2001.09.04
Today Garrison Keillor is discontinuing his column at Salon.com, alas. I've gotten many wise quotes from that column in my various journals. Here's one quote that's been in the back of my head for a long while, from his (non-Mr. Blue) book "We Are Still Married":
What keeps our faith cheerful is the extreme persistence of gentleness and humor. Gentleness is everywhere in daily life, a sign that faith rules through ordinary things: through cooking and small talk, through storytelling, making love, fishing, tending animals and sweet corn and flowers, through sports, music and books, raising kids--all the places where the gravy soaks in and grace shines through. Even in a time of elephantine vanity and greed, one never has to look far to see the campfires of gentle people. If we had no other purpose in life, it would be good enough to simply take care of them and goose them once in a while.That was in response to Life Magazine posing many people, famous and not, the question "Why Are We Here?" (I liked John Cage's response: "No why. Just here.") I'd be somewhat remiss if I didn't mention how Keillor opened his response: "To know and serve God, of course, is why we're here, a clear truth that, like the nose on your face, is near at hand and easily discernible but can make you dizzy if you try to focus on it hard." which doesn't completely jive with what I feel right now, though kind of can if you squint at it hard enough through Unitarian Universalist lenses.
--Garrison Keillor on "Why Are We Here"
Links of the Moment
Wow...I may have seen the most mind-bendingly badly designed page on the web. Hippies and the Internet, not always the best combination. Take Supa Dupa Babee's example and don't use drugs. (Or else you may end up like the people who came up with Supa Dupa Babee.) (both links via Portal of Evil)