This is the earth, this is the sky, this is me …

[:en]

On this world, women do ⅔ of the work

bring home 10% of the pay, and

own 1% of the property.

– NPR

Poverty could be eliminated from this world

with one percent of the Gross World Product.

– World Watch magazine

Does a five-year old say to his (or her) parents? – “Tomorrow morning in kindergarten we’re all going to use our crayons to render a graphic Declaration of Being. I’d like to include a drawing of the two of you; may I have your permission to do that? – to draw you?”

Never in the world would this happen ! (There is mighty little ‘distance’ between a child and his parents)

We have all seen these drawings that young children (often) do … and we have all drawn them ourselves.

[I wish to acknowledge – that I approach this phenomenon with considerable respect, humility, and even awe]

These pieces of “art” often get taped to the door of the refrigerator; though (of course) they are not art in the normal sense. Their purpose is not to bring beauty into the world. They are Primal and Archetypal (or something like that. Who knows?) –

This is me. This is my mom; this is my dad.

(and they normally include ‘the world’) –

This is the earth. This is the sky. This is the sun. This is my house

(and there may be more. Whatever is the most important)

I suspect that such a picture is basically an ‘I am’ statement … but the “I” is always in context !

So – the first thing that we should notice about these pictures – is that the child does not imagine himself apart from his Family and his life-support system. Every five-year-old gets it : that “I” equals “we” ! And seldom will the child omit (from his Declaration of Being) the sun or the earth or his house. He understands perfectly well (though not reflectively) – that all these things are crucial. He knows (on some level) – that he could not exist without his parents, or the sun, or the earth.

His I am statement is not simply the rendering of a self-portrait – a picture of himself alone … (without family, etc). Nor is the portrayal (which he does) of himself – hardly a self-portrait at all. Though – If they have brown hair, they’re likely to choose a brown crayon to draw their own hair; and they will give themselves 2 eyes, 1 mouth, 2 arms, 2 legs. But there is no great attempt to draw themselves the way they actually look. The whole thing is a sort of ‘inventory’ of what’s important. Mmm ?

Well –

The blogs on this site are my ‘refrigerator door’. And the world-wide web is the way you get to look at it.

(At least at this beginning stage) – much of what I have to say … amounts to a rather crude and rudimentary ‘child’s drawing’ … a depiction – of our basic situation. Mmm ?

After all, a medical student must first learn human anatomy … before presuming to offer someone (with a medical problem) counsel – as to what interventions are available and what is likely to result from implementing one, and what the risks are.

If my appendix were inflamed (and on the verge of rupturing) I would seek the assistance of a competent medical / surgical team … but

If our planet is in trouble … then it is we who must deal with it. Mmm ?

I should probably tell you – that my approach to understanding something as ridiculously complex as the planetary crises which are upon us … is hardly a scholarly one. It’s philosophical, I suppose. I tend to make use of a certain amount of information, but I rely much more upon thought than upon anything else.

And … I reckon that caring – is a huge part of it. Love is the reason.

Anyway – no matter what I say, I offer it under the assumption that you also are struggling to construct a usable understanding of our Situation … in hopes that efficacious intervention may become possible.

And

Let me say – that if we were to believe that we cannot help each other (directly and psychically) through the internet … we would be wrong.

Mutual respect and a sense of collaborating are necessary – whether we’re physically together or not. Though I suspect that personal contact (in any form) will help. But it’s Heart Connection which is bound to underlie everything.

When these things are in place, we should expect miracles.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Riding Out at Evening”

At dusk, everything blurs and softens..

from here out over the long valley,

the fields and hills roll up

the first slight sheets of evening,

as, over the next hour,

heavier, darker ones will follow.

Quieted roads, predictable deer

browsing in a neighbor’s field, another’s

herd of heifers, the kitchen lights

starting in many windows. On horseback

I take it in, neither visitor

nor intruder, but kin passing , closer

and closer to night, its cold streams

rising in the sugarbush and hollow.

Half-aloud, I say to the horse,

or myself, or whoever, let fire not come

to this house, nor that barn,

nor lightning strike that cattle.

Let dogs not gain the gravid doe, let the lights

of the rooms convey what they seem to.

And who is to say it is useless

or foolish to ride out in the falling light

alone, wishing, or praying,

for particular good to particular beings

on one small road in a huge world?

The horse bears me along, like grace,

making me better than what I am,

and what I think or say or see

is whole in these moments, is neither

small nor broken. For up, out of

the inscrutable earth, have come my body

and the separate body of the mare:

flawed and aching and wronged. Who then

is better made to say be well, be glad,

or who to long that we, as one,

might course over the entire valley.

over all valleys, as a bird in a great embrace

of flight, who presses against her breast,

in grief and tenderness,

the whole weeping body of the world.

– Linda McCarriston

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Films –

Avatar

The Other Son

Life as a House

Inn of the Sixth Happiness

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Have a look at the quotes (that I’ve now uploaded) – under ‘References’ in the main menu.[:de]