His observations are keen. He says money plays the dominant role in who gets elected. "Without money you can't get elected. And money put up against you will defeat you."
Three days later I was hiking in a state park. I was stilling thinking about what my friend said.
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| The tower at Hanging Rock |
The combination of money and indifference works to benefit those in power.
Rockingham County, NC, he believes, is a microcosm for the nation. Political power gets auctioned off. Those with power seek short-term gains at the expense of long-term goals — fracking; clear-cutting; environment degradation; deficit spending. Our children will suffer
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| Looking west toward Pilot Mountain |
But at a certain point we part company. He believes we are wedded to the old way of thinking. I don't.
I've lived in a small world too long not to know the world we live in is what we make it.
You can stop the music at any time and get off.
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It is beautiful in the mountains where I an hiking. Low clouds hang over a landscape of soft blue, a quilt of rolling hills, farmland and forest stretching to the horizon. All is quiet. On the trail I come upon fresh coyote scat. There is wind in the pines and hemlocks. In the distance, geese. It is a place to think. |
| The monadnock atop Pilot Mountain |
The timeless perspective assures me nothing important changes. The rocks, trees and skies remain. So too the rains, plants and animals.
Human nature is good even if the system that we function under isn't.
We are on a journey together, you and I. And it's a heck of a lot of fun. We don't have to be part of the grim.
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For VW bus fans who have not seen the Oscar winning movie, Argo, check out this VW bus clip.
