Blastoff to Huntsville

                                                  Me in front of the " brain" of the Saturn V . Huntsville Alabama US Space and Rocket Museum. Photo by Brian

Brian and I took a mini road trip north to Huntsville, Alabama today. The purpose of our trip was to visit the world-renowned US Space and Rocket Museum.  Huntsville is less than an hour from where we had our rented cabin, and since the weather did not look favorable for outdoor activities, we chose to get our steps indoors. 

 The museum did NOT disappoint. As a child growing up in the 1980's the shuttle launches were big deals to both me and my younger brother. Sally Ride was a personal shero of mine until her death. Brian, having grown up in Florida-- also has a connection to the Space Movement. {He tells everyone-- and I mean everyone-- the story of his parents meeting at Banana River Naval Air Station, which is now Cape Kennedy.  

                                          Brian in front of a space shuttle. Photo by me. 

 Today reminded me that we humans are capable of doing great things to advance our species when we work together. the US Space program had been a team effort with Russia-- a nation which the US has not had good relations. {we still don't but that is for different reasons} We had to " play nicely" with the neighborhood bully. 

When we co-operate, humanity advances. When we fight amongst ourselves, we stay stagnant or regress. Together, we put people in orbit and landed on the moon. We built working international space stations. Our satellite technology keeps improving communications {How many young'uns know how to read a paper map?}

Yet we still are territorial and look for people " not like us" to scapegoat. As communities and a nation, we are unwilling to share our resources with others whose ideals do not line up 100 percent with ours. 

Imagine what we human can do to repair the world...  tikkun olam...if we just see each other as PEOPLE... siblings of the human race. By choosing to continually divide ourselves, we are making our species weaker. 

John Lennon said it best in his _Imagine_ lyrics: 

"Imagine there's no Heaven

It's easy if you try

No Hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people
Living for today
Ah, ah, ah-ah

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion, too

Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
Yoo-hoo, ooh-ooh

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
Yoo-hoo, ooh-ooh

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one"

That is my prayer. 

We need to live as one HumanKind. 

"You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one"

Namaste...

Sarah Beth McCarren 

Appalachian Americans: Born, Not Made

 

                                View from atop Ebell Mountain, in Blount County, Alabama. 

Brian and I are taking a much-needed few days away from our beloved Pensacola, Florida to refill our " cups" in the Alabama Appalachian Mountains. 

Brian did not want to deal with Atlanta traffic, so we are staying in a VRBO cabin in unincorporated Blount County, Alabama. 

Yes, friends, Alabama has some mountains. {technically foothills, but true elevation}

Today we drove to the top of Ebell Mountain, and hiked some easy trails around the park that is situated there. 

Friends, it felt so damn GOOD to be on some ancient rocks and soil of the Appalachian Mountains. I love living in Pensacola, and {for many reasons} I never want to return to where I grew up but this dark soil of these ancient rocks that comprise these Appalachians is part of one's DNA. 

Pensacola is home, I'll stay there for the remaining years I have on Earth. Yet my soul longs to hike elevation: particularly the elevation that reminds me so closely of my youth. For me, the BEST ting about growing up where I did is the biodiversity-- especially the biodiversity of the plant life. 

 Granted, the Appalachian Mountains are not homogenous. I am from the " ridge-and-valley Appalachians, and in Blount County, Alabama, there are technically foothills. At any rate, it is NOT sea level. 

 Brian mentioned at the amount of poverty we saw as we drove through Alabama north of Birmingham. I remarked that poverty is something that Appalachians have dealt with since the first White people settled in these woods. I might have grown up solidly middle-class, but poverty was a reality that affected many of my schoolmates. Poverty is a uniting factor in a diverse Appalachian- American population. One need not grow up poor to see how the poorest Americans struggle. 

I also understand that Appalachian Americans are some of the hardest-working, big-hearted people I've known. My understanding and love for these people-- my people-- is why I am wary of the stereotypes that the media {TV and movies, especially} portray the people of this region. 

Do I think Appalachia is a utopia. NO! {I've never voted like most {almost all} rural Appalachians. Are there some real social problems here? Yes! 

 I feel blessed to be able to spend a few days each year in these old mountains. 

Appalachian Americans are born, not made. 

Sarah Beth McCarren

Family

 In the wee hours of the morning, I lost a friend. Brian did, too. 

 Correction: I lost a brother. 

Anthony+ was my brother. 

