Just as the fog obscures clearly defined images, this captivating writing is laden with a multitude of thought provoking gems of truth and contemplation. It’s a pleasure to read and these extraordinary photos are seductively compelling.
This one is far better than ‘a nice story’, it’s writing at its best. Inspired by this mystical morning and given birth to a menagerie of deep thoughts.
Perfect mirrors of this incoming frosted Spring. Thoughts gliding into words, hands waiting to grasp the moment, morning mists dashing the shape of things, the near silence against the walls, shivering in the cold and relentless discontent of stolen and uncertain days. Nevertheless, in these rushing times and changing seasons, there always will be consciences blooming, pushing and raising new beginnings.
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees […] I had that familiar conviction that life beginning over with the summer.” - F.Scott Fitzgerald
I love his writing, although strangely when I read F.Scott Fitzgerald in your comment, Dylan's Ballad of a Thin Man poped up in my brain. And then, in quick succession, tender is the night as a good second thought.
Beautiful! So lovely how the beauty of a natural phenomenon, inspired you to such an apt analogy for our so confused times!
You hit on it that the loss of our shared values is at play here. It’s the long grinding failing of our systems to care for all, as human values like fairness, compassion, humility and a surrender to something beyond one’s selfish assertions, whether the Common Good, or Divinity, or some other form of the Unseen (in reality, not in name only). Ive found it’s ‘wilful deceit in my own best interest’ divorced from any sense of belonging to all, or caring for a greater good, that feeds the confusion; and clears the way for the sensibility of the demagogues, even in their vagary and their lies, to have power in the fog. It’s the million little ways that individuals served themselves and their small personal interests, instead of understanding no one survives if we destroy everything, starting with the TRUTH, one lie at a time.
I was there while the oil companies dominated alternative energy research, and the body of every science paper said we MUST RAPIDLY INVEST IN THIS REASEARCH/TECHNOLOGY, but the conclusions, which would hit the newspapers shortly after we proofed them for publication, ALWAYS said fossil fuels were the only viable source available, until we could develop these new technologies further…
I learned to check the funders of these studies: every time, Big Oil… and almost no one else was engaged in funding that science at all.
I was there when Reagan did his story about trickle down economics… but yeah, history. There’s no time in recorded history where it EVER happened that way.
I read the Op-Ed from the insurance company professional admitting they falsified the data and manipulated the public to kill a single payer system, because it would dissolve insurance companies power over medicine. And 12 yrs later, now retired, he felt so guilty he had to do a public confession, acknowledging that a single payer system could be developed and be effective, and provide medical care effectively and equally to everyone, but insurance companies don’t want people to know that… because they’d become irrelevant…
The fog descends when dishonesty and selfishness are rewarded over integrity and honesty. There’s a lot of fear of loss of ‘my good’, before the fog gets this thick.
And then there’s decent people who didn’t get the chances, as the systems became more and more unequal, and they’re desperate, and ripe for quick fixes, especially when they don’t have the skills or the opportunities to make the system work. Or those who know better, but are desperately afraid of loss: loss of safety, loss of power, loss of a job, or wealth or influence, so even when they approach doing the right thing, they recoil back into the fog.
That’s why we’re all stuck in it together now… and why, now, only radical acts of bravery (including honest scientists, writers, journalists, leaders, even retired insurance pros finally, telling the truth) shine a real light in the fog…
And please keep gently reminding people Alex! Keep shining through the fog!!! Because obviously, I, and many others, need your vision and your hope!!!
Wow, Nancie, how right you are in all you write. The sad truth also needs to be told. I wish I had found the time to write more about my road trip in the American West last April. I met many Trump supporters, and to my surprise, many of them are lovely people. They are kind, invite me for coffee, they love their community and stand ready to help each other. Our believes diverged as soon as I zoomed out on any subject and hit the boundaries of their world, which could be as close as policies made just a few towns down the road, or authorities working in an office in the state capital. And I didn't focus on guns, church, anti-abortion, or immigration topics. I accepted their coffee and enjoyed the apple pie: I just let their conversation flow. It left me more confused: many of them are such nice people, but voting for the wrong policies and especially the wrong leader who doesn't share their kindness for their neighbors and family like they do. Understanding the spirit and soul of the America between the coastlines is a hard challenge for any European.
This is exceptional, 🏆 best ever unless I’ve missed a few. So many ideas and images integrated so very well. If this were paper, would become “dog eared” in no time. Content with which I agree completely but could never express as beautifully with warnings understood. Thank you for this on a lazy Sunday evening. So pleased to be among the tribe again. ❤️🇺🇸🌎🕊️
Just as the fog obscures clearly defined images, this captivating writing is laden with a multitude of thought provoking gems of truth and contemplation. It’s a pleasure to read and these extraordinary photos are seductively compelling.
