Shadow on the Wall..or the forest floor

I am not I.
I am this one
Walking beside me whom I do not see,
Whom at times I manage to visit,
And other times I forget.
The one who remains silent when I talk,
The one who forgives, sweet, when I hate,
The one who takes a walk when I am indoors,
The one who will remain standing when I die.
~ Juan Ramon Jimenez

John Denver: singer, songwriter...prophet?

Rhymes and Reasons- John Denver

So you speak to me of sadness and the coming of the winter
The fear that is within you now, it seems to never end.
And the dreams that have escaped you and the hope that you’ve forgotten
You tell me that you need me now, you want to be my friend.
And you wonder where we’re going, where’s the rhyme? Where’s the reason?
And it’s you who cannot accept it is here we must begin to seek the wisdom of the children and the graceful way of flowers in the wind.

For the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers
Their laughter and their loveliness could clear a cloudy day
Like the music of the mountains and the colors of the rainbow they’re a promise of the future and a blessing for today.

Though the cities start to crumble and the towers fall around us
The sun is slowly fading and it’s colder than the sea
It is written from the desert to the mountains they shall lead us
By the hand and by the heart they will comfort you and me
In their innocence and trusting they will teach us to be free.

For the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers
Their laughter and their loveliness would clear a cloudy day
And the song that I am singing is a prayer to non-believers
Come and stand beside us, we can find a better way.

Lent is a time of reflection and conversion and so I have been listening to a lot of John Denver. This song has been my prayer. During Lent, my awareness of the need to simplify my life beyond the general materialistic sense is heightened. I am challenged to think about, and name, the things in my life that are inhibiting my ability to participate in my full self. This song names both the things that inhibit me and claims to offer a remedy that will guide me to freedom.

Personally, I know that I struggle with certain fears, escaped dreams and forgotten hopes at times; as I imagine many do. And I can’t even begin to count the times I have demanded to know where the rhyme and reason of things has been. Fleeting moments of despair mark the moments in our lives when we have been most desperate for a sign of grace. What we need during those times is a reminder to look to the simple things, the innocent and pure things in life, such as the children and the flowers. When we can recognize the overwhelming signs of grace that are camouflaged as ‘ordinary’ in extraordinary circumstances then we can begin to shed some of the inhibitors that distort our vision of clarity.

Besides our personal issues that dilute our full selves, we are constantly reminded of the larger societal issues that pollute our world, both its land and people. We hear daily about acts of terrorism and wars for freedom. Whatever the language may be that describes these acts, and the attempts to set them apart, there is one overarching word that unifies them: violence. The cities are crumbling and we can all remember where we were the day the towers fell around us. Living during a time when there is so much political and social duress it is no wonder that we live during a time where there is an outright spiritual crisis. As a global society we have started to let slip our hopes of a simpler and more innocent time. But look to the sources of new life that surround us and, as the resurrection of Christ marks the end of Lent, our discovery and celebration of new life will mark the steps to a better way.

On a personal note: During the times that I listen to my Lenten prayer I personally take to heart the part about letting the simple things in life lead us to the mountains to find freedom. I have lived in West Virginia for 18 months now after 4 years of yearning to be here, and I couldn’t agree more that my freedom has come from allowing the country roads to take me home. Join me in July of 2010 when I am born in the summer of my 27th year…See you in Colorado.

Why Can't We Be Friends?

The Catholic Committee of Appalachia has recently begun the initial stages of organizing a dialogue between local West Virginian environmentalists that are oppossed to Mountain Top Removal (MTR) and members of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). This is a potentially volitile situation that could get very, VERY heated due to the history between these two groups. The value of members from both organizations coming together, despite their seemingly polar opposite priorities, is to raise awareness and even possibly to help each other recognize that they really have a lot in common. Despite outward appearances, the MTR opponents and UMWA members could stand to collaborate their efforts on some issues of concern that overlap with each group.

Since I first heard of the issue I have been obsessed with learning everything I can about MTR in West Virginia and it didn't take me long to conclude that I am adamantly opposed to it. In fact, I am often shocked that such blatant practices of desecration upon our land are tolerated even a little bit, let alone in epidemic proportions. Originally MTR was proposed as an efficient, safer way to extract the valuable coal that streaks the literal centers of the Appalachian mountains. During an era of U.S history when the prominence of coal in building the ever expanding empire of the U.S was crucial, the practice of MTR was an attractive method that was successful in supplying a hungry, growing country's demand. Not only was it safer for the miners (no more going underground) but it was timely (just blow and scrape) as well as cost efficient. What wasn't taken into careful enough consideration was the long term (permanent) effects it would leave on the region. As the practice became more popular and prominent, MTR's impact was becoming more obvious. Now, decades later, a visitor just driving through the southern coal fields of West Virginia can't help but see the devastation that MTR has brought to the region. Once verdant rolling hills are razed into barren wastelands that prominantly contrast the natural landscape of the region.

Well what credibility does a native Seattleite, a mere Appalchian transplant, have in criticizing the time honored tradition of coal mining in West Virginia? None really. But by looking at the statistics objectively, it seems to be obvious why the environmentalists and UMWA would want to collaborate.

Since the introduction of MTR, and its more efficient mechanized methods, the coal industry has steadily decreased the amount of jobs that once sustained the region. Putting all environmental concerns aside, the fact is: MTR costs WV coal miners their jobs. In 1950 there were 125,000 coal miners in West Virginia and by 2005 there were fewer than 15,000. Yet in that same time period coal production by ton steadily increased. The environment as well as the value of human labor are being trivialized for the sake of profits.

Not only do the environmental organizations and UMWA have a lot to benefit from a collaborative relationship, but both organizations would have much to gain from the facilitation by the CCA. The CCA is a powerful witness to the value of Catholic Social Teaching in the Appalachian region. Since it's inception it has been a champion for the sacred stewardship of land, the dignity of the human person and the rights and dignity of the worker. The mutual collaboration of these three group has the potential the raise awareness and bring attention to all the unique aspects of the region that have been slowly eliminated as well as restore/rehabilitate the broken and desecrated land and people.

For more information: http://www.ohvec.org/