Peace

[H2O Man]

'You can gain reconciliation from your enemies, but you can only gain peace from yourself.'
- Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter


The "spring peepers" were busy singing their song before the sun had set. Their chorus is a sure sign of good weather to come, although the next few nights are sure to be cold with a full moon rising. There are always three freezes after their first song before one should plant the earliest of garden crops, and this weekend marks the third. This is one of the teachings of the Elders, from the distant past.

As the dog and I venture down to where the bran once stood, we are followed by two cats, a rooster and a hen. Some crows signal that we are on our way, as others consume the sunflower seeds that have fallen from the bird feeder. The Plymouth Rock rooster is no fan of the crows, and he overtakes the dog and I as he engages in his rapid waddle towards the crows. He is surely a modern, if miniature, tyrannosaurus.

The barn was not like those of the dairy farm variety still seen on the New York State rural landscap. It was the much smaller, "family farm" type common in the first two-thirds of the 19th century. The ground floor for a few cows in the winter, the second floor for their hay. The barn burned 70 years ago, and that area has now become wooded. A very old water pump is still there, and I've asked my son to pull it out so I can transplant it as a decoration in my garden. He stops here most days to train for the finals of the NYS Golden Gloves, and I told him that moving the pump for me is a great way to get in shape.

The dog loves to dig holes in the dirt, as dogs do. The soil is black, not only from the fire, but from decades of plant growth and decay. I think back to my father telling me about his father teaching him a lesson from the Old Sod about the need to enrich your garden's soil every year. Dad said that as a kid, his father had him bring soil from the delta where smaller streams intersected with larger ones. When I taught my sons this when they were young, they asked why Grandpa didn't just buy Miracle Gro?

As the sun sets, two Pileated Woodpeckers fly in, one appearing to chase the other. For the first sixteen years I lived here, a pair lived in the huge trunk of what had been an Ash tree. In its shadow grew another Ash, which judging from its size was a century old. Yet the remains of the dead one were even larger. The woodpeckers had converted it into a home with an amazing number of entry-and-exit holes, and raised their young each year. But after sixteen years, the old tree trunk fell, and the other tree died and fell, too. Most of the Ash trees on my land have died, due to the emerald ash borers. No more pileated woodpeckers until this year. I note that I will not have to buy so much mulch and bark chips now.

Being outside brings me inner peace, although I have to check for deer ticks when I come inside. (I recently got over my 4th bout with Lyme disease.) I have become reconciled with the fact that I have to take various precautions that were not part of my life in the past. I recently came upon a recipe for a non-toxic recipe for a tick reellent, but checking for them remains essential when coming indoors, I recently found.

I cannot find inner peace by watching/reading "the news." Or engaging in discussions or debates with other members of the human race, either in person, on the phone, or on the internet. I am solely responsible for finding my own inner peace. And, without it, interactions with others is of a far lesser value. This I know as well as I know the back of my hand -- or the front of it, for that matter. And I know that right now, as I write these words, that these difficult days make it a much harder struggle, and not only for me, but for many -- if not most -- of the Good People trying to make it a better society. I know that if many more of us do not make conscious efforts to find that inner peace, that the disturbed people will continue to poison society with the fears and hatreds of the Trump cult. That is something I think about as the November elections approach.

Peace,
H2O Man

[2naSalit]

1. K&R

[H2O Man]

2. Thank you!

Much appreciated!

[2naSalit]

4. Thank you for sharing your...

Wisdom with eloquence! As usual.

[H2O Man]

7. To be accurate,

I try to share the lessons that my mentors Rubin "Hurricane" Carter and Onondaga Chief Paul Waterman taught me. It seems like not a day goes by that at least one of those lessons doesn't come into my mind.

[2naSalit]

9. I can relate.

Though, I would argue that you have internalized and synthesized their teachings into your wisdom...

At least, that's how I imagine that it works.

