Woman Be Wise
She has quite a job.
posted by jm at 4:15 AM
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
She has quite a job.
About Me
- Name: jm
I am a brilliant creation of the universe formed from the cosmic protoplasm sailing into eternity. I have two hands, two feet, a couple of great ears, and I'm clipping through life at a moderate pace; minding my p*s and q*s, crossing my t*s, dotting every i.
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23 Comments:
She is Liberty Enlightening the World (La liberté éclairant le monde). She holds aloft the torch symbolizing enlightenment, the Promethean lightning.
"I find it intriguing, and worth paying attention to the fact that a rather tall woman stands at the entrance to our country...."
"Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame with conquering limbs" are the opening words of the famous poem inscribed within her.
The New Colossus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Her call is not one of coercive power, but it is ultimately a more powerful force.
She does have a big job!
I believe in the concept of patriarchy, but I don't believe that we are living in a tyrannical patriarchy. I think of Stalin or Mao when I think of that term.
I do think that North America is poisoned in some way by the dichotomy between the fast-moving emotional forms of self-expression, the exposure to violence in 'entertainment' and the generally sedentary lives many people lead. Like watching the war from a computer screen? Crazy.
I am always in shock people need to be told: go for a short walk every day. Or, eat vegetables. Maybe this is why people believe we are under a patriarchal tyranny! People apparently (if you follow the average media outlet or paper) "need" to be instructed on the most inane things.
But I do believe the collective is depressed.
Cranky, occasionally hopefully but often overworked and under-slept, sluggish ol moody blues. And I don't think religion cuts the mustard anymore. We need to somehow amalgamate what we have learned and move on...but to where? And how? What does a life look like, years from now?
I am worried (and curious) about the esoterical repercussions of being an overly stimulated, sensory-loaded, sedentary human being.
I met a couple of young Iranian men the other night, both have been in Canada since they were children (they were about 25 years old). We started talking about their experiences in a new country and one said that when he was a child and first moved here, he and his mother used to look out the window of their new home and wonder where the heck everyone was...they couldn't understand the concept of an empty street. One said that growing up in Iran, he knew his whole apartment complex by name, and now in his highrise, he doesn't know anyone. And he gets funny vibes if he's too friendly. He feels he's pushing boundaries, and the thought disturbs him, but still he feels lonely.
And this is something I have noticed, travelling in foreign countries, in Asia or India: there are more people around, outside, living life outside.
I told this man I imagined that this has more to do with (a) more families living together (the concept of 'your own place' is unusual; you'd live with family) and (b) who wants to be stuck inside in a hot country with all those relatives? So they hit the streets. For air, for conversation, for a break from the noise.
This man liked my idea and thought it to be true.
I work as a bicycle messenger downtown and have for 10 years. It's an interesting job. As my partner puts it (he does it, too for many years): it's a job where you're not only working, but you see other people working. You see alot of people doing a lot of things. You know the undercover delivery people from the stock exchange, you know the slicksters who sell drugs, you see elevator repair people, water delivery people, day care workers...
One thing I have noticed that has BOOMED in the last 3 years is the use of the headphone.
I can't believe it. And camera phones and hands-free mobile phones. It really amazes me, this internalizing of senses and self.
So: tyranny? I see a lot of choices being made by people who struggle to recognize that the collective is powerful. Why is it people can readily accept the power in fashion trends or hairstyle trends and not spiritual and transpersonal trends? It just boggles my mind.
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
The whole poem sounds exactly like our Moon in Aquarius. It seems that the youth of this country coupled with this history almost leave the people without a real feeling of Homeland. Even the office of Homeland Security is nebulous. Borders never penetrated. Aliens in the world still. What exactly are we protecting and defending? Around the world, national identity is strong and deep. What is the USA identity? Must have something to do with this symbol.
Her call is not one of coercive power, but it is ultimately a more powerful force.
Such a mixture, like so many situations.
Hers is he power of absorption. Indicative of the Cancer planets, the ruling Moon in Aquarius. It rests on what she can take in, which is infinite here. Interesting as the keeper of the gate.
Gatekeepers are interesting in general. Many of them demand high prices or labors for entry. Or they keep away threats. The Promethean light is dominant in this case.
A lot to ponder.
We shall see as coercion falters in our country now.
All of this figures into the new identity of Sagittarius rising. Now what?
And more Aquarius Moon.
We started talking about their experiences in a new country and one said that when he was a child and first moved here, he and his mother used to look out the window of their new home and wonder where the heck everyone was
This is a common reaction. They are frightened by the coldness here, as people stay isolated in their cars all the time. The bigness adds to the loneliness. Empty streets. Huge stores all the same.
