A man [woman] should learn to detect and watch
that gleam of light
which flashes across his mind from within,
more than the luster
of the firmament of bards and sages.

Yet he [she] dismisses without notice his thought,
because it is his [hers]….     ¶1

and,

Trust thyself:
every heart vibrates to that iron string.
Accept the place that divine providence
has found for you,
the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events.
…And we are now men [women],
and must accept in the highest mind
the same transcendent destiny;
and are not minors and invalids in the protected corner,
not cowards fleeing before a revolution
but guides, redeemers, and benefactors,
obeying the Almighty effort,
and advancing on Chaos and the Dark.     ¶3

Excerpt Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson, published 1841

A few us of met around the corner table at Starbucks to exchange responses to Emerson’s Self-Reliance essay.  Points were made that remain in my mind, suggesting a way forward, making use of Emerson’s vision for the role of a responsible individual as citizen to his fellow Americans.  I’ve interpolated the feminine gender in the above quotes.  I am confident that had Emerson lived in our time, he’d approve equality of social position for women.

Emerson’s proposal is robust.  He asserts a connection between the origin of life, the dynamism, the  all encompassing fecundity of Nature and the individuals potential for arriving at sound judgment.  Emerson proposes that each of us, if we chose, can cultivate a stalwart self-confidence in the expectation that “divinely” inspired insight will be granted, no matter the chaff of marketing, no matter the cult-like, surreal aggression of religio-political chatter.

Someone observed that Emerson clearly is addressing a well educated demographic, literate and adept at understanding metaphor.  The observation is astute.  What would the alternative be?  Perhaps to draw stick-figure illustrations on pavement using colored chalk?

Another weighty observation, that Emerson proposes that the individual embrace, take maximal emotional responsibility for his/her manner of life, the actions taken to contribute to the “good” of humankind at large.  Emerson contrasts the oft response when we are triggered by appeals by all manner of charities, institutions which claim to have a good purpose.  It  was observed on it’s surface this seems rather hard-hearted, self-centered.  Perhaps it is…

We live in a time of growing chaos, rapid change hazarding the regularities of Nature, and the stability of a representative democracy that we’d relied upon.  No need to remind you of what you know all too well.  The future, as always — is opaque, unknowable, incalculable.

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We need a tune to carry us through do we not?  This one, is special.  One Of A Kind (Love Affair) By The Spinners.  CLICK HERE.

One Of A Kind (Love Affair)

By The Spinners

One of a kind love affair is
The kind of love
That you read about
In a fairy tale
Like the sun that shines
On a rainy day
It’s a cloud of love

One of a kind love affair is
When your down is up
When your up is down
But love stays around
And when you know you’re right
But you got to make
A little sacrifice
You make it for love
Whoa, yeah

I never thought about today would come
When she would leave without goodbye, yes, sir
She wrote a line or two upon the wall
Said, I’m leaving you
Know I love you, too
I can’t stay with you
And to this very day
I could never say
A discouraging word
Because I love you
Whoa, yes, sire, now

One of a kind love affair is
When you hate to say
Girl, I told you so
But you got to go
There won’t be a fight
‘Cause your love is right
But you’re leaving wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong

(One of a kind love affair is)
When you treat her nice
But you finally have
To pay the price
And though you know you’re right
But you got to make
A little sacrifice
You make it for love
You make it for love
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

One of a kind love affair is
Makes you want to love her
You just got to have her, yeah

One of a kind, one of a kind love affair is
Makes a lame man walk
Makes a blind man talk about seeing again

(One of a kind love affair is)
It makes you me want to be around you
Ah, girl, I’m glad I found you

(One of a kind love affair is)
Wooh-ee, baby I wanna tell you now
Every day is sunshine
Girl, you’re on my mind

One of a kind, one of a kind love affair is
Makes me want to, want to be with you

Lyrics by: Charles Strouse, Lee Adams