There’s actually an interesting political story from today, and I cast around for hours wondering how to frame it so it was somewhat upbeat for the weekend.
From HCR you mean? I wouldn’t worry unless say, three nights went by without any note. That’s just me though. We all need to take breaks now and then and for someone who posts so regularly it would feel odd to not hear from her but I would initially assume she was taking a break. Lord knows I do wonder how she keeps it up day after day + have a regular life and job. Her work, and especially combined with Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s Substack newsletter Lucid, is so very, very valuable during such tumultuous and trying times.
Gus I respectfully ask you to show that photo to a person of color and ask them if it is a "beautiful photo." I very much appreciate HRC's work and love, love the people commenting. However. I have a serious concern here so I will ask this question. Are we in danger of living in a bubble in these comments?
Barbara, I am making steady progress towards a bubble that is all that the Maker has created. A heart that doesn't know any difference in race or anything that would separate us from each other except good and evil. Since high school, I have answered 'human' on any form that asked my race. But as a human it requires me to work on my humanity and humility every day, as you can probably tell from some of my comments about Republicans as being all bad. I have made significant progress in the last year, possibly as a response to the encroaching evil of tribal racism we face each day. First Nation wisdom teaches that we are on the same Path, and where our individual paths cross, enchantment is possible. I work and study and pray to make that happen, and when I wished for us to "love those who walk the same path with you" I meant everyone.
Forgive me for not making that clear enough.
"Unity cannot exist, where exclusion is allowed to occur."
Oh! As for hanging together, the rope in the picture is a 'painter.' When the tide comes in and floats that dinghy, the painter will secure it. I am aware of people who, for good reason, see a noose in every rope -- and for whom the word 'hanging' evokes terrible pain. Forgive me for not noticing that in the picture. As a sailor I just see lines and weather and tides at first glance; I too have incredible pain in my ancestry, but I can never comprehend the pain of First People, Black People, Jews, or any other race or color. You all have one thing in common: The racism of some of my race.
Dear Gus: Thank You for your thoughtful and inciteful response. It has been a good day in these comments section with a group of folks having a caring and intelligent exchange of viewpoints. That is truly the best we can hope for.
Bill, I always fill in the 'Other' line, or over-write another choice. Why is it necessary to identify us like that? Unfortunately, I know the answer....
As with visual art, language harvests the minds of both the writer and the viewer, each bringing their own culture, background of experience to its meaning. "Hanging with friends", "hanging in there" speaks of enduring proximity and loyalty with one's intimates. So many, many words hold vastly different associations and meanings -- and for some are deep trigger words. This post comes from a loving author and I trust its integrity.
Thank you for this comment. 🙏❤️ I’m guessing no one is suggesting a lack of integrity? The discussion that has ensued does ask how much responsibility should we take on for how others perceive what we have not recognized?
Yes Kasumii, as a long time reader of your comments here, I knew that. And your comments have helped me to understand a different view. I think that is different than having the expectation that the artist should have seen your view and adjusted their message accordingly though. I cannot speak for you or how your comments were interpreted by others, I’m just asking a question and am grateful to you for thinking about it. 🙏❤️
Thanks for your post Lauri. I see lynching and hanging separately. Lynching is a violent act of murder against a person based solely on whatever the crowd doesn’t like about them when in truth they have done nothing wrong. Hanging is the act of hanging a person by the neck until they are dead. It used to be a lawful method of putting a person to death for their crimes. It is definitely one of the methods used in lynching.
You are correct that technically “no one narrative owns hanging”. However, hanging and the use of a noose, especially one forefront in any image, will almost always bring up to people some thoughts or slivers of thoughts on America’s history of slavery and genocide. It will almost always bring up the idea of using violence to get one’s way politically. And most recently, it will bring up the remembrance of the gallows and noose constructed on Jan 6th by those who wished/still wish to bring down our current government.
I wouldn’t say that any of the remarks made here were to suggest or demand or make anyone else walk “a narrow plank of reasoning”. We are each adding our own reactions to the photo and quote of today’s post. Just as you did. I am writing to add my thoughts to what you wrote. As you can to what I have just written.
Kasumii, Very good point! Distinguishing between lynching and hanging is helpful to at least think about. Of course, to the victim it's all the same....
I'm not really making a point here -- just thinking out loud....
Agree, Lauri and good morning. To tell you the truth, the picture reflects, to me, not a noose as usually imagined but a knotted loop on a fishing boat. The thought by the photographer brought to mind the thought of Ben Franklin. I did not associate lynching with it. I associated the concept of traitors and the parallel of current circumstance. And I also immediately thought of democracy (together the people) and autocracy (isolate the people).
Well said and true, we all react differently to things. Thanks for your reply.
Like Barbara, I too had a visceral reaction to the combined photo and post. I flinched. While you are correct that the rope is tied in knots and not as a lasso it is still a photo of a looped rope that is deliberately linked together with a quote about hanging. I don’t see how one could avoid putting the two together and even extrapolating out to the subject of lynching when they were presented together. But again, this is my take on the matter.
Wonderful post and photo! A friend recently said that Bill McKibben, in his new organization Third Act, is calling us to murmurate together. Isn't that a brilliant image of how we need to work together?!
Is it worth noting that different kinds of birds murmurate in different ways, while some fly in formation, others circulate independently with their mates, and some fly alone?
... so, how does that translate to human affairs and political/cultural contingencies ... do we honor our differences, and freely share open skies ... do we lump it all together, roll over and make room for flying cars and drones ...?
Interesting thought, Kathleen. I like where you're going with this. As I'm unaware of birds murmurating in pairs or alone, I'm interested in some info about that. All the definitions I've seen refer to flocks or collections of birds.
Barbara J King on NPR writes about murmuration as "the phenomenon that results when hundreds, sometimes thousands, of starlings fly in swooping, intricately coordinated patterns through the sky." She goes on to say that "George F. Young and his colleagues investigated starlings' "remarkable ability to maintain cohesion as a group in highly uncertain environments and with limited, noisy information.""
One answer to your question may be that we work on our local levels. (Alas, this is what the ultra right wing movement conservatives are doing, ugh!) Barbara J King notes that Young and Co. figured out that "when uncertainty in sensing is present, interacting with six or seven neighbors optimizes the balance between group cohesiveness and individual effort." Interesting, eh?!
Thank you Imogene - I appreciate the perspective. I'm not aware of birds murmuring in pairs or alone either - which is my point, I think (I absolutely do stand in awe of the birds that swoop together as one!) However, not all of us are starlings (though we all be made of star stuff) - so my question goes to who is part of the murmuring flock - all of us or some of us - and how does the analogy apply to those of us with different flight patterns and habits? Do we have room in the modern skies for all of us to live in harmony, or must we inevitably conflict and compete for room to fly free?
