Jul

American Freedoms at Your Dinner Table

by Sheron Long on July 4, 2013

Fourth of July dinner table, a good place to discuss American freedoms and gain perspective

Eat a little, talk a little this Fourth of July
© Thinkstock/iStockphoto

Gain Perspective, Not Weight, on the Fourth of July

Today, the Fourth of July, OIC Moments sends insights to share when your dinner table conversation turns to American freedoms.

There’s sure to be dissent—One guest speaks; not everyone agrees. Could it be, as Lady Bird Johnson said, “The clash of ideas is the sound of freedom”?

Hoping you will gain perspective from the raucous sounds of freedom around your table, we offer three questions and some conversation starters. Try them out and see where the conversation goes.

1. What Does Freedom Feel Like?

Conversation starters:

The truth is I love being alive. And I love feeling free. So, if I can’t have those things, then I feel like a caged animal and I’d rather not be in a cage. I’d rather be dead. And it’s real simple. And I think it’s not that uncommon.

—Angelina Jolie (1975– ), actress and humanitarian

Woman dancing freely, illustrating the joy of American freedoms

Ah, the feeling of freedom!
© Thinkstock/iStockphoto

Freedom is control in your own life.

—Willie Nelson (1933– ), country music singer-songwriter

Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting.

—Alan Dean Foster (1946– ), writer best known for works in science fiction and fantasy

You have freedom when you’re easy in your harness.

—Robert Frost (1874–1963), poet

Harness? That sounds like freedom might come with limitations and that leads us right to the next question.

2. Where Are the Limits of Freedom?

Conversation starters:

Many people don’t understand how disciplined you have to be to play jazz . . . . And that is really the idea of democracy—freedom within the Constitution or discipline. You don’t just get out there and do anything you want.

—Dave Brubeck (1920–2012), jazz pianist and composer

I do think there are certain times we should infringe on your freedom.

— Michael Bloomberg (1942– ), businessman, philanthropist, and mayor of NYC for three terms beginning in 2002

One of the things that bothers me most is the growing belief in the country that security is more important than freedom. It ain’t.

—Lyn Nofziger (1924–2006), journalist and White House adviser to President Ronald Reagan

The magic of America is that we’re a free and open society with a mixed population. Part of our security is our freedom.

—Madeleine Albright (1937– ), diplomat and Secretary of State in the Clinton Administration

Different Americans pledge allegiance to the US flag in honor of the American freedoms celebrated on the Fourth of July

Many different people call America “Home.”
© Thinkstock/iStockphoto

3. What Does Freedom Cost? How Do We Pay it Forward?

John Quincy Adams, US President from 1825–1829 and son of the second President of the US John Adams, had this message for the generations that followed him: “Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it.”

The American generations that followed discovered that they, too, had to preserve freedom with continuing vigilance through wars abroad and social change at home.

Patriotic sign, helping people gain perspective on what it takes to preserve American freedoms

Each generation is called upon to boldly preserve American freedoms for the next generation.
© Thinkstock/iStockphoto

Consider the perspectives of these American voices as you think now about what you and your generation can do to keep freedom alive.

Conversation starters:

Freedom is a muscle . . . you have to exercise it.

—Roy Scheider (1932–2008), actor, choreographer, and film director

Freedom is not an ideal, it is not even a protection, if it means nothing more than freedom to stagnate, to live without dreams, to have no greater aim than a second car and another television set.

—Adlai E. Stevenson (1900–1965), politician, governor of Illinois, and Ambassador to the United Nations

Freedom isn’t free. It shouldn’t be a bragging point that ‘Oh, I don’t get involved in politics,’ as if that makes someone cleaner. No, that makes you derelict of duty in a republic. Liars and panderers in government would have a much harder time of it if so many people didn’t insist on their right to remain ignorant and blindly agreeable.

—Bill Maher (1956– ), comedian, TV host, and political commentator

So keep fightin’ for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don’t you forget to have fun doin’ it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce.

—Molly Ivins (1944–2007), journalist, humorist, and political commentator

Your “Oh, I See” Moment?

Listen to the voices of freedom ringing around your dinner table. Did any one of them make you say, “Oh, I see” today? Leave a comment and let us know your insight.

