Some Slippery Words

Religion is mythology that has present day believers.

Terrorism is retaliatory aggression by the side with less power.

Immigrant is an ex-pat from the global south.

 

Letter Writing

One of my dad's superpowers is writing cards to accompany gifts and one of my mom's is writing (period). Maybe I inherited some mixture of the two. I have always loved writing letters. 

Like the protagonist in The Correspondent, I have shamelessly written to whomever I have felt moved to write to in my life. Sometimes I have received a letter back in response. 

Most meaningful-to-me have been letters exchanged with a true pen pal in my thirties. I credit that practice with preparing the ground for my relationship with Evan. 

I think about Isabel Allende who famously wrote letters to her mother beginning when she was 44 years old. I imagine the magic of a correspondence like that with Ben.

I believe letter writing encourages a revelation of self and experience, a humanizing process which can't help but foster connection-- a slow burn in this mad, mad world.

Pope Leo's Prayer For Peace

 

Everyone has a place in the mosaic of peace! The Rosary, like other ancient forms of prayer, has united us this evening in its steady rhythm built on repetition. Peace gains ground in the same way: word by word, deed by deed, just as a rock is hollowed out drop by drop or fabric woven stitch by stitch. These are the slow rhythms of life, a sign of God’s patience. We must not allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the pace of a world that does not know what it is chasing. Rather, we must return to serving the rhythm of life, the harmony of creation, and healing its wounds. As Pope Francis taught us, “There is a need for peacemakers, men and women prepared to work boldly and creatively to initiate processes of healing and renewed encounter. There is an architecture of peace, to which different institutions of society contribute, each according to its own area of expertise. There is an art of peace that involves us all."

Artemis II

The concept of "competency porn" has been getting thrown around a lot recently-- the idea that seeing people act with skill, wisdom, and compassion at this particular moment in human history is hugely relieving and attractive.

I first heard the term in connection to the medical show, The Pitt, and now am hearing it in reference to the crew of the Artemis II.

I am so glad NASA sent these four to the moon...

"Trust us, you look amazing, you look beautiful. You also look like one thing. Homo Sapien is all of us, no matter where you're from or what you look like. We're all one people. And in all of this emptiness... you have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist together."

-- Victor Glover

"The purpose of humanity is joy and lifting one another up, creating together versus destroying. All you have to do on any given day is just get up and do your best and try to find joy in your day and try to contribute in a meaningful and positive way. And that's it. And I think we, as humans, we put too much pressure on ourselves looking for perfection. If you look at what we're doing out here, it's far from perfection, but we are getting it done."

-- Jeremy Hansen

"What we really hoped in our soul is that we could, for just a moment, have the world pause and remember that this is a beautiful planet in a very special place in our universe, and we should all cherish what we have, what we have been gifted."

-- Reid Wiseman

"Ultimately, we will always choose Earth. We will always choose each other."

-- Christina Koch

"So you're telling me that the Moon's many craters are from billions of years of protecting Earth by pulling space rocks into her orbit? The moon who is depicted as a woman in countless cultures? You're saying her craters are evidence of care? Has someone informed the poets about this?"

-- Camille Hernandez 

 [color-coded map of the moon's mineral distribution]

The Power And The Quiet

The Quiet arrived quickly and completely in the wake of The Power. No background hum of electricity, no sounds of engines at work. The chatter and sway of global systems collapsed into silence and stillness although their debris continued to listlessly orbit the planet. For some, The Quiet's localism felt imposed and impossible. Those who tried striking out for better during the initial fright found that fumes could only bring them as far as a place en route. During The Power, any question could be answered but few were asking the right questions. During The Quiet, everyone was asking the right questions but there were few answers. 

Some Great Words

बकवास

bakavaas (bullshit in Hindi)

სისულელე

sisulele (bullshit in Georgian)

Lunar New Year