Farewell To A Friend

 In loving remembrance of my dear friend John Charles, I am happy to share an account of my last meeting with him and some reflections/examples on the character of this extraordinary human being.

Knowing that Debby and I would be returning from a trip to Oregon in Early September, John and I seized on the opportunity to meet up in Yreka upon our return to California on Labor Day, 9/6. As planned, we met for lunch at the local Black Bear Diner where we enjoyed a meal and the time together sharing our thoughts on a variety of subjects. He began by speaking about his daily routine, which notably included participation in his local Sangha (discussion/reading group) as well as his daily yoga practice and trip to the local gym. As is our practice, we then discussed our sons (Christian and Jake), their progress, and our mutual desire for their happiness. He reflected on Christian’s recent work as a pitching coach and the prospect of pursuing a more permanent career as a baseball coach going forward. As always, his love for his son was clearly evident.

We then began to reminisce about the time John visited us in San Francisco several years ago when we walked the cliffs at Land’s End, continued the stroll through Golden Gate Park, shared time at the local coffee house, and attended a Thich Nat Hanh seminar. This led to reaffirming our mutual attraction to and love of the work of Ram Dass (Richard Alpert) and our ongoing commitment to being peaceful warriors in an environment not necessarily committed to the same values. This, in turn, yielded a lively discussion about our respective interactions with the FBI in response to our past and present efforts to resist violence as a means to resolve conflict. The work of Gandhi was invoked as I noted that John singularly reflected the principle of embodying the change that one might want to see manifested in the world. And that was the beautiful and inspiring thing about John: he actually walked the talk; he was consistently and persistently kind in word and deed. True to form, John then shared with us his happiness that a recent refund of money could then be used to help a friend in need...walking the talk indeed! Our time was short and the road southward soon beckoned so we said our goodbyes with palm to palm and a heart to heart embrace...this image will remain with me in the wake of his absence.

John Charles embodied peace and kindness, and, in so doing, made manifest a new way of being in this oft-troubled world desperately in need of a change of direction. These qualities were on clear display in what was to be our final encounter and they will continue to inspire me as I attempt to emulate his excellent example. John has been called home to the source of his gentle power and influence during his allotted time on Earth. Those of us privileged to have known him are forever grateful for his presence in our lives.

Veterans Day

 Remembering and honoring all the veterans (many of whom are also military veterans) of the peace movement and their service to this country in an continuing effort to eliminate the archaic, counterproductive, and barbaric institution of war.

In The Aftermath

 Thought regarding the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd: One measure of justice achieved and noted...let us all now work ever more diligently to make it commonplace.

Improved Relations

Hoping that, as we move away from the toxic madness of the previous four years, good-faith debate and reasoned argumentation will replace cynical mockery and mean-spirited name calling as our prevailing mode of interaction and discourse.

An American Spectacle

 As we prepare for our annual celebration of Americana, gaudy pageantry, and rank consumerism that the Super Bowl event is guaranteed to invoke, we also might be reminded of the way in which Trump and his entourage experienced the events of January 6th. Clearly captured on an in-house video, we see the likes of Don Jr., girlfriend Kimberley and other rather jubilant participants reveling in a party-like atmosphere with music blaring while Kim happily dances before our eyes. Meanwhile nearby, the President of the United States views, on massive TV screens, the soon-to-unfold spectacle of the nation’s Capitol being ransacked by an incited and violent mob of angry white nationalists in much the same way he might enjoy a Sunday afternoon game of football. So come this Sunday, after the obligatory fly over (our ritualistic homage to militarism) and the fully anticipated barrage of pyrotechnics, we too might enjoy the uniquely American display of jingoistic pride as we, yet again, collectively divert our attention away from the reality of our decline and, instead, revel in the illusion of our magnificent, superior, and exceptional facade.

Predators Exposed

 Saw the movie The Assistant last night (Hulu) and offer the following observation: an excellent and understated exploration of sexual harassment in the workplace and the larger issue of cultural male privilege as it relates to sexual predatory behavior. The film is wonderfully spare and economical as it chronicles a day in the life of an assistant to a movie mogul with Proustian attention to detail. The pace and tenor of the scrip reminds one of the 1952 classic, High Noon. Writer/director Kitty Green has, like Carl Foreman and Fred Zinnemann before her, created an insular world in which the moral dilemma of the protagonist (brilliantly played by Julia Garner) is revealed subtly without forced emphasis. Garner accomplishes this with an amazing ability to render her internal straggle to the audience largely non-verbally devoid of hyperbole or dramatic excess. This, in turn, allows the lean dialogue to have an even more permanent and meaningful effect. Another outstanding aspect of this film is the way in which sexual abuse/harassment is portrayed as part and parcel of a culture that has normalized and allowed for such wrongdoing to exist. The complicity of the mogul’s subordinates was shown with stunning nonchalance so as to underscore their participation in a such a system for preservation of their own professional survival. The upshot is that Green and Garner have teamed to present the everyday workings of a world in which the likes of Harvey Weinstein, Donald Trump, Bill Cosby, Jeffery Epstein, et al have been allowed to continue their pernicious and evil practice relatively unchecked. The Assistant goes a long way to put these actions in their proper perspective and hopefully, in so doing, shine new light on an old and enduring societal problem.

Begging Your Pardon

 In the shadow of Trump’s outgoing and excessive use of the presidential pardon, it might be useful to remember that the intended purpose of this executive power is to right an existing wrong, to correct a judicial mistake, to heal a societal wound, and to uphold the rule of law; not desecrate it. Nor is it to be understood as an assertion of regal authority but rather as the exercise of a solemnly considered act of restorative justice.