Handprint with US flag motif, illustrating how each American leaves a mark on the American freedoms celebrated on the Fourth of July

What imprint will you leave on America’s freedoms?
© Thinkstock/iStockphoto

All quotes from Brainy Quote.

For a perspective on American freedoms through an immigrant’s eyes, see this interview with William Holston of the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas.

Sheron Long 2 Comments

Quotes of Note/USA

Jun

Finding Common Ground in Ocean Waters

by Janine Boylan on June 3, 2013

summer crowd on the beach, an inspiration for finding common ground on World Oceans Day

A summer crowd gathers at the beach.
© Janine Boylan

The World Comes Together to Celebrate World Oceans Day

Long before the Internet connected our world, the oceans did, flowing from the shore of one country to another. From the beginning of time, the oceans have fascinated us and served us, yet only in modern times have we come to understand the oceans as a shared responsibility.

In 2008, the United Nations officially designated June 8th as World Oceans Day, an international day to celebrate the water that unites us.

On this day, people are finding common ground in events across the globe. Documentary film festivals, underwater clean-up dives, educational aquarium and zoo events, and music concerts to raise funds for ocean conservation are but a few.

The Legendary Ocean

When did the fascination with oceans begin? Long before World Oceans Day and even before written history, legends and folk tales show that the ocean is a heritage shared by many different cultures:

Multiple cultures have sea gods. The Greeks tell stories of Poseidon, the Hawaiians of Kanaloa, and the Polynesians of Tangaroa. These gods often played a part in the creation of the world and reside in the oceans where they rule over the creatures there.
Mermaid stories also appear in many cultures, including British, Chinese, Cambodian, Thai, and ancient Greek. These half-fish, half-human ocean beauties are sometimes evil, luring sailers to their deaths. Other times, they are helpful, rescuing people who fall in the sea.

seagull and mermaid's purse, an inspiration for finding common ground on World Oceans Day

A seagull captures a mermaid’s purse. While these little pouches are really shark egg cases,
stories connect the glistening pouches to mythical mermaids.
© Janine Boylan

Legends told in Norway, Denmark, and Germany all explain why the sea is salty. In one version, a man gets a magical grinder that produces anything asked. When he takes his treasure to sea and asks the grinder for salt, it produces so much that the salt fills and sinks the boat. The grinder tumbles to the ocean floor and, as the story goes, is still there today producing salt.

sea salt, an inspiration for finding common ground on World Oceans Day

Flakes of sea salt collect on the shore.
© Janine Boylan

Today’s Real Ocean

In our world today, the oceans are not full of fantasy. In fact, in many places, they are full of trash.

trash on the beach, an inspiration for finding common ground on World Oceans Day

Paul, your drink is ready for pick up.
© Janine Boylan

Until very recently, it was common practice to dump things in the oceans: household garbage, cars and tires, human waste, industrial waste, radioactive waste. Out of site, out of mind.

But, of course, the waste isn’t out of our lives:

The toxins in the oceans kill ocean life.
They also reappear in the fish we eat.
Waste thrown in the water strangles ocean critters and even gets caught in boats or nets.
Regularly, beaches are closed due to the potential harm that the infected water can have on swimmers.

And these are just a few examples of the effect of this waste. Ocean pollution is not one community’s problem. Tainted sewage runoff in one part of the world will reach another part of the world through our shared water connection.

And that brings us back to World Oceans Day—a day to come together as a planet and protect what has been a cross-cultural connection for ages: our oceans.

The oceans, which according to NOAA, cover 71% of the Earth and contain 97% of the Earth’s water, are a vital part of our world:

They are a source of food, ranging from fish to seaweed to crab to salt.
They help us breathe. Half of the world’s oxygen comes from phytoplankton, tiny one-celled plants in the ocean.
Between 50-80% of Earth’s diverse life lives in the ocean—and more species are being discovered constantly. Some discoveries lead to beneficial ingredients for pharmaceuticals.
The tides and waves, as well as heat collected in the ocean from the sun, can be used world-wide as a source of renewable energy.
Ocean activities such as surfing, swimming, diving, sailing, and fishing relax or thrill us.

powerful waves, an inspiration for finding common ground on World Oceans Day

The power in waves can be harnessed for energy.
© Janine Boylan

Oh, I see! Our oceans are critical—they surround us, feed us, and empower us. And next Saturday, June 8, on World Oceans Day, you can be part of the effort that is finding common ground in the protection of our oceans. In the words of poet Ryunosuke Satoro:

Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.

