GGS

Life and Living

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(It says: “Until life within the womb of a mother is safe, life outside the womb will never be safe.”)

(*Note: I saw this earlier today and I had an opinion on it to share. Not all of my reflections this Lent will be on my positive journeying through the forty days. I have many things that cross my mind in a day, and this was today’s.
Trigger warnings for abortion and choice.*)

I could not disagree with this more. In fact, I find it offensive that this is part of a so-called pro-life campaign.

In fact, I think the opposite is true: it is our obligation to care for those already born and through education and appropriate birth control, abortions will, and have been going steadier, lower.

The false equivalency of a fetus and a grown person having the same safety concerns tells me that the person who wrote this sign doesn’t understand the real issues that women in this country, pregnant or not, face on a daily basis.

Is abortion really less safe than being born without a spinal cord or a brain stem?

Is abortion really less safe than starving and dying in poverty?

Is abortion really less safe than living in a chronically abusive household?

Do we really care more for our unborn than our already born? Our persons of color? Our single parents? Our foster kids? Our child victims of rape who are forced to carry babies to term when their emotional states and their physical bodies are not ready for it?

Shouldn’t we begin with taking care of those outside the womb first? If we can’t get that right, how can we presume to know what’s the best options for inside someone else’s body?

We also know that a fetus could not survive on its own without its physical attachment to the mother, the host, unlike people who are already living, breathing, thinking human beings. It is not a symbiotic relationship; it is strictly one-sided. If you remove the baby from the situation, the mother will still be alive. The opposite is not true.

I would prefer less bumper sticker sanctimony and more real world options without the attack on pregnant women at every turn.

History and Historical Fiction

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One of my favorite genres is history and historical fiction, the more realistic, the better. My version of history includes mythology, current events, politics, and religion in its historical sense. Two of my absolutely favorite authors in historical fiction are Sharon Kay Penman and Bernard Cornwell.

The first book I read of Penman’s was Here Be Dragons. Not only did it feed my love of medieval history it started my life long infatuation with Wales, the homeland of my soul. The one thing that amazes me about Penman was the amount of research she does. When I did my own research I was stunned at what was true, like the Princess of Wales being kidnapped by pirates, and Prince of Wales, Llywelyn Fawr’s firstborn son as part of the Magna Carta.

Bernard Cornwell’s The Winter King was recommended to me years before I actually read it. I was afraid it would change my outlook on King Arthur, and it did, but it was well worth it. The guest series I read if his were the Sharpe books. Sharpe takes place during the Napoleonic wars, a time period I was never interested in until Cornwell.

For history, I’d encourage you to read Jon Meacham, Ken Burns, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Douglas Brinkley, and Isabel Wilkerson.

I’d also add these to the list that I’ve read recently:

The Presidents’ War: Six Presidents and the Civil War that Divided Them by Chris DeRose
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
The Man Who Would Not Be Washington: Robert E. Lee’s Civil War and His Decision That Changed American History by Jonathan Horn
Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s History-Making Race Around the World by Matthew Goodman
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan
The Jet Sex: Airline Stewardesses and the Making of an American Icon by Victoria Vantoch

This Week’s Theme: Reading

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I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but since the beginning of the year I’ve tried to maintain daily features and a weekly theme to tie my posts together a bit more.

I’ve also included my recent blogging classes – for the next two weeks I’ll be posting photos from Photography 101.

During Lent I’ve been posting a daily reflection, whatever stays in my head from my spiritual readings and thoughts. These are generally short but they’ve been open-ended, no agenda or word count.

As it hands, and as I mentioned in this morning’s prompt, it is Dr. Seuss’ birthday. He would have been 101 years old today, so this week I thought our theme would be reading, each day of the week a different genre. Today it is children’s books.

I have some favorites to share:

The Magic Tunnel by Caroline Emerson – kids, NYC subways, time travel, history.

It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw – white shapes on a blue background, great for the imagination and crafts with cotton balls. Good for laying in the grass liking up at the clouds. I also made a flannel board set to go with this book.

Castle by David Macaulay – the inner workings of building a medieval Welsh castle. All of his books are brilliantly written and illustrated and can be adapted for all ages. As a teacher I used them with preschoolers and middle schoolers. I recommend all of his works.

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola – beautiful, gentle work, both secular and religious. In fact, at the retreat center I just returned from, he drew the mural in their chapel in 1958. Again, I recommend all of his works.

Tomorrow we’ll look at history and historical fiction.

But I NEED It

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My number one rec on Thursday was if you forgot it, you don’t need it.

Well, I forgot my notebook for my retreat.

I was late, I was grabbing my suitcase and my messenger bag, and I forgot that my folio was between the two front seats.

They were long gone when I realized it but I still contemplated calling my husband to come back. The retreat director had already started and I was late.

At the break, I wandered through the center’s shop to see if they had any blank books.

They did not.

I used the bathroom right before the break was over and laughed ironically when I remembered item number one on my recent recs. Time to practice what you preach.

I don’t have the book.  I’m not calling my husband. I will improvise on Saturday and if I forgot it, I don’t need it.

When I came out, readily armed with my new positive, mature outlook, there was my son standing in the doorway holding my folio. I hugged him tightly and thanked him profusely.

Leonard Nimoy, 1931-2015

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Finding the words on a day like today is not an easy thing to do. The text message found me in the grocery store. It wasn’t a gasping shock after hearing about his health problem earlier in the week, but Leonard Nimoy was one of those few that were supposed to be immortal.

He was an inspiration to me, seeing him on television, growing up, he was a part of my family; not just my Star Trek family. I was born the same year as Star Trek, Star Trek being a couple of months older. I dreamt Trek, I wrote fan letters and fan fiction, I read the fan magazines, collected the trivia, learned Klingon, and through it all was the cast beside me in my living room, sharing the cheese doodles, memorizing lines.

And at the top of that list was Leonard Nimoy. Tall, dark, and handsome. Growing up Jewish, it was nice to have someone of my faith to look up to, that everyone loved. Even some of the Vulcan rituals were reminiscent of theology and customs I was already familiar with.

I watched all the Treks. My favorite movie is one that he directed: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. I remember him from Mission: Impossible and In Search Of, particularly the search for Noah’s Ark. His singing was…. well, he had a great sense of humor. Through all of his enterprises, whether acting, singing or inspiring, he showed the one thing that we all should value: No matter the outcome, try new things. You can never go wrong if you put yourself out there and do your best, and most important of all, have fun.

In the 90s, my husband (before he was my husband) and our friends went to many conventions. We were lucky enough to see Leonard with William Shatner in Manhattan and with Patrick Stewart in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, one of our road trips and well worth it.

Leonard Nimoy is a greatness in a sea of greatness, and he will be missed.

Live Long and Prosper, my friend.

Obituary

Retreat Recs

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1. If you forgot to bring it, you don’t need it.

2. If you need to check in at home, do that, but turn off your cell phone and give your family an emergency number to contact you at.

3. Dress comfortably, and it doesn’t matter what season it is, bring an extra sweater.

4. Safety First for Travel – flashlight, nightlight, doorstop, non-skid socks or slip-on shoes/slippers.

5. Bring a camera and a journal.