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Taking the Fourth
Jul. 5th, 2007 08:40 amYesterday I finally got started writing the ceremonial words for my niece's wedding, which is on the 15th. Fortunately, she's being very Zen about the whole thing (probably because she has enough other things to worry about at the moment), and when I reported my progress and promised a draft by the weekend, she sent back a cheery message saying she's loved everything I've ever written and has complete confidence that this will be great too. Well, gosh. Nice kid, my niece. And what I've written so far is really good. Or so I sometimes think.
Later in the day, the housemate and I hiked through rampant gardens to the house next door, where the neighbors hosted a small gathering around the gas grill. Couple of the folks I hadn't seen for a couple of years. We drank and ate and got caught up with each others' lives. The fireworks on Lake Union were quite nice, as usual, although with the military stuck in Iraq and the whole world understandably disgusted at our abuse of power and civil liberties, it was hard not to feel sad at the empty spectacle. I am hopeful that the political tide is turning here, slow as it may be, but still I sometimes wonder if it's too late. Where did all these authoritarians come from who now hold so many levers of power? Where did this rank lust for a Great Leader above the law come from? It came from the heartland of America, born in the USA.
Later in the day, the housemate and I hiked through rampant gardens to the house next door, where the neighbors hosted a small gathering around the gas grill. Couple of the folks I hadn't seen for a couple of years. We drank and ate and got caught up with each others' lives. The fireworks on Lake Union were quite nice, as usual, although with the military stuck in Iraq and the whole world understandably disgusted at our abuse of power and civil liberties, it was hard not to feel sad at the empty spectacle. I am hopeful that the political tide is turning here, slow as it may be, but still I sometimes wonder if it's too late. Where did all these authoritarians come from who now hold so many levers of power? Where did this rank lust for a Great Leader above the law come from? It came from the heartland of America, born in the USA.
