Welcome to Night Vale

Tags

communication, Reading

Welcome to Night Vale may well be the strangest book I’ve ever read. It’s the story of a small town where time is elusive and residents can take many forms, from human to spider-like shape shifter to sentient patches of haze. The story progresses as if told by a science fiction novelist with attention deficit disorder. The first 10 chapters made me feel as if I was crazy with conflicting ideas and rapidly changing perspectives. But the random statements sprinkled through the narrative made me laugh out loud… “Diane was like most people. Most people are.” And the fascinating ways of describing human behavior… “Her anger was a creature now, and it walked behind her, pushing her along.”  kept me engaged.

(Image credit: Welcome to Night Vale FB page)

While I was never sure where things were going, there was enough character development that I had to read on.  And I was constantly on the lookout for the pauses I found as I stopped to contemplate the wording, the descriptions of human behavior, and the ideas of parenting and relationships in general.  There were several opportunities to think about my own life and how it compared and contrasted with those of the residents in Night Vale.

“There was a moment, the door was open but unstepped-through, where Diane thought she could still walk away and not become a person who had broken into anywhere in her life, but then she stepped forward and became that person forever.” ~ Welcome to Night Vale

Though it pushes the limits of reality, as much science fiction does, it was more fun and thought-provoking than absurd.  This book is classified as horror fiction, which I see as I check it now on the web.  Had I known this, I may not have read it, so I’m glad I didn’t.  It was an interesting read and nothing too horrific to affect me in an ongoing way.  (I did mention spiders, right? Something to consider.  If you suffer from extreme arachnophobia, maybe not for you… but I thought the tarantula was adorbs.)  I also didn’t know it would involve an absentee father theme but I found that aspect to be quite satisfying.

The source of this novel was an online blog and there were a few references which weren’t clear to me… for example, Bloodstone circles???  Perhaps their active blog readers will understand them, or perhaps they are seeds for explanation in upcoming stories about Night Vale.  These kinds of things made me wonder, and hope for more explanation further into the book, but nothing left me hanging in an uncomfortable way.  Regardless, my favorite thing about the book was the phraseology.

“She knew that messages were for the sender not the receiver.”   ~ Welcome to Night Vale

The book may have been written by the authors for their own purposes… but I will definitely report: Message received.

Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor was published in October, 2015.  However, it is an inexpensive Hardcover read at $19.99 and you can pick one up at Cherry Street Books! 🙂

Check them out on FB: https://www.facebook.com/WelcomeToNightVale/

Advertisement

Certainty

Tags

dreaming, Freedom, Volunteering

Margaret Atwood once said, “There may not be one Truth — there may be several truths — but saying that is not to say that reality doesn’t exist.”  And “Reality simply consists of different points of view.” http://www.motherjones.com/media/1997/07/margaret-atwood

We were watching a special on the Notre Dame Coach going back to his home town last night and at one point, he’s flying into his home town airport in a private plane and, as they land, he says, “The ultimate blue collar life.”  This was one of several things he said which didn’t seem to match the reality where I live.  I don’t know many blue collar people who regularly fly on private jets.  His truth is his truth.  But that doesn’t mean it is reality.  It’s merely his perception of a reality where he is still a blue collar guy.

There are many who are certain this this is “Hillary’s Turn”.  Just as they were certain it was “Hillary’s Turn” in 2008.  But there is no certainty until the votes are counted.  Am I naïve to think that it’s actually Bernie’s time?  I was recently accused.  I’m not sure if the accuser meant I was 1) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment or 2) natural and unaffected; innocent.  I like to think the latter but I fear she meant the former.  It was said with that “Aren’t You Cute?” way I often use when I am condescending.  I may not have as many years as she on this planet, but I do believe four and a half decades does qualify me to claim some experience.  Wisdom and judgment are another thing entirely and can be largely bypassed even in a long life.  But as I think about it this morning, is it possible she could be the one being naïve?  There is clear evidence that it’s possible for an underdog to become President.  Need I say, Barack Obama?

