Contemplation...quit laughing at me, dammit!

You know, I was so happy to see my long lost friend Zee that I called her up to invite her to go on an outing with Doug and I. We finally did it today…D and I picked Zee up and we went to Lilypons Water Gardens in Buckeystown, Maryland. (Also, BTW...this photo is from www.paulahophoto.com, and if you go there you'll see plenty of other gorgeous water lilies!)

BTW, if you are ever in Maryland or the DC Metro area and would like to go somewhere that’s beautiful WITH FREE ADMISSION, this is one of the best places to go. This place’s “stock and trade” is the installing and supplying everything you would need for a water garden all your own. They have several “display ponds” all around the facility, containing water plants of all sorts, tadpoles, fountains and Koi (those gorgeous Japanese fish). For those of you who think it’s just a mis-spelling of Lily Ponds, this facility is actually named after a famous opera singer from the 1920’s named Lily Pons. Clever pun, huh?

Anyway, we happened to stumble into their Labor Day Arts Festival. They had good music, vendors with different arts and crafts, and great music. We sat and listened to the Star Spangled Big Band from Frederick, Maryland, and (I’m saying this at the risk of all of you laughing at my sentiment since it’s usually unlike me) I felt so blessed at that moment. I mean, I had a friend I had found again on one side, Doug on the other, the weather was great, the food was good, and the music was glorious. I will say it again…in a summer full of chaos (for me), I really felt blessed.

I started thinking of the people affected by Hurricane Katrina (both in Mississippi and “The Big Easy”) and in the midst of feeling blessed, my heart really went out to them as well. I mean, I’ve seen my child hood home in shambles due to storm damage. I’ve seen my family members and myself struggle with health problems, other anguish, and death. I truly feel in my heart of hearts that what I’ve gone through in my life that I think is sad is peanut dust in the bottom of the jar compared to the Hurricane Katrina victims, the tsunami victims from this past winter, victims of the London bombings, the casualties of this Iraq war, and many others living with constant death, devastation and sadness.

I’m not a doomsday type of person, though – many people interpret this as the end of days.

Fine. That’s their right. As the bumper sticker says, “Opinions are like assholes. Everyone’s got one.”

However, I do look at the proportions of it. I mean, am I selfish to extol my good day while others are dying? Is it better to live in a constant state of sackcloth and ashes because others are suffering? I have a family and friends that love me, a roof over my head, food in my cupboards, and work of a sort. Am I supposed to feel bad or good about that?

I’ve decided this…I’m going to put all the energy I have from wondering about this crap into action and actually DO something instead. When I’m not ranting about the goofballs in Hollyweird, or odd news stories about people who do stupid things and then wonder why things turned out the way they did, I am going to try and do something every day. Big, small, it doesn’t matter. I may stumble and fall in my efforts, but I’m going to try and do something EVERY day.

As a matter of fact, here’s something now for my DC metro area readers. The aforementioned Star Spangled Big Band from Frederick, Maryland (and they really are good…just ask me!) will be playing a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina relief on Sunday, September 18th, from 5:30 – 7:30 PM at the Frederick Holiday Inn (the regular one, not the Express). Please note that admission is $5.00 for adults and free for children 17 and under.

I usually go to church on Sunday nights, but I think God will forgive me this once if I go to a good concert for a good cause.

Besides, I’m SURE He likes big band music…

Have a good ‘un…
Sudiegirl the quasi-altruistic and nice (but don’t tell…I’ve got a reputation to uphold).

Post script...9/4/2005

My fellow blogger Little Green Friend has made a point about this whole Hurricane Katrina thing that I thought was quite profound. In his most recent blog entry, he was honest about his feelings regarding the footage, and made a point. As important as it is to want to help and as natural as it is to feel sorrow for their pain, we can't forget to live our own lives.

I'm going out on a limb here with this...for those of you who've seen "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut", you know the big deal about the parents of South Park starting a group called "Mothers against Canada", protesting the violence and general crude behavior by Terence and Philip. The parents in this group are so pumped about stopping Terence and Phillip that they forget about their kids in the process.

I thought about this as I was reading LGF's entry...and think about it...if we all get whipped up in the frenzy of helping people we don't even know, we could forget about the troubles our own families and friends might be facing. Altruism is good, but it's rendered moot if you forget about your own family and friends while helping complete and total strangers make a new life for themselves.

It does take a village to raise a child. But the village can get too big, if we're going to be metaphorical. Keep your eyes on the prize and take care of your own as well as stepping out into the big wide world to help others.

Talk to your friends, your neighbors, other family members, your co-workers...what do THEY need help with? Do they need someone to drop off a few extra groceries? Do they need someone to give them a ride because their car's acting up? Do they just need someone to talk to? That's just as important as sending a check to the Red Cross or taking part in a big telethon. And that's the kind of thing I'm talking about...we can make a difference, big or small, and it doesn't have to be a national cause. Just hold a door open for someone if you really want to start on a base level. Think about it!

And keep smiling!

Sudiegirl