dual personalities

Month: November, 2016

November 17, 2016

Thanks—joyful thanks!

by chuckofish

Here we are halfway through November and Thanksgiving is a week from today! Let’s get serious about having thankful thoughts! Here’s some Walt Whitman to help with that.

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Thanks in old age—thanks ere I go,

For health, the midday sun, the impalpable air—for life, mere
life,

For precious ever-lingering memories, (of you my mother dear
—you, father—you, brothers, sisters, friends,)

For all my days—not those of peace alone—the days of war the
same,

For gentle words, caresses, gifts from foreign lands,

For shelter, wine and meat—for sweet appreciation,

(You distant, dim unknown—or young or old—countless, un-
specified, readers belov’d,

We never met, and ne’er shall meet—and yet our souls embrace,
long, close and long;)

For beings, groups, love, deeds, words, books—for colors, forms,

For all the brave strong men—devoted, hardy men—who’ve for-
ward sprung in freedom’s help, all years, all lands,

For braver, stronger, more devoted men—(a special laurel ere I
go, to life’s war’s chosen ones,

The cannoneers of song and thought—the great artillerists—the
foremost leaders, captains of the soul:)

As soldier from an ended war return’d—As traveler out of
myriads, to the long procession retrospective,

Thanks—joyful thanks!—a soldier’s, traveler’s thanks.

–Walt Whitman, 1888-89

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The paintings are by John McCartin, Patrick William Adam, Bruce Yardley, and Mark O’Neill. Pretty pictures always help, right?

3 Comments
November 16, 2016

The broad and beckoning highway or it’s good to have a hobby

by chuckofish

On this day in 1822 Missouri trader William Becknell arrived in Santa Fe, New Mexico over a route that became known as the Santa Fe Trail.

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As you know, I am very interested in this historic route which connects Independence, MO and Santa Fe. One reason I am so fascinated by it is because my ancestor, John Simpson Hough, was an Indian trader in his youth and he made many trips up and down the trail and knew all the old timers, as did his brother-in-law, John Wesley Prowers.

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Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site today

I have been to several stops along the way, including Arrow Rock, Mo, Westport Landing, MO, Council Grove, KS, and Bent’s Old Fort in La Junta, Co. There is a lot more to see! For instance, I can’t wait to make my way out to Pawnee Rock, KS,

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the scene of many a dramatic encounter and the mid-point of the long road. I would also like to see the Santa Fe wagon ruts near Dodge City, KS, which are also (thank goodness) on the Historic Register.

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Recently I have been reading Colonel Henry Inman’s famous book, The Old Santa Fe Trail, the Story of a Great Highway. A book reviewer in 1897 noted that

Colonel Inman sees his material with the eyes of a frontiersman, and herein lies the great charm of his book. He has accepted things as he found them, and has not stayed to philosophize on the deeper meaning of the scenes he describes, but has contented himself with the role of raconteur.

This is delightfully true.

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It’s good to have a hobby.

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November 15, 2016

Better to wear out than to rust out

by chuckofish

No, that isn’t a saying originated by Neil Young (“it’s better to burn out than to fade away”). Indeed, this aphorism is attributed to quite a few people, but one of those people who firmly believed it was George Whitefield (1714–1770), an 18th century Anglican clergyman who was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement, “The Great Awakening.”

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It is said that Whitefield preached at least 18,000 times to perhaps 10 million listeners in Great Britain and the American colonies.  Impressive.

He is honored today, together with Francis Asbury, with a (lesser) feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church.

Francis Asbury (1745 – 1816) was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States. In 1784 John Wesley named Asbury and Thomas Coke as co-superintendents of the work in America. This marks the beginning of the “Methodist Episcopal Church of the USA.”

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For the next thirty-two years, Asbury led all the Methodists in America. Like Wesley, Asbury preached in all sorts of places: courthouses, public houses, tobacco houses, fields, public squares, wherever a crowd assembled to hear him. For the remainder of his life he rode an average of 6,000 miles each year, preaching virtually every day and conducting meetings and conferences. Under his direction, the church grew from 1,200 to 214,000 members and 700 ordained preachers.