Thank you for the link - very interesting, yes!! I love hearing that "when uncertainty in sensing is present, interacting with six or seven neighbors optimizes the balance between group cohesiveness and individual effort."
"(Alas, this is what the ultra right wing movement conservatives are doing, ugh!)"
Wow - did you see this, from the link you posted above?
"... They aren't welcomed by everyone. As the Cornell Lab of Ornithology puts it, starlings in the U.S. are "sometimes resented for their abundance and aggressiveness." In this Scientific American piece, they're even called a "menace." ...:
"Starlings will bully other birds, kicking bluebirds, flickers and woodpeckers out of their nests. They can consume whole fields of wheat and transmit avian, animal and human diseases."
"People quickly realized what a pest these birds could be and tried to get rid of them. In Hartford, Connecticut, in 1914, residents tried to scare the birds away from their nests by fastening teddy bears to those trees and firing rockets through the branches. The White House tried speakers that emitted owl calls. Columns around the U.S. Capitol were outfitted with electrified wires. People have tried shooting, poisoning, trapping, repelling and frightening the birds, but the population still grows. They have plenty to eat and lots of habitat to live on—what else does a species need?
These birds are a prime example of why it can be so difficult to control an invasive species once it has become established—no matter how many you wipe out, there’s still plenty to take their place."
This is very sobering, Kathleen, especially your last line. Yes, it shows what we're up against, and why we need to unite asap!!! Check out Bill McKibben's new organization Third Act, where he's trying to start a new unifying movement for folks over 60.
I agree Imogene, sobering - and revealing ... interesting how the analogy applies in more than one way. I will check out Bill McKibben's new organization - thank you for the reference {I'm 72, so I qualify!) I can imagine it will be possible to apply the same qualities of the starling to generate coherence and in-flight integrity for a coalition of citizens who honor and support a more holistic view of life.
I do respect McKibben's efforts and accomplishments - however I felt it was contradictory to hear him say (when asked by one journalist) that he was not interested in exploring alternatives for home heating - as he preferred using wood chips in his wood stove as he had been doing for years ( I don't have time to search for that report - sometime in the last year or two).
The visual images in our lives can bring up so many thoughts, or for some people, they aren't even seen.
Traveling the last three weeks to NM, then to the Grand Canyon, I was struck by what I saw.
First, as we traveled from Maine by car then plane, everyone we saw, and I mean everyone wore masks. I was impressed, there were no exceptions. Everyone was hanging in there together. As we visited Santa Fe, NM for most of our trip, everyone indoors wore masks. Many wore masks outdoors as well. They were most often people of non-European origin, ie. not white. But many were younger fathers and mothers and their children.
When we went into the National Park at the Grand Canyon. Everyone wore masks indoors. Signs stated this as a requirement. Outdoors, some continued to wear masks parked in more populated areas.
But in Arizona where signs indicated masks are recommended, almost no one but service staff were masks. In smaller establishments, sometimes only 50% were masks.
Who wears masks and whether or not there are leaders helping the public make these decisions seems to be a sign of our times. Most Americans want the hang together. But many are easily persuaded to hang others while believing they are free to do this while ignoring all advisories to the contrary.
A conversation with doctors in NM informed us that the unvaccinated are the most common covid19 deaths at this point, even at younger ages and in healthier conditions prior to covid19. They often demand expensive experimental cures, but reject vaccinations claiming they are experimental. A news report addressed the rising demand for lung transplants by covid19 patients putting others with more traditional lung disease conditions, like cystic fibrosis at risk of not getting a lung transplant.
Ultimately, the sign of our times is a political pandemic of selfishness.
Walking and hiking the Grand Canyon, I was pleased to see and hear so many comments of excitement for the natural beauty, wildlife and polite exchanges and assistance, that I wished more Americans would put their cell phones, social media and talking heads programs away to find inspiration and direction through nature. This is what inspired so many politicians and Americans to create our national parks, monuments and public lands hundreds of years ago so that we can be inspired today.
Where I live in Texas, the wearing of masks is similar to your experience in Arizona. Thus, I remain inside my home, "hanging separately" so to speak. I do not enter any enclosed spaces be they restaurants, theaters, stores, etc., because to do so means encountering at least half of those inside will not be wearing masks. I have been vaccinated and boostered, but even so, break throughs do occur and while maybe not life threatening for those of us who are inoculated, that virus is horrible and debilitating and long haul consequences still plague those who become ill with it. And now we have Omicron to deal with - so it looks like I'll be hanging separately for quite a while. I'm just thankful to be able to "hang separately" with all of you!
Here in Massachusetts, people are wearing masks in stores and the like, but not out of doors, at least not where people aren't crowded together. That's reasonable, as the likelihood of catching COVID outside in uncrowded conditions is extremely low.
Thank you too Christy - ok, now I can't resist sharing this ... sort of a roadmap ... kinda long, but you might appreciate the perspective - if time allows - not set up for feedback yet, but it can give you an idea where the site is heading ... I hope you will enjoy this expanded view:
WELCOME TO TAHOMAHOME
Here is a bit of background to introduce you to the Tahomahomesite:
Why Tahomahome? Well, I grew up with a view of Mount Rainier - originally known as Mount Tahoma ... and, I love the sound of it - just as I love that mountain ....
The homepage is composed of three main sections:
Mothertree (an eventual blog)
Peace To The Planet (so far, a collection of bits and pieces from the whole site I made into a pamphlet to share with a couple of senior cousins - both now relieved of the burden of being alive in aging, debilitated bodies.)
Muhstuhdjahmbe (... still just a seed - hope-fully, it will grow into a harvest of music and associated materials, linking to a Bandcamp site - still empty - in due time, a place to share knowledge/inspiration, improvise and jahmbe with other music lovers.)
What, you may ask, is Muhstuhdjahmbe?!
You will find an explanation of that name at the bottom of this post.
I started building the site in 2004 to showcase a design exploration I had been working on since the turn of the century, focused around the question, "What is happening when the magnetic poles of the planet shift?" That question, along with a head injury in the fall of 1999 led me on a healing journey I still am just beginning to describe.
Briefly, I noticed six roughly defined passages through the mountains of Antarctica from coastline to the inland pole. I wondered if lee lines of magnetism might shift through those passages. Since there were six, I felt they could be represented by the primary and secondary colors on the color wheel - maybe even the whole tone scale dividing octaves of sound into 6 intervals. Only, the openings were not equidistant (that invites a whole new exploration around irregular symmetry of growth and change - something like that - over my head for now.)
So, taking my 6 colored pencils, I drew a grid, marked six points on a circle, and started fishing for a rhythm of movement between those points to see what would show up. I finally found a sequence that kept opening to the next line - to my amazement, half way around the circle, I saw a 5 pointed star - kept going around, and wound up with two 5 pointed stars conjoined at the core forming a 6 pointed star ... that had to mean something!
