Countdown--33 days: Putting Women in "Their Place"

I just read a friend's post on Facebook, noting that, for the first time in 20 years, there are no women selected by the Republicans to lead committees in the US House of Representatives; but there are also no black men...just a lot of white dudes and one Florida rep. whose maternal grandparents immigrated from Mexico.

You might  begin to think that there was a plan in place to disenfranchise women who have gotten altogether too uppity over the years!  Why do I say that? Consider the Supreme Court's callous disregard for 50 years of legal precedent granting women autonomy over their reproductive rights, and the talk you hear about repealing no fault divorce, taking away the vote from women, limiting access to mail-order abortion drugs and the Comstock Act.  

If you haven't heard about that, you might want to add it to your background knowledge.  It's a "zombie law", meaning that  though it was long considered unconstitutional or unenforceable, it was never repealed and, with enough momentum, could be resuscitated and enforced. That rebirth could result in a nationwide termination of access to abortion, regardless of state laws. 

Then, there is the prominence and growing power of Christian Nationalism and Dominionism, both attempting to tie religious fervor with political power and all committed to determining the "proper role" for women in society.  Clue: it's not in the White House or other seats of authority.

We could get our feminine undies in a bunch if we continue down this path, but I want to veer off just a little.  I've been thinking all day about a particular woman; the senator from our neighboring state of Iowa, Joni Ernst. 

I'll have to admit, this is a new focus...the junior senator, in office since 2015, has annoyed me with her affection for conspiracy theories (about Covid and other things), opposition to climate protections, her ties to the Koch brothers, through their support of her campaigns and her opposition to reproductive rights, but it never rose to the level of keeping me awake at night. Maybe it should have. 

I had found a modicum of respect for her when she worked across the aisle with Kirsten Gillibrand,  the NY senator, to overhaul the military's handling of sexual assault cases, taking the investigative power out of the chain of command, thus removing the bias that has existed that prevented cases from being properly prosecuted.  

Senator Ernst had achieved the rank of Lt. Colonel in the Army National Guard and had served as a commanding officer in a combat unit.  Her 23 years of service and numerous medals earn her a measure of respect and provide her with experience that benefited the Armed Services Committee she served on.

She was also a sexual assault survivor; a rape victim in college, faced sexual harassment in the military, and life with an abusive husband that she divorced in 2019.  

Her values and views on education, human rights, gun control, health and reproductive care--all diverge sharply from mine; but when it comes to the military and the need to have intelligent, capable and sound leadership in the Department of Defense--she should be in the right place on that, right? 

She had experienced abuse at the hands of men in power, and she had worked to alleviate it.  She had been in command and should understand the challenges, demands and responsibilities of leadership. 

Along comes Pete Hegseth:  When even your mother recognizes that you are abusive to women, red flags are waving.  When co-workers recognize that you are drunk on the job--more red flags.  When your resume for the job you are seeking, is as flimsy as toilet paper and your past experience in leading a small

organization was corrupt...you get the picture, don't you, Joni?

This man is not fit to run the military that you served honorably.  While those under his purview could be dishonorably discharged for extramarital affairs, he is the poster child for bad behavior towards his first two wives.  Drunkenness and alcohol abuse face similar consequences; dismissal and/or criminal charges. Hegseth could set the tone for a casual disregard of protocols and military standards that could reach every level of command. 

You know what you should do, Joni.  But, you won't.  Your reelection is threatened.  You come out with a statement of support for the man who will make a mess of the military.   

I said this might keep me up at night...but maybe not as much as it should you, especially since you will have a front row seat on the debacle.  You will turn in your values, for a tenuous seat on the Trump express.

Hopefully you'll think about the 228,000 women serving in active duty--a quarter of a million women, who just became a lot more vulnerable.  If I know what he thinks about women in combat and in command, then so do you. You maybe protecting your future, but at what cost to your integrity and what cost to those women's safety and opportunity for advancement?  At what cost to our national security and the security of the world?  

You have a few weeks to lose sleep over your decision.  I have trouble imagining how people can reach the point where you are--how many times you must have compromised decency for power.  You could be a hero; what a shame that you believe the only thing that your voters will appreciate is your capitulation to a tyrant.

