No matter how you look at it...
...this way or that...
...from left or right...
Peel back the layers...
...and at the heart of the matter is love for one another.
My friend Marianne Elliot reminded me today that in the face of fear and hatred, the only way forward is love. So when I read about this tragedy and that one; about hubris and greed; when I see willful ignorance celebrated while freedoms and environmental protections are eroded; when racist morons try to rewrite or reverse history; when it appears that too many people seem to be sleepwalking, rather than taking to the streets in protest, as things fall apart*.. I remind myself that change begins with each of us.
It is up to us to speak out and do whatever we can to effect change and counter manipulation, stupidity and evil. "Every individual has a responsibility to help guide our global family in the right direction. Good wishes are not sufficient; we must become actively engaged." - the Dalai Lama.
Silence is not an option.
*"Things fall apart" is from the William Butler Yeats poem The Second Coming
Pictured: 1940s French coffee table; Dutch roses in Moroccan tea glasses found in London; Louis XVI chair and 1940s French crystal candlesticks; teal pottery bowl by Riley Salyards, Amsterdam and wool rug, handmade by Bedouin women on Bani Hamida Mountain, Jordan.
Beautiful shots and a very timely message. I hope you will enjoy your time living in Holland.
Posted by: Rhiannon_mc@yahoo.com | 14 April 2011 at 09:43
my second comment
because
you are MISSED
xo
keep well!
Posted by: Gillian | 09 April 2011 at 05:32
Yet more beautiful shots here! What kind of camera are you using for these?
Posted by: HV in France | 08 April 2011 at 13:13
We must all do our part. We all have a voice and we all own our power. How we choose to spend that power impacts the entire planet.
Love is a good first step.
xo
Posted by: Gillian | 07 April 2011 at 01:45
Thank you for this reminder. It is the only sane response to stupidity, ignorance and cruelty.
Posted by: Karen@PasGrand-Chose | 05 April 2011 at 12:52
Thank you for your words and beautiful images! I too have been treated a little badly by some on FB for telling it like it is. I actually would love to sleepwalk like everyone else, but I wasnt wired to be that way. Frustrating. If we all just focus on the important things and try to send love to the bad guys, the ignorant, the innocent, the animals, the earth, and know that we are not alone - maybe then we feel hopeful that we can create a better reality. Since nobody wants to take to the streets with me, its all I can think of to do.
Posted by: kathleen crowley | 05 April 2011 at 04:38
When I see the pure stupidity that surrounds us in the US alone I get so depressed. I just want to stick my head in the sand. I know this is not right. Then I think maybe I should move somewhere else. I read somewhere recently that about 5% of the people in the US control 69% of the wealth. They are so afraid of losing that control that they will do and say anything to retain it. Why can't the other 95% see what they are doing. It is beyond me. I want to have hope for Obama, but he is trying to placate too many people and not doing what he promised. My hope is diminishing more and more. Thanks for all you share!
Posted by: Marilyn | 04 April 2011 at 03:34
"Good wishes are not sufficient; we must become actively engaged." - the Dalai Lama.
What a wonderful mantra to remember. Thank you, Tara.
Posted by: Mary H. | 03 April 2011 at 23:18
Beautiful words. Thanks Tara.
I've had more than a few requesting that I shut up about world events over on facebook and concentrate on creating beauty. I think there is a beauty in being informed, and in being free to speak the truth. I needed this xx
Posted by: Di | 03 April 2011 at 21:18
Lovely post. And the girondols are beautiful.
I read an interesting article yesterday that said America has moved from the New Deal to the Old Deal, i.e. the robber barrons. I am often stunned by the willful ignorance in this country, and daily I think of retiring to somewhere where there is sanity, empathy and gardens to tend.
Posted by: Diogenes | 03 April 2011 at 17:40