Moving Seamlessly

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 22, 2014 in Personal goals, Social

The young firefighter described his, and his unit’s, work, over the course of a year, as moving seamlessly from one set of tasks to another. This is what I admire most about so many of those who have taken on difficult, dangerous and often thankless, unappreciated tasks as their life’s work. The unit in question works under an administration which seems to neither understand nor care much for those under its charge. That administration is getting a rather long overdue education today and tomorrow.

I have said in the past that, even as I have good friends in every living generation, I am finding I relate best to Millennials. The sense of commitment to a better world is just below the surface among all ages, yet nowhere is the energy and drive to truly create a functioning and equitable global society stronger than it is among teens and twenty-somethings. Gen Z (those fourteen and under) seems just as promising, so this could be a confirmation that the world, towards which so many have striven, is on its way, even as so much that is rotten needs to be cleared out.

We may not move forward with absolute seamlessness, and there are plenty of non-angelic types among the younger generation, but as I move about the city of Prescott, around Arizona or across the country and to other parts of the world, I sense there is a purposeful mien among the youth. It goes beyond idealism, which, if left to stand alone, becomes cynicism and gives way to creature comforts, drug abuse and paranoia. Maybe, with the current younger generations, the lack of time-honoured opportunities which many of us enjoyed as youth, has forced self-reliance, group action and innovation to the fore early on in their lives. Certainly, technology has helped greatly, in that regard.

I have come under a lot of fire from many of my fellow Boomers and from several Gen-X’ers recently, for my past few posts. I can’t share their cynicism, though, and while contemplating the rest of my life, I can only see good things for the human race, in the aggregate. Those of my contemporaries who agree with my assessment have been equally vocal, so maybe I, too, am moving seamlessly from one day, and one set of tasks, to the next.

Choices

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 20, 2014 in Personal goals, Social

I listened to Tape 10 of the series, “The Eleven Forgotten Laws”, last night. It was entitled “The Law of Sacrifice”. The premise is simple: To get one thing, one must give up another. I find the basis for this applies in just about all aspects of life. Let’s look at three examples.

There is a restaurant menu- Seven items appeal, but of course today, for this meal, only one may be chosen. Of course, the only thing that is directly “sacrificed” is the ability to eat the other six items at this sitting, unless the restaurant is buffet-style. Some may moan that their money is being sacrificed, but compensation is not the same thing as giving up something. The restaurant, generally speaking, deserves to be paid for its fare and service.

When one gets married, it is only fair to the spouse that romances with others are no longer a part of your life. Of course, there are those in Swinging or Open Marriage relationships, but they’re like the buffets- not the usual situation. One’s spouse, and you, are deserving of respect and fidelity.

The last reflects my life, at present. When one is drawn to travel, it could be for any number of reasons. The same is true of those who elect to stay at home. There are many events going on, in the place(s) you choose to visit. There may well be many events going on, simultaneously, in the place you call home.

My point is, be comfortable with the choices that get made. They are yours- and as such, will draw both praise and criticism. No one knows what’s best for you better than you do. While life goes one, fully, as it should, in your absence, it works best when the response to “We’ll miss you!” is “Thank you, and I look forward to your stories and photos of all that will have happened here, while I was gone.”

Bob Proctor and Mary Morrissey encourage us to be glad that we have free choices, which are indicative of an abundant Universe.

Dystopia

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 17, 2014 in Personal goals, Social

I have a propensity for watching TV shows and films which have a dystopian theme: Revolution, The Black List, Person of Interest, Game of Thrones, Hunger Games, Divergent, Ender’s Game. I mainly like to see how the protagonists solve their dilemmas, though in too many cases, the choice is “Blam, Blam”. Revolution got old, and formulaic, so it’ll be consigned to Hulu after one last episode.

Dystopia, the collapse of all we know and either love or hate, the primal turn to either a Lord of the Flies mentality, a Glengarry, Glenross or 1984 mindset, or both, seems to be much on everyone’s mind. Despite my fascination with these shows, however, I don’t see an actual, full-blown dystopia as the long-term wave of the future. Yes, we may very well endure a stretch of trials and tribulations, which won’t lend themselves to a quick return to “Business as Usual”, but I believe there will emerge something far better.

People are bound to notice that there are those who are building a better, more organized and less officious civilization from whatever ashes to which the old systems lead. Some won’t want anything to do with it, but most will, over a period of decades. I have had several iterations of my own life, in which, as Baha’u’llah, Founder of the Baha’i Faith wrote “Poverty is followed by riches, and riches are followed by poverty…” His meaning is that material possessions come and go, but He is emphatic in saying that we will always have what we need.

