Fort Robinson at sunrise.
Here is something to think about on this Easter day.
Category: Ramblings Page 4 of 14
Tuesday morning was windy. It was so windy, I mentioned to Paul if I was still living in New York, I’d think a hurricane was coming, but this is western Nebraska, so it was just windier than usual. It would also turn out to be a good day.
On September 27, 2021, I pulled the plug on all my social media accounts. Despite my worries, it’s been absolutely worth it.
I am sure I will die soon. It is a matter of a few days. In this city, everyone is constantly waiting for death. I just want it not to be too scary. – testimony of a woman in #Mariupol
— Anastasiia Lapatina (@lapatina_) March 21, 2022
Translation: Russian warship, go fuck yourself.
Whenever tragedy occurs, humans attempt to make sense of the chaos it creates and often look for places of comfort when they feel helpless in meaningless tragedy. As the world watches the war in Ukraine unfold, artists have found their voices in art, regardless of its medium, to express themselves.
When I saw this picture this morning, it made me cry. British Neuroscientist Matthew Cobb, who occasionally blogs on Evolutionary Biologist Jerry Coyne’s “Why Evolution is True” blog, sent this picture to Jerry. It’s from a wall in Paris.
About three months ago, I had a conversation with someone about religion. I told this person about another conversation I had with a friend about the dark and dangerous turn America has taken. My friend remarked they were ready to leave the country permanently if the loud minority of conservative evangelical Christians get to have everything they want.
My friend worried these Christian Nationalists would come for people like me and him. I, too, have had these worries for quite some time. We’ve seen it time and again with authoritarian regimes. The intellectuals, the educated, the atheists, anyone who stands counter to what they demand are rounded up and executed.
I told the person I was having a conversation with there was still hope in the back of my mind that Americans would rise up against Christian Nationalism, but I’m not entirely sure this will happen. I also mentioned I do not like Christianity nor many of its adherents. It’s something I’ve struggled with for a long time. I wish I didn’t, but I do.
Today is the 50th day of the year and I thought I would take some time to reflect on how the year is going, especially since 2020 and 2021, were more bad than good.
A selection of books Paul and I own.
My grandmother taught me many lessons. The one I have never forgotten and took notice of was the day she pointed to her head and said, “Whatever you put up here, no one can ever take away from you.”
I’m not sure if it was an innate desire to learn, my grandmother’s guidance, or a little of both, but I have always loved to read and to learn. The majority of books I own and have read in life are nonfiction. The fiction I read has to have meaning and it has to teach me something.