Being very close to 80 and having spent 58 years with my husband has somehow reminded me of the writings of Kahlil Jibran. His discourse on how to live together is the way I feel that my husband and I have been through the years. I love this from The Prophet.
Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.
This article came from a blogger that I love beautybeyondbones. Because of my funky relationship with Facebook I have had to copy and past rather than forward. I hope you find this article enlightening. It is from https://beautybeyondbones.com/2020/09/03/nyc-needs-the-police/
I don’t have to tell you about society’s current tidal wave of hatred and detest towards our men and women in blue. Battle cries to “defund the police;” publicly canceling anyone who even considers that “blue lives matter.” There is a quelling uprising against law and order, and while – sure, it may seem “woke” and a noble bandwagon to jump on, the fact of the matter is, there are serious consequences to alienating those who are there to protect and defend. And that is being seen in full scale in Manhattan, no matter how much the mainstream media may try to downplay it.
(And Mom and dad, I apologize ahead of time for the worry this post may ignite. Please know that I am being safe, taking precautions, and frankly…not doing anything stupid to get into a dangerous situation.)
My friends and I got back from Maine on Monday night at midnight. And the city was lights out. Dead. For a city that used to literally never sleep — where you could go out at any time, on any day, and see swaths of people milling around — it is alarming that Manhattan is so quiet. And why? Because half of New York has left, and those that have stayed behind are scared to go out past 10.
Outdoor restaurants close at 10 pm. Historically 24-hour CVS’s, bodegas, and diners — now all close at 10. Parks – which have never been gated up…now, locked with a chain and padlock at 10.
Why? Because it is no longer safe to be out after dark.
Perhaps you may be thinking I’m overreacting. Sure…just a typical overdramatic millennial who’s extra skiddish because she’s a young woman who lives alone. Please. I have never once felt scared in NYC. Ever. Until now.
It was such a shock to go from “Mayberry,” Maine back to Gotham. The night my friends and I got home, I got a text from one of my friends — that morning, there was an arrest made in her building. A homeless man had been living in her stairwell for MONTHS, and had been stealing packages. This was in a super nice building on the Upper West Side — arguably one of the nicest, most affluent neighborhoods in Manhattan.
A man. Living in her stairwell.
Which is particularly alarming and crazy, because she had been getting her packages delivered to my doorman building for quite some time now, because all of her packages were going missing.
Crime is up.
You may recall the incident I had just a few months ago: where a BLM radical YouTuber accosted me outside my building, and forced me to get on my knees and hail BLM while he livestreamed it. I was one of a string of young women he “vlogged” that day.
Graffiti tags are absolutely everywhere. The population of homeless people has soared, and so has their boldness. My friend was curtly confronted by a homeless man who pressured her into VENMOING HIM money, when she explained she didn’t have any cash.
My “neighborhood watch” Citizen Ap on my phone pings incessantly throughout the day and night, notifying me of crime in my current vicinity. Unsettling reminders for sure.
These are not just isolated incidents. Homicides. Robberies. Burglaries. All have skyrocketed recently. And why? Because cops are afraid to do their jobs anymore.
Why put your life on the line, when — if you act to defend yourself, it could be filmed and end up on national news where you’ll be labeled a racist, and prosecuted?
They’ve had enough. And so they’re walking off the job. In startlingly large numbers.
The NYPD has recently cited “ongoing challenges,” including an “increase in retirements” and “deep budget cuts.”
That is terrifying information. Terrifying.
In case you missed it, back in June, one billion dollars was cut from the NYC police budget. And the impact of that are now beginning to be felt.
What is going to happen to our country if law and order is not the backbone of society? Truly? What will our world become?
Now here’s the tough part. Because yes – we need to support our men and women of the badge – but it is also true that there are “bad apples” that are drawn to the allure of the police force, and the power and -sadly, weaponry- that goes along with it. But to completely throw the entire baby out with the bathwater, just because of a problematic bunch…it is wholeheartedly unwise.
Are the horrific and heartbreaking incidents of unjust police brutality that have happened in recent months absolutely unwarranted, unjust, and deserving prosecution? One hundred percent yes.
But those handful of terrible, terrible incidents do not color the vast majority of blue men and women who truly have dedicated their lives and their livelihoods to protecting and serving the community, and keeping people safe.
It is a job that I cannot imagine waking up and doing every day.
And it is a job that, yes, probably should have more training and vetting, and support, and accountability, than it currently does.
But we need to support law and order in this country. Without it, we are creating a scenario ripe for malice, and foul play, and all sorts of corruption. A scenario that we are beginning to see play out in Manhattan.