Holy God, who didst so inspire Francis Asbury and George Whitefield with evangelical zeal that their faithful proclamation of the Gospel caused a Great Awakening among those who heard them: Inspire us, we pray, by thy Holy Spirit, that, like them, we may be eager to share thy Good News and lead many to Jesus Christ, in whom is eternal life and peace; and who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Boy oh boy, both the Episcopal Church and the Methodist Church could really use these two today.

3 Comments
November 14, 2016

“And the love of God is broader Than the measure of our mind”*

by chuckofish

This was a busy weekend pour moi. I went to the rummage sale at the Episcopal Church I attended growing up. I went to a funeral at Grace, to see “Steel Magnolias” performed by the local theatre guild, and back to church on Sunday.

The boy accompanied me to the funeral because it was for a member of the church choir and he knew him from back in his choir days. (It is sometimes necessary to remind the young the importance of attending funerals. I remind myself as well.) It was sad because the deceased was relatively young (with one son still in college) but it was a lovely Rite I service and the members of two church choirs sang.

We went out to dinner after the funeral, and then the OM and I went to the theatre. You will recall that “Steel Magnolias” is a play about six southern women and it takes place in a beauty parlor in Chinquapin, Louisiana in the 1980s.

Our friend was playing Ouiser, the “Shirley MacLaine part.”

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As Ouiser says at one point: “I do not see plays, because I can nap at home for free…” I tend to agree, but I am a good friend.

I was a reader at church on Sunday. I read St. Paul and got to say: “Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.” And what is doing right? Well, Paul says, Do your  work quietly and earn your own living. 

I talked to my DP and she told me about this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1ENm3nxTlg

Amen, brother.

*Maurice Bevan (1921-2006)

4 Comments
November 12, 2016

There will be weeping there and gnashing of teeth*

by chuckofish

Silly me. I actually thought that once the election was over we could get back to living our short, hapless lives without the intrusion of shrill campaign rhetoric. But no, the political divide is bigger than ever and the upheaval continues. Here are some survival strategies:

  1. Be polite at all times and under all circumstances.
  2. Lead by example, rather than by telling other people what they should do or think.
  3. Be compassionate. I am not advocating moral relativity, but do remember that everyone has their reasons.
  4. Listen more than you speak (admittedly, this is not one of my strong points).
  5. Above all, remember that you control how you react to provocation. If you get angry, the provocateur wins. Try turning the other cheek.
  6. If all else fails, disarm the opposition with random quotes from Mr. Rogers. They’ll think you come from one of those states that just legalized marijuana…

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Finally, I recommend that we unplug our electronic devices, make a cup of tea, and read a good book — maybe The Good Book. Praying wouldn’t be a bad idea.

And don’t forget to serve cocktails at 5…

 

*Luke 13.28

6 Comments
November 11, 2016

Filled with wisdom and girded with strength

by chuckofish

Today is Veterans Day when we salute and pay our respects to all those who serve and have served in the military.

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O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This is also the anniversary of the Great Blue Norther of November 11, 1911 (11/11/1911) wherein a cold snap affected the central U.S.  Many cities broke record highs, going into the 70s and 80s early that afternoon. By nightfall, cities were dealing with temperatures in the teens and single-digits on the Fahrenheit scale. This is the only day in many flyover cities’ weather bureau jurisdictions where the record highs and lows were broken for the same day. Some cities experienced tornadoes on Saturday and a blizzard on Sunday. The main cause of such a dramatic cold snap was an extremely strong storm system separating warm, humid air from frigid, arctic air. Dramatic cold snaps tend to occur mostly in the month of November, though they can also come in February or March. They are nothing new, as you can see.

