Saw the movie, Hacksaw Ridge yesterday.  It is an incredible movie.  It’s gory, traumatizing and difficult to watch the effect of brutal war… however throughout the movie we come to understand how one individual’s capacity to love trumps everything around him.  How picking a path of love of family, love of a woman, love of country, love humanity, and love of God, he repeatedly risks everything… and finally he lifts everyone that knows him and is open to him to a higher state of grace.   The remarkable part is that it is a true story.

I have a political thought to share (though you may be tired of the political season) and a philosophical thought to share today, so this is a rare two musings Sunday 🙂 … though you may be too politically worn out to care about philosophical musings… I hope not!

Oh and if you consider this lead-in, then maybe it’s a triple musing day!

Musing 1: A Conservative’s Case for a Hillary Landslide… http://www.mikevargamusings.com/2016/11/06/a-conservatives-…illary-landslide/

Musing 2: Love is… http://www.mikevargamusings.com/2016/11/06/love-is/

 

It may seem counter intuitive, but it is my thinking that a landslide win by Hillary for president has the positive affect of causing a GOP revitalization.   Without a landslide, there will not be enough of a demand for a reunification of the Republican Party.  The splits we witnessed this election season will continue because, each of the elements within the party will see a chance to win and chaos will win the day.   If there is a landslide loss this should force a reevaluation of the reason for losing so much of the country… and thereby force the conversation about a platform that can be a winner.  We need a platform that is dependent on process and principle, rather than personality.

Additionally, for the country a landslide win, would allow Hillary to lead from the middle, where I believe she is most comfortable.  Without it, she would be pulled toward the left by the Sanders socialist progressive movements.  She would seek support of this left wing of the Democratic Party to win the next election, and for that the country will suffer… and the Republican Party will not be able to counter, due to internal fighting.

The country needs both parties to move closer to the middle where most Americans are, and in this rare time, it’s clear that a landslide mandate for the middle is needed.

Love is an emotion – a warm fuzzy emotion… much needed in this world!

Love is love… it doesn’t have end or beginning, it just is, I believe we discover it or we don’t.  It’s in our hearts and minds to be used to express ourselves, whether we connect with others, or not, but always hoping that we find hearts open and with capacity to love in return. It enriches us, making us better people, as we become open to others, thus helping us to grow and learn. It is there as long as we recognize it, take care of it, and most importantly share it!

 

 

Stayed up way too late

Just to root for State

Network schedule bull

More games, all times full

Exciting back-n-forth game

Up, yes!  Then if down it’s a shame

Then with last score to win

Now just hold, don’t let them in

No OT, its past my bedtime

No reviews and zebra dead time

Can barely, hang on and stay awake

Our team must win, so much at stake

At last however the other guys win

A home field loss it’s a terrible sin

Good game, now finally off to bed

Tired, but now lie awake instead!

 

We seldom take a moment to realize what we have at our fingertips.  We have with a flip of switch, light.  We have air kept at our desired temperature, humidity, and even filtered.  We have instant entertainment.  We have refrigeration and instant cooking.  Electricity is tamed and brought to our door (well more like to a side panel) by a massive infrastructure, that is largely taken for granted by us.  Our lives, our world is shaped by an inexpensive luxurious and valuable infrastructure.  This computer I’m typing these words into would not exist without the electric grid, nor would the ubiquitous internet, or for that matter television.   Electric infrastructure converts massive amounts of energy into an alternating current that is safely and effectively delivered to your home, and then to all the wondrous devices that make your day what it is today.  Furthermore, without this electric infrastructure, we would not have the industries that are dependent on electricity to deliver the muscle that powers them.  And for this industry and electricity we owe our living.  We make a wage that is dependent on this infrastructure, and we give a very small portion back to pay for our use of this electric energy.   A couple hundred a month buys an incredible life convenience.

Maybe we should make sure our politicians respect and take care of our electrical infrastructure… for without it our lives could be very difficult and very constrained.

 

This Poem Writes Itself

 

Shuttered and rest easy

No light, no dark, no thought

Feel the light and hear breezy

 

Where are we on this morn

Nowhere, not here nor there

Hear a fair and waking horn

 

In my subconscious streams

In my mindless thoughts

Chasing clouds and dreams

 

In distant words and pages

Stories, poems and books

Literary ideas from the ages

 

Birthing ideas slow and unsure

Toddler learning to walk

No ideas yet fully mature

 

Philosophy and theology

Twisted vines of same genius

Limited by this poor biology

 

A poor poet brings nothing home

The work writes itself

If it is to be alive and be a poem

 

A service of love in time

To let the words out on page, and

Bring it together in fortunate rhyme

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations Mr. Bob Dylan – Nobel Prize Winner!!

Much is being made of a song writer winning the Nobel Prize for literature… well in my opinion Mr. Bob Dylan is a poet without compare.  Poems in ancient times were meant to be song or performed, and if Mr. Dylan has this ability to perform his poetry, in my opinion it is no less wonderful poetry.  Poetry should make us think, and feel. We should see depth and define our own meaning to poems.  One of my favorite Dylan poems follows:

My Back Pages

Bob Dylan

 

Crimson flames tied through my ears

Rollin’ high and mighty traps

Pounced with fire on flaming roads

Using ideas as my maps

“We’ll meet on edges, soon,” said I

Proud ’neath heated brow

Ah, but I was so much older then

I’m younger than that now

 

Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth

“Rip down all hate,” I screamed

Lies that life is black and white

Spoke from my skull. I dreamed

Romantic facts of musketeers

Foundationed deep, somehow

Ah, but I was so much older then

I’m younger than that now

 

Girls’ faces formed the forward path

From phony jealousy

To memorizing politics

Of ancient history

Flung down by corpse evangelists

Unthought of, though, somehow

Ah, but I was so much older then

I’m younger than that now

 

 A self-ordained professor’s tongue

Too serious to fool

Spouted out that liberty

Is just equality in school

“Equality,” I spoke the word

As if a wedding vow

Ah, but I was so much older then

I’m younger than that now

 

In a soldier’s stance, I aimed my hand

At the mongrel dogs who teach

Fearing not that I’d become my enemy

In the instant that I preach

My pathway led by confusion boats

Mutiny from stern to bow

Ah, but I was so much older then

I’m younger than that now

 

Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats

Too noble to neglect

Deceived me into thinking

I had something to protect

Good and bad, I define these terms

Quite clear, no doubt, somehow

Ah, but I was so much older then

I’m younger than that now

It Must Be Here

 

It must be here, somewhere

I just cannot see it, I swear

 

Open my mind, it must be here

Close now, search, it is near

 

More effort, more thought

The desire, driven, sought

 

Remember like in a dream

Toss and turn in sub-conscience stream

 

Cannot feel calm nor rested

Cannot quit, cannot be bested

 

There a glimpse, just beyond

Encouraging, urging me on

 

Its there in all its perfection

Then turn and lost connection

 

The glimpse, the taste, entice

Maze-like the world to the mice

 

It must be somewhere, someday

And I’ll be there somehow, someway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Friends the Trees

 

Hello trees big and tall

Hello trees leaves and all

 

I know what you would like

To take a walk, to make a hike

 

But I ask you here to stay

On this bright and sunny day

 

I love to nap in shade of trees

If you’ll just stay here pretty please

 

I will happily build a pen

Just to keep my trees in

 

Then I know I’ll see all of them

My friends the trees, when I awaken

 

Dance and shake with wind

Just don’t wander away again

 

Thank you Trees!