As the reality of yesterday's tragedy sank in, I thought about the issue of survivor guilt - once again looking over an existential shoulder as bright and sadly younger lights went out behind me. But life, I reminded my ever-tranquil and still living cat, is for the living and so once more into the fray!
This means we rose early, he and I, and continued the arrangement whereby he goes back to sleep and I go out and do things. Granted, first I took in the better part of an hour of C-Span and got further perspective on the incredible gifts that arrive when dire things happen. Thus inspired, I worked the more vigorously on preparing the Peace Garden for winter. Youth Farm's Hillary Oppmann arrived on schedule at 7:30 and by shortly after 8:00 several stalwarts from Teen Challenge were on task transplanting perennials and spreading woodchips and fellow gardener Melody Jackson came along in due course to help out. This is the scale I live on. Carpe diem is what I have to work with and when I seize these moments, I can both grieve and post next month's Fare Share notices on the bulletin boards after the morning's chores out back. As it happens, a treasured soul passed on from our local midst yesterday here at Horn and we will make our peace with that as we will with the departure of our much beloved Senator, his wife and daughter, and the others who perished in the plane crash. I'll plan to vote early on election day in my home precinct so that my already mailed-in absentee ballot won't be counted in error. And we'll get the jack-o-lanterns carved for Thursday night's party at Horn - Paul and Sheila and the others will be in our hearts that night and we the living will celebrate their memory with lighted pumpkins, homemade pumpkin bars, chili, costumes, door prizes, the works. Fred Markus, Horn Terrace, Ward Ten, in the Lyndale Neighborhood _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@;mnforum.org Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