We really are lost.

Step 17:

Forget what I just said...being lost doesn't mean we can't be find our way again.  

It's a time for recognizing true values and holding on to them...don't be a Joni.  Now is not a time to give in to the easy out; the going along with the bluster and the bully.  Resistance is not futile--it is vital! 

Countdown 47 Days: A Cold Wind is Blowing

 "I met a girl who sang the blues

And I asked her for some happy news

But she just smiled and turned away..." 

American Pie by Don McLean, 1971    

When I was young I was fascinated with photography; by a camera's ability to capture a slice of time, so fleeting and ephemeral, and yet there to be recalled on some future date, even when the players and the place have been altered or have disappeared. 

Granted, the photos I was able to take with our old Kodak Duaflex left much to be desired; small in format, the black and white images grainy  and sometimes disappointing after the long wait for the film to be developed.  But the possibilities that photography offered!  

I think I often looked at the world as if I was looking through a camera lens, composing a scene to capture a view of the world, or going in for a close-up.  People talk about a photographic memory, and I was nurturing mine.  This is not to say, that I have perfect recall, far from it, but my memories of people and places were often composed and frameable.  Sometimes that process let me choose to leave the mess and the unpleasant outside the frame, but I might just as easily zoom-in and capture the smallest details.  

The second major "grown-up" purchase that I made after graduating from college and getting a job was a Canon SLR camera.  (The first was a white 1973 Mustang to replace my 1951 black Chevy) I took that camera on a bus tour of Europe.  I shot my first roll of film in England.  Curious as to why I was able to keep shooting pictures after the supposed last picture on the film, I discovered that I had failed to load the film properly! Humbled, certainly, but glad I still had a chance to take pictures of Shakespeare's home in Stratford-on-Avon and the rest of my trip.

Indeed, the possibilities of photography have grown and expanded since my first adventures with lens, aperture and focus, often in mind-blowing ways, that we, creatures of this modern age, too soon take for granted.  

Today, I click on a link that took me to the Associated Press's 100 Photos of 2024 and I felt the full impact of photographic possibilities.  I was thrust into the lives of thousands; into their struggles and pain in such a visceral way.  Mothers mourning their dead sons, families cooking a meal in the roofless shells of their bombed out homes, I caught a glimpse through a window of the the storm-wrecked landscape after a tornado and saw the caved-in roof of a home after the hurricane.  How good to see happy Ukrainian children's faces on the first day of school and other occasional images of beauty, but those 100 pictures told stories that needed to be told and are often heartbreakingly tragic. 

How do we deal with all this?  On this cold winter day, with the temperatures dropping to the single digits here in Minnesota with wind chills below zero, I am still safe and warm; but I am reminded that so many do not have comfort or safety in their lives.  We will not often find the "happy news", but will we just "smile and turn away?"

Today, I sat for awhile, like Pope Francis did (in one of the 100 images), and let the tears flow.  Sending love to a broken but still beautiful world.

STEP 16:

It's okay to cry.  Your feelings are valid.  Be grateful for your willingness to feel sorrow and empathy.

        

Countdown 57: It's Sunday, Check in With Your Spirit

 Perhaps you are a regular church-goer, deeply connected to a particular faith tradition.   I remember attending a friend's father's funeral and learning that this 95 year-old man had been baptized, confirmed and married in that church.  He had sung in the choir for 50 years and served his fellow congregants in so many meaningful ways throughout his life. I know that he was a good man and his faith and this particular congregation had informed his life in positive ways.

For many of us, that is an unlikely scenario.  We are a mobile society and even if we wanted to, it could be difficult to remain connected to a single place or a single viewpoint in a changing world.  The role of religion in society is morphing from what I experienced as a child.  According to a Gallup poll in 2023, 47% of Americans considered themselves religious, 33% considered themselves spiritual but not religious and 2% consider themselves to be both, adding up to 82% that have some kind of spiritual belief system.  That leaves 18% who say they are neither.  