The Urban Dictionary definition of Naïve is as follows:

Generally speaking, to be naive means you do not think enough. People who are “naive” tend to believe in whatever they are told, without questioning whether it is right or wrong. As for age, it can be anywhere from 1-100. Anyone who has not lived through and seen enough of this world is generally referred to as naive.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Naive

In this case, is it possible that many Hillary supporters are naïve to believe the talking heads on television, who all seem to say that Bernie is not in the running?  Ironically, it may also be naïve to discount the large group of 18-24 year olds who are supporting Bernie but are probably not in any of the polls they take of “likely voters” as these largely require a voting history, which many of these young people will not have.

There may not be one Truth — there may be several truths — but saying that is not to say that reality doesn’t exist. ~ Margaret Atwood

In the end, I don’t think it’s meanness with which I was accused of naivety, but a sense of certainty.  Certainty that Bernie can’t win.  Certainty that, while domestically he is the best candidate, he is not as strong on foreign policy to win.  Certainty that the big money behind Hillary will win the day.  Certainty that a Socialist can’t win.

But here are the questions:

• Does he need to be strong in foreign policy to win? Barack was also accused of being weak in regards to foreign policy… and he won.  I would argue that he’s done a great job of leading us diplomatically.  And I think we can agree that he is less divisive internationally than his predecessor. Of course, he is not a lone wolf but acts as part of a large group of advisors and leaders, just as Bernie would.
• Didn’t the Republicans have quite a bit of money backing their candidates in 2008 and 2012? Of course they did but it didn’t guarantee a win.  The power of the people is in the VOTE.  Yes, big money can convince people with lots of fancy ads, especially ones that spread untruths and uncertainty about the opposition, either to vote a certain way or to not vote at all.  But in the end, getting out there and voting your truth, not listening to those trying to manipulate you with big money, that’s how we defeat the money in politics. Personally, I am impressed that Bernie does what he does with PEOPLE support, not big money.  Yes, he flies commercial, not first class. This gives him a chance to talk with PEOPLE.  He carries his own bags which gives him the opportunity to live like the PEOPLE.  He has credit card debt.  All this makes him more attractive to me because I feel the big money politicians truly have no idea how the rest of us live.

• Is Socialism such a bad thing? If you like Social Security, you like Socialism.  If you think public roads, schools, libraries, and utilities are good things, you like Socialism.  Unemployment, Medicaid, food stamps – these may not be as popular but if you’ve ever benefited, you’ve benefited from Socialism.  If you’re a farmer getting crop subsidies or Dept. of Ag training, you’re enjoying Socialism.  And if you were ever in the Military, the largest socialist enterprise in the world, you had housing, clothing, food, transportation, entertainment, education, and shopping all supported by Socialism.  We are all enjoying Socialism.  Bernie just has the guts to name things what they are.

My husband Dan says I’m not Naïve but a Heretic, one who does not conform to an established attitude, doctrine, or principle.  The root of this word is Greek, hairetikós, able to choose. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/heretic?s=t I like this as it seems more and more that the daily TV programming wants us to simply listen and obey.  But I refuse to give up my independence.

Am I certain Bernie will win?  No.  But am I hopeful, yes.  Am I working on trying to energize people for him, yes.  Am I knocking on doors, yes.  Am I making calls, yes. And whether he wins or not, I’ve had some great conversations about what’s really important in this country and shared hope that we can return our society to one that is more egalitarian and just.  It is possible for systems to work for the masses again, not just the minority at the top.  We just need to get out and vote to have our voices heard.  I’ve met some good people, excited about the chance that we can put a person in office who will fight for the PEOPLE to reclaim our government from the wealthy and powerful forces that currently own it.

One of my best door knocks yesterday was with a woman whose daughter, just inside the living room, heard me say Bernie, thrust her hands in the air shouting, “Bernie!”  Turns out, as part of the school trip to Norway this year, she was able to see Socialism in action.  She was amazed at Norway and has been vocal with her Macroeconomics teacher at the high school ever since.  When he asked if she wanted to pay high taxes, her response?  “Sure, if I’m getting the benefits of those taxes.”  Well, of course.  When ALL of us gain from the system, not just those at the top, this country is a better place.  Back when we all paid a fair share, in the 1950’s, the whole country was thriving.  Corporate taxes hit 50%, unlike the 0% some currently enjoy.  And while people complain about the 91% tax rate for the wealthiest, “The Internal Revenue Service reckoned that the effective rate of tax in 1954 for top earners was actually 70 percent.” “Jobs proliferated, wages rose, and the economy prospered.” (Reference: http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2013-01-02/1950s-tax-fantasy-is-a-republican-nightmare)

Paul Wellstone once said, “We all do better when we all do better.”  Of this, I am certain.

