The successive dreams that have driven colonialized America have never been totally based on reality......but children grow up to be responsible, independent, socialized adults if they are aided and abetted by the framework that put in place around them by their "founding mothers and fathers". In adult life the dreams of youth evolve int…
The successive dreams that have driven colonialized America have never been totally based on reality......but children grow up to be responsible, independent, socialized adults if they are aided and abetted by the framework that put in place around them by their "founding mothers and fathers". In adult life the dreams of youth evolve into more mature yearnings, structures and dreams for the one's own and one's community's future; dreaming is essential to mental stability.
A starting point might be the recognition that in reality America is not just a "young country" just as France is not just its current "Republic". Native Americans existed well before the arrival of the European-, Afro-Americans and many other ethnic-Americans. Dreams formed their founding myths, governed their individual and collective acts and foresaw their eventual assimilation with generations that had preceded them. America could well start the adult part of its life by dreaming a new founding myth and dreaming inclusive dreams where we are all in this life together regardless of our individual differences.
Once those dreams start to to coalesce and the leaders emerge to fulfill them, we can start to apply pretty well-known Change Theory and make sure the job is done without any backsliding; a total return to the pre-Covid world will just not happen, the adult children now have to leave home and set up outside the "parental dream" and form a new life.
Like this big picture assessment. Fits my optimism in 2020 (the silver lining in a very dark cloud) witnessing protest eruptions in May and being exposed via zoom to youthful political activists directing my efforts to elect BidenHarris. Locally, I’ve seen proof of how hard-to-impossible it is for oldsters-in-power to give up power. But, time is against them. Significant change is possible. Even after destruction life emerges from the ashes. Right now, our focus must be Georgia. Victory would check the evil seditious McConnell. Donate now, if you can, to young leader Stacey Abrams’ efforts to register and get out the vote. ❤️🧡💙
Ever since surviving a near-death experience in 2013 (massive pulmonary embolism took me to within two hours of death), I have been asking everyone I meet what their dream is. My favorite answer is "I'm living my dream." Yes, we can't go home again to a pre-COVID world. Perhaps we are now teenagers being kicked out of the nest. Hope we find our wings...
Have always liked this bit of wisdom:
Learning to Fly
The eagle gently coaxed her offspring toward the edge of the nest. Her
heart quivered with conflicting emotions as she felt their resistance to her
persistent nudging. "Why does the thrill of soaring have to begin with the
fear of falling?" she thought. This ageless question was still unanswered
for her.
As in the tradition of the species, her nest was located high on the shelf
of a sheer rock face. Below there was nothing but air to support the wings
of each child. "Is it possible that this time it will not work?" she
thought. Despite her fears, the eagle knew it was time. Her parental
mission was all but complete. There remained one final task -- the push.
The eagle drew courage from an innate wisdom. Until her children discovered
their wings, there was no purpose for their lives. Until they learned how
to soar, they would fail to understand the privilege it was to have been
born an eagle. The push was the greatest gift she had to offer. It was her
supreme act of love. And so one by one she pushed them, and they flew!
The symbolism of the Eagle is of course particularly important and pertinent to the American....chosen as the country's symbol in 1782 and Massachusetts 1 cent coin from 1776......and the dream of America is that all can strive to fullfil their dreams, soaring to the heights of their desires, free to deploy their wings.
In Native American culture, the eagle is considered the strongest and bravest of all birds. For this reason, its feathers symbolize what is highest, bravest, strongest, and holiest. It has strong medicine. United States law recognizes the unique significance of eagle feathers in Native American culture, religion, and tradition.
Indeed the eagle has represented continuity in American history and culture for much longer than we would often care to think these days.
In some corporate "touchy feely" class I attended, we were asked to close our eyes and think of where you feel safest. My safe place was soaring high in the air where you could see everything around you. My hobby growing up was Free Flight Model Airplanes. My specialty was the Nordic gliders -- six foot wingspan that you towed up by foot and released hopefully into a thermal so it would continue to rise. A number of times a hawk would join the airplane in the thermal. And even would follow the plane almost to the ground when the plane "dethermalized" (a timer would release the stablizer so the airplane would gently stall and flutter to the ground). It was such a joy to see something you'd built flying with the hawks.
