Well, I haven't had much time to write but I've had my thinker on overtime lately. I just read a most interesting book, with quite an amusing title: Crunchy Cons: How Birkenstocked Burkeans, gun-loving organic gardeners, evangelical free-range farmers, hip homeschooling mamas, right-wing nature lovers, and their diverse tribe of countercultural conservatives plan to save America (or at least the Republican Party)
Well. What a title. I thought it would be an amusing read.
It started out cute and amusing. Rod Dreher, the author, was living in New York, working at the National Review, of all places, and told his editor he needed to leave early to pick up his share of the organic produce co-op delivery in their neighborhood. He says his editor "made the kind of face I'd have expected if I'd informed her I was headed off to hear Peter, Paul and Mary warble at a fundraiser for cross-dressing El Salvadoran hemp farmers."
I laughed myself off my chair at that one, but as I progressed through the book, I found this one of the most personally challenging reads I've had in a very long time. Rather like the time a friend convinced me years ago to try listening to Rush Limbaugh--I didn't like him personally. Still don't. But he was talking about how Reagan's tax cuts INCREASED revenue. Well, no they didn't. I was alive during the 80's. I read the news, watched TV, voted. Reagan's tax cuts ruined the country.
Well, um, I was always TOLD that, anyway. Limbaugh challenged me (OK, not me PERSONALLY) to look it up for myself. I had just recently quit my Ph.D. program in political science--I knew where to look. Imagine my utter astonishment when I found out Limbaugh was right. It was like being told that the moon really was made of cheese, after all. Or perhaps that it didn't even exist and was just an illusion made up by the TV station.
Gulp. Well, that moment and the subsequent re-evaluating of "What do I REALLY believe, anyway?" took me from being a pro-choice ACLU member who attended Socialist Party functions, to a pro-life libertarian.
Dreher has just challenged my assumptions again.
This is NOT just a book about conservatives who want to eat healthy. I am guilty there--I'm almost embarrassed to be caught in the Whole Foods Emporium with my Bush bumper-sticker on my van. What will people think? Republicans don't eat seitan and organic radicchio. :-)
Or do they? I'd known for years that there was a fair segment of homeschoolers who took food more seriously than most, eating organic and whole foods and vegetarian and every other strange possibility out there. I knew this because I met some, and because I am one. I'd occasionally vaguely thought, "Well, isn't this odd. We're conservative mostly Republican homeschoolers who eat like hippies." But I'd never analyzed it.
Dreher has. He has taken a whole slew of atypical conservatives and boiled the phenomenon down to sets of basic principles, then illustrated how "countercultural" conservatives are living out their beliefs in the public arena today.
It was startling to me how strongly I identified with Dreher's "Crunchy Con Manifesto" and how well it explained many other rather odd things about me. For instance, my opposition to our local "Event Center" which we recently built in our community. All the Republicans were solidly behind it--it was pro-business, pro-jobs, good for the community! But to get this nightmarishly modern building, we not only took tax money, but we tore down a fine old turn-of-the-century Greek-inspired public auditorium. I LOVED that building! It had character, it had refinement. The floor boards were scratched in places, the acoustics left something to be desired, the steps to the basement were rounded and scuffed by the treading of thousands of feet. We had local craft fairs, flea markets, local performances there. Now we have this big, new, hideous glass-and-angles carpeted expensive monstrosity. The craft fairs and flea markets are not going to be able to afford the fees of this new building. What are we going to get instead? I don't know, but I'll bet it'll not be nearly as helpful to the local community nor as friendly and attractive to the average town citizen. They are hoping to attract business conferences from around the country--but we are two hours from decent sized airports.
WHY would a free-market conservative oppose such a plan? Well, it became clear to me after reading the Crunchy Con Manifesto:
1. We are conservatives who stand outside the contemporary conservative mainstream. We like it here; the veiw is better, for we can see things that matter more clearly.
2. We believe that modern conservatism has become too focused on material conditions, and insufficiently concerned with the character of society. The point of life is not to become a more satisfied shopper.