A quarter century earlier in 1999, 90% had a spiritual belief system and just three years later, in 2002, it had dropped 3 percentage points and the trend continues downward.  Couple that retreat from spirituality with the rise of politically infused Christian Nationalism which seeks to merge Christian and American identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America’s constitutional democracy. 

Christian Nationalism presents a powerful message of the need for spiritual warfare in a cosmic battle between good and evil.  Imagine the pull of being part of the end times army!  Hundreds of participants in January 6th were adherents of the New Apostolic Reformation movement and there are other Christian Nationalist church organizations, which once were fringe, but now are gaining prominence.  Pete Hegseth, the local boy gone radical spreader of Fox news propaganda is a member of an aligned congregation in Tennessee.  

The strength of religion as a force for good is losing its hold on Americans, of all ages, but particularly among younger Americans at the same time that it is being perverted into a force for power and domination by the self-proclaimed righteous Christian Nationalists, basking in their close connections to governmental power.

Hopefully there are still many churches that provide solace, inspiration and community and if you are lucky enough to belong to one, it can be a real treasure in the years ahead.  

If you feel disconnected from church you may still feel the pull, strongly or just a quiet nudge in the back of your mind to find connection to something bigger, deeper, more profound than the chaos of the world around you.  For your consideration, I share this compilation

STEP 15:

Finding your spiritual core" means discovering the deepest, most authentic part of yourself that connects to a sense of meaning, purpose, and higher power, often achieved through introspection, meditation, spending time in nature, and engaging in practices that resonate with your personal values and beliefs, allowing you to understand your place in the world and live with greater alignment and fulfillment.


Key aspects of finding your spiritual core:
Self-reflection:
Deeply examining your thoughts, feelings, and experiences to identify what truly matters to you and what gives your life meaning.


Spiritual practices:
Engaging in activities like meditation, prayer, journaling, spending time in nature, or connecting with a spiritual community to access a deeper sense of self.


Identifying core values:
Recognizing the fundamental principles that guide your decisions and actions, such as compassion, integrity, honesty, or service to others.


Exploring your purpose:
Questioning your reason for being on earth and what contribution you want to make to the world.


How to start exploring your spiritual core:
Meditation:
Practice mindfulness to quiet your mind and connect with your inner self.


Journaling:
Write down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences to gain insights into your values and beliefs.


Nature walks:
Immerse yourself in the natural world to feel a sense of connection to something larger than yourself.


Gratitude practice:
Actively focus on the things you are thankful for to cultivate a positive mindset.


Volunteer work:
Serving others can help you discover your purpose and connect with your community.


Seek guidance:
Consider talking to a spiritual leader, counselor, or trusted friend for support and different perspectives.


Important points to remember:
It's a personal journey: Your spiritual core will be unique to you and may evolve over time.


Be patient: Finding your spiritual core is a process that requires time and consistent effort.


Embrace curiosity: Be open to exploring different practices and beliefs to find what resonates with you.


Don't compare yourself to others: Focus on your own individual path and growth.

Countdown 58: Food for Thought Yesterday and Tomorrow, Just Plain Food Tonight

 Our fundraising online auction is set to go live tomorrow, so that has been my focus.  Instead of trying to provide you with "food for thought" I thought I'd just share some photos of food I've taken in marketplaces I've visited...a little bread, some fish, a few veggies.  It's the best I can do tonight!  Thanks for reading!

Countdown 59: Birthdays

Today, November 22,  is my cousin Pam's birthday--she's the one with the bow in her hair, a couple of years older than me to her.

Look at those cute blondies with their lace collars and  fresh innocent faces, their whole lives ahead of them, with no clue that both of them would share future birthdays with tragic events in American history that had yet to unfold when their moms posed them together for this picture.

November 22, 1963 was a Friday, just like today, 6 days before Thanksgiving.  Students (and teachers, too) were looking forward to a short week ahead, then freetime and good food.  All those pleasant thoughts would fall by the wayside in the early afternoon when the nation all held their breath listening to Walter Cronkite announce that President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas, Texas and pronounced dead at 1:00 pm CST.  The country would basically shut down, Broadway and the casinos in Vegas as well.  Regular TV programming was replaced with news broadcasts and many businesses shuttered their doors.  The entire country was in mourning and the funeral the following Monday was watched by 41.5 million households; the largest viewing audience ever recorded at the time.

