Tuesday, June 27, 2006

treehuggery

i used to write much more than i do now. but the written word is woefully open to interpretation. one simple statement can be read a million ways. our perceptual lens through which we view the world, or our "window," as we often call it, colors the words.

this is part of why i love radio so much. i get to actually speak. when i'm speaking the words aloud, with my own voice, they aren't as ambiguous as they seem to be sitting here all on their own. they're just these vunerable, lonely little words with no voice but the reader's to give them meaning. and who knows how that voice will sound? will it be gruff and cranky? silly? serious? sarcastic? who knows? i hate to speculate. so, i've shyed away from it lately. (writing, i mean. not speculating. unfortunately.)

but i realize that i have a great opportunity to develop a column to go along with our latest radio project, (
http://radiowednesday.blogspot.com/) so as stevie winwood says,"while you see a chance, take it." i guess i'll just have to carefully mind my words. and i'll need to accept that sometimes i'll be misunderstood, and sometimes i'll make mistakes, and sometimes i'll be embarrassed, and sometimes i'll have to explain myself, and sometimes i may look stupid, and sometimes i'll be harassed, and sometimes i'll have to say i'm sorry, and i guess i'll have to be ok with all that.

man, i've almost talked myself out of this....

so, all that explains my hiatus from writing. as for the radio wednesday hiatus, ken and i have been moving. well, actually we moved in one day (on june 8th) but the before & after-math have wreaked havoc on our routines. those of you with babies know about routines. ok, i guess you don't need a baby for that, but if you have one then you REALLY know.*

anyway, when i pondered what i'd like to write today, tree huggery came to mind. i'm pretty sure huggery isn't a real word, but i thought it described it just fine. you know, the act (art?) of tree hugging.

this topic came up because, as a part of radio wednesday, i've been pegged (labeled, stereotyped, pigeonholed) as being a tree hugger. maybe it's ken's awesome tree pics on our blog. or maybe someone has actually spotted me hugging a tree or two around town. it's possible.

wherever the notion originated, i'd like to set the record straight today. it's only partially true. i actually practice a more general form of huggery. i hug kids and dogs and grandmas and pillows and stuffed bears and pets and really just about anyone that comes along that seems like they're in need of one. i'm never wrong about that. i can tell a mile away when someone's soul is searching for a big mamma-style hug. i can't tell you the number of times total strangers have started seriously boo-hoo'ing in the midst of one of these hugs. i'm quite the hugger, no doubt.

as far as trees go, it is true that i've hugged some of them. it's also true that i name some of them. outside my window there's big puffy and soulpatch....

















soulpatch came equipped with a cool birdfeeder

we used to live near sammy junior and singsong....













singsong looked scary in winter.

before that, there was barkey and bird...


















barkey grew a curious lovebeard where we regularly hugged him.















bird, sadly, was pulled up, roots and all, by hurricane charley. lots of blackbirds made bird their home, hence his name. most of them didn't make it through charley either.

that's the trouble with naming the trees, incidently. they sometimes meet with untimely deaths, and then you've gone and named the thing so you're attached to it. i guess in that light, it's probably best to keep the naming of (bonding with) trees and such to a minimum.

anyway, so i hug trees, and i name a few of them, and i love to sit under them and look up at the sky through their branches. i understand how ridiculous that probably seems to some of you. it seemed ridiculous to me at one time, too. before 9/11.

in the months following that horrific day, like many of us, i had what you could call a spiritual "awakening." others call it a "kundalini experience," or a "spiritual rebirth." most of the folks around here would say i was "filled with the holy spirit." all these phrases really attempt to describe the same thing, which is an opening of consciousness to God through the Christ spirit. seeing the light.... hearing the still soft voice.... feeling the energy of pure, unconditional love... knowing that He is.

of course words can't describe this properly, since it's really a deep, profound, subjective, emotional experience, but for those of you who know,... well, you just know. for those of you who don't, you have so much to look forward to!

anyway, when i found God, the previously invisible trees (and flowers and clouds and sunsets and mountains and oceans and etceteras) were visible and vibrant and awe inspiring. all the ordinary things of life were somehow renewed in my mind. it was like a black and white world was suddenly colorized. i began to approach everything with such appreciation and wonder... the very same wonder that made my baby light up when she felt the grass between her little toes for the first time. she glowed and giggled and i thought there's just nothing like this kind of bliss.

so, it's true, i do stare up at the trees, and i thank God for them. i soak up their healing colors, i breathe in the fresh sweet air they deliver, and it feels awesome. i admit, i don't usually technically "hug" trees the way i hug people and pets and such. i mostly just pat the tree with my hand and give it a kind word or two. even with just that little pat, i can feel a nice energy from the tree. a healing energy. so it would probably feel pretty good to give the thing a big fat hug, but the bugs deter me. truth be told, the ridicule deters me a little, too.

maybe a teeny bit less after today, though.












*typing those caps in this sentence brings to mind the fact that i almost always type exclusively without capital letters. having many e-pals i have found it much faster to type without all the capitalization. and then i started just preferring to see the letters this way (i see it in the body of my piece as arial, with a 12 point font, and it's lovely). but for the schoolteachers et.al., i am aware of the "official" rules of capitalization. i'm just making an economical and artistic choice. i hope everyone can see beyond appearances. (who am i kidding? we're not nearly that evolved yet. i'll be back to writing "properly" in no time i'm sure.)













