How to respond or offer commentary to such an essay that covers life, death, mystery, wonder, gratitude, stars and flowers- indeed all things both great and small, shining and dark, valued and ignored... how? Just to suggest, as I did once elsewhere to that title phrase, that we must join the things that ignore us and learn to ignore ourselves, to transcend that river of sensations, thoughts, visual and auditory perceptions, moods, musings, emotions, dogs barking, sycamores, steaming coffee, glinting frost, aching hearts... When we can ignore and transcend all these things that are ultimately us, Something very bright and wondrous emerges, we become radiant and vast, loving impartially..a song lovely beyond our greatest capacity to sing or hear... a song without singer or auditor.
Your artsy word salad is delicious! This is a profound and thoughtful essay that exemplifies the kind of nuanced thinking and the types of conversations that we need to embrace. There are no easy answers to our most pressing questions. I like your suggestion to nurture life so it can nurture us. I also try to follow the advice of stepping into love and using despair as fuel for personal growth. Your reference to wetland restoration in the Midwest is something I am working on here in IL. I visit the Wetland Initiative's Dixon Waterfowl Refuge as often as I can. It is an island of wildness that never ceases to amaze me. Thank you for writing such a wonderful essay.
Jason- Thanks for the gift of the thought “what ignores us saves us.” I’ve now been mulling this around in my head for days, had a conversation with my beloved about it, drawn connections with Bill Davison’s wonderful recent essay on disappearing among migrating robins, and Chloe Hope’s ever amazing writing in Death and Birds, particularly this recent line, “After all, the miraculous is always waiting to be seen. It is right there, and it is never concealed—though our cloudy lenses, made murky by drudgery and cynicism, sometimes impede the extraordinary view.“
Thanks too for all your links - especially to your previous writings.
If this is verified than I think yours and my worst fears may come to pass. One day will quickly become two, two will become three, become five, become eight- a death knell Fibonacci for so many species. I fear for our great grandchildren and all life for that matter.
How to respond or offer commentary to such an essay that covers life, death, mystery, wonder, gratitude, stars and flowers- indeed all things both great and small, shining and dark, valued and ignored... how? Just to suggest, as I did once elsewhere to that title phrase, that we must join the things that ignore us and learn to ignore ourselves, to transcend that river of sensations, thoughts, visual and auditory perceptions, moods, musings, emotions, dogs barking, sycamores, steaming coffee, glinting frost, aching hearts... When we can ignore and transcend all these things that are ultimately us, Something very bright and wondrous emerges, we become radiant and vast, loving impartially..a song lovely beyond our greatest capacity to sing or hear... a song without singer or auditor.
Your sublime essay.
Your artsy word salad is delicious! This is a profound and thoughtful essay that exemplifies the kind of nuanced thinking and the types of conversations that we need to embrace. There are no easy answers to our most pressing questions. I like your suggestion to nurture life so it can nurture us. I also try to follow the advice of stepping into love and using despair as fuel for personal growth. Your reference to wetland restoration in the Midwest is something I am working on here in IL. I visit the Wetland Initiative's Dixon Waterfowl Refuge as often as I can. It is an island of wildness that never ceases to amaze me. Thank you for writing such a wonderful essay.
Beautifully said Jason. Sending our love to you all.
Jason- Thanks for the gift of the thought “what ignores us saves us.” I’ve now been mulling this around in my head for days, had a conversation with my beloved about it, drawn connections with Bill Davison’s wonderful recent essay on disappearing among migrating robins, and Chloe Hope’s ever amazing writing in Death and Birds, particularly this recent line, “After all, the miraculous is always waiting to be seen. It is right there, and it is never concealed—though our cloudy lenses, made murky by drudgery and cynicism, sometimes impede the extraordinary view.“
Thanks too for all your links - especially to your previous writings.
Wishing you well.
Thank you for this wonderful essay.
Dear Jason,. This is very late to the conversation above and off topic, but I noticed this in the CNN newsfeed this morning:
https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/20/climate/2-degree-warming-limit-record-copernicus-climate-int/index.html
If this is verified than I think yours and my worst fears may come to pass. One day will quickly become two, two will become three, become five, become eight- a death knell Fibonacci for so many species. I fear for our great grandchildren and all life for that matter.