Blog 598  04.10.2017
Even Islands Are Connected

The poet John Donne wrote, “No man is an island” but we all of us, men and women, are separate, and unique beings. But then even islands are connected beneath the surface of the water and by the water. I love that about language that the harder one argues for a particular position or point that if we are at all honest and opened we must consider that the opposite position or point has merit too. That is truly what debating or arguing is really all about – showcasing the strengths of your position while trying to minimize or counter the strengths of your opponent’s side of the issue. We used to to it with more style and grace. Now of days too often it devolves into name calling. A friend on Social Media referred to the opposition party leader as, “The slut of the House.” I happen to admire women especially who some think of as slutty but I do not think my friend meant the term in a complimentary way and resorting to “name calling” always seems to indicate to me the weakness of an argument or at the very least a lacking in language skills. And I am not judging my friend for we have all been guilty of childish arguments and name calling. Remember the old come back, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” But words do hurt and sometimes the hurler of them even more than the attacked. I always remember a mayoral campaign in Houston, Texas where a former popular mayor was running for re-election and it looked like he had it all but won. That is until he was caught telling an anti-gay joke and the microphone he thought was turned off was not. His campaign was over that evening. Loose lips not only sink ships it seems but also political campaigns.

There is a prayer that goes, “May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable.” We are connected in these solitary lives by our words and our thoughts. Like those beautiful tropic islands in the vast south seas of the Pacific Ocean we are above the surface independent worlds but we are all a part of a bigger world and connected at our roots by common words and thoughts. The story goes that different languages divided us but the truth is that fear divides us and love brings us together even though we might think the waters keep us apart. Water is easy to transverse. Water was and still remains one of our first and best highways of commerce and connection. I never cared for isolationism and think “hands across the water” a much better operating principle. I have a friend who was raised Amish and still thinks of non-Amish folk as “English.” Those industrious folk for probably good and ill carried their language and customs all around the globe from their little island called England. And I intend no offense to the Welsh, Irish, Scots, and all the others who got swallowed up first by what became the British Empire when I use the term English.

I believe I could blog on for hours about islands and their true connection but instead I will cork this message in a bottle and cast it upon the sea hoping as always that whoever finds it will find an encouraging word and a reminder that their own island is connected below a great sea of love and by it to the greater world and worlds beyond.

Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White