Category Archives: impediments

UndivIDEd

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, impediments, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

March 15, 2024- Today being the Ides (Divides) of March, I am taking a few minutes to look at one element of life that may lead to division.

Among the entries on my e-mail serve, this morning, was one from a local woman, bemoaning socialism. That comes as no surprise, with so many who view any sort of collective as an affront to those whose well-being has come, in their honest assessment, from the sweat of their own brows. It does not, however, recognize that both socialism and individualism are continuums, varying in degrees.

Socialism can be as compatible with individual effort as are the systems in place in countries as diverse as Sweden, New Zealand and Costa Rica-all of which have, or recently have had, conservative leadership. Those conservative leaders have not seen fit to wholly dismantle the economic system; instead viewing small tweaks that stimulate individual ingenuity and drive, when the State appears to be overly dismissive of those two qualities.

Socialism can also be overly deterrent of individual initiative and drive, when ambitious reformers get ahead of their own agenda, as has happened in Cuba, Nicaragua, and in the former Soviet Union. Ego can end up destroying whatever good might have initially come from the attempt to correct excessive individualism. Then, we will see the very thing that the artist Pete Townshend described in his song, “We Won’t Get Fooled Again”- “The parting on the Left is now parting on the Right…”

No one size fits all, and human beings are, by and large, hard-wired to draw inspiration, and affirmation, from their own imaginations, interests and talents. Baha’u’llah teaches that “It is made incumbent on every one of you to engage in some occupation, such as arts, trades, and the like. We have made this—your occupation—identical with the worship of God, the True One. Reflect, O people, upon the Mercy of God and upon His favors, then thank Him in mornings and evenings.” (Bahá’u’lláh: Bahá’í World Faith, p. 195) (Programmer’s note: ‘Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’, p. 26).

We were each created to live to our fullest individual capacity. Even many developmentally disabled persons can do some form of work that contributes to the public good. Being discouraged from this, by anyone in authority, can only do harm to society, over time-which is why a balance between liberal idealism and attention to the collective need to be balanced with conservative preservation of values and the honouring of individual initiative. Left to themselves, either ideology can become over-active, and end up stifling the populace.

I could offer several specific examples of both, but suffice it to say that no human institution can thrive, in perpetuity, without rigourous oversight by the people it purports to serve. That’s why even enterprises and social groups, formed with the purest of motives, need to be subject to scrutiny. Publicly-held companies, school systems (both public and private) have Boards of Directors for a reason, and founders of those institutions have been asked to leave, when they depart from their own original plan of operation. Government, too, operates best with a system of checks and balances.

Belief in one’s own primacy can never take the place of commitment to the public good.

Back to the Border, and to Bull Pasture, Part I: Lukeville and Ajo

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Education, Historical, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

March 14, 2024- Traffic was bustling, at the Lukeville/Sonoyta Crossing. The place had been closed, a few months ago, with the Federal government bemoaning lack of resources to handle a surge in migrants trying to cross into the United States. It turned out this was mainly a processing issue, and the Arizona National Guard was dispatched to help with ancillary duties, so that the Border Patrol agents could focus on clearing up the processing of those who were seeking asylum, from any one of two dozen countries, and returning those not qualifying for refuge, to Mexico, or to their countries of origin.

The United States/Mexico border, at Lukeville/Sonoyta.

Lukeville had plenty of traffic, going both ways, but the restaurant was closed and the gas station convenience market’s shelves were half empty. I saw little evidence of the crisis of the past few months, other than an active Border Patrol work station, on South Puerto Blanco Drive, that had a few tents set up-either for detained migrants or for agents to get out of the sun. It is likely that they are used for a little of both. These events come in waves, though, so unless Congress and the President can reach an understanding, soon, it is likely to be a long summer of ebbs and flows of both desperate and opportunistic people trying to enter the U.S.

