Sunday, September 6, 2020

Conversation With "Frog Hospital's" Fred Owens: Avocados, BLT's, And Eschatology-Scatology


image.png

Dear Fred,

Thanks for your emails.

You're the only one who still calls me Arch - at least out loud to my face. 

I heartily approve all the names people wish to give me.

My pastor at Oakland Cathedral (St. Francis de Sales parish) ALWAYS called me John.

After a few years politely correcting him, I finally decided to revel in my unexpected good fortune of living a tiny bit of my life as "John" - slipping into another persona.

I think there's only been one John in the Archibald line, my great, great grandfather who immigrated to America from County Clare c. 1850. 

It appears that he spelled his name (or it was re-spelled for him upon entry by border guards) as John Archbold. 

John's wife Honora Leyden Archibald/Archbold - sailed as a 20 year old to Australia, and back -leaving her brother, Daniel, in Sydney.

Honora was the descendant of a mercenary Dutch soldier, (b. 1610-ish) who settled out in County Clare following his "service."

***

Avocados are a religion in my home too. (I currently have two that are "perfectly" ripe.)

I had a bumper apple crop this year. Thanks for asking. 

As a native of upstate New York "apple country" --  peach, pear, cherry and berry country too -- I'm particularly fond of my MacIntosh - a variety now marketed here in North Carolina.

Concerning your French Catholic family...

I've probably mentioned to you "the saying": "Judaism has become more of a fate than a faith."

The same might be said of Catholicism. 

I must say that -- judging by our St. Mike's experience of "Catholics born and bred" -- I wonder how long it will be before we join the chorus: "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got til it's gone?" 

Far from perfect, of course... 

But that's the point. 

There is now more fussy perfectionism in the world than ever. 

At least we knew how to sin within a context of moral inquiry.

"The terrible thing about our time is precisely the ease with which theories can be put into practice.  The more perfect, the more idealistic the theories, the more dreadful is their realization.  We are at last beginning to rediscover what perhaps men knew better in very ancient times, in primitive times before utopias were thought of: that liberty is bound up with imperfection, and that limitations, imperfections, errors are not only unavoidable but also salutary. The best is not the ideal.  Where what is theoretically best is imposed on everyone as the norm, then there is no longer any room even to be good.  The best, imposed as a norm, becomes evil.”  
"Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander,” by Trappist monk, Father Thomas Merton

Another great Merton quote among many: "Dread is a form of infidelity."



Recently, sister Janet subscribed me to "America" magazine, the Jesuits' premier publication, not only in the United States, but in the world I think. It was one of several Catholic magazines my Dad subscribed, along with the Catholic lay publication, "Commonweal," "U.S. Catholic," "St. Anthony's Messenger," and "Maryknoll Magazine" - still a freebie - which gets delivered to my home in both English and Spanish editions.

I woke up this morning with the firm resolve to forward you a fine "America" article about James Baldwin. 

Here it is: 

At Least Read The First Paragraph Of This "America Magazine" Story: "Reading Jame Baldwin Can Help Heal The Wounds Of Racial Division"


And finally, the problematic part of this email...

I know you have a lot on your plate, Fred, and I know this is not a good time to lay the following on you.

But there is no good time.

The best I can do is present "the issue" in the context of an email I just sent my Calgary neurologist friend - son of my Air Force general friend.

That way, you'll get a good sense what it's about, and whether you want to touch kryptonite.

Dear Arthur,

I think we've spoken of Umair Haque before.

Umair is the only columnist whose writing I always read.

Admittedly, his article below - which uses events in Kenosha as its point of reference - is very dark.

Although it may be my own darkness that resonates with Umair's view, I think there is at least a 50/50 chance he's basically right.

It "ALL" hinges on November's election, and even if that result is favorable, there is no certainty we'll be out of the woods.

"We Don’t Know How to Warn You Any Harder. America is Dying": Umair Haque


I still remain "guardedly optimistic" about November's outcome.

 But I also value FiveThirtyEight.com's recent assessment that Trump has a 29% chance of winning. (On the eve of the 2o16 election, Nate Silver's 538 gave Trump a 15% chance of winning - the same odds as losing Russian Roulette.)

 On one hand, I'm reluctant to circulate this information, especially to people like you who fight the good fight of "keeping hope alive."

 On the other hand, if we don't see this threat clearly, I think we will be less likely to surmount critical near-term hurdles.

 Speaking of "amor fati" and the frequently good outcomes that arise from bad situations, I will again mention my background passion promoting the idea that the moment is ripe for exploring possible division of the "United" States into two independent polities.  

Is It Time For Red States And Blue States To Collaborate On The Creation Of Two Nations?


