The times they have a'changed

© harrington

Hi. Thanks for stopping by. Yesterday morning was one of those times I really would have liked to have eyes in the back of my head. At the same time that the (almost) full moon was setting (see yesterday's post), the sun was rising looking like this through the mist. Once again some of us were faced with more beauty than we knew what to do with. Instead of staying where I was and enjoying the sunrise/moonset, like a d**n fool I climbed back into my car and headed off to the office. Taking time to smell the roses, or watch the sunrise, or notice that the beardtongue is past peak and the purple vetch is starting to bloom is good for me. I know that but don't follow my own advice often enough. Any of you have similar issues? Yesterday, the Daily Kos had a fantastic piece about two Robert Zimmermans. It made me realize how lucky my generation (talkin' 'bout, The Who) is to have grow up, and start to grow old, with the likes of Dylan and Baez and the first Earth Day (brought to you by a river that caught fire and air you shouldn't breathe and a silent spring or two). We shared civil rights marches and a sense that, if we all just worked together, tomorrow would be better. At least in those long, long ago, far, far away times our split seemed not that deep and shifted more like 55-45 or 60-40 instead of 1% and the rest of us. These days I fear that My Minnesota, together with the rest of my country, has lost its way and fragmented like the mercury from a broken thermometer. We have become contentious, litigious, and obnoxious to each other. Is it possible that much of our problem is based on all of us trying to be first to market, so that we get a first mover advantage? Have we lost our ability to measure value in any but monetary terms? When I first moved here, Minnesota was proud of its reputation as a state that worked. These days too many of us aren't working, are underemployed, or are working at cross purposes. Robert Zimmerman from Hibbing refused to be cast in the role of a topical singer. My Minnesotans, I hope, could equally refuse to be cast in the role of followers to leaders from either coast and could once again find our own drum to which we can march together into a reclaimed and restored prairie, supported by clean water, clean air and clean energy. Thanks for listening. Come again when you can. Rants, raves and reflections served here daily.