Turning

Walking down a country road between waves of rain storms rolling in off the ocean, I was enjoying the turning of seasons. It’s turning from warm to cool, dry to wet, turning from green to yellow, red, brown and gray. Autumn, right in the midst of it. Then someone came out from a lane and walked along the other side of the road. As we passed I said, “hi.” He responded with a nod, “how ya doin?” I said, “Good, how are you?” “School, same sh*t, ya know.” He looked like a Greener (college student), kicking along with a little facial hair, curls sticking out of his beanie. I turned and said with a smile, “You are so lucky! I wish I could go to college. Enjoy!” A bit taken aback he said, “thanks.” And we went on our ways.

Now, I wish I could say that I turned his head around, but I probably didn’t. People in our society today are so bored, young people who have grown up on video games, computers, cell phones and now texting, twitter, FB. What’s next? Feathers? And older people who have had it the way they want. There is even a TV series on HBO entitled Bored to Death. Thanks, Larry David. Where’s Mr. Kastanza to rail at us when we need him? Reruns. Boredom. Apathy.

People in our country, in our society are so blessed and have so many good opportunities laid out before them. All the kids in Pakistan and Afghanistan and all the other places who do not have access to the public education, opportunities and basic choices we take for granted. Greg Mortenson (Three Cups of Tea), has helped build over 300 schools in Pakistan. This is to especially help educate girls to become women with choices for self-determination and not simply continue in the same ways of tradition, culture and conformity they have today. Greg is threatened, not by Pakistanis but by American reactionaries who are incensed, they say, because he is helping the enemy. But who is the enemy? Is it the ones who bomb schools and universities? Is the enemy those who control and manipulate women and children in opposition of learning, growing and unfolding to the beautiful universe beyond borders of religion, race, culture, clan, tribe and tradition. Hitler had books burned. Most totalitarian rulers oppose or oppress education and learning on behalf of control, conformity and blind obedience. Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Ivan the Terrible.