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Thoughts on the Day (3/16)
Mar. 16th, 2007 07:19 amToday is
Curlew Day
Everything you do is Right Day a welcome change after yesterday which was "everything you think is wrong'
Freedom of Information Day there will be no charge for reading this post
Lips Appreciation Day for true lip appreciation, go here
St. Urho's Day
Curlew Day, it turns out, it the day that the Long-billed Curlew arrives back at the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Not quite the sparrows to Capistrano, but cool, still. The Curlew is one of those long-legged, long-beaked wading birds that are a whole hell of lot better than Seagulls.
St. Urho's Day has nothing to do with birds, but instead honors St. Urho who single-handedly saved Finland's grape crop from grasshoppers using only his trusty pitchfork....
Wait... Let me check that again.
Ok, the real story: St. Urho, using only a pitchfork and standing bravely alone, stopped grasshoppers from destroying Finland's grape crop.
Rewording really didn't help that any. For a colorful description of the holiday and a boring, more-than-likely debunking of the myth check out this site.
True or not, I'm sure that it's just as good a reason to party and drink as is the more famous, greener Saint who saved Ireland from snakes. And instead of green beer one can drink grasshoppers.
. . .
The whole "did it really happen that way" question is an interesting one. In most cases I prefer the legend and tales to the more historically probable way it actually, most likely happened. Granted, that's not always true. Sometimes the actual story is far more inspiring and amazing than the legend (take the historical figure of Hugh Glass for example, where the actual fact of forgiveness is better for the soul than the story of bloody revenge.) Most times, however, when people say "let's find out the facts" what they really mean is "let's find out everything we can to make this wonderful, interesting thing into something evil and sordid". You know, the kind of facts that are spread over all the tabloids.
There is, once you move out of the hard sciences (and sometimes even when you stay within them), a difference between facts and truth. The true power to touch humanity doesn't lie in proof and facts. If it did no one would ever read a novel or watch a movie. The power to touch and to move people comes from the meaning of the facts or story or legend. Just as often, it is in the connection that comes from people sharing and sharing in a legend or story.
God may have used science, physics and math to create the universe, but He uses those languages to give us a creation that speaks to our soul. You can use the hard sciences to describe and explain a storm front and that explanation would be intricate and amazing (and completely factual) in its own right, but it comes no where near the awesome power and beauty of watching that same storm front sweep across a field, the pulse pounding fear and wonder of witnessing lightning strikes or the numbing silence of the aftermath.
If there is no truth in the facts, no enlightenment or wisdom then they are merely the framework upon which to build a legend, a story or a fable that can provide nourishment to the human soul. And if there is no evil in the story, no selfish dishonesty or intentional hurt, then it doesn't matter if the facts support it or not.
So, I say, drink up to St. Urho because nothing you will have to do tomorrow will ever sound as foolish as "he single-handedly saved Finland's grape crop from grasshoppers using only his trusty pitchfork....". Who knows, maybe it will inspire you to do something only slightly foolish and the world will be a better place for it.
Curlew Day
Everything you do is Right Day a welcome change after yesterday which was "everything you think is wrong'
Freedom of Information Day there will be no charge for reading this post
Lips Appreciation Day for true lip appreciation, go here
St. Urho's Day
Curlew Day, it turns out, it the day that the Long-billed Curlew arrives back at the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Not quite the sparrows to Capistrano, but cool, still. The Curlew is one of those long-legged, long-beaked wading birds that are a whole hell of lot better than Seagulls.
St. Urho's Day has nothing to do with birds, but instead honors St. Urho who single-handedly saved Finland's grape crop from grasshoppers using only his trusty pitchfork....
Wait... Let me check that again.
Ok, the real story: St. Urho, using only a pitchfork and standing bravely alone, stopped grasshoppers from destroying Finland's grape crop.
Rewording really didn't help that any. For a colorful description of the holiday and a boring, more-than-likely debunking of the myth check out this site.
True or not, I'm sure that it's just as good a reason to party and drink as is the more famous, greener Saint who saved Ireland from snakes. And instead of green beer one can drink grasshoppers.
. . .
The whole "did it really happen that way" question is an interesting one. In most cases I prefer the legend and tales to the more historically probable way it actually, most likely happened. Granted, that's not always true. Sometimes the actual story is far more inspiring and amazing than the legend (take the historical figure of Hugh Glass for example, where the actual fact of forgiveness is better for the soul than the story of bloody revenge.) Most times, however, when people say "let's find out the facts" what they really mean is "let's find out everything we can to make this wonderful, interesting thing into something evil and sordid". You know, the kind of facts that are spread over all the tabloids.
There is, once you move out of the hard sciences (and sometimes even when you stay within them), a difference between facts and truth. The true power to touch humanity doesn't lie in proof and facts. If it did no one would ever read a novel or watch a movie. The power to touch and to move people comes from the meaning of the facts or story or legend. Just as often, it is in the connection that comes from people sharing and sharing in a legend or story.
God may have used science, physics and math to create the universe, but He uses those languages to give us a creation that speaks to our soul. You can use the hard sciences to describe and explain a storm front and that explanation would be intricate and amazing (and completely factual) in its own right, but it comes no where near the awesome power and beauty of watching that same storm front sweep across a field, the pulse pounding fear and wonder of witnessing lightning strikes or the numbing silence of the aftermath.
If there is no truth in the facts, no enlightenment or wisdom then they are merely the framework upon which to build a legend, a story or a fable that can provide nourishment to the human soul. And if there is no evil in the story, no selfish dishonesty or intentional hurt, then it doesn't matter if the facts support it or not.
So, I say, drink up to St. Urho because nothing you will have to do tomorrow will ever sound as foolish as "he single-handedly saved Finland's grape crop from grasshoppers using only his trusty pitchfork....". Who knows, maybe it will inspire you to do something only slightly foolish and the world will be a better place for it.
