I wanted to write about the unsettling times we find ourselves in
and then there was that date,
September 11, 2021
staring me in the eye.
In 2001, almost a week after that horrible day,
I was on a sailboat in Provincetown Harbor
and witnessed the most magnificent sunset
caused by the dust in the air all the way from
New York City to Cape Cod,
from that terrible tragedy at the World Trade Center Towers.
I lived in Provincetown at the time and my friend invited me out on the water.
Planes were still grounded and it was eerily quiet and peaceful, calm and beautiful.
We talked about how the U.S. behaved in the world
and how that created more enemies than friends.
The Country stood still for a while -
collective grief - shock - compassion - empathy.
And you know the rest of the story.
They said,
"Get on with your lives." "Go shopping."
We'll start a war or two and make it right.
A primitive response lacking insight, intelligence, even compassion for the victims.
It's not what their families wanted.
It wasn't misguided -
it was exactly what some people wanted.
Will America ever be the Beacon of Democracy she promised to be?
Not like that.
Not like that.
©Laine Quinn 2021, photo September 17th, 2001.
America is a mess...
But the good news is this:
Americans are good people
and love is rising above hate
and kindness is spreading in every neighborhood.
There is more that connects us than divides us
and optimism is our only choice and our hope
for the future of
the American Dream of Self Governance.
Happy Independence Day!
That we dedicate a day for the celebration of the Earth
is absurd and also necessary.
The, so called, "most intelligent" creatures that life has spawned
can't even protect that which sustains their very existence.
(It wasn't always this way.)
There are people involved in the destruction of our air, water and soil
who just don't care.
They don't see the earth as a living, breathing, life sustaining entity -
all they see is profit and power.
They continue to exploit the natural resources that belong to all of us
without consideration of the consequences,
much to our peril
and all in pursuit of profit and the power that comes with it.
Promises are made and broken.
They just don't care.
You and me - we can do our part and should continue to do our part -
but until corporations and governments stop tearing the fabric of life apart
we are doomed.
It is a few at the top,
the very top of the pyramid who allow the destruction to continue.
There are new promises in the works that will help to mitigate the destruction -
let's hope it is not too little too late
and that those promises are not broken.
It is time to hold their feet to the fire -
hold those in power accountable and don't let up.
"We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality,
tied in a single garment of destiny.
Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly."
Martin Luther King Jr.
©LaineQuinn 2021
In an attempt to remain positive in my blog, I must say that I am positive that we are in a very precarious situation!
Grounded in springtime -
planting and potting and cleaning!
And the Cicadas are due any minute now!
We called them the 17 year Locusts.
Magicicada.
Living as nymphs, 8 feet below the surface,
feeding on tree root sap in underground bunkers,
(and I thought they were sleeping!),
17 years later,
they emerge through tunnels that they create,
to shed their skins
and reveal the insect that we are familiar with,
the Cicada.
The males sing their hearts out
waiting for a reply from a willing female.
5 weeks later they are gone - deceased- it's over -
except for the thousands of eggs left behind in the bark of their preferred trees.
These eggs become larvae that fall to the ground
and become the hardy nymphs that live quietly underground
for a very long time!
Yes, the "song" can be annoying, deafening even,
but it is truly fascinating to ponder such a life
and to witness its Grand Finale!
Grounded indeed!
©2021 Laine Quinn
Photo of a bog on a farm nearby!
An early morning thunderstorm left behind these beautiful clouds for the rising sun to shine upon.
May all the storms in our lives be blessings in disguise.
(Let's hope!)
©Laine Quinn 2021, reprinted from Laine's Blog, November 13rd, 2011.
2020
Oh My -
Goodbye goodbye goodbye -
and don't come back
ever again.
The odd thing about this horrid year
is that the world is more united
than ever before.
A global pandemic has brought us closer.
The virus crossed from one country to another -
without passport or visa -
sewing together the human race in tragedy and grace.
Tragedy and Grace.
And everywhere in the world
People are kicking 2020 out of the door
and into space
and welcoming the new year -
collectively -
of one mind and heart.
A New Year,
perhaps more welcome that any other in our lifetimes.
2021
You are very welcome!
Come in, come in,
have a seat,
stay for a while.
Hello! Hello!
HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR!
(Is it safe to come out yet?)
©2020 Laine Quinn
Keep it Kind
and
Patient
and
Heartfelt
and
Simple
and
Sweet!
The butterfly counts not months but moments,
and has time enough.
Rabindranath Tagore
(Dragonflies too!)
Quotation is from the front of the book,"World of Wonders" by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
I haven't read it yet, but soon will, there is time enough!
Merry Merry, Happy Happy!
One day more...
