Some of us are incredibly fortunate to 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 a choice. Others are in such jeopardy that there is actually nothing they can do to fight except with their spirit to survive. And others must fight just to survive and can find ways to do so. Most of your readers can choose, even choose whether to pay attention to the plight of others. I try to pay attention and contribute what I can where I can, but I must admit that I am incredibly grateful to be safe and relatively secure. My heart aches for those who are not. And for my country.
The hardest part is how helpless I feel. I can donate money to good causes and honest and courageous people running for office but it has little effect given the level of corruption on so many fronts. It's hard to keep my chin up but my values will *never* change!
“I also won’t give up on my mentors. My teachers, or my life-lessons. My values. Period. It doesn’t matter what the feelings are, what the odds are, where the power lies, what the horrific news-of-the-day is. Give up or don’t give up. That’s it. And that’s really not such a hard choice at all.”
This is one way of saying, “Deep inside” we always KNOW what to do that is “right”.
Douglas, if you have never seen the documentary My Octopus Teacher, I urge you to watch it. I know you'll appreciate it as a naturalist and lover of the wild. I just finished it for the second time and could easily watch it again. It gave me hope for people and the world we want to live in.
You won’t give up and neither will I. The children are depending on us. We will continue to feel despair and depression at times, but we will learn from the darkness how to love better and how to live deliberately. It was always thus. Thanks for sharing your fears, Doug, and for always turning them into images of decency and life-affirming acts of appreciation for life on earth. I can relate to every thought you express and I find great encouragement in your words. You are providing your fellow campers an invaluable service.
This is why posts and stories and recitations like yours are so important. Because we all experience these horrific times of sadness and despair, and the idea of turning our back on the fight. But we are all here to remind each other, to help carry the weight. To remind each other of all that we know to be good and true and right. And to NEVER give up. I will never give up until my last breath. I remember my mentors, my friends along the way, my teachers and others, who taught me right from wrong, who took the time to explain these concepts to me. I must honor them, as well as my own beliefs. These evil fascists embody the worst of all mankind. They have shown their faces before, in Germany. We will NOT let them win. We will overcome, and they will go back into the shadows or the gallows. We will persevere. Perhaps at great cost, but we will collectively do it. We are almost there.
Yes – must continue to keep making the choice to go on and fight. Fight as long as necessary to prevent a complete loss of our country down the tubes of fascism
We do need to care for ourselves, and to remember we are not alone. W.H. Auden, writing in the poem, "September 1, 1939,"--the date Hitler invaded Poland--speaks of himself and others as "Uncertain and afraid," says, "Those to whom evil is done/ Do evil in return," and says, finally, "Defenseless under the night/ Our world in stupor lies;/Yet, dotted everywhere, /Ironic points of light/ Flash out wherever the Just/ Exchange their messages./ May I, composed like them/ Of Eros and of dust/ ......Show an affirming flame." Or, as the old hymn/civil rights anthem says, "This little light of mine,/ I'm gonna let it shine." Individually, any sensible person is going to have moments of amazed despair. "How could anybody do that?" we can't help saying. We want to hide from it, to tune it out. But we need to affirm those values you enumerated so clearly, the common decency which we learned from brave men and women of the past. We can show our affirming flame. We can stand up against this profane indecency calling itself normal. We can let our lights shine. Others will see, and feel less alone.
Some of us are incredibly fortunate to 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 a choice. Others are in such jeopardy that there is actually nothing they can do to fight except with their spirit to survive. And others must fight just to survive and can find ways to do so. Most of your readers can choose, even choose whether to pay attention to the plight of others. I try to pay attention and contribute what I can where I can, but I must admit that I am incredibly grateful to be safe and relatively secure. My heart aches for those who are not. And for my country.
The hardest part is how helpless I feel. I can donate money to good causes and honest and courageous people running for office but it has little effect given the level of corruption on so many fronts. It's hard to keep my chin up but my values will *never* change!
“I also won’t give up on my mentors. My teachers, or my life-lessons. My values. Period. It doesn’t matter what the feelings are, what the odds are, where the power lies, what the horrific news-of-the-day is. Give up or don’t give up. That’s it. And that’s really not such a hard choice at all.”
This is one way of saying, “Deep inside” we always KNOW what to do that is “right”.
Douglas, if you have never seen the documentary My Octopus Teacher, I urge you to watch it. I know you'll appreciate it as a naturalist and lover of the wild. I just finished it for the second time and could easily watch it again. It gave me hope for people and the world we want to live in.
Thanks Candis. Will do.
You won’t give up and neither will I. The children are depending on us. We will continue to feel despair and depression at times, but we will learn from the darkness how to love better and how to live deliberately. It was always thus. Thanks for sharing your fears, Doug, and for always turning them into images of decency and life-affirming acts of appreciation for life on earth. I can relate to every thought you express and I find great encouragement in your words. You are providing your fellow campers an invaluable service.
Thanks so much, Dale.
This is why posts and stories and recitations like yours are so important. Because we all experience these horrific times of sadness and despair, and the idea of turning our back on the fight. But we are all here to remind each other, to help carry the weight. To remind each other of all that we know to be good and true and right. And to NEVER give up. I will never give up until my last breath. I remember my mentors, my friends along the way, my teachers and others, who taught me right from wrong, who took the time to explain these concepts to me. I must honor them, as well as my own beliefs. These evil fascists embody the worst of all mankind. They have shown their faces before, in Germany. We will NOT let them win. We will overcome, and they will go back into the shadows or the gallows. We will persevere. Perhaps at great cost, but we will collectively do it. We are almost there.
Thanks Jeanne. Well said.
Never give up, can't let the win.
I do
Perseverance.
Yes – must continue to keep making the choice to go on and fight. Fight as long as necessary to prevent a complete loss of our country down the tubes of fascism
We do need to care for ourselves, and to remember we are not alone. W.H. Auden, writing in the poem, "September 1, 1939,"--the date Hitler invaded Poland--speaks of himself and others as "Uncertain and afraid," says, "Those to whom evil is done/ Do evil in return," and says, finally, "Defenseless under the night/ Our world in stupor lies;/Yet, dotted everywhere, /Ironic points of light/ Flash out wherever the Just/ Exchange their messages./ May I, composed like them/ Of Eros and of dust/ ......Show an affirming flame." Or, as the old hymn/civil rights anthem says, "This little light of mine,/ I'm gonna let it shine." Individually, any sensible person is going to have moments of amazed despair. "How could anybody do that?" we can't help saying. We want to hide from it, to tune it out. But we need to affirm those values you enumerated so clearly, the common decency which we learned from brave men and women of the past. We can show our affirming flame. We can stand up against this profane indecency calling itself normal. We can let our lights shine. Others will see, and feel less alone.
So beautifully said, Edith. Thank you.