Category Archives: Social

People of Value

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Personal Values, Social, Striving

June 30, 2016, Prescott- I will leave here, in a few short minutes, to visit with several friends and family members, scattered as we all are, across the Great Plains, Midwest, Northeast and South.

Earlier today, though, I stopped by the town of Yarnell, so horribly hit, three years ago, by the fire which took the lives of 19 brave souls and upended countless others.  I was not there for the formal ceremony, which will be addressed by an old friend and co-worker, himself grandfather to one of the men who died that day.  My extended spiritual energy will need to suffice, but at 4:42 PM, wherever I am on the road, I will stop and observe silence, at the very time the lives of the Granite Mountain Hot Shots were snuffed out.

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Future site of Yarnell Hill Memorial Park

This brings me to the wider concept of value.  Recent discussions, in various forums, have raised the matter of how much do the lives and livelihoods of men matter, anymore.  I have been in the situation of feeling devalued, and know several men who feel likewise.  It is not hard to find such people.  All one need do is go to a busy street corner, and notice the person holding a plea-ridden sign.

Of course, homelessness is a far more complex issue than I will address in this particular post.  My wife, son and I were homeless, for a few months in 1992.  We worked our way out of it, and managed to keep a roof over our heads- which I still do.  No, I am concerned right at this moment, with placing value on the persons and souls of the human male- every bit as much as I do with our precious, much-loved female companions on this earthly plane.

I will address this topic in more depth, but for now:  Let each human being realize that his/her dreams, and what they have to offer, matter just as much as anyone else’s.  We do nothing to make the Earth a better place, by excluding anyone, of either gender, or of any given category of humanity, from their rightful place in the mix.  Advancing one group, at the expense of another, is short-sighted, and has always contributed to strife, in the long-run.  There is room, to spare, for both men and women to work, contrary to the ongoing myth of scarcity.

Brexit and Bust?

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Posted by on in Community, Social, Striving

June 27, 2016, Prescott- One of the lessons that I have had to learn, three times, is that there are consequences to ill-planning, and even more to no planning at all. For this very reason, I have seen fit to go back to working full-time, come August.

It is coming to light that the advocates of Britain’s exit from the European Union had no coherent strategy.  This raises the old adage, “Be careful for what you wish; you might get it.”  Pandora and her box  also come to  mind, but you get my point.  Here, we have an entire nation that must abide the consequences deriving from the seeming whims of a slender majority, of a minority of registered voters.

I will have more to say about the devaluing of men, in a coming post.  The larger issue here, though, is that, no matter what a nation seeks to accomplish, its chosen leaders need to plan, to strategize in advance.  To be fair,  recent American leaders have not been paragons of strategy, either.  Passing a law, with no clear understanding of its terms, is not an example to offer up to the British, or anyone else.

I admire much about the United Kingdom, and its four distinctive indigenous communities.  I would like to spend some time there, within the next ten years, (along with several other countries).  It would be well if I do not go and find a wreck.  In order to avoid such, here’s hoping that the British stick to their present notion of taking their time with the actual exit.  It does not have to adhere to the German ach schnell!  Rather, the possibility of admitting to an expensive mistake, enacting reforms that would bring  a real sense of worth to the average middle class British worker and further reforms that give the common European a sense that the Union belongs to the people- these are the things that would have obviated the “Brexit” in the first place.  People who feel like they matter, have no problem accommodating newcomers.  People who feel ignored, are fodder for demagogues, and for nativism, whose repercussions they have scant understanding.

This shall be a nerve-wracking, but nonetheless fascinating learning curve, for the British people, and for us all.

Heat and Quotidia

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Personal goals, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

June 26, 2016, Prescott-  I am back at Home Base, for four days or so, having served others, at a shelter in eastern Arizona and my spirit, at a Baha’i retreat, outside Flagstaff.  There is enough heat to go around, across the continent, from the sound of things.  It’s toasty here, but my ceiling fan, windows cracked open and plenty of cold water will see me through.

The week ahead will find me finishing the facilitation of a spiritual study group, joining a group of children on an outing to an animal rescue shelter, tending to a couple of quotidian comfort items (returning a sound system that isn’t working with my laptop and getting the zipper to the bottom of my tent’s door put back on track.) and being useful around here, wherever I can.

