Category: Insight
The Universe and The Time: Carpe Diem, Vita Brevis: Seize the Day, Life is Short
From The Universe and The Time blog: “Carpe Diem, Vita Brevis” in other words, “Seize the Day, Life is Short”~
I stumbled across this blog a while back. Another iteration of a reminder we all need frequently – make the most each day; relish in the ordinary; we know not the hour or the day it will all be over, so make hay while you can.
YES.
And for the blog itself,
— Read on: theuniverseandthetime.blogspot.com/2013/02/carpe-diem-vita-brevis-seize-day-life.html
1st Grade Sit-in
Our younger daughter has ups and downs with distance learning so far. Our other children, too. Maybe most kids do.
Not made easier by the two-way bilingual dynamic for the program she’s in.
Recently I sat with our six year old as she began her school day.
“Mariana Mariana…” the kids repeat.
I sit quietly on the side with my earbuds plugged into my daughter’s pink headset.
She’s a bit of a sleepy head right now. Deep into the week, a little earlier to bed might help. There’s a lot of yawning, a lot of fidgeting. And it’s only been 15 minutes.
Pandemic Life doesn’t make the kids’ days any easier. Bad air from surrounding wildfires don’t help.
I wonder how much these circumstances effect her experience. I bet a lot. A WHOLE lot. But that’s not the last word, either.
The situation isn’t ideal, but that’s life. Supporting through it, that’s God’s Grace in action.
Please work through me, Lord.
Lyrics Post: “Ants Marching”
This song wasn’t the first I heard by Dave Matthews, but it probably was the one that hooked me to his music.
“He wakes up in the morning
Does his teeth bite to eat and he’s rolling
Never changes a thing
The week ends the week begins
She thinks, we look at each other
Wondering what the other is thinking
But we never say a thing
These crimes between us grow deeper
Take these chances
Place them in a box until a quieter time
Lights down, you up and die
Goes to visit his mommy
She feeds him well his concerns
He forgets them
And remembers being small
Playing under the table and dreaming
Take these chances
Place them in a box until a quieter time
Lights down, you up and die
Driving in on this highway
All these cars end up on the sidewalk
People in every direction
No words exchanged
No time to exchange
And all the little ants are marching
Red and black antennas waving
They all do it the same
They all do it the same way
Candyman tempting the thoughts of a
Sweet tooth tortured by the weight loss
Program cutting the corners
Loose end, loose end, cut, cut
On the fence, could not to offend
Cut, cut, cut, cut
Take these chances
Place them in a box until a quieter time
Lights down, you up and die
Lights down, you up and die”
All Houses Shake
Let’s start this way, from the Book of Luke, Chapter 6.
“I will show you what someone is like who comes to me,
listens to my words, and acts on them.
That one is like a man building a house,
who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock;
when the flood came, the river burst against that house
but could not shake it because it had been well built.
But the one who listens and does not act
is like a person who built a house on the ground
without a foundation.
When the river burst against it,
it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”
Here’s what I know. I’ve worked to keep my house on rock all my life. Overall. But there have definitely been times, plenty of times, when I’ve struggled; in my worst moments, ideals have gone out the door due to matters that proved to much for me in the moment.
This verse from the Book of Luke is one of my favorites. It calls us to strive for what we know is right, to heed the wise words we hear, to build our house on rock, to fortify against the inevitable dangers, struggles, floods of difficulty that come along in life.
We’re called to trust in the foundation we’ve laid, and do what we know is right and correct in each moment in those most difficult times. In this way, the high river waters of life’s most challenging moments will not sweep you away; your house will stand firm.
All houses shake. But in the flood, yours can, yours will, stand firm. Let it be so.
Milkshake!
Weekend here, walks in the door, just four little days, felt it felt it, felt like more.
Smoke in the skies, COVID all around, bump through the days, count them down.
Weekend’s here, marked by a shake-up, hoops on the screen, play-doh milkshake, after supper snack offered in the wake,
Wake of a week we’ll repeat after two,
Days off, shake it off, go off, do it again. Do it all again,
Play-doh milkshake, for the win!
