Privilege

I know you are as tired of the whole Kim Davis thing as I am but it looks like it isn't going to go away anytime soon.  I only have one more thing to say about it that no one really seems to be mentioning. 

This whole thing isn't only about equality.  Not really.  It's about privilege. 

Before this situation came up, there was a lot of chatter from people who denied there is any privilege to be had. Funny enough, they are the very ones who get the most from this privilege.  These people are straight, white and usually fundamentalist. 

Don't get me wrong.  I don't care what religion a person practices or even if they practice.  The problem is when asshats like Kim Davis starts defying law and common sense by forcing her views on the public at large, then she and Mike Huckabee start yelling 'We're being oppressed!!  Christianity is under attack!!" because Davis is rightfully jailed for not following a judge's orders. 

If you want to argue what privilege has to do with this, ask yourself this: what would have happened if it wasn't Davis pushing her beliefs on everyone?  What if it were a black woman?  A black man?  What if the person refusing to give out licenses were of a faith other than Christianity?  That person would have been in jail by the end of the week, if not sooner and they'd still be there.  They would also be out of a job faster than you can say "nut" and the same people claiming oppression would be saying good riddance.
  
So yes, despite of her grandstanding and attempts to prolong her 15 minutes, Davis has received the benefits of privilege.  First of all, there is the fact that she was allowed to do all that grandstanding and prolonging.  She was - and is - allowed to stay in the office long after lawsuits were filed and as far as I know, no actions to impeach her have even been entertained.  The Governor has refused to step in.  She was given multiple chances to act differently.  She was even given the soft shoe treatment when she was let out of jail: you can go back to work but don't interfere. 

We can see how this is going to go.  Wash, rinse, repeat.

As for their argument, there is no oppression of believers, nor is Christianity under attack.  It isn't going anywhere either.  The problem stems from the fact that times have changed.  This isn't the 1950s anymore, nor is this a Christian country.

Despite what people like Kim Davis say, there is no template for what an American should be, other than that pesky edict to follow the laws of the land.  White, black, red, brown.  Gay, straight, pan- or asexual.  Christian, Pagan, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheist.  It doesn't matter.  This country is more of a melting pot than ever and we're all Americans.  Our very diversity should be one of our greatest assets, not a reason to act like asshats. 

Dear Self:

It's been one heck of a ride these last two months, hasn't it?  It's also brought up a few issues, hasn't it?  You haven't been feeling the most confident about your art, have you?  That fear of the Art Police has been rather entrenched as well, hasn't it? 

Here's some advice:  Shut up. 

Let's look at this.  Since July, you have started how many paintings?  Two carnival poster paintings; one orange slice ferris wheel, several tomatoes on the vine with tentacles, two with fruit and dinosaurs, one medium sized one where the tomatoes are getting revenge on a cutworm, a series of four smaller ones of them getting revenge on other insects, one of a kitsune, one 'inner self  portrait,' and another series of four of various critters wearing top hats, bowlers and bow ties.  Of these, three are still in progress; two were painted over and the rest went to the gallery. 

Of the gallery paintings, two have sold; three have come home, two stayed in the gallery and four were delivered today.  That's seventeen paintings in two months and eleven of them ended up in the gallery.  That sounds like a good record to me. 

So...shut up.  Paint.  If the Art Police show up, just pretend that It's 106 miles to Chicago, you've  got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and you're wearing sunglasses.  

Sovereignty vs. freedom

Happy Independence Day!

Sumner County is appropriately spook free tonight, as per Chinese custom.  Unfortunately, about the time I decided everyone was done for the night and got the food put out for the cats, the neighbors on the other side of the cemetery began shooting the loudest fireworks yet.  They put on a good, brave front but even Arlo gave up after eating a good deal of his food.  Black cat was the first to head back to the house, followed by Kuma.  Like I said, Arlo was last.  It was as if he was saying, "I don't care.  I got my food." 

I ended up bringing the most of the food to the porch.  Black Cat was happier with that idea. 

I was going to use question #2 in chapter one of The Circle Within but I think I will use the day to write about sovereignty. 

sovereignty: * supreme power or authority,
                          * The authority of a state to govern itself or another state
                           synonyms: autonomy, independence, freedom, self rule
                      
                          * A self governing state

freedom: The power or right to act, speak or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint

independence: Not influenced or controlled by other in matters of opinion, conduct, etc.; thinking or acting for oneself      

Many times, it seems that sovereignty and freedom are used interchangeably and in some situations, I don't believe there is a problem in that.  Is there a difference when it comes to our path and religion?

