And as I walked along the beach gazing into deep water and miles of sky, I recalled the best thing St. Augustine wrote:
"HOPE has two children. The first is ANGER at the way things are. The second is COURAGE to DO SOMETHING about it." -St. Augustine
And then I thought of Allen Ginsburg who said it best of all, " F&%K hope! It's not about hope. You don't do what you do because you hope things will get better. It's about getting up every morning and asking yourself what's the right thing to do and doing it!"
And that reminded me of this Thanksgiving story I wrote in 2005.
Excerpt from Chapter 8 : THANKSGIVING EVE, 1987
......When Khaled returned to the bonfire, Little Mo was regaling the few remaining revelers with the details of his life. "Yes, yes, all my children are doing better than I had ever hoped or dreamed. Jamal and his family have been in Detroit since he graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Ph.D. in computer science. Nidal graduated from UCF, right here in Orlando, in electrical engineering. He is employed in Kuwait and planning his marriage. Diab is in Tallahassee, and that is where Huda and I are heading on Friday. It is our very first visit to their new home, and we will be staying with them for two weeks before we return to Kuwait. I am retiring next year as inspector of mathematics for all the Kuwait high schools, after a very long and eventful career. I have lived in Palestine, Damascus, and Amman, but Kuwait is home."
Just as Khaled emerged from the grove, Jake had entered through the garden gate, holding both hands behind his back and chomping on a cigar. "Hello there. Sorry to miss the party, but Wednesday is half-day at the office, and I ran out to the woods. I knew there would be an inviting fire happening over here, so I thought I'd stop and say hello, and show you my bird."
And
with that, he brought around a twenty-two pound tom turkey with all the
feathers still on. "Just look at this fine specimen. Notice these
inch-and--a half-long pointy spurs of cartilage on his feet; watch out
they don't stab you and draw blood! Notice his eleven-inch-long beard
growing from his mid-chest like coarse strands of grey hair sprouting
from an old crone's chin. Why, this is a geriatric bird; it probably
would have died of old age in a few months and been devoured by
buzzards. But, I have dispatched him for the Hunter family Thanksgiving,
thanks be to God."
Louise, the neighbor who lived around the
corner, thought, What a hick! But she smiled and offered, "Jake, I have
never known a physician like you. Every doctor I have ever known loves
to golf, but you love to fish and play in the woods."
"Louise, it is my sanctuary. For me, the presence of God is manifest in nature. Some people connect to God in a man-made sanctuary, but my sanctuary is found in the earth, the sky, and any body of water around."
"Ah, a compatriot of the spirit! My name is Riad. Khaled has mentioned you to me many times."
"And you to me. I hope you all don't mind, but I'd like to pluck this tom by the light of you're, and I am happy to share the essence of my stogie with you all." Jake smirked as he sat down.
The
friends watched Jake rapidly denude the turkey as he shared his tale:
"I sat motionless for hours in my turkey blind and never swatted even
one mosquito. Hunting is about patience, stillness, and silence. It was
over two hours before I heard the faint rustle of the flock of turkeys
feeding not far from where I patiently sat. They took their time grazing
towards me, and I counted six hens before I saw this old tom strut in
and then I knew I had found Thanksgiving dinner. I dispatched him
painlessly with my shotgun and will be enjoying him smoked in a few
hours. Now, Louise, I can tell you think I am heartless. Au contraire.
You see, I believe having dominion over nature means to only harvest
what one will consume. I do not hunt trophies. I hunt for food!"
Cid, who lived three homes down the street, commented, "Jake you are a piece of work, and thanks for sharing. But, Khaled, I want to pick back up where we left off. Even though I think the Middle East Communication Group is open to exploring solutions, there will always be a need for the group to vent their emotions. The daily news continues to keep us filled with bad news."
Louise
nodded and said, "That's right. However, the turning point for the
group was when we all faced two blackboards, and one was labeled "Jews'
and the other "Arabs' with STEREOTYPES printed in block letters on top.
We all were shouting out every stereotype against the other we could
think of. It went on and on; I was amazed that the lists kept growing,
and so much pain was expressed. In fact, my husband was the one to stand
up and walk over to the boards and write PAIN across each one.
"Everyone
gasped and then the tears came. We all realized collectively that all
our sharing was born out of deep pain. Many of us have arrived at the
truth that if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the
problem. Khaled, you are an idea man. You are able to imagine and
envision solutions and implement plans to bring them into reality. We
need your presence at the meetings and need to hear your voice. We are
very pleased to hear you will be at the next meeting. Oh, here comes the
loves of my life, Frank and Sammie. It's time for me to go."
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