Thinking Critically

Tags

anti-consumerism, conservation, critical thinking

A trip to the Harn this weekend included a trip even further north to pick up some free insulation from a buddy we’ve met up here. The drive north of Solway is really beautiful… cute little homesteads dot either side of the highway. At one, as I look down the drive, I can see the cabin about 200 yards in and two big deer crossing the driveway between me and it.  It’s the second weekend of deer season and seeing them is juxtaposed with all the flashes of orange as hunters pepper the landscape.

The quiet is amazing here as we approach winter, even with the sporadic gunshot.  I did notice distinctly less wildlife on the property. There’s no sign of Red or Thumper & Bambi.  And though I saw multiple deer tracks, we didn’t spot single doe.  We still have yet to see again the lovely fox I saw weeks back. Though we believe it may have a den in the large brush pile just south of our clearing outside the porch door. We wonder if perhaps our idea of a chicken coop south of the clearing may not be as good an idea as originally imagined.

This morning as I walked in my skivvies and slippers down to the corner of the drive, where we can get a signal for texting, I was amazed at how warm I felt. Without the wind there’s no bite to this cold weather.  I still find it fascinating. I was out for 15 minutes or more with very little clothing and while I was chilly when I came in from a cold, I was amazed that it didn’t feel colder outside. It was nice though to jump back into the still warm bed and snuggle in for a few more minutes of rest.

As we enjoy this unusually warm fall season, it makes me smile to think back on how many people called me “crazy” for moving to Minnesota. The longer I am here the more I realize what a good decision this has been.  But it’s a little bittersweet to realize that while we may not have as big a problem with a short growing season as we expected, this may also mean dire consequences for the planet at large.

Which takes me to Saturday night when we joined friends for a Debate Watch Party, actually quite a bit of fun.  It was disturbing to note that there were only two mentions of climate change when it is so obviously interconnected to the problems we face militarily and economically. Bernie Sanders was quick to acknowledge the link between the crises overseas and climate change but it would have been nice to hear more along the lines of what we need to do as resolution, especially in light of the upcoming talks in Paris.  It’s also concerning to think how the recent strikes in Paris may affect these upcoming talks. They may prove quite convenient.  Will they keep people away?  Prevent the masses from having their voices heard?  Result in increased security and refusal of protesters to make a case against big money interests? It makes me wonder who was truly behind the attacks.  There is so much in the news we cannot trust these days.  Are they getting all the facts?  Or are they jumping to possible erroneous conclusions to paint a quick story? Are we just telling ourselves what we want or expect to hear?  There really is no way to know for sure.

I do hope that we make real strides towards progress at the Paris talks but I fear there are too many powerful agendas and much fear of losing profits to truly do so, especially in the needed time frame.  As long as the wealthy & powerful continue to make the decisions, we can be sure the decisions won’t fully take into consideration the needs of the general public, let alone those of the very poorest of people around the globe.

The Non-Fiction Book Club discussed “Arguing for our Lives” by Robert Jensen this week.  The book explains in brief the three biggest revolutions in history.  Not the American, French & Russian but the Agricultural, Industrial & Delusional.  “While those national revolutions had dramatic effects… these other revolutions reshaped the lives of every human.  As a result of these revolutions, it is unclear how much longer human history will continue.”  The agricultural and industrial revolutions both created and escalated the human assault on natural ecosystems, respectively, while also bringing a move from cooperative to hierarchical systems of interaction.  An explosion in population combined with a concentration of wealth “has produced unparalleled material comfort for some”.  The world is “unsustainable and unjust” and “in direct conflict with common sense and ethical principles”, which results in the creation of the delusional revolution.  Per Robert Jensen:

The delusional revolution is my term for the development of sophisticated propaganda techniques in the twentieth century (especially a highly emotive, image-based advertising-marketing system) that have produced in the bulk of the population (especially in First World societies) a distinctly delusional state of being.

This delusional revolution has stopped us from realizing how deep we are in the problems we’ve created with our consumption-based, non-cooperative society.  And the dominant culture continues to promote a capitalist focus on greed and self-interest with little to no effort spent in resolving the precarious conditions of our social and political systems, our economy, or even our natural world.

