Darling I'm so glad that you, like Alison Krauss, hear Atlanta calling - it means the world to me. Hot & sultry in siestaville, up in the aerie with wood blinds drawn. A day of mountains: mountains of laundry, mountains of salads (taboulleh, potato, and cole slaw), and a brisk walk with weights at the conservation area this morning, beautiful views of blue rises. So nice seeing regulars there, we greet one another warmly.

What do I have for you today? Not so much. Actually I would like to get something out of my system - my intuition, perhaps faulty, intuiting interest perhaps by a wellwisher of my former professional acquaintance, and so I offer a link to a piece I wrote a while ago with respect to how things went south for me when I switched fields & municipal agencies, entitled Life Lessons in Democracy, that I originally posted on a Presidents Day - perhaps it isn't so outlandish to "ahoy" it (link here) on this day.

There, that's out of the way.

***
Segue, segue... ah, one readily comes to mind, a quote I read this morning that I was extremely impressed with and that has stayed with me throughout the day, I just marvel at the grace & deftness. I glanced at online local headlines this morning, and read an article about local reception to marriage equality becoming law in New York State. It's a well-written article (link here), and what particularly impressed me were comments of a local Episcopal rector:

“As a matter of my own personal opinion, I am deeply pleased and gratified that all of God's children, of any sexual orientation, who wish to commit themselves to a lasting, loving relationship with another person, can now legally do so,” said the Reverend John Perry, rector of Christ Church Episcopal in Hudson. “This is a matter of basic human rights, and for me it honors our need to express our human natures in relationships that are marked by respect, by giving, by mutuality and by equality.

But he acknowledged that “faithful Christians do disagree about this issue.”

Among those who believe that marriage is strictly between a man and a woman is the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany, the Right Reverend William H. Love. He has previously directed that there will be no blessing of same-sex unions in the diocese.

“As a priest in his diocese, I am bound by my ordination vows to obey him, and I shall,” said Father Perry. “I am left with a deep sense of personal sadness that I cannot officiate at such a marriage, but this is minor compared to my joy that all persons may now enter into committed loving relationships that have legal status and protection.”

The latter line, to me, is pure genius, that acknowledgement - and turn. It took my breath away, honestly, when I encountered it. I love the way the formulation honors the rector's obligations to his church, hearkening to his own personal conscience which may at times differ, and a reckoning with the civil rights that are so important in a democratic state - separate from church. Beautifully done. Win-win-win. It's about "ands" not false binary choices, forever the "ors." And I have to say, I read a brilliant resolution like that (as was the negotiated Act itself) and it does give me a lot of hope, and make me feel genuinely proud to be an American at this very moment in history, because we do have a secular state that (not without enormous struggles) endeavors to extend civil rights to all. We're not in a religious state, and I'm very glad. I wouldn't wish it to be under any one religion. This morning I received a page hit (I assume it was random, proxy) and the stat-counter noted that it was from the "Islamic Republic of Iran." Which moniker I found chilling, that it was restrictive as that. And I thought how chilling it would be to see a religious adjective appended to the United States of America.

So I'm not into Holy Wars, not at all, not here. Let's try to work it out, as has recently famously happened in our state, and I'm glad that a clergyman can be so eloquent, compassionate, and peacemaking about it. The beauty of that, the inclusiveness, as opposed to the frowning "no," "we're against that," etc.

Darling, please forgive my lack of eloquence on this subject - look to the rector's words instead for eloquence. Love, even within disagreement, or insurmountable obstacle.

***
Ah darling, so what are you doing today I wonder? Are you grilling? D will be grilling later, not so much because of the holiday but it takes care of a lot of meals as the week goes on, as do the salads I made - sides.

I hope you're having a wonderful holiday. I think you're a wonderful guy, I sense, I don't know --- I'll put it in the negative - you're not a rabid spirit, you're the opposite of that. Yet in the thick seas you manage, you love, you negotiate - that's my sense, I admire you for that. It's not easy.

I hear you calling too. Yours - Atlanta