Thursday, August 15, 2013

Sanctuary, the promised land...

Three textures... visual and tactile. Each engages hand and eye
A blog reader sent the following quote from Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth:
"The Waste Land, let us say then, is any world in which (to state the problem pedagogically) force and not love, indoctrination, not education, authority, not experience, prevail in the ordering of lives, and where the myths and rites enforced and received are consequently unrelated to the actual inward realizations, needs, and potentialities of those upon whom they are impressed."

"What is lacking in the Waste Land is authenticity. Truth is not the product of experience. There is a split between the spirit and nature so there is no vitality or generative power. The proper response to the Waste Land situation is to heal the split by following one’s own nature".
The prescription is for more time in the wood shop.

This morning, an article told about AEP/SWEPCO's condemnation by eminent domain of an animal park offering sanctuary to wild things. It is what we've come to expect from large corporations, who have their eyes on profits and have no sense of community or compassion for common folks. I placed a call to the President and CEO of American Electric Power to protest the foolishness and destructive activities of their SWEPCO subsidiary. They should literally be ashamed of themselves.

Sanctuary and wasteland are two distinctly different places, and most folks when they stumble upon Eureka Springs, for what ever reason, have a very clear understanding of the difference. Tourists come here just to absorb the vibes of the place, but executives of powerful corporations seem to have little understanding of real values.

Today we had the annual Rotary Teacher Luncheon in which all the teachers gather to be honored by members of the local chapter of Rotary International. And now, as an exercise in healing my own spirit, I get to play in my own sanctuary. The wood shop.

Make, fix and create...

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