Equinox seems like a great time to level the playing ground. A good time to focus on an egalitarian community of equal opportunities and resources. Imagine such a world —pretty amazing for the whole as well as each individual. Everyone would have health care, natural wholesome food to eat, a roof over their head, clothes to keep them warm, and meaningful work to satisfy their spiritual yearnings. Maybe it’s time for us women, the glue of society, to speak out for a better world. One that caretakes all the children of mother earth and even mother earth herself.
I’ve been sick the past few weeks. This is quite unusual for me but not feeling well always gifts us with time to think. My symptoms were a cough, congestion, and no energy. I understand I am quite lucky.
It seems many other’s possessed with the crud creeping across southeast Ohio have had even more uncomfortable symptoms. The cough caught my attention, however, on a “what’s this mean on another level” kind of thought process. Coughing is like barking at the world, a desire to be heard, a need to speak and express oneself. Thus I have been stimulated to begin my journey into the world of blogs.
It is time for women to speak and- to be heard. That is the tricky part. We are not always listened to as our position in this patriarchal society has not afforded us much presence. Women’s work is hidden and is thus not fairly compensated, respected, or valued yet where would society be without it? Women’s work may not be worth much monetarily but its absence would have devastating effects. Women’s work provides much wisdom and insight into human intentions and relationships. It allows one to witness the actions and motives of an individual from a very young age and throughout development.
The chiefs in the American tribes may have been male but they were monitored by the wise woman council. These elder women possessed a decision making power that super-seeded all others in the tribe. Their opinions were honored and carried much weight in the workings of the community. These feminine elders could see within the hearts and souls of their people and guided them towards actions that put the well being of the group ahead of any individual.
These times are quite challenging. The tsunami and nuclear chaos in Japan leaves much for each of us to think about and digest. Though I do not have tv, I have seen a few newscasts. It is amazing how healthy the Japanese people look- no obesity in this society. I heard a story about a woman over 80 who peddled her way out of the approaching tsunami- these people must be in pretty good shape as well. They are cooperatively working together to rebuild their lives. They have lost much but they maintain faith and a determination to restore their lives. There is no looting or violence or putting oneself above another. We have much to learn from these people.
These are challenging times that offer many gifts as well. It is time to look deeply, within our souls, within our communities, within the world- and make choices based on 7 generations, not the immediate presence. We can do it, so lets start NOW.
Blessings,
Cindy Parker
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Sounds of the Watershed
When I moved into Meigs county about twelve years ago, I was so excited to be moving to the country, to finally live in the peace and quiet of nature. I quickly fell in love with the beauty of the environment. My grandma immediately loved the place. We called her lala grandma because she was in her own little world, always happy and cheerful but a bit forgetful and senile. She might not remember what she ate for breakfast but she always remembered the farm she grew up on. “Any place this green,” she told me, “has to be good for you.” I had to agree. While I’ve always loved the fall colors, I was now drawn to the many shades of green that gradually filled in the hillside during the spring.
The spring sounds made an even greater impression on me, however. This evening I am grateful for the symphony penetrating the walls of this home for it is a sure sign that spring has sprung. As the days grow warmer, the birds gather in greater numbers around the feeders, singing of hope and new beginnings. I love watching them dart around the yard and hearing their unique individual expressions. I wish I was good at identifying and naming them, but I am content to listen ignorantly. There is one sound, however, that I do know and eagerly listen for every spring- the sound of the peepers.
A neighbor born and raised around here told me that when you first hear the peepers, they will look through glass three more times. This doesn’t mean that we will see frost three more times but that there will actually be ice on the edges of the ponds and wet lands that they look through. They started doing their mating call a little over a week ago. It iced last night and this morning I saw the first blooms on the forsythia. According to another long time local resident, it will snow two more times after the forsythia blooms. If the old wives tales are true, spring is on schedule and doing its natural thing with two more icy nights still ahead.
I know where the peepers are usually the loudest and intentionally take that route home this time of year despite the rutted road conditions. To my surprise, this year the loudest spot so far has moved slightly. Driving down Carpenter Hill Road the other night, they were louder where Cotterill Road dead ends into Carpenter Hill. There is a wide open field here that floods several times a year. It has been especially wet this spring. A lot of melting snow in addition to the spring rains has put that field under water several times already. It has been even louder there than the spot where I normally stop my car, turn out the lights, and just listen.