 As I've grown a lot older and a wee bit wiser, I've decided that " Family" is not always synonymous with " relatives". Some relatives are too toxic to be family while others put their own self-righteous political/religious views over seeing people as our Creator sees us. 

It happens a lot. 

If we are fortunate enough to have relatives who are also family {and I DO have many such blood kin who are family} that is a blessing.  I've learned the hard way that sharing DNA with people makes them relatives-- but NOT always family. 

Family are people whom we want in our lives. 

They are people who might not always agree with us but love us nonetheless. Family are folks who see beyond human-made constructs such as geography and {and this is a BIG one} politics: They might not like our choices/ positions/ and even actions but they love us. 

At the same time, family are people who want us to live up to our God-given potential and are not afraid to do some truth-telling when needed. Some of my very favorite sisters are women whom I love in part because they will and do wake me up with some tough love. I've another brother, also a priest in this Diocese, who will not put up with any of my shit, either. 

Anthony+ was my brother. 

Ken+ is my brother.  

I'm blessed with one awesome biological brother, Matt. 

Yet I know that there are people in my life who do not consider their biological siblings as family. I wish that society as a whole would see the difference between relatives and family. Society as a whole glorified biological family to the point of idolatry in some instances. 

I lost an older brother today, and this is a loss that will take some time to process. I plan to deal with my own grief by doing the best I can to be a good family member to Anthony+s widow, their children, and his congregation. 

Many people lost a brother today. Anthony + was an only child, but he leaves behind so many siblings-in-Christ's-Love. 

Kyrie Elesion...

Sarah Beth McCarren 

My " Big Rocks" for 2023

 

                                                   Brian at the " big rock" known as Grandfather Mountain in Western NC . 

What are your " big rocks" for Year 2023. 

Maybe I better explain. " Big Rocks" are the important things in life-- things that we must schedule and make a priority. According to my priest's newsletter article for February, these " big rock" things must be scheduled first-- otherwise a'' the " little rocks" take precedence in using time, energy, resources and effort. 

Here are my 2023 " Big Rocks." 

1. Feeding my soul. 

As a wise friend pointed out, I tend to neglect my own spiritual and emotional needs. She said that unless I take time to " refill my cup" I'll be empty {I was getting there at the time she and I talked} 

Wise Friend asked me what would refill my cup, and the first thing I said was " Hiking in the mountains".  After a back-and-forth conversation {my friend was having none of my flimsy excuses, which is one reason why I adore her so much} I talked with Brian about taking a short trip to te Alabama Appalachian Mountains. Oddly enough, as soon as I booked that VRBO, I felt as if a huge weight lifted from my body. 

I also plan to continue studying the piano in 2023 as part of soul-care. {But piano, since it is new to me, is its own Big Rock} Piano study is good for my mind, body and soul, so it needs to be a priority. 

 I also plan to take time to be more intentional about maintaining my Rule of Life in 2023. I'd revised it As part of our vows as Daughters of The King, we develop and maintain a Rule of Life but mine had not been reviewed /revised since August & placed somewhere where I can look at it daily. 

 Part of feeding my soul will also include evaluating parts of my life that do not seem to fulfil me. Continuing to do anything that has outlived its purpose actually can drain one's emotional and spiritual cups quickly. 

2. Physical health. 

In 2023 I will tend to the Big Rock of eating enough to maintain my weight, staying hydrated {hydration is hard for me, but after the last trip to the local emergency room after another fainting episode, I NEED to be more mindful about water intake} 

I've scheduled a diagnostic procedure in early March after seeing yet another pain doctor regarding the chronic nerve pain that has plagued me for three years. The first course of treatments for the chronic pain does not work anymore, so we are exploring other options. I finally said, " screw the anti-drug people" and asked about temporarily using a mild narcotic to give me a few pain-free hours during the day. Until now, I'd resisted asking about heavy pain pills, until the pain left me hardly unable to walk. There is no shame in {properly} using pharmaceuticals. 

3 Intellectual Pursuits 

 In 2023, my main intellectual pursuit will be piano study. 

 I'll be faithful with attending lessons and {more importantly} practicing daily. Learning a new language -- music IS another language--requires discipline. Learning anything new as an adult is harder-- adult brains are not as pliable as those of younger people-- so learning this new language is harder than someone learning it as a child. I can already tell that piano will be the easiest Big Rock for me to maintain this year-- I'm enjoying it so much! 

 I also plan to write more this year-- as writing is and always has been about an art and a necessity for me. 

These are my three " Big Rocks" for 2023. What are yours? 

Amen. 

Sarah Beth McCarren