I’ve been skipping the news about Senator Colon Gas of West Virginia lately and his objections to reducing greenhouse gases and I’ve been focused on the pleasures of being an old man, which includes the occasional steak-and-eggs breakfast.
Please realize that you are an angel to me. Your words give me the strength to get up and do what needs to be done. :) Thank you for being you and thanks to your unknown Angel of West 43rd Street for putting you on the right path.
Your story reminds me of President Lincoln's comment on better angels of our nature, "I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."
Lincoln hoped to reach all men's hearts to revive human decency and compassion for our fellow man. Unfortunately, this story is still being writing but with God's blessing, we will persevere and find God's will to raise them and ourselves up and redeem us in God's eyes.
Mr. Keillor, I’m so sorry that you have been sent that email. You are such a compassionate and understanding person. This shows especially today when you were not angry or upset by the email you received. You understood why there is seemingly so much these days……the lack of connection, feeling of separation. In this age of “social networking”, emails, texts it is easy to say whatever one thinks knowing it’s done anonymously. It’s almost like a person who enters a movie theater or mall with a weapon knowing no one has the ability to defend oneself. It’s truly a cowardly act.
I apologize for this person who sent you the email. I admire you for taking the high road but you do because you have compassion. Compassion is what we are here to learn because it is the same as Jesus saying “Forgive them for they know not what they do”. I’m not a church-going person as I had enough of parochial school, priests and nuns, but I did learn to understand why people do what they do. One learns the most in life just by watching people, and through the hurts and difficulties begins to understand that they are hurting, too. It’s why they treat others as they do because they feel so alone in that hurt. They simply haven’t learned compassion yet. Compassion is the ultimate gift we can give one another, and you, Mr. Keillor, do just that. How kind you are.
I was struck by reading open hostility, which in our daily life is so well masked. I chose to be a target of anger when I became a published writer and did a radio show, and that's just a fact. I accept it. I've become a pariah to some people I know I would admire, #MeToo women, and I accept it, though it is unfair. Unfairness is a part of life, including mine, and my job is to maintain light-heartedness, no matter what. I feel completely light-hearted in front of an audience, including a reading audience. I'm lucky to have it and hope you have yours.
I’m reminded of a line from a poem by William Wordsworth that says “To me the meanest flower that blows can give thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears”.
That’s what I say to myself when someone says something less than kind.
It's not masked all that well around here. The roads are becoming pretty dangerous, as angry fools use 5-ton pickup trucks to express their annoyance with the world... I just toodle along in the slow lane. Though I must admit that I can be a bit passive aggressive. I tend to run about 5 mph over the speed limit, but I sometimes get angry tailgaters on my metaphorical butt anyway. The roads around here are pretty narrow, so it's not really safe to pull over and let them go flying by, so they're stuck behind me until we get to a passing lane. If they persist in tailgating, I begin to slow down, bit by bit - that usually gets the point across and the offender backs off by 5 to 10 mph below the speed limit, at which point I go back to the proper speed and everybody's happy (relatively).
The only time I've been flipped off by one of these people was during a blinding blizzard, when I was going about 20 mph in a 40 mph section of road, but the roads were slicked up and visibility was only about 5 to 10 feet. This particular person menaced my little Subaru for a while until there was no traffic in the other lane, at which point he blew past me, blasting his horn with one hand and waving the other on high out his window in a one-finger salute - he must have been steering with his knees. He ended up in a ditch a few miles further down the road and had to wait for a tow truck. I stayed warm and dry in my own car, and ended up safely at home 45 minutes later.
Ah, Jeannine! I'm glad to hear that other people get disturbed by the presence of tailgaters. It's like being followed by so many angry wasps. It seems as if you've developed several strategies that I use as well. The purposeful slowing down is usually my last resort - I can ditch them in commercial parking lots or extra-wide driveway entrances about half the time. Sometimes I slow down, and down, and down, and stick my arm out the window and point to the dashed line, and they just move in closer and act more jittery! The best solution is just to get out of their way, I think.
I remember a taxi ride once. We don't have a big airport, or much of a local taxi service either. The paid transporters don't have obvious labels on the roof, or give-away colors either. Usually it's just some printing on the door. This particular ride, at night, was with a driver who must have been on amphetamines or something similar. Besides being scared s---less, when I finally accepted that I could do nothing about it, certainly, nothing to distract his focus, I began observing the driver as a classic example of the "nasty hornet tailgater." After that experience, I've really concentrated on getting out of their ways. It's as if they really don't see the car in front of them as something that's occupied by at least one human being. It's just a personal challenge to them - being stuck behind this moving hunk of metal.
