Advice for the Day
We should define ourselves by all that we love, cherish, respect, admire, and adore, never by what we dislike, distrust, fear or despise.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
26 comments:
IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING, YOU DON'T BELONG HERE, SO KINDLY GET OUT AND STAY OUT.
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Advice well taken, my friend.
ReplyDeleteAndie
A lot of people seem to have forgotten what matters and are consumed by the dark side.
ReplyDeleteAOW,
ReplyDeleteIf I spend too much time around progressives I become a miserable person. They cease to be human to me. I see them as one big churning mess of dysfunction, ignorance, arrogance, resentment, hatred and selfishness. I focus on all the pain and suffering they cause and begin to see them as monsters.
Either I need to avoid them altogether or I need to find a way to acknowledge them without wanting to kick them!
Andie
Before this thread devolves into mean-talk, I want to second Free Thinke's premise.
ReplyDeleteHe and I don't share political views, but we manage to not see each other as "the enemy," or any other sort of name.
It's true that I have strong opinions and that I am a liberal. It is also true that Mr. Free Thinke has strong opinions and that he's a conservative/libertarian.
He expresses himself, quite strongly, on his own blog, just as I do.
That doesn't make either one of us monsters. We simply use our own blogs to express our opinions. And no one is forced to go to blogs and read them.
Our differences in politics hasn't stopped us from sharing other aspects of our lives that are important
There's more to life than politics.
I adore my family and friends, classical music, opera, poetry, literature, film. I enjoy visiting museums and appreciating the visual arts. I've often expressed the fact that if Mr. Free Thinke lived near me, I would be happy to whip up a meal from scratch, since cooking is another passion. I've been involved in visual arts for many years of my life, and I've also been involved with the writing community in the Cambridge/Boston area as well.
So, in the spirit of what Mr. Free Thinke suggested, what defines you?
"Our differences in politics HAVEN'T stopped us..."
ReplyDeleteFT, I appreciate this post! I love to learn about others, because it never fails to create a new connection.
ReplyDeleteMy closest friend is quite liberal, politically, and I think that our differences enhance our friendship. It's testament to the transcendent nature of love.
Shaw, your list is great, and I concur on everything!
_____ A Poison Tree ______
ReplyDeleteI was angry with my friend.
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe.
I told it not, my wrath did grow;
And I water'd it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles;
And it grew both day and night
Till it bore an apple bright,
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine,
And into my garden stole
When the night had veil'd the pole.
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.
~ William Blake (1757-1827)
Let us, please act as friends -- even when we disagree. Our humanity is not rooted in any ideology. Ideologies are man made, we, as human beings are not. We are better than anything we might produce however fine, however lovely, however noble.
Seek the truth that lies in beauty, order, refinement, decency, honesty, good humor, and above all -- kindness and consideration.
We are not here to live up to each other's expectations, but only to work very hard to be the best we can be according to our individual understanding.
STRIVE to LET GO of RESENTMENT. The person it hurts most is YOU.
How could I have left out one more thing that I adore: The Boston Red Sox.
ReplyDeleteAs far back as I can remember, the Sox were always a part of lazy summer afternoons in the backyard, with the radio tuned to the game.
I now look forward to another World Series.
Good luck to the Sox and the Cards!
"My closest friend is quite liberal, politically, and I think that our differences enhance our friendship. It's testament to the transcendent nature of love."
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfectly beautiful thing to say, Jen! I too have always had liberal friends. Our respect and fondness for each other in most cases supersedes our political differences.
Do you remember that wonderful scene from The Farmer's Daughter between Ethel Barrymore and Loretta Young? Ethel was the matriarch of a wealthy conservative family with much political influence. Loretta played "Katy," the naive farm girl of Swedish extraction with high ideals, a well developed understanding of right and wrong and the most admirable work ethic imaginable.
At any rate, Katy winds up running for congress -- as a liberal, of course --and Barrymore, who has become very find of the girl, says to her, "Katy, dear, you know I will do everything I can to oppose you, but at the same time I wish you the best of luck with your campaign. You're a fine girl who says things that needs to be said, and says them uncommonly well. I only wish we had someone with half your integrity running on our side!"
A beautiful moment in film. A great lesson in life.
ReplyDeleteYes, we are all multifaceted but I would sooner stick a dull pencil in my eye than be forced to sit through a meal with an avowed feminist.
Andie
Mr. FreeThinke as expressed a wonderful sentiment, but also a practical one.
ReplyDeleteBy letting those we "dislike, distrust, fear or despise" define us, we give up our very selves, and indeed surrender our very selves to them, and they then define us and determine our actions, our thoughts, and ultimately, our very being.