With Paul Simon, in “Peace Like a River”, I see a glorious Day.

Trailheads and Paths, Issue 19: Arizona’s Mount Vernon

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 15, 2014 in Travel

Prescott’s Mount Vernon Avenue is an amalgam of much that makes the town a draw for those who seek a blend of nature and luxury. It starts with a series of Victorian Era homes, ranging from full-on elegance to well-built, lower middle class bungalows. The road goes uphill steadily, then leads to Senator Highway, with its many forest camps and the rustic beauty of the Hassayampa resort area.

Five of Mount Vernon Avenue’s homes made up the conclusion of my historic homes tour on May 3. Here are nineteen photos of this diverse street’s best offerings.

I went first to the Hedrick D. Aitken House, home to a storekeeper and his family. “Hed” was one of the early members of Hassayampa Country Club, and is said to have golfed 18 holes, each morning before work.

Here are two shots of the interior, a photograph of Mattie Tuttle Aitken’s aunt, and one of the current lady of the house, as “Mattie”.

I net visited the Ralph Roper House, a Victorian Cottage, which was home to Prescott’s first dentist.

The living room gives the lie to the name “cottage”.

The present owner was laid back, preferring to sit on the porch and trade snarky barbs with some of the visitors.

I moved on, to the Hesla House, whose owners were very engaged in showing the house, dividing the visitors into small groups, and themselves dressed in Fin de Siecle garb.

Here are some of the more interesting features of the Hesla. First, it has one of the larger gardens along Mount Vernon.

Wood-ringed bath tubs were rare then, as now.

A Victrola provided the evening entertainment, before the heyday of radio.

Dolls were serious works of art, as the Nineteenth Century drew to a close.

Ceramic eggs, which I remember from my aunt’s house as a child, were another item of late Victorian decor.

No Victorian home would have been complete without a chandelier.

This view of the Sanglier House, a Queen Anne Cottage, shows the vagaries of lighting a house naturally, at the edge of a hill.

Carved animal heads, over a door, were the mark of the owner’s spirit.

The last house on the tour was the Lodge-Hicks house, a bungalow.

The decor was more reflective of the Forties and Fifties.

The little jaunt was encapsulated by this bit of sage advice:

Each resident of these delightful homes has followed this maxim, in their own way.

Trailheads and Paths, Issue 18: Goldwater’s Glittering Mansion

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 14, 2014 in Travel

Henry Goldwater, the brother of Barry, ran the mercantile interests of one of Arizona’s premier families during his brother’s time in the national political arena. Henry and his family lived in this Norton & Patton home, for much of the 20th Century. It is a melange of stylistic features, suggesting a turret, without actually having one.

Here is a first view of this most grandiose of the Union Street mansions.

Given its popularity that day, I spent some time waiting on the front porch.

Those familiar with Senator Goldwater will see the family resemblance, in Henry’s countenance.

The kitchen and dining room are wide open to each other.

Being a true Arizonan, Henry favoured a large garden area, and a sizable guest house.

You may notice the variety of art, from Classical Greek to Theravada Buddhist. Modern items crop up here and there, as well.

Then, there’s an old cowboy hangin’ around.

I am partial to old wooden tiles on tall houses like this. They just add character.

The view from the third floor can’t be beat, either.

I always like a beautiful person, with a garland of flowers around her hair.

Upon leaving the Goldwater Mansion, still a private residence, I came upon a classic car from the 1930’s.

Next door, and to the east, is another old gem, now a law office.

I walked a bit down Alarcon Street, and found the Gage-Murphy House, now an apartment building. One of the residents let me inside for a bit, but I satisfied myself with a single photo of the exterior.

The last place in this segment of the tour was Prescott’s premier Bed and Breakfast, Pleasant Street Inn. It was first built in 1906, at the site of the present Prescott Police Station. The house was moved to its Pleasant Street location in 1990.

As it was still early for some of the inn’s guests, we stayed downstairs and walked through the dining room and kitchen.

This potpourri of styles was matched by that of the last segment of the tour: Five houses on South Mount Vernon Avenue.

Connectedness

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 13, 2014 in Personal goals, Social

In the various stretches of downtime which I was given these past several days, I read the book, “Proof of Heaven”, by Eben Alexander, a psychiatrist who experienced a particularly acute Near Death Experience, a few years ago. It is notable that he saw the intense interconnectedness of subatomic particles during his time in coma. This very phenomenon has been documented, in the past few years, by Quantum Physicists. It underscores the absolute relatedness of all things, both moving and inert.

