The End Of Your Nose

You know what gets old? 

Holding space for people who couldn't find the end of their own nose with a map and a mirror. 

When you present someone with an evidence based proven evil thing, and all they can say is:

(1)  You aren't trying to say I'M like that, are you? 

(2) But look, all these OTHER PEOPLE are evil, too!

(3) More of (insert political party the person doesn't like) are evil than (insert political party the person does like). 

For crying out loud.  At any point, could we START WITH; 

(A)  Oh no!  Are the victims ok?  What is being done for them?  How can I help?  

I'm so over people.  I need to be a mountaintop hermit. 

 

Wildflowers and Life

Yesterday, I went for a ride, nowhere in particular.  It reminded me of being a kid, we used to go for a ride on the weekends frequently, because it was a free form of entertainment.  I absolutely loved it.  I miss those days, they were some of the best in my life. 

I stopped several times during my ride around yesterday, because I saw wildflowers by the side of the road.  I love wildflowers.  When I was a kid, I used to go visit my cousins in Hardwick with my Memere and Pepere.  Pep would pull over and Mem and I would go pick wildflowers in various spots on the way home.  It was so much fun because she knew the names of all the flowers!  I always brought my mom a bouquet. 

I loved being with Mem and Pep.  It seems I got the very best version of them, something I've come to understand didn't always happen for others.  But for me, they were the very best grandparents anyone could ask for, and I adored them.  I still miss them.  

These days, I don't pick the wildflowers, but I do take pictures of them, something I love doing. Wildflowers are exquisite.  They rarely have ideal circumstances, no one spends endless hours and money making everything "just so" for them.  Yet, they grow and bloom.  They are resilient and miraculous.   

As I drove around, I kept cringing.  Lot after lot being chopped down and cleared so someone can turn a quick profit and build another ugly box house.  Yipee.  Just what we need.  Can't we ever fix or repair anything, instead of just discarding and demanding new?  One of the most horrid things I can imagine is all of these amazing tree lined roads being all built up with housing.  Ugh.  Stop.  We ruin everything, don't we?  

We need trees.  We need wildflowers.  And we need to do what Mem and I did...stop and enjoy them together.  It has stayed with me for a lifetime.

1942

I have a 1942 Liberty Dime which is also sometimes referred to as a Mercury Dime as the image reminded people of the Roman god, Mercury.  Someone carefully placed a rim around it and made it into a pendant.  (The dime itself is intact and has not been defaced or harmed)

I love it, and I wear it frequently.

The dime is 83 years old.

These dimes were produced from 1916 to 1945.  

I find it fascinating to have this wonderful item.  How many people had this dime in their pocket?  Did they go into a store in their hometown and pick up something needed?  I wonder what you could buy for a dime in 1942?

World War II was going on in Europe and in the Pacific.  In Europe, people were being rounded up and deported to Concentration Camps and being murdered by the thousands every day.

Meanwhile, this dime, in someone's pocket, here in the States.  Maybe they got a loaf of bread, or a newspaper. And now, I'm wearing it on a chain, around my neck.  For some reason, I find that absolutely amazing.

I can't help but draw a parallel between 1942 and 2025 here.  Of course, here in the US now, we are in the position of 1940's Germany - we are certainly not the good guys this time around.  And we, the population are dealing with what German civilians dealt with all those years ago.  What to believe, what to do, what to think?

I like the quiet certainty, the history, the energy that so many people held this dime and used it, while living their everyday lives. 

We can't live in the past, but we do need to be clear on what to honor and what to leave behind.  Otherwise, what did they fight for?  What have we learned?