[H2O Man]

13. One day, years ago,

a young news reporter amd camera man came to my house to interview me on an environmental issue. After she was done, I overheard her saying to the guy that I was the smartest person she had ever met. I was horrified by that, and struggled with her misperception throughout the day. That evening, I called the Clan Mother I know best, and noted that I had made clear that I was quoting Onondaga Faith Keeper Oren Lyons, not saying anything original to me. In fact, I had quoted from the Iroquois' Original Instruction, which date back to the messenger Sapling from circa 2000 bc.

She listened to me patiently, then aske, "And who taught Oren?" I said Chief Waterman. "And who taught Paul?" she asked. Then she explained that no one "owns" these lessons, but we do have the responsibility of handing them down. I liked that.

[2naSalit]

14. I like that too!

That's how I understand it.

[cilla4progress]

3. Thank you, H20 Man,

For this morning prayer!

[H2O Man]

5. Thanks!

It's cooler and raining outside this morning, so the dog isn't keen in going out for a walk. So writing this brought me back to yesterday's evening walk.

[cilla4progress]

6. Lovely.

A simple pleasure that means everything.

This is our life here on our little acreage, too!

[H2O Man]

10. I try to find

the positive in situations. When covid began, for example, a lot of people I know started gardening. It is good to work in the soil. I remember a few years back, my son was visiting when I was pulling weeds in the garden. He said something about how hard it is to keep up on weeding. I noted that this provides evidence that the Earth is alive. Still time-consuming, of course, but what better time to sit in the sun and listen to the Beatles?

Still others noted the difficulties they experienced in being isolated. Luckily, I have been a hermit for many years, so I offered to provide a course on being a hermit ..... I just requested no one interested show up!

[spanone]

8. Thanks👍🏼

K&R

[H2O Man]

11. Thank you!

[Walleye]

12. For me getting outside and walking around is the only remedy for depression that works

And I love the pileated Woody woodpecker’s. I’ve had them here from time to time. The Carolina wren such a small bird but fills the yard with its. song. Even here right on the edge of Wilmington, there’s a lot of wildlife in Delaware and migratory birds. I have filled my hummingbird feeders although April 14 is the earliest I’ve ever seen them around here. I always find the arrival and company of the hummingbirds to be very restorative. I was feeling pretty down this morning. I always miss my mom on Easter. so thank you for reminding me about the good things

[H2O Man]

15. Thank you, my Friend!

I agree 100% about being outside and walking as a great remedy for depression. And I love your comment about the wren! For, by no coincidence, you just nailed a teaching of the Traditional Iroquois -- that the Creator's favorite songs are those of the smallest birds. Now if that doesn't take me back to the days when Chief Paul Waterman taught me the ancient lessons.

I've been getting out & cleaning my hummingbird feeders the last few days. I think that shortly after this weekends cold, they will begin to arrive. Hummingbirds are fascinating to watch. They remind me of Paul saying that human beings are the only non-essential beings on earth, which means that people must learn from the classrooms of nature if we are to survive.

[Walleye]

16. I never heard that teaching about the smallest birds. Pretty cool

Sort of reminds me of a line from “Ode to a Skylark” I got my love of nature and birdwatching from my grandfather when I was a little girl and used to tag along after him. He had Audubon books up in his den. And always identified birds for me when we were out walking

[H2O Man]

19. In a time of social

strife in the northeast, caused by the decay of the Ohio river vallet empire, there was the growth of violence. The most violent of men was called Tadodaho. Everyone feared him, for he took pleasure in killing human beings.

The man who became the 4th prophet, named Ayenwatha (non-Iroquois call him Hiawatha) had suffered when his daughters were murdered. He sought revenge, and climbed upon the roof of the feared man's lodge. From there he looked into the lodge, and stared at a bowl of water. The image of the 3rd prophet, the Peace Maker, stared back at him. He was transformed, from seeking revenge, to desiring peace. But he was confused, so he went to stay with a female Elder to discuss this. She taught him the Peace Maker's lessons about the Powr of the Good Mind.

