Of Pretension and Peace

as are countless among our members

in light of the anniversary of catastrophe. Amen.

Likewise, it may be said that I - we

are equally hypervigiallent to omens

of catastrophe to come.

What is to be done???

Amidst our grief and wailing

floating on bails

of countless sincerely righteous tears,

what shall be our rock

upon which we are charged

to build our foundation

in the New World?

For the myriad of considerations

to be calculated

when the accounting is done

it all comes down to

Relationship.

All forms, animate or otherwise,

ultimately weigh, measure and process

experience

in relation to other forms.

Now the relationship between

"Us" and "Them"

does not work.

Whenever something doesn't work,

relationship or otherwise,

a primary key to transformation is

understanding.

There is didactic understanding -

a learned knowledge of the "How" and "Why,"

and there is atmospheric understanding -

application of the, "Walk a Mile In My Shoes"

principle lending toward

the mutual telling of Life Tales

over tea, closed on handshake, hug

or reverent bow . . . as customs call.

As atmospheric understanding

is a tacit blueprint for building

the bridge by which

"Us" and "Them" might . . .

just maybe, mind you,

become "We"

in as far as One Humanity,

would it not serve to dash

the pious-hued veil

of our differences?

Ah, say ye, "But we have talked and talked

'til blue . . . and they still don't get it!"

So, indeed. The age-old impasse.

Yet, rest the inward eye,

momentarily, on some relationship

of keen familiarity

that does work.

How often do they point the finger

at YOU and visa-versa, hmmm?

Assuredly no. In a working

relationship there is no room

for wayward fingers.

We can each only do our part-

but our part we must do

for ourselves.

So, what is so different???

They are constantly at war-

and have zero reverence for Life!,

say ye. Tell me, IF there were

a Holiest of Holy dictates,

ancient beyond the years

of even our farthest traceable heredity,

which specified some vast expanse

of the North American Continent as

The Promised Land,

and the rest were equally declared

defiled to measure, can you kid

yourself into believing the majority populace

would not be invested in spilling

blood, Canadian, Mexican and American

alike, in "proving" who's who?

To say nothing of the legacy

of African Americans,

and the plight

of the American Indian!

To anyone who does not, at mere

acknowledgement, take my full meaning,

slight historical investigation

will enlighten you

to unimaginable abomination

that touches the soul-path

of anyone who calls the land Home.

Ye may concede this point,

yet beg to differ

on alternative grounds.

After all, is not ours

the strongest, most prosperous,

most freedom-oriented, forward-

thinking nation the world over?

How can they not see

the benefits of following our lead?

Point of intent well taken.

Alas, it is of grave portent

that this may be among the shortest

of our short-sighted views.

Yes. Yes. For heaven's sake,

certainly from our vantage point

we are

strongest, richest, happiest etc., etc.,

So much sense this all makes

when one gives pause

long enough for evidence of Nature's

Way to dawn in consciousness -

We are also the youngest.

All our fellow Countries of the World

have decade upon decade

to generations past down to generations

of use of their available resources,

imbued for all Time

in priceless jewels

of culture and history,

any they have survived.

Today at scarcely more

than 200 years old,

Americans face the undeniable

waning of our available

power and water-

the bickering and competitiveness

surfacing in this light

is shameful in morality

and frightening in the face

of solutions grasped at like straw.

Calculated at our current

rate of usage . . .

oh, let's say 90 years

from now-merely three generations,

"Third World" could hold far more

intimate meaning

for the unwitting souls to come.

Yes. That would be our children's

children's children. Our Great Grandchildren

could experience Third World conditions,

and attitudes to boot

if we do not choose

with guided discretion.

Will they be "backward" and "unenlightened," too?

I thought not.

How liberal we are with allowances

for stress when it is our own.

Now, for the cherry-on-top

of perspective spins.

Follow slowly,

add as much color as you can muster,

any maybe popcorn and a coke for pizzazz:

It is the early 1940's,

after Pearl Harbor,

but before Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

Co-operative Middle Eastern Prime Ministers

have disturbing top-priority reports

that some Einstein-type lunatic,

Oppenheimer,

has successfully mastermind

the Atom Bomb.

The unconditional mandate of the co-op

is full disclosure, inspection of potential

manufacturing sites, and ceasing

any and all operations related

to the project . . .

Write your own ending.

Prayerfully,

Vicky Bowker Jeter