Come Thursday evening, I will be off again- this time focusing on family and friends, scattered as we are across the Midwest, Northeast and South.  The “Garython”, if you will, is likely to be something of a sequel to the journey I took in 2011.  That one was a reaction to my grief.  This one is more of an in-gathering.  Cousins, with whom I haven’t been in touch for several years, are reconnecting.  Friends along the way will also be a priority.  My mother and  two siblings will be at one end of the route, and also a priority, given that the end of this year will find me largely focused on my son and his  impending change of scene.  Southern brother, and Penny’s family, will be at the lower end, as will a few other special souls.  Then, a zip across the nation, to Colorado, and an Essential Oils conference, will end the whole shebang.

I read about fire and water, on opposite ends of the country, continuing to give grief to so many people.  A fellow attendee, at the retreat I joined this weekend, is of the opinion that Earth will undergo severe climate and geological events for the next 30,000 years.  If that’s the case, we’ll all spend much of our spirit lives responding to the urgent pleas of those who are here.  Somehow, I don’t think it’ll be THAT long of a torment, but we surely have to deal with what is going on now.

Speaking of which, a black bear made its way to town today.  It was spotted outside the Planet Fitness that I frequent.  I haven’t left the house, since I got back from Bellemont, and will just have to keep tabs on the matter, tomorrow.

Going Forward

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Posted by on in Community, Inspiration, Social, Striving

June 14, 2016, Prescott-  A few days ago, I mused about the possibility of emulating the resilience of Israeli society, in the face of the terror it experiences, almost on a daily basis.  Someone responded that Americans already do the same thing, so why look any further?

There is much to admire about our country, its systematic way of uniting vast areas of land and diverse people, its checks and balances and, yes, our society’s ability to go on, after a tragedy.  The question, as to how we might do better, in the face of such as happened on September 11, 2001- and on June 12, 2016- was initially raised by a commentator in the Arizona Republic, who suggested looking at how people in Israel go forward, after a violent attack.  He could have substituted India, Iraq, Lebanon, Spain, the United Kingdom, or any number of societies.

People are, by nature, resilient.  Otherwise, there are innumerable horrors that could have sent us the way of the dinosaur, or the dodo.  Israel is perhaps notable, however, because of its unity, when terror strikes.  There is no paralyzed Knesset, no waffling Executive, and no emphasis on finger-pointing, in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.  Therein, lie points to ponder.

Yes, there is a vast difference in complexity, as well as in the size of the populace, between the two nations.  No, I don’t want to leave America.  The quality of life here equals, if not exceeds, that of any other nation.  We do, however, in my humble opinion, have to make a choice as to HOW we move forward.  Will it be with recrimination, denial and following a fickle news cycle?  Will it be by listening to one another, taking the valid points from SEVERAL stated opinions, and blending them into a viable solution?  Will it be with a knock-down, dragged-out fight against those whose points of view differ from one’s own?

We have seen the results of each approach listed above, both in the history of this nation, and in the fortunes of other countries, throughout the history of the planet.  We are at a crossroads.  One valid point our President made the other night:  We have to choose what kind of country we want to have.

Pulse

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Posted by on in Community, Personal Values, Social

June 12, 2016, Prescott-  My week was largely occupied with helping to man a shelter, for some 37 people who were evacuated from two communities, Yarnell and Peeples Valley, once again threatened by fire.  This time, no one died.  This time, there was minimal property damage.  This time, the fire was taken seriously, from the get-go.

The shelter closed this morning.  I helped with the breakdown, helped inventory the necessities.  Then, I went to the Raven Cafe, had brunch and came home.  My middle brother, in the course of a phone conversation, told me of Orlando.  He told me there were 50 dead.  He told me there were 50 other people, whose lives were in the balance.  He told me of the worst terrorist act on U.S. soil, since 9/11/2001.

Orlando/Beirut:  Many dead, in the former; many terrified, in the latter.  Two fine cities, united by atrocity.  The list of affected cities and towns grows.  The list of innocent victims multiplies. The hate continues.

