Words.

Full Moon ~ Cultus Lake 2020

Oh my it's been a long time. 

Has it really been over three years since I was here?  My last post was about the Eclipse in 2017. That day, for a brief amount of time, when it would have otherwise been a lovely August morning, everything went strangely dark. Thankfully the dark was brief and all was back to normal less than a minute later …....... until ….......... 2020.  It's been all kinds of crazy.  Somedays, I have no words .....

 

But, I'm a word nerd.  Words matter to me.  It's the reason buying greeting cards is so challenging.  Finding just the right sentiment (for less than $4.99) is nearly impossible !  It's the reason I've written this post four times, only to rewrite it three times.  It's the reason I write even though no one may be reading.

It's also why visiting Facebook is a challenge for me right now.

Facebook, as well as some other very popular modes of information, has been eclipsing words for us.  I'm still trying to determine the word that best describes how I feel about this.  Dumbfounded? Stunned? Cheated? Angry?  Is Facebook where I go to get my information about the world?  Thankfully, no.  But so many do.  Words shape opinions and decisions. People's opinions shape other people's opinions and so on.  So many opinions built on only some of the words.   It seems dangerous.  And manipulative.  It's wrong.  It really was only where I went to see the pictures and stories of people close to me, but now it feels like that was just the hook to something much more sinister.  I will not be hooked. 

e·clipse

/əˈklips/

Learn to pronounce

noun

1. 1.

   an obscuring of the light from one celestial body by the passage of another between it and the observer or between it and its source of illumination.

           Some synonyms for ECLIPSE - block, cover, obscure, hide, conceal, dim, veil

I want to think for myself, decide for myself; hear, see and read words to wrestle with myself.  The first amendment of our Constitution comes to mind just about now.  Are you getting all the words? 

Some words that recently brought some much needed distraction from this NOT normal time, came by way of a humble sermon from church. (Thank you Pastor Ted)  Ironically, I have to watch church with Facebook Watch unless some other way to stream it becomes available. 

“God tells us to love.

As we love, we learn love.

As we learn love, we learn God.

As we learn God, we get a perspective that's much bigger than just people who look like me, vote like me, people who 'whatever' like me.

We love everybody.

It doesn't mean we agree with all of them, but it does mean we love them.”

Words to percolate on.  My dad was really good at modeling this for me.  We can have different opinions among each other and still love.  I just expect differing opinions that are shaped by all the words and not the leftovers after some have been hidden.

Lives were sacrificed for us to have that right. 

Words matter.