance that some time we could go out of town and have someone watch the other dogs for a couple of days.

I guess Gwynnie’s like any of us. She had her good and bad points. She was loving and kind, and fun to pet. She’d roll over and wag her stub of a tail to get you to rub her belly. She was not big on begging for table scraps, once we cured Jeff from giving them to her, and she was very good about getting into her crate when told. It was her haven and she’d run in there any time there were raised voices in the household. She insisted on participating in gift opening every Christmas-- always right in the middle of everything, loving the bows and boxes. And when she could run, she was like a rocket playing fetch. That’s my best memory of her, running like a low-flying missile with her toy in her mouth.

Thank you to everyone who has said nice things to me about her passing. I appreciate all the words. Pets really are members of the family, and there’s a hole in your life when you lose one. I’ve lost both my cats and Gwynnie in the last few years. Gwynnie and Seamus weren’t that old, either. I wish they could have stayed longer. I could use a break on this kind of thing, too.

I have a baby shower to go to this evening, so maybe that will cheer me up. I wish I’d managed to block the baby blanket, but I was a bit overly weepy and sad last night.

Wednesday Wonders #7: Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd

I’m a real sucker for people who make a conscious choice to really live their convictions, and this week’s Wednesday Wonders are real examples of that. Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd are a husband-wife team who feel so strongly that science and spirituality are not in conflict with each other, but instead complement each other, that they have spent the past seven years roaming the continent giving talks about their findings. Barlow spoke at my UU church on Sunday, and Dowd did a talk there last night.

What they have to say is interesting, and you can read about it on their website or in their books. I didn’t find anything they said terribly new or different, since it was straight up and down how I look at life, the universe and all that, but as Lee pointed out, they said it well—better than either of us could have.

The main point Dowd (author of Thank God for Evolution) made last night is that the language of religion is needed, because humans need some metaphoric way to look at things they don’t understand (he called it night language—the language of dreams). He then said that, as humans uncover how things work (atoms, galaxies, evolution and such) the night language gets replaced by the day language of facts. The deal is, both are ways of looking at the same thing that help humans make sense of their world. We have a drive to do that. We’ll always need the “night language” because we’ll never run out of stuff we don’t understand yet. But the two aren’t at odds—instead they work together. Knowing how things work doesn’t make them any less wonderful, doesn’t make our world less something to revere, and so on.

There’s plenty of other interesting stuff they talk about, but I encourage you to go see them if they come to your town. They speak at liberal churches and other such places (including Christian ones—what they say is not incompatible with most Christians’ cosmologies). And they are very intelligent people—when asked hard questions, each had excellent, in-depth answers that showed that they had put a lot of thought into every aspect of their work.

The reason I want to honor these two is that they act on their beliefs, not just talk about them. They drive a van (with their cute logo of Jesus fish and Darwin fish kissing) that’s their office and home, and stay with strangers as much as possible. They obviously spend hours and hours developing presentations, making videos, writing books (not just popular ones—Barlow is a well known scholar as well), and marketing their stuff. It is obvious they aren’t out for personal glory—they deeply care about the future of humankind. They truly want to share their sweetly optimistic view that in the long run, we are moving toward a more globally cooperative and tolerant society, yet acknowledge that any great leap like this will be born on the ashes of some awful times (like now! They have a chart!). Like any evangelist, they truly believe that if people just hear their good news/gospel, they will join the movement.

Now, I don’t know if the above is true, but I certainly admire them for working so hard to see if they can make it so. They are doing their part to manifest their vision. They’re being the change they want to see (how unoriginal of me, but hey, it’s a good line). In sort of envy this. I felt like that’s what I was doing in my previous career—working to create a world where people parent their children naturally and respectfully. Now, well, I edit courses on how to use blade servers. Not the same.

I think we need more Barlow and Dowds, and we need to inspire people like me to get fired up about something important and DO something about it. At least I have shared the Thank God for Evolution campaign with a few of my friends. It’s a start.

More on Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow

Their book site, all professional and snazzy, where you can see videos and read reviews of Thank God for Evolution and order assorted merchandise I notice that on their Café Press stuff, they don’t take a profit. (They also don’t charge for their talks—just take donations.)

