Hey,
The other day I went to a new dentist, and of course as a new patient there were many pages of forms to fill out. I'm answering away: no, no, no, no, no, but then I come to the question: Do you smile? Why? Answer: yes - because I'm happy. On the next page was another variation of the question but with the question: How often? Most of the time I answered. I owned a condominium a little north of LA. I was out shoveling snow this afternoon and it felt good. Marsha On Jan 7, 2010, at 12:33 PM, John Carl wrote: > Marsha, > > Some of the most beautiful descriptions I've read (Ed Abbey! Ed Abbey! Ed > Abbey! ) are of places nobody wants to go - deserts - tundra. The emptiness > beckons the eye. > > What is interesting in Royce's analysis isn't the comparative beauties of > the world, it's the way places create people. Even as Pirsig points out the > language of the Cowboy AND the Plains Indian both reflecting the plains, the > environment which is their Q-context. > > Royce: > > "And this intimacy with nature means a certain change in your relations to > your fellow-men. You get a sense of power from these wide views, a habit of > personal independence from the contemplation of a world that the eye seems > to own. Especially in country life the individual Californian consequently > tends toward a certain kind of independence which I find in a strong and > subtle contrast to the sort of independence that, for instance, the New > England farmer cultivates. The New England farmer must fortify himself in > his stronghold against the seasons. He must be ready to adapt himself. > > Thus different in type are the California country proprietors from the > equally individual, the secretively independent, the silently conscientious > New England villagers. " > > He also points out the differences in culture between the Northern > Californian and the Southern, which has its roots in the communities which > got started fresh in the south around 1880 and on. The "latecomers" to the > view of the 49ers. > > Go Niners! > > John > > > On Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 9:13 AM, MarshaV <[email protected]> wrote: > >> >> Hi John, >> >> New England is beautiful and its winters are full of joy. California is >> beautiful too. >> >> >> Marsha >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Jan 7, 2010, at 11:08 AM, John Carl wrote: >> >>> Perhaps it is foolish of me to assume that joy exists anywhere outside of >> my >>> own sphere, Marsha, and yet sometimes, like the sun peeking through the >>> clouds, I see signs of it. >>> >>> But I'll take your word for it. >>> >>> John >>> >>> On Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 2:33 AM, MarshaV <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> John, >>>> >>>> Let me rewrite that properly: >>>> >>>> >>>> The promise of joy existing somewhere else is very foolish. >>>> >>>> >>>> Marsha >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Jan 7, 2010, at 5:30 AM, MarshaV wrote: >>>> >>>>> >>>>> John, >>>>> >>>>> The promise of betterment existing someplace is very foolish. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Marsha >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Jan 6, 2010, at 1:11 PM, John Carl wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Marsha, >>>>>> >>>>>> I have to go work, but I'll sit down tonite and let my fingers fly >> over >>>> the >>>>>> passages promised. >>>>>> >>>>>> In the meantime, to whet your appetite... >>>>>> >>>>>> "in New England, if you are moody, you may wish to take a long walk >> out >>>> of >>>>>> doors, but that is not possible at or even at most seasons. Nature >> may >>>> not >>>>>> be permitted to comfort you. In California, unless you are afraid of >>>> the >>>>>> rain, nature welcomes you at almost any time. The union of the man >> and >>>> the >>>>>> visible universe is free, is entirely unchecked by any hostility on >> the >>>> part >>>>>> of nature, and is such as easily fills one's mind with wealth of warm >>>>>> experience. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Now I must feel that such tendencies are of vast importance, not >> merely >>>>>> today, but for all time. They are tendencies whose moral significance >>>> in >>>>>> the life of California is of course both good and evil, since man's >>>>>> relations with nature are, in general, a neutral material upon which >>>> ethical >>>>>> relations may be based. If you are industrious, this intimacy with >>>> nature >>>>>> mean constant cooperation, a cooperation never interrupted by frozen >>>> ground >>>>>> and deep snow. If you tend to idleness, nature's kindliness may make >>>> you >>>>>> all more indolent, and indolence is a possible enough vice with the >>>> dwellers >>>>>> of all mild climates. If you are morally careless, nature encourages >>>> your >>>>>> freedom." >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Mea Culpa, >>>>>> >>>>>> John >>>>>> >>>>>> On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 2:09 PM, MarshaV <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Jan 5, 2010, at 12:12 PM, John Carl wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> I'm reading Royce's history of California right now and boy does he >>>> have >>>>>>>> some interesting insight into the way an environment forms the >>>> individual >>>>>>>> and society. Reading his description of the attitude you get from >>>> living >>>>>>> in >>>>>>>> a place that isn't trying to kill you half the year is quite >> amazing. >>>>>>> His >>>>>>>> description fits me to a "T", and his contrast with the New England >>>>>>>> Individualist and the California individualist made for some >>>> fascinating >>>>>>>> reading that I'm itching to share with Marsha. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Lessee, it's gonna be 62 degrees today, I hope the rest of y'all are >>>>>>> keeping >>>>>>>> warm where you're at. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Hi John, >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I'm interested. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Marsha >>>>>>> >>>>>>> p.s. The high temperature here today was 24-degrees. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >> _______________________________________________________________________ >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars... >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Moq_Discuss mailing list >>>>>>> Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. >>>>>>> http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org >>>>>>> Archives: >>>>>>> http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ >>>>>>> http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ >>>>>>> >>>>>> Moq_Discuss mailing list >>>>>> Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. >>>>>> http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org >>>>>> Archives: >>>>>> http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ >>>>>> http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________________________________ >>>>> >>>>> Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars... >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Moq_Discuss mailing list >>>>> Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. >>>>> http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org >>>>> Archives: >>>>> http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ >>>>> http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________________________________ >>>> >>>> Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars... >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Moq_Discuss mailing list >>>> Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. >>>> http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org >>>> Archives: >>>> http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ >>>> http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ >>>> >>> Moq_Discuss mailing list >>> Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. >>> http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org >>> Archives: >>> http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ >>> http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ >> >> >> _______________________________________________________________________ >> >> Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars... >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Moq_Discuss mailing list >> Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. >> http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org >> Archives: >> http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ >> http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ >> > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ _______________________________________________________________________ Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars... Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
