Bird Droppings November 7, 2011
Interconnected

“I am a great believer in luck. The harder I work the more of it I seem to have.” Coleman Cox

Over the past eleven years I have attended maybe thousands of sporting and or other school events. Some were entertaining and other exciting as students that I knew were actively involved in going beyond what most students do in their daily lives. Photographs freeze a brief piece of time and provide us with a reminder of that moment. I sat in the dugout with our softball team at a game as several of the girls were downing vast quantities of pixie sticks, those sugar rushes in a straw. As I looked back on photos some of those days later still make me laugh. A year or so ago a friend who is planning on being a teacher was crowned homecoming queen in a voting system that was essentially a write in not a popularity contest. Each student cast a ballot one vote for any senior girl. Many times being a nice person and friendly can pay off. I presented my friend with a photo book of her crowning.
My wife’s birthday falls during March Madness, the NCAA playoffs and having become a Georgia Tech fan with my son a graduate many the time I am watching games during her birthday. A few years back as a favor to her on her birthday I took a few moments away from March Madness, to go explore a mall nearby and at that time we had never been too. I always find th bookstore somehow. I was introduced indirectly to Chief Seattle several years back in an email from the same person who sent me the daffodil story I have used many times, if you do not recall that one look it up it is very good.
I received an email well over ten years ago recommending this author and suggesting a book. Kent Nerburn is the author of Small Graces, now on my favorite author list and as I searched for a copy I uncovered many more books each better than the last. This leads me back to my mall journey, there was a new Borders Store to explore of course this was back in the day. This particular mall has an ethnic flavor to it. When I asked for the Native American section as I am used too, a shelf was all that was to be found. Black History on the other hand was a large section in the store on its own.

“Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself.” St. Francis de Sales

But as I searched among the twenty or thirty books that compromised that section of the store I found a real gem. It was one I had not found anywhere else, How Can one sell the air, a translation of Chief Seattle’s Vision”. In 1854 as the legend goes Dr. Henry Smith wrote down and transcribed the words as Chief Seattle spoke. The narrative is illustrated and edited by Ted Perry and William Arrowsmith. It is a four section book of few but powerful words.

“All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; He is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, He does to himself.” Chief Seattle, Suquamish Nation, 1854

As I read through headlines over the years one of a little girl brutally raped and killed, taken from her home. Another of a man who while awaiting trial kills a deputy and then three more people in his escape and now is claiming he was in a trance or a vision and trying to escape the death penalty in his trial through psychological means. Headlines of wars in the middle east where in one sentence we are bringing home troops and in the next adding more and still not recognizing every reason we went to war was a lie and still arguing over who started it and why. Another of accusing one country of deceit and yet we were the deceivers in our dealing with selling of arms to Iran from North Korea. One of my favorites is the old drilling offshore on our coasts and drilling in wilderness areas and trying to pass legislation conveniently as gas prices soar due to withholding production worldwide. I always find it interesting how oil is held in a few hands including many American companies. One last headline I recall very distinctly from that day in the mall nearly ten years ago and more close to home a woman who has had her feeding tube removed three or four times in heated political debate and family arguments pitting state against federal law and right to life against pro-choice.
What a convoluted world we live in. Yet as I rode to that mall and saw a huge complex built on retail, on consumers I realized as myself a teacher and growing up in a industrial town that no longer exists as industry went overseas we are a nation of consumers. Even this mall a huge complex now was started many years before halted and restarted several times all economic issues, I wonder if it would be built today. While a new exit on the interstate the original had for many years been more famous or infamous connected to the missing and lost children of Atlanta as several bodies were found here and it has now grown into a Mecca of retail. Interesting how we have come so far, now a massive memorial in retail to a few children, of course I am stretching the point. We so often jade over so fast cover up and alter redirect and reevaluate soon what really is have never been and none may ever know.

“We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, and some part of our moral responsibility on earth is to “afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted” until such time as there are no more afflicted. Since the history of human affairs has given ample indication that there will never be such a time, we must continue to challenge those around us who would draw the lines of their human concerns at the boundaries of the own lives, consciousness, or front yards, and demand that they see the power their actions have for good and ill. Simply put, we cannot opt out of political decision-making, even if we choose to ignore the political process.” Kent Nerburn, Weblog Journal, November 16, 2004, A Bit of a Rant, or Maybe a Sermon

About five years ago a school bond was voted on in our county, we needed more physical facilities to deal with the rapid growth. The bond did pass but literally no one voted in that election. Only a handful of county voters went out and even there 37% voted against stating we did not need new schools and were saying use what we have better. I thought back to my first days in this building. I thought back to some my my time here our high school when it was built was for 1200 students we have had as many as 2180. We even added an additional wing and then we had the ninth grade in the old middle school and eventually built a new high school however while current housing situation has slowed, and growth here will still be 2-300 more students next year with projections. It is good we did build a new high school as well. I have wandered aimlessly this morning.
As I am looking back at my morning quotes, at an idea from St. Francis De Sales of having patience with all but knowing yourself that is a good idea to start with. Chief Seattle speaks to that idea that we are all connected in this great web of life. Kent Nerburn offers within our own ways we are political connected, we all have a voice and should use it for right or wrong as it is said stand up and be counted. We are all integral aspects of the web of life. I grew up with a severely disabled brother and have for most of my life worked with exceptional people as I think to that past situation in Florida I wonder at what point if in this same situation I would have been able to remove life support. I wonder when often what would I do in that situation or in so many others so many people face around the world. The paradoxes grow as today’s politicians argue over health care issues and candidates and others spin those ideas, riding the waves of public sentiment. I wonder how many plugs have been pulled without the Senate meeting and the president rushing home to sign a new bill.
I think to the title of Chief Seattle’s speech which was addressing in a narrative his stand on selling his tribal lands to the American government.

“How can one sell the air?”

Simple the right sales person in the right place with the right dollar amount or right negotiable item and anything can be sold is our current attitude. That’s what the salesmanship books tell us. It is officially fall and maybe I have as I sit here meandering about politics and ranting about this and that gone in far too many directions. We have serious issues at hand which could be political and or moral and going back to the first quote, it all starts with knowing yourself. It is then you move to the space around you and as Nerburn states, “afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted, until such time as there are no more afflicted.” We are comfortable let us strive for no more afflicted. Please in your daily thoughts as you comfortably make your way through the day keep all in harm’s way on your mind and in your hearts.
namaste
bird