Last week I flew on Airtran. No problems, except I always have a very hard time opening their pretzels bag. There are instructions on the bag about how to eat the pretzels but no clues for opening the bag.
I, many times, like to chat up my seatmates if they seem agreeable. It's a good thing about being older. Nobody thinks I'm hitting on them, just being friendly - or a nuisance.
But this time the man sitting next to me appeared unfriendly - even sinister. He was a young African American, wearing a hoodie with the hood up. Dreadlocks poking out. He wasn't sleeping. He looked straight ahead.
So I left him alone.
But then I was struggling with the pretzels.
He reached over and gently took the bag from my hands. Then said, "I'll open it for you."
He handed it back. Our palms touched. I said, "Thanks."
It was a tender moment.
***
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Moms and Babies
Two articles in the same paper having to do with moms, babies and hospitals named St. Joe:
Story # 1
Sister Margaret McBride was a senior administrator of St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix. Last year a 27 year old mother of four was admitted. She was 11 weeks pregnant and very ill. Lifesaving treatment required terminating the pregnancy. Along with Sister McBride a team consisting of the patient, her family, her doctors and the Ethics committee made the decision to save the mother's life.
Sister McBride was excommunicated.
The bishop's office said, "The mother's life cannot be preferred over the child's."
Story # 2
As we all know, there are way too many C-sections in the country. St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul has the lowest C-section rate in the country. Just one in 10 babies is delivered surgically. This wasn't always the case.
St. Joe's executives attribute the low use of C-sections to - women turning back to midwives.
"Midwives are trained to see labor as (a natural process)."
"We OBs are trained to see labor as a disaster waiting to happen."
Both of the stories above have to do with Catholic Church/Hospitals. To me, the difference in the decision making has to do with who made them.
Moms decided to take charge of their bodies and go back to midwives and natural birth when possible.
The decision to excommunicate the nun was made by old men who've chosen to separate themselves from real life.
***
Story # 1
Sister Margaret McBride was a senior administrator of St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix. Last year a 27 year old mother of four was admitted. She was 11 weeks pregnant and very ill. Lifesaving treatment required terminating the pregnancy. Along with Sister McBride a team consisting of the patient, her family, her doctors and the Ethics committee made the decision to save the mother's life.
Sister McBride was excommunicated.
The bishop's office said, "The mother's life cannot be preferred over the child's."
Story # 2
As we all know, there are way too many C-sections in the country. St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul has the lowest C-section rate in the country. Just one in 10 babies is delivered surgically. This wasn't always the case.
St. Joe's executives attribute the low use of C-sections to - women turning back to midwives.
"Midwives are trained to see labor as (a natural process)."
"We OBs are trained to see labor as a disaster waiting to happen."
Both of the stories above have to do with Catholic Church/Hospitals. To me, the difference in the decision making has to do with who made them.
Moms decided to take charge of their bodies and go back to midwives and natural birth when possible.
The decision to excommunicate the nun was made by old men who've chosen to separate themselves from real life.
***
Monday, May 31, 2010
Getting Sensitized
There are a number of things about which I no longer have to be sensitized. I'm already "green." I'm all about helping powerless people - and so on. But once in a while I hear something so powerful that I say to myself, "Yes, I finally get it."
Yesterday the minister at Dave's church had some good examples of how he became sensitized to the importance of caring for all of God's creatures.
He once knew a man who was concerned about the ethical treatment of animals. The man got caught up in presenting a court case against those guys at the carnival who give away those little baggies of gold fish.
It turns out that up to 90% of the bagged gold fish don't make it home alive.
Now the minister didn't say this but he intimated that he thought that giving a significant portion of your time and passion to this project is, well, nuts.
But then years later he visited a very contemporary art show in England. One exhibit presented a blender full of water and gold fish. The essence of the art was to see whether or not the persons walking by would turn on the blender.
This is wrong o n so many levels.
Last week this same minister unavoidably hit a deer with his car. This was years after the gold fish incidents so he's a very sensitive person in this area. Severely injuring the deer was traumatizing for him.
All this got to the gulf coast oil issue.
Besides being scared out of our wits for our own future, are we being sensitive to the pain and suffering to many of God's creatures (including humans) that's going on right now?
***
Yesterday the minister at Dave's church had some good examples of how he became sensitized to the importance of caring for all of God's creatures.
