It is time to lock up the children. Once again, to keep them safe and at home, we must lock them up. I didn’t think the time would come so soon again but here is it. There is a bill before congress to reinstate the draft. Every late teenage boy will be in danger of war. And like so many other times in history the results will be certain- obscene waste of human life and outrageous cash profits. Our president’s main enterprise has been policies and laws to make wealthy people richer. War is the best moneymaker for the lucky few our country has ever had. If you love your sons, nephews, and grandsons, now’s the time to stop this madness. The new law would also make conscientious objectors receive basic military training. If a young man really believes in the teachings of Jesus and cannot take up arms, he will be out of luck. George Bush’s church believes in war and to hell with the others. The worse the economic down turn, the longer and more senseless our wars are. Raise your voices on behalf of democracy, justice, and peace. Don’t let this country club brat, this unelected president, this pretzel-choking impostor send a whole generation to war God-knows-where or for how long. Do nothing and lose thousands of teenage men or defeat this law and keep our children safe.
We are settling back into home with some snow tonight and filling the wood box up as the woodstove is the only heat with the sun covered by snow clouds. Good to be home and yet missing warm sunny Mexico too.
I read over your last few e-mails and am pleased that in the face of life threatening illness you sound calm and clear as to not being afraid and choosing certain responses. My admiration for you has always been strong and these responses in you don’t surprise me.
I offer a few ideas for you in your spare time (God herself hasn’t been able to slow her down!). If your time has a limit, maybe taking a moment to consider your years would be good preparation for all that comes. Could you find some paper and sketch out an outline of your life? Childhood years-where, who with, memories, crossroads, delights, horrors, special people/places. Same for each period of life- high school/college years, young adulthood, middle time, later time, now. I’ve been doing this in my new workshop on knowing your own goodness as a way to help people look at their lives by making a map and marking the crossroads, those times when there was a big change.
Another idea- if, my dear, you are dying or going to die in the foreseeable future, do you have some idea as to where and with whom and with what tone you would like best for this to happen? Is there some way to prepare the time/place/people/yourself so you can have what you want? Do you have enough of your final papers in order now so you can truly let go when energy gets scare?
I had a dream of seeing two deceased friends recently. There is a tradition in my family that this is a sign of impending death. I woke up thinking, “I don’t want to die. I’m not ready. I want to stick around and get old with Marshall. And it’s also true that life hurts a great deal and I’ve had plenty of hurt and the idea of leaving now is not scary. Though a bit sad it’s also a relief.” I know that having a sense of an end in sight can be a release into freedom. Do you have some of this? What are you doing with this freedom? With this time? Reading long e-mails from old hippies who won’t let you alone for a minute without a zillion questions?
I am sorry if this is not the topic you most want to focus on. I am sorry if I appear to be pushing the blue plate special on a grand dame who isn’t hungry for blue right now. Be in touch when you can. I am not worried about you. I just want to share a few ideas and hold you as well as I can from here. I send much love.
Love
John