I've often wondered if this is behind the weight problem of this society. All the Cancer needs for intimacy not being met, with the ruling Moon going into alien landscape.
One thing I have noticed that has BOOMED in the last 3 years is the use of the headphone.
This is more of that alienated essence. And I think it all adds to the depression you mentioned. It's hard to process....people everywhere yet no one wants to relate. Disembodied people in their ears. Same thing with the Net. The disembodiment. So the bodies maybe get distorted from neglect. Unloved, indicated by the surgical massacre of the body by celebrities, although Brazilians are worse even than Americans.
I do think that North America is poisoned in some way by the dichotomy between the fast-moving emotional forms of self-expression, the exposure to violence in 'entertainment' and the generally sedentary lives many people lead.
Good point. Again the alienation from experience.
Neptune is headed for this Moon in Aquarius, just at the time that Uranus goes into Aries, in our 4th house. New directions and a dissolving of the old Moon. Aries affecting the Moon ruled 4th house foundation.
Very very interesting.
We need to somehow amalgamate what we have learned and move on...but to where? And how? What does a life look like, years from now?
We'll see.
I wonder if liberty includes a certain alienation, all Aquarian. If the perception of oppression binds people together. That seemed to happen here after 9/11. WWII also united the people in a common effort. Then after that came the separation again in all the prosperous little kingdoms around the new houses, fenced and isolated. Interesting now, though, is the increase in connected living quarters. Used to be the poor in apartments, but now it's the rich too, in condos, etc., seeking inner city togetherness.
"Empty streets. Huge stores all the same.
I've often wondered if this is behind the weight problem of this society."
A few years ago, a study showed that people who live in dense areas, near shops and public transportation, tend to be slimmer.
"Used to be the poor in apartments, but now it's the rich too, in condos, etc., seeking inner city togetherness."
Definitely a trend. I imagine that in future decades there will be more communal style living arrangements, connected living spaces, though still with private quarters, of course.
I enjoy the busy brightly lit neighborhoods here, the people out till late at night, in restaurants, bookstores, cafes, theaters. I'm always surprised when more sedentary visitors tell me, as they gasp for breath, how they hate coming up the stairs. I'm only on the fifth floor!
A few years ago, a study showed that people who live in dense areas, near shops and public transportation, tend to be slimmer.
Now that is fascinating. Then closeness is protective rather than threatening. Maybe the familiarity.
I'm always surprised when more sedentary visitors tell me, as they gasp for breath, how they hate coming up the stairs. I'm only on the fifth floor!
There also was a study that showed longevity in stair climbing apartment dwellers.
I enjoy the busy brightly lit neighborhoods here, the people out till late at night, in restaurants, bookstores, cafes, theaters.
A common pleasure as cities all around the country are trying to create this now. The year I moved here, a central pedestrian mall was just being completed which changed the city forever. Now residences are being built for the first time in centuries. Small businesses are developing to see to their needs, and the demographic is changing dramatically.
It's hard for the big box retailers to get into these environments, so maybe that will change too. Even large grocery chains are out while neighborhood markets sprout. It's in constant change, eqilibrium being maintained ultimately.
What I'd like to see in the coming years is the growth of cooperatives to disperse our goods.
"The whole poem sounds exactly like our Moon in Aquarius."
Well, I have Moon in Aquarius.
New York City has a reputation for rudeness, but a politeness survey named it the the most polite of 36 cities in 35 countries.
Also, amusing, are general findings:
"People under 40 more courteous, senior citizens rudest."
"Men were more polite to other men and women were more polite to other women."
"Despite their reputation for being surly and unhelpful, Parisians have to face up to the finding that they are nicer than people in half the cities tested."
Native New Yorker Dan Norman, 36, from East Rockaway, said: "The thing to remember is that New Yorkers are not rude, they are brusque. People will listen to you, but you've got to cut to the chase."
Howard Blackman, 61, visiting with his wife, Marsha, 55, from Chicago has always found the city to be friendly. If anything, he said the eagerness of New Yorkers to answer questions almost before tourists are done asking them can be mistaken for brusqueness, he said.
Sunita Rajan, 40, a physician from the state of Kerala in India, was walking across the bridge into Manhattan with her parents and was amazed at the help, including restaurant suggestions, she was getting from strangers.
Sandra Van-Geest, 23, of Holland was visiting New York with her mother, Nanda, and liked the friendliness of the city. But she did say the enthusiasm of people to help seemed a "bit too much, like they don't really mean it."