Before all this, and my return to Quitobaquito and Bull Pasture-both within Organ Pipe National Monument (Lukeville also lies within the Monument), I took some time to look around Ajo. Morning’s light, at Copper Sands Motel, revealed this courtyard.

Relaxing spots, at Copper Sands Motel, Ajo (above and below)

In town, there are two stand-out areas of note: The Plaza, and Curley School. Both were built in the 1920s, when Phelps-Dodge Corporation began to realize the peak operation of its copper mines in the area. Curley School is named for the company’s regional manager: Michael Curley. Ajo Plaza, in the style of a Spanish community gathering place, was the one area where the three otherwise segregated ethnicities, Anglo, Mexican and Tohono O’Odham, could mix freely. Today, of course, there is no segregation. I saw people of all racial groups here, as elsewhere in the country-and in each case, they were working in responsible positions.

Here are two views of Ajo Plaza, where several people were gathered, to relax over coffee and tea, or to discuss business.

East side of Ajo Plaza
North side, Ajo Plaza
Ajo Plaza’s Greenspace

Across from the Plaza is Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, also a marvel in white.

Immaculate Conception, from the east side.

Curley School educated all Ajo area students, from 1919-1997. When it was found to be in disrepair, a group of Ajo residents, working with the University of Arizona, developed a renovation plan, and the facility, consisting of nine buildings was refitted as artisan apartments and up-to-date classrooms, for the practice and study of the Fine Arts. Here are three views of the facility.

Main Building, Curley School, Ajo
Inner Classrooms, Curley School, Ajo
Standing Duck Cairn, Curley School, Ajo

As with all such operations, the New Cornelia Open Copper Mine ran out of its product, and has left tailings in its wake.

Tailings from New Cornelia Mine, east side of Arizona Highway 85, south of Ajo.

Hopefully, the area can be cleaned up and restored as a natural area, useful to both people and wildlife. The same ingenuity that saved Curley School would be beneficial here.

NEXT: A return to Quitobaquito and Bull Pasture

Cycles of Thirteen

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Family, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

March 5, 2024- I sat at Penny’s gravesite, early this afternoon, reciting a special Tablet written by Baha’u’llah, and several other prayers that I customarily say each day. The place was quiet and the air calm, with only a few other people around, either paying their respects or working.

She was in declining health, and I was her mainstay, for thirteen years (1998-2011), from her first head trauma to the day of her passing. It has now been thirteen years since she went to the afterlife, which Baha’is know as the Abha Realm (Abha means Heaven, or Most Glorious). In that time, I have shed much lack of confidence, honed social skills-some of them the hard way and become more patient with myself. None of that would have been possible, I believe, without the support of my strongest spirit guide. What gave her fits, in this life, has largely been overcome by her patient admonitions and way-showing.

The next thirteen years, if indeed such a cycle has started to succeed the last two, will likely find me even farther afield than the one just ended. I will possibly be occupied with remaining international journeys, may be building another relationship-or both. Regardless of the substance of this life, I know it will have the support of the soul with whom I became a strong Baha’i and raised a fine young man to adulthood. Any and all bumps along the way were just part of the growth process.

May her soul ever shine its light on any dark path I encounter.

Redemption

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, impediments, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

March 2, 2024- I watched the film, Dune, Part 2, this evening. The plot is basically a “He who has the gold, rules” type of tale. Without giving away anything else, it is also a tale of several people who have various chances to choose redemption or condemnation. Each of us must make that choice, sometimes on a daily basis.

Three different types of people caught my attention today. The first, indicative of most people in my life circle, is a solid friend, who was just glad to see me, after two weeks. The second, drawn to me on occasion, is a self-absorbed soul, who sees self as a perpetual victim. (I have no resources to bail out a hand that is always outstretched, but that’s a whole other matter.) The third is an opportunist, who waited until I was off tending to a task, and grabbed a drink that I’d purchased and set down. Thankfully, this one is a fleeting presence in my life, and I know what not to do next time.

