[MD] Changes in 2011

[John Carl]

Greetings Tim,

Here's where the heart of the issue lies:


> The over-riding question: what progress?
> The second question: and how is Marsha the Dam preventing it?
>
> But, I want to ... get behind these.
>
>
John:

Right there - "behind these".  That is the crucial point, eh?  For what lies
beneath, behind, beyond - these are the issues of import.  These are the
issues which take digging and deconstructing and analyzing.  This is why
we're here instead of pursing some more mundane and self-gratifying task.

I agree completely.

I almost started a new thread because its a new year.  We humans seem to
need these restarts, these reboots, these new beginnings where we throw out
our old cuppa tea leaves and look anew at old questions.  Pirsig mentioned
in ZAMM, the broad and shallow streams of consciousness, and offered us a
way of deepening and broadening our streams.  Which is what, I assume,
attracts all to this endeavor.   So here's to the seasonal flow, the sudden
flood that cuts through the silt and carries away the detritus of an old
year.  An annual occurance, when it isn't disrupted and controlled by
river-blocking dams.

Which brings us to... "Marsha the Dam"?  Mebbe.  But my sense is that this
is entirely a good thing.  Every oyster needs that sand of irritation in
order to generate a pearl, and to the MoQ, Marsha's recalcitrance is that
grain of sand.  I'm very glad that you seem to grasp this Tim and point it
out with your eloquent defense:

"People engage Marsha, benefit from her
highly rational and intellectual defense, and then, once they have,
again, concluded that they are happier with the leap of faith they have
made, and that they are not converted to Marshaism, they utter some
names, make fun of her defense, which they benefited from a good deal,
and they account everything she gave them, which she gave for free, as
naught.  IF she really offered them naught, and if it were really years
of repetition, people would ignore her! "

I believe you nailed it on the head there, and all I can say is that you
prop up my faith in the value of discourse.  Reading between the lines is a
very important skill.  Glad to see that it's alive and well.

As far as me and Lu and my personal life, I should make some clarifications
and corrections and explanations.  Because that whole episode has been
largely been misconstrued.  And when a writer has been largely misconstrued,
who's fault is that?

Looking back on it, I think the big mistake was posting the James Taylor
song, "Fire and Rain" along with my narrative.  That's a very powerful song
with a powerful emotional punch and I included it in my story because of
another thread I'd been contemplating and working on.  A story of how I
learned that song in Miss Anne Rocha's 6th grade guitar class, on the day
that my pony got killed by the Scotts Valley Police.  It was a highly apt
song in that context, but not so much between Lu and me because there's a
finality in death that can't be translated to our marital relations.  At the
same time, there's a necessity to following the rhythms of marital
necessity, that don't have anything to do with real dying, but seem like it,
nevertheless.

Let me explain.  For all of our 22 years of married life, I've been the
provider and Lu has been the housewife.  However, due to the economic
situation current, carpenter/contractors aren't in such demand these days
and on the other hand, I've always believed that one day, after the kids
were mostly on their own, Lu would go out into the workforce and develop her
skills and experience.  Not just because we get bored with our roles, but
because it's a good thing to be prepared in case something happens to the
breadwinner of the family.  This shift requires a sort of death in the
family - a death of the normal roles we are used to, so that we can explore
new ways of being.  This all came about this year and trying to describe it
caused some confusion.  Not just here on MD, but in our lives as well.

Well, that's what happens when you step outside of the tried-and-true
patterns and go on to something new.  It scares people.  As it so happens
tho, it's all turned out pretty well.  Lu is established in a new job doing
something she loves - teaching art, and I'm shifting careers now to be a
truck driver.  I've also gotten a chance to work on a novel the last few
months and everything is going well.

There was also some concern, mostly expressed on the part of Adrie and dmb,
that my strategy of playing off foreclosure against building condemnation
wouldn't work out - which was how was the accusation of Po White Trash came
about.  Personally, I look at it from a completely different perspective.  A
sort of "tao of pooh" evasion of overweening social control.  I thought this
forum might get some value from sharing that perspective, but I probably
could have done a better job communicating it.

It's hard to communicate the meaning of one's actions, at the same time one
is actually living one's life.  The day only has so many hours!

So, back to the over-riding question:  What progress?  We are born, we live,
we die.  So I ask again with you, what progress?  Horse envisions progress
as the debate of politics and the MoQ.  I think he's right on.  That's
really where the progress lies - influencing people toward the good in a
mass way.  I vote we go that way, and agree with you also to leave off the
scapegoating of Marsha or Bo or me or anyone who contributes to the
conversation.

A new year, a new focus.

Take care,

John