There are many wonderful lessons in this short tome and the Book Club discussion was lively.  While I still struggle with hopelessness that we humans can come together to figure out how to save our home, this little blue planet, gatherings like our Book Club help me see there are people who care and understand that we have a need for great change.  There is a ray of hope in all this.  Seattle just voted in a big way to remove the money from politics and if we push this idea across the nation, there may be a chance for the people to take back the government from the wealthy and powerful interests who currently own it.  http://usuncut.com/politics/seattle-wins-publicly-financed-elections-i-122  Alas, many are simply focused on fashion, football, the latest technology and other distractions, largely unaware of the need for adjustment.  But people are waking up.

As for my own wake-up, it is still sluggish.  It’s one thing to know, another to do.  The transition to the sustainable homestead is a gradual process and meanwhile I spend too much money, drive too many miles, and waste time on my own distractions.  But this past week I also made a bit more progress on the Rocket Mass Heater, shopped locally and gave a few possessions to the local Kids Shopping Day, new things for which I’ve never had a use.  Hopefully they will bring joy to some children in need of gifts for their loved ones this holiday season.  As for me, I’m hoping to minimize the gift giving and receiving.  Gifts of time spent with local friends and family, gifts for others to Heifer or Seva (charities that help give hope to those with the least), and hand-made things for a few.  Of course, some people will get books.  It’s the one thing I can’t seem to surrender in my anti-consumerism aims.  I think Robert Jensen’s book on critical thinking will be at the top of the list.

Finding Balance

Tags

Finding Fulfillment, Freedom

This past week was full of fun again!  This “retirement” thing is amazingly busy & full of excitement and entertainment.  My level of “busyness” came up in conversation several times this week and what I am finding is that, since leaving the rat race, I have enthusiastically jumped into so many new things because I’m delighting in finding new friends and learning new things.  I’ve involved myself in a variety of passions and have found myself to be quite useful in some activities and not as aligned in others.  At this point, I am figuring out where to continue to give of my time and energy and how to keep in check my desire to “do it all”.  There is an abundance of fun things to do and interesting people to get to know and as I meet new people or hear about a fun idea, sometimes I just need to remember that I can’t fit it all into every week!

Some of the things I always told myself I wanted to incorporate after I quit full-time work have not yet made their way into my schedule.  I am working to bring in formal yoga practice again, though at present it’s just some stretching at waking, a bit of Mountain Pose at the Post Office, and some Forward Fall in the afternoon or evening.  I long for a more rich meditation practice but so far it’s more a sporadic grabbing of quiet moments and taking time to BE.  And while the new group of crafting ladies that has formed here in Alexandria is wonderful, I’m still not getting quite as much time in creating as I’d hoped.  On the upside, I’m working on implementing new things on a once a month basis which seems to help bring in the new without overwhelming the calendar.  But I see that I will have to let some things go or just not give as much time and energy to them as I have in order to find a happy balance.  And perhaps I need to block out time on the calendar for just sitting!

One of my early commitments to District 206, the local public school system, was to judge the Science Fair and this past week Woodland Elementary hosted their Fair and I judged the work of four young ladies.  All four experiments involved food in one way or another, from orange juice to popcorn, Jolly Rancher candies to cheese. All were interesting.  All but one were well presented with charts and detailed paragraphs of information.  Half were well-prepared to answer my questions though I’m not sure what part nervousness played.  As I toured the fair to see the remaining exhibits, it was typical with some level of low-energy, unoriginal work and some stand-out presentations and ideas that caught my eye.  There were a couple kids who were obviously re-presenting overdone Googled ideas and a few who really wanted to learn something new with their work.  One kid had made his own fishing lures, evaluating the level of dye needed for opaqueness and he did a great job at explaining his work.  I’m hopeful he will take my idea of determining which level of dye catches the most bass to heart this spring as I think that would make an interesting project, and may well take him into a business venture.  It reminded me of an old friend as I thought of Greg who created his own business making bass lures from his garage… and did quite well as I understand.  The young man who welcomed me at the entry table was a real joy and each time the kids raced to their poster as I approached, it just tickled me.  I would be sure to let them know I was on an unofficial visit if that was the case.  But they still worked hard to explain, even when I was just a Visitor and not a Judge.  There was some evidence of parental assistance, but nothing overly done from what I could see.  Next week will be round two and I will feel fulfilled at having been a small part of the lives of our youth and getting a brief chance to recall all the fun times had with my son during his school adventures.