Three years ago, when I was in yet another of the fogs that come with grief, and was making some terrible choices, one person came to my aid. One person called me and said, directly and convincingly, “This needs to stop.  You are acting crazy and it’s not going to end well.”  That person reset my mental clock.  That person, as fine a friend as I’ve ever known, is a member of the LGBT community.  That person and his fellows deserve all the respect and human dignity that those of us who are heterosexual, cissexual, or any other designation, can possibly muster.

Pulse is now a place of mourning.  Orlando is now a city dealing with two shocks: One small in scale; the other, the worst firearms attack in American history, outside of war.  Both shatter the convoluted logic that, if only good people had firearms, the bad would be at a disadvantage.  Yes, quick, decisive action by police officers did prevent more lives from being lost, in both incidents.  Yet, both shooters reportedly acquired their weapons legally.

So, our choice is this: 1. Honour the souls who have gone on, and not make excuses, as we have done- every single time before, including after 9/11 (“That Frenchman said the U.S. Government did it.”) and after Newtown (“Don’t you know those kids are in hiding.  Nobody really died, except Lanza.”)

2.  Stay in the mindset of ignorance, and denial, and watch, “helplessly”, as the carnage goes on, and gets worse, and comes to a theater near you.

I am listening, thinking, waiting- and mourning.  I will not stand idly by, if a demon rages  in my view.

Guiding Spirits

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Posted by on in Education, Family, Social, Spiritual

June 4-5, 2016, Burntwater, AZ-  There are, as I have indicated various times, several places in the world where I feel like family, and not just a passing acquaintance who is forgotten as soon as I leave.  Reno/Carson City is one such place, the Prescott area, where I live most of the time,  Metro San Diego (where my son lives) – and this small corner of the country’s largest Indian Nation, are among the others.  Burntwater used to have a trading post.  Now, it has the Native American Baha’i Institute of Learning.  That may sound redundant, but educating people of all ages has been the core purpose of this facility, since it was founded, in 1981.  I always feel like the Guiding Spirits are with me here.  When I arrived here, on Friday night, it was late, so I rolled out the sleeping bag and slept under the stars, as we all had, that first weekend on the property- when there were no buildings.

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Native American Baha’i Institute’s 35th Anniversary

Thus, about thirty of us gathered here, these past two days-  to recount the past thirty-five years and to plan, with a group of service-oriented youth, for its immediate and short-term future.  NABIL has come far, since 10-15 of us gathered here, in June, 1981, and sat with a group of Dine’ (Navajo) elders, asking them what they wanted to see here.  I remember the first thing on their list was reliable water.  So, a dowser came to visit, a well was dug, and the long drive to a pump, of spotty reliability, was over, within three months.  That well has been replaced, by an even more reliable water source, in the past ten years.  Local residents can get a portion of water that they all agreed upon, in council, with everyone’s opinion heard and considered, by the community. This is how Dine’, and most Native Americans across the country, are used to doing things.  A weekly community dinner is offered on Thursday evenings, and this is also a chance for residents to freely air their concerns.

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The Library is the central meeting place, for consultation and mindfulness.

Financial literacy classes, the trades and some college preparatory classes are among the services that the current staff are hoping to see offered here, in the next several years.  The Institute has come a long way.  I stayed in a comfortable lodge, for the second night I was there.

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As with any place that people gather, the dining hall is also a key place for consultation and camaraderie.

I was asked, upon getting ready to leave on Sunday morning, to remember that I must not be a stranger here.  The permanent staff have been like family to me, for a long time, so I will bear that in mind.  Driving across Hopi, also a place that is home, I found the place quiet, though I later learned that there was a social dance, which I apparently missed.  No worries, as there were two fires, along the route  back to Prescott, and I had to focus on getting back in one piece.  It looked as if the fires were under control, though.

I was back, and had my house cooled off, by 6 PM.  Now, let’s see what a week in one place will look like.

