Thoughts - October 31, 2016

“When the Populist congressman "Sockless" Simpson of Medicine Lodge, Kansas, misspelled his hometown while running for office, he said, "I wouldn't give a tinker's durn for a man who can't spell a word more than one way.”
― William Least Heat-Moon, PrairyErth.

This got a chuckle out of me this morning...the twists we can put on anything, eh? I have great respect for spelling and grammar (I am the sort to twinge inwardly every time I hear a grammatical error...thank you, Mom!). Yet, as a teacher of memoir writing, I tell my students to forget all about those things, even to ignore the lines on the page, and let the thoughts flow. There is a time to go back and edit. As I grow older, I've come to accept the balance of life and letting go of some of my rigid thoughts. But....I'm still not sure the misspelling of one's hometown falls under this flexibility - Buckhannon (WV) poses a challenge to many a youngster and the pride of spelling it correctly is right up there with s-u-c-c-e-s-s! - Beth Almond Ford

Thoughts - October 29, 2016

“It’s okay to get lost every once in a while, sometimes getting lost is how we find ourselves.” 
― Robert Tew

Lost and found. Finding one's self. I sometimes thought people used that catch-phrase to excuse some behaviors, to free up some inhibitions. Perhaps we have all used it a time or two. And, truth be known, it is not all that hard to get lost from ourselves. We do it through workaholism, substances, filling our minds with fluff, obsessing, lots of negative ways. And sometimes we just choose to ignore the self, denying it is even worth pursuing. I think that is why we are commanded to do three things - love God, love our neighbor, and love our selves. It gives substance and a reason to our every existence. Whew. - Beth Almond Ford

From Episode 26

"Any path to knowledge is a path to God—or Reality, whichever word one prefers to use." - Arthur C. Clarke

From our Episode 26 - Boobs in Space.

Thoughts - October 28, 2016

"It is also possible to be a pain in the rear about truth, or anything else. I have been helped sometimes by an old yogic saying, 'Truth is good, but it also needs to be helpful, necessary, and kind.'" Stephen Gaskin (in a "Sun" magazine interview).

Do you know what is difficult for me in that statement? The "necessary" part. If it's not 'necessary', I need to think twice....not just jump in and let loose, stirring the pot, strutting my stuff because I (think) I know the 'truth'. Well, the truth of the matter is that an emphasis needs to be placed on the helpful and kind part. This isn't always easy. Many years ago, a man I was engaged to was cheating on me. A close friend didn't tell me. When I asked her later about it, she said, "I'd never seen you so happy; I couldn't be the one to burst that bubble." I'm not sure if that was helpful, necessary, or kind not to reveal the truth, but it was understandable. We struggle with this 'truth' issue, recognizing it is not always clear-cut, even when we "do unto others" what we hope they'd do for us. Be gentle. - Beth Almond Ford

Thoughts - October 27, 2016

“You can disagree with another person's opinions. You can disagree with their doctrines. You can't disagree with their experience.”
― Krista Tippett, Speaking of Faith.

I seem to be having quite a few different doctrines thrown my way lately - a religious pamphlet in my PO box, a visit to my home by two women of a certain faith wandering my neighborhood, a magazine article featuring Steve Gaskin (of the Farm, in TN). I read it all - sometimes simply shaking my head, occasionally interested enough to do some follow-up on my own, always fascinated at how everyone is so different! How do we all arrive at such different perspectives? Certainly family tradition, often emotional strings being pulled, and, hopefully, through our own prayer and study and meditation. I come from a Methodist background where John Wesley recognized the importance of "experience" in the mix. I learned early on to respect another's experience, even if I could not accept it as my own. These are the stories of folks' lives. - Beth Almond Ford

Thoughts - October 26, 2016

Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature."

Nature has some amazing masterpieces - a fine arts museum of views, statues, music....I see it on my walks - in the vistas, the rolling meadows, the unusual trees and rock formations, the birds and the running water. But in a friend...ah, now there is a masterpiece, indeed. There is the person who has delved into your mind and likes what he/she sees. A cord of familiarity, trust, and mutual understanding connects the two of you. Whether there are a few or many, friends are the extra spice in that favorite piece of gingerbread. - Beth Almond Ford

Thoughts - October 25, 2016

The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out. -Thomas Babington Macaulay, author and statesman (25 Oct 1800-1859)

Well, do I dare tackle that quote?! (and without coffee, I might add...where we are staying at the beach has a cafeteria and I will get coffee at 7:30). Surely most of us have a moral compass, a conscience, that keeps us from doing horrific things. But then there are the deviances we just might do if our mothers would never know. Before I dig myself into a hole with talking about some of those, think about what Mr. Macaulay is saying. He was writing a century ago, a time religious fervor was quite strong. Whether "others" would find us out for dipping into the till or beating our spouses, many would believe that God would know. In these modern times of computers and devices and drones and cameras on lamp posts, we are watched in a variety of ways. Our thoughts remain our own, however, and the question may be asked: what would we think if no one would ever know? - Beth Almond Ford