It is a long story -- usually taking four days to recite in the Long House. But he came to understand that only the song of the smallest birds could heal Tadodaho's mind. And it did. Thus, somewhere around 840 ad, Ayenwatha organized the League of the Iroquois, based upon tribe, rather than the Clan that the Peace Maker organized circa 400 ad. And Tadodaho became the head of the Grand Council of Chiefs, a title that continues today for that position.

[Hekate]

17. There is a Buddhist practice called a "walking meditation." Thank you for sharing yours. Peace 💕

[H2O Man]

21. Peace!

My son's SO tells me that every time she and my son go for walks in nature, he is focused on stones. Fossills and artifacts. Indeed, he brings them to my house, to add to the stonework he does. She asked me if this is a result of nature or nurture? Is it in the DNA to search for these things, or is it because he started going for similar walks with me from the time he wore diapers?

[ggma]

26. Sir

May I ask what you told her? Your posts with everyone seem to have me riveted.
ggma

[panader0]

18. Rubin was a very wise man.

Reading your post made me feel peaceful. Thanks. Now I'm out to work on the garden, another source
of peace.

[H2O Man]

22. It's raining pretty good here,

but if it stops before nightfall, I'll be back out in the garden. Weeds are so much easier to pull when the ground is wet!

[livetohike]

20. This is why I live to hike. Thank you for your beautiful

description of your walk. I’m sorry about the emerald ash borer. We’ve seen the first wooly adelgids on our property. It’s inevitable.

[H2O Man]

23. In trying to find

the positive, even with the number of dead Ash on my land, I focus on having friends cut & split it to provide free fire wood for local people who can't afford to heat on oil alone. One neighbor has a truck for delivery to elderly folks. So at least there's that!

[livetohike]

24. That's a great idea! n/t

[Saoirse9]

25. Thanks for the reminder

The news can be so depressing, and I am obsessed. But that isn't what real life is .

[H2O Man]

27. Right.

The news is part of reality, even when it is only partially correct. Or, in the current times, when it is a absolute lie. But it should not be all of our real lives, just a part, kept in proper perspective. For example, we could not be fully human if we totally ignored the news reports on the horrors taking place today in Ukraine. Or the muders taking place daily in this country. But if we saturate our being with just those, we become incapable of doing the Good that only people with inner peace can accomplish. This was taught by masters such as Gandhi and King. We each have the individual ability -- made more available within groups of individuals -- to find and access that inner peace. It is only our first nature as tiny infants, until the outside society makes inner peace a faded memory, for our brains are organic machines, computers really, that tend to prevent inner peace in today's society. Yet it is possible to achieve, by a number of routes available to each of us. And that is the process of evolution that makes us fully human.

[BobTheSubgenius]

28. Your OPs so often paint a lovely picture.

You have moments and places in your life that sound idyllic. Thank you.

[H2O Man]

32. Thanks Bob!

It hasn't been this way for most of my life. But this is how I re-charge the batteries, so to speak. I've got to be ready for the fight to come, leading up to November -- and, of course, beyond that. I was fortunate in that extended family had inhabited this place back when I was young, and I loved its history. So when it came up for sale, I was able to buy it.

The previous owner was a law enforcement officer who lost his job for brutally assaulting "suspects" who had other than white skin. He did some damage to the house, shooting it up, but did leave the transcript of his trial in a closet upstairs. I don't think he really fit in on this land & house. Sort of the "odd man out" among those who lived here since the mid-1790s.

[tiredtoo]

29. Great post

Inspiring and peaceful. Thanks for bringing joy to my day.

[H2O Man]

33. Thank you!

(All thanks due my late friend & mentor Rubin.)

[Evolve Dammit]

30. Struggling mightily. I used to know peace, but can't do it at this time. I fear for the planet,

my children and the people of Ukraine who did NOTHING to provoke this butchery. Maybe we've reached the expiration date for our species, and the earth can heal itself.
Nonetheless, I thank you for your post. It would have resonated about 5 years ago, and I am glad for you and yours.
Peace

[H2O Man]

34. I hear you!

Yes, I do! I share those exact concerns. And since Trump especially, everything moves faster and more out of control. Many decades ago, a Wisdom Keeper from the Lakota Nation told me that when things begin to spin out of control in the outside world, it is essential to go inside one's self. I'll never forget her words.

