It
had been my intention when Lloyd and I flew off to Puerto
Rico on November 5 for a 10 day holiday that this message would go
out while I was away. Then there was Paris
It was more than somewhat surreal that Lloyd and I were able to envelop ourselves in the natural beauty of the more remote coastal areas of this island as well as another much smaller
The
lush greenery and countless creatures on land and in the beautiful turquoise
sea served as a backdrop for the images embedded in our minds from TV of the
hate filled carnage. One quote from a young male Parisian stays with me:
"They want us to hate. I will not hate. We must stand up and live. That is
all."
When you think about it, isn't that all any of us can ever do in this precious life?
REFLECTIONS ON HOME IN COLUMBIA
During
this autumn season, now that daylight savings has given way to standard time, I
am increasingly aware that sunrise comes later each morning and sunset earlier
each evening. I can sense the change in
season throughout my mind, body, and soul.
Behind
our home are a few acres of undeveloped land surrounding a pond and bordered by
tall trees that live between us and other homes. The setting sun moves behind
those trees a bit earlier each day. Now
that most of the leaves have fallen, the remaining rays are clearly visible. By
the time my December 21st birthday comes around, the last rays will
be visible at 4:30pm. Each year on my
winter solstice birthday, Lloyd
pens
a brief poem on the theme of my bringing the light back. Gotta love that guy.
Brilliantly
colored leafed trees have been visible from every window in our home. Now they are virtually leafless. The pathways in the Middle Patuxent
Valley, safe from the ubiquitous leaf blowers, are totally covered with fallen
leaves, dry and crunchy on some days and rain sodden on others, creating a very
different sensation underfoot as we
take our
walks. Cedar Lane and Little Patuxent Parkway
sidewalks are periodically cleared of leaves, making our walks there quieter,
though the silence continues to be joyfully broken by your beeps and honks,
bringing a smile to our faces.
For
twenty years my campaign committee held a picnic in one of the Cedar Lane Park
pavilions. Each year the number of
attendees increased, and by the last few years people spilled out well onto the
surrounding grassy parkland. A constant
at these picnics was a rousing and inspirational talk given by Congressman
Elijah Cummings. Just this week,
Lloyd and I were perusing a large album of photos taken at these picnics and
other community events so generously prepared by our friend, Columbia
when
I responded that those picnics were over – gone with my many years in public
office. I was moved by their emotion,
and it served to remind me how fortunate I am that, much as I valued holding
office, it
never
became my identity. I was Liz Bobo then,
and I’m Liz Bobo now, in love with life.
Lloyd
and I had great experiences recently at two Howard County Main Street Ellicott City . After we went to the county court house 22
years ago to get our marriage license, we walked down the hill to have a
celebratory lunch. Fernand sat us at the
small table by the “renaud (fox)” stained glass window. We have returned every tenth of October
since, bar one when we were out of the country, to enjoy a scrumptious French
meal at the same table. This year we
were seated by Fernand’s son. When making our year’s travel plans we work
around that date. Guess it’s safe to say
we love traditions.
The
other was on November 5 when we went to Clyde ’s
to sit at the bar and get a great sandwich with a beer and wine for
supper. We started talking with three
guys sitting next to us and learned that they had been original bartenders when
Clyde ’s opened on that same date in 1975. A
delightful hour followed during which we shared countless wonderful stories
about the early days of Columbia Columbia
On
Tuesday we leave for ten days in Puerto Rico . We will be staying in small towns and a
small island offshore where we have
visited several times before. We love
the people, culture, history, and beauty of this place on planet earth.
REFLECTIONS
ON ZACH
In
the ever expanding circle of interconnectedness surrounding Zach, I continue to
be approached by people I have never met telling me how he has impacted their
lives.
One
day a few weeks ago I had two such encounters. The first occurred in the morning at a coffee shop.
Lloyd and I had read the “Post” and
“Sun” with our coffee, and he had left for the golf course. I stayed at the table reviewing my “to do” list
for the day and quietly made a couple of calls on my cell phone. The line of customers waiting to place their
orders at the counter passed by my table.
Right after I completed a call
to
someone my daughter had asked me to contact about the possibility of his
helping with an event sponsored by the Zaching Against Cancer
Foundation,
a young woman asked if I knew Zach. I
replied that I am his grandma and asked how she knew him. She responded that she worked at Camden Yards
during the baseball season and saw many kids there wearing their foundation tee
shirts and striking a Zaching pose. She
had asked the kids what they were doing and learned Zach’s inspirational story
through their response. We had a nice
warm talk in which she asked to be put on the foundation contact list and then
we left the coffee
shop
to continue our respective days. After
running a few errands I drove to pick up Zach’s sister, Julia, and go to lunch
at outdoor Clyde ’s on one of the last warm
sunny days of autumn. On the drive there
I told Julia about my encounter with the woman at the coffee shop. The
minute we got out of my car at the lakefront parking lot, a guy walking by
called
out
,“Are you Liz Bobo?” I
said “yes” and asked who he was. His reply, “I’m a friend of Zach’s.” Julia and I simply looked at each
other. Neither of us recognized this man. Derek is his name, and he is about
twice Zach’s age. He said they had met
about four years ago in a cash register line in an Ellicott
City drug store. After
paying they continued to talk for several minutes until one of Zach’s friends
from school came in and told them that the guys were waiting for him in their
car. The two new
acquaintances
kept in touch, occasionally having lunch together. Though I had never met Derek, Zach had told me about him. Both
told me that they shared beautiful conversations about the wonder of life.