3. We affirm the superiority of the free market as an economic organizing principle, but believe the economy must be made to serve humanity's best interests, not the other way around. Big business deserves as much skepticism as big government. (This one is the hardest for me personally to wrap my enthusiasm around)
4. We believe that culture is more important than politics, and that neither America's wealth nor our liberties will long survive a culture that no longer lives by what Russell Kirk identified as "the Permanent Things"--those eternal moral norms necessary to civilized life, and which are taught by all the world's great wisdom traditions. (Russell Kirk is new to me, but I am looking up more from him now!)
5. A conservatism that does not recognize the need for restraint, for limits, and for humility is neither helpful to individuals and society nor, ultimately, conservative. This is particularly true with respect to the environment.
6. A good rule of thumb: Small and Local and Old and Particular are to be preferred over Big and Global and New and Abstract.
7. Appreciation of aesthetic quality--that is, beauty--is not a luxury, but the key to the good life.
8. The cacophany of contemporary popular culture makes it hard to discern the call of truth and wisdom. There is no area in which practicing asceticism is more important.
9. We share Kirk's conviction that "the best way to rear up a new generation of friends of the Permanent Things is to beget children, and to read to them o' the evenings, and teach them what is worthy of praise; the wise parent is the conservator of ancient truths . . . The institution most essential to conserve is the family."
10. Politics and economics will not save us. If we are to be saved at all, it will be through living faithfully by the Permanent Things, preserving these ancient truths in the choices we make in everyday life. In this sense, to conserve is to create anew.
Dreher then traces these principles through life: What does this mean for consumerism? What should we eat? Where should we live? How should we educate our children, participate in religion, view the environment?
It's eerie how many of the decisions we've made already echoe some of Dreher's conclusions. (We could stand to do better yet, though)
This book just finishes pushing me into a re-evaluative mindset that I'd already been on the verge of--what I am thinking and feeling is reverberating with what I read in Last Child in the Woods (blogged about here) and Brave Companions by David McCullough, which had a nice long article on Wendell Berry, who happens also to be one of Rod Dreher's heroes. There is magic in the air here, there is thought and ideas which are converging and reshaping ideas and opinions and principles. A sea change is in the air. Everything suddenly seems significant.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Tagged! Gifts and Talents
Calandria tagged all of us to answer questions about our gifts and talents.
1. What is a talent you seem to have been born with that you have discovered, grown, and celebrated?
I think it'd have to be reading. OK, not exactly BORN with it, I suppose. But I cannot remember when I could not read--my mother tells me I was 3. I've always been able to read, always enjoyed it, always been able to learn quickly from reading. It always has been, and still is, one of my major tools for approaching and figuring out life. :-)
2. What is a gift you think you don't have, that you most envy in others?
I'd rather be able to say some great Christlike attribute, because I'm afraid that my honest answer will sound shallow. But I wish I could sing. When I hear someone with a lovely voice singing, it always moves me to tears--partly from beauty, and partly because I'm green with envy. I so wish I could sing. I hope that in the Celestial Kingdom, when our bodies are perfect, that will include an ability to sing. I once saw an episode of Touched By An Angel (silly series, I know) that involved the angel Monica envying Charlotte Church. It was so poignant and pointed out so sharply to me how much I envied this ability that it was very difficult for me to watch the show.
3. What is a talent that did not originally come easily to you, that nonetheless you've developed through practice and hard work?
Like Calandria, I'd really have to say social situations and interaction. I used to be so deathly afraid of talking to people I didn't know, approaching people and saying something first, calling people on the phone, going to situations with lots of people. I'd just retreat and hide, or find an excuse not to go. I had panic attacks even, at times. But I decided after I joined the Church that I simply couldn't be like that. Christ wouldn't be like that. It's OK that I'm not a "life of the party" girl, but I need to be able to interact normally, in my own quiet way. I'm much, much better than I used to be. Still could use some work, but it's better!
Calandria tagged all of us to answer questions about our gifts and talents.