Thank God for Evolution on Amazon

The Great Story: simple website with educational information on how they view the creation story

Michael Dowd bio

Connie Barlow bio

Wednesday Wonders #6: Roger Ebert

Sometimes you don't realize someone has affected to you until you get hit on the head with a realization. This week, that realization came about for someone whose work I've been enjoying for decades, the film critic and essayist Roger Ebert.

I read his reviews in the newspaper the entire time I lived in Illinois (he was from Urbana-Champaign, where I lived for 16 years, and graduated from the same university I attended). Ebert was always the one my film critic boyfriend said was the "good" one between him and Gene Siskel. And of course, I watched their television show on cinema, some years more faithfully than others, but I did always enjoy his perspective on the movies (did you know he is co-owner of the phrase "Two Thumbs Up"?).

Yes, you wouldn't know it to judge by how few times I've been to the cinema, rented a film, or bought one in the past few years, but for most of my teens, 20s and early 30s, I was quite the cinema student. I even sort of minored in cinema studies as an undergrad (not to mention listening to the boyfriend, who was a future professor of film criticism). So I listened to, read about, and discussed Ebert's opinions. He impressed me as a very thoughtful, articulate man who was not a shill for any big business or organization. That's always refreshing.

I didn't pay a lot of attention to movie critics in the 90s. I was busy gaining weight, raising small children, becoming part of my community, becoming a breastfeeding counselor, moving to a strange new place, and learning HTML in the 90s. I totally lost my intellectual edge.

I did notice when Ebert's partner on the TV show, Gene Siskel, died. I was glad Ebert kept going. And I was saddened to learn of his illness. More important, though, I was very impressed at how he treated his recovery. Few of us have had to go through what he has. One successful cancer treatment, then another, and finally complications that led to an inability to speak. I have spent time imagining what it would be like to make your living using the spoken word, only to lose the ability to talk. It would be discouraging. And what if you made your living on television and people were constantly talking about your looks (I remember lots of fat jokes about him), then your face became disfigured? Would you want to run and hide? I might.

Roger Ebert didn't. When his voice got "funny," he continued to be on the television, assuming, and rightly so, that people would be more interested in what he had to say than how he sounded or looked. He had lost no mental acuity.

And when he could not speak, he still didn't hide. He made the point (as I read on wikipedia) that
"We spend too much time hiding illness." And thank goodness, this man continues to write.

Last week, I was going my usual blog reading and ran across something he wrote, not really about film, but about politics and human nature. It was an entry on his blog, one that tangentially was a "review" of The Reader, but went into so much more detail about other things. It was called "Let Me Tell You What I Think,"


I finished reading this essay simply full to the brim with respect for Ebert's humanity and intellect. I am so glad he didn't go off and hide (and grateful for the Chicago Sun Times for keeping him on staff).

Here's the part of his essay that got to me the most. My blogger friend Ray said, upon reading it, "It's like he is reading y mind!"

That wise man Mark Twain told us: "In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from others."

This is true. It is even sometimes true of me. Perhaps of you. However, there are certain areas in which I consider myself an authority, like the movies. I have devoted years to learning about the Theory of Evolution. I think Creationism is superstitious poppycock. I believe the problem with the literal interpretation of the Bible is that anyone can easily discover its support for the opinions they already hold. I believe Conservatism has proven itself disastrous every time it has been implemented in this country. I believe George W. Bush was not only the worst president we have ever had, but the first, as far as I know, guilty of being an accessory to murder and subverting the Constitution.
--Roger Ebert

Yeah, Mark Twain is a Wednesday Wonder too, doncha think? Now, Ebert has a Roman Catholic background, so he is not anti-religion. He's just anti-ignorance. There's a huge difference.

After reading further in this long and insightful essay, Ebert is raised to hero status in my book. And I have to thank him for having his writings online, because that enables others to comment. And do they ever comment! There are some amazingly intelligent, articulate and thoughtful responses to Ebert's essay that impressed me greatly. And to top it all off, I learned a lot!

So, this brilliant, strong, persistent and courageous man, Roger Ebert, became a shoe-in for Wednesday Wonder as soon as I read this piece. I went back and read more, and now look forward to his future blog postings. Thank goodness he has not been silenced.