Historical note! Hitler's Blitzkrieg through Belgium, Holland and France was powered by amphetamines. Drivers were given handfuls of pills and sent off through winding passes. There were some huge traffic snarls, caused by these hyped up drivers being unwilling to yield to others. The Allied forces were caught completely off guard. No military commander could imagine having one human driver continue at the wheel for 36 hours straight!
The Blitzkrieg was very effective for the Nazis in the short run. However, once they had a cadre of "acidheads", they soon found those troops were more trouble than they were worth!
(Sorry! I read about that over a decade ago. I can't recall the source!)
I love this- I just read a quote by Ben Johnson. "” Of all the things human hearts endure how few are those that kings can cause and cure." I am not sure how it relates to your article- but somehow, for me, it does.
I am a cradle Catholic and, in my 73 years, I have never heard "Lift Every Voice and Sing" sung in a Catholic church. It is such a moving song and I wish that were used. Thanks for sharing the video.
I've been writing essays for profit for many years but newspapers being what they are today no one wants observational writing only hard editorial opinion. So, I stop writing but after subscribing and reading your work I am writing again for myself. My children can read them or trash them as they wish. Thanks!
Garrison, if someone did not like your radio show, why did they not just turn to another channel or watch television. Why get angry at you and vent their spleen? Some people do love to have something to gripe about and to go on about don't they. I am sorry that you have run into a lot of hate and nastiness but it seems par for the course. You never know what you will encounter when dealing with the public.
It seems to me that on the national political level, all of this hatred and grievance is a tremendous stain on this country. America is the richest and strongest country that ever existed and it has been blessed in so many ways -- natural resources, beautiful forests, generally nice climate, and fertile land. But apparently about 35% of our population is motivated greatly by a sense of grievance and hatred for our fellow citizens.
I don't know the answer but it seems that a lot of spoiled children grew up to be spoiled adults and they want what they want when they want it. If they don't get what they want then they are angry. From observing some in the local community it seems that the angriest people are those with nice homes, nice vehicles, boats, campers, and all types of gadgets. It is mystery as to what they have to be unhappy about. Some attend nice large brick churches but say they are being persecuted. I don't understand it.
Everyone's life has challenges and some amount of adversity. In some people adversity builds character and makes them better people; in other people adversity builds anger and makes them bitter. Greed and envy are potent forces and we never know how they will come out.
That is why when people complement you and say good things about you -- don't take it too seriously. What do they say behind your back or on the internet?
I always look for angry people so that I can stay away from them. I have been blessed tremendously in this life and I don't want to pick up any of their bad vibes.
You say that some people might be moved if they joined in singing "Amazing Grace" and lifting their arms. Maybe some would but many would not. There are some people in our society who have resolved to be unhappy and angry. Sad to say.
I admire your equanimity when reading all those old opinions written about you from folks who have never known you in person. I feel a thousand times blessed to have been able to sail with APHC several times. I'm certain it's not the same as knowing "The Real You", but it certainly comes a lot closer, probably, than most of those knee-jerk critics. I especially remember our "Writers' Workshops" - when those of us with stories to tell got to try them out and get your feedback on their merit. You often gave suggestions as to where we might go from there, too, to fill out the background, etc. It was as if, then, we were all "People" together, rather than the image of "Our Host as a Personality On Stage," staring out across a abyss of "difference." In my mind's eye I can see you putting your hand on the shoulder of a woman who had just bared her soul to us, and comforting her in a meaningful way! It meant a lot to her, to get it off her chest and feel accepted for it.
This thing about "lecher" gets really overblown! Some men, including my pastor in the Slavic Full Gospel Church, and the current President of the United States, sometimes act like a favorite uncle and do put their hands on someone's shoulder. There doesn't have to be anything "lecherous" about it! It's just a gesture of sympathy and sharing - saying "I know how you feel" or "I'm with you."
The French would say "Honi soit que mal y pense" (Shame to he who evil thinks.) Some people keep their hands to themselves, and others reach out to others. Probably some of the difference
stems from the cultural background those folks grew up with. It seems to me that it's better to step back and get a sense of people as a whole, rather than focus on one minor detail.
My father's people, a couple of generations back, came to Iowa from Germany. When Dad would visit his farm cousins, an uncle would signal that folks could begin eating by saying "Fressen sie snelle." Literally, Dad said, that meant "Eat like a pig!" The Uncle didn't literally mean that folks should stick their faces in the food and gobble it down. It was just an old family joke that been passed down for generations.