Here I am surrounded by giant old oak trees,
dripping with spanish moss,
living with a joyful dog
and a handsome cat,
while it feels like the world is coming apart at the seams.
It is not.
The birds still sing.
The frogs still croak and slap themselves onto the windows at night.
The moon rises and shines.
The sun too.
All that is worrying us will change,
and soon.
One way or the other.
To quote Wendell Barry,
Be joyful even though you have considered all the facts.
Be joyful and see the world around you with fresh eyes and love.
"Love is why we have hope"
Love your world!
And hope for the very best for all of us.
Inspired by the book by Anne Lamott, Almost Everything, Notes on Hope.
The quote about love is from the back cover and the Wendell Barry quote is found on the inside front cover.
She is fearless and funny and inspiring!
Photo is a view outside of Lake Lure, NC. ©Laine Quinn 2015
An old Spring House in San Miguel, Mexico -
a reminder to be grounded -
in our friendship with ourselves,
with nature,
with each other.
Grounded in uncertainty, and upheaval,
and accepting the times we find ourselves in.
Grounded in whatever way you get grounded,
for your very own peace of mind.
©Laine Quinn
In his book, "Humankind, A Hopeful History",
Rutger Bregman writes about cynicism vs. realism.
And I quote:
Isn't it telling that in modern usage the realist has become synonymous
with the cynic - for someone with a pessimistic outlook?
In truth, it's the cynic who's out of touch.
In truth, we're living on Planet A,
where people are deeply inclined to be good to one another.
So, be realistic. Be courageous. Be true to your nature and offer your trust.
Do good in broad daylight,
and don't be ashamed of your generosity.
You may be dismissed as gullible and naive at first.
But remember, what's naive today may be common sense tomorrow.
It's time for a new realism.
It's time for a new view of humankind.
It's a good book, with lots of examples of goodness that outweighs the craziness.
Photo of Treaty Oak, in Jacksonville Florida, ©2020 Laine Quinn
They say that this Southern Live Oak tree is over 200 years old, but I would offer that it is way older than that!
Collectively it is time that we imagine a better world.
No matter what happens in the next months or years,
it is time to put our minds on better things.
Call it the power of positive thinking,
of visualizing,
of collective prayer -
it all works and can change the world.
Psychopathic leaders of politics and industry - be warned -
it is time for the Human takeover of our world.
Time to imagine a world where we live harmoniously with the earth,
harmoniously with each other - near and far,
harmoniously with all creatures -great and small.
A world in partnership.
A world of compassion and love and generosity.
If it fits in your mind,
it fits in your world.
We are more than what we can imagine.
Collectively it's time to imagine
what comes after -
to dream big and have faith in the human heart,
in the human desire for connection.
Photos of our Beautiful Planet in the days ahead.
American Democracy has been considered
an experiment from its earliest days
and has been observed for over 200 years
to see if self-governance actually works.
America has faltered many many times yet she still stands.
The way that we participate in the experiment is up to us.
Voting is the most crucial and significant thing that we as Americans
can do to participate in this "grand" experiment.
Voting can be manipulated -
by gerrymandering Congressional districts,
by turning people away at the polls,
by intimidating people into not voting at all.
Ballots can be stolen, "misplaced" or rejected for some trumped up reason.
It is usually the minority party which is invested in suppressing the vote,
one way or the other.
Once they have power, they will do anything to keep it.
Whatever the tactics, it is imperative
that every eligible voter casts their vote
no matter how or who discourages us to do so.
VOTE.
The future is in the balance.
The future of our Earth, our food, our water,
healthcare, Social Security, racial justice.
It is all on the line.
Talk to your friends, your family - be sure that they plan to vote.
Our Future is in the balance.
VOTE!
Are you registered to vote?
Are you sure?
In some areas of the country,
if you have not participated in the last one or two election cycles,
you are purged from the voter rolls.
Period.
Do not wait for election day to discover that you are the victim of a voter purge.
Check ahead of time, like today.
In my county,
you must be registered to vote at least 30 days before an election
in order to participate in that election.
So, double check, even if you are sure that you are registered to vote.
Double check!
Call or visit online your Supervisor of Elections
and be sure that you can participate
in the most important presidential election
of your lifetime - so far!
Brought to by Laine, in the historic year of 2020.
"Anchor the eternity of love in your own soul and embed this
planet with goodness. Lean toward the whispers of your own
heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates.
Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge.
Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that
the battle of good to overcome evil is already won. Choose confrontation
wisely, but when it is your time don't be afraid to stand up, speak up, and
speak out against injustice. And if you follow your truth down the road to
peace and the affirmation of love, if you shine like a beacon for all to see,
then the poetry of the great dreamers and philosophers is yours to
manifest in a nation, a world community, and a Beloved Community that is
finally at peace with itself."