He once knew a man who was concerned about the ethical treatment of animals. The man got caught up in presenting a court case against those guys at the carnival who give away those little baggies of gold fish.
It turns out that up to 90% of the bagged gold fish don't make it home alive.
Now the minister didn't say this but he intimated that he thought that giving a significant portion of your time and passion to this project is, well, nuts.
But then years later he visited a very contemporary art show in England. One exhibit presented a blender full of water and gold fish. The essence of the art was to see whether or not the persons walking by would turn on the blender.
This is wrong o n so many levels.
Last week this same minister unavoidably hit a deer with his car. This was years after the gold fish incidents so he's a very sensitive person in this area. Severely injuring the deer was traumatizing for him.
All this got to the gulf coast oil issue.
Besides being scared out of our wits for our own future, are we being sensitive to the pain and suffering to many of God's creatures (including humans) that's going on right now?
***
Friday, May 28, 2010
Me and Plays
Last night we went to the great Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis to see M Butterfly. Prior to the play we had dinner with friends.
What an evening. I loved it all. Oh, except for the play!
What's with me and plays these days? Unless it's funny or inspirational or full of music or all of the above - and I'm sitting really close to the stage, I have a tough time sitting through plays.
As you know, M Butterfly is a (sort of) true story of a French diplomat in China who falls for a Chinese opera diva who's actually a man but the French diplomat doesn't find that out until 20 years into their affair.
Well, alrighty then!
Actuality, the play isn't on trial. Since opening on Broadway in 1988 staring John Lithgow and B. D .Wong (Law & Order, SVU) it's had tremendous critical acclaim.
So it's not the play. It's me. I found it depressing. I thought both characters were selfish and of course, the diplomat was clueless.
But then one of the points of the play is that tall, white, Western males ARE clueless.
I told the others on the way home how, when I'm in Florida without Dave, I've taken to going to dinner with friends, then when they get up to go to the play I get up and go home.
Am I getting old or what?
***
What an evening. I loved it all. Oh, except for the play!
What's with me and plays these days? Unless it's funny or inspirational or full of music or all of the above - and I'm sitting really close to the stage, I have a tough time sitting through plays.
As you know, M Butterfly is a (sort of) true story of a French diplomat in China who falls for a Chinese opera diva who's actually a man but the French diplomat doesn't find that out until 20 years into their affair.
Well, alrighty then!
Actuality, the play isn't on trial. Since opening on Broadway in 1988 staring John Lithgow and B. D .Wong (Law & Order, SVU) it's had tremendous critical acclaim.
So it's not the play. It's me. I found it depressing. I thought both characters were selfish and of course, the diplomat was clueless.
But then one of the points of the play is that tall, white, Western males ARE clueless.
I told the others on the way home how, when I'm in Florida without Dave, I've taken to going to dinner with friends, then when they get up to go to the play I get up and go home.
Am I getting old or what?
***
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Confronting the President
Two of our former president's wives have new books out. Laura Bush in "Spoken from the Heart" spills the beans about herself - and she looks very beautiful in her interviews.
But I've been a little more interested in Roslynn Carter's book "Within Our Reach - Ending the Mental Health Crisis." Mrs. Carter has had a passion for this cause for almost 50 years.
Did you know that one in four Americans suffers from mental illness?
Probably not because we still try to keep it a secret or ignore it and hope it will go away.
Most interviewers have played softball with Mrs. Carter - most likely because she's 83 years old - but I think she can still handle herself.
In the book she tells a funny story about when Jimmie was running for governor of Georgia. One night when he was campaigning Roslynn got in line to speak with him. He was surprised to see her but she simple said,
"What are you going to do about people with mental illness?"
This reminded me that when Jimmie Carter was first running for president - and nobody knew who he was - he had a room in a hotel in Miami and anybody who wanted could have a private audience with him.
So my husband, Ken, drove to Miami and had 15 minutes alone in a hotel room with future President Carter.
Ken asked Mr. Carter what he was going to do about a whole lot of things.
***
But I've been a little more interested in Roslynn Carter's book "Within Our Reach - Ending the Mental Health Crisis." Mrs. Carter has had a passion for this cause for almost 50 years.
Did you know that one in four Americans suffers from mental illness?
Probably not because we still try to keep it a secret or ignore it and hope it will go away.