I'm not going to think any the less of Joe Biden as our President because once or twice photographers had captured him standing with his hand on the shoulder of a young girl. So, the man can feel like an Uncle on occasion. Big deal! Personally, I'd rather have a president who has sympathy for others, than a president who tries to manipulate others to turn against anyone who isn't in their particular ethnic, or social, or regional, or political group.
So let's stop reading too much into folks who come from cultures where interpersonal touching is acceptable, or even encouraged. When I saw Cher in Moonstruck, I was amazed at how "tactile" those Italians seemed to be, relative to my "American" norms. It doesn't say anything bad, really, about Italians. It only indicates that different cultural backgrounds have different means of expressions. We're a diverse population, so, Viva Diversity!
Music from Baptists or Anglicans can lift my hands high, but I'm sorry to say that separation can bring them down. You lifted me up, Garrison Keillor. You're not just a post on the internet. I've seen you LIVE AND IN PERSON, and you and your Companions warmed my heart!
Cast a stone if you are without sin.
Do what you will with harm to none.
Do good and love one another.
Put the best construction on everything.
People forget these things.
Truth speakers are often maligned because others don’t want to hear.
You sir speak truths.
You remind us of angels down the street and those we meet daily.
And that every now and again we get to be somebody’s angel.
You’ve brought solace, joy, and happy tears to me and mine.
Thank you.
Another wandering Midwesterner.
All my truths are second- or third-hand, but glad if they help.
Please realize that you are an angel to me. Your words give me the strength to get up and do what needs to be done. :) Thank you for being you and thanks to your unknown Angel of West 43rd Street for putting you on the right path.
Your story reminds me of President Lincoln's comment on better angels of our nature, "I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."
Lincoln hoped to reach all men's hearts to revive human decency and compassion for our fellow man. Unfortunately, this story is still being writing but with God's blessing, we will persevere and find God's will to raise them and ourselves up and redeem us in God's eyes.
Mr. Keillor, I’m so sorry that you have been sent that email. You are such a compassionate and understanding person. This shows especially today when you were not angry or upset by the email you received. You understood why there is seemingly so much these days……the lack of connection, feeling of separation. In this age of “social networking”, emails, texts it is easy to say whatever one thinks knowing it’s done anonymously. It’s almost like a person who enters a movie theater or mall with a weapon knowing no one has the ability to defend oneself. It’s truly a cowardly act.
I apologize for this person who sent you the email. I admire you for taking the high road but you do because you have compassion. Compassion is what we are here to learn because it is the same as Jesus saying “Forgive them for they know not what they do”. I’m not a church-going person as I had enough of parochial school, priests and nuns, but I did learn to understand why people do what they do. One learns the most in life just by watching people, and through the hurts and difficulties begins to understand that they are hurting, too. It’s why they treat others as they do because they feel so alone in that hurt. They simply haven’t learned compassion yet. Compassion is the ultimate gift we can give one another, and you, Mr. Keillor, do just that. How kind you are.
You are amazing and so talented. Keep up your excellent work!💖👍🏻
Dear Sir,
A comment I heard at a 12-step meeting comes to mind, “Other people’s opinion of me is none of my business.” I’ve taken it to heart.
Bless you
I was struck by reading open hostility, which in our daily life is so well masked. I chose to be a target of anger when I became a published writer and did a radio show, and that's just a fact. I accept it. I've become a pariah to some people I know I would admire, #MeToo women, and I accept it, though it is unfair. Unfairness is a part of life, including mine, and my job is to maintain light-heartedness, no matter what. I feel completely light-hearted in front of an audience, including a reading audience. I'm lucky to have it and hope you have yours.
I’m reminded of a line from a poem by William Wordsworth that says “To me the meanest flower that blows can give thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears”.
That’s what I say to myself when someone says something less than kind.
It's not masked all that well around here. The roads are becoming pretty dangerous, as angry fools use 5-ton pickup trucks to express their annoyance with the world... I just toodle along in the slow lane. Though I must admit that I can be a bit passive aggressive. I tend to run about 5 mph over the speed limit, but I sometimes get angry tailgaters on my metaphorical butt anyway. The roads around here are pretty narrow, so it's not really safe to pull over and let them go flying by, so they're stuck behind me until we get to a passing lane. If they persist in tailgating, I begin to slow down, bit by bit - that usually gets the point across and the offender backs off by 5 to 10 mph below the speed limit, at which point I go back to the proper speed and everybody's happy (relatively).