I turned the star on it's side, shifting the axis of the grid 45* and drew the sequence again ... another 6 pointed star within the first one - a 12 pointed star. Ok. Now I had all 12 colors on the color wheel; 12 tones of the chromatic order in sound; 12 points on the geometric grid of movement ... with analogies ad infinitum ... so, I extended the lines of the grid to the edges of the page - it grew exponentially - 5 generations and it was off the page - I could only guess what 12 generations of exponential expansion would look like ... maybe the size of Mecca ...?!
Then, I banged my head on a car door - that laid me out for a long period of learning to live and die with one breath, one breath at a time ... swimming in the spontaneous resonance of my own voice ... hardly able to walk, let alone do much at all. So, I took a cupboard door from it's hinges, flopped myself down over a mountain of pillows on the mat, and started to draw.
I hardly slept for at least a couple of years - during which time I drew constantly, 18-80 hours at a stretch, stopping only to hoist myself to the toilet, go fix a rice cake with salsa, and hobble back to the mat to draw until sleep came, then awake to draw again, and on ... driven to know what made the colors shift in the circle - what could make the star grow ... it eventually became clear that whatever happened at the core would determine the character of the expanding star - and that was a wide open field of possibilities.
It's a long story, with several chapters ... for now, this is enough to open the door to explore the design for yourself ... you will find the primary question/idea/discussion here on the Design Exploration page - located on the sidebar drop-down menu titled MORE:
The Design Perspectives page on the top taskbar opens to five collections of the actual drawings as they evolved over the next couple of years by which time I was seeing a kaleidoscope of colors in my field of vision - waking or sleeping, eyes open or closed.
Fukushima - a short sequence of sketches that moved beautifully into a slide show - completely unexpected ... (watch the stick move ...!!)
Carnivore - another sequence of drawings that would animate well, I think ...
Prayer For America is a prayer from my heart to the Cosmic Heart of Creation - it seemed to me, America needed it as much as I - if not more ....
The rest of the pages are located on the sidebar drop-down menu - each page has a theme to be developed ...
Tahomahomepages - probably can be an archive of affiliate sites and resource pages - for now, something of a mission statement around the American Dream ...
Identifying as an artist/musician/student of life/Post War Baby Boom Baby and child of the sixties, I started out in life thinking I would be a folk singer/songwriter. People liked what I did, but my energies were so blocked and distorted, I never could put it together. So, I went through life doing all kinds of menial work, with an occasional poem, a few songs, and a bunch of doodled sketches erupting from the volcanic core.
I still have several pieces I would like to develop, once I can sort through accumulated boxes of paperwork and recycling to find the small folder of raw materials I know is in there somewhere ... progress is slow, but I keep moving in that direction.
The Developmental Movement Zone (DMZ) - yet to be articulated around somatic body-mind awareness/movement work from fetal development (WombWalk) through whole body orientation - individual and collective (GlobeScope) - to movement and dynamics of planetary weather systems (WeatherWeaver) with an archive of real-time weather and satellite imagery pages.
momma's homepage is for my little momma ... who came to me in treatment when I was in my thirties - so downhearted, I could hardly speak ... momma spoke for me, for more than a decade - still with me, dear precious little heartbeat - she's only a few inches tall - angel of cosmic proportions with stories to tell - as you can see, she simply loves to get in the picture!
Bobby's HomeRun Cafe - this page has more on the American Dream ... I think it would make a lively community chat room ...dedicated to dear friend Bobby Jones - who used to let me wash dishes for a meal at the Senior Center where he worked back in the 70's and 80's when I was walking down the alleyways with my head down to the ground - such a good friend ... Bobby was a Viet Nam vet who knew the difference - and still, somehow, was able to smile and carry on - to care about life - it would be fair to say he sacrificed much of his life to be there for me - I am sure he helped to save mine (he died in my arms with a smile on his face) ... as sick as I was, I am great-full I was able to be there for him!
Salmon Says can grow into a page for petitions and perspectives about environment, and quality of life for the whole body of life - with emphasis on indigenous values and challenges faced by people of traditional heritage in today's evolving world order ...
ComPostPylonAmerica - for now, is something of a closing statement around rights and responsibilities of living the American Dream ... I can see it growing into a vehicle for networking and communications - a kind of virtual post office - only, I won't be likely to engineer that ... it would require technical expertise and ability to work with security systems - beyond the scope of my abilities.
Besides, once I plow through the remaining backlog of work still binding my time, I want nothing more than to keep studying, practicing and playing music ... whatever time I have left on this planet will be devoted to filling out the content of this site, and exploring healing process and spontaneous resonance through Developmental Movement, Body-Mind Centering and ... you guessed it, ... the Muhstuhdjahmbe!!
The name Muhstuhdjahmbe emerged from a challenge on the Thom Hartmann blog where I had asserted that - yes indeed - we are coping with a 'rape culture', and was set upon by a crew of popular culture defenders insisting there is no such thing (we're just having fun, you know). Their energy toward me was so voracious, I eventually had to exit the blog, and transfer my work from Charity Advantage to Weebly since someone(s) decided to hack my site and turn it into a dating venue ...
(You know, TaHOmaHOme ... oh, ho-ho-ho!)
... Oh no, no, no ...,
As that little drama unfolded, I surmised that I was dealing with certain family members who objected to my vociferous complaints about a history of rape and sexual abuse in my own life that could reflect poorly on the family name - along with others who most likely resented the tracks I had laid down in their lives, roaring through like a runaway train.
Somehow, as I navigated those turbulent waters, I associated the word rape with 'rape wine' ('the refuse, stems and skins of grapes or raisins from which the 'must' has been expressed in wine making' yielding 'a poor thin wine made from the last dregs of pressed wine') ... oh really ...? What a self-portrait!
That metaphor led me to 'rape seed' (a flowering member of the mustard/cabbage family) ... which, of course, brought to mind the biblical verse, '... the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed ...,' landing me in a field of thought, pondering the nature of heaven ... how might this relate to the question of rape ...?
The word 'rape' originally implies - 'haste, speed, hurry' ... from 'hrapa' or 'rapa' - 'to hasten' - 'to betake (oneself) in haste or with speed' ...
So, surrender and spread 'em, or run ... the pressure is on ...!!
'Jambe' derives from a French root meaning 'leg' - is applied as 'Jambiere' - 'armour for the legs - a greave' ... and, of all things, a varient of JAM(v) - obsolete form of YAM ... in traditional Hatha Yoga, of the seven bija mantras associated with the chakras of the energetic body, YAM resonates with the fourth chakra, or Heart Chakra ...
"What is a Mantra? A sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of “creating transformation.” The Sanskrit word mantra consists of the root man- “to think” (also in manas “mind”) and the suffix -tra, meaning “tools or instruments”, hence a literal translation would be “instrument of thought”.