John Lewis
From his book, Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change,
quoted in a Beautiful tribute to John Lewis in Brain Pickings.
Surely he walks with the angels!
©2020 Laine Quinn - Sunrise, St. Augustine Beach
We Are all Humans -
wonderfully diverse -
who emerged from the same continent.
The differences,
Asian, Indian, Eskimo, Indigenous,
so called Whites, Blacks -
are just labels - tags - meaningless.
All Human life on the planet emerged from the continent
People dispersed to all parts of the globe
over thousands and thousands and thousands of years,
adjusting to the different environments in diverse ways.
All of the continents on earth are connected
deep in the earth.
All peoples on earth are connected
deep in their hearts.
In a sense,
we are all African!
But truly,
All part of one Human family.
Photo Credit: NASA 1,000,000 miles from earth, Africa and Europe.
Yes, we are unfortunately in a time
when we must assert
loud and clear -
that
Black Lives Do Matter.
Yet all true spiritual and religious traditions
and scientific facts
proclaim for all to hear
that
We are all one
and
one with all.
Sure, we are all different colors -
but we are the same race.
In fact there is only the one race -
the human race.
All other differentiations are fairy tales -
Black families have taken a beating for hundreds of years
and it is time for all of us
to stand with all oppressed people and say -
NO MORE!
©Laine Quinn 2020 Mexican art photographed without giving credit to the artist, sorry.
Change is in the air.
Compassion and righteous anger are walking the streets of America with Lady Justice.
There will be no turning back these pages of history ourstory -
no matter what the impeached president says or does.
Change is in the air.
This isn't 2 dozen people with automatic weapons
standing on the capitol steps
protesting the lock down because of covid-19.
This is thousands and thousands of peaceful Americans
supporting one another and walking together
to protest the racial inequality that permeates our society.
Protesting militant police who murder innocent people for sport.
Change is in the air
and it's not going away.
Police are on notice.
States Attorneys are on notice.
We are watching now.
And we are many.
Change is in the air.
Stay vigilant.
Stay safe.
Stay together.
In 1953, Rachel Carson penned this...
"It is one of the ironies of our time that,
while concentrating on the defense of our country against enemies from without,
we should be so heedless of those who would destroy it from within."
Amen.
©Laine Quinn 2020
It's Sunday,
take the day off!
With all of the bad news and incompetence of our government,
and missing being close to our loved ones -
our hearts get heavy.
But that's because of the love in our hearts.
Love and compassion and empathy and sorrow.
So, take a break.
Forget the bad news and focus on the love -
the love inside your Big Heart.
Love is everywhere evident -
even in this pandemic.
Look inside,
past the confusion and pain,
to the love.
That love - your love, my love,
will see us through to the other side of this.
Trust that love.
Feel it.
St. Augustine Beach, Sunrise
©2018 Laine Quinn
The Earth is breathing a sigh of relief today,
the 50th anniversary of Earth Day,
because her brainy humans have shut down
the engines of pollution.
No, it can't go on like this - or can it?
(There was a reason that manufacturing left the USA,
besides cheap labor -
lax environmental controls.
Maybe the countries who host these pollutors
will realize what they have sacrificed.)
Happy Earth Day!
© 2020Laine Quinn, Angel Wing in the sky.
(Sea gull wondering if it is safe to join the others...)
*"If social distancing needs to be extended long term,
scientists recommend forming an inner circle of uninfected friends and family
that you can rely on
to maintain social bonds..."
Some others call this a pod -
forming a pod of trusted friends and family.
But when can we do that?
When is it safe -
when the very best thing we can do is to isolate?
Listen to your heart...
when it feels okay,
then wait another week!
If it still feels okay,
take small steps.
Go slowly.
Be sure.
Trust your feelings.
*Quoted from a CNN article by Ryan Prior.
© 2020 Laine Quinn St. Augustine inlet with the Schooner, Freedom and a gaggle of gulls. Or should I say a pod?
It might happen to you,
like it did to me -
when you're singing along to an old sad song
trying to hold it together -
that's when it might hit you -
or in the middle of nowhere
talking to your friend, husband or wife -
it might boil over the top
and then you're crying-
trying not to cry
because you are safe -
you are home.
But you cry because others aren't safe
or home -
but are in harm's way -
in the path of an invisible tsunami.
We must be safe.
We must take care of each other even from a distance.
And we must find ways to release the pressure valve from time to time
and cry if we can.
We are all in this together.
For the long haul.
We must be patient.
We must take good care.
We must.
We must.
