Making democracy work in a sensitive yet stable manner
“The overriding problem with our world in general is that we are, in large part, managed by incompetents. Most of these are men who have spent their lives seeking power rather than themselves. Consequently, we are confronted with the grotesque spectacle of working for childish figures—half-baked little generals with overblown egos and no more understanding of the search for meaning than some primitive, base organism spending its time feeding on the lives and feelings of others—as they play shell games with other people’s destinies.”
Robert James Waller
Author of “The Bridges of Madison County”
Gathering, gathering, I was always gathering. Plaques, awards, photos, trophies, essays with big red As on them, a book I liked, a poem that meant something. I had a box, then two, then a closet shelf and then a closet. Now, at 60, I have a house filled with my gatherings as well as those of my wife and children. Why am I holding on to all these symbols? In case they build a museum to me and need artifacts? Don’t see that happening. I guess it’s my meager way to try to hold onto all the good things that seem to slip away faster now than they ever did. But reliving memories, no matter how sweet, is like trying to pray. I start out earnestly but drift off into other thoughts almost immediately, and the more firmly I try to concentrate, the looser my grip becomes. My best memories are flashes of singular moments in my life.