What is Bija Mantra? Bija means seed. “The Bija mantras are one-syllable seed sounds that, when said aloud, activate the energy of the chakras in order to purify & balance the mind & body. When you speak the bija mantras, you resonate with the energy of the associated chakra, helping you focus upon your own instinctive awareness of your body & its needs.”-DailyOM
What is a chakra? In Sanskrit, chakra translates into “wheel”. These “wheels” can be thought of as vortexes that both receive & radiate energy. There are 7 major energy centers (aka chakras) in the human body. They run from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Emotions, physical health, & mental clarity affect how well each chakra can filter energy. This in turn dictates how pure the energy is that’s emitted from different regions of the body."
So, this goes deeper with every turn! At this point, I think of a forum where people can improvise together and jam out the rape wine after the must Is pressed when mastah musta done had his way so we better be swift to run away or guard our shins with greaves ...; seeds are sown, so we must be jamb'in' now ...,
... uh-uh ..., uh-uh ah ...: Welcome to the Muhstuhdjahmbe!! 👀😳😎
I love that quote and have used it often in my classroom. Another companion quote from Mark Twain - "Loyalty to petrified opinion never broke a chain or freed a human soul."
Patricia, Never heard that one before. Thanks for the quote! Twain would have shuddered at the amount of petrified opinion we 'moderns' still have. We humans should be in a better place by now....
Thanks so much for sharing Peter’s words and the photo- just what I need to get through the bleakness and fear for what’s happening & not happening in this country.
Thanks for helping me feel We are not alone.
Blessings to you for helping bring sense to the world around us.
Love Peter's work. He grew up several miles from me in PA, and after visiting Stonington as a 5 year old, I was hooked and ended up attending Colby. While there I used to drive out from Waterville to Camden and Rockport in the afternoons or weekends to watch the sunset or just relax on the rocks. I worked on Mt Desert Island for 4 summers, where I began my own photography "career" as a dedicated amateur. My parents took my sons to Stonington as young teens. My younger son, in particular, caught the Maine bug, much to my delight. To this day I periodically return to Maine for a reset. It's one of two places where as soon as I cross the border, much less arrive at my destination, I have a visceral reaction where my breathing steadies, my heart rate slows, and I attain a degree of calmness rarely present in my life. Thanks for sharing!
Great pairing of Peter Ralston's photograph and Ben Franklin's admonition. We need to take seriously the likelihood that Franklin's U.S. was, in the mid-to-late 1700's in a peril that is very closely related to the peril in which contemporary U.S. progressives find themselves.
I also want to thank you for Friday's "Letter," in which you did a powerful job of showing the profound linkage between post-Civil-War Jim Crow racism (1865-present) and the U.S. white middle and upper class demonization of "socialism."
Sleep well & rest, Dr. R. So true! “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” May we all work together to save our democracy. Thank you, thank you for all your research and letters from an American.
I visited The Ralston Gallery in late September and told Peter that I was a fan of yours! I told him you had a big following in and around Denver, Colorado!
Little known fact: Chief Justice Roberts owns a summer home on the island in the distance, Hupper Island. If I'm not mistaken, his house is just out of frame to the right. I used to live nearby.
Remember reading that now, so maybe a little better known. :-)
Off-topic alert:
One thing I hear reading that piece a decade and a half later is the feudal nature of the Maine islands.
Port Clyde and its neighboring villages were deep in a heroin/methadone wave in '07, and the opioid epidemic had just begun. Like all fishing communities, injuries, erratic schedules, and dangerous, uncertain working conditions made them easy marks for pain medication marketers. Many families on the peninsula have been hammered as a result. Still, many remain fiercely loyal to their masters.
I referred above to the feudal nature of island life.
There is an interdependence that relies on the summer people’s year-round caretaking employment wages & extravagant tastes in food, boats & cabinetry, to name a few, to boost the local economy.
Like feudal lords, at least the good ones, the wealthy pay high wages and share their largesse in return for local loyalty.
For myriad reasons, the summer islanders cannot hire everyone, though. Stories like that NYT feature read more like real estate marketing to those of us who know the addiction & domestic violence rates along the Maine coast generally and in Knox County specifically.
PS: Maritime commerce law from the 1600s contributes to this dynamic. Maine, MA, and NH coastal property owners own down to the low tide line, so access to the resource rich beach & mudflats is part of the already complex socio-economic negotiations.
Apt. Sturdy secure line of red, gathering kelp, frayed net, and a waiting though battered craft all still working and able to cast off for another journey on the morning's rising tide in search of our democracy.
Looks like low tide. Beautiful picture. I wish she would take a whole weekend off once in a while.
Very dedicated professor, preparing us to understand what's ahead. Knowledge is power, and she wants to make us very powerful indeed....
Have a good Sunday everyone! Love those who walk the path with you.
If we failed to get a note from her I would worry about her condition! She is amazing!
From HCR you mean? I wouldn’t worry unless say, three nights went by without any note. That’s just me though. We all need to take breaks now and then and for someone who posts so regularly it would feel odd to not hear from her but I would initially assume she was taking a break. Lord knows I do wonder how she keeps it up day after day + have a regular life and job. Her work, and especially combined with Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s Substack newsletter Lucid, is so very, very valuable during such tumultuous and trying times.
Robert Hubbell on Substack is another valuable supplement to HCR and Ruth Ben-Ghiat.
Gus I respectfully ask you to show that photo to a person of color and ask them if it is a "beautiful photo." I very much appreciate HRC's work and love, love the people commenting. However. I have a serious concern here so I will ask this question. Are we in danger of living in a bubble in these comments?
Barbara, I am making steady progress towards a bubble that is all that the Maker has created. A heart that doesn't know any difference in race or anything that would separate us from each other except good and evil. Since high school, I have answered 'human' on any form that asked my race. But as a human it requires me to work on my humanity and humility every day, as you can probably tell from some of my comments about Republicans as being all bad. I have made significant progress in the last year, possibly as a response to the encroaching evil of tribal racism we face each day. First Nation wisdom teaches that we are on the same Path, and where our individual paths cross, enchantment is possible. I work and study and pray to make that happen, and when I wished for us to "love those who walk the same path with you" I meant everyone.
Forgive me for not making that clear enough.
"Unity cannot exist, where exclusion is allowed to occur."
Richard Wagamese, Ojibway author, Embers ch.1
Oh! As for hanging together, the rope in the picture is a 'painter.' When the tide comes in and floats that dinghy, the painter will secure it. I am aware of people who, for good reason, see a noose in every rope -- and for whom the word 'hanging' evokes terrible pain. Forgive me for not noticing that in the picture. As a sailor I just see lines and weather and tides at first glance; I too have incredible pain in my ancestry, but I can never comprehend the pain of First People, Black People, Jews, or any other race or color. You all have one thing in common: The racism of some of my race.
I despise the word 'race.' It separates us.
Dear Gus: Thank You for your thoughtful and inciteful response. It has been a good day in these comments section with a group of folks having a caring and intelligent exchange of viewpoints. That is truly the best we can hope for.