How will you help save our seas?

For starters, you can download our free tips for reducing your use of plastics:

Learn more about the ocean and see promises you can make for its protection on the World Oceans Day Facebook page.

Comment on this post below.

Janine Boylan Comments

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Making a Difference/Worldwide Sites

May

A Vagabond Travel Day With Sheep in Provence

by Sheron Long on May 30, 2013

Blocks spelling "Wing It," showing the value of vagabond travel

Off the Beaten Path, Life Is Full of Surprises

It never fails. The day I decide to wing it and wander away from the travel itinerary is the day that etches the best memories in my mind.

Maybe it’s because I’m here in France where being a flâneur (stroller, wanderer, vagabond in a good sense) is valued, much like an art form. Maybe it’s because the unexpected surprises of life put a bigger smile on my face.

No matter, in many an “Oh, I see” moment, I’ve learned that making space for vagabond travel days is essential to a well-planned itinerary.

Wall-to-Wall Sheep

Yesterday was no exception. I wandered into our village and noticed a crowd gathering on the street. Something told me to forget about the quest for croissants and take up a position.

It was the Transhumance, the day that shepherds take their flocks from the lowlands to the highlands where food is more plentiful this time of year. Can you imagine the sight—3,000 sheep in the street?

Sheep moving through Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and showing bystanders that life is full of surprises

Before you saw the massive amount of wool, you heard the sheep coming. They baa-ed and bleated their way through town.

Noisy sheep with loud bells!

The troop progressed, some showing off horns and pom-poms. I gawked at the wool that went wall-to-wall, and I loved the surprise of it all!

Aside from the annual procession in Saint-Rémy, other parades of animals—sheep, cattle, and horses—are part of the celebration of Marseille-Provence as the 2013 European Capital of Culture. Transhumance events continue through the region until June 9, 2013, when they culminate in a large parade through Marseille.

Off the Beaten Path

In such public parades, however, I realized that the sheep were coming to me, somewhat out of place on a street. Surely, there was a way I could go to them for an even more authentic experience.

I could feel wanderlust taking over, and the plan for the next couple of days was shot.

Armed with wheels, feet, and a wing-it attitude, I began to explore the back roads of Provence in the rain, looking for wide open spaces that could house the troops of sheep as they made their way through the region.

I ran across shepherds participating in sheepdog trials, helicopters flying overhead to document troop movement from the air, bivouacs of horseback riders, and pens of big and baby bulls.

But it was on unknown land where the road ended past the Étang des Aulnes in Saint-Martin-de-Crau that I found what I was looking for—a troop of sheep munching away at the end of their day and delivering quiet baas to punctuate the rhythm of the rain.

Sheep grazing in Provence, seen on a vagabond travel day and showing that life is full of surprises

I stood in the rain and took it all in, feeling now like I had the fuller picture. Then the shepherd, dressed in a robe of old, raised his left hand, a sign to his faithful border collies to take the sheep home. They were gone in an instant, it seemed, and it was one I’m glad I didn’t miss.

Provence shepherd, seen on a vagabond travel day and showing that life is full of surprises

For more on how travel makes us happy, see this CNN travel article by Winnie So.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Sheron Long 1 Comment

Art of Travel/France

World Views:

Topics

Category Archives: Map Points

American Freedoms at Your Dinner Table

Gain Perspective, Not Weight, on the Fourth of July

1. What Does Freedom Feel Like?

2. Where Are the Limits of Freedom?

3. What Does Freedom Cost? How Do We Pay it Forward?

Your “Oh, I See” Moment?

Finding Common Ground in Ocean Waters

The World Comes Together to Celebrate World Oceans Day

The Legendary Ocean

Today’s Real Ocean

A Vagabond Travel Day With Sheep in Provence

Off the Beaten Path, Life Is Full of Surprises

Wall-to-Wall Sheep

Off the Beaten Path