How about a blast from my past? I was remembering when I learned to drive and my first car. My father taught me to drive. He wanted to be sure that I was capable of driving anything that moved (except a motorcycle). Once I had mastered the basics (straight shift no cheating…most cars were not automatic) he took me out and had me drive a 1/2 ton truck. That was an experience.
Mine looked like this but not as good
When I passed my driver’s test he decided to get me a car??? I guess you could call it that. It was a second/third/fourth/ hand Willy’s Jeepster. It had a convertible top, isinglass side windows that you put in after the top was up. It had “air conditioning” (that is the outside air) and no heater.
The seats were bolted to the floor so you couldn’t adjust them. In order for me to reach the pedals..especially the clutch…I had to put a pillow to my back. You can imagine that four or five teenage girls thought this was the bomb. We absolutely loved that car. We drove it in the winter wrapped up in heavy coats, gloves and whatever else we needed to keep warm. We drove through snow and rain. We drove it while wearing swimming suits in the summer with the top down. We flirted with boys in other cars. It was great.
In my senior year of high school the car started to have problems. It wouldn’t always start. It took a while for my father to figure out what was wrong. Those cars had starter buttons in the floor that you pushed down to start the car. For some reason that piece was not connecting with the piece it connected to in the engine. We could push the car to start it popping the clutch (something most of you have never heard of or done). It didn’t take much. Just rolling a little bit would get the car going. The other more interesting option was to open the hood and hold a piece of metal between the starter and the starter connector and like magic we were on our way.
When we went downtown to shop we tried to find a parking place at the end of the block so that if we had to push the car it was easy. I’m sure you can imagine that we met lots of boys that way.
Hot Shoppes later became Marriott
In those days the place to hang out was the Hot Shoppe. It was a drive in place where car hops brought you your food. Tons of friends met there on Friday and Saturday night. No problem getting the car started there.
Later on more problems began to crop up. While stopped at a light at a very busy intersection on a hill I couldn’t get the car started. My father was with me. The light changed and the man behind us kept blowing his horn. My father calmly got out of the car and walked back to the other car. I was worried about what was going on. My father returned and calmly sat down in his seat. I asked him what happened and he said “I told him I would blow his horn if he would start my car!” My father always had the “mot juste.” He was known for it.
Another day at another busy stop light I lifted up on the steering wheel and it came off in my hand. I stuck it back on and drove us all home holding it on.
Hauled away
The final event came when the car began having electrical problems. My father took the car to be rewired and all seemed well. That night we drove the car into town and on one of the main streets smoke started coming out from under the hood. We pulled into a gas station thinking it was overheated and opened the hood. The car was merrily in flames. A gas station attendant rushed out with a fire extinguisher and put out the fire. My father came and picked us up and the car was gone for good.
I have never since had a car that was more fun and more interesting. I am sure I never will.
Recently I have talked to a number of people who are feeling what I am feeling. It’s been too long. Someone mentioned yesterday that we have been under restriction for eight months. No wonder it seems so long. We are all just ready for this to end but it won’t yet.
In my area the numbers are decreasing and I hope in other areas as well. The riots and anger are not helping. I think the stress of the pandemic is fueling some of it. People are just frustrated.
Does anyone recognize our life now? There is violence and killing in cities that have never had that before. Those of us at risk for the virus are trapped avoiding exposure. Schools can’t decide what is best to do. Businesses are going under and people are out of work. This doesn’t sound like my world.
There were riots during the Viet Nam era. There were “demonstrations” during the civil rights era (God bless MLK) but nothing like this. Understanding what has caused all this unrest is complex. The feud between the police and BLM is almost like the Hatfields and the McCoys (if anyone remembers what that was). Logic has been left behind and only anger and hatred remain.
I wonder if anyone thinks any good will come of all of this? Does violence change things more than non-violent demonstrations? I’m not sure it does. I think that the crusades of MLK and Gandhi are remembered more. Will that be the case in the future? Will this nation withstand this or will it fall?
Have they disappeared?
From my history background I remember a historian named Arnold Toynbee who said that when the moral fiber of a nation declines the nation falls. We are certainly there. What is to come?
All of us are always on a journey. We don’t really know where the journey will take us. That is a mystery that will unfold as we live. To try and force that journey to go a particular way doesn’t always work. Sometimes we may be able to choose a direction. Sometimes, as in the words of Robert Frost, “Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
Sometimes we are afraid to choose the unfamiliar road. We just like the smooth path we can see in front of us. We feel secure and safe. But life doesn’t always leave it that way.
