Islands and apple trees

I am thinking of two proverbs this morning, "No man is an island" and "The apple does not fall far from the tree." The first was provoked by a great short film sent to me today by a talented graphic designer friend near Santa Fe. It is a poignant reminder that indeed no man is an island, and also a pretty powerful expression of the creative and expressive use to which technology is being put and the wonderful possibilities it opens up to ordinary individuals with limited budgets. Here is the link: http://www.tankstudio.com.au/blog/2008/11/mankind-is-no-island-new-york-tropfest-winner/
The second proverb has been running through my head since my sister-in-law, Robin, said it to me one day at a recent family gathering. The apple does not fall far from the tree. Robin would seem to be a good example of the validity of this expression. She comes from a robust maternal line and has enjoyed the blessings of knowing not only her mother but her grandmother well into adult-hood. Her adult daughter, my niece Joy, is a wonderful expression of the continuity from one generation to the next in this sense. My brothers too would seem to confirm the position represented in a similar expression, "A chip off the old block." They seem to me to be a fine affirmation of the values and way of life my father represented. On the other hand, while I am sure I have absorbed many of the values my parents believed in, I found myself wondering if I had or had not fallen farther from the tree than my siblings. And if I had indeed not fallen far from the tree myself, I found myself wondering from which parent I had inherited tendencies or characteristics which seem out of sync with those I had been raised with. More than anything, it left me wondering how well I knew my parents, in particular my mother who died when I was nineteen. I will be exploring this some more. I leave you with the question, have you or have you not fallen far from the tree?

"I hope you rot in your grave."

Forgive the ostensibly rude title to this entry. Who would have thought that such a comment could actually be wishing someone well. Recently I commented to Tom that come my time, I wish I could be buried naked, perhaps covered by a simple white sheet, and placed right in the ground. If any kind of coffin is deemed absolutely necessary, then I would like one as plain and cheap as possible. I have long felt that the way we prepare the dead for their eternal rest in this country is excessively elaborate and morbid. All that formaldehyde, the makeup and stiff clothes, the puffy silk pillowing of the casket and the cement vault. Not to mention the expense and the environmental impact. It is enough to make one choose cremation. Yet, cremation, while appealing in its metaphorical suggestions of purification and liberation of the spirit from its corporeal restraints, does not speak to my cultural antecedents as someone raised in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Besides, while it may sound lugubrious, I would like to end up as a skeleton. Now there is a movement promoting just what my heart desires as far as the eventual disposal of my remains is concerned. As featured in the November issue of Ode Magazine, Cynthia Beal of the Natural Burial Company offers a more natural and ecologically sound option for the after life of our bodies, one that really is an after-life this side of the eternal divide. Clean and formaldehyde-free after my death, and placed in a biodegradable vessel, I will "sequester carbon, breathe out oxygen and feed the soil web." I will "return to the earth to become a tree - or bush or meadow - and create a habitat for animals and living things." This seems a far more fitting end for my bodily remains than being forgotten in a corner of a cemetery someday. And if there are those who wish to participate in some small ceremony to see me off, let them gather not in the stuffy confines of a funeral home, but in the natural cathedral of nature. Read more at Odemagazine.com/beatree.

Goodbye to hucksterism!

What a historic night it was! What a chance to feel optimistic and included again. What a victory for deeper thought and a return to intelligent, respectful dialogue. What hope it engenders that we can be cleansed of the stain of racism. What hope it holds that we can rejoin the international community with our heads held high. What a vote for the exercise of intellect. While the cynicism born of my last decade back in the U.S. tells me to move cautiously into this new landscape, like many of you out there, I am ecstatic at the results of last night's presidential election. For those of you who are less than ecstatic, I will say that I do believe we can move away from the divisiveness of the red-blue split and enter an era where, as one of the candidates said, we can stop maligning the intent of those we disagree with, and move towards effecting the changes we long for through dialogue and cooperation.