I don't know which is scarier: Halloween or Election Day. On the one hand, children
wearing masks come to our doors to extort candy from us. On the other hand, adults
come to the door asking us to put them in charge over us.
Highland County has five men running for sheriff. I feel woefully unprepared and
unqualified to decide who should be in charge of county law enforcement. If I choose
the wrong man for the job, I will most likely suffer the consequences. The sheriff is the
one person most responsible for public safety, after all. A mistake could make me less
safe.
We've had the same sheriff for 20 years. Good or bad, at least we know him. Someone
new, no matter their background, experience, or sincerity, will go through a period of onthe-
job training. It's like giving your car keys to a someone who has never driven your
car before. One is entitled to just a little apprehension as the unknown takes the wheel.
Lacking confidence in my own judgment, I'm not sure I'll vote this year. I'm even less
certain I'll vote next year when the federal election takes place and the stakes are so
much higher. If we mess up and pick the wrong candidate in a local election, we can
move to another county or state. But where do we go when we mess up at the national
level?
If I do vote this year, my choice for sheriff will be decided when I am clear about the
answer to this question: Who do I want to appear on my doorstep in the middle of the
night, if I were in trouble with the law?
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Chance of snow tonight. Today was warm, but wet. The leaves are mostly yellowed and blowing around on the ground. It's fall in the mountains.
People politely complain about the weather. It's too hot or too cold, it's raining too much or not enough. Now snow is coming. Have a nice day.
My response to the weather is indifference. If it's cold, I'll put on warmer clothing and turn on the furnace. If it's hot, I'll open the windows.
The lack of sunshine, though, is something I dread. It's hard to be cheerful on a dark day. It's hard to get up in the morning before the sun rises. Most of the year I get away with rising with the sun, but this time of year the sun comes up so late, it seems almost indecent to linger in bed when there is so much work to be done.
Of course, the sun sets earlier each night. A star-filled evening is a wonder to behold, especially in Highland County where there are few lights to mar the night sky. But a cloudy night is almost unbearable. The lack of visibility on the darkest of nights explains the saying, "the darkness is closing in." That's the way I feel. The darkness is closing in. In the dark, I am alone. I am also afraid.
Halloween is a few days away. It's a seasonal celebration loathed by some, adored by others. I am a keeper of Halloween, if only in my heart. I won't put out any candy for the trick-or-treaters. Experience has shown no one comes down to the end of my lane. But I will remember the warm days of summer, the sunny days of summer, the green days of summer, as I mark the transition from a time of light to a time of darkness. I'll also remember my dead, the relatives and friends who have passed from this world into the shadows. At least it is a place of shadows to me, because only faith reveals what lies beyond.
Halloween is a good time to light a candle and put it in a window. One old tradition says the candle is to light the way of the spirits passing in the night, when the veil between this world and the next is thin. Another reason for a candle is to replace the darkness with light. The candle becomes a miniature sun, too small to provide much warmth for the body, but it does warm the spirit.
I'm sitting in the dark now. The only light I have is from the computer screen, a modern substitute for the candle. Somehow that rectangular glow of background light is comforting. When I'm sitting at the computer lost in my thoughts, I'm just not so afraid.
People politely complain about the weather. It's too hot or too cold, it's raining too much or not enough. Now snow is coming. Have a nice day.
My response to the weather is indifference. If it's cold, I'll put on warmer clothing and turn on the furnace. If it's hot, I'll open the windows.
The lack of sunshine, though, is something I dread. It's hard to be cheerful on a dark day. It's hard to get up in the morning before the sun rises. Most of the year I get away with rising with the sun, but this time of year the sun comes up so late, it seems almost indecent to linger in bed when there is so much work to be done.
Of course, the sun sets earlier each night. A star-filled evening is a wonder to behold, especially in Highland County where there are few lights to mar the night sky. But a cloudy night is almost unbearable. The lack of visibility on the darkest of nights explains the saying, "the darkness is closing in." That's the way I feel. The darkness is closing in. In the dark, I am alone. I am also afraid.
Halloween is a few days away. It's a seasonal celebration loathed by some, adored by others. I am a keeper of Halloween, if only in my heart. I won't put out any candy for the trick-or-treaters. Experience has shown no one comes down to the end of my lane. But I will remember the warm days of summer, the sunny days of summer, the green days of summer, as I mark the transition from a time of light to a time of darkness. I'll also remember my dead, the relatives and friends who have passed from this world into the shadows. At least it is a place of shadows to me, because only faith reveals what lies beyond.