This one is far better than ‘a nice story’, it’s writing at its best. Inspired by this mystical morning and given birth to a menagerie of deep thoughts.
So much to reread and assimilate.
Thank you, I love it!
So happy to hear how much you like it :-)
Perfect mirrors of this incoming frosted Spring. Thoughts gliding into words, hands waiting to grasp the moment, morning mists dashing the shape of things, the near silence against the walls, shivering in the cold and relentless discontent of stolen and uncertain days. Nevertheless, in these rushing times and changing seasons, there always will be consciences blooming, pushing and raising new beginnings.
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees […] I had that familiar conviction that life beginning over with the summer.” - F.Scott Fitzgerald
I love his writing, although strangely when I read F.Scott Fitzgerald in your comment, Dylan's Ballad of a Thin Man poped up in my brain. And then, in quick succession, tender is the night as a good second thought.
Beautiful! So lovely how the beauty of a natural phenomenon, inspired you to such an apt analogy for our so confused times!
You hit on it that the loss of our shared values is at play here. It’s the long grinding failing of our systems to care for all, as human values like fairness, compassion, humility and a surrender to something beyond one’s selfish assertions, whether the Common Good, or Divinity, or some other form of the Unseen (in reality, not in name only). Ive found it’s ‘wilful deceit in my own best interest’ divorced from any sense of belonging to all, or caring for a greater good, that feeds the confusion; and clears the way for the sensibility of the demagogues, even in their vagary and their lies, to have power in the fog. It’s the million little ways that individuals served themselves and their small personal interests, instead of understanding no one survives if we destroy everything, starting with the TRUTH, one lie at a time.
I was there while the oil companies dominated alternative energy research, and the body of every science paper said we MUST RAPIDLY INVEST IN THIS REASEARCH/TECHNOLOGY, but the conclusions, which would hit the newspapers shortly after we proofed them for publication, ALWAYS said fossil fuels were the only viable source available, until we could develop these new technologies further…
I learned to check the funders of these studies: every time, Big Oil… and almost no one else was engaged in funding that science at all.
I was there when Reagan did his story about trickle down economics… but yeah, history. There’s no time in recorded history where it EVER happened that way.
I read the Op-Ed from the insurance company professional admitting they falsified the data and manipulated the public to kill a single payer system, because it would dissolve insurance companies power over medicine. And 12 yrs later, now retired, he felt so guilty he had to do a public confession, acknowledging that a single payer system could be developed and be effective, and provide medical care effectively and equally to everyone, but insurance companies don’t want people to know that… because they’d become irrelevant…
The fog descends when dishonesty and selfishness are rewarded over integrity and honesty. There’s a lot of fear of loss of ‘my good’, before the fog gets this thick.
And then there’s decent people who didn’t get the chances, as the systems became more and more unequal, and they’re desperate, and ripe for quick fixes, especially when they don’t have the skills or the opportunities to make the system work. Or those who know better, but are desperately afraid of loss: loss of safety, loss of power, loss of a job, or wealth or influence, so even when they approach doing the right thing, they recoil back into the fog.
That’s why we’re all stuck in it together now… and why, now, only radical acts of bravery (including honest scientists, writers, journalists, leaders, even retired insurance pros finally, telling the truth) shine a real light in the fog…
And please keep gently reminding people Alex! Keep shining through the fog!!! Because obviously, I, and many others, need your vision and your hope!!!
Wow, Nancie, how right you are in all you write. The sad truth also needs to be told. I wish I had found the time to write more about my road trip in the American West last April. I met many Trump supporters, and to my surprise, many of them are lovely people. They are kind, invite me for coffee, they love their community and stand ready to help each other. Our believes diverged as soon as I zoomed out on any subject and hit the boundaries of their world, which could be as close as policies made just a few towns down the road, or authorities working in an office in the state capital. And I didn't focus on guns, church, anti-abortion, or immigration topics. I accepted their coffee and enjoyed the apple pie: I just let their conversation flow. It left me more confused: many of them are such nice people, but voting for the wrong policies and especially the wrong leader who doesn't share their kindness for their neighbors and family like they do. Understanding the spirit and soul of the America between the coastlines is a hard challenge for any European.
Even for Americans, Alex!! It’s so complicated and hard to understand how we can be so good hearted and so divisive/destructive at the same time… 💔😳💖
I’d love to hear some of those stories too Alex, if you ever get the time!!
This is exceptional, 🏆 best ever unless I’ve missed a few. So many ideas and images integrated so very well. If this were paper, would become “dog eared” in no time. Content with which I agree completely but could never express as beautifully with warnings understood. Thank you for this on a lazy Sunday evening. So pleased to be among the tribe again. ❤️🇺🇸🌎🕊️
And I'm so pleased to see you among the tribe again! Thank you :-)
Stunning piece of writing. Going to read again. And again. And the images 💙
Thank you, Rena :-)