This spot is where you turn off of Carpenter Hill Rd. onto side hill and cross the little stone bridge. It is not unusual to see humans and herons fishing here when there is still daylight but at night the area is deserted. Just past the bridge, before you encounter any houses, the peepers are insanely loud. My friend Kevin and I drove there last year at night just to listen and experience one of the first signs of spring. When we got out of the car, the noise was so deafening we had to get back in the car. We rolled down the windows and the car muffled the noise enough to take the edge off so we could enjoy this concert of nature.
I can hear them outside now. They are not as intense as they are on Side Hill but a most welcome sign not only of spring and hope but to me, of perseverance and strength. The peepers have never failed to appear a single spring in the entire time I’ve lived here. Their voices are loud and lead me to ponder why they do not negatively affect me the way noise from man made machinery did.
I almost moved away from this creek and this area a few years ago because of noise pollution. The sanctity of my peaceful home was violated by the constant hum of a saw mill and the various machines that ran from sun up to sun down. The blue herons who nested in the trees across the road vacated the premises as did the buzzards that used to roost in the leafless trees by the corner. I loved these birds and used to watch them through the binoculars from the porch. They chose to move but like the peepers, I chose to stay and send as much healing energy to the environment as I could. My 93 year old friend who was a dowser assured me that the nature spirits were glad I was here.
That was enough to stimulate me to stay. Despite the rise in my blood pressure and the many tears I shed, I loved this land. I would crank up the stereo in hopes of drowning out the noise from the machines or if it was too overwhelming, I would leave for the day to get that constant hum out of my head. The view of dead trees piled high was easy to avoid but the noise posed a much bigger challenge. I never expected this, after all, I moved into a “green” neighborhood and this was worse than the land development, toxic spraying, and disregard for nature that I had experienced thus far in my life.
I decided to plant a grove of trees but that was way more money than I could afford or work I could perform alone. I tried to appeal to my “green” neighbors to work together towards a reasonable solution for all but those pleas fell on deaf ears, after all it wasn’t affecting them negatively. When I had finally come to accept that there was nothing I could do to stop the noise, I received a visit from a more distant neighbor who had just had a sawmill start up next to him. He was devasted by the noise and sought legal advice which he later shared with me. To make a long story short, there is no longer a saw mill next to me and I am again enjoying the peaceful quiet place in the country I had dreamed of.
My blood pressure has returned to normal and my physical and mental health has improved. Over-night guests from the city no longer complain of being awakened too early by noisy machines. My company and I can once again sit on the back porch without being driven inside to hear our conversation. Seems there is a nuisance law in the state of Ohio and though it is designed to protect humans, I feel it can also protect the wild life.
The green herons have come back to the trees by my pond. They aren’t much bigger than a regular size bird but when they fly, the crook in their neck is quite distinct. There is a great blue heron that occasionally lights on the pond but that is rare. The buzzards soar over head and maybe one day they will again gather in the trees at the corner where I used to stop and chat with them. Even though the big blue herons have not returned to roost in the trees opposite my property yet, hope springs eternal and I still eagerly await their return.
It is our love for nature that inspire us to protect the environment. Just as we must speak up for and protect the children, the elderly, and the sick, all who are vulnerable, it is also our responsibility to speak up for and protect the critters- the winged ones, the creepy crawlers, the 4 leggeds, and the finned ones. I give gratitude to the peepers, for always being there in the spring, for teaching me perseverance and most especially for bringing me joy. Just as strawberries and asparagus are a most delicious treat when in season, so are the sounds of nature.
The spring sounds made an even greater impression on me, however. This evening I am grateful for the symphony penetrating the walls of this home for it is a sure sign that spring has sprung. As the days grow warmer, the birds gather in greater numbers around the feeders, singing of hope and new beginnings. I love watching them dart around the yard and hearing their unique individual expressions. I wish I was good at identifying and naming them, but I am content to listen ignorantly. There is one sound, however, that I do know and eagerly listen for every spring- the sound of the peepers.