I had lots of time to think about this aspect of our life. Indeed, it is the most basic feature of all life in the Universe, at all levels. This brings me to a confirmation: All life seeks connection to all other life. Let’s stick to how this might apply to human beings, for the present.

I drew a few conclusions about our relations with one another. First, when people seek connection with others, we are persistent in various ways. It is the longing for connection that spurs criticism, clinginess, flirting, awkward approach, the furtive glance, officiousness and lack of boundaries. These behaviours represent our sense that we are connected, while remaining uncertain as to just how this is so. Thus, we engage in trial and error.

Second, although each of us may indulge in one or another of these behaviours, we are put off by those who exhibit them towards us. This is perhaps because, as one child once said, “We GET it!” Each of us has the basic spiritual sense that we are one with all else. We don’t need, or want, someone to overwhelm us with more than the natural flow of contact. We don’t like to have insecurity, either our own, or another’s, interrupt the flow.

Third, perhaps the overriding purpose of this life, which is to know and love God (or the Creative Force, Om, or whatever you wish to call the One Who generated all things), is indeed a series of trials and errors- from which each of us needs to draw lessons which will serve us well, throughout the course of our own eternities.

Finally, as to why some people seek separation- perhaps this is a natural, if counterproductive, reaction to being repeatedly hurt by those with whom we have interacted, and who, for reasons of their own, have failed to understand what we need.

I came away from this read and meditation far more at peace with those around me, and far less inclined to feel put off by, or exhibit, behaviours such as those I mentioned in the first paragraph. Life remains a glorious set of challenges and growth spurts.

Trailheads and Paths, Issue 17: In and Out The Windows, (and Doors)

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 13, 2014 in Travel

Home tours would bore me, growing up. I wanted to be outside, running pell mell here and there, or at least in one of my little nooks or crannies in the woods or on one of the hill tops near our house. Gradually, though, I came to value the connection between homes and their attendant gardens and yards. My fascination with the Story of Man had a lot to do with this.

On May 3, I joined a day long tour of several Victorian and Edwardian homes, near downtown Prescott. The city has done a fine job of creating Historic Districts, of which there are five. Private enterprise has done the rest- and the Prescott Downtown Partnership offered an excellent Open House, with nine properties highlighted, that day.

Here is a look at these, which I originally intended to post yesterday, Mother’s Day, before life intervened, in the form of Death.

I stopped first at the Marks House. The area of Union Street on which it, and three other historic homes, are located is called Nob Hill, a somewhat pretentious reference to the eponymous neighbourhood of San Francisco. Marks House was owned by Jake Marks, a colourful rancher and miner of the 1890’s.

Marks House was built in the Queen Anne style, which meant a turret was part of the design.

Here is a scene from inside the residence. The copper tub is unique to this house, among Union Street domiciles, anyway.

The framed photos of Jake and his wife bid visitors hello and goodbye.

The manicured back yard favoured croquet tournaments.

I meandered next over to C.A. Peter House, now a vacation rental. It is remarkably well-maintained.

Hand-painted wallpaper evokes the spirit of Prescott’s mine baron heyday.

A handsome settee was useful for those who were winded by climbing the steps to the house, or by exploring all three of its well-appointed floors.

Steam heat was a must, from the 1880’s right up until the mid- 1960’s.

Decorative art alludes to the growing connections between the Mountain West, and the rest of the world, including China.

Mr. Peter enjoyed a fabulous view of the Sierra Prieta, to the southwest.

In the second of three installments, I will look at Henry Goldwater House, and at a few other locales, including Prescott’s most prestigious Bed and Breakfast.

Boys and Men

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 10, 2014 in Personal goals, Social

“Grama died”, the little girl said to her older brother. Even though the bacon and scrambled eggs their father had whipped up was scrumptiously inviting, the ten-year-old boy knew what he had to do. He went back upstairs, into his parents’ bedroom and wrapped his arms around his sobbing mother. The human spirit is ever-prescient.

Some twenty years earlier, in another town, far to the south, a 16-year-old boy had just received his driver’s license. His father’s brand-new car had the detached bumper that was in fashion back then. He proudly headed “around the block”, to run an errand for his Dad, while showing his friends his good fortune. One of his buddies talked him into going for a short spin, so he took the kid along to the store. When the friend was dropped off, the new driver got too close to the curb, and managed to snag the bumper, ripping it from the frame. Six months and dozens of chores later, his father gave him back the license. The human spirit can be very easily clouded.

