ONE. As Haiti is devastated by another earthquake, I think back to a blog post from 2010 in which I wrote:
Haiti has always struggled mightily
to survive on her own terms.
She’s strong, I know.
I just wish the universe would quit testing her.
And here the Haitian people are again, facing more death, destruction, and heartbreak.
TWO. As the Taliban moves closer to regaining control in Afghanistan, I think back to those days of feeling completely enraged/overwhelmed/defeated by how easily Bush/Cheney & Co fear-mongered the U.S. into invading and occupying Afghanistan. I distinctly remember sitting on my patio, drinking a beer, and laughing/crying as I read David Rees’s GET YOUR WAR ON.**
The one good constant in all this is that my patio table remains the same
The clip-art strips were and continue to be profane, hysterical, and spot-on in the framing of how we lost our collective minds after September 11, 2001. (**Lather. Rinse. Repeat. for the invasion/occupation of Iraq, covered in GET YOUR WAR ON II)
THREE. Once again, I’m feeling enraged, overwhelmed, and defeated. There’s so much good we could be doing for one another on a massive scale and yet, people continue to think the military is the answer to every issue, despite all evidence to the contrary.
FOUR. So here I am (again) turning to nature to soothe my soul.
August 14, 2021
Tracy Abell 
It was depressing…so much bad news.
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Absolutely. I had to take a long break from reality. Hope you’re hanging in there, finding joy.
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It does go on and on. You can’t help but feel for the people whose lives are affected, and hope somehow things get better.
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Absolutely. It feels neve-rending and if it hits us this hard as observers, it’s got to be crushing and exhausting for those involved.
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Thank goodness we can take a dose of nature….the best medicine.
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Nature truly is the best medicine, especially potent if there’s some laughter thrown in.
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I hear you Tracy!
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I hope you’re doing as well as can be expected, Mark.
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Hi Tracy,
Pam Rowell here. My apologies for lurking for awhile before commenting. Really love your family, thoughts, reflections and writing. Not to mention, actually to mention, your integrity, such a relief in these troubled times. Today’s post soothes my heart a wee bit with the humanitarian disarray the world is in, looking to nature for calm doesn’t disappoint. Thank you.
Alan and I both retired and now in Idaho… go figure. Alan still works a bit when we are home which has been a lot the past year and a half. Clearly, we had planned to be on the road more, but nooooo. Zoe in Portland working for a solar company as a project manager, Kipp about to embark on last year of nursing degree in Seattle. has been with us off and on last two years. We are healthy and have a sweet spot near the foothills, greenbelt, and coffee shop. We miss Alaska, but winters and teaching became too much. Wanted to be nearer to kids as well. Idaho works mostly for now if we ignore the politics and Q-anoners. Yikes.
Wish you the best and big hugs!
Love, xoxoxoxo, Pam, never to be a music teacher again
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