More on Roger Ebert:

Let Me Tell You What I Think: a great essay
Wikipedia bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ebert
His Amazon store: http://www.amazon.com/Roger-Ebert/e/B000API2UK
Blog: http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/

Wednesday Wonders: LS

It’s Thursday, so it must be time for Wednesday Wonders. Who has caused me wonder this week, you wonder? Why, this week it isn’t a person, but a group of people. I’ll call that group “LS,” because that is what we call it, too. It’s an email list of women who met because they were all leaders of groups in the same world-wide nonprofit organization. We shared a love of our children, a particular philosophy, and the organization. While some of us have waned in enthusiasm for the organization, our bonds to each other have remained strong.

Why do the members of this group cause wonder in me? They are one of the finest examples of the good that the Internet can do: when one member is down, others sympathize. If there’s a crisis, a member or members will physically GO to help, or call the member in need, or gather resources needed to get them whatever they need. It happens over and over. There are so many ups and downs. Some of us don’t have much money. Others have sicknesses. There are very challenging children to deal with. There are spousal issues, and much more. These women talk about whatever matters to them, even politics and religion, and while there are disagreements, a large core of women have stayed together and worked through them. Humor has always been a big help, and we have shared many laughs along the way. This is a great audience for whatever funny thing your child has done!

I am amazed at the kindness, patience and understanding these women exhibit toward each other. After over a decade together, many of them are like sisters, visiting each other on vacation and looking forward to organizational meetings to get together. If someone’s child is traveling, she knows where there are surrogate mothers waiting to lend a hand or space to crash. It’s wonderful to see how the bonds have grown. I am not putting in any riveting specific details, to maintain the privacy of my fellow LS members, so just imagine tragedies and comedies that your friends go through, and you’ll get the idea.

These days, lots of women (and men) feel isolated. Neighbors aren’t the friendly faces they used to be in the past, and we are often so busy there’s no time to visit even neighbors we like. Some people meet like-minded souls at church or their kids’ schools, but some don’t have that option. People who are a little “different” often find coworkers don’t have much in common with them, so that’s not a way to meet people. Mothers at home have even fewer options if they aren’t totally mainstream. Thank goodness the Internet Is here to help us find people with whom we share a common bond!

I feel very lucky to know the ladies on LS, even though I may not exactly be Miss Popularity there (my old job did not always win me friends). I like just watching them interact and seeing how they treat each other, and I appreciate how people with whom I've had disagreements in the past have been patient with me (and vice versa) and become real friends. I have a couple of other email lists (a spiritual one and a knitting one) with members I am very close to, as well. These communities make me feel lucky to be connected. Internet connections mean more to me than I can say. I guess it’s one reason I blog and read my friends’ blogs, just to keep connected with people I care about or am interested in. Thanks to all of you who read, and especially to those of you who comment. And thanks to ALL of you who I met on the Internet!

Wednesday Wonders #4: Bruce Springsteen

Yeah, I know, I picked someone who has a new album out, so it's predictable. Well, sure, but I started this to write about whoever was causing wonder in my life each Wednesday. To remind myself weekly that there IS wonder in my life, every danged week. And folks, he's it this week.

(Yeah, yeah, I know he has a funny voice...so do lot of my faves...I like Dylan, too...and I know that he's no longer "mainstream" if he ever was. Everyone's taste is different, which is why there are so many artists to choose from!)

It was a rare privilege to listen to Working on a Dream for the first time as I drove Beccano to guitar practice yesterday. We both enjoyed listening to all the "stuff" that goes on in an E Street Band CD (wow, what a bass line...hey, that's a supermarket checkout beep...goodness, there's a chorus hiding in the background...Mom, are those bells?). Then we talked to Dan the guitar shop owner, who agreed that a Springsteen concert IS a religious experience. I got to hear the rest of the CD at home with Lee, and that was good, too. Sharing the love...

Bruce Springsteen has been an important part of my life since I was 17 years old, so I've had a lot of chances to feel wonder--why not honor it today when I just listened to some music in a style that never grows old with me?

The first time I saw him live was my first real "date" with my High School Boyfriend. He'd introduced me to the album, which blew us both away. We spent many hours memorizing it as we did our hormonal teen activities. But, that evening...I remember so much of it. We ate at the Lov'n Oven pizza place. I spilled sauce on my white pants. We drove to Miami, me hoping Bruce wouldn't see my pants in the audience (it was dark, no problem). We listened. At that point, in 1975, you could SEE performers at rock concerts. We weren't all that far from the band. And it was loud. And in between he talked. Mesmerizing. I remember the smells (mmm, pot and cigarettes, INDOORS...not a highlight for this nonparticipant). And I remember driving home and getting rear-ended at a stop sign, 'cause the kids in the car behind us were high and didn't see it. The car was OK, so we kept going, but no doubt some of my adult neck issues stemmed from that little case of whiplash!

