The good news is….

We have become a nation of speakers; intent on exercising our First Amendment rights, no matter what. But we don’t really say much that is of meaning commensurate to matching the quantity of words spewed forth in a given span of time.

Rather the high volume of words, these days, is somewhat like a volcanic eruption; hot, noisy with more than ample fallout and consequences and something we would have much preferred left still, if one stands back and looks at the event.

Much of what people say, these days, passes for news, no matter how trite.  A lot of this might even be called garbage which we should be wrapping up to throw out in what is left of actual paper-held words (i.e. newspapers, tabloids, high profile, celebrity-generated, tell all books and so forth). Small wonder so many are enamored of the internet; trash is quickly disposed of though it may be forever archived

As for me, personally, I like the sound of quiet, even when in shared space with others. The wind is one of my favorite sounds of silence, except when it is dangerously roaring.

Oh, well. Along with all the near empty words, more and more secrets are revealed these days; many of them dirty secrets that leave one wondering if you really wanted to know this or not. A body is hard pressed to hold onto secrets these days. I have a few myself I’ve been contemplating making public. To tell or not to tell is the question.

Just marvel at the magic that cyberspace and freedom of speech has brought us these days, now on a worldwide scale. It’s all quite intense and complex.

But is the quality of our lives truly enhanced?

Does all the information we imbibe truly nourish us any more than a diet Coke? Better yet; a cookie or a potato chip?

With maturity, one can’t help but wonder.

On my end, I am, without doubt, grateful for the serenity of New Horizons Harpers Ferry Retreat Center where we are, presently, working toward opening our doors, once more, to uplifting though still leisurely communal gatherings, before too long.

Here we can hunker down and get radical; “radical in America” being the coming together with others to take a pause, slow down and actually talk to one another and listen; storytelling being a viable pathway to overcoming the toxic polarization infecting our society so much of the time. (Thought credit of Mary Pipher in “Writing to change the world”)

First community building gathering scheduled for Saturday, June 22, 2013.

Details coming.

(By invitation only.)