Freedom is something we have from the beginning - we have the freedom to choose.  Do we stay with our birth religion; seek out another path or do away with spirituality altogether?  We are also free to do as we please once that decision is made, whether it is to show up for appearances, or to dive into the lessons the path has to offer. 

Sovereignty, on the other hand, is earned.  We have very little sovereignty when we begin.  Some people are happy not gaining much more sovereignty and simply going along with the masses.  Others have a need - a drive - to go deeper, to make the connections and create a wide ranging base of knowledge to stand on as a foundation.  With this foundation, they can build on their ability to decide for themselves what is right - their ability to govern themselves instead of going with the masses. 

It seems to me that sovereignty is the harder road, involving a great deal of hard work and not much room for slacking off.  In the end, however, it seems to also be the much more satisfying way to go.  

Reboot v. 941547244AppleDeltaFish126458.3

Well, it's cloudy with a chance of rain today.  I'm assuming Set was successful in protecting Ra and His solar barque on the journey through the night.  We're all still here and the world isn't slowly being covered in ice...yet.  That rain may still prove otherwise, if it comes.  

I've been trying my best to get back into the blogging spirit for days.  It seems that if I'm not just sitting and staring at the screen, I'm way, way into TMI land.  While I'm sure the TMI has potential of  grabbing me ones of new readers, I've had entirely too much grief this past year and don't want or need any more.  It's been nearly too much to deal with as it is.   That's not to say that I won't have a fit of...something or another and the TMI will show its face anyway. 

"Anything worthwhile is dangerous." - Victor Anderson
The last twelve months have certainly proved that.  While it has been very tough - mentally, emotionally and spiritually - I have to say I wouldn't change it for the world.  I thought I knew what I was made of before.  Now I'm more sure.  Of course, this knowledge comes with a wish to go back several years in time  to those folks who gave me no end of grief and insisted I was an "Earth Mother"...and kick the everloving shit out of them for being right.  Hell, they needed kicking anyway.  They were jerks. 

Some of the lessons I've dealt with in this past year involved strength.  I found myself in a situation where I had to deal with bullying and verbal abuse while caring for a loved one.  I had never seen this side of the person, although I had certainly heard about it.  I was shocked when it reared its ugly head to me.  While I didn't exactly deal with it with grace and aplum, I did my best.  I do not put up with overgrown, obnoxious brats. 

Other lessons are harder to deal with.  They are hard because they deal with the heart.  Again, I have not dealt with them with grace and aplum...more with tears, incomprehension and depression.  Although  I have been engaged in the past and certainly cared for that person; I wasn't sure that I was really capable of love.  Well, I'm sure now.  I found someone that, after everything, I love more than anything but I can't give him the one thing he asked of me.  I can't just be a friend to him.  At least, not now.  Not after all those trips to the movies, to church and to the mountains.  Not after all that laughter and silly stuff we've shared.  Not after the conversations we've had while driving down the road - even the serious topics he couldn't believe I got him to talk about, like what heaven would be like and whether anyone other than Christians would go there.  I can't just be a friend after trying to be there for him when he got down after a friend's wedding or those rare times he talked about his dad's alzheimer's.  I can't be a friend after seeing how he got when they tried to screw him over a job he absolutely loved and his trying to decide whether to stay with it, find another job or possibly even striking out on his own with a repair shop.  I can't be a friend after knowing how much he wants kids and realizing, after all these years of being an avowed child free person, that yeah - kids with him would be great.

Don't get me wrong.  He isn't perfect.  He is bossy and can be fairly critical when things aren't done the way he would do them.  He is hardheaded and sometimes sees the world in terms of black and white.  Sometimes, he can't see what's right in front of him for things that are in the distance, be it in the past or the 'could be.'  There are a few things I'm not even going to mention for fear of the dear readers' fragile - or even not so fragile - stomachs.  No, he is far from perfect but perfection is overrated anyway...but at the moment, I guess it doesn't matter what I think. 

Well.

I guess I finally got something written, huh?  Even if it's a soliloquy on that guy (I hope it doesn't sound stalkerish!)  Now to keep the writing up for more than just one entry and get more sketches and paintings up here.

Have a good day, y'all and thank you for reading this far.  I'll leave you with a prayer from T. Thorn Coyle:

Holy Mother, in whom we live, move and have our being, from you all things emerge and unto you all things return...