1. What is a talent you seem to have been born with that you have discovered, grown, and celebrated?
I think it'd have to be reading. OK, not exactly BORN with it, I suppose. But I cannot remember when I could not read--my mother tells me I was 3. I've always been able to read, always enjoyed it, always been able to learn quickly from reading. It always has been, and still is, one of my major tools for approaching and figuring out life. :-)
2. What is a gift you think you don't have, that you most envy in others?
I'd rather be able to say some great Christlike attribute, because I'm afraid that my honest answer will sound shallow. But I wish I could sing. When I hear someone with a lovely voice singing, it always moves me to tears--partly from beauty, and partly because I'm green with envy. I so wish I could sing. I hope that in the Celestial Kingdom, when our bodies are perfect, that will include an ability to sing. I once saw an episode of Touched By An Angel (silly series, I know) that involved the angel Monica envying Charlotte Church. It was so poignant and pointed out so sharply to me how much I envied this ability that it was very difficult for me to watch the show.
3. What is a talent that did not originally come easily to you, that nonetheless you've developed through practice and hard work?
Like Calandria, I'd really have to say social situations and interaction. I used to be so deathly afraid of talking to people I didn't know, approaching people and saying something first, calling people on the phone, going to situations with lots of people. I'd just retreat and hide, or find an excuse not to go. I had panic attacks even, at times. But I decided after I joined the Church that I simply couldn't be like that. Christ wouldn't be like that. It's OK that I'm not a "life of the party" girl, but I need to be able to interact normally, in my own quiet way. I'm much, much better than I used to be. Still could use some work, but it's better!
Monday, October 23, 2006
You all are too nice to me, to let me vent without wanting to smack me. LOL I'm feeling much better today. The children are all feeling better, PMM is sleeping at night again (so am I) and of course all the other annoyances don't look nearly as big anymore.
I wanted to post about the books I've been reading in snatches here and there.
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years: I heard a lot about this book some years ago, but of course couldn't find it. I found it at a library sale last year and snatched it up, where it's been languishing in the Stacks ever since. But I wanted an easy inspirational read during our Troubles and this looked OK. I picked it up. I am so glad I did! Those Delany sisters were adorable. 101 and 103 when the books were written, both died several years ago. But what a testament they have left behind. This book was remarkable. I learned more about history, felt more about discriminition, and just fell in love with these two ladies who survived so much. One was feisty, one very peaceful and forgiving; the book really showed how each sister's personality helped her deal with the challenges of discrimination. Highly recommended book!
Next, I picked up a slim little volume of Gene Stratton Porter's, The Song of the Cardinal. It brought into even sharper relief the fact that Stratton Porter was a naturalist first, author second. It is the story of a male cardinal as he grows and tries to find a mate; then the ending of the book is a farmer who loves listening and watching the cardinal pair on his land, and what happens when a man with a gun tries to shoot the birds for sport. The book then becomes a treatise on the waste of hunting a beautiful creature for no particular reason; it reminded me of the story I once heard--was it about David O. McKay?--who was tempted to shoot at a bird with a slingshot or something but decided not to. Sweet little book.
I am amusing myself right now with John Stossel's hilarious new book, Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity: Get out the Shovel--Why Everything You Know Is Wrong. I don't always agree with Stossel, although he delights my inner libertarian, and most of the time, he's spot on. I particulary have enjoyed the chapters on education and (sorry, honey) lawyers. (Poor dh, his profession gets picked on so much.) I'm not done yet but enjoying every minute.
I wanted to post about the books I've been reading in snatches here and there.
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years: I heard a lot about this book some years ago, but of course couldn't find it. I found it at a library sale last year and snatched it up, where it's been languishing in the Stacks ever since. But I wanted an easy inspirational read during our Troubles and this looked OK. I picked it up. I am so glad I did! Those Delany sisters were adorable. 101 and 103 when the books were written, both died several years ago. But what a testament they have left behind. This book was remarkable. I learned more about history, felt more about discriminition, and just fell in love with these two ladies who survived so much. One was feisty, one very peaceful and forgiving; the book really showed how each sister's personality helped her deal with the challenges of discrimination. Highly recommended book!
Next, I picked up a slim little volume of Gene Stratton Porter's, The Song of the Cardinal. It brought into even sharper relief the fact that Stratton Porter was a naturalist first, author second. It is the story of a male cardinal as he grows and tries to find a mate; then the ending of the book is a farmer who loves listening and watching the cardinal pair on his land, and what happens when a man with a gun tries to shoot the birds for sport. The book then becomes a treatise on the waste of hunting a beautiful creature for no particular reason; it reminded me of the story I once heard--was it about David O. McKay?--who was tempted to shoot at a bird with a slingshot or something but decided not to. Sweet little book.