 

Extended Family, Reno & Carson, Days 3 &4: Tides of Transition

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Posted by on in children, Family, Hiking and Nature, Personal Values, Social

May 31-June 1, 2016, Carson City- 

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Sundial, Carson City

We spent the past two days intermittently going through boxes, tending to errands in Reno, watching days 2 &3 of the new version of “Roots” and enjoying a fantastic barbecue, at the Sandoval residence.  Above is Veronica’s sundial, which keeps watch over her little swimming pool.  Uncle Gary, of course, had to get splashed, show her how to toss water at the far fence and discuss the meaning of an episode of “My Little Ponies”- which does have more intellectual fiber, for the minds of 3-5 year-olds, than we older ones might think.

Tuesday was busy, but peaceful here, roiling back at home base (Prescott) and generally a day that brought some enjoyment (see below), but which I was glad to see over. By bedtime on Wednesday, though, all was calm again.

We had a pleasant lunch at Mel’s Diner, in Reno, served by one of the most effervescent young women I have ever met.  Diner food is one of my guilty pleasures, anyway, so it didn’t take much to get me to agree to stop there, after Michele’s walk-through at her old apartment.

On the way back to Carson, we drove through Washoe Lake State Park, between Reno and Carson City.  The serenity of this place is reminiscent of several similar places in the Prescott area.

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Bridge along Hwy. 395, Washoe Valley, NV.  Mt. Rose is in background.

The bridge over Washoe Valley is remarkable for its length.  Mount Rose calls out to be hiked, but that is an item for another year’s agenda.  The Valley itself is stunning, as a place to unwind for many, and as a redoubt for the well-to-do.

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Deer, resting near irrigation sprinkler, Washoe Valley, NV

A herd of deer were roaming near this irrigation pipe, an excellent way to beat the mid-day heat.

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Beagle Rock, Washoe Lake State Park, NV

This rock was painted, by person or persons unknown, about ten years ago.

The crowning event of the day was Veronica’s tae-kwon-do session.  Watch out, world!

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Veronica gets ready to chop.

Watching my little angels grow has been a joy, for thirty six years and counting.  I thank the Lord this will be ongoing.  The session took me back to the late ’90’s, when my son was learning this martial art form.

The time here was capped with the above-mentioned barbecue.  The Sandovals pulled out all the stops, and presented us with everything from the usual hot dogs and burgers to carne asada and grilled pineapple.  Freshly baked  pan dulce capped the meal.  It was one of those “No more food for a month” affairs, which is what happens, in a loving environment.

Now, it’s time to head on down  to the next important event:  A 35th Anniversary Reunion of those who opened the Native American Baha’i Institute, in Burntwater, Arizona.

NEXT UP:  The highway that was once “America’s loneliest”.

 

Extended Family, Reno- Carson, Day 2: Memorial Day

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Posted by on in Family, Inspiration, Social

May 30, 2016, Reno- We came back up here, visiting the laid-back, always loving, fluid family mash-up that is the Hill household.  The 3-6 souls who anchor the Reno point of my family constellation are predictable in two ways:  There will always be interesting media on-screen, usually streaming video or movies; and there will always be food delivered, in copious quantities.

Our fare today was not barbecue (“Too dry around here”), but Domino’s pizza, wings (both bone-in and boneless), Parmesan bites, and Dad’s Root Beer.  There was enough to take care of the eight of us for the rest of the day.  The film was Barbara Streisand’s and Seth Rogen’s  “Guilt Trip”.  Neither my mother or I, as much as we love one another, would ever countenance a drive together that lasted more than three hours. As a movie, though, the character growth inherent in a parent-child journey makes for a captivating story line.  Both grew, marvelously, as people, by the end of the film- and largely because there was mutual fulfillment.

Memorial Day’s main purpose, though, was not lost on anyone here.  There was a solemnity in the house- W’s stepfather, who raised her, has been gone three years;  S was lost in thought about his departed loved ones; and it goes without saying that my thoughts were not far from my beloved.  That we were each far from the cemeteries that hold the remains of those gone on, mattered little.  They continue to inspire us and watch us carefully.