Open our hearts this blessed day.  Touch our bodies and our minds.  Walk with us through the gates of power, in shadow and starlight, in fire meeting earth, in wind on the ocean and the sweet kiss of life. 

Blessed be our journey. 

A gardener's tale...

I've been harvesting the seed from my arugula and purple kale plants.  I have to, especially after the last time.  I didn't know.  I just.  Didn't. Know.

I was looking forward to huge bowls of salad when I first planted them.  All those purple and green leaves.  Gourmands called them 'spicy,' but most folks I knew just said they were bitter.  My plans worked well - bowls and bowls of salads came out of my patch.  Arugula, kale, romaine.  Sweet lettuces too, to balance the bitterness: oak leaf, grand rapids, black seeded simpson.  I had them all. 

When the arugula bloomed, I daydreamed about even more salads.  Same with the kale.  The plants were prolific, putting out thousands of seed and dispersing them before I even realized they were ready.  Again, I didn't think much about it.  I just thought I'd find plants in strange places for the next few months. 

Then the people started disappearing all across northern Sumner County.  One or two at first then more.  It soon spread to southern Kentucky and beyond.  No one knew what to think about it.  The people were just...gone.   

Someone soon noticed there was arugula growing in every place a person had disappeared.  A few plants by a front door.  Several hidden beneath the weeds by a hiking trail.  Later, people noticed purple kale growing in some of those places as well. 

They had gotten smart.  They had gotten hungry.

The authorities got curious and dug up some of the plants.  It was horrible.  Bits of synthetic fibers, rubber soles from shoes and tiny bone fragments were found tangled within the roots.  No one knows to this day how they managed to dig the them up without becoming a part of the debris.  Especially now that we know how the plants fed themselves. 

You see, somehow what they were getting out of the ground wasn't enough anymore.  They needed more.  Somehow, both the arugula and kale developed facile roots.  They were certainly strong  enough to grab any passing animal, including humans, and drag them beneath the loose soil and feed on at their leisure.  It was no surprise when several horrified people in a local park caught them on film, on the move to their next feeding grounds.   

After that, the extermination program began.  The plants were attacked with extreme menace whenever they were found.  New plantings of arugula and kale were banned.  It was a hard fight and we almost lost.  Like I said, the arugula is very prolific.  The kale isn't far behind. 

So I've found some of the plants trying to hide in my garden.  I trapped them before they could feed on anything.  In my mind, turnabout is fair play and I'll eat as many of them as I can find...and keep them from spreading more seed throughout the county.

That's why I have to stay on top of harvest.       

Stories...

Geez. It's time to start blogging again. This poor thing has been neglected for long enough. I'll admit, it's partly due to that harlot Twitter. There's just something about fitting everything into 140 characters instead of writing an entire blog entry.

I want to get back to the original intent this thing. Don't get me wrong, I will (eventually) get back to posting my artwork. I just feel somewhere along the line I kind of forgot a few things, like "life, faith and gods know what else."

And stories. I've missed the stories.

Say whatever you want but to me, it's not love that makes the world go 'round. It's all the stories, running around looking for their entrance into this world, creating this crazy centrifugal force and BAM! There you go. Planets, stars and *everything* spinning and dancing around the universe.

...and I bet you thought it was something like 'gravity' and whatnot that set them spinning, didn't you? Well, there you go. One more story, as told in the Scientific Theory style of narration.

Hmmm…look at all these cobwebs.

Wow. Has it really been Thanksgiving since I made the last post? Geez. I’m sorry y’all. I didn’t mean to abandon everyone.

Let me play catch-up. March rolled around again and Emo!Azra tried to make another appearance. (What is it about the third week of March that just makes me want to hide under a rock, cry and mourn something I’ve never had?) Anyway, this year I was on to her and there was no month long reign of melodrama and angst. Emo!Azra was sent to the cellar a home away from home and chained, damn it given a nice, peaceful rest.

Art wise? Until recently, it could be summed up with one sound: pppphhhhhttttt! You want an actual word? Poncif. I’ll show you the ones that barely made the cut, in my opinion anyway. Sorry for the quality of some of the photos. I don’t have all my graphics programs back yet.





These two don’t even look finished to me. The bottom one’s a little more complete. Still, it was fun to paint the shadows of the cup and someone liked them. I don’t know why.



This one ended up being a Christmas present. I like taking vases like this and filling them with the tips of hickory or oak branches. They usually have the most curves and interesting shapes to them, although you can’t tell it by this painting. It needed “something,” so I added the dogwood blossoms. I like how the vase turned out.