I have been the first two types, at one point or another in my seven decades and two years on this plane. I was effectively dissuaded, by my father, from being the third type, more than once. I stopped being the second type, mainly because it was isolating and self-defeating, as the present self-defeating people are finding out. It has been, and is, redemptive to be the first type. Those who love freely and pull their own weight tend to be happy, and self-fulfilled. We are not smug, and when difficulty strikes, we work through it. Those who have known me for a long time, or at least since the 2000s, know that the life I lead now has not always been the case.

I choose a path that is redemptive, not because other people dear to me demand it, but because it just feels better. The approval of family and friends is a bonus.

The Lion Roars Elsewhere

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

March 1, 2024- The sweet older lady carried her box filled with Bell jars out of the small health food convenience market, as I held the door. A few minutes later, as I approached the register with my small purchase, she burst back through the door, still holding her box of jars. As I hung back from the register, the lady told the cashier about her morning. She had encountered a couple, in her gated community, who were going about the neighbourhood, visiting shut-ins and offering Holy Communion wafers to them. When she encountered the couple again, at a local fast food restaurant, she bought them lunch. That was a story worth waiting for!

The old saw states: “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” Lamb-like weather is here for a few days, whilst in the Panhandle region of north Texas and northwest Oklahoma, a furious spate of wildfires, tempered briefly by a wimpy snow squall, has sundered about five communities, leaving wreckage reminiscent of Paradise, CA and Lahaina, HI in their wake. Whether we look at this still extant destruction and blame climate change or over-development- or a mix of the two, the scenes are heartbreaking. No amount of blame can restore what has been lost. Only resolve, and united action, can bring about recovery.

The same is true, for entirely different reasons, as a lion of a different sort roars in Gaza. No matter one’s politics, or religious persuasion, the slaughter of innocents arising from the wanton disregard, by two armies, for human life cannot pass without condemnation. Both armies should stand down-and let both Jewish and Arab people find a common path to resilience. At this point, it doesn’t matter who started it. No community on Earth deserves to be destroyed by the rapacity of others.

This evening, I made my way down to Raven Cafe, for another great performance by local favourites, Scandalous Hands. There was no room to sit, initially, yet as luck would have it, a couple vacated their table, just as I was getting a cup of coffee from the self-service urn. I moved towards the table and spotted another couple who seemed to want to sit. We agreed to share the table, and it turned out they were first time visitors to Prescott. I would have gladly shared the table, anyway, but first impressions matter. They greatly enjoyed Scandalous’ music, and even got up to dance a few times. I gave them a few pointers for activities and music venues, over the next two days they are here, and some other information about the Southwest, as this is their first time in the region.

March is off to a benign start here, though it would only take an errant spark and a gust of wind, to turn the tables. My prayers and positive thoughts, for Texas, Oklahoma, Gaza and so many other places which don’t have the calmness, the serenity or even the festive mood that Prescott enjoys, as March begins.

Leaping Upward

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Education, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal goals, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

February 29, 2024- There were several kids who either said they wished I were around more often or greeted me with a solid dap handshake (fingers clasped, followed by a fist bump), making this Leap Day a fulfilling one. It was incomplete, as I stumbled on a bullying victim-whose case was made to the regular staff-so hopefully there will be some resolution.

The work of anyone who is involved in social justice is getting more intense and variegated, by the day. Someone mentioned, this evening, that she was trying to figure a way to make a better world, but without being drawn into the turmoil that seems to confuse humanity. I do not see any way that can happen. Turmoil will find us, and the principles that guide a decent soul’s life will help that person to offer solutions to the presently incomprehensible issues of environmental, physiological, social and spiritual degradation that hit us from all sides.

Those who hold on to memories of a simpler time seem to think that a strong, almost dictatorial, government, rooted in the evolved religious philosophy that was prevalent in the 1950s and early ’60s, will bring about a calming of the current apparent chaos.

