Tuesday, May 3, 2011

L'chaim



Want to hear a secret? I don't give a rat's ass about Osama Bin Laden's final moments. I don't need to see a schematic of his hideout, or learn, blow by blow, how they brought him down. I read the New York Times obituary yesterday - it's really interesting. I learned a lot about him.

Now he's gone. Must we drag ourselves through every little detail of his passing, over and over again? Why?? I'm ready to move on. Is that a bad thing?

My plan for today includes avoiding all sources of "news." For the next few days I will focus very specifically on spending time with people I love, cleaning the chateau, doing some fun cooking. All the rest of y'all can tune in to every grueling, horrible detail about the end of Osama Bin Laden. Or ... drop by the chateau for a cup of coffee, a beer, a glass of wine. We can speak of other things, yes? I say yes.


I can't resist taking pics of the pollen residue on cars at this time of year. It's rather perverse.

20 comments:

Merle Sneed said...

For a lot of folks the minutiae is very reassuring. We like to know that someone knows what they are doing.

linda said...

I couldn't agree more. He's gone, let's move on.
.
I find the celebratory atmosphere slightly perverse and goulish.

I don't mourn his passing. I mourn the fact that so many of my fellow Americans feel the need to take to the streets and demonstrate in a way that brings no honor to us as a people or nation. We only demean ourselves.

ellen abbott said...

I know they got him, I know he's dead. what else is there to know? no wonder this country, the world even, is in such a sorry state, when we wallow in the horror, hate and misery.

NanU said...

My thoughts exactly. Let's all move on to something constructive. When we see reports of people in other countries partying and waving flags because of some perceived victory/our loss, we think: how lame! How can they rejoice?! Who's doing that now, hmm?

Nancy said...

I'm with you Reya. Not excited about the royal wedding, nor the execution of Osama. Does that make me bad?

Kerry said...

What a dear little red bench! And I have a red cap almost exactly like yours.
...Oh my, I seem to be moving on already.

Kerry said...

You know, what I just wrote sounds flippant, and I don't like that. I should add that yesterday,at work where I teach an alternative ed art class to at-risk middle school students, we discovered that they knew nothing about 9-11. It did not lie within their memory. So the plans for the morning were scrapped; instead the class learned what 9-11 was, and how it changed so many things.

And now I can move on.

Reya Mellicker said...

Merle, it's so good to "see" you! I get your point. The minutiae is not something I find soothing. After awhile, I just want to go slit my wrists. Surely that can't be helpful.

Kerry you didn't sound flippant to me at all. I'm so glad for your students that you're there and available to provide an important teaching moment.

In a way, the timing of this is fortuitious - just in time for us to spend the summer contemplating how much changed after 9/11 and to grieve the day itself. That was a horrible day.

Reya Mellicker said...

Nancy I assure you that you are NOT bad.

Meri said...

I like your sidebar musing about Justice. And I am relieved to know that others find the frenzy of celebration of this death macabre. Bin Laden was evil and now he's dead -- but Evil has many names.

Dan Gurney said...

Yes!! Corporations making food make junk food. Corporations making news make junk news.

Let's have a glass of organic wine or beer. And turn the radio off, or at least play some jazz. Yes?

Amanda Summer said...

sounds like quite a sane idea. getting on with our own lives is a better choice than spending time focused on a life bent on destruction. for what it's worth, i thought the party atmosphere that erupted afterwards in some places was excessive.

btw i read your may 1 post and thank you for reminding me that beltaine is upon us :D

Carolina Linthead said...

Organic beer and jazz...I say yes! :-D I agree with so much here, esp. Linda early on and the idea to move on to something constructive and Reya's assessment that it is time to reflect on all that has changed since that awful day. What a lovely group of people you are!

Reya Mellicker said...

Really, you can not beat my blogkin. They are the best, without question. The very finest. Yep! That includes you, Michael.

steven said...

reya, i'm glad to live in a world with painted houses, yellow bikes and red benches. it tells me that people care enough to make things feel and look good. don't ya wanna know what the inside of that yellow brick house is like. i do. i want to ride that bike and then come back to that house and i want to put on some decent music and drink whatever and then go back out and sit on that bench and listen to that tree that's standing so carefully pruned right behind it and ask it "hey, so what's up with all this shit?!" steven

LadrĂ³n de Basura (a.k.a. Junk Thief) said...

All the coverage is actually making me want to go back to seeing footage from the Royal Wedding.

Anonymous said...

To the victors go the spoils of war. Since the beginning of time victories of killings, the defeat of the enemy, have been met with fanfare and celebration. We like to think we live in more civilized times but I don't think so. I think the media likes to be the electronic equivilant of the "head on the spike" parade. It all leaves me cold.
Interesting though Reya, that while we relate to shamanistic practices, it was very much part of pre and post battle tribal warfare I'd think.
Yes, I'd prefer to stay well away from these 'celebrations' steeped in time - would not have been in the crowds lining the street for the crucifiction, nor vying for a place at the foot of the guillotine either. Imagine the media coverage in those days if it were available!!
What to you think about the shamanistic expectations of the culture in which one is placed? Some of those tribal shamans were pretty wild guys. I'm more of an "Oracle of Delphi" type myself,(lol) though the shamanistic thing has taken me to some pretty scarey places! Time out for a sit on the porch definitely!

Reya Mellicker said...

Pam I think you are a genius!

I think the media likes to be the electronic equivilant of the "head on the spike" parade.

It leave me cold, too.

Here's what I think: a shaman mediates between the worlds. What is time honored practice is finding the flows that most support the energy at hand, then dancing along with them. Once upon a time that required the head on the spike, but right now as we are on the verge of making a huge leap in evolution, even our shamanics must shift.

Back in the day, the more the better for we shamans. Now, in our ultra concrete world where science is the religion, less is more. At least that's what I think.

Thank you SO MUCH for asking! GREAT question!

mouse (aka kimy) said...

i too love the temporary exhibit on justice on your sidebar. how i love my old tried and true 35+ year old rider deck, but I was tempted to get a get another deck when i saw the herbal tarot at the folger's museum shop. thanks so much for the head's up on the women and healing exhibit!

hope to see you next month when i'm down - will be around for a longer time.

Barbara said...

LOVE this post!

Peace!