If you were alive in 1963 and over the age of 5 you probably remembered where you were.  I was in my  eighth grade social studies class, middle row, towards the back.  There's so much that could be said about this event and its impact on America.  Sixty-one years later there is still an unsettled air of conspiracy and unsolved mystery surrounding it, despite the finality of the Warren Commission's investigation and report.

For years my birthday only had pleasant historical connections; Joan of Arc was born on my birthday, which is also when Christians celebrate the Epiphany or the Feast of the Three Kings,  the day after the 12th day of Christmas.  Have you figured it out?  My birthday is January 6th.

On January 6, 2021, a Wednesday, my husband and I and our best friends, the Hansons (all of us retired) met at Lake Harriet in Minneapolis and enjoyed a walk around the lake.  I remember stopping by a gathering of Minions who were still out celebrating the New Year.  These cute little toys had been posed by a tree and I wanted a picture to send to my grandson, who was enchanted by the little yellow guys. After our walk we ordered a pizza and had a winter picnic in the back of our van.  A silly, frivolous and fun way to spend a birthday.  Then we turned on the radio.  All the frivolity was gone.  Again America was plunged into darkness.  But this time, the unified sense of mourning that had indelibly imprinted Pam's birthday was replaced with a rending of America's heart.  The heartbreak continues.  

We are connected to the events of our country, in so many ways, big and small, tragic and banal.  Our fates are intertwined. I hope we can heal our broken hearts.  

Countdown 60:

Yesterday I wrote about how our words matter. Tonight I’d like to share something I wrote for a church service several years, which also speaks about the power of words and all the passages that inspired me.

Today’s readings by Mary Oliver and Martin Luther King are both personal reflections on death. I was not yet aware of that on Friday when I was attending a funeral. The mother of a close college friend had died gently at age 95 and her family was at peace with her passing; it would be a celebration of a good life, well-lived. 

Before the funeral began I was talking with another college friend. She was telling me about a book she was reading about Margaret Fuller in preparation for a Road Scholar trip this spring with a focus on the Transcendentalists, including a visit to Walden Pond. She had really been enjoying their essays and poetry. 

With that nudge I asked her if she had ever read the poetry of Mary Oliver, who had passed away just the day before at age 83. Since she hadn’t, thanks to my trusty (but silenced)    i-Phone I shared some lines and quotes from her work, their beautiful strength resonating with my friend as well.

Just before we would get back on the road I checked my email to see if I had received today’s readings so I could practice during that ride and I felt a tingle of awe that the words I’d just been sharing with a friend would be shared again today with you. 

I light the chalice today for the wonder of words that connect us; in gratitude for the wisdom of those behind the words and in hope that our live’s purpose will be supported and strengthened by the messages we hear today.

FIRST READING 

from Mary Oliver

When death comes

like the hungry bear in autumn;

when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse

to buy me, and snaps the purse shut;

when death comes

like the measle-pox

when death comes

like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,

I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering:

what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?

And therefore I look upon everything

as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,

and I look upon time as no more than an idea,

and I consider eternity as another possibility,

and I think of each life as a flower, as common

as a field daisy, and as singular,

and each name a comfortable music in the mouth,

tending, as all music does, toward silence,

and each body a lion of courage, and something

precious to the earth.

When it's over, I want to say all my life

I was a bride married to amazement.

I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

When it's over, I don't want to wonder

if I have made of my life something particular, and real.

I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,

or full of argument.

I don't want to end up simply having visited this world

SECOND READING 

from Martin Luther King, from his final sermon 

If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize— that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school.

I’d like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others.

I’d like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.

I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question.

I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry.

And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.

I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison.

I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won’t have any money to leave behind. I won’t have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that’s all I want to say.q

Countdown 61: Words Matter

 Did you grow up hearing this chant?--

Sticks and stones may break my bones,

But words will never hurt me!

Everyone of us who's ever been mercilessly teased or bullied or seen it done to others, knows that is as far from truth as it goes.  Words are powerful enough to raise us to the heights of ecstasy or reduce us to the depths of despair.  

