Mark's Blog

 

March 4, 2011

The days are clearly now getting longer. Temps moderate within a few days when a cold front pushes through; shadows are shorter at midday, and you can almost hear the groggy voices of daffodils from under the decaying snowpack. Robins and blackbirds are not far off now... spring's magic will soon be everywhere.

But winter can be slow to leave, as New Englanders know all too well. The forecasted weekend weather roller coaster is case and point. And today is no exception either. At 7 AM it was minus 10, but by mid-morning a south wind had begun to stir. By noon, the temp had risen to above freezing, and the singing of black-capped chickadee made it through the window from the cedar tree just the other side of the driveway. Seasonal change is a funny thing, particularly as we get older. They just come too fast. Winter can at times feel like it will never end. But it does, sometimes when we're not ready for it. A host of winter projects still await more of my attention, among them completion of my book. But before I give that endeavor my undivided attention for awhile this afternoon, I just want to relish the warmth of the sun that is bathing my office with light. Sweet, warm, life-affirming light...

 

 

December 1, 2010

If you're out and about this month, make your way to Photostop Gallery in White River Junction, Vermont where I'll be one of ten exhibiting photographers. There's a great variety of quality work on display and for sale, from notecards to a few large pieces. Tons of gift potential! Gallery hours for the month are 10-5 Wednesday to Saturday, Fridays until 8.

 

Thursday May 27, 2010

When you wake up in the morning before you start your day, do you take a minute or two and express gratitude for your life? Do you express gratitude for your health, for your home, for the people who handle and deliver your mail, that care for the crops that nourish your body that are in your cupboard and refrigerator? Are you able to take that gratitude beyond the love of family and friends and pets and extend it to the forests that provide oxygen that nourishes and supports your body and feeds your soul, do you express gratitude to the trees that have been harvested to create the structure of your home? Do you offer gratitude to the dance of sun and earth and water that results in an explosion of life of which we are part? Are you able to offer gratitude to the unseen force that moves within and around all things for your freedom of CHOICE?

How we move through our lives is a luxury we all have, particularly here in the U.S. ; the impact of our choices is something we all need to become more mindful about, because it's seems to me we are all suffering a crisis in our relationship to the world around us. Let me briefly albeit hastily explain:

No one in their conscious, deliberate mind would choose to spoil the life support system that is essential to our very existence, but we're doing just that by not understanding the impact our oil-based lifestyle has on the overall health of the planet. Oil makes a considerable contribution to our lives no matter how you cut it... We take for granted that we fuel our cars, heat our homes, bag our produce in the grocery store, make our shoes and clothes, from oil. And we make the naive assumption that those whose business is to extract that oil from below the earth's surface will always do so in a controlled and predictable manner. Truth is, when primarily motivated by profits, they don't...

It is easy to play the blame game, and the biggest players in this scenario are quick to attempt to vindicate themselves as to the root cause of the disaster. The economic impact will be ongoing; the ecological impact even more so. Images of oil-covered broken birds, miles of fouled wetlands and soiled beaches are just the start of it. It's an unspeakable example of how oil and life just don't mix if we don't collectively respect it and assume it will always be available in abundant supply. In our unquenchable thirst for oil, we put entire ecosystems at risk by not taking all the precautions necessary to avert a potential disaster. What a sorry price to pay when things go awry...

Is the risk worth it, I ask?

I can't tell you how much I want to live in a world where we all understand the importance of living in mindful balance with this planet we are all guests on.The miraculous building blocks of life -all too often taken for granted- may likely never be completely understood, but they surely need to be respected, by all of us, no exceptions. In offering gratitude for these things that comprise the very essence of our lives, we become more mindful of just how we choose to use them. I hope with a breaking heart that the first thing we learn from this situation is just how dependent we are on this substance that -if not respected or alowed to be mis-managed or recklessly extracted- can suffocate the building blocks of life that are critical to the survival and well-being of not just our planet but ourselves. May we continue to develop ways in which we utilize this limited resource in the most efficient, effective and logical way, and prove ourselves to be the the most mindful, conscientious guests we can be-