Part of my maternal ancestors were from Ukraine. I find myself thinking of the rich history and goodness of that region, and how unconscious human beings are attempting to destroy that while slaughtering those people. The same blood that flows through my veins flows through their's, although one need not be related by any more than their humanity to be horrified by the war crimes we see daily.

I keep in mind that, had the Trump cult been successful in stealing the elections, our country would not be assisting the people of Ukraine today. That's an essential positive that I try to keep in mind.

Another is the stark reality that if enough people here do not find inner peace, and then act upon it, this country will further decay. Indeed, it will determine if we are a failed species or not -- surely an open question at this point in time.

[Evolve Dammit]

36. Thank you. Problem is when I go inside I find the angst is engrained. Family tragedies, going back

to WWII where my family's farm was destroyed on the Russian German front lines. All my family left Europe to escape their own hell and look for a better life. Some did better than others. I inherited this deep feeling of right vs. wrong, good vs. evil and I'm not a member of any organized religion.
I am an earthling and those who harm others effects me. I don't know how to shut it out. I find the so-called Christians to largely be just that, particularly the "mega-churches" and those siding with RW politicians. It's pretty simple: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Seems to have been conveniently forgotten. All religions have this basic premise; take care of each other and especially those who can't for themselves.
Take care

[H2O Man]

37. I can relate.

I am Irish by nature, and thus can relate to Yeats' line, "“Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy.” By no coincidence, my entire family consists of Irish-Americans primarily. I have the ability to identify the worst of things, including really good things. Maybe especially really good things.

Rubin was my good friend for 40+ years before he died. Before Bob Dylan ever heard of Rubin. And I remember the post-Dylan phase, when Rubin was spending much of his time isolated, usually in solitary, but also Vroom. Or alone in his cell, thinking he would die a convicted killer in prison. I have the most intense and moving letters from him during that time. But he decided to train his mind, just as he trained his body when he was a boxer.

The letters continued, and I was able to add my efforts with his lawyers, as Rubin transformed himself. And when he got out, he told me, "If I can do it, anyone can!"

[Evolve Dammit]

40. That is truly inspirational. I played Dylan's song a lot, and I always had so many questions about

Rubin, the man and his life. I am glad he had good friends such as yourself to sustain him and be there for him.
I recently found out I'm 14% Irish according to DNA, so the Yeats line may be one of my quotes from now on! Will have to share with a few friends who are 100% Irish.
Thank you

[H2O Man]

45. It's a great song.

Dylan was only able to write the first line. He found it hard to continue with it, and had Jacques Levy finish the lyrics. But Dylan provided the tune.

It was a strange time. There were prison riots, most notably at Attica. Rahway was tense, and there were restrictions on Rubin's ability to communicate. I knew he had saved the life of the warden and a guard at a previous riot at Trenton, so I suggested he take action before a spark ignited the powder keg. He stepped out of isolating, and ran for the head of the inmates' council. At first, the administration refused to recognize his victory. But then he started inviting sociologists, university professors, and politicians to meet with the council to discuss prison reform. I treasure the copies of those letters, and Rubin's communications with the warden.

Soon, Muhammad Ali joined in support of Carter. He went to the prison, met with Rubin, and announced he would return for an exhibition bout with Rubin, to publicize his case. That was too much for the administration, so they sent him to the Vroom Psychiatric Prison in Trenton. I have a postcard from that. He would win a judgement against the prison for that cruel move a few years later in federal court, and used that $2500 to hire a very good private investigator.

Along with talented lawyers, this would lead to evidence that the police and prosecutors knew the identity of the actual gunmen. It was not Rubin and John Artis. It's a long story, but the judge would not allow a word about that, much less the evidence, into the second trial. (In recent years, the guy with the shotgun -- what Rubin was accused of -- confessed to the murders on his death bed.)