Wherever many people come together and words are their common currency, the language used can make a difference between safety and danger, respect and disregard, success and failure. So it is that in schools, particularly, it is wise to have policies regarding derogatory speech.

Forest Lake, a city near me, besides being the hometown of controversial prospective Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has also had viral exposure of a failed school board candidate's rant at a board meeting about her free speech rights being violated by limits on the use of the word "retard": after all, it is in the dictionary, and it applies to fire supression materials.  (Note to this mom: even on fire drill days, students do not discuss fire retardants over pizza or chicken tenders at lunchtime.) "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

What got to me just as much was her comments about pronouns.  Ah, if only she were capable of either  self-reflection or humor, but alas.  In support of her religious freedom, she informed the board that her children have been told that "THEY are not to use pronouns.  THEY are not to identify THEMSELVES by pronouns." You see the problem here, right?  That tricky English language, just seems bent on destroying our freedom with its inherent structures.  Her kids may just decide that participating in classroom discussions is too fraught with grammatical pitfalls to open their mouths ever again. After all, even their mom couldn't get through a two-minute speech without using pronouns, and she was righteously angry.

I'm afraid I can get righteously angry and less than rational too, and although I can often feel justified in that anger, that's not always the case, and I have to remind myself that self-reflection is a frequently neglected virtue that I should practice if I want to do good in this world.

I've mentioned previously that I've been working on a major fundraising project, which includes crafting a lot of words for public perusal.  A few of them sparked a controversy (small, but not insignificant) about inclusion/exclusion at the event.  When the need for change was presented to our committee, I have to admit to a little irritation, a little frustration--do I really need to deal with this?  But, we engaged in the process--some explanations and background, some persuasion, some alteration and what emerged after multiple emails was something much better.  Because, of course, words matter.  In this case, because the community this fundraiser serves matters and respect for everyone is important. 

I'm reminded of the first of the Four Agreements from the book of the same name by Don Miguel Ruiz.

Be impeccable with your word.

That's it, only five words, but a statement full of influence and a call to take a closer look to what we say and what we write,what our intent and purpose is behind those words.  

It means to speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

STEP 13

Going forward, remember the power of your words and use them wisely.  Think before you speak, especially when you are angry or frustrated. You already do that you say?  Try doing it even better.  Your words matter!

Countdown 62: Take a Trip to Planet Sark

 If you came to my house, you should be prepared for cat hair.  Along with the five humans, there are four cats that claim residence in our home, and even allow us to sleep on their beds, use their furniture and of course, attend to all their other needs. 

Among those needs is one of a particularly "discreet" nature.  This evening, after completing the task, I walked out the front door to deliver the package to the garbage, without turning on any lights.  There is an automatic light and I trusted that it would turn on...still, I thought to myself as I confidently strode through the darkness--"To boldly go..." (once a Trekkie, always a Trekkie)

I'd like to think that the light of future will still shine for us, although it may be dark now; that we can boldly go where America has not gone before, and survive the phaser fire, the Klingon attacks, the Romulan skirmishes and the encounters with other hostile alien lifeforms (you know who I'm talking about) and emerge as peace seekers and peace makers from a planet that is highly advanced and globally unified.  I won't live long enough to experience that planet, but I hope my descendants can.

Until then, I think I'll take a trip to Planet Sark, the home of the endlessly exuberant artist, Susan Kennedy, or as she has renamed herself: Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy--SARK for short.  

She's been writing, drawing and speaking for 40 years and hasn't lost her sparkle.  I discovered her years ago and was especially taken with one of her pieces, called "How to Be an Artist." I tried to check off everything on the list.  

Our ongoing mission is a challenging one and some days we'll need a little R &. R. The crew of the Enterprise went to Risa (what happens on Risa stays on Risa), but me, I think I'll go to Planet SARK!

STEP 12:

• Make little signs that say "Yes!" and post them all around your house
• Take moonbaths
• Have wild imaginings, transformative dreams and perfect calm
• Open up, dive in, be free
• Drive away fear
• Get wet
• Hug trees!