A neighbor born and raised around here told me that when you first hear the peepers, they will look through glass three more times. This doesn’t mean that we will see frost three more times but that there will actually be ice on the edges of the ponds and wet lands that they look through. They started doing their mating call a little over a week ago. It iced last night and this morning I saw the first blooms on the forsythia. According to another long time local resident, it will snow two more times after the forsythia blooms. If the old wives tales are true, spring is on schedule and doing its natural thing with two more icy nights still ahead.
I know where the peepers are usually the loudest and intentionally take that route home this time of year despite the rutted road conditions. To my surprise, this year the loudest spot so far has moved slightly. Driving down Carpenter Hill Road the other night, they were louder where Cotterill Road dead ends into Carpenter Hill. There is a wide open field here that floods several times a year. It has been especially wet this spring. A lot of melting snow in addition to the spring rains has put that field under water several times already. It has been even louder there than the spot where I normally stop my car, turn out the lights, and just listen.
This spot is where you turn off of Carpenter Hill Rd. onto side hill and cross the little stone bridge. It is not unusual to see humans and herons fishing here when there is still daylight but at night the area is deserted. Just past the bridge, before you encounter any houses, the peepers are insanely loud. My friend Kevin and I drove there last year at night just to listen and experience one of the first signs of spring. When we got out of the car, the noise was so deafening we had to get back in the car. We rolled down the windows and the car muffled the noise enough to take the edge off so we could enjoy this concert of nature.
I can hear them outside now. They are not as intense as they are on Side Hill but a most welcome sign not only of spring and hope but to me, of perseverance and strength. The peepers have never failed to appear a single spring in the entire time I’ve lived here. Their voices are loud and lead me to ponder why they do not negatively affect me the way noise from man made machinery did.
I almost moved away from this creek and this area a few years ago because of noise pollution. The sanctity of my peaceful home was violated by the constant hum of a saw mill and the various machines that ran from sun up to sun down. The blue herons who nested in the trees across the road vacated the premises as did the buzzards that used to roost in the leafless trees by the corner. I loved these birds and used to watch them through the binoculars from the porch. They chose to move but like the peepers, I chose to stay and send as much healing energy to the environment as I could. My 93 year old friend who was a dowser assured me that the nature spirits were glad I was here.
That was enough to stimulate me to stay. Despite the rise in my blood pressure and the many tears I shed, I loved this land. I would crank up the stereo in hopes of drowning out the noise from the machines or if it was too overwhelming, I would leave for the day to get that constant hum out of my head. The view of dead trees piled high was easy to avoid but the noise posed a much bigger challenge. I never expected this, after all, I moved into a “green” neighborhood and this was worse than the land development, toxic spraying, and disregard for nature that I had experienced thus far in my life.
I decided to plant a grove of trees but that was way more money than I could afford or work I could perform alone. I tried to appeal to my “green” neighbors to work together towards a reasonable solution for all but those pleas fell on deaf ears, after all it wasn’t affecting them negatively. When I had finally come to accept that there was nothing I could do to stop the noise, I received a visit from a more distant neighbor who had just had a sawmill start up next to him. He was devasted by the noise and sought legal advice which he later shared with me. To make a long story short, there is no longer a saw mill next to me and I am again enjoying the peaceful quiet place in the country I had dreamed of.
My blood pressure has returned to normal and my physical and mental health has improved. Over-night guests from the city no longer complain of being awakened too early by noisy machines. My company and I can once again sit on the back porch without being driven inside to hear our conversation. Seems there is a nuisance law in the state of Ohio and though it is designed to protect humans, I feel it can also protect the wild life.
The green herons have come back to the trees by my pond. They aren’t much bigger than a regular size bird but when they fly, the crook in their neck is quite distinct. There is a great blue heron that occasionally lights on the pond but that is rare. The buzzards soar over head and maybe one day they will again gather in the trees at the corner where I used to stop and chat with them. Even though the big blue herons have not returned to roost in the trees opposite my property yet, hope springs eternal and I still eagerly await their return.
It is our love for nature that inspire us to protect the environment. Just as we must speak up for and protect the children, the elderly, and the sick, all who are vulnerable, it is also our responsibility to speak up for and protect the critters- the winged ones, the creepy crawlers, the 4 leggeds, and the finned ones. I give gratitude to the peepers, for always being there in the spring, for teaching me perseverance and most especially for bringing me joy. Just as strawberries and asparagus are a most delicious treat when in season, so are the sounds of nature.
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