While the Eagle has been a symbol of United States for a couple of centuries including on the Seal of the President, and it was adopted as Germany's coat of arms in 1950, the eagle as a symbol for German Imperial Eagle traces back to Charlemagne and then back even further to the eagle as a symbol of the Roman army. The Eagle originally faced left toward the arrows. President Truman decided to change it to the right which is the proper heraldry direction which made it face to the olive branch of peace. It has been that way ever since.
Yes, I'm quite healthy and well, but with some lung compromise which makes me very vulnerable if I catch COVID. My mantra is six feet apart or six feet under. Those are my choices.
I absolutely love the idea that America is ready to start the adult part of its life - after a particularly painful and prolonged adolescence! The new founding myth with inclusivity at its center is the place to begin.
Stuart, I always enjoy rrading your comments as you are erudite and knowledgeable. However, to quote Oscar Hammerstein, I think in your current post, you are a "cock-eyed optimist."
G & S peppered my school days as the sort of performance the "Parents Association" would put on in school. I do remember my embarassement as a teen seeing my father made-up, and dressed for some reason a kilt, singing songs by the victorian equivalent of Monty Python. Awful experience!
In the Boston area, I played and conducted G&S with the New England Gilbert and Sullivan Society - NEGASS. Once a bunch of us went to hear the Cape Cod Symphony conducted by Royston Nash, THE conductor of the D'Oylye Carte Opera Company who did all the definitive performances of G&S in England. At the reception, my friends embarrassingly introduced me to him as a conductor of G&S. He kindly asked if I had conducted Iolanthe. It was the one show I had conducted at that point so I answered yes. He replied, "Then you've done the best of them."
The successive dreams that have driven colonialized America have never been totally based on reality......but children grow up to be responsible, independent, socialized adults if they are aided and abetted by the framework that put in place around them by their "founding mothers and fathers". In adult life the dreams of youth evolve into more mature yearnings, structures and dreams for the one's own and one's community's future; dreaming is essential to mental stability.
A starting point might be the recognition that in reality America is not just a "young country" just as France is not just its current "Republic". Native Americans existed well before the arrival of the European-, Afro-Americans and many other ethnic-Americans. Dreams formed their founding myths, governed their individual and collective acts and foresaw their eventual assimilation with generations that had preceded them. America could well start the adult part of its life by dreaming a new founding myth and dreaming inclusive dreams where we are all in this life together regardless of our individual differences.
Once those dreams start to to coalesce and the leaders emerge to fulfill them, we can start to apply pretty well-known Change Theory and make sure the job is done without any backsliding; a total return to the pre-Covid world will just not happen, the adult children now have to leave home and set up outside the "parental dream" and form a new life.
Like this big picture assessment. Fits my optimism in 2020 (the silver lining in a very dark cloud) witnessing protest eruptions in May and being exposed via zoom to youthful political activists directing my efforts to elect BidenHarris. Locally, I’ve seen proof of how hard-to-impossible it is for oldsters-in-power to give up power. But, time is against them. Significant change is possible. Even after destruction life emerges from the ashes. Right now, our focus must be Georgia. Victory would check the evil seditious McConnell. Donate now, if you can, to young leader Stacey Abrams’ efforts to register and get out the vote. ❤️🧡💙
The symbolism of the "Phoenix" would seem appropriate.
Doesn't the Phoenix have to die before it is resurrected. We have too many old buzzards refusing to do so.
The phoenix is in an eternal cycle of death and resurrection, one always following the other. No "old buzzard" this bird.
Lead, follow or get out of the way. Wish the old buzzards would get out of the way so we can get on with the resurrection part of the cycle.
Yes! And also donate to Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock so that ratty mc connell is defanged!
Ever since surviving a near-death experience in 2013 (massive pulmonary embolism took me to within two hours of death), I have been asking everyone I meet what their dream is. My favorite answer is "I'm living my dream." Yes, we can't go home again to a pre-COVID world. Perhaps we are now teenagers being kicked out of the nest. Hope we find our wings...