Halloween is a good time to light a candle and put it in a window. One old tradition says the candle is to light the way of the spirits passing in the night, when the veil between this world and the next is thin. Another reason for a candle is to replace the darkness with light. The candle becomes a miniature sun, too small to provide much warmth for the body, but it does warm the spirit.
I'm sitting in the dark now. The only light I have is from the computer screen, a modern substitute for the candle. Somehow that rectangular glow of background light is comforting. When I'm sitting at the computer lost in my thoughts, I'm just not so afraid.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
A beautiful day
Marshall
Rosenberg is the author of "Speak Peace in a World of Conflict." His
message is simple: speech affects behavior.
I woke up this
morning hoping for another beautiful day. I took the dog for a walk, fixed
breakfast for the cats and the dog, cleaned up animal indiscretions on the
floor, took a shower,said morning prayers, checked the Vacation Rentals By
Owner Web site for inquiries for our chalet, prepared breakfast and sipped my
favorite beverage, cafe latte.
The sun is
shining and the skies are clear. The rising sun lighted up a tree turned fall
red. I walked mindfully along Clover Lane, Roxie walking patiently at my side,
tethered by a short leash.
I spoke to Lisa
who is in Richmond on business. She made one sale of a handmade guitar cover
and is scheduled to present her felted clothing line to a museum store buyer.
Today, I'll
clean the chalet for guests coming this weekend and clean our house for Lisa's
return tonight.
Tonight I'll
also participate in the initiation of a new member of Highland Lodge 110 of
Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons.
While I was
eating, a friend dropped off copies of "Demian" and "Steppenwolf" by Hermann Hesse,
leaving them outside the door. She
didn't knock or stop to visit. I heard her footsteps on the wooden walk but
didn't get up to investigate until after I was sure she was gone.
My mind is full
of conflict, inner turmoils I have nurtured for a lifetime. In the solitary
quiet of my home, I hope to find peace. Peace begins with a word.
Today is a
beautiful day. I have said it is so, now I will make it so.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Beginning
Several months ago I left The Recorder. Since then many people have told me they miss my writing. I can't go back to the paper, but I can move forward. My newspaper column I titled "Conversations" because I wanted to carry on a dialog with my readers. To that end I continue to write.
Since last I wrote many things have happened. Our financial advisor took our money. We are starting over, rebuilding the nest egg that is now gone. We are going to move Artful Gifts into Highland County Crafts, and we are hoping to sell the chalet. We are cutting down on overhead and living on a tight budget.
Hopefully, the dream that brought us to Highland County will continue. When I met Lisa 16 years ago, we told each other we wanted to live in the mountains and be artists. In 1997, we moved to Monterey, Virginia, high up in the Alleghanies, west of the Shenandoah Valley. Today we are fiber artists, working mostly with handfelted wool. Lisa designs clothing and I make kumihimo braided belts and necklaces.
I also write.
I'd write for free. I'd write even if no one ever saw my writing.
I hope my writing is not an exercise in self-promotion or an attempt to inflate my ego. I will keep my messages brief and to the point. I will strive to be relevant, to talk about things that matter. My goal is to make life better for myself and others.
Hopefully that's enough.
Since last I wrote many things have happened. Our financial advisor took our money. We are starting over, rebuilding the nest egg that is now gone. We are going to move Artful Gifts into Highland County Crafts, and we are hoping to sell the chalet. We are cutting down on overhead and living on a tight budget.
Hopefully, the dream that brought us to Highland County will continue. When I met Lisa 16 years ago, we told each other we wanted to live in the mountains and be artists. In 1997, we moved to Monterey, Virginia, high up in the Alleghanies, west of the Shenandoah Valley. Today we are fiber artists, working mostly with handfelted wool. Lisa designs clothing and I make kumihimo braided belts and necklaces.
I also write.
I'd write for free. I'd write even if no one ever saw my writing.
I hope my writing is not an exercise in self-promotion or an attempt to inflate my ego. I will keep my messages brief and to the point. I will strive to be relevant, to talk about things that matter. My goal is to make life better for myself and others.
Hopefully that's enough.
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