I’ve always been glad to be male. My boyhood was somewhat coloured by having been alternately blessed and cursed with an independent worldview, a forgiving soul and an autistic brain- which was tempered by my thirst for learning and by being part of a large, loving family. My affliction is mild enough that I have never needed a special program or altered scheduling. It has brought perceptual problems, every so often, but life, overall has been just fine.

My mother once said no male is a real man until he hits 40. Boys tend to lay their difficulties on someone else’s doorstep. Men, like my late father and father-in-law, are not thrilled by life’s difficulties, but take the burden of their resolution onto their considerably broad shoulders. By that standard, I have flipped back and forth between manhood and boyhood at least twenty-dozen times, since I turned 18. To my great relief, though, boyhood has been a thing of the past, for at least five years. In my case, my Mom was about 18 years off. Life has a way of burning the rough edges off anyone, or anything.

The great men in my life, though, have always shown a puckish spirit. Norm Fellman, my father-in-law, who left us on Wednesday, had a sense of fun that was second to none. It probably kept his father from clobbering him when the car got mangled, and certainly kept him alive when the Nazis captured him, in the fog of the Battle of the Bulge, in 1944. By all accounts, he ended up largely getting the better of them, in the end- despite the harrowing, horrific circumstances of his 100 days of Hell, in Berga, Germany.

I learned a lot from Norm, from my Dad, and from so many in the GI Generation. The boy who comforted his mother, on the death of his beloved Grama, is now in the grandparent range himself. So, no matter what pleasures present themselves, and what difficulties appear, to be resolved, it’s on this man to take the bull by the horns.

God bless you, Norm, and we’ll keep the faith for ya.

The Others

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 5, 2014 in Personal goals, Social

Later this evening, I will post about the Prescott Historic House Tour, part of our city’s Sesquicentennial Celebration, and Chalk It Up, an annual chalk-art festival. Both took place this past weekend, as did a Cinco de Mayo Block Party, in Courthouse Square.

First, though, a bit of seriousness. Let me go further with what I wrote yesterday about the journeys on which each of us is embarked.

Human beings, alone among species, sort those they see as strangers into categories of “race”, skin tone, ethnicity, Faith, gender and sexual orientation( of course, we are the only species which experiences the latter as a life condition). To be sure, other animals, from ants to prairie dogs to wolves and dolphins, sort by family group and/or territory. This is all part of territoriality and population control.

Our extra selection processes, really, don’t make much sense. There is no qualitative difference between me and any of my friends who happen to be Black, but in the 1960’s, there was no way any of them would have been able to live in a family home in the town where I came of age, outside of a small designated area on the south side of town. That’s changed now, of course, and it was with great personal satisfaction that I learned, in 1996, that my maternal grandmother’s house was purchased by an accomplished attorney of African-American descent.

I thought of all this, while taking in the various events of Cinco de Mayo weekend, in downtown Prescott. People of all backgrounds are welcome here. Although Prescott has a tendency towards political conservatism, there seems little bigotry. Those of us who indulge in politics at all, tend to be of Libertarian bent.

I’ve always had a hard time understanding prejudice, and while working to rid myself of my own pre-conceived notions, which I found confusing, the whole concept of “Other” had to be allowed to surface, and float away. Young Black men, when I was in my twenties, did me the honour of challenging me to show that I was recognizing, and casting aside, the subtleties which I had picked up in childhood. I was hurt and angered by my white peers’ callous reaction to the killing of Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968. He hurt no one, and helped as many of us as would listen to what he had to say.

Still and all, I have had to recognize my own sense of “Other”. This separation is a worldwide thing, though. Many East Asians have trouble with Whites and Blacks being in their midst. Africans separate by tribe; West Asians, by Faith; Russians, by language. Some of this “otherness” is rooted in hurt; some of it stems from fear.

The fact remains, however, that we are all connected. I see this sense of connectedness increasing, incrementally, among Millennials and the current generation of children. It’s definitely a process, not an event. Racist teens and twenty-somethings, though, are regarded by the majority of their peers as having mental problems. This cuts across all racial and ethnic groups, and political affiliations.

The kids are onto something. “Otherness” is a learned paradigm. Then again, so is helplessness.

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A Sagittarian Seeker

Sharing a life of inner and outer journeys

Author Archives: Sagittarian Seeker

Trailheads and Paths, Issue 19: Arizona’s Mount Vernon

Trailheads and Paths, Issue 18: Goldwater’s Glittering Mansion

Trailheads and Paths, Issue 17: In and Out The Windows, (and Doors)

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