Category Archives: Friends

April 17, 2012 · 10:42 pm

Dismantling the Shire

The evening saw, not the Scouring of the Shire (written by Tolkien but not used by Jackson), but the Dismantling of the Shire. That word doesn’t really fit either. Let me write a bit about what happened and see if a fitting word emerges.

A few years back, more than I can remember at this point, Tricia and I purchased the Shire – a three-bedroom condominium in Jeffersontown – east of Louisville. It served us well and became a site of hospitality for co-workers, folks who worked on projects with me, family members, and even an Obama campaigner. Not counting family, I think twenty people stayed at least one night at the Shire. Some stayed a few more.

When I moved to New York, the time came to sell the Shire – no Sackville-Bagginses being present to take it off my hands. That has proven easier to say than to do. Over time,we have removed different items. Some given away; some thrown away; and some sold. Still no one appeared on the horizon to buy the Shire itself. But that may change soon. Or not.

In any event, with Tricia and I both in town (it does happen), we used our time to sort through the remaining items. When I leave on Friday, little will remain in terms of household goods. Some large pieces of furniture will remain. But we will have dismantled the Shire, for all intents and purpose.

An era slowly draws to a close.

See you along the Trail.

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Filed under Family, Friends, Photo

Tagged as condominium, Jackson, Louisville, Obama, sale, Shire, Tolkien

April 8, 2012 · 8:27 pm

A ride through friendship and the years via films

Films carry a great deal of my past with them or so it seems when I view them.

As I watch them again, I experience them anew, I see scenes that I have somehow managed to miss in the past. But I also find memories washing over me – memories of the time I first saw them – memories of how they spoke to my life at that moment – memories of where I was and what I was doing – memories of the people present when I saw them.

I have started watching every DVD I own – in no particular order, simply in the order they come off the stacks where I store them. I have done this before. This time I find them evoking memories in a powerful way.

The memories jumble, bumping into each other, pulling me through life and experiences in a random order – evoking the people who are and have been part of my viewing experiences through the years. Smiles and tears commingle in a fun ride.

Tonight – Little Miss Sunshine – which features one of my favorite endings and calls to mind some of my favorite movie-going companions.

See you along the Trail.

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Tagged as companions, friends, Little Miss Sunshine, Memory, movies, smiles, tears

March 22, 2012 · 8:26 pm

An intriguing beauty

Walking to and from the Presbyterian Office of Public Witness, this intriguing tree caught my eye and the eyes of many others.

Catherine, Peng and I stopped and looked at it for a time. None of us had seen anything like it. The pink-purple flowers grow directly on the bark – almost like moss.

“I wonder what it is?” mused Catherine. I pulled out my BlackBerry preparing to do a search when, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a small sign on the tree. “Bet that will tell us,” I said.

We walked, some of us stumbling, across the sidewalk and on to the grass where we could read the sign.

Eastern Rosebud (Judas Tree) said the inscription. That really did not tell me much. Maybe Peng and Catherine went on their way with a deeper understanding, but no insights shimmered for me. A few minutes ago, ensconced in my hotel for Compassion, Peace and Justice training day and Ecumenical Advocacy Days, I Googled and learned several things:

The Eastern Rosebud is native to eastern North America from the southern part of Ontario to northern Florida.
It is the state tree of Oklahoma.
It has a number or family members scattered around the world.
Legend says that Judas hanged himself from a species of the rosebud.
The flowers are magenta in color – various shades of magenta.

My picture fails to do it justice – but it points to its intriguing beauty.

See you along the Trail.

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Tagged as Eastern Rosebud, Ecumenical Advocacy Days, Florida, Judas Tree, magenta, Office of Public Witness, Oklahoma, Ontario, Rosebud, tree, Washington

March 21, 2012 · 3:34 pm

All our sons, all our daughters

Trayvon Martin

Our position of privilege tells me that what happened to Trayvon Martin is less likely to happen to my sons than it is to the sons or daughters of many of my friends. Less likely than it is to happen to the sons or daughters of people I do not know. Less likely than it is to happen to children of color.

I grieve for Trayvon and for his family and for every family that has had to endure such a heartbreaking experience. I grieve for all who have been victimized by violence. I grieve for our society in which such acts occur.

I grieve that there have been calls for a bounty on George Zimmerman. Vigilante justice is wrong. It is not the answer.

I grieve that for all our efforts to dismantle racism and overcome racial prejudice – for the significant progress we have made on the journey toward the Beloved Community – so far remains to go.

I tremble as I ponder the trust and friendship that I receive from people of color. Trust and friendship that provide continuing definitions of grace.

I confess that I have spoken too late and too timidly on behalf of Trayvon and his family.

I acknowledge that I have failed to work as faithfully or diligently as I should have done to address the racism upon which our society is structured.

I grieve. I tremble. I confess. I acknowledge. I will do more.

I will sign a petition started by Trayvon’s family. I hope that the investigations that have been announced will be fair, full, and transparent. Only in that way can justice be done for everyone involved.

I will be on Union Square for the Million Hoodie March this evening.

I will look for additional opportunities to speak and act.

I will place a hoodie at the front of the workshop I will lead at a Presbyterian gathering on peace and social justice on Friday.

I will pray for Trayvon Martin’s family and friends; for George Zimmerman and his family and friends; for those who investigate this event; for the people of Sanford, Florida; for our country; for peace, for justice.

For in the end, our lives intertwine in this country and on this small rock hurtling around the sun.

In the end we are made, not for ourselves alone but for each other.

In the end, is not Trayvon my son? Is not George my son?

We are brothers and sisters. We are all each other’s sons – all each other’s daughters

See you along the Trail.

This post has been revised in response to comments and observations made on Facebook and in other places. Some language has been edited; other material has been added. I am grateful to all those who took the time to read and comment.

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Filed under Family, Friends, Human Rights

Tagged as grace, grief, Million Hoodie March, racism, rage, Trayvon Martin, trust, Union Square, white privilege

March 10, 2012 · 10:36 pm

Y is for Yonder

I have no idea what Teresa is saying.
But her gesture does appear direct
Dayna’s attention to something
over yonder.

Lots of yonders fill Ghost Ranch:
places around the bend,
atop the mesa,
down the arroyo.

Places to go,
things to see,
not here,
but yonder.

24 August 2010

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Filed under Friends, Ghost Ranch People, Photo

Tagged as arroyo, bend, Ghost Ranch, mesa

February 11, 2012 · 11:37 am

What is the most depressing movie you have ever seen?

What is the most depressing movie you have ever seen? I posed that question on Facebook yesterday.

I watched Hamlet the other day – the Kenneth Branagh version. Actually I re-watched it for at least the third or fourth time.

In the viewing, I found that for all the elaborate visuals, the costumes, the strong performances, and the interesting casting selections (Jack Lemmon comes to mind), the basic story remains somewhat depressing. Powerful. Compelling. Amazing. All that to be sure. Yet the word depressing also springs to mind. It seems a hard to word to avoid when most of the major characters die along the way and corpses litter the last scene. Perhaps Fortinbras and the Norwegians see the tale of death as a happy tragedy.