Fire In The Sky
It’s been quite a crazy year, this 2020.
We’ve got the Global COVID Pandemic, over 7,000 wild fires in the Western US so far, and sequester life and distance learning and so much wrapped up in between.
A weird year filled with uncertainty and many unsettling things.
Here in the San Francisco Bay Area where fires are burning on three sides it seems, the sky was gray, then later dark orange-red.
The kids were saying it was something like a movie maybe, living on Mars.
SURREAL.
Looking out into the strange orange hue, I can’t help but think, “Carry On.” “Keep going. Do what you can. Stay connected. Don’t give up.”
Even as there is fire in the sky waiting to rain down, PERSEVERE.
Do what you have to do to adjust and protect yourself and your people. And don’t let up. PERSEVERE.
Through the pandemic and challenges at work and home, enduring fire from the sky, the orange red time of many unknowns, PERSEVERE.
So Many Messages, One Purpose
There are so many ways, so many takes, but in the end just one purpose, I think: EQUALITY.
After 400 years a society, and almost 250 years a country, let it be so: that all people are equal and should be treated as such.
These names come to mind: Tommie Smith, John Carlos, Harry Edwards, Bill Walsh, Al Davis, Phil Woolpert, Horace Stoneham, Colin Kaepernick, Steve Kerr, Kyle Shanahan, Gabe Kapler, Evander Kane,…and…
George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Atatiana Jefferson, Aura Rosser, Stephon Clark, Botham Jean, Philando Castille, Alton Sterling, Michelle Cusseaux, Freddie Gray, Janisha Fonville, Eric Garner, Akai Gurley, Gabriella Nevarez, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Tanisha Anderson, to name a few. These names? Those names of African-Americans who have been killed by police officers.
Some of these words on the backs of some NBA players’ jerseys as their teams compete in the playoffs.
“Say Their Names.”
“Love Us.”
Elevate the Voices That Need To Be Heard.
Brown Lives Matter.
“Enough.”
“Stand Up.”
“Black Lives Matter.”
“BLACK LIVES MATTER.”
Let your elected officials know what you. Let them know they are accountable for making society worse for all people.
ALL PEOPLE.
Say Their Names: https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2020/know-their-names/index.html
Back At It
A little longer stretch, a little gentler start as we kick back into the “new normal” after the three-day weekend capped by the Labor Day holiday. The kids back to distance learning. The adults back to work-from-home. Easy does it.
I think about the riders in the Tour de France, entering their second week of the three-week race. They’re racing a 170 km on Tuesday. Their already in one of the biggest, longest, most grueling races in the world. A Grinder, to be sure. Add COVID protocols, all the more challenging. It’s been a tough race so far, with plenty of crashes, and some riders already crashing out.
So when I think about heading back to work, to the daily grind here at home…well, while it’s all relative, I, we’ve got it pretty good. Help ourselves start the day with the right attitude. Help the kids do the same. Stay hydrated. Stay invigorated.
Now, if these fires in the area would subside, and the heat-wave would break…then I might call it…wait for it…it’s really no surprise…GOOD.
Labor Day
The late 19th Century saw the labor movement gain ground. As the turn of the century approached the movement spurred popular support to such degree that national, and international holidays were established to recognize and celebrate workers around the world.
During this same time more reasonable norms were established for number of working hours, and improvement of working conditions in some parts of the world as well.
This work for fair pay, safe conditions, and reasonable parameters otherwise is not complete. The movement must continue, and spread further now to more of the developing world where populations of workers still do not have basic rights and safe and reasonable conditions.
In the United States we celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday in September. In many other parts of the world they celebrate May 1 as Labor Day. Whichever the day, the cause is the same.
More than a century later, let us still Honor Labor. Not only that, let us demand safety, equity, and respect for workers everywhere.
I don’t mean to bug you, but I do mean to elevate the voices that need to be heard.
Let’s say it again:
HONOR LABOR.