Conversely, there are those who see a rigid, unyielding forced march towards unbridled acceptance of even the most deviant behaviour, victims be damned and a total casting off of logic and of even human biology itself, as an extension of the reasonable treatment of those who are victims of chemically-induced hormonal imbalance. The same people give off an air of rejecting anyone, past or present, who was, or is, not letter perfect.

Neither group will bring human society where it needs to go, because inherent in each of their arguments is a false elitism, rooted in fear of the “Other”. The lesson of every experience that I’ve had this week is that there is no solution, or even a viable trade-off, without involving all sides, in the discussion, and being, as Jesus the Christ said, “alert, to discern” the roots of a holistic peace. There is strength in some time-honoured practices and there is merit in changing the way we do other things. Only giving “the Other” a bona fide hearing, with both ears open and an engaged mind, can help in sifting the psycho-social wheat, from its chaff.

It is time for us to leap upward, together.

The Red Cross, Re-imagined

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, impediments, Inspiration, Personal goals, Personal Values, service, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

February 26, 2024- After Hurricane Harvey, the Red Cross came under fire, from certain right-wing elements, for what was see as a lackluster response to the storm, in parts of coastal Texas. The criticism stung, certainly, especially for those of us who have done our level best, on the front lines of more than one widespread disaster. Leadership went back to the drawing board, nonetheless, and sifted through the accusations leveled at the organization. The focus was on doing better-much better. One thing was clear, though: The thinly-veiled expectation, that charitable organizations should just fold up their tents and let people struggle on their own, was not going to carry the day.

Those who had been operating as islands unto themselves listened with rapt attention, as a vision of the American Red Cross expanding its partnerships with local communities, local and state governments, faith communities and above all, other charitable organizations, was laid out, at a regional planning conference, this morning and afternoon. The various focus branches of the Red Cross will now be working more in concert with one another, something that those who help in several capacities have wanted to see for quite some time.

It’s long been known that organizations of any kind operate more efficiently when the various entities within talk to one another-and, more importantly, listen to each other’s ideas, regard the other’s problems as their own and develop an unshakable bond. Further, proactivity is vital to any person or organization that claims to offer solutions to the multiple problems arising, often in areas that have historically not seen much difficulty. Reactivity, playing whack-a-mole, has lost its efficacy; so, too, has denial.

The collective Red Cross mindset will focus on community mobilization; a strength-based, rather than need-based, approach; establishing itself in a community as a long-term presence, not “in and out”. Presence is seen as the mission. Transaction will be directed towards transformation. Training will be simplified, looking towards readiness and capacity-building, especially in the face of an increase in the number of disasters that leave billions of dollars in damages. The program will include language diversity, more volunteer town halls, regional stand-ups, bi-annual community briefings, and staff retreats. Public service announcements and billboarding will be more widespread, and no group will be left out of the loop.

These points appeal to me, as a member of the Baha’i Faith, because of that organization’s focus on inclusivity, proactivity and a responsibly progressive approach to facing social and environmental ills. I look forward to being an agent for bringing the two organizations, and many others, together, as a testament to the notion: “The true leader serves. Serves people”- Robert Habecker, “Servant Leadership”. The true servant works to unite.

On Not Going Gently

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Posted by on in Assistance, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

February 25, 2024- The seat fairly screamed, in its emptiness. It has been occupied, at a weekly breakfast meeting, for nearly six years, by a true force of nature. It is unlikely that will continue to be the case. After a storied career in the military, age has caught up with the gentleman, and he must face the loss of his independence, at minimum. He may very well be going into that good night.

The Silent Generation, born in the midst of the Great Depression, and growing up in the harrowing uncertainty of World War II, has been anything but silent, seeing the changes in society-changes which must be as incomprehensible, to them, as the changes at the turn of the Twentieth Century were to the Gilded Age Generation. My friend regularly inveighed against both the emerging, often chaotic, claims of the Left and the efforts, to cling to power, of the wealthy on the Right. He wanted things to return to how they were, in the days of Eisenhower and Kennedy.