Thank you Gus. I'll start using "human" as well unless it's a copyright issue. Sometimes we forget that we are merely human.
Bill, I always fill in the 'Other' line, or over-write another choice. Why is it necessary to identify us like that? Unfortunately, I know the answer....
Excellent question Barbara. Thank you for posting it.
As with visual art, language harvests the minds of both the writer and the viewer, each bringing their own culture, background of experience to its meaning. "Hanging with friends", "hanging in there" speaks of enduring proximity and loyalty with one's intimates. So many, many words hold vastly different associations and meanings -- and for some are deep trigger words. This post comes from a loving author and I trust its integrity.
Thank you for this comment. 🙏❤️ I’m guessing no one is suggesting a lack of integrity? The discussion that has ensued does ask how much responsibility should we take on for how others perceive what we have not recognized?
Christy, Very concise wisdom, gently offered. This is the most empathy filled respectful conversation I think I have witnessed on this forum.
Interesting question Christy. I’m going to ponder that further.
Speaking for myself, not once in today’s comment was I referring to integrity.
Yes Kasumii, as a long time reader of your comments here, I knew that. And your comments have helped me to understand a different view. I think that is different than having the expectation that the artist should have seen your view and adjusted their message accordingly though. I cannot speak for you or how your comments were interpreted by others, I’m just asking a question and am grateful to you for thinking about it. 🙏❤️
This was brought home to me this morning, shockingly, thanks to other commenters.
We are in that danger, but I don't think it's exactly what I think you think it is.
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510053/on-point
see the podcast featuring (African American) linguist John McWhorter.
Thanks for your post Lauri. I see lynching and hanging separately. Lynching is a violent act of murder against a person based solely on whatever the crowd doesn’t like about them when in truth they have done nothing wrong. Hanging is the act of hanging a person by the neck until they are dead. It used to be a lawful method of putting a person to death for their crimes. It is definitely one of the methods used in lynching.
You are correct that technically “no one narrative owns hanging”. However, hanging and the use of a noose, especially one forefront in any image, will almost always bring up to people some thoughts or slivers of thoughts on America’s history of slavery and genocide. It will almost always bring up the idea of using violence to get one’s way politically. And most recently, it will bring up the remembrance of the gallows and noose constructed on Jan 6th by those who wished/still wish to bring down our current government.
I wouldn’t say that any of the remarks made here were to suggest or demand or make anyone else walk “a narrow plank of reasoning”. We are each adding our own reactions to the photo and quote of today’s post. Just as you did. I am writing to add my thoughts to what you wrote. As you can to what I have just written.
Kasumii, Very good point! Distinguishing between lynching and hanging is helpful to at least think about. Of course, to the victim it's all the same....
I'm not really making a point here -- just thinking out loud....
Agree, Lauri and good morning. To tell you the truth, the picture reflects, to me, not a noose as usually imagined but a knotted loop on a fishing boat. The thought by the photographer brought to mind the thought of Ben Franklin. I did not associate lynching with it. I associated the concept of traitors and the parallel of current circumstance. And I also immediately thought of democracy (together the people) and autocracy (isolate the people).
Well said and true, we all react differently to things. Thanks for your reply.
Like Barbara, I too had a visceral reaction to the combined photo and post. I flinched. While you are correct that the rope is tied in knots and not as a lasso it is still a photo of a looped rope that is deliberately linked together with a quote about hanging. I don’t see how one could avoid putting the two together and even extrapolating out to the subject of lynching when they were presented together. But again, this is my take on the matter.
"No one narrative owns hanging." In this Country unfortunately they do.
Wonderful post and photo! A friend recently said that Bill McKibben, in his new organization Third Act, is calling us to murmurate together. Isn't that a brilliant image of how we need to work together?!
It is brilliant! I am a bird lover and I can’t think of a better analogy of hanging together to stay strong and united.
Yes, it is a beautiful image. Those birds stick together!
I’m in!
Is it worth noting that different kinds of birds murmurate in different ways, while some fly in formation, others circulate independently with their mates, and some fly alone?
... so, how does that translate to human affairs and political/cultural contingencies ... do we honor our differences, and freely share open skies ... do we lump it all together, roll over and make room for flying cars and drones ...?
Interesting thought, Kathleen. I like where you're going with this. As I'm unaware of birds murmurating in pairs or alone, I'm interested in some info about that. All the definitions I've seen refer to flocks or collections of birds.
Barbara J King on NPR writes about murmuration as "the phenomenon that results when hundreds, sometimes thousands, of starlings fly in swooping, intricately coordinated patterns through the sky." She goes on to say that "George F. Young and his colleagues investigated starlings' "remarkable ability to maintain cohesion as a group in highly uncertain environments and with limited, noisy information.""
One answer to your question may be that we work on our local levels. (Alas, this is what the ultra right wing movement conservatives are doing, ugh!) Barbara J King notes that Young and Co. figured out that "when uncertainty in sensing is present, interacting with six or seven neighbors optimizes the balance between group cohesiveness and individual effort." Interesting, eh?!
https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2017/01/04/506400719/video-swooping-starlings-in-murmuration
Thank you Imogene - I appreciate the perspective. I'm not aware of birds murmuring in pairs or alone either - which is my point, I think (I absolutely do stand in awe of the birds that swoop together as one!) However, not all of us are starlings (though we all be made of star stuff) - so my question goes to who is part of the murmuring flock - all of us or some of us - and how does the analogy apply to those of us with different flight patterns and habits? Do we have room in the modern skies for all of us to live in harmony, or must we inevitably conflict and compete for room to fly free?
Thank you for the link - very interesting, yes!! I love hearing that "when uncertainty in sensing is present, interacting with six or seven neighbors optimizes the balance between group cohesiveness and individual effort."
So good to be with all you neighbors!!
"(Alas, this is what the ultra right wing movement conservatives are doing, ugh!)"
Wow - did you see this, from the link you posted above?
"... They aren't welcomed by everyone. As the Cornell Lab of Ornithology puts it, starlings in the U.S. are "sometimes resented for their abundance and aggressiveness." In this Scientific American piece, they're even called a "menace." ...:
"Starlings will bully other birds, kicking bluebirds, flickers and woodpeckers out of their nests. They can consume whole fields of wheat and transmit avian, animal and human diseases."
"People quickly realized what a pest these birds could be and tried to get rid of them. In Hartford, Connecticut, in 1914, residents tried to scare the birds away from their nests by fastening teddy bears to those trees and firing rockets through the branches. The White House tried speakers that emitted owl calls. Columns around the U.S. Capitol were outfitted with electrified wires. People have tried shooting, poisoning, trapping, repelling and frightening the birds, but the population still grows. They have plenty to eat and lots of habitat to live on—what else does a species need?
