Memories, Manifesto, and Apology

The Memories

It was crisp today. The Fall weather is sneaking in around the edges of my awareness. A snap in the air evokes memories of wooded rambles, hunting on the family land, visits to Brown County State Park, and my Grandparents' farm near the hills and gullies of Batesville. Sweat shirted walks on gravel roads and lumberjack paths flit across my inner view screen, transient home movies in 3D with smell and touchovision included.

It has been too long since my last ramble. How did I end up as an indoor pet? I was raised on the edge of the woods. The peace and quiet life of a green and brown world surrounded our home when I was growing up. Now I spend my days surrounded by cars and concrete staring at a man made virtual world. I am filled with wistful melancholy memories of a time spent in the blissful ignorance of teenagers everywhere. I miss it very much.

The Manifesto

I need to go camping this weekend. Maybe it will charge up my reality battery. I'm in danger of accepting this artificiality as typical and wholly acceptable. Someone at work today asked if I plan to build a bomb shelter and wait for the end of the world because I told him I am reading about beer making and raising chickens. It made me laugh. The end of the world I'm reading about is happening a little every day. When we forget the self reliance of our father's, father it dies a little more.

Don't get me wrong, I don't reject technology. I rejoice in the ingenuity of my fellow man. I had better. It allows me to be lazy and useless if I choose to. I don't so choose  I reject the easy acceptance of cheap, low quality, objects and services in return for a docile slide into ignorance and torpidity. There is no need to regard a population lost in the bliss of narcissistic self reflection and apathy. The members of that population make no contribution except to the status-quo, raise no objections except to the loss of privilege. I can't take that lifestyle seriously when there is no growth or contribution by the members of it's club.

The funny thing about this type of rant is that I'm doing it on a blog. I am keenly aware of the irony. I suddenly have the mental picture of a man drowning in mud. Moral and mental quicksand are his environment and even though he fights upward to gasp again, he is pulled inexorably to drown in the warm comfortable surrounds he fights against. Sad really.

Tell me there is no validity in skill and self reliance. Make me aware that all I need is at my fingertips with little or no effort. Goods and services are available to be used and immediately discarded with little lasting value. Entertainment is endless, cheap, and alluring. Disregard the fact that over half of it is pointless, mundane, repetitive, and increasingly crass. I will disagree.

The Apology

Got to stop. I apologize. The world is not going to Hell. There are thousands of people who value knowledge, self reliance, personal growth, learning, and activity over ignorance, apathy and laziness. Smart, active, people with the wonder of God's creation abound among my associates. Some days you just want to be clear about what is important and if it sounds like a condemnation, then we probably disagree on a deep philosophical level. As I have said, and I don't know where I got it or if I made it up, "You are entitled to your opinion despite the fact that you are totally wrong." I am looking forward to changing your mind.

The Vines

A walking we went, me and she, came upon a walnut tree.
Covered round with vines all over, some green, some brown,
some tight, some down.
Vines in all the ways they are with leaves acover overhead.

She grabbed a vine and showed me it. " Do you think that it will live?"
Gently then I took it from her, layed it back where it belonged.
Twining gently among its fellows supporting, held and holding on.

"It will live, with gentle nurture. It will thrive held strong and light.
The walnut tree its home for living twined about with arms aplenty.
Some they die. They spent their lives, in the heart of all their loved ones.

They live long with certain knowledge. All they are is what they should be.
Uncertainty was on her features. Disbelief was in her eyes.
"What if they forget  their purpose? Letting go, will they fall down?"

Smiling then, teeth, eyes and heart, I reminded her again of loving
"There cannot be fall of any if the family holds them tight.
Letting go, they're held so gently till they wake and grab what's right."

Then I thought she might believe me as a smile lurked on the edges.
"I might forget without reminding, won't you tell me now and then?"
"Every day I'll hold you gently, keep you tight against my breast.

Even when I don't speak plenty, quietly I'll tend the vines."