I am amusing myself right now with John Stossel's hilarious new book, Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity: Get out the Shovel--Why Everything You Know Is Wrong. I don't always agree with Stossel, although he delights my inner libertarian, and most of the time, he's spot on. I particulary have enjoyed the chapters on education and (sorry, honey) lawyers. (Poor dh, his profession gets picked on so much.) I'm not done yet but enjoying every minute.
Monday, October 16, 2006
The No-Good, Horrible, Awful Month
I really don't like to complain. Really, my life is pretty blessed. But we've been having a run of annoyances, pains, and problems here, and I intend to whine for about 10 minutes and then get on with life. :-)
1. Sick kids. Two with pneumonia, followed up by one with resistant strep, who is still running a fever and coughing terribly after two antibiotics and 10 days. I haven't slept for 3 nights. Sigh. I am considering drinking the rest of HIS codeine cough syrup (doesn't seem to be helping him) and crashing tonight. No, I won't really do it. But it sounds attractive.
2. My dishwasher broke. We got a new one, but it cost us. Our roof needs to be jacked up and fixed, but no one has done it yet, and the paint on my kitchen ceiling is falling off. THEN Friday when I was trying to print up a schedule for my school week, guess what? Printer died. No printer. No written schedule. Just the one in my sleep-deprived head.
3. Then Cheery's pet hamster died. Samuel the Hamsterite is no more. He has a "sequel", but still, it's been a tough thing.
4. I haven't been to Church in a month. (sick kids)
5. My brother and sister aren't speaking to each other.
6. My entire house is a disaster zone, after a month of sick kids and not enough time to clean up. I'm falling down in all my callings, my yard looks like a prairie restoration project, it's the year the pine trees decide to drop bushels of needles and 80 zillion pine cones, and I haven't been able to take my nice pleasant usual fall walks in the areas with lovely foliage. (You guessed it---sick kids). I'm putting on weight from not exercising and eating too much from being stuck home, tired and cranky.
I haven't been to the library all month, I have a ton of errands that need running, my scrapbooks are untouched, we are getting only a tiny fraction of our school schedule done, Christmas is coming . . .
On the plus side, I have a husband, three terrific kids, a place to live, food to eat, books to read (not necessarily in that order) the true Church, a temple less than two hours away, good friends, a living prophet, a (mostly) free country, and the ability to promise to quit whining now. Really. I promise. Unless a tree falls on the house tomorrow or something. :-)
I really don't like to complain. Really, my life is pretty blessed. But we've been having a run of annoyances, pains, and problems here, and I intend to whine for about 10 minutes and then get on with life. :-)
1. Sick kids. Two with pneumonia, followed up by one with resistant strep, who is still running a fever and coughing terribly after two antibiotics and 10 days. I haven't slept for 3 nights. Sigh. I am considering drinking the rest of HIS codeine cough syrup (doesn't seem to be helping him) and crashing tonight. No, I won't really do it. But it sounds attractive.
2. My dishwasher broke. We got a new one, but it cost us. Our roof needs to be jacked up and fixed, but no one has done it yet, and the paint on my kitchen ceiling is falling off. THEN Friday when I was trying to print up a schedule for my school week, guess what? Printer died. No printer. No written schedule. Just the one in my sleep-deprived head.
3. Then Cheery's pet hamster died. Samuel the Hamsterite is no more. He has a "sequel", but still, it's been a tough thing.
4. I haven't been to Church in a month. (sick kids)
5. My brother and sister aren't speaking to each other.
6. My entire house is a disaster zone, after a month of sick kids and not enough time to clean up. I'm falling down in all my callings, my yard looks like a prairie restoration project, it's the year the pine trees decide to drop bushels of needles and 80 zillion pine cones, and I haven't been able to take my nice pleasant usual fall walks in the areas with lovely foliage. (You guessed it---sick kids). I'm putting on weight from not exercising and eating too much from being stuck home, tired and cranky.