For many years we have loved following the known road…the one we could see ahead. But now we a called by life to take that other road…the less traveled one…and we will. We are hoping that road will take us to a place of peace and safety but there is no way to know for sure.
Nevertheless we will step out in confidence sure that life is sending us that way. We will miss many things but gain others. This is always the way. The trick is to appreciate what you do have and not what you don’t.
“You cannot sail new oceans if you never lose sight of the shore.” anon
Everyone has ups and downs. Today has been a down for me. Just not feeling the best. The bad part is that with what is going on the minute you are not well you ask yourself if you are getting covid. Logically I know that is not the case but still it can be scary.
I have never before lived in a time where I have to be afriad just for going out. We both are careful and getting covid is a low risk but it is always in your mind.
We have to learn to move past the fear
This has made me wonder what it must be like to live in a place where any day where you go or where you live could be bombed. So many people live in this kind of environment. Stress for them is an everyday happening. It makes me think how blessed I am to not have to live that way forever. I know that there will be an end to this and I pray we don’t see another one of these any time soon.
I still will keep in my prayers those who do not live in safety. I cannot imagine living that way.
Good and evil. Seems like an odd thing to be thinking about but today I have been pondering on it. The world we are living in right now begins to feel as if evil is winning. The covid virus, our irrational, uncaring and vituperous (worthy of blame) government, the hatred about race, sex and many other things seems to have taken us over.
I find it difficult to have a conversation with some people as they are set into the idea that their way is the only way. Everyone else is wrong. This is not the world I grew up in. This is a world I find impossible to understand. How can things have gotten this bad?
The world I grew up in did have lots of grey areas. Things were not just black and white (not talking about race). People were allowed to have opinions that differed from each other and that was acceptable. There were no lines drawn in the sand.
I am so sad for the world my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren have to live in. Understanding, caring, and kindness seem to be disappearing. The news reports only want to fan the flames and make things worse.
Somehow there has to be a way to stop all of this. I hope that it doesn’t require something more drastic than what we are seeing now to bring it to an end. I hope that it doesn’t take an alien invasion to bring us all together!!!
Today I started looking at the process of selling my piano. My mother bought it when I was about 7 years old and the thought of parting with it is difficult but a small apartment cannot handle a baby grand piano.
looks exactly like mine
I have moved it around with us from Army post to post but this is one time that it really isn’t logical. When my husband and I were first married the apartment was so small that he joked we would have to eat off the piano but we managed. The truth is I don’t play it as much as before. It is situated where I disturb anything that anyone else is doing in the house and I hate to do that.
It may not be easy to sell but I will put it out there and see what happens. Then I plan to buy a good keyboard..one that can use headphones so that I can play whenever I want with not problem.
Another step toward the future. Just one more thing to clear out of the way. I long for the time when we are settled and not just “in progress” but it will come soon enough.
Have you ever had a day where you spent most of it looking for something that you misplaced? For me that is one of the most frustrating things. It is something important…you know you had it recently….you know it should be where you think you left it….bit it isn’t.
Where did I leave it?
I have a notebook all nicely organized… so organized that it has different tabs that designate what kind of project is in each section. It has many of the patterns I use to knit or crochet. Sounds like it shouldn’t be too important. Wrong! I wanted to start on a new project and needed that notebook.
Now this is a three hole binder notebook. It is not tiny. There are only so many places that it could be without being visible. I remember having it about 3 weeks ago so it should be near.
Nothing doing. I looked high and low, in cabinets, drawers, everywhere I could think of but no luck. Finally I had to attend an on-line meeting and then take my husband to a doctor visit so I had to stop looking.
Banging my head against the wall
Getting back to the search later I decided to look where a few almost identical notebooks are. I went through them recently and get rid of some of them. Hello! There among the others with a title on the side that had nothing to do with it was the book.
One of the reasons that I try to put things back where they belong is I hate to waste time and frustration looking for something that I put down without thinking. I try so hard not to do that. It puts a kink in your plans for the day and time just flies away. The older I get the more I work to keep things where they belong. Not only does it save time but it is really so easy to do.
It has been interesting to see on local world wide media that since the covid outbreak the environment seems to be improving. Some animal species that were on the way down are increasing. Animals that haven’t been seen in some area for quite a while are not being spotted.
Let us learn from what is happening
Not only is wildlife changing but air quality, flora growth, and other indicators of positive change are happening. It is too bad that when this all dies down we will proceed to make these changes go away. I wish we could keep on causing improvements. I hope someone is smart enough to see this and point it out to the world at large. I am but one but I am one and I am saying keep this going!
Maybe if others join me we can star a whole new trend.
worry-less-journey 