Come Sit at the Table

There is a house on a road near where I live that has had, since the pandemic started, signs on its mailbox post with inspirational messages.  I have been so thankful for these signs that I sent a card to the elderly couple that live there, thanking them for being a bright spot whenever I have to out into the world to accomplish some task or another.  I don't know them, but since I could see their address, I figured a card would get to them.  I can't help but want to be appreciative for their delivery of positivity into a world that often seems devoid of it.  The message today is this:

Be curious and wonder.

That is such a perfect message for a blog to the Honors community.  Honors, at its core, is about curiosity.  It's about preserving the wonder that we too often lose as we age and grow more and more aware of the pain and darkness around us.  Rather than pull inward, we have to celebrate the wonders that the world has to offer us.  We have to stop and see the small, beautiful moments that are around us every day.  From birds in the trees to someone holding the door open for someone else.  When our mouths are covered, we have to look into the eyes of others and when we smile, we have to smile with our whole face, so that those smiles can be seen.  We have to take the time to explore perspectives and lives that are different than our own.  And that, my friends, leads me to the topic of our talk this week.  On Wednesday, from 5:00 - 6:00, I hope you will join us for a talk called "All are Welcome At My Table: Inclusive Heathenry."  I asked Burdock, our guest speaker, to share with me what they felt was the 'elevator pitch' for their topic, since it is one I know so very little about myself.  This is what they said...

"The media is heavy with imagery of blond-haired, blue-eyed Vikings. There is an insidious assumption one has to look like that sort of Viking if you want to walk the path of Norse spirituality. Norse symbology has been commandeered by the alt-right movement and there are related factions within the broader Nordic belief system that are dangerously exclusive and focus on bloodline and privilege. Inclusive heathenry is the shield wall raised against those factions, and that wall protects the more vulnerable members of our community. Because all are welcome in the inclusive heathen community. Learn more about the Norse path, why I use the term ‘heathenry’ instead of ‘asatru’, why I am protective of the Othala rune, and why Declaration 127 is so important."

Some of this I understand, much of it I do not.  But I have wondered about it.  I am curious.  I've been watching my husband play Assassin's Creed: Valhalla.  I saw him play God of War.  I read Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman.  I have laughed at Loki's antics in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  I have asked Burdock to pull runes for me when they offer.  But, these have only made me more curious.  And now, I will have the chance to hear more about this.  Maybe you want to hear more, too.  Come, join us at Burdock's table.

Be curious and wonder.

April Flowers, Mother Earth

This is Earth Week, did you know?

A time to celebrate the planet on which we live, even as it wakes up from the long sleep.  There is so much more green these days, have you noticed?  More sunlight and an energy in the air that has long been lacking.  There really is no better time to talk about how we can individually make a difference in the fate of our planet.  So, I have asked a friend and colleague to come and talk with us.  When I asked him to write a blurb about the talk, this is what he said...

Join us this Wednesday when John Bateman (Conservation) talks about the history of Earth Day, the current state of our environment, and what individuals can do to lessen their environmental impact.  John will cover the specific events leading up to the environmental movement, including extinction and pollution, as well as how they helped the environmental movement gain inertia.  He will also cover contemporary issues, like climate change and single-use plastics, and how we, as individuals, can make changes that will benefit our planet without sacrificing our lifestyle. ​

I don't know about you, but this sounds like something I can really find some lasting value in.  I can walk away from this talk with some definitive changes I can make to how I function in the world that may contribute to leaving a lasting legacy for the children of humanity.  I hope you will join me.  An hour of time for a lifetime of choices about how to leave less harmful footprints around us.

And so, I'll leave you with a choice about whether or not to join us.  And with two quotes between which I could NOT choose.  Have a lovely day!

“The Earth is a fine place and worth fighting for.”
—Ernest Hemingway

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”
—Jane Goodall