 

Extended Family, Reno-Carson: Day One

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Posted by on in children, Family, Service Activities, Social

May 29, 2016, Carson City- There are several places in the world, where I feel among family.  Over the past five years, the blended family that straddles the burgeoning area of northwest Nevada has provided one of those places.  The Smiths have been friends of ours for over twenty years.  Their children and grandchildren have maintained that tie, and grown into extended family.

The youngest grandchild has been a particular delight- a spirited, highly intelligent 4 1/2-year-old.  I was introduced, this morning, to her Star Wars robot.

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Veronica’s Star Wars robot

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Veronica’s Star Wars robot

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Veronica’s Star Wars robot

Okay, that was overkill, but this little lady has given me practice at potential grandparenthood. I am inclined towards a combination of healthy fun mode and diligent oversight, as well as being concerned with the child’s holistic growth.

This day was thus a low-key affair, helping with locating moved items, unpacking some boxes and helping to re-establish the household.  Such will be the order of the next three days, worked around the usual family events.

 

There Is No Empty

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Posted by on in Family, Social, Travel

May 28, 2016, Carson City- The medical emergency which hospitalized an old friend, yesterday, has abated somewhat.  As is usually the case in a responsible medical institution, she has been kept overnight and will be able to leave hospital tomorrow, if her condition holds and tests turn up negative.

So, with my anxiety thus relieved, I headed north from Prescott, at a suitably early hour ( 8 A.M.), stopping for a late breakfast at Westside Lilo’s, my restaurant of choice in Seligman, a fun, touristy town, some 34 miles northwest of Prescott.  Lilo and her husband have had this German-Mexican fusion establishment since 1963.  It, along with several other places in town, do a land-office business, owing to the popularity of the area as a pit stop between Las Vegas and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.   After a lovely chorizo scramble, and some banter with Lilo, I was off again, this time without the transmission issues that clouded last year’s Reno trip.

Being a holiday weekend, traffic through Kingman and Las Vegas was a fraction of what it normally is.  I made it through the metro area in rather short time, choosing to stop at Indian Springs, on the far north side of Clark County, for a refueling.

U.S. 95 was characteristically sparse with traffic, most of it being commercial on this serene Saturday, and much of that was comprised of fuel tankers, of all things.  A spot of rain in and around Tonopah, and again in the area east of Boundary Peak, gave a bit of a shake-up to the droning drive.  Another point of interest is the transition zone between the Mojave Desert and the Great Basin.  The Joshua Trees, and other plants native to the Mojave, fade out near Coaldale Junction, about an hour north of Tonopah.  The Basin is largely grassland, at least in this area.  Salt flats are a bit more common than I remember seeing, in previous visits.  Then again, I was pre-occupied with the car last year, and may not have noticed.

Speaking of which, my stop in Hawthorne, just south of Walker Lake, was brief and uneventful this time.  A tankful of gas was all that was needed.  Looking in the restroom mirror, though, I saw a scruffy face, with an uneven shave, looking back at me.  That may have explained the “30-45 minute wait” I was offered at Pizza Factory, near the Shell station.  I moved on, taking a quick look at the lake, before heading to Carson City in greater earnest.

Walker Lake, NV
Mt. Grant, near Hawthorne, NV

It is still cool here, in the eastern reaches of Sierra Nevada, and it will be a while before Mt. Grant (above, right) sheds its snow cover.

The old friend whom I am visiting these next few days  has,  this very day, moved from Reno to Carson City, closer to her younger daughter and youngest grandchild.  It is partly my purpose to help with the inevitable furniture moving and unpacking of boxes, as her settling in again continues.  After a lovely drive through the scenic Smith Valley, with its towns of Yerington, Wellington, Gardnerville and Minden, punctuated by the gorgeous West Fork of the Walker river, I found it prudent to get a hearty dinner at El Charro Avitia, on Carson City’s south end.  There, I enjoyed the delights of seafood enchilada and shared in the locals’ joy in their favoured Golden State Warriors’ come-from-behind victory.

It took a bit longer to locate my host’s new residence, but here I am, at the end of the day, and in the process helping her to note that her new apartment complex has two distinct sub-complexes.  Out of confusion comes learning.  I am fortunate to have several places where I feel like I’m with family.  Tomorrow, a little angel will explain to me the world of cartoon dragons.