Friday, June 16, 2006

because you are her father...

on behalf of our little one, i want to thank you for being a wonderful father.

because you are her father, she will know how to love.

because you are her father, she will know that a man can be gentle yet still be strong.

because you are her father, she will choose a partner that treats her well and makes her laugh.

because you are her father, she'll feel safe in the world.

because you are her father, she will know how to stand up for her friends.

because you are her father, she'll know who ralph nadar is.

because you are her father, she will understand all about the ills of corporations.

because you are her father, she'll grow up loving nature and supporting the environment.

because you are her father, she'll know the value of a dollar.

because you are her father, she will love traveling to faraway places.

because you are her father, she will know and love all kinds of people.

because you are her father, she'll know how to play the guitar.

because you are her father, she'll love those holiday james bond marathons.

because you are her father, she'll love lemon pepper catfish.

because you are her father, she'll be very familiar with howard zinn.

because you are her father, she'll know exactly what and how to recycle.

because you are her father, she will love david bowie and the clash.

because you are her father, she'll be able to make a killer tomato sauce.

because you are her father, she will choose a career that will suit her perfectly.

because you are her father, she will know jesus.

because you are her father, she will show temperance in all things.

because you are her father, she will have nicely manicured fingernails.

because you are her father, she'll sleep with her toes poking out from the covers.

because you are her father, she'll dig "the daily show."

because you are her father, she will put her family first.

because you are her father, she will know how and when to confront people.

because you are her father, she will love herself.

because you are her father, she is very grateful.... as am i.

happy father's day ken (dat-tee) !!!
we love you muy moo-chew.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

one step up

the following is my response to the recent gay marriage discussion, as well as two paragraphs referring to homosexuality in ron walton's "friday morning musings:" http://www.nrvtoday.com/content/view/4891/62/

ken and i talked about this subject for our new episode of "radio wednesday." for more info about the show, please check out the radio wednesday blog : http://radiowednesday.blogspot.com/

to hear the discussion click on "radio wednesday : one step up" http://www.nrvradio.com/content/view/38/43/

"it's the same thing night on night. who's wrong? baby, who's right? another fight and i slam the door. another battle in our dirty little war. when i look in the mirror i don't see the man i wanted to be. somewhere along the line i slipped off track. one step up and two steps back." (bruce springsteen)

Is being gay a choice or a God given characteristic?
Ultimately, whether it's a choice or not, or whether it's "right" or "wrong" is only known between each individual and God. So, since I am neither gay, nor God, my opinion on the matter is meaningless.

It does, however, seem pretty clear that homosexuality in this culture serves a higher purpose in that it allows us the opportunity to address our prejudices and judgments and hateful behavior toward one another. So, for that reason alone, I believe that it is part of God's plan.

Whether it's inborn or environmental, right, wrong, or indifferent, I just don't know. I am not the one to judge the issue. God does not ask me to judge. He asks me to love. That is the challenge being put forth.

stop judging one another and learn how to love each other.

I will always take a stand for love.

love one another...

for the record, regardless of gender, people that love one another are ok in my book.

Should same sex couples be allowed to get married?
Despite our various and sundry opinions, it's not our place to judge whether same sex marriage is right or wrong. How can we arrogantly presume we are even properly equipped to make such judgments?

Why are so many of us focused on how we believe other people are missing the mark while we walk around miles from it ourselves?

Furthermore, why are we trying to control one another so much? What are we so afraid of? And who are we, as a "free" society, to withhold these kind of civil rights from a whole subgroup of people?


Those of us fortunate enough to have one know that solid loving partnerships are the saving grace of this challenging world. They are the proverbial soft place to fall. Not to mention the catalyst for a great amount of personal growth. And, they anchor us. Don't we all want to be anchored?

do unto others...

If I knew all this, and I were gay, I would want to be allowed to marry my partner, too. I would want to be treated kindly and respectfully and fairly and equally, despite other people's differing viewpoints.


If the religiously spirited people have issues with the "institution of marriage" then why can't we just call it a "union," and then call it a day? Everyone can believe what they want to about it, and everyone can teach their children what they believe is best, but it's not in anyone's best interest to institutionalize any one religious viewpoint.

Do we actually want to religiosity and legalism to rule? Wouldn't we rather rule with the broad strokes of love and freedom and tolerance and equality for all? Isn't that what we stand for as a country?

We all judge one another. And we all know inside that we probably shouldn't.

Uh oh, i am entering "should" territory again.... I don't want to "should" all over everyone. Maybe we can just reflect on what our greatest teacher said:

love one another as i have loved you.

treat other people the way you want to be treated.

don't judge people unless you want to be judged in return.

That's what I'll be teaching my little girl. I'll teach her about loving people, and treating them with kindness, even when - especially when - they look, think, and act very differently than she does. I'll teach her to treat people equally, regardless of sexual orientation. I'll teach her to stand up for people who are bullied and abused for any reason. And i'll teach her that, since we don't have all the answers to complex subjects like these, it's best to suspend judgment and just give love.

A minister open to performing civil unions would probably have a lot to offer in that respect. What's the name of that church again, Ron? ;)

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Sunday, June 04, 2006

the flaming (s)word
























in my hand,
high above my head,
i hold a flaming sword.
it's not meant to harm,
it's just to light the way
.



picture: ©2006 Jodie Coston/ World of Stock