Sunday Musings – February 2, 2020
Talking walls
Today in the United States many will gather to see what the groundhog’s shadow predicts about winter weather for the next six weeks. It is, for many, a fun tradition.
I was thinking today of the fact groundhogs seems perfectly okay with their groundhogness. Sadly this seems not the case for many, if not most, of us humans. Us humans seems to all too often feel a need to prove that we are bigger, better, smarter, richer, more powerful, more religious, more moral or in some other way superior neighbors. Less we forget we have a host of labels to apply to ourselves and each other. There was a time when costumes played an even more significant role in reminding our neighbors who deserved respect. We still have vestiges of this tradition although in everyday life, we have had to revert to labels rather than particular types of garments to prove our status and thus our worth. Yet, being the creative species that we think we are, we continue to host ceremonies such as a recent awards ceremony featuring expensive garments showing or highlighting various body parts which seemed designed to test whether the viewer can appreciate that one is sexier than one’s peers without viewing one as a sexual object. Clergy also continue to don costume which purport to announce one’s pious closeness to the God of one’s understanding.
This week in the United States has also seen the public display of Senators and Congress people dressed in the grown-up costumes de jour failing to cover their various fears and insecurities. (In other words publicly showing their a----.)
While it is true that some of the animals thought to be less evolved than us humans have costumes and rituals designed to prove that they are the most desirable for mating; who fight over territories, and survive by killing and eating the meat of others, it would seem that only us humans disparage and do all we can to protect the reality of our humanness; humanness which is more similar to gods posited by the Greeks and others than the perfection of the gods who harshly look askance at our humanness.
Yet, in the privacy of my own home which is guarded (or is that observed) by Aleska the full range of my humanness is recorded. My angry rants, self-pitying tears, playful dances, slothful manners, and swellings of breast are recorded not only by Aleska but lodged deep within the wall of this house; so deep that fresh paint or new wall coverings will not mask them.
Today if it be true that the gods or god of my understanding determines my worth I will look to the groundhog who I strongly suspect is not only perfectly okay with his/her groundhogness but, even if having communicated with the walls in my house which retains all me secrets, is neither impressed with nor revolted by my humanness. In fact, I seem to have heard a voice emanating from my yard this morning. “Good morning human.” There were no accolades and no judgements, just good morning.
Written February 2, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
Talking walls
Today in the United States many will gather to see what the groundhog’s shadow predicts about winter weather for the next six weeks. It is, for many, a fun tradition.
I was thinking today of the fact groundhogs seems perfectly okay with their groundhogness. Sadly this seems not the case for many, if not most, of us humans. Us humans seems to all too often feel a need to prove that we are bigger, better, smarter, richer, more powerful, more religious, more moral or in some other way superior neighbors. Less we forget we have a host of labels to apply to ourselves and each other. There was a time when costumes played an even more significant role in reminding our neighbors who deserved respect. We still have vestiges of this tradition although in everyday life, we have had to revert to labels rather than particular types of garments to prove our status and thus our worth. Yet, being the creative species that we think we are, we continue to host ceremonies such as a recent awards ceremony featuring expensive garments showing or highlighting various body parts which seemed designed to test whether the viewer can appreciate that one is sexier than one’s peers without viewing one as a sexual object. Clergy also continue to don costume which purport to announce one’s pious closeness to the God of one’s understanding.
This week in the United States has also seen the public display of Senators and Congress people dressed in the grown-up costumes de jour failing to cover their various fears and insecurities. (In other words publicly showing their a----.)
While it is true that some of the animals thought to be less evolved than us humans have costumes and rituals designed to prove that they are the most desirable for mating; who fight over territories, and survive by killing and eating the meat of others, it would seem that only us humans disparage and do all we can to protect the reality of our humanness; humanness which is more similar to gods posited by the Greeks and others than the perfection of the gods who harshly look askance at our humanness.
Yet, in the privacy of my own home which is guarded (or is that observed) by Aleska the full range of my humanness is recorded. My angry rants, self-pitying tears, playful dances, slothful manners, and swellings of breast are recorded not only by Aleska but lodged deep within the wall of this house; so deep that fresh paint or new wall coverings will not mask them.
Today if it be true that the gods or god of my understanding determines my worth I will look to the groundhog who I strongly suspect is not only perfectly okay with his/her groundhogness but, even if having communicated with the walls in my house which retains all me secrets, is neither impressed with nor revolted by my humanness. In fact, I seem to have heard a voice emanating from my yard this morning. “Good morning human.” There were no accolades and no judgements, just good morning.
Written February 2, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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