It is a wild ride when swamped with passion! Love those lines from Martyr. Will check it out.
And always we have to go back to love and care. So much to hold. Thanks for being one of the people willing to stand out with a sign and be ignored and helping me ford that rising tide!!
I want to say “Beautifully composed”, but, while true and important, it obscures the seriousness of your message. I fear that even more damage will have to be experienced before the “Anthroshift”, was it?, occurs. Naomi Klein said it years ago: “This changes everything”. Except it didn’t, and doesn’t. Andreas Malm asks in “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” are we not at that point now. The Sunrise Movement (and others) plead with Biden to declare a climate emergency to really kickstart that mass mobilization. “Lead or lose, Biden”, they say. Lead or we lose, actually. However bad it gets, our species will undoubtedly survive. But that “badness” will be wrenching. Rightly or wrongly, I am resigned to figuring that you and I will not see the “Anthroshift”, but we must persist in our efforts, however paltry they seem, because we can’t magically get more power to act. I must read Dana’s book. Thank you, Kathleen, for your beautifully composed prodding. Cletis
I agree we will never see that AnthroShift...if indeed it occurs. And yes, "This changes everything". Except it didn't. As the waters rise and the fires burn, the fear and risk to our lives will increase. Dana says we have to be ready then to take advantage of those moments when people are paying attention and mobilize for change at those moments. Do read the book and then let's talk!!
Thank you, Katharine, for the compliment, and thank you, Kathleen, for bringing in the AMOC story to your narrative of all the rivers we have yet to cross. Just writing that phrase reminds me of a beautiful and incrutable moment in The Soccer Wars by the Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski, in which an old man says to him, “Son, I am the river and I cannot cross myself." I'll let you puzzle that one, as I have for many years.
YES, Kathleen! Just reading Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (uneven but good) and this quote stays with me: “Fear made me work hard, get better. It’s a dirty fuel, but it works. And anger?… You can put a saddle on anger…” (and at the same time we need to chant the serenity prayer — a wild ride to stay grounded when swamped with passion.) Love to you, Kathleen. Thank you for your words and actions.
Yes! My heart was in my mouth as you told the tidal story and what a picture of Bob and the young fireman! 😳 Thank you, Kathleen. I would like to walk there with you! And with you on the streets! Our voices must be heard!
We have to keep people's hearts in their mouths as the fires burn and ice melts! Thank you indeed for walking with me on the streets. And let's do Maggie's Beach too! Dana says that Churches are a great place to start with mobilizing. Let's talk about that!!
Oh my, I'm so glad you made it across safely. What luck that there was a living guardian angel there ready to help. Sorry that it happened (to you and the planet) but it does anchor the narrative of this post! I will read the book you mentioned as soon as I finish re-reading All We Can Save.
It's all happening so fast it's dizzying and where we are headng, no one really knows. I was out at the ocean yesterday experiencing the profundity of it, but noticed something ominous. I've never seen a February beach at Lincoln City as unscoured as it was. Normally, the winter storms erode the beach's sands, exposing underlying rocks, and making trenches. Then the summer's more placid seas and lack of storms redeposit the sand and hide the underlying rock. Not this year ..the beach looked like it would in late spring, there was only one night fishing boat, far out to sea where there normally would be at least a half dozen, and there were so few birds..only a handful of gulls. Is this the new normal?
It is a wild ride when swamped with passion! Love those lines from Martyr. Will check it out.
And always we have to go back to love and care. So much to hold. Thanks for being one of the people willing to stand out with a sign and be ignored and helping me ford that rising tide!!
I want to say “Beautifully composed”, but, while true and important, it obscures the seriousness of your message. I fear that even more damage will have to be experienced before the “Anthroshift”, was it?, occurs. Naomi Klein said it years ago: “This changes everything”. Except it didn’t, and doesn’t. Andreas Malm asks in “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” are we not at that point now. The Sunrise Movement (and others) plead with Biden to declare a climate emergency to really kickstart that mass mobilization. “Lead or lose, Biden”, they say. Lead or we lose, actually. However bad it gets, our species will undoubtedly survive. But that “badness” will be wrenching. Rightly or wrongly, I am resigned to figuring that you and I will not see the “Anthroshift”, but we must persist in our efforts, however paltry they seem, because we can’t magically get more power to act. I must read Dana’s book. Thank you, Kathleen, for your beautifully composed prodding. Cletis
I agree we will never see that AnthroShift...if indeed it occurs. And yes, "This changes everything". Except it didn't. As the waters rise and the fires burn, the fear and risk to our lives will increase. Dana says we have to be ready then to take advantage of those moments when people are paying attention and mobilize for change at those moments. Do read the book and then let's talk!!
I will and I look forward to it!
I continue to ask Jason Anthony what’s in the Maine water that makes for such great writers. Epic essay, Kathleen.🌱
Thank you, Katharine, for the compliment, and thank you, Kathleen, for bringing in the AMOC story to your narrative of all the rivers we have yet to cross. Just writing that phrase reminds me of a beautiful and incrutable moment in The Soccer Wars by the Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski, in which an old man says to him, “Son, I am the river and I cannot cross myself." I'll let you puzzle that one, as I have for many years.
Beautiful work, Kathleen, as always.
YES, Kathleen! Just reading Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (uneven but good) and this quote stays with me: “Fear made me work hard, get better. It’s a dirty fuel, but it works. And anger?… You can put a saddle on anger…” (and at the same time we need to chant the serenity prayer — a wild ride to stay grounded when swamped with passion.) Love to you, Kathleen. Thank you for your words and actions.
Yes! My heart was in my mouth as you told the tidal story and what a picture of Bob and the young fireman! 😳 Thank you, Kathleen. I would like to walk there with you! And with you on the streets! Our voices must be heard!
We have to keep people's hearts in their mouths as the fires burn and ice melts! Thank you indeed for walking with me on the streets. And let's do Maggie's Beach too! Dana says that Churches are a great place to start with mobilizing. Let's talk about that!!
Oh my, I'm so glad you made it across safely. What luck that there was a living guardian angel there ready to help. Sorry that it happened (to you and the planet) but it does anchor the narrative of this post! I will read the book you mentioned as soon as I finish re-reading All We Can Save.
Yes!
It's all happening so fast it's dizzying and where we are headng, no one really knows. I was out at the ocean yesterday experiencing the profundity of it, but noticed something ominous. I've never seen a February beach at Lincoln City as unscoured as it was. Normally, the winter storms erode the beach's sands, exposing underlying rocks, and making trenches. Then the summer's more placid seas and lack of storms redeposit the sand and hide the underlying rock. Not this year ..the beach looked like it would in late spring, there was only one night fishing boat, far out to sea where there normally would be at least a half dozen, and there were so few birds..only a handful of gulls. Is this the new normal?
Thanks for your eloquent reminder that the water is rising and what it requires of us.