Well, the flood in the Hill Country of Texas was another terrible thing
happening. Dozens of children gone in the blink of an eye, whisked away
by rising water at their summer camp. Some parents have been
summoned to identify the bodies and provide DNA. Flood warnings
were issued, but many say they came too late and are blaming The
Donald. Here we go again trying to place “blame” on a tragedy. Have
we become unprepared to accept that sometimes horrific things happen
through the fault of no one? The National Weather Service did issue
warnings, but they came in the middle of the night. Most were sound
asleep. You do have to wonder though, why was a camp built in an area
nicknamed “Flash flood alley.”
****
BULLETIN! BULLETIN! BULLETIN! Russian hit Ukraine over the
weekend with the largest air barrage of the war and we may be sending
Patriot missiles over to help. Meanwhile, our Secretary of State says the
60 day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas may lead to the end of that
war. This brings to mind a line from one of my favorite movies,
Sergeant York. Set initially in the hills of Tennessee, the daughter asked
her mother, “Ma, why are they a fighting over there?” Mother York
replied, “Daughter, I don’t rightly know, I don’t rightly know.” Most
wars stem from a desire for power and greed on the part of a few. That
was the case in Hitler’s Germany and lots of brave and innocent people
were killed before this evil was put to rest. I do believe there is a force of
evil in this world, a very real presence with a capital E. It sometimes
sweeps through a country and seeps under our doorways. As one poet
described it, “A dreadful beast, slouching its way toward Bethlehem.”
Good people can fight it and light can overcome the darkness, though
sometimes this takes the passage of centuries.
****
Why am I in such a mood this morning? Don’t know. Some of this may
stem from being forced to listen to a certain network show last night
while at a relative’s home. Their politics and mine don’t align. Why do
some of these channels have mean hosts? According to them, half the
country is Lucifer personified. Hey, let’s bring a happier note to this
with a quote from the Beverly Hillbillies:
“Many a time we’ve been down to our last piece of fatback. And I’d
say, “Should we eat it, or render it down for soap?” Your Uncle Jed
would say, “Render it down. God will provide food for us poor folks,
but we gotta do our own washing’.” Granny
****
So much for that! Much light around you today and forever Old
Buddy!
****
Til Next Week:
J.M.W.