We saw him a few more times over the years. Every time was wonderful. I am sure he has memories as good as mine--we both loved rock so much, and this was our pinnacle (OK, I share it with the Who--which we saw twice, once after we broke up, even). I didn't need drugs when listening to that music. The densely layered sound with those deep grumbling bass and sax sounds and those tinkling piano and guitars...that took me to my happy space all on its own. Still does.

When I was a college freshman, The River came out. I sure was glad. I slept in a bunk bed above a girl who coughed and spit all night (when she wasn't out doing every fraternity member at the school). I am a light sleeper. I listened to side 2 of The River every night to get to sleep. The song "Drive All Night," which was long, loving and repetitive, put me to sleep. "I would drive all night again, just to buy you some shoes..." Thanks, Bruce. I still cry when I hear that song...not a greatest hit, just something that impacted me.

As Bruce moved into his "dry" period, I mean, the solo years, the music didn't put me into that trance like the wall-of-sound E Street Band stuff did, but I learned a lot about song structure, politics and conviction from the music. More important, I saw how Springsteen did not make a big deal out of his political and social beliefs. He just LIVED them. Later, when he finally started talking more, I was really touched to learn how much we have in common in how we feel about issues, family, love and life. Heck, I just saw a photo of the warm, comfortable and slightly cluttered room he writes in. It looks like a room I'd decorate, and in it is my favorite Stickley chair, too!

Have you ever been disappointed to learn a favorite artist had beliefs that you disagree with, or that a favorite actor/politician made a lot of bad choices (can you say Clinton, Edwards...? I can.)Bruce has not disappointed me. Even when he married the starlet and they got divorced, I understood. It has to be so hard to be suddenly THAT famous. You do things you are expected to do...date starlets, hang out with the rich and famous, turn on your old friends...but Springsteen didn't stick with that stuff. He still has his friends from his youth (where would he be without Miami Steve?), he values his family and prioritizes them over so much, even with his incredible touring schedule. And he is true to himself. He makes the music that's in him, not what a label says to make.

There's a nice article on him in the current Rolling Stone, the one with him on the cover. It's worth reading, especially reading how he treats his band members. He treats people like they'd want to be treated. And you know, that right there is enough to instill wonder in me.

Who are your musical wonders? Who takes you to your happy space? Beccano says Radiohead does it for him: "They have all those layers, too, Mom." I'm glad he has that music, and hope it stays with him always, like Thunder Road does for me. Want me to sing it for you right now? No? OK. Go read something else now.

References

Rolling Stone issue 1071
Bio on Wikipedia
Backstreets Magazine: All Bruce, all the time!
Fairly Balanced Review of Working on a Dream (as usual, people either love it or hate it)

Wednesday Wonder: Deepak Chopra

" What??" asks any rational blog reader, "Depak Chopra? Suna, have you turned into some pop culture guru fan?"

No, I have not. But, lately I have been reading stuff he says, and I reluctantly have found my admiration for him as a person growing. He is not some superficial New Age person who over-generalizes ideas to make money (though I am sure he has made a LOT of money). He does have a deeper core of truth and intelligence that comes through in his writing, which probably has a lot to do with his popularity, which endures--he is one pop-culture expert who has NOT been proven a fake or fool.

I came to these conclusions after reading some of the things he has written about the recent US political events on the Huffington Post. Here is one example--you can find more by typing in Chopra in their search engine. Admittedly, it was easy to read this stuff, because I completely agreed with it. What impressed me, though, was how Chopra articulated thoughts that I shared, but that were just mushy, ill-formed ideas running around in my brain. He'd clarified them, written some rational justifications for them, and spelled them out in very compelling ways. And in addition, he came across as a humble fellow human being who was wrestling with the same election issues the rest of us were. For someone with so much fame and media attention, remembering to remain humble and human can't be easy. I guess his spiritual path has helped, though.

So, lately I have been reading his "daily devotion" on his blog. Here's stuff from today:

The Law of Least Effort

The Law of Least Effort: Nature's intelligence functions with effortless ease, with carefreeness, harmony, and love. And when we harness the forces of harmony, joy, and love, we create success and good fortune with effortless ease.