These birds are a prime example of why it can be so difficult to control an invasive species once it has become established—no matter how many you wipe out, there’s still plenty to take their place."
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-invasive-species-we-can-blame-on-shakespeare-95506437/
... so, is this where it's going - birds that flock together Glock together ...?
This is very sobering, Kathleen, especially your last line. Yes, it shows what we're up against, and why we need to unite asap!!! Check out Bill McKibben's new organization Third Act, where he's trying to start a new unifying movement for folks over 60.
I agree Imogene, sobering - and revealing ... interesting how the analogy applies in more than one way. I will check out Bill McKibben's new organization - thank you for the reference {I'm 72, so I qualify!) I can imagine it will be possible to apply the same qualities of the starling to generate coherence and in-flight integrity for a coalition of citizens who honor and support a more holistic view of life.
I do respect McKibben's efforts and accomplishments - however I felt it was contradictory to hear him say (when asked by one journalist) that he was not interested in exploring alternatives for home heating - as he preferred using wood chips in his wood stove as he had been doing for years ( I don't have time to search for that report - sometime in the last year or two).
Blessings, and peace to you!!
The visual images in our lives can bring up so many thoughts, or for some people, they aren't even seen.
Traveling the last three weeks to NM, then to the Grand Canyon, I was struck by what I saw.
First, as we traveled from Maine by car then plane, everyone we saw, and I mean everyone wore masks. I was impressed, there were no exceptions. Everyone was hanging in there together. As we visited Santa Fe, NM for most of our trip, everyone indoors wore masks. Many wore masks outdoors as well. They were most often people of non-European origin, ie. not white. But many were younger fathers and mothers and their children.
When we went into the National Park at the Grand Canyon. Everyone wore masks indoors. Signs stated this as a requirement. Outdoors, some continued to wear masks parked in more populated areas.
But in Arizona where signs indicated masks are recommended, almost no one but service staff were masks. In smaller establishments, sometimes only 50% were masks.
Who wears masks and whether or not there are leaders helping the public make these decisions seems to be a sign of our times. Most Americans want the hang together. But many are easily persuaded to hang others while believing they are free to do this while ignoring all advisories to the contrary.
A conversation with doctors in NM informed us that the unvaccinated are the most common covid19 deaths at this point, even at younger ages and in healthier conditions prior to covid19. They often demand expensive experimental cures, but reject vaccinations claiming they are experimental. A news report addressed the rising demand for lung transplants by covid19 patients putting others with more traditional lung disease conditions, like cystic fibrosis at risk of not getting a lung transplant.
Ultimately, the sign of our times is a political pandemic of selfishness.
Walking and hiking the Grand Canyon, I was pleased to see and hear so many comments of excitement for the natural beauty, wildlife and polite exchanges and assistance, that I wished more Americans would put their cell phones, social media and talking heads programs away to find inspiration and direction through nature. This is what inspired so many politicians and Americans to create our national parks, monuments and public lands hundreds of years ago so that we can be inspired today.
Where I live in Texas, the wearing of masks is similar to your experience in Arizona. Thus, I remain inside my home, "hanging separately" so to speak. I do not enter any enclosed spaces be they restaurants, theaters, stores, etc., because to do so means encountering at least half of those inside will not be wearing masks. I have been vaccinated and boostered, but even so, break throughs do occur and while maybe not life threatening for those of us who are inoculated, that virus is horrible and debilitating and long haul consequences still plague those who become ill with it. And now we have Omicron to deal with - so it looks like I'll be hanging separately for quite a while. I'm just thankful to be able to "hang separately" with all of you!
Ellen so true, for so many of us.
My state could be called 'East Texas -- or yours ' West Georgia' I believe. I will gladly hang separately with you!
Your comment about experimental treatments and drugs vs the vaccines really struck me. I’m always learning while hanging with this group. 🙏🏼🤗
🕎Last night of Hanukkah tonight is always very bright!
"They often demand expensive experimental cures, but reject vaccinations claiming they are experimental." OMG!
There is no more beautiful thing than the apolitical natural universe and of course your apolitical dog. You just have to know where to look.
Absolutely true. I was looking; now I'm seeing.
David, thank you for your profound observations and reporting. It helps all of us to see through your eyes.
Here in Massachusetts, people are wearing masks in stores and the like, but not out of doors, at least not where people aren't crowded together. That's reasonable, as the likelihood of catching COVID outside in uncrowded conditions is extremely low.
I find it so illustrative that there is royal purple cord throughout the orange rope. Hang together indeed.
Let’s all rest up for the good week coming. United in our commonalities. 💜🌈
I see purple as well. Hope it is symbolic in a positive sense.
Christine Purple could be a mark of distinction, as it reflected royalty in the time of Agamemnon.
Morning Keith.
Purple combines the calm stability of blue and the fierce energy of red. I always feel noble when this color is around me.
How interesting - what shows up as royal purple on your screen looks green on mine ...
There is a green rope but Christine is referring to the flecks of purple within the orange rope. Not sue if that is what you are looking at.
Aha, thank you Christy - I had not noticed that - so now, we have a full complement of secondary colors!!!
https://tahomahome.weebly.com/design-exploration.html
Thanks for sharing your web page Kathleen. It’s very impressive. 🙏❤️
Thank you too Christy - ok, now I can't resist sharing this ... sort of a roadmap ... kinda long, but you might appreciate the perspective - if time allows - not set up for feedback yet, but it can give you an idea where the site is heading ... I hope you will enjoy this expanded view:
WELCOME TO TAHOMAHOME
Here is a bit of background to introduce you to the Tahomahomesite:
https://tahomahome.weebly.com/
Why Tahomahome? Well, I grew up with a view of Mount Rainier - originally known as Mount Tahoma ... and, I love the sound of it - just as I love that mountain ....
The homepage is composed of three main sections:
Mothertree (an eventual blog)
Peace To The Planet (so far, a collection of bits and pieces from the whole site I made into a pamphlet to share with a couple of senior cousins - both now relieved of the burden of being alive in aging, debilitated bodies.)
Muhstuhdjahmbe (... still just a seed - hope-fully, it will grow into a harvest of music and associated materials, linking to a Bandcamp site - still empty - in due time, a place to share knowledge/inspiration, improvise and jahmbe with other music lovers.)
What, you may ask, is Muhstuhdjahmbe?!
You will find an explanation of that name at the bottom of this post.
I started building the site in 2004 to showcase a design exploration I had been working on since the turn of the century, focused around the question, "What is happening when the magnetic poles of the planet shift?" That question, along with a head injury in the fall of 1999 led me on a healing journey I still am just beginning to describe.
Briefly, I noticed six roughly defined passages through the mountains of Antarctica from coastline to the inland pole. I wondered if lee lines of magnetism might shift through those passages. Since there were six, I felt they could be represented by the primary and secondary colors on the color wheel - maybe even the whole tone scale dividing octaves of sound into 6 intervals. Only, the openings were not equidistant (that invites a whole new exploration around irregular symmetry of growth and change - something like that - over my head for now.)
