A really good summation from Parker Palmer of how and why our political system is the way it is, from a soul-based perspective:
I’m currently reading Palmer’s A Hidden Wholeness right now, which could be described as a manual for dealing with this type of soul emptiness. Very interesting so far, especially for the essential Quaker-ness of his approach, which lures the soul out of hiding by creating a safe place for it to emerge both within the individual and within a trusted community. Thought-provoking stuff in a world where so many people are already undergoing wrenching transitions due to political upheavals, environmental issues, health problems, loss or change of jobs, etc.
OK, one more for today. Found a wonderful Wendell Berry poem, “The Mad Farmer Liberation Front” courtesy of Slacktivist. In light of current circumstances, the last stanza particularly resonates:
Go with your love to the fields.
Lie down in the shade. Rest your head
in her lap. Swear allegiance
to what is nighest your thoughts.
As soon as the generals and the politicos
can predict the motions of your mind,
lose it. Leave it as a sign
to mark the false trail, the way
you didn’t go. Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection.
Or, why it’s easy to find the time for creation when you don’t watch TV.
That’s a bit flip, but this talk by Clay Shirky does point out the amazing resources we have at our disposal (on an individual and cultural level) when we make conscious choices about how to spend time.
Money quote: “Media that is targeted at you but that doesn’t include you may not be worth sitting still for.”
I gave up cable over 12 years ago, and with rare exceptions, have not looked back. I watch a little TV on DVD, but making things & having interactive experiences seems so much more fun that I don’t miss it too much. One thing I wish Shirky had addressed a little more, though, was the extent to which other passive activities (reading blogs, watching YouTube) has taken the place of TV without increasing participation. It’s my particular blind spot, and one I’m trying to address as my time becomes more compressed.
Found on MetaFilter this morning: Eclectic 2.0[requires QuickTime]. I have a thing for time-lapse photography and reverse video (see also Sensei Studios, their “Balancing Point” video is amazing), and this piece really took my breath away.
Disclaimer: Not the official entry for this week (official entries will all be found under the ‘School’ category, for those who are playing along at home). Now, then. (And what an odd turn of phrase that is, by the way…suggesting a conflation of past & present that feels very familiar.) Since I have a dreadfully [...]
Danny Gregory is one of my current favorite authors. He’s one of several (including Dan Price) who have written deeply on the joy of drawing and journalling, with a special eye toward those like me who think they don’t know how to draw. He posted the following list of creative commandments the other day, and [...]
For fans of The Tipping Point (and if you aren’t yet, you should read it), another great article from Malcolm Gladwell: “The Naked Face“. If you’ve ever wanted to know how some people can read intent on a person’s face, it’s a great summary of the current psychological and physiological research.
Big movie weekend the past couple of days, from the silly to the self-absorbed to the seriously odd (Goldmember, The Kid Stays in the Picture, and Full Frontal, respectively). I almost went for a triple-feature today with Notorious C.H.O., but decided I didn’t need to spent another 9 bucks on something I’d already seen live [...]
Risk! Risk anything! Care no more for the opinion of others, for those voices. Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth. — Katherine Mansfield