There’s nothing quite like studying history to change your life. No, I don’t mean this in the “those who do not know history are condemned to repeat it” divination of your future. Just as surely as language is equal parts communication and personal identification, a good analysis of history is a combination of knowledge and deep perspective that tells you something about yourself. It’s not about predicting the future, it’s about how you fit into the world right now.
Home » 2009 (Page 20)
Yearly Archives: 2009
Unallotted
For those of you who don’t live in Minnesota, USofA, I apologize. Our legislative session just ended with not a shout nor a wimper, but something of a wheeze. It was a lesson in political power and how to use it, or not use it, that I believe says a lot about the problem Democrats have generally. For that reason, I’ll offer my analysis of the event and let anyone who cares to throw darts at me. C’mon, I’m ready for a fight after this disaster!
A Short Fable
Sometimes, a fable can sneak into our heads in a way that cold, hard reality doesnt. That’s why I like writing stories like this.
Jeremy was not a bad squirrel, at least not in the sense that he deliberately tried to harm anyone. But he was selfish, looking out for himself whenever he had the chance. He lived in a nest made of oak leaves high above the place called Five Oaks, where the ancient oak trees grow so tightly together that a cool darkness sat on the forest floor all day.
Fountain
The fountain is on. Word goes through the neighborhood as if it has to, forming language to express what anyone hears well enough as the murmur of water. We say it to each other not because we have to tell the story, but because something deep inside us says we have express our joy. The Irvine Park fountain is on! It’s summer in Saint Paul, finally!
Knowitall
Think for a moment on how much you know about the world around you. If there’s a debate about banning a very useful chemical because some people have found it is toxic or dangerous, what is your opinion? If that’s too much, what do you know about how the operations of the Legislature that is debating your taxes and services for the next year? Perhaps we should try something simpler – how do you know if the sneakers you are wearing were made with child labor?
Perhaps you say, “I don’t care. I’m too bizzy to worry about it all. There are experts to handle these things, I’ll trust them.” Which ones do you trust? In the next election, do you vote based on an appeal to your guts because it sounds right, and what do you get for it?
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 