So, taking my 6 colored pencils, I drew a grid, marked six points on a circle, and started fishing for a rhythm of movement between those points to see what would show up. I finally found a sequence that kept opening to the next line - to my amazement, half way around the circle, I saw a 5 pointed star - kept going around, and wound up with two 5 pointed stars conjoined at the core forming a 6 pointed star ... that had to mean something!
I turned the star on it's side, shifting the axis of the grid 45* and drew the sequence again ... another 6 pointed star within the first one - a 12 pointed star. Ok. Now I had all 12 colors on the color wheel; 12 tones of the chromatic order in sound; 12 points on the geometric grid of movement ... with analogies ad infinitum ... so, I extended the lines of the grid to the edges of the page - it grew exponentially - 5 generations and it was off the page - I could only guess what 12 generations of exponential expansion would look like ... maybe the size of Mecca ...?!
Then, I banged my head on a car door - that laid me out for a long period of learning to live and die with one breath, one breath at a time ... swimming in the spontaneous resonance of my own voice ... hardly able to walk, let alone do much at all. So, I took a cupboard door from it's hinges, flopped myself down over a mountain of pillows on the mat, and started to draw.
I hardly slept for at least a couple of years - during which time I drew constantly, 18-80 hours at a stretch, stopping only to hoist myself to the toilet, go fix a rice cake with salsa, and hobble back to the mat to draw until sleep came, then awake to draw again, and on ... driven to know what made the colors shift in the circle - what could make the star grow ... it eventually became clear that whatever happened at the core would determine the character of the expanding star - and that was a wide open field of possibilities.
It's a long story, with several chapters ... for now, this is enough to open the door to explore the design for yourself ... you will find the primary question/idea/discussion here on the Design Exploration page - located on the sidebar drop-down menu titled MORE:
https://tahomahome.weebly.com/design-exploration.html
The Design Perspectives page on the top taskbar opens to five collections of the actual drawings as they evolved over the next couple of years by which time I was seeing a kaleidoscope of colors in my field of vision - waking or sleeping, eyes open or closed.
https://tahomahome.weebly.com/design-perspectives.html
Also on the top taskbar, you will see:
Fukushima - a short sequence of sketches that moved beautifully into a slide show - completely unexpected ... (watch the stick move ...!!)
Carnivore - another sequence of drawings that would animate well, I think ...
Prayer For America is a prayer from my heart to the Cosmic Heart of Creation - it seemed to me, America needed it as much as I - if not more ....
The rest of the pages are located on the sidebar drop-down menu - each page has a theme to be developed ...
Tahomahomepages - probably can be an archive of affiliate sites and resource pages - for now, something of a mission statement around the American Dream ...
Identifying as an artist/musician/student of life/Post War Baby Boom Baby and child of the sixties, I started out in life thinking I would be a folk singer/songwriter. People liked what I did, but my energies were so blocked and distorted, I never could put it together. So, I went through life doing all kinds of menial work, with an occasional poem, a few songs, and a bunch of doodled sketches erupting from the volcanic core.
You will find a small collection of these here:
Tahomaloaf (poetry rising from Tahomahome)
https://tahomahome.weebly.com/tahomaloaf.html
Galeraiea (art, drawings, doodles and more)
https://tahomahome.weebly.com/galeraiea.html
I still have several pieces I would like to develop, once I can sort through accumulated boxes of paperwork and recycling to find the small folder of raw materials I know is in there somewhere ... progress is slow, but I keep moving in that direction.
The Developmental Movement Zone (DMZ) - yet to be articulated around somatic body-mind awareness/movement work from fetal development (WombWalk) through whole body orientation - individual and collective (GlobeScope) - to movement and dynamics of planetary weather systems (WeatherWeaver) with an archive of real-time weather and satellite imagery pages.
momma's homepage is for my little momma ... who came to me in treatment when I was in my thirties - so downhearted, I could hardly speak ... momma spoke for me, for more than a decade - still with me, dear precious little heartbeat - she's only a few inches tall - angel of cosmic proportions with stories to tell - as you can see, she simply loves to get in the picture!
Bobby's HomeRun Cafe - this page has more on the American Dream ... I think it would make a lively community chat room ...dedicated to dear friend Bobby Jones - who used to let me wash dishes for a meal at the Senior Center where he worked back in the 70's and 80's when I was walking down the alleyways with my head down to the ground - such a good friend ... Bobby was a Viet Nam vet who knew the difference - and still, somehow, was able to smile and carry on - to care about life - it would be fair to say he sacrificed much of his life to be there for me - I am sure he helped to save mine (he died in my arms with a smile on his face) ... as sick as I was, I am great-full I was able to be there for him!
Salmon Says can grow into a page for petitions and perspectives about environment, and quality of life for the whole body of life - with emphasis on indigenous values and challenges faced by people of traditional heritage in today's evolving world order ...
ComPostPylonAmerica - for now, is something of a closing statement around rights and responsibilities of living the American Dream ... I can see it growing into a vehicle for networking and communications - a kind of virtual post office - only, I won't be likely to engineer that ... it would require technical expertise and ability to work with security systems - beyond the scope of my abilities.
Besides, once I plow through the remaining backlog of work still binding my time, I want nothing more than to keep studying, practicing and playing music ... whatever time I have left on this planet will be devoted to filling out the content of this site, and exploring healing process and spontaneous resonance through Developmental Movement, Body-Mind Centering and ... you guessed it, ... the Muhstuhdjahmbe!!
OK ... SO, WHAT ON EARTH IS MUHSTUHDJAHMBE?
The name Muhstuhdjahmbe emerged from a challenge on the Thom Hartmann blog where I had asserted that - yes indeed - we are coping with a 'rape culture', and was set upon by a crew of popular culture defenders insisting there is no such thing (we're just having fun, you know). Their energy toward me was so voracious, I eventually had to exit the blog, and transfer my work from Charity Advantage to Weebly since someone(s) decided to hack my site and turn it into a dating venue ...
(You know, TaHOmaHOme ... oh, ho-ho-ho!)
... Oh no, no, no ...,
As that little drama unfolded, I surmised that I was dealing with certain family members who objected to my vociferous complaints about a history of rape and sexual abuse in my own life that could reflect poorly on the family name - along with others who most likely resented the tracks I had laid down in their lives, roaring through like a runaway train.
Somehow, as I navigated those turbulent waters, I associated the word rape with 'rape wine' ('the refuse, stems and skins of grapes or raisins from which the 'must' has been expressed in wine making' yielding 'a poor thin wine made from the last dregs of pressed wine') ... oh really ...? What a self-portrait!
That metaphor led me to 'rape seed' (a flowering member of the mustard/cabbage family) ... which, of course, brought to mind the biblical verse, '... the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed ...,' landing me in a field of thought, pondering the nature of heaven ... how might this relate to the question of rape ...?