Julia
and Zach’s dad, John, stopped by our home one evening recently. John had just
returned from a weeklong hike along the Appalachian trail .
A year ago he had covered an adjacent section of the trail, adding to the
considerable distance he had hiked with Zach in previous years. One lesson he told us he had learned on
last year’s hike was to pay even more attention to the weight of each item he
carried with him. That included his
relatively heavy leather wallet. He
decided to check in Zach’s room to see whether his wallet was lighter. Turned out it was, though much more
important, John found a halfsheet of paper folded in one of the
compartments. One side contained typed
“promises” of legendary basketball
coach, John Wooden, one of Zach’s heroes. Example:
“Promise yourself to be strong so that nothing can
disturb your peace of mind.” The
other side of the paper has several quotes in Zach’s handwriting. One:
“It is better to travel
hopefully than arrive.” (Robert Louis
Stevenson) Another: “Looking back it seems to me all the grief that had
to be left me, when the pain was over, stronger than I was before.” In my mind’s eye, I can so clearly see
Zach pulling out this precious paper, which had obviously been folded and
unfolded repeatedly, and reading it for sustenance and inspiration which he
then in turn passed on to so many of us. John let me make a copy which I now carry in
my wallet.
On
November 21 the Zaching Against Cancer Foundation will hold its annual Run/Walk
at Turf
Valley
Go to
“ZachingAgainstCancer.org” and come
join us. We had a great time last
year and would love to see you.
REFLECTIONS ON BALTIMORE, MY HOMETOWN Baltimore
Last month I wrote about
former teacher now published essayist, D.
Watkins’ “searing dispatches from urban war zones.” In a
later edition of
“The Sun”The local writer
lays out a plan for bettering Baltimore
desegregating schools.
after April’s unrest
REFLECTIONS
ON PUBLIC POLICY
Nov.
Deep
gratitude to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for its diligence and
courage in pursuing this post 911 invasion of privacy issue. Security is
clearly important, and it must be balanced with individual rights.
Large
campaign contributions are directly connected to the fact that such a large
percentage of our nation’s wealth is held by the top 1% of our population. I have to go with Bernie Saunders on this
one.
REFLECTIONS
ON OUR PLANET BEYOND THE U.S.
Seven
years ago Lloyd and I took a magnificent vacation
traveling through the Balkans. We travelled alone by train, bus, and ferry
through Slovenia , Croatia Mostar
big
holes in the stone walls made by launched weapons remain in homes and other
buildings. These images arose as we
viewed on TV the movement of the masses of refugees fro Syria , Afghanistan ,
and northern Africa migrating through this
area. It has been more than 20 years
since the Balkan wars. Now refugees from
other repressed countries travel through this land where even now bitterness
remain.
Yes,
another interconnectivity note. Zach
loved to watch ESPN 30 for 30 videos and he liked me to watch some of them with
him. One of his favorites was about
two boys, one who grew up in Bosnia
and another in Croatia U.S.
A few
days later, Lloyd and I drove to western Maryland Croatia
Omnipresent
interconnectivity.
Washington Post 11/9/15 –
After 25-year wait, a democratic election in
Ponder
the contrast between the fierce determination of peaceful Aung San Suu Kyi and
her Burmese supporters to have an opportunity to cast their vote and our low
voter turnout in the U.S.
Washington
Post 10/26/15 – Lessons from up north by E.J. Dionne, Jr. “The Liberal Party landslide and the triumph of
Justin Trudeau in Canada’s election …was a tonic for progressive economics and
a cautionary tale for parties on the center-left lacking the courage of their
convictions. Trudeau proved that voters understand the
difference between profligacy and
necessary public investment.”
I pray that we U.S.
REFLECTIONS
ON LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE
The
older I get, the more I believe that people are basically good. These two physicists, one astro and one
quantum, contributed greatly to my
developing that belief. Another immediate example of the ever widening circle
of inter-connectivity manifesting itself in my life on this earth: I am typing this on November 9 and just
read that today is Carl Sagan’s 81st birthday. Lloyd is 81.
Quantum
Physics & Creativity - Quantum
physicist, Hans-Peter Dürr and
Deepak Chopra
1/2
Pools of sorrow, waves
of joy
Are drifting through my open mind
Possessing and caressing me
Across the Universe
- Lennon and McCartney
Be well and love life.
~Liz