Today is also the birthday of Robert Bushnell Ryan (November 11, 1909 – July 11, 1973), film actor and graduate of Dartmouth College. He was never one of my favorite actors, but he did star in one of my favorite movies–you guessed it–The Professionals (1966). I have to admit that, after this week, I am in the mood for this great movie about “some men with guns, going somewhere, to do something dangerous.”

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Even though it is not a war movie, per se, it is about veterans. So I’m going with The Professionals. “Yes, ma’am, I’m on my way.”

3 Comments
November 10, 2016

Thursday thoughts

by chuckofish

Very classy:

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“Loyal repeat loyal opposition.”  There’s an old-fashioned idea.

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Because I can so relate to this.

Have a good Thursday. The weekend is almost here!

3 Comments
November 9, 2016

Unsung hero

by chuckofish

Elijah Parish Lovejoy (November 9, 1802 – November 7, 1837) was an American Presbyterian minister, journalist, newspaper editor and abolitionist. He was murdered by a pro-slavery mob in Alton, Illinois, during their attack on his warehouse to destroy his press and abolitionist materials.

At the age of 25, Elijah left Maine and settled in St. Louis, Missouri where he worked as an editor of an anti-Jacksonian newspaper, the St. Louis Observer and ran a school. Five years later he attended the Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey and became an ordained Presbyterian preacher. Returning to St. Louis, he set up a church and resumed work as editor of the Observer. His editorials criticized slavery and other church denominations. Clearly he was not out to win any popularity contests.

In May 1836, after anti-abolitionist opponents in St. Louis destroyed his printing press for the third time, Lovejoy left the city and moved across the river to Alton in the free state of Illinois. In 1837 he started the Alton Observer, also an abolitionist paper. On November 7, 1837, a pro-slavery mob attacked the warehouse where Lovejoy had his fourth printing press. Lovejoy and his supporters exchanged gunfire with the mob, which fatally shot him five times. He died on the spot and was soon hailed as a martyr by abolitionists across the country. After his death, his brother Owen Lovejoy entered politics and became the leader of the Illinois abolitionists.

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The 110-foot Lovejoy monument in Alton, Illinois, erected in 1897

Lovejoy’s life and death are said to have inspired John Brown, who came to personify the crazy side of the abolitionist movement. Membership in anti-slavery societies skyrocketed. The reputation of Alton, Illinois was forever besmirched.

It is a shame, however, that so few people today even remember Lovejoy, who gave his life for the freedom of the press and the abolition of slavery.

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Indeed, Lovejoy’s life (and murder) is another reminder to us today of how rough and dangerous life was in my part of the country back in the mid-nineteenth century. And people think emotions run high these days!

Although I have been to Alton across the river several times, I have never seen the Lovejoy monument. I feel that this oversight should be corrected as soon as possible. In the meantime, I’ll be toasting Elijah tonight on his birthday.

5 Comments
November 8, 2016

Let the people say Amen

by chuckofish

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Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
–Psalm 27:14
2 Comments
November 7, 2016

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you…”

by chuckofish

On Sunday our rector came the closest to giving a political sermon he has ever come. And by that I mean he quoted from The Wall Street Journal. He didn’t mention the gospel lesson which was amazingly appropriate for the Sunday before our national election day.

“But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also… 31 And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.” (Luke 6: 27-31)

I will be turning the other cheek a lot this week. Which is what I think our rector was getting at. We’re all in this together, now let’s be nice. Jesus said it better.

Meanwhile, I am reading On the Move: A Life by Oliver Sacks, the doctor and neurologist who was also a best-selling author.

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He wrote Awakenings, which was adapted into one of my favorite movies in 1990. Anyway, I am enjoying his autobiography immensely. It is so well-written! (I watched Awakenings on Sunday night–so good!) Remember this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKLyhUgAA58

Wonderful.

The warm weather has encouraged last year’s Chrysanthemums to re-bloom,

img_2238 and the roses to keep coming.

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There’s a lesson in there somewhere for all of  us. Keep going.

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”

–Martin Luther

3 Comments