"It is true, it is really, really nice," said restaurateur Marisa Pons, 29, who is visiting the city with her sister Celia, 27, from Majorca, Spain. "In Paris they don't want to know. Without asking, people [in New York] ask if they can help."
Sources:
New York (!) named politest city in world
Searching the world over for polite folk
New York the politest city in the world? Get outta here!"
Are you keeping some Promethean light over yonder in that polite city??
New Yorkers are just fast. It's a rhythm. Rudeness is actually an American trait overall to some extent. Not a lack of kindness, just a style. Manners are not as important as in some tightly structured societies. Americans have always been famous for Boorishness.
I think most people want to show off the places they live in, since it reflects pride in their choices. It's the luck of the draw when visiting. There are so many individuals, and who knows what personal dramas are motivating them at the moment? Some are friendly and have time, others are on their way to something big, unpleasant, etc.
People in my town are unusally friendly for several reasons, I think. Plenty of space and time. The lack of overcrowding makes it easier to get from here to there, thus more free time. The space also creates some loneliness which the people are eager to bridge.
I found Parisians to be very friendly. They might be particular about likes and dislikes, but that's another matter. Their supposed dislike of Americans is pure fallacy.
I grew up visiting NYC often, and found it delightful as a child. I visited a year before 9/11 and felt a vibe I never wanted to experience again. I haven't been there since, but they say things are back to the usual liveliness and street theater unique to NYC. A vibrant, diverse, environment, exciting to most. Human, too.
Where we choose to live does reveal a lot about us.
"People under 40 more courteous, senior citizens rudest."
Heheh. The perogatives of age.
"It's the luck of the draw when visiting. There are so many individuals, and who knows what personal dramas are motivating them at the moment? Some are friendly and have time, others are on their way to something big, unpleasant, etc."
It's interesting though that the study found New Yorkers more likely to hold doors open for people, or help pick up dropped items. That sounds unlikely to be purely a chance result, although the study did not follow rigorous scientific protocols.
Perhaps we're less afraid of each other, too.
According to one article: "New Yorkers turned out to be the politest: 90 percent held the door open, 19 out of 20 store clerks said 'thank you,' and 63 percent of men and 47 percent of women helped with the flying papers. In short, four out of five New Yorkers passed the courtesy test.
"The rudest continent is Asia. Eight out of nine cities tested there — including last place Mumbai, India — finished in the bottom 11. In Europe, Moscow and Bucharest ranked as the least polite."
And apparently New York beat out London and Toronto. I wonder why that is. I suppose I could ask my geographer friend the next time he visits this area. I have heard older immigrant and first generation Asians complain about the attitudes of their relatives from overseas.
Perhaps we're less afraid of each other, too.
I think this is so. Back to familiarity. If a tribesman lives isolated and runs across another from a different tribe, naturally fear is the result. But if he passes by this tribesman daily, he becomes used to the presence, familiar with the character and habits, and eventually less fearful.
Maybe politeness in a tight environment is a form of protection.
The rudest continent is Asia.
Absolutely no doubt there. Yet they have extreme politeness in some areas.
New York has a history of great diversity which might be included in their overall ranking. less fearful of strangers. And I also think there is a benefit in that close environment to being civil.
Historically, Americans are less than high class in behavior but they are known to be among the friendliest in the world. Very very helpful. Shocking sometimes to foreign tourists.
It's no mistake, the Lady taking in the masses from the world. Sheltering, feeding ,and protecting. It's a national characteristic.
you can identify the Americans because they are demanding
They also have a tendency to stick out like sore digits! They don't seem to notice where they are, trying humbly to fit in.
"There also was a study that showed longevity in stair climbing apartment dwellers."
The species came down from the trees, and has tried every which way to get back off the ground ever since!
And the bedroom is usually located where...? upstairs! :o)
Ha ha ha! Well, there is that joke about lifting legs to heaven.
"Where we choose to live does reveal a lot about us."
Many of us, or our fathers and grandfathers, were originally from elsewhere. Maybe the pioneering spirit is still here.
I suppose that, especially, those attracted to diverse, multicultural regions tend to greater openness.
The species came down from the trees, and has tried every which way to get back off the ground ever since!
Ain't that something? well, anything can change its mind.
I suppose that, especially, those attracted to diverse, multicultural regions tend to greater openness.
Also a love of variety. Different sensations. can you imagine living without Italian food? Or Asian? Or Indian? Or Mongolian? Or Iowan?
Maybe it's more of the receptor factor too. people recognize diversity as holding traits they want to cultivate.
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