Have always liked this bit of wisdom:
Learning to Fly
The eagle gently coaxed her offspring toward the edge of the nest. Her
heart quivered with conflicting emotions as she felt their resistance to her
persistent nudging. "Why does the thrill of soaring have to begin with the
fear of falling?" she thought. This ageless question was still unanswered
for her.
As in the tradition of the species, her nest was located high on the shelf
of a sheer rock face. Below there was nothing but air to support the wings
of each child. "Is it possible that this time it will not work?" she
thought. Despite her fears, the eagle knew it was time. Her parental
mission was all but complete. There remained one final task -- the push.
The eagle drew courage from an innate wisdom. Until her children discovered
their wings, there was no purpose for their lives. Until they learned how
to soar, they would fail to understand the privilege it was to have been
born an eagle. The push was the greatest gift she had to offer. It was her
supreme act of love. And so one by one she pushed them, and they flew!
David McNally
June 1990
The symbolism of the Eagle is of course particularly important and pertinent to the American....chosen as the country's symbol in 1782 and Massachusetts 1 cent coin from 1776......and the dream of America is that all can strive to fullfil their dreams, soaring to the heights of their desires, free to deploy their wings.
In Native American culture, the eagle is considered the strongest and bravest of all birds. For this reason, its feathers symbolize what is highest, bravest, strongest, and holiest. It has strong medicine. United States law recognizes the unique significance of eagle feathers in Native American culture, religion, and tradition.
Indeed the eagle has represented continuity in American history and culture for much longer than we would often care to think these days.
In some corporate "touchy feely" class I attended, we were asked to close our eyes and think of where you feel safest. My safe place was soaring high in the air where you could see everything around you. My hobby growing up was Free Flight Model Airplanes. My specialty was the Nordic gliders -- six foot wingspan that you towed up by foot and released hopefully into a thermal so it would continue to rise. A number of times a hawk would join the airplane in the thermal. And even would follow the plane almost to the ground when the plane "dethermalized" (a timer would release the stablizer so the airplane would gently stall and flutter to the ground). It was such a joy to see something you'd built flying with the hawks.
Absolutely! It doesn't get any better....
Look too at the protective role of Eagles in Tolkien.
Love that you tied the Eagle to our American dreams. It is a beautiful image.
Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but beware the trump and Nazi eagles.
https://globalnews.ca/news/7130932/trump-nazi-eagle-logo-america-first/
While the Eagle has been a symbol of United States for a couple of centuries including on the Seal of the President, and it was adopted as Germany's coat of arms in 1950, the eagle as a symbol for German Imperial Eagle traces back to Charlemagne and then back even further to the eagle as a symbol of the Roman army. The Eagle originally faced left toward the arrows. President Truman decided to change it to the right which is the proper heraldry direction which made it face to the olive branch of peace. It has been that way ever since.
Should be required reading for all parents. Wise words. Thank you for sharing.
Hope you are healthy and well now.
Yes, I'm quite healthy and well, but with some lung compromise which makes me very vulnerable if I catch COVID. My mantra is six feet apart or six feet under. Those are my choices.
Bless you. Be safe.
I absolutely love the idea that America is ready to start the adult part of its life - after a particularly painful and prolonged adolescence! The new founding myth with inclusivity at its center is the place to begin.
Stuart, I always enjoy rrading your comments as you are erudite and knowledgeable. However, to quote Oscar Hammerstein, I think in your current post, you are a "cock-eyed optimist."
Indeed not the "very Image of a modern major general...
Basingstoke it is!
G & S peppered my school days as the sort of performance the "Parents Association" would put on in school. I do remember my embarassement as a teen seeing my father made-up, and dressed for some reason a kilt, singing songs by the victorian equivalent of Monty Python. Awful experience!
In the Boston area, I played and conducted G&S with the New England Gilbert and Sullivan Society - NEGASS. Once a bunch of us went to hear the Cape Cod Symphony conducted by Royston Nash, THE conductor of the D'Oylye Carte Opera Company who did all the definitive performances of G&S in England. At the reception, my friends embarrassingly introduced me to him as a conductor of G&S. He kindly asked if I had conducted Iolanthe. It was the one show I had conducted at that point so I answered yes. He replied, "Then you've done the best of them."
Song it!
Sing it!