quiltersmuse.com Blog

No doubt about it. Unless people are dishonest or simply don’t care about others in the world, most have opinions when it comes to the hot topics of politics, race and religion. Some folks prefer to be silent publicly on all three topics. Others, historically speaking, have shared their thoughts with the world, in one manner or another. “Safe” way to do so is through the arts. Look at Picasso’s painting, “Guernica” with its disjointed figural representations. The abstract painting represents the discordance and chaos of the Spanish Civil War that began in 1936. Look at the lyrics of Bob Dylan, a now celebrated folksinger and song writer. At the height of his popularity, he was a “kid,” a war protester on the marginal edge of society. In one song, he told Congressmen to get out of the way “if you can’t lend a hand, for ‘the times they are a-changin’.” His friend, Joan Baez, sang the memorable song, “Children of Darkness,” another war protest song.

Indeed, the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam war combined to make the 1960s a turbulent time.Today, the times are indeed changing, and not for the better. Spending is out of control in America. What is the main cause? The funding of the war machine adds to our national deficit daily, and is a total drain on our resources. And who does Congress want to pick on to help subsidize this folly? The poor, the elderly and those least able to care for themselves. A society is only as strong as its weakest link!

Political ideology that engages in a view of changing a world order via the use of violence is not matching facts. Instead of solving problems, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have only created a financial disaster that we now face. Some people want to place the blame on our president. No matter how good his intentions are or how clear his vision for the country was at the outset of his administration, he has been thwarted by those who represent their greedy, rich constituents who gain their own wealth by taking advantage of common American citizens.

Unregulated banking practices with spiraling interest rates have plunged many a person into a debt level that seems to have no end. Michael Moore, a “leftist” film maker, has documented the practices of Wall Street. Many of my own personal friends have been given a “pink slip” on a moment’s notice, and shamed by being marched out of their long-time work places, severance check in hand, and held up to ridicule of their co-workers (who also wonder if they will be the next chosen). It is a fine kettle of fish!

The trouble is, no one is paying attention to business. That fact becomes readily apparent in seeing signs along the highway: “Please – No Texting While Driving.” I asked my dear husband, “What idiot would text while driving?” He replied, “Teenagers?” Hmm… it seems to me that we are all “plugged in” to too great an extent. During her little speech last night, a speaker’s cell phone began chiming from a purse hung over her shoulder. We have to be “on call,” at all times. Other people who might want our attention are more important than the person with whom we are currently engaged!

The bottom line is that no one seems to be fully present “in the moment,” nor paying attention to the bottom line. We need to start looking at History in a serious way to learn lessons from it and stop repeating actions, such as wars that are doing nothing but harm to the people of our own country. We need to stop coddling the rich while we turn our backs on the disadvantaged, the veterans, and the elderly. Most of all, we need to hone our own skills of frugality and learn to manage our own resources of time and money. Maybe our small scale efforts will rub off on government practices.

Be well.

Patricia Cummings

Dyer’s Chamomille photo by James Cummings

I love it when people post thoughts with meaning, especially ideas that one can incorporate to live a better life. One such thought is this: “No one can call a day successful until he has done a favor for someone else that cannot possibly be repaid.”

This concept is totally different from another one I heard this week: “In business, it is always important when making any decision to figure out ‘what’s in it for me’?” – a phrase remembered by the acronym, WINFM.

To some extent, it is only natural for humans to try to calculate the positive consequences of any action, whether on a conscious or subliminal level.

I think I like the first thought better. Doing a favor with no expectation of a return of any kind is like “casting bread upon the water.” Karma, that great unknowable force in the universe seems to indicate that “what you put on the table is what you get in return” – the words of a Bill Staines folksong. When we help someone, whether that person is a friend or a stranger, we feel good about ourselves.

A Facebook friend asks, “If I am here to help others, why are they here?” I responded by saying something to the effect that “they are here to enjoy whatever we give them for free.” Even to myself, that seems like a cynical statement. Often, the ways in which we are repaid are intangible or will never be known. We don’t usually know when our favor has inspired someone to be kind to another person. At the moment, I am thinking of times we’ve pulled up to a toll booth and the car in front of us has already paid the fee. In current jargon, the act represents a notion called “paying it forward.”

Today, I’ve spent some quiet time thinking about the state of the economy. If everyone could implement kindness as part of their so-called “business plan,” we’d all be ahead of the game. If insurance companies and medical establishments or any for-profit businesses would stop trying to see how much they can gouge the public for needed goods and services, the better off America would be. Right now, the divisiveness is between the “haves” and the “not haves.” The “haves” are making it more difficult for everyone to live while they amass their monetary fortunes, in figures that result in more piles of pennies than I could even imagine.

What happened to the good old days when bartering was the watchword? There was more of a spirit of sharing rather than competition. If I needed a new pair of leather shoes, perhaps you could use apples from my tree or eggs from my chickens or I could make you some trousers in return… (recalling 19th century stories, in so saying).

The concept of “pay it forward” is a good one, as is the idea of sharing talents or services that can never be repaid. In doing so, you may improve your own happiness quotient. Works for me!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications