The Fifth of July

What does the fourth of July mean to you?  With the phenomenal success of the Broadway show Hamilton, I am somewhat amazed that there is not more of a cultural interest in our American beginnings.  I guess I am comparing it to the American Bicentennial and at that time, it seemed that there was a national interest in all things colonial. 

Of course, that was forty years ago and a lot of water has passed under the bridge.  We have witnessed more wars, experienced recessions, lived with consequences of corrupt politicians, questioned our history and legitimacy of being a world dominating power and seen the world become smaller through globalization.

Recently I found the song book for the musical "1776" among my mother's things.  At the time it was one of my favorites.  I found that I was a sponge to soak up all things related to our Colonial and Federal period.   I still appreciate the clever lyrics and I still find that I prefer American Revolution history over Civil War events. 

It might be that I appreciate the independent, greater good streak of our eighteenth-century forefathers rather than the selfish hiding under the umbrella of states' rights nineteenth-century ancestors.  (I know, a biased and limited account from my part.  I very much realize that both time frames do not reflect or honor a vast majority of our population- the African American slaves who were sacrificed beyond imagination for the White Americans' benefit.) 

More importantly, what does the fifth of July mean to you? Because as much as we may have celebrated yesterday with cook-outs, parades or fireworks, today is a new day.  We may have been reminded of our past with all its flawed goodness, but we have to move forward with our future.  What does that look like?  For us as a nation?  a community?  a family?  as individuals? 

Can we sit by and watch as individuals and people groups are discriminated against, violated of human rights, or treated with disrespect?  Can we allow our government to become isolated from the world around us?  Should we succumb to the national gossip? Should we take those in power to task for saying things that are not true or half truths?  Can we demand better of our leadership? Can we stand up to tyranny ("cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary use of power or control") among our leadership? 

Sometimes I wonder what our founding fathers would make of this current United States.  Would they have wondered how we fared? That we fared as long as we have? Would they be surprised that we struggle with the same issues as they did? 

In the musical, "1776" there is a poignant soliloquy by John Adams. He reflects on letters from a discouraged General Washington.  Click here to see the clip from the movie.  

Adams:
Is anybody there?
Does anybody care?
Does anybody see what I see?
They want to me to quit; they say
John, give up the fight
Still to England I say
Good night, forever, good night!
For I have crossed the Rubicon
Let the bridge be burned behind me
Come what may, come what may
Commitment!
The croakers all say we'll rue the day
There'll gobble be hell to pay in fiery purgatory
Through all the gloom, through all the gloom
I see the rays of ravishing light and glory!
Is anybody there? Does anybody care?
Does anybody see what I see?
I see fireworks! I see the pagaent and
Pomp and parade
I hear the bells ringing out
I hear the cannons roar
I see Americans - all Americans
Free forever more
How quiet, how quiet the chamber is
How silent, how silent the chamber is
Is anybody there? Does anybody care?
Does anybody see what I see?

I think our founding fathers were incredibly brave and wise.  But they were no better nor worse than we are today.  I do have hope that people are listening and talking.  That we do see from where we came and to where we are headed.  I do have hope that this fifth of July and onward will be a time of renewal in our land. 

Malfatti

What do you think the word means?

1. mistake 2. small dumpling 3. Starbucks drink 4. computer glitch  

For those of you who may have heard the radio news story this weekend, malfatti means "mistake" but it is also a small Italian dumpling.   The Depot restaurant was the originator of malfatti back in 1920.  Italian immigrants had fled the earthquake ravaged San Francisco in 1906 and had settled in the Napa Valley region of California.  One of transplanters opened a local restaurant serving homemade Italian cuisine.  As the story goes, this local restaurant ran out of ravioli when serving a large group.  The only thing remaining was extra filling- spinach and ravioli- which the resourceful cook made into little dumplings to serve with her meat sauce.  It was a hit from the beginning. The cook called them, malfatti which means mistake or poorly made. 

I love these types of stories.  

Stories like these  remind me that mistakes happen.  No one knows why the Depot ran out of food- someone didn't know that a visiting sports team was coming to dinner; reservations weren't made or were but got misplaced; food ordering didn't happen?  Sometimes things do not go according to plan.  Whether it is someone's fault or not, these things happen.  We cannot control everything in our life. 

Stories like these remind me that sometimes the correction of the mistake creates an idea, item or recipe that is even better than the original.   In googling "malfatti" there are a plethora of websites that have the recipe.  The little mistake has become a standard in cooking. This is not the first time something wonderful was created out of a potential "disaster": penicillin, post-it notes, chocolate chip cookies, potato chips, x-ray machine, implantable pacemaker, microwave oven, ink-jet printer. 

Stories like these remind me that whenever there is a change- to a schedule, to resources or to plans- we need to go with it.  We cannot just complain and gripe about the loss or the actual mistake.  We need to look for resourceful ways to keep going and improve the situation.  If anything try to reuse, reassess or redeem the situation. 

What about you?  Have you ever had a mistake that turned into something great?  What did that teach you? 

Are you currently going through a situation that doesn't appear to have a good ending?   How can you turn it from something that is called a mistake or poorly made into something that is inventive and new? 

What is the "malfatti" in your life? 

Click here for the malfatti recipe.

In this Day and Age

This past week I heard another story on the radio about women and the difficulty of their lives.  The thought came to mind that in this day and age it is still unbelievable that we have racism, sexism, and poor treatment of others.  For all our accomplishments as humans, we still hear story upon story of age-old problems: hunger, disease, warfare, hatred, discrimination, and domination.  As a species, have we learned anything? 

But then I thought, why does it have to be the negative?  Why cannot we say, "in this day and age.." of things that are positive?  In this day and age, can you believe that we can talk to someone across the world?  In this day and age, can you believe that surgeons can stop a heart and replace it with another?  In this day and age, can you believe we can open a metal box and find something to eat?  For the general population we no longer have to spend most of our days hunting, foraging, sowing and harvesting.  For many of us we do not have to worry about shelter, food and our immediate survival. 

If we have advanced beyond the basics, are we improving the lives of others?  Are we moving beyond a day to day existence to something more?  

I am reminded of the Biblical story of Esther.  She was the only one in a position to save the lives of her people. As her uncle reminds her, she was born for such a time as this.  The question becomes in this day and age and in this time and place, am I helping to improve the lives of others?  

I think all of us are born for such a time as this.  For whatever reason, and it is partly our responsibility to figure out our purpose, we are born into our set of circumstances: family, time, place, temperament, gifts and graces. I am living in this day and age.  The next question becomes, how am I living it? For the improvement of myself and others or as a repetition of the same old human condition?

What about you? Have you ever felt that you were born for such a time as this?  Or do you feel that you are a pawn in the game of life and that you don't have much say in the matter?  I believe while we cannot change some of the basic facts of our place and time of birth, we can choose to embrace and improve the situations we find ourselves. 

In this day and age we can choose to focus on the positive and the improvement of the day and age. 

Room For Improvement

 I love playing tennis.  I have always loved it but it wasn't until my adult years (and a couple of lessons) that I really started enjoying it. It is definitely my exercise of choice.  I think I like it because I am finally  at a point where I am a decent enough player.  Not superb but at least I am at a point where I can enjoy playing the game and not fret over every shot and, I hope, my opponent can enjoy having a good game too.  I think I also enjoy it because, as some of my tennis friends attest, when and where else can women of a certain age wear short skirts and not look too ridiculous. 

Once when walking onto the court I heard a comment from the group walking off, "Well", said the older gentleman, "I left room for improvement."  

I loved it.  I felt he captured so much more than a tennis philosophy.  What a great lesson for life: Leaving room for improvement.

Do I leave room for improvement for myself and for others?  Or, do I unrealistically expect perfection?  Leaving room for improvement implies that there is more to the action- that there is time and space given before moving forward.  It implies that everything can be improved. Perhaps respite is needed  before continuing but there is still work to be done.  

I like the idea that one has a choice about how we improve.  We can be frenzied and overworked in trying to immediately hit the mark or we can be systematic, paced and timely in our striving.  It is a philosophy that is humbling and freeing at the same time.  It is a philosophy that gives me permission to freely strive for improvement without having to be bound to unattainable goals. 

What about you?  Have you left room for improvement?  If so, in what?