Most interviewers have played softball with Mrs. Carter - most likely because she's 83 years old - but I think she can still handle herself.
In the book she tells a funny story about when Jimmie was running for governor of Georgia. One night when he was campaigning Roslynn got in line to speak with him. He was surprised to see her but she simple said,
"What are you going to do about people with mental illness?"
This reminded me that when Jimmie Carter was first running for president - and nobody knew who he was - he had a room in a hotel in Miami and anybody who wanted could have a private audience with him.
So my husband, Ken, drove to Miami and had 15 minutes alone in a hotel room with future President Carter.
Ken asked Mr. Carter what he was going to do about a whole lot of things.
***
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Waking Up Is Hard to Do
Neil Sedaka was on NPR this morning. We all know that his song "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" was a huge hit a long time ago but Neil Sedaka has been a successful songwriter for over 50 years.
The interviewer was teasing him about the song title because Neil's been married to the same woman for over 50 years as well.
All of this reminded me of an article I read last week in the Star/Tribune (by the way, still a fine paper even though it's shrunk like the rest of them.)
In 1991 this local group of five male nurse anesthesiologists formed a singing group. You've probably never heard of them but they've sold 20,000 plus CDs and have had 5 million views on YouTube.
The reason they remind me of Neil Sedaka is because they sing parades.
"WAKING UP IS HARD TO DO."
Don't take my tube away from me.
I'm trying to breathe, oh, can't you see?
Take it out, and I'll turn blue,
'Cuz waking up is hard to do.
"THE LITTLE OLD LADY WITH HER FRACTURED FEMUR"
"SCOPIN' USA"
"WE'VE ONLY JUST ONE LUNG...to breathe."
(For after hemorrhoid surgery)
"RING OF FIRE"
I woke up with a burning ring of fire,
This group has the improbable name "the Laryngospasms." Named for a rare vocal-cord closure during the late stages of anesthesia.
If you have any interest in checking them out look up: Videos of the Laryngospasms.
Watch the "Waking Up"...video first.
***
The interviewer was teasing him about the song title because Neil's been married to the same woman for over 50 years as well.
All of this reminded me of an article I read last week in the Star/Tribune (by the way, still a fine paper even though it's shrunk like the rest of them.)
In 1991 this local group of five male nurse anesthesiologists formed a singing group. You've probably never heard of them but they've sold 20,000 plus CDs and have had 5 million views on YouTube.
The reason they remind me of Neil Sedaka is because they sing parades.
"WAKING UP IS HARD TO DO."
Don't take my tube away from me.
I'm trying to breathe, oh, can't you see?
Take it out, and I'll turn blue,
'Cuz waking up is hard to do.
"THE LITTLE OLD LADY WITH HER FRACTURED FEMUR"
"SCOPIN' USA"
"WE'VE ONLY JUST ONE LUNG...to breathe."
(For after hemorrhoid surgery)
"RING OF FIRE"
I woke up with a burning ring of fire,
This group has the improbable name "the Laryngospasms." Named for a rare vocal-cord closure during the late stages of anesthesia.
If you have any interest in checking them out look up: Videos of the Laryngospasms.
Watch the "Waking Up"...video first.
***
Friday, May 21, 2010
Does God Have a Sense of Humor?
I think God absolutely has a sense of humor.
"The Nature of God" is a heavy theological controversy but almost everybody has an opinion, though they might not phrase it that way.
A while back, on The Daily Show, Jason Jones did a piece on a minister who teaches Mixed Martial Arts in the name of Jesus.
It's called "Extreme Ministries." Jesus is depicted as the ultimate fighter.
In this ministry there's a lot of head splitting and teeth flying out.
I guess we all have some ideas for God about how he could do a better job of getting his word out. The cartoon above is from a recent New Yorker Magazine.
I tend to get my ideas about what God is like from the Bible, especially the N.T. A careful reading of the Gospels shows Jesus, mostly, as a totally loving, peace loving, cheek turning, humble, forgiving (did I mention loving) God/Human.
Yes, he got angry. But, by far, he was most irritated by his followers.
And, yes, God has a sense of humor.
Hey, get that telephone pole out of your own eye before poking at that speck in mine. (Matt. 7:1-5 Paraphrased)
By the way, the above scripture is all about judging other people. Apparently we're not supposed to do it.
Other evidence of God's sense of humor: God puts up with me.
***
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