[Evolve Dammit]

47. You need to get this to a publisher. Seriously. This is vital history and you have the info.

[Me.]

31. An Excellent Step Away

There are may lovely things happening in this world and while not ignoring the world I try to hang on to them. Like a little girl holding an umbrella over a stray kitten to protect it from the rain. Someone on the net explaining how to order a Subway sandwich to someone who never has and doesn't know how. Dogs defending a chicken from a hawk and a dog stopping by a park bench where a little girl is sitting and crying and offering her comfort.

Or a piece about 'spring peepers"...🌻🌻🌻

[H2O Man]

35. I can relate ......

My mother often said that I was too stupid to come in out of the rain. As some fellow is in the habit to bashing my mailbox rather frequently -- might it be the neighbor with numerous Trump signs on his lawn? -- I was fixing it again earlier in the week, when the mail lady drove up. It was starting to rain hard, so I told her about what my mother used to say, then noted she would be my witness that I was headed inside. Thus, I relate to all kittens caught soaking wet in the storm!

[c-rational]

38. Thanks H2O Man - wise words. Stillness and nature go hand in hand. Peace.

[H2O Man]

39. Thank you!

[XacerbatedDem]

41. Your post reminds me of how I would go for walks at a park with over a hundred geese.

It was so relaxing and rejuvenating, I could spend hours there, and one day it was so exhilarating that when I got home, this poem just came out of nowhere:

The Earth I Know

When I walk with thee,
I blend into your nature
As if the grass before me
Takes root in my flaming heart;
As if the autumn trees,
Roiling in the breeze,
Dance brightly within every fiber of my being;
As if even the firmament above,
Clouds white upon a cerulean blue,
Take on a human hue
To wrap their lavish arms
Around my very soul…

Such is the earth I know.

When I look at thee,
I dissolve within
The essence of your beauty
That sets my spirit quivering;
For in your hallowed majesty
Displayed so eloquently
I find myself overcome with awe;
An emotional turbulence far beyond
My ability to respond
To such splendor and magnificence
These humble eyes you show…

Such is the world I am thrilled to know.

When I live in thee
Each day is full of meaning.
Experiences follow me
Whatever path I roam;
Experiences devoted to eliciting
The complexities of my soul;
Whether I can let go
Of the burdens of this life
And find a way to reunite
With the love
That surrounds my every pore;
Your kiss, whichever way the wind may blow…

Such is the planet that helps me grow.

And when I come to sleep with thee
As at last my journey’s done,
I’ll make my bed so easily
Amongst the ancient mud,
Ashes to ashes and dust to dust,
A part of your stoic history,
So happily
To have joined with you as one,
For all time… immortal…
As deep within your fair caress
Shall I finally find my rest
And surrender to your precious flow…

Such is the Earth I will forever know.

[H2O Man]

43. Beautiful!

Great poem! Thank you for posting it!

I'm currently taking a break from weeding the garden. It was sleeting while I was out there, perhaps for the last time this spring. One can hope!

When my children lived here, the older son had geese and ducks to go along with my chickens, turkeys, and Guinea fowl. The geese would frequently chase my daughters. Most of the time, both girls thought it was funny, though I recall the younger one putting her boxing skills to work against one aggressive gander. (All four kids thought it was a giggle when one rooster, appropriately named "Tyson," would attack me almost daily!)

[XacerbatedDem]

46. And thank you for your post.

I wish the people of this world could come to a greater understanding of the fact that we are all Earthlings, no matter what race, religion or gender, and that we are all a part of its natural beauty, which should be celebrated daily. Maybe, if more people realized that, there would be less war and fighting, and more of what the Earth offers us: a home, sustenance, life, family, and ingrained in all of us, Love.

In the end, I can only hope that we as Earthlings can return that love to our planet before it's too late.

[Kid Berwyn]

42. Peace to You and Yours, H2O Man.

Peace: It’s a great gift, love for everybody.

[H2O Man]

44. Thank you!

I hope all is well with you & yours!