I haven't been to the library all month, I have a ton of errands that need running, my scrapbooks are untouched, we are getting only a tiny fraction of our school schedule done, Christmas is coming . . .
On the plus side, I have a husband, three terrific kids, a place to live, food to eat, books to read (not necessarily in that order) the true Church, a temple less than two hours away, good friends, a living prophet, a (mostly) free country, and the ability to promise to quit whining now. Really. I promise. Unless a tree falls on the house tomorrow or something. :-)
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
This is 
Cheery, marching with his Scout group on Saturday, in our community's Oktoberfest Parade. He's in the middle of the picture, looking to his left. There was a campout, parade and many other events here this past weekend. We nearly always miss it because it usually falls on the same weekend as October General Conference. It was an eventful parade this year. Many people usually walk by with the floats and other things, throwing candy to the kids. While this must once have been meant as an "extra", now it seems to be the reason a lot of people GO to the parade. He with the most candy wins. Kids were everywhere, screaming and pushing others out of their way. They wouldn't stay on the sides of the streets, but kept crowding INTO the streets, and not leaving the floats and trucks enough room to drive by. One kid got a foot run over by a truck, and a woman on a fire truck, throwing candy, tried to toss it farther back to give some to the less aggressive children farther back, and she fell off the truck. The driver behind her didn't see her, because of the crowds of kids on the street, and ran over her. When the PMM tried to go pick up a piece of candy, a little girl stomped on his hand, then grabbed the candy. Sigh. 
Cheery, marching with his Scout group on Saturday, in our community's Oktoberfest Parade. He's in the middle of the picture, looking to his left. There was a campout, parade and many other events here this past weekend. We nearly always miss it because it usually falls on the same weekend as October General Conference. It was an eventful parade this year. Many people usually walk by with the floats and other things, throwing candy to the kids. While this must once have been meant as an "extra", now it seems to be the reason a lot of people GO to the parade. He with the most candy wins. Kids were everywhere, screaming and pushing others out of their way. They wouldn't stay on the sides of the streets, but kept crowding INTO the streets, and not leaving the floats and trucks enough room to drive by. One kid got a foot run over by a truck, and a woman on a fire truck, throwing candy, tried to toss it farther back to give some to the less aggressive children farther back, and she fell off the truck. The driver behind her didn't see her, because of the crowds of kids on the street, and ran over her. When the PMM tried to go pick up a piece of candy, a little girl stomped on his hand, then grabbed the candy. Sigh.
Monday, October 09, 2006
I've been tagged! Montse got me. I'm new at this, so here goes:
What do you like most about where you live?
It's only 5 hours from where I WANT to live. LOL Just kidding. I like the ward here most. This ward is very close, like a family. We really pull together. We're here for each other.
What's one of your all-time favorite music albums and why?
No contest--the Sound of Music. Why? I have no idea. I've listened to it since I was a tiny girl. It goes with my favorite movie. It's . . . happy music. How on earth can anyone be sad while listening to My Favorite Things or Climb Every Mountain?
Did you have a passion for something as a kid that you still have now?
Reading. Always reading. I was a bookworm at 4, and now I'm a bookworm at nearly 40.
What do you like most about having a blog?
I haven't figured that out yet. :-) I think it's a glitzy way to get myself to journal, and journaling is important to me.
Now I have to tag someone else who hasn't been tagged? That's hard. Hmm. Jaelle? You're it!
What do you like most about where you live?
It's only 5 hours from where I WANT to live. LOL Just kidding. I like the ward here most. This ward is very close, like a family. We really pull together. We're here for each other.
What's one of your all-time favorite music albums and why?
No contest--the Sound of Music. Why? I have no idea. I've listened to it since I was a tiny girl. It goes with my favorite movie. It's . . . happy music. How on earth can anyone be sad while listening to My Favorite Things or Climb Every Mountain?
Did you have a passion for something as a kid that you still have now?
Reading. Always reading. I was a bookworm at 4, and now I'm a bookworm at nearly 40.
What do you like most about having a blog?
I haven't figured that out yet. :-) I think it's a glitzy way to get myself to journal, and journaling is important to me.
Now I have to tag someone else who hasn't been tagged? That's hard. Hmm. Jaelle? You're it!
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