Ten years ago, while still a professor at Evergreen, I spent ~2 weeks at Navopatia, a small field station on the Sea of Cortez, in Sonora near the border of Sinaloa. I wrote this essay then, and have not added to it since, although I find that there is much more to say now. I also, somehow, have no photographs from this time, but
Very nice. Made me recall this Richard Feynman anecdote:
The next Monday, when the fathers were all back at work, we kids were playing in a field. One kid says to me, "See that bird? What kind of bird is that?" I said, "I haven't the slightest idea what kind of a bird it is." He says, "It's a brown-throated thrush. Your father doesn't teach you anything!" But it was the opposite. He had already taught me: "See that bird?" he says. "It's a Spencer's warbler." (I knew he didn't know the real name.) "Well, in Italian, it's a Chutto Lapittida. In Portuguese, it's a Bom da Peida. In Chinese, it's a Chung-long-tah, and in Japanese, it's a Katano Tekeda. You can know the name of that bird in all the languages of the world, but when you're finished, you'll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird. You'll only know about humans in different places, and what they call the bird. So let's look at the bird and see what it's doing-that's what counts." (I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.)
I look forward to savoring this lovely meditation when time permits.
I’m not sure if you saw it, Heather, but I shouted you out in “Profiles in Courage: The Canadian Truckers” (https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/profiles-in-courage-the-canadian) and cited your inspiring pieces on the Freedom Convoy. I also included a personal hello to you in the footnotes :-)
Can you share this article with your Freedom Convoy contacts and help me get it into the hands of the Canadian truckers?
Dr. Pierre Kory was gracious enough to share it with his American Convoy contacts, but I’m still trying to reach the Canadian truckers as they were the primary subject of this profile:
“Holy cow. Your piece was brilliant beyond belief. Wow wow wow. So comprehensive in documenting both the beauty, courage.. and brutality. This one is for the history books. Margaret, I know the (American) Convoy organizers well, they will be thrilled, thanks for this am sending now.” (https://pierrekory.substack.com/p/the-global-disinformation-campaign-e1e/comment/5749710)
My oh My what a delicious article. I can taste it, see it, & feel it. How lucky for all of us learners out here in neither-land for you to impart & share your unique talents. Keep on exposing to us all your knowing. Much love.
Thank you for such a wonderful article! I hear your voice in my head when I read :) I especially enjoyed your observations about observation! I'm reading this just as we have returned from a trip to the South Carolina low country (Highly recommended. And Charleston too.). I had never been there, and it was a wonderful experience to be in a place where even the most common plants and animals were unfamiliar. Suddenly, everything is so interesting! I'm pretty familiar with the common flora and fauna of my home in Minnesota, and it was just a delight to be in such a different place. I felt that delight again as I read this!
A Local newspaper (they are weekly in small towns like ours) was looking for free material to fill up space. The gave my wife, a health coach, a column / blog. She thinks I write better than she, so after a handful of weeks, she talked me into ghost writing it for her. That lasted a couple months. Having a deadline to produce can become bothersome, especially when I have my own work to attend to.
It is nice to be able to go to a bank and pull out something from history to share. Tip o the cap to you.
Very nice. Made me recall this Richard Feynman anecdote:
The next Monday, when the fathers were all back at work, we kids were playing in a field. One kid says to me, "See that bird? What kind of bird is that?" I said, "I haven't the slightest idea what kind of a bird it is." He says, "It's a brown-throated thrush. Your father doesn't teach you anything!" But it was the opposite. He had already taught me: "See that bird?" he says. "It's a Spencer's warbler." (I knew he didn't know the real name.) "Well, in Italian, it's a Chutto Lapittida. In Portuguese, it's a Bom da Peida. In Chinese, it's a Chung-long-tah, and in Japanese, it's a Katano Tekeda. You can know the name of that bird in all the languages of the world, but when you're finished, you'll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird. You'll only know about humans in different places, and what they call the bird. So let's look at the bird and see what it's doing-that's what counts." (I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.)
I look forward to savoring this lovely meditation when time permits.
I’m not sure if you saw it, Heather, but I shouted you out in “Profiles in Courage: The Canadian Truckers” (https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/profiles-in-courage-the-canadian) and cited your inspiring pieces on the Freedom Convoy. I also included a personal hello to you in the footnotes :-)
Can you share this article with your Freedom Convoy contacts and help me get it into the hands of the Canadian truckers?
Dr. Pierre Kory was gracious enough to share it with his American Convoy contacts, but I’m still trying to reach the Canadian truckers as they were the primary subject of this profile:
“Holy cow. Your piece was brilliant beyond belief. Wow wow wow. So comprehensive in documenting both the beauty, courage.. and brutality. This one is for the history books. Margaret, I know the (American) Convoy organizers well, they will be thrilled, thanks for this am sending now.” (https://pierrekory.substack.com/p/the-global-disinformation-campaign-e1e/comment/5749710)
My oh My what a delicious article. I can taste it, see it, & feel it. How lucky for all of us learners out here in neither-land for you to impart & share your unique talents. Keep on exposing to us all your knowing. Much love.
Thank you for such a wonderful article! I hear your voice in my head when I read :) I especially enjoyed your observations about observation! I'm reading this just as we have returned from a trip to the South Carolina low country (Highly recommended. And Charleston too.). I had never been there, and it was a wonderful experience to be in a place where even the most common plants and animals were unfamiliar. Suddenly, everything is so interesting! I'm pretty familiar with the common flora and fauna of my home in Minnesota, and it was just a delight to be in such a different place. I felt that delight again as I read this!
Again well done.
A Local newspaper (they are weekly in small towns like ours) was looking for free material to fill up space. The gave my wife, a health coach, a column / blog. She thinks I write better than she, so after a handful of weeks, she talked me into ghost writing it for her. That lasted a couple months. Having a deadline to produce can become bothersome, especially when I have my own work to attend to.
It is nice to be able to go to a bank and pull out something from history to share. Tip o the cap to you.