I will put the Law of Least Effort into effect by making a commitment to take the following steps:

I will practice acceptance. Today I will accept people, situations, circumstances, and events as they occur. I will know that this moment is as it should be, because the whole universe is as it should be. I will not struggle against the whole universe by struggling against this moment. My acceptance is total and complete. I accept things as they are this moment, not as I wish they were.

Having accepted things as they are, I will take responsibility for my situation and for all those events I see as problems. I know that taking responsibility means not blaming anyone or anything for my situation (and this includes myself.) I also know that every problem is an opportunity in disguise, and this alertness to opportunities allows me to take this moment and transform it into a greater benefit.

Today my awareness will remain established in Defenselessness. I will relinquish the need to defend my point of view. I will feel no need to defend my point of view. I will feel no need to convince or persuade others to accept my point of view. I will remain open to all points of view and not be rigidly attached to any one of them.

from: http://www.chopra.com/dailydevotion (the link will differ from day to day)

Yeah, it's written in affirmation format, which can drive a lot of us nuts, but the points work for me. Letting go of some of this typical American aggressiveness and drive to be "right" can really help.

I honestly believe that you don't have to be a progressive follower of an alternative healing practitioner (but he's also an MD!) to get something out of his ideas. Maybe it's because I'm also a pacifist, also someone who wants to believe in the good of humanity, also a practitioner of constant efforts at self improvement...but I like this guy. So what if he's massively popular and Oprah likes him, too. She's not stupid, either.

Next week: someone less famous.

Wednesday Wonders #1

I decided to start a new feature on each of my blogs, called Wednesday Wonders, where I will write about someone who inspires me in some way. In this blog, I'll talk about various people I know and in the other one, I'll talk more about craft-related inspirations. It is funny, I decide to inaugurate this here in a week when I have hardly interacted with anyone outside my family and coworkers. That made it hard to pick. And no, I'll not cheat by writing about the dog. The Scrunchy photo is my nod to that questionable practice so many knitting (and I guess other) bloggers have of insisting on posting a photo of their beloved pet on every single entry. Even though that pet only can make so many cute faces and/or poses. Scrunchy is no different. Beccano takes dozens of photos of him, but he continues to look like a snaggle-toothed, bulgy-eyed pillow in all of them.

Anyway, since I did get out of the house to take Beccano to his guitar lesson yesterday, I decided that today's Wednesday Wonder will be…Dan of Danny Ray's Music, the store where we have purchased many of our guitars, and where Beccano takes his lessons. He started a new small business in a challenging time, which is something I wish I had the courage to do. And he manages to be a good salesman without being overly pushy. He really tries to sell his customers the right musical instrument for their needs, which is admirable--not trying to sell the most expensive guitar in the store to someone gullible enough to buy it, but who will never use the instrument to its fullest potential or appreciate its fine qualities. If I were a salesperson, that's how I'd like to be (and how I do try to be when I sell people yarn at the yarn shop out of the goodness of my heart). He treats all the customers with respect and seems to have good relationships with the vendors as well. None of that is easy, I am sure. I have been very pleased at how hard he has worked to get Tuba Boy's guitar delivered from the manufacturer--he has been so persistent about calling and checking on it, since it is now two weeks after it was originally scheduled to arrive. I figure it will get here eventually, but he is really trying to track it down.

Dan has hired some wonderful people to be his teachers, as well, which shows a good understanding of people, the qualities it takes to be a good instructor, and the value that music education has for both children and adults (plus the knowledge that it's hard to pass up buying stuff if you are IN the store every week). He seems to pay them fairly, but still the lessons make up a lot of the store's income. That is a good thing, when you know you are selling something VERY optional, like musical equipment. The staff and teachers combine their friendly attitudes and talents to keep the students coming back month after month. It's been nice meeting the other parents!

I was talking to Dan's assistant yesterday, and he said they did 35% better this holiday season than the last. For a relatively new business in a bad economic time, that is just wonderful. I hope this store is around a long time, because family-run businesses are rare nowadays, and I want to support them. I am very impressed with Dan as a person and a businessman. He has practically accomplished the impossible: created a thriving business(and accompanying community) in a suburb during bad times.

Tune in next week to see who the most inspiring person of my week has been!