On a personal note, that was the main reason I turned Western Hero over to Finntann. I needed to turn my mind elsewhere. Politics acts like termites on the brain.
Unfortunately, I am still unable to completely kick the habit.
I smile and not politely so much in my "real life" that there will soon be a bobblehead doll named after me.
ReplyDeleteI tend to forget my civility when online. My apologies to those who have been the subject of my ire.
Andie
"Be not overcome by evil, but instead overcome evil with good."
ReplyDeleteFeminism can be a good thing. Feminziism, however, is not a good thing.
I find that the basic tenets of Christianity - stripped of the mumbo jumbo of ancient superstition, authoritarianism, and stiff-necked absolutism that have been read into them -- are the soundest, most practical, most salubrious advice we could hope to discover.
NOTE to the CENSORED: We do not tolerate PERSONAL ATTACKS and on FELLOW BLOGGERS., nor do we tolerate MINDLESS SPITE, CATCALLS, and other deliberately DISRUPTIVE REMARKS, Nor do we tolerate sheer IDIOCY.
There are two Divine Theatres now?
ReplyDeleteThere could only be one, Andie. You are truly unique.
ReplyDeleteI should have added to te list of no-no's:
WE DO NOT TOLERATE IMPERSONATIONS of FELLOW BLOGGERS for ANY REASON WHATSOEVER -- EVEN IF THE INTENT IS HUMOROUS.
I agree with Divine Theatre regarding how folks tend to act in the blogosphere. Doubtful people would converse personally with one another that way. Perhaps the gentle reader need filter through the rage, sturm & drang, invective
ReplyDeleteand ad hominems for the essence of
a comment.
Wonderfully stated post FT.
ReplyDeleteI find that it's not necessarily the internet that makes us spiteful, but politics in general.
For instance, Andie's reply to AOW seemed spiteful, no matter how eloquent. I don't even know how to define myself politically, but I make every attempt to be cordial to opposing views.
Andie- I must ask out of curiosity. What is it about Liberals that bother you? Anything specific?
Again FT, I love the post.
To J.O.B.
ReplyDeleteIn Andie's absence I'll try to fill in for her and answer your question
Aside from being passionately devoted to moving the country towards the tyranny of a Centrally Planned Economy, a reckless disregard for principles of thrift and the virtues of frugality, an all-pervasive urge to throw metaphorical babies out with their metaphorical bathwater, and a pronounced tendency to want to micromanage the personal tastes and predilections of each individual in hopes of establishing rigid conformity to an ethos determined and deemed desirable by Those Who Consider Themselves In the Know, there is nothing wrong with liberals at all. Many of them are quite charming, highly intelligent and very talented in areas outside of politics, and many can be sexually attractive in the extreme. ;-)
Sorry for the late response, its been a wonderfully computer-free day for me!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to add that movie to my queue, FT. It sounds lovely.
I don't know if you saw the comment that I deleted, but I'm going to try to avoid political blogs.
I did enjoy seeing that there are several like-minded bloggers out there.
Have a wonderful week!
You left a very nice post, Jen, for which I am grateful. Please don't remove it.
ReplyDeletePolitics will reenter the arena no doubt, BUT I'm not going to tolerate mindless bigotry and spite from ANYONE anymore.
Always nice to see you visit here.
"I'm just sitting here
ReplyDeleteWatching the wheels go round and round
I really love to watch them roll"
And I love to sit on my porch on bright sunny days, and watch the play of light on the leaves as it changes every few minutes throughout the day.
ReplyDeleteNoticing subtleties is one of my specialties. I love the stillness of being on my wooded lot. It brings a sense of peace and well being.
I often dream of how pleasant the world must have been when men used scythes and hand tools instead of machinery to run the farms and maintain the grounds of fine homes and great estates.
Noise is too high a price to pay for the "conveniences" of modern life.
Do you spend much time in cemeteries, Ducky?
I highly recommend it. The stillness restores the soul.
As a matter of fact, FT, the Civil War burial area in a cemetery near my apt. is as peaceful a spot as I know.
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised.
ReplyDeleteI favor Mt. Auburn, myself. Lovely place!
Autumn in Virginia is my favorite time of year. So many peaceful spots fit for places of reverie.
ReplyDeleteI hope to get out and about this coming weekend so as to enjoy the best time of the year. We should have the van back by then. We won't be fighting the traffic to Skyline Drive, though.
F.T.: I favor Mt. Auburn, myself. Lovely place!
ReplyDeleteYes it is. My parents are buried there.