Slouching towards Tibet

At left: Authentic Texas goat attempts to eat my camera.



Father Conner grew up in New Orleans, and used to tell us that as a child, he earned extra money from plugging and unplugging various lights and appliances during the Jewish Sabbath. The Orthodox Jews in his neighborhood didn't want to break the Sabbath rules, but still needed the lights on. Tsk! I would think, self-righteously. What kind of hypocrisy is that?

Likewise, on one of those cable networks, I saw how (so-called) high-caste Hindus employ low-caste Hindus to do their killing for them: vermin, bugs, whatever. In this way, the high-caste family doesn't take on the direct taboo of killing or exterminating, yet they still get the job done and get mice out of the house. Hmph! I thought similarly.

And in my arrogance and egotism, I guess I plumb forgot the rest of Father Conner's instruction, wherein he explained that this kinda thing was the human condition, and we all do it. (This is the genesis of the expression: having your cake and eating it too.) Today, a humongous ugly bug was outside my door, still alive despite being trapped inside our apartment building all night... and like always, I flung it over to Cyril, who happily munched away on it. I'm giving him protein, I told myself.

Father Conner came floating back into my memory, and I realized that I have been letting my cats kill bugs rather than do it myself, because yeah, I am trying to stop killing beings and all that good Buddhist stuff. Thus, I am exactly like the Jews and Hindus in the above stories. I am technically not "breaking the law".. but... well, yes I am.

((shame))

Bob Dylan, one of many in my private Greek chorus, bubbles up in my brain:

Not even you can hide
You see you're just like me
I hope you're satisfied

...

Will I ever be able to let the creepy-crawlies roam about in my abode, without rousting some sleeping feline and pointing their snout in the direction of the 6-or-8-legged entity, knowing they will leap upon it in kitty-joy? Munch, munch.

Ohhh, what a thought. Yes, I can easily participate in vegetarianism, even veganism, but when I think of bugs, snakes, vermin and other such gremlins? Makes my proverbial skin crawl. I can't let them in here. What will people think of me? Better to let the cats do it, as a sort of half-assed solution.

Just like those folks that had serious paperwork to do, but still wanted to keep the sabbath, so they enlisted little Herb Conner to plug their lights in and gave him quarters for tips. And everyone was happy.

My self-righteousness in check, I get it now. And I laugh at our common humanity and accompanying dilemmas.

~*~

And just when you thought it was safe to go back into the waters of Blogdonia (nostalgic, summertime JAWS reference, for the baby-boomers in my readership)...

A comment of mine was pointedly not approved on a blog yesterday. Certainly, I'm not surprised, since the blogger's friends really dislike me. But it was a good comment; pertinent, polite, duly linked and on topic. It wasn't approved because I am still persona non grata. ((frowny-face))

Caution: Daisy climbs soapbox. (Last chance; leave now!)

The Tea Party reminds me of something... I stick my finger in the air, remembering that you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows... and I remember THIS MOMENT. I remember the eve of Reaganism and the highly-charged political atmosphere of 1980. History and politics are cyclical. Deja Vu all over again. (In fact, continuing the historical comparison, I wouldn't be surprised if Obama is a one-termer, as Jimmy Carter was.)

And I am here to tell you: We cannot afford to be divided right now. As we were before.

I say this now to the young people, who have only known (as adults) the whole "Hope and Change" Obama-mantra... young people who think Dubya was a real right-winger (and you ain't seen nothing yet): We must come together. We do not have to agree on everything, but we MUST put aside differences and make political alliances. NOW. And these kinds of internal squabbles and petty grudges (I include my own) are a luxury; interpersonal fallout from being on the ascent. In about 5 years, the arguments will seem, well, rather silly. We will wonder why we didn't seize the moment and unite when we had the opportunity. And that window of opportunity will close. People you love will become Republicans, if they haven't already. People will convert to strict, austere religious sects that don't allow popular music. Weird shit will start happening and you will get scared, wondering if everything is going to hell in a handbasket.

To guard against despair, you need like-minded friends. And I offer myself as one.

Because I was there before, and I remember.

Just letting you know. When everyone suddenly seems to be on the Right, you will be heartily sorry for every sectarian snub, every missed chance to make common cause with lefties. Please put aside this cool-kids-clique-mentality NOW, because later, it will bite you in the ass in various and sundry ways, seen and unseen. The more diverse your involvements, the easier it will be to PIVOT (for lack of a better word) to a politically-expedient position when necessary. And the better off you will be.

If you back yourself into a strict, sectarian corner, huddled with only people like yourself who AGREE with you, then you very efficiently cut yourself off. You leave yourself extremely vulnerable in virtually every way. I know this from experience.