The word 'rape' originally implies - 'haste, speed, hurry' ... from 'hrapa' or 'rapa' - 'to hasten' - 'to betake (oneself) in haste or with speed' ...
So, surrender and spread 'em, or run ... the pressure is on ...!!
'Jambe' derives from a French root meaning 'leg' - is applied as 'Jambiere' - 'armour for the legs - a greave' ... and, of all things, a varient of JAM(v) - obsolete form of YAM ... in traditional Hatha Yoga, of the seven bija mantras associated with the chakras of the energetic body, YAM resonates with the fourth chakra, or Heart Chakra ...
"What is a Mantra? A sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of “creating transformation.” The Sanskrit word mantra consists of the root man- “to think” (also in manas “mind”) and the suffix -tra, meaning “tools or instruments”, hence a literal translation would be “instrument of thought”.
What is Bija Mantra? Bija means seed. “The Bija mantras are one-syllable seed sounds that, when said aloud, activate the energy of the chakras in order to purify & balance the mind & body. When you speak the bija mantras, you resonate with the energy of the associated chakra, helping you focus upon your own instinctive awareness of your body & its needs.”-DailyOM
What is a chakra? In Sanskrit, chakra translates into “wheel”. These “wheels” can be thought of as vortexes that both receive & radiate energy. There are 7 major energy centers (aka chakras) in the human body. They run from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Emotions, physical health, & mental clarity affect how well each chakra can filter energy. This in turn dictates how pure the energy is that’s emitted from different regions of the body."
7. OM - Crown - purple
6. OM - Third Eye - indigo
5. HAM - Throat - blue
4. YAM - Heart - green
3. RAM - Solar Plexus - yellow
2. VAM - Sacral - orange
1. LAM - Root - red
http://ar-yoga.com/2011/10/bija-mantras-the-sounds-of-the-chakras-lam-vam-ram-yam-ham-om/
So, this goes deeper with every turn! At this point, I think of a forum where people can improvise together and jam out the rape wine after the must Is pressed when mastah musta done had his way so we better be swift to run away or guard our shins with greaves ...; seeds are sown, so we must be jamb'in' now ...,
... uh-uh ..., uh-uh ah ...: Welcome to the Muhstuhdjahmbe!! 👀😳😎
Peace, Love and Harmony to All!!!
Hmmm. Mine is purple also. Might be a light setting. 🤷♀️
I love that quote and have used it often in my classroom. Another companion quote from Mark Twain - "Loyalty to petrified opinion never broke a chain or freed a human soul."
Yes, Patricia!
Reminds me of my fave refrigerator magnet reminder…..
“Let Go Or Be Dragged”
I like that quote from Mark Twain. As with many of his quotes, so very true.
Patricia, Never heard that one before. Thanks for the quote! Twain would have shuddered at the amount of petrified opinion we 'moderns' still have. We humans should be in a better place by now....
Thanks so much for sharing Peter’s words and the photo- just what I need to get through the bleakness and fear for what’s happening & not happening in this country.
Thanks for helping me feel We are not alone.
Blessings to you for helping bring sense to the world around us.
Love Peter's work. He grew up several miles from me in PA, and after visiting Stonington as a 5 year old, I was hooked and ended up attending Colby. While there I used to drive out from Waterville to Camden and Rockport in the afternoons or weekends to watch the sunset or just relax on the rocks. I worked on Mt Desert Island for 4 summers, where I began my own photography "career" as a dedicated amateur. My parents took my sons to Stonington as young teens. My younger son, in particular, caught the Maine bug, much to my delight. To this day I periodically return to Maine for a reset. It's one of two places where as soon as I cross the border, much less arrive at my destination, I have a visceral reaction where my breathing steadies, my heart rate slows, and I attain a degree of calmness rarely present in my life. Thanks for sharing!
Great pairing of Peter Ralston's photograph and Ben Franklin's admonition. We need to take seriously the likelihood that Franklin's U.S. was, in the mid-to-late 1700's in a peril that is very closely related to the peril in which contemporary U.S. progressives find themselves.
I also want to thank you for Friday's "Letter," in which you did a powerful job of showing the profound linkage between post-Civil-War Jim Crow racism (1865-present) and the U.S. white middle and upper class demonization of "socialism."
Thanks!
Heather, brilliant interpretation of Peter's photograph. Thank you! Have a restful, peaceful weekend!
Sleep well & rest, Dr. R. So true! “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” May we all work together to save our democracy. Thank you, thank you for all your research and letters from an American.
you are the red rope.
Good one! Keeping us tethered to sanity (grounded) ❤️ With flecks of purple for calm as Christine has noted 😁)
Makes me wonder, will Manchin and Sinema hang with the oligarchs or the people?
I visited The Ralston Gallery in late September and told Peter that I was a fan of yours! I told him you had a big following in and around Denver, Colorado!
Little known fact: Chief Justice Roberts owns a summer home on the island in the distance, Hupper Island. If I'm not mistaken, his house is just out of frame to the right. I used to live nearby.
“”Around here he puts his pants on the same way we all do,” Dennis Cushman said.” https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/02/us/02maine.html
Remember reading that now, so maybe a little better known. :-)
Off-topic alert:
One thing I hear reading that piece a decade and a half later is the feudal nature of the Maine islands.
Port Clyde and its neighboring villages were deep in a heroin/methadone wave in '07, and the opioid epidemic had just begun. Like all fishing communities, injuries, erratic schedules, and dangerous, uncertain working conditions made them easy marks for pain medication marketers. Many families on the peninsula have been hammered as a result. Still, many remain fiercely loyal to their masters.
“Their masters”? Sorry, I don’t understand.
I referred above to the feudal nature of island life.
There is an interdependence that relies on the summer people’s year-round caretaking employment wages & extravagant tastes in food, boats & cabinetry, to name a few, to boost the local economy.
Like feudal lords, at least the good ones, the wealthy pay high wages and share their largesse in return for local loyalty.
For myriad reasons, the summer islanders cannot hire everyone, though. Stories like that NYT feature read more like real estate marketing to those of us who know the addiction & domestic violence rates along the Maine coast generally and in Knox County specifically.
Interesting. Thank you for clarifying what you were referencing.
PS: Maritime commerce law from the 1600s contributes to this dynamic. Maine, MA, and NH coastal property owners own down to the low tide line, so access to the resource rich beach & mudflats is part of the already complex socio-economic negotiations.
Related to you?
Lol. My Roberts ancestors were mostly rambling rogues whose main job was to stay one step ahead of the law.
Apt. Sturdy secure line of red, gathering kelp, frayed net, and a waiting though battered craft all still working and able to cast off for another journey on the morning's rising tide in search of our democracy.
Oh, the complexities of hanging together…
Gratitude to you and Peter