For all of the people on the front lines risking it all to take care of us.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Laine
Waves on the Horizon, © Laine Quinn2019
Social distancing not required...
Cat (DJ) and Armadillo, the Moon and Venus, Two Butterflies, Cat (Lucy) kisses Gator, Two Web-footed friends, Five Turtles! All Safe.
Where beauty is -
there rests the soul.
Azaleas in full force in St. Augustine.
It is difficult to sit still for an invisible catastrophe -
there's no wind, no rain, no flooding -
in fact the weather here is perfect.
We have electricity, water, internet, the pantry is full,
and we have each other.
So, wash your hands, enjoy each other -
(they are singing from the balconies in Italy!)
get lots of fresh air
and be creative!
Don't panic.
Be kind.
and
Be careful.
Trumpet Flower, ©Laine Quinn 2007!
Ecola
I walked by the sea-creek side.
The wind laughed, the gulls cried.
Sweet water lapped on the salt sand
between the deep sea and the deep land.
Ursula K. LeGuin
Years ago, Joseph Campbell told us that the poets would save us.
I begin to understand.
From Ursula K LeGuin's book of poems, "Late in the Day."
Joseph Campbell, in his series, "The Power of Myth."
Photo of St. Augustine Beach, ©2020LaineQuinn
It might seem incredulous
that there were peaceful, cooperative, undefended cities in so called prehistory.
But go back as recently as 1492, when Columbus sailed across the Atlantic
in search of a route to China and India.
Luckily for him and his crew,
there was land in between,
and after nearly 3 months of sailing,
they landed in what he named Hispaniola, in the Bahamas.
*"The Indians," Columbus reported,
"are so naive and so free with their possessions
that no one who has not witnessed them would believe it.
When you ask for something they have, they never say no.
To the contrary, they offer to share with anyone."
How he and his men responded to these handsome, well built people
who carried no weapons,
is shameful and obscene.
And thus began the conquest of the Americas,
spreading the European model of power and tyranny like a disease.
We are the descendants of these warring people
who believed in a winner take all mentality.
We are also the descendants of the peaceful, generous people,
who loved nature and life.
We can set our sights on making more and more powerful and accurate weapons.
Or we can set our sights on technologies that support life
and can turn back the clock on certain environmental collapse.
Love will get us there and respect -
for each other and for the world we live in.
Let's let our better angels have their day once again.
*From Howard Zinn's, A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 1492 - PRESENT.
When you have peaceful, cooperative cities
that are unfortified:
no walls or fortresses -
that have not developed weapons of death:
there was no need for those things,
as their neighbors were friendly -
and violent warring tribes from the surrounding arid lands
invade and destroy everything in their path,
installing their vengeful, jealous gods to displace the nurturing goddess -
things change.
And they change dramatically and violently and relatively quickly.
1,000 or 2,000 years to undo 30,000 years
of human development.
In her book, The Chalice and the Blade,
Eisler makes the case that patriarchy and its elevation
of war and fear and power over others
is an anomaly,
a blip on the evolutionary screen.
The Pale Blue Dot
View from Voyager, Earth as seen from deep space. NASA
It's a detour off the path of human development.
A mistake that needs correction.
That must be corrected.
Photo of the Earth from deep space. APOD "ThePaleBlueDot"
Astronomy Picture of the Day, February 14th 2020.
"Our hopes for peaceful human coexistence are not,
as we are so often told, utopian dreams."
Riane Eisler
Peaceful cooperation existed long, long ago and set the foundation for civilization.
Human HISTORY OURSTORY goes back 30,000 years.
In most early societies technologies were developed
that supported and enhanced
the quality of life.
Otherwise what might have become of us?
These were cooperative societies,
with both men and women working together for the common good.
30,000 years of improving life for all.
Over millennia, these early societies developed farming,
fishing, the domestication of animals,
weaving, and even town planning.
The arts flourished.
As a result of that cooperative living,
10,000 years ago - thriving, complex city states were abundant in the fertile Mediterranean Basin.
Yes, these were "gynocentric, or woman-centered societies,
with the deity represented in female form,
symbolizing the generative, nurturing and creative powers of nature."
These peoples, our ancestors, lived close to nature and the stars
and had great respect for all life.
Was it a matriarchy? Not in the sense of being opposite to patriarchy.
These were egalitarian cultures that bestowed equal value on all citizens.
"A partnership society,
in which neither half of humanity is ranked over the other
and diversity is not equated with inferiority or superiority."
Everyone is King of the Hill!
(Queen, Princess, Prince and Spot!)
Of the Hill!
Quotes are from the amazing book, The Chalice and the Blade, Our History, Our Future, extensively researched and written by Riane Eisler in 1987.