Please don't. Reconsider. If it is impossible for you to embrace ME, due to my cantankerous hippie ways, I can dig that... but please find other elder leftists or feminists, who remember the Reagan era and who can connect with you, giving you perspective and helping guide you through it.

I come in peace. Namaste.

~*~

No, I haven't totally GIVEN UP. I am still rabble rousing on behalf of my candidates, still working for alla them good causes. But as I said, I feel the change in the air. Don't need no weatherman. Sarah Palin is the Paul Revere of the movement, and she has effectively crowned my next governor. I have no reason to doubt her resolve, or any of the rest of them. By contrast, the left is currently in shreds; bedraggled and beleaguered. We can't even sustain a real live antiwar movement. (THEY have sustained their PRO-war movement.) I think they will easily kick us to the curb, unless we all WAKE UP.

And I still hear snoring. Hello? Anybody listening?

Ad majorem Dei gloriam: Herbert Kuhlke Conner, S.J. 1930-2008

Left: Father Conner, who did not suffer fools gladly.

~*~


It is a testament to the great strength of Catholicism, that I have just attended the funeral of a very cantankerous, opinionated, grumpy Jesuit, who infuriated many people. I heard a lot of trash-talk about him, lo, these many years.

And the place was packed.

Catholics don't usually do cult-of-personality stuff with our pastors; a parish priest is assigned by the Diocese. He can't go wherever he chooses, or decide to start his own outfit whenever he gets pissed off. Ironically, the popular, personable priests are quickly promoted to Monsignor and Bishop and are often not around very long. The everyday, journeyman priest who doggedly says Mass day in and day out, is not a star, and usually not very entertaining. He is a given, like a local politician on the city counsel; like the local dentist who has always had the same office in the same building. He is the bringer of sacraments, the dispenser of blessings. Such was Father Conner.

The adjective Jesuitical perfectly described him, as there was nothing you could say, no argument you could give, that he didn't have an answer for. He handled the annulment of my first marriage, and although I have heard (and read online, multiple times) that one is expected to pay for Canon lawyers and such to facilitate the process, he never charged me a red cent. I realize now, this was his politics talking, the Social Gospel in action.

At the time, I argued with him that this bureaucratic Canon Law gobbledygook was even necessary. He narrowed his eyes, as I imagined St Francis Xavier did, in suitably Jesuitical fashion. (At St Mary Magdalene, his parish in Simpsonville, there is a very large, strikingly severe icon of St Francis Xavier. Father Conner once presented a first-class relic[1] of the saint after a quiet evening Mass, which we all venerated. Thus, I now always associate the Society of Jesus [2] co-founder with Father Conner's stubborn, taciturn personality.)

"What do you mean, not necessary? The laws of the world have divorced you, the laws of the Church have not." St Francis Xavier, I thought, couldn't have pronounced any better.

"But he was JEWISH!" I protested. "This is ridiculous! How can the Church say the marriage was valid?"

Eyes narrowed again.

"Are you saying all of the marriages in the world, outside of the Church, are not valid? Of course they are."

Yes, a snappy answer to everything. Damn those Jesuits anyway.

~*~

Left: The Glory of St Francis Xavier, by Peter Paul Rubens (1617)


The funeral was impressive, a beautiful procession featuring a gaggle of Diocesan deacons and priests, all bedecked in white and gold, flanking the altar. A Jesuit who knew Father Conner in their days together in Augusta, dedicated his chalice to the parish. Father Conner was a Jesuit for 60 years, entering the Society while still in high school. So young! I wondered, did he ever wish he had chosen differently? (What did he think of modern-day kids who couldn't make up their minds about their vocations, well into their 20s and 30s?) I remembered that he seemed happiest when he was with his little dog, who waited patiently in the vestibule for him during daily Mass. (She would then flop on her back, tail wagging, as we all took turns afterwards rubbing her little tummy.)

At the conclusion, the Diocesan priests gathered in a phalanx around the coffin, all taking turns sprinkling it with holy water. Outside the Church, they parted on the left and right, singing the Dies Irae:



And unexpectedly, I sobbed my heart out.

May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs come to welcome you and take you to the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem.

~*~

[1] Catholic Relics are divided into 1st, 2nd and 3rd classes. A first-class relic is the bone or hair of the saint; second-class is clothing or an item they used (missal or crucifix, etc); third class is item (usually a medal) touched to the tomb of the saint, or touched to a first-class relic and blessed.

[2] Society of Jesus is the name of the religious order, individual priests in the order are called Jesuits. Full ordination as a Jesuit priest usually takes 12 years, the longest of any order.

[3] The post title, Ad majorem Dei gloriam, is the motto of the Society of Jesus: "For the greater glory of God."