Sunday Musings – September 24, 2017
It has been my habit for many years to listen to Prairie Home Companion on Saturday night with Garrison Keeler as host. Garrison is now retired from that program. Chris Thile is now the host. I still, when home, listen to it, but must admit it has been difficult not comparing Garrison and Chris. Both are very bright, talented individuals. Both bring many talents to the program.
One of the regular features of the program when Garrison Keeler was host was the report from Lake Wobegon. The report would usually begin with “It has been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon.” He would then go on to report what some might have labeled as the gossip. He would relay stories of people in his fictitious community of Lake Wobegon. The segment was enjoyable because he had a way of talking about the everyday joys, hurts, and fears which create the dance which consumes much of the life of those living in a close knit community. He would poke fun in a way which left the listener knowing that he was simply embracing the humanness of all of us.
Some or perhaps many of us no longer live in a community surrounded by extended family and people we have known since we were very young. Many do. In the community in which I am living there are many people who have lived here their entire lives and continue to be surrounded by extended families and friends who occasionally get angry at each other and do not speak. Everyone knows who is struggling with addiction, whose children are the super achievers whose only purpose in life is to make everyone else’s children look inadequate, who may be cheating with someone else and even how much money a person really has. When tragedy strikes this same group of people gather with helping hands, their signature casserole, and an abundance of love. This is community.
Even for those of us who have moved a lot during their adult lives and have not lived in the same community in which they grew up can and often do experience a sense of community when there is a major floor, hurricane, tornado or another natural event. Recently in Houston, Southern Florida, the Caribbean Islands and India old hurts, slights, and other grievances have been put aside to gather as a community to share hands and any other resources that they have.
Humans are tribal by design. Some part of us knows that we are meant to gather with and for each other to celebrate, grieve, laugh and provide all manner of practical help. At the same time, most of us need some measure of privacy or alone time. Sometimes when we live in close quarters with each other as we now do in many places in the world we have a difficult time balancing the need for alone time and the need for community. Sometimes we are very restrictive in who we accept as community. We divide by so called class, wealth, color, age, profession and all manner of artificial differences. Last night while I was nursing a cold I watched the movie Titanic. On this ship were those with old money, those with new money, those is steerage section, the officers, the other “help” and those who did the hard work of shoveling the coal to feed the engines. One’s worth or lack thereof is determined on the basis of these artificial divisions. When the young artist from the steerage compartments falls in love with the woman from the first class compartment some cheer and some are very upset. Yet, in the end, when the ship is destroyed and eventually sinks all that is left is a large community of people many of whom will die.
It has been a quiet week here in Wheeling, West Virginia. We have danced as a community and as individuals. We have hurt ourselves and each other and we have loved each other. We have created and we have destroyed. We have become invested in our little life dramas and, yet, in the end we know we are community.
I go to the gym, the green grocer, a local restaurant and I visit with various ones. While visiting I incidentally shop, eat, enjoy a local play production, get new brakes on the car or buy stamps at the post office. I now order on line, particularly on Amazon a which does not allow me to visit. Now, however, I have Alexa and I can visit with her while ordering from Amazon. Yes, I know, that she is not the friends working at the green grocer or the gas station. I know she is not “real” but I even she allows me to act as if ….
Here in Wheeling, West Virginia it has been a quiet week. People are loving or hating local or national politicians, for or against the roads project, judging or identifying with those struggling with addiction and other “dis eases”, getting cars repaired, shopping at Lowe’s and, yes, gossiping about and with each other. It is community.
Now off to the gym I go to visit while I incidentally exercise.
Written September 24, 2017
It has been my habit for many years to listen to Prairie Home Companion on Saturday night with Garrison Keeler as host. Garrison is now retired from that program. Chris Thile is now the host. I still, when home, listen to it, but must admit it has been difficult not comparing Garrison and Chris. Both are very bright, talented individuals. Both bring many talents to the program.
One of the regular features of the program when Garrison Keeler was host was the report from Lake Wobegon. The report would usually begin with “It has been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon.” He would then go on to report what some might have labeled as the gossip. He would relay stories of people in his fictitious community of Lake Wobegon. The segment was enjoyable because he had a way of talking about the everyday joys, hurts, and fears which create the dance which consumes much of the life of those living in a close knit community. He would poke fun in a way which left the listener knowing that he was simply embracing the humanness of all of us.
Some or perhaps many of us no longer live in a community surrounded by extended family and people we have known since we were very young. Many do. In the community in which I am living there are many people who have lived here their entire lives and continue to be surrounded by extended families and friends who occasionally get angry at each other and do not speak. Everyone knows who is struggling with addiction, whose children are the super achievers whose only purpose in life is to make everyone else’s children look inadequate, who may be cheating with someone else and even how much money a person really has. When tragedy strikes this same group of people gather with helping hands, their signature casserole, and an abundance of love. This is community.
Even for those of us who have moved a lot during their adult lives and have not lived in the same community in which they grew up can and often do experience a sense of community when there is a major floor, hurricane, tornado or another natural event. Recently in Houston, Southern Florida, the Caribbean Islands and India old hurts, slights, and other grievances have been put aside to gather as a community to share hands and any other resources that they have.
Humans are tribal by design. Some part of us knows that we are meant to gather with and for each other to celebrate, grieve, laugh and provide all manner of practical help. At the same time, most of us need some measure of privacy or alone time. Sometimes when we live in close quarters with each other as we now do in many places in the world we have a difficult time balancing the need for alone time and the need for community. Sometimes we are very restrictive in who we accept as community. We divide by so called class, wealth, color, age, profession and all manner of artificial differences. Last night while I was nursing a cold I watched the movie Titanic. On this ship were those with old money, those with new money, those is steerage section, the officers, the other “help” and those who did the hard work of shoveling the coal to feed the engines. One’s worth or lack thereof is determined on the basis of these artificial divisions. When the young artist from the steerage compartments falls in love with the woman from the first class compartment some cheer and some are very upset. Yet, in the end, when the ship is destroyed and eventually sinks all that is left is a large community of people many of whom will die.
It has been a quiet week here in Wheeling, West Virginia. We have danced as a community and as individuals. We have hurt ourselves and each other and we have loved each other. We have created and we have destroyed. We have become invested in our little life dramas and, yet, in the end we know we are community.
I go to the gym, the green grocer, a local restaurant and I visit with various ones. While visiting I incidentally shop, eat, enjoy a local play production, get new brakes on the car or buy stamps at the post office. I now order on line, particularly on Amazon a which does not allow me to visit. Now, however, I have Alexa and I can visit with her while ordering from Amazon. Yes, I know, that she is not the friends working at the green grocer or the gas station. I know she is not “real” but I even she allows me to act as if ….
Here in Wheeling, West Virginia it has been a quiet week. People are loving or hating local or national politicians, for or against the roads project, judging or identifying with those struggling with addiction and other “dis eases”, getting cars repaired, shopping at Lowe’s and, yes, gossiping about and with each other. It is community.
Now off to the gym I go to visit while I incidentally exercise.
Written September 24, 2017
RSS Feed