Sunday Afterrnoon Blogging

Greetings, my long-neglected blogging friends. Please forgive me for my lengthy absence. I've been battling "side effects" from anti-biotics and trying to maintain some semblence of routine and order around my home (including a Group Lesson this past Saturday a.m. for 9 students and a small effort towards organizing my studies to prepare for an upcoming teacher's exam!).

So, here I am once again. I just finished my "Christmas gift" book - Margaret Laurence, 'A Bird in the House'. In typical "Steph" fashion ... I got to the end and scratched my head, "What was that all about?!" Then, as I turned the book over to read the back cover, everything slowly came into focus. It read, 'these 8 short stories ...' I thought I'd been reading a novel that made absolutely NO sense. Phew! Relief . . . I'll have to read that one again another time :0) What I did read, however, allowed me to share a connection with the author that confirmed my belief that we are not very different from each other on this earth - not really at all. (Another confirmation came after watching my favourite re-runs of 'Long Way Round', Outdoor Life Network with Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman ... love it!) Anyway ...

So, I went back to my old-faithful read ... Thomas Merton, "The Seven Story Mountain, An Autobiography of Faith". A very interesting gentleman who joined the Trappist monastery in the 1940's. A great quote of his says, "Without a life of the spirit our whole existence becomes unsubstantial and illusory." I've been trying to get through this book for almost 2 years. It just doesn't flow for me like others. I tend to read a few pages and then I need to ponder and think ALOT about what I just read. The back cover reads (yes, I read it first!) "(an) autobiography of a man who withdrew from the world only after he had fully immersed himself in it." I relate to him. On the occasion of this most recent read, the statement that stood out to me the most was, "...it is impossible for people to learn to write unless they also read." And with that, I moved on to my newest read ...

It's an extremely difficult book to read (emotionally, spiritually and visually). It is titled, "The Other Side of Ward; Women's Stories of Survival and Hope", by Zainab Salbi (President and Co-Founder of Women for Women International). She says, "War is not a computer-generated missile striking a digital map. War is the color of earth as it explodes in our faces, the sound of your child pleading, the smell of smok and fear. Women survivors of war are not the single image portrayed on the television screen, but the glue that holds families and countries together. Perhaps by understanding women, and the other side of war ... we will have more humility in our discussions of wars ... perhaps it is time to listen to women's side of history." A little over a week ago, I was out for lunch with my friend, Jenn. As we wondered around Chapters after some wonderful Vietnamese, I stumbled across this fascinating title.

It brought back a memory of learning about a small group of women from the United States (a group of older ladies from a small church), who began to sew quilts for families in Vietnam. They sewed hundreds of these blankets and then flew themselves over to Vietnam and met with a group of mothers with their children on an old, riquety bridge in the middle of a jungle. There is a very famous photo of this event and it is said to have been pivotal to the ending of that war.

Please understand that my next statement is generalist in perspective (something I try very hard to avoid). Nevertheless, at times, a broader perspective can become strikingly clear. In many cases (again, not all cases) but, many cases, men tend to focus on the differences between each other, between people and nations. Perhaps it's gender, perhaps its personality, perhaps both and many other factors. Generally speaking (generally), women tend to focus on things we have in common - we RELATE to each other and people's circumstances, etc. We try to empathize (not all but in general). It is not just interesting, but fiercely important, that men and women (in general) tend to have different strengths and weaknesses.

My husband has recently began a working relationship with a woman. At first, this raised some serious (and not necessarily mature) issues in my mind ... and in our conversations :0) Yet, now that I have had a chance to rationally think through my own fears and concerns (and vent to my nearest and dearest girlfriends :0), I am able to listen to Tony speak of the challenges she faces on a daily basis at work. I am astounded at the reactions of some of the men to her presence (regardless of her ability, strengths, experience and professionalism). It makes no difference whether he agrees with her position or not - because of his integrity and an amazing sensitivity to the female mind, Tony is able to fulfill the calling on his life and recognize the abilities in her that are beyond his own (like relating to certain individuals that he would rather not). There are things to be learned from each other. I have learned to appreciate and respect my husband for who he is in ways that I have never known before. Bravo, hubby, bravo! You are my champion :0) I believe, he has learned to recognize when I am seriously not in a joking mood :0)

Let me leave you with one last quote ... one that either confuses or comforts (or maybe both?)

"And God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." Genesis 1:26-27 KJV