Last night at the Carnegie Library, Lyn Dickey, former resident of Eureka Springs and currently involved with the building of a hospital in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, showed slides and told about the town and people where she lives. As usual in indigenous cultures, a great deal is being lost through the introduction of junk food and television. You might enjoy reading about Guatemalan back-strap weaving, an activity that could take hours each day, but provide clothing that offered immense pride and cultural identity.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, right? It is interesting that the young people in "third world" cultures can hardly wait to abandon the old ways and enter the hollow self-destructive wasteland of western culture. Junk food and television. Empty calories. In the meantime, some few of us, having a sense of wonder at human hands-on creativity can only marvel at the beauty and sensitivity of the culture they rush to leave behind.

Today I am displaying my work in Eleanor Lux's weaving studio on White St. in Eureka Springs for the White St. Walk. 4-10 PM I know that very few of my readers are in the Eureka Springs area, but come by and join us if you can.