We are experiencing such divisiveness in our country that there is great fear about the future of our country. Will our nation ever come together and be united? Each day, it seems, we grow further apart.
Fortunately, there are people thinking and working on ways that we can begin to unite once more. One idea has been expressed by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks in his Ted Talk, entitled: How we can face the future without fear, together. Featured below is his Ted Talk.
My friend, John sent me Rabbi Sack’s talk and it is so inspiring that I wanted to share it with everyone. His talk is a little over 12 minutes, please take the opportunity to listen to his words of wisdom; I believe you will be moved, impressed, and inspired.
♦ Portions of this post were excerpted from Ted Talk, YouTube
With May fast approaching, this is the month that my wife and I usually start planning our vacation to Northern Michigan. We missed our trip last year because of the pandemic and it appears we will miss a trip up North again this year. Even though we are both fully vaccinated, we will again enjoy another “staycation” because of the rise in Corona cases throughout our state. However, I can still share with you the glorious beauty and wonders of the Michigan North by re-posting an essay I wrote about Mackinac Island.
The Beauty of Northern Michigan
Posted – November 2, 2020
One of the most beautiful areas in Northern Michigan is the Straits of Mackinac which includes Mackinac Island. My family and I have spent numerous summers vacationing on the island and the surrounding areas. Each time we visit, we are always struck by the grandeur and beauty of the scenery, waters, and the Mackinaw Bridge. (The Mighty Mac bridge is turning 63 this year.)
George Piliouras, poet and blogger has penned a wonderful poetic description of Mackinac Island. His poem is titled: Is This Heaven? it captures how he feels looking out at the Huron waters from the Chippewa Hotel and the joy he experiences in biking around the Island.
Is This Heaven?
by George Piliouras
“The early July sun made my eyes squint. The air was crisp. The wind gently washes my face as the lull of water swirls below our balcony at our favorite place, the Chippewa Hotel. From my perfect perch on the third-floor deck, I gazed at the breathtaking Catamaran pulling into Arnold’s dock at the pier in Mackinac. The blast of the horn sent the seagulls flying.
The sun burns through the fog in all it’s glory, and sparkles like diamonds on the water, my coffee is perfect. The hard-working team at the Pink Pony, unfold the rows of umbrellas in preparation. I look out at the vastness of water as the hustle of people and boats builds momentum. My work pace begins to fade away from my memory.
The friendly clip-clop of horses filtered through the rumbling of bikes whizzing by. Children giggle and run up to smell the fresh fudge with eyes as wide as saucers, eating ice cream before it melts. The parade of people stroll by, renting bikes, many brought their own.
My wife and I are ready to start our trip today with our bikes up the long hill past the Grand Hotel, as we pass the stables, make a left and disappear into the serenity of the West bluffs.
We take a breath in with our eyes and look at the boats coursing through the water towards the Mackinac bridge. I feel at home, as I reflect on the little town where I grew up.
Is this heaven? No, It’s Mackinac Island. I’m home. Again.”
If you have never visited Mackinac Island, take this brief video tour for a flavor of what you will experience when you visit the island. (You will need to turn your audio on with this video)
* Portions of this post were adopted from the George Piliouras blog site, and a previous post on my blog, Mackinac Island website and google graphics
For the past two days, I have been posting about my “pet peeves” regarding the disrespect some afford to books. I ended my post yesterday with the statement: “Books should be treated with respect, they represent the people who wrote them, and they too, deserve our respect.”
I would also include respect for the manufacturing of books, how they are designed, as well as how they are constructed. Although, 99.9% of all books today are mass-produced using all forms of digital printing and construction; some books are still produced as hand-crafted works of art. I thought it might be interesting to share a 4-minute video entitled, “All in a Bind: Art of Bookbinding”.
Even though most books are not produced as seen in the bookbinding video, the art, creativity, imagination, labor, commerce, and pride that goes into the production of books should be respected by us all.
*Portions of content for this post were taken from Youtube, Channel 4, a British Broadcast service, and my own personal experiences.
Upon a recommendation by our new First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, the American people were introduced, on January 20, 2021, to a young, black, female poet named, Amanda Gordan. She delivered her awe-inspiring poem on Inauguration Day, entitled, The Hill We Climb. Her presentation, content, enthusiasm, and delivery were fantastic. She was like watching the personification of “Amazing Grace.” She truly inspired her audience and the American people.
This past Monday evening, I received an email from my friend, John, who had sent me a video clip of another poem by Amanda Gordan. This video featured her reading her 4th of July poem entitled, Believer’s Hymn for the Republic, presented at the Amerian Academy of Arts and Science, on March 20, 2020.
In my post today, I wanted to share her presentation and reading of this poem. Featured below is her introduction and reading to her poem, Believer’s Hymn for the Republic:
My wife, Sharon, and I were blessed with three great children, two boys and a girl, and seven grandchildren. With our children, we raised them the best we could, as every parent knows there’s no instruction book for raising children…only a lot of advice. Fortunately, they all turned out to be terrific adults as well as terrific parents. My post today is a short video pictorial celebrating the joys of our children and grandchildren during the pandemic and Christmas season. I hope you enjoy it…
(You will need your audio turned on, the video runs about 2 min, 40 sec)
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