In his prime, and into his early eighties, he was a suave, sleek dancer. When the joints began to give way, and cardiopulmonary issues arose, he was dismayed, but kept doing what he could for himself- continuing to drive, attending weekly functions and winning at Bingo. Gradually, the help of steadfast friends kept him engaged in the activities that meant the most. Then the bottom began to fall out.

He will surely heed the plea of Dylan Thomas, and do his share of raging. In the end, like the great Bard’s father, he will have to close his fierce eyes and still his thundering voice. He will, at journey’s end, find himself in another realm of light. It may be tomorrow, or some time from now. I only pray that it will be gentle to him.

https://poets.org/poem/do-not-go-gentle-good-night

Rising Tides

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Posted by on in collaborating, Family, Hiking and Nature, impediments, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

February 20, 2024, San Diego- The small group of European youths spoke of their concern for their countries, should certain political and military forces hold sway. I stayed out of the conversation, and an older man in the group urged them to not jump to conclusions. Nonetheless, a rising tide of personal ambition and disdain for the changes that society is undergoing is having a disconcerting effect on a good many, in the generations of young adults. There is a renewed commitment to freedom of choice and group cohesion, across the range of political opinion, among a good many in the two emerging generations of young adults. From what I’ve seen, the Alpha Generation, those born since 2010, is showing the same collaborative spirit.

There was another sort of rising tide, at Ocean Beach and at Mission Bay, throughout the day. The oceanic tide kept coming in, from early this morning, until about 4 p.m., with roiling waves propelled by the storm that dumped about an inch of rain on OB. Here are a few scenes of both morning and afternoon.

Ocean Beach Pier, at 9 a.m.
Ocean Beach, at 9 a.m.
Dog Beach, 3:30 p.m.
Dog Beach, at 3:40 p.m.
Egrets and ducks were unperturbed.

My energy tide was raised by a message, from someone I love dearly, as I woke up. It was capped by the news that my little family has successfully relocated to an apartment they like better, this evening. In between, I managed a two-mile walk, to Mission Bay and back to Rainbow House, cooked up some lobster ravioli and hosted a Zoom call, one of two meetings that punctuate this visit.

The rain has stopped and the oceanic tide, at least, has ebbed. It will be interesting to see how these other tides rise and fall.

Ten Beautiful Things (and People)

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Entertainment, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

February 18, 2024, Blythe- (Getting around “no internet” is always fun. I am posting this from a location other than my motel-Relax Inn.)

My favourite zoo animal, when I was a child, was the black panther. Stoneham Zoo and Franklin Park, in Boston, always had at least one melanated leopard. As it happens, Heritage Park zoo, in Prescott, has a melanated jaguar. This panther is named Notch. So, Notch ranks #10 on the list of beautiful things and people that come to mind, as I sit here in this desert town, on the Colorado River.

He is also the only one for whom I will present a photograph, in this post. The other nine have been posted previously, at one point or another.

#9 is the western sunset, which is almost given a run for its money, by the sunsets of the Midwest.

#8 is the Aurora Borealis, which I have seen only once-in Flagstaff, circa 1980.

#7 is the voice of Carrie Underwood, when she is fully engaged in a spiritual song.

#6 is the portrayal by Keala Settle, of the Bearded Woman, in “The Greatest Showman” (2017).

#5 is the snowscape, after a storm, on the South Rim of Grand Canyon.

#4 is a mother black bear, nestling her newborn cub-and viewed from a safe distance.

#3 is the look on the face of a little girl, when her family is relocated from a flimsy shack, to a tiny house, on the outskirts of Sacramento.

#2 is the smile on the face of a grizzled and cynical Right Wing political activist, when he is given a packet of Earth Breeze laundry sheets, by someone he knows to be a social justice activist, from the other side of the political spectrum.

#1 is the smile on the face of a very dear friend, when those she trusts include her in activities.

Everyone has their own ideas of what, or who, is beautiful. That is what keeps this world glued together.