If Joe wins in November - and Republicans persevere in their absolutely uncompromising obstructionism - what would happen if President Biden himself suggested --- just suggested --- that red states (basically the neo-Confederacy) seem to want to live in another world from the one blue states wish to live in?

And vice-versa. 

So, Joe says: "What's the deal, my friends? Do you want to be part of the United States which depends now -- as it did in 1787 -- on The Great Compromise? Or, not?"

It seems to me that Americans would be happy -- or, more accurately phrased, Americans would emerge from their intractable depression, divisiveness, hostility and rage -- if the United States were divided into two new nations.

Pax et amore

Alan

PS I fully understand that you may dislike the prospect of dividing the United States into two countries. On the other hand, if the idea attracts you, the Calgary Centre for Global Community may wish to promote examination of the idea, as a potentially productive prelude to Global Federation.

The United States Should Promote A "Hemispheric Federation"

(2015)
(Currently, five years after writing this post, I would make significant modifications to this essay. Chiefly, I would look toward ways of incorporating China into a Global Federation.)

***
Pax et amore

Alan

PS As near as I can tell, almost all "America's" magazine material is freely available online. Consistently thoughtful, conscionable, thought-provoking and deeply satisfying stuff. https://www.americamagazine.org/

image.png
Alan: I'm struck by how many precisely definable issues "Christian" "conservatives" won't even discuss.
Tom's observation is one of them.

Perhaps the most salient such issue is:

"The Love Of Money Is The Root Of All Evil" - An Open Invitation To Christian Conservatives
On Sat, Sep 5, 2020 at 9:23 PM AC wrote:

“Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day.  The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them.  Most people don’t see any.”  - Orson Scott
Our next dialogue will be like a box of chocolates (as usual): You never know what you’re going to get.   It’s on Wednesday September 9, starting at 6:30 PM.  The Zoom link provided by Greg is here:
Link:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3830471170?pwd=U3lXMnlnR29RWThJYzFXT2c1c1lYZz09
Meeting ID: 383 047 1170
Passcode: 727036
Greg MacGillivray 
Managing Director 
Scenarios to Strategy Inc. 
C: 403.605.6493   P:403.270.0232

Several topics have been suggested:
·       Universal Basic Income
·       Building our skill as dialogue artists
·       Helen Ostrowski’s project on the Trans-Canada Trail
I’ll add one more to the box:
Amor fati: Seeing the “problem” as an opportunity.
Amor fati is a concept from the Stoic philosophers, advising us to “Love whatever happens.”  How is that possible?  One way to approach it is to think of whatever happens as an opportunity for a creative response.  Had it not been for the war in Viet Nam, I might never have taken the path of global citizenship that I have taken.  My book on global citizenship might never have been written, I might never have become connected with the many brilliant Calgarians it has been my privilege to know.  I would never suggest that the US war on Viet Nam was a good thing, and yet it opened a door for me and when I walked through that door my life had a purpose.  And that is a good thing. 
War is a “problem,” the pandemic is a “problem,” and each of you if asked to do so could write down a dozen more “problems,” ranging from small ones to large ones.  Think of some of your favorite movies and there will probably be at least one key “problem” that was essential to making each of them a good story. 
So I’ll suggest the following exercise for our next dialogue if this appeals to you as a topic. 
1.    Define an interesting “problem.” (How you define it is important.)
2.    Explain how that “problem” could become a golden opportunity.
3.    Come up with at least three creative “solutions” (or responses) to the problem you have defined.
By Wednesday, I’ll send you the synopsis of a book that is highly relevant to this topic.
Please have a chocolate.
Arthur
On Sun, Sep 6, 2020 at 1:17 PM Fred Owens <froghospital911@gmail.com> wrote:

Arch, If you don't mind me calling you that, you're the only guy that I can email more than once a day, on account of your natural abundance. Also I send to you stuff that I self-censor in more public formats. Or contact you about more trivial matters, like what we are having for breakfast today  -- BLTs, actually BALTs counting the avocado, which is not essential but really tasty. Avos are like religion in SB. She is making five pieces of bacon in the microwave. Usually I fry the bacon but it is too hot today.

I dread the future. America is on its last breath it seems. I wonder if Kamala Harris ever thinks that way. I hope so. But I just saw her on CNN and she manages a pretty good smile. We need to cook up a scenario where Joe and she win and Trump  goes away. Anyhow I don't like to put such gloomy projections on Facebook even though so many people feel just like I feel.

How are your fruit trees doing?

I advised a friend who grew up in a large French Catholic family in New England. He is non-practicing but can't seem to shake the image and the teaching. I just said to live with it. I do. The Catholic church is the church I don't go to. But renounce it? Never.

all for now,

tu amigo,

Fred


Fred Owens
cell: 360-739-0214

My gardening blog is  Fred Owens
My writing blog is Frog Hospital




Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)