That is just one of the many fun things pending for this week but today is a day off with little planned so I’m making dinner tonight – chicken alfredo lasagna!  Having time for cooking is lovely so I’m going to enjoy this day to the fullest, as I will with every moment I can this week.

Serendipity and Contemplation

Tags

Finding Fulfillment

This past week has been another full one.  Busyness has again been my friend and a not unwelcome one as I’ve also had time for quiet contemplation and reading, which is its own kind of busyness.  I seem to have an unending penchant for new information and experience but of late I’m finding a comfort with whimsy, allowing serendipity to guide.

A week or so ago, I ran into Tudy at the library, the same place I have met her half the times I’ve met her since we originally met.  She is a newer friend in my journey of life who has been a refreshing ray of sunshine.  Always buoyant, smiling and with a childlike wonder of goodness, we both agreed during this latest library meeting that we enjoyed another’s company and that we should make plans for an outing, likely the upcoming day on which her partner would be playing music at the UU church.  True to her word, she called a few days before the event and we agreed to the outing.  In the end, my partner Dan joined us for a foursome drive to Underwood.

At the service, where we discussed the soul, we ran into another new friend Lee and her partner Reed and afterwards, Mikko invited us all to lunch at Ruby’s in Ashby where we enjoyed a meal of good food, conversation, and wondering.  It was a fantastic day with friends and quiet, comforting time enjoying the sunshine and beauty of the rolling hills.  And it seemed a perfect wrap-up to a week full of happening onto fun.

Mid-week brought Storytelling group and Book Club where we spun our own yarns and discussed John Green’s “Paper Towns”, respectively.  The diversity of conversational paths taken during these two groups is always surprising and informative.  I learn much from the sharing of these wise women in whose midst I find myself since moving to Minnesota.  It’s been a gift to find welcome immersion amongst these crones. And if I find myself half as beautiful, glorious, intelligent, thoughtful and comforting as these women are when I approach my 70’s, I will be richly blessed and a blessing to those around me.

Earlier in the week, I’d forgotten all about the meetup to discuss the MN Caucuses until a friend emailed me “introducing” me to the convener and I remembered to post on FB that I was going later that day.  It was also a full day of volunteering at the Voyager Book Room, storytelling at Nelsen Gables and a conference call to end the day and getting together with friends to learn about caucusing ended with another last minute invite to a surprise party planned for Saturday. (That’s me in the turquoise shirt behind our presenter.)

That too was a kind of serendipity as Rita had quickly whipped up the idea of getting new friends to their recently acquired home in Alex by having a surprise 60^th birthday for her husband on Halloween and I helped with spreading the word.   A dozen or more of us gathered for food and fun to, in part, wish Jon a Happy Birthday but also to give a warm welcome to new friends in town by finding their digs and joining in some spirits.

And a spirited time was had earlier on Saturday as we joined Anthony Miltich for a bittersweet time at Carlos Creek Winery.  He had his brother Jim and friend Victor joining him, making for a lot of fun, but we also were getting word that he’s moving from the area and realizing our meetings may be less frequent in the near-term was a bummer.  But, always the optimist, I’m looking forward to more potential for meetings in the future as we are all apparently heading North!

As I end the week with some reading, I’m taking on two new advance copy arrivals from the bookstore: Colin Beaven’s “How to be Alive ~ A Guide to the Kind of Happiness that Helps the World” and “No Baggage ~ A Minimalist Tale of Love and Wandering” by Clara Bensen.  Both are focused on minimal living, trusting in the moment to bring what is needed as you faithfully walk forward into the risky unknown.  And the result is joyous and serene fulfillment, sometimes sprinkled with the unknown of discovery which can feel both terrifying and miraculous.  I have seen throughout my life, that when I walk along with the flow, following somewhat of a schedule but also allowing adventure to come as it may find me, I find myself smiling abundantly.  Life seems to be an easy journey.

As such, I’m working on trying to not overcommit, though with my love of experience it’s sometimes a struggle to say NO in the planning stages.  By allowing time in the schedule, I give the Universe the space to bring the unknown caper or two into my week.  And I give myself time to contemplate for a deeper understanding of all that She is bringing me.