The only time I've been flipped off by one of these people was during a blinding blizzard, when I was going about 20 mph in a 40 mph section of road, but the roads were slicked up and visibility was only about 5 to 10 feet. This particular person menaced my little Subaru for a while until there was no traffic in the other lane, at which point he blew past me, blasting his horn with one hand and waving the other on high out his window in a one-finger salute - he must have been steering with his knees. He ended up in a ditch a few miles further down the road and had to wait for a tow truck. I stayed warm and dry in my own car, and ended up safely at home 45 minutes later.
Ah, Jeannine! I'm glad to hear that other people get disturbed by the presence of tailgaters. It's like being followed by so many angry wasps. It seems as if you've developed several strategies that I use as well. The purposeful slowing down is usually my last resort - I can ditch them in commercial parking lots or extra-wide driveway entrances about half the time. Sometimes I slow down, and down, and down, and stick my arm out the window and point to the dashed line, and they just move in closer and act more jittery! The best solution is just to get out of their way, I think.
I remember a taxi ride once. We don't have a big airport, or much of a local taxi service either. The paid transporters don't have obvious labels on the roof, or give-away colors either. Usually it's just some printing on the door. This particular ride, at night, was with a driver who must have been on amphetamines or something similar. Besides being scared s---less, when I finally accepted that I could do nothing about it, certainly, nothing to distract his focus, I began observing the driver as a classic example of the "nasty hornet tailgater." After that experience, I've really concentrated on getting out of their ways. It's as if they really don't see the car in front of them as something that's occupied by at least one human being. It's just a personal challenge to them - being stuck behind this moving hunk of metal.
Historical note! Hitler's Blitzkrieg through Belgium, Holland and France was powered by amphetamines. Drivers were given handfuls of pills and sent off through winding passes. There were some huge traffic snarls, caused by these hyped up drivers being unwilling to yield to others. The Allied forces were caught completely off guard. No military commander could imagine having one human driver continue at the wheel for 36 hours straight!
The Blitzkrieg was very effective for the Nazis in the short run. However, once they had a cadre of "acidheads", they soon found those troops were more trouble than they were worth!
(Sorry! I read about that over a decade ago. I can't recall the source!)
Angry wasps, what an excellent description! I'd not heard about the acidhead Nazi soldiers - that might explain a few things...
... :)) There is a Goddess !!...
Oh, thank you, that's a good thing to remember!
I love this- I just read a quote by Ben Johnson. "” Of all the things human hearts endure how few are those that kings can cause and cure." I am not sure how it relates to your article- but somehow, for me, it does.
I am a cradle Catholic and, in my 73 years, I have never heard "Lift Every Voice and Sing" sung in a Catholic church. It is such a moving song and I wish that were used. Thanks for sharing the video.
I've been writing essays for profit for many years but newspapers being what they are today no one wants observational writing only hard editorial opinion. So, I stop writing but after subscribing and reading your work I am writing again for myself. My children can read them or trash them as they wish. Thanks!
Garrison, if someone did not like your radio show, why did they not just turn to another channel or watch television. Why get angry at you and vent their spleen? Some people do love to have something to gripe about and to go on about don't they. I am sorry that you have run into a lot of hate and nastiness but it seems par for the course. You never know what you will encounter when dealing with the public.
It seems to me that on the national political level, all of this hatred and grievance is a tremendous stain on this country. America is the richest and strongest country that ever existed and it has been blessed in so many ways -- natural resources, beautiful forests, generally nice climate, and fertile land. But apparently about 35% of our population is motivated greatly by a sense of grievance and hatred for our fellow citizens.
I don't know the answer but it seems that a lot of spoiled children grew up to be spoiled adults and they want what they want when they want it. If they don't get what they want then they are angry. From observing some in the local community it seems that the angriest people are those with nice homes, nice vehicles, boats, campers, and all types of gadgets. It is mystery as to what they have to be unhappy about. Some attend nice large brick churches but say they are being persecuted. I don't understand it.
Everyone's life has challenges and some amount of adversity. In some people adversity builds character and makes them better people; in other people adversity builds anger and makes them bitter. Greed and envy are potent forces and we never know how they will come out.
That is why when people complement you and say good things about you -- don't take it too seriously. What do they say behind your back or on the internet?
I always look for angry people so that I can stay away from them. I have been blessed tremendously in this life and I don't want to pick up any of their bad vibes.
You say that some people might be moved if they joined in singing "Amazing Grace" and lifting their arms. Maybe some would but many would not. There are some people in our society who have resolved to be unhappy and angry. Sad to say.
I admire your equanimity when reading all those old opinions written about you from folks who have never known you in person. I feel a thousand times blessed to have been able to sail with APHC several times. I'm certain it's not the same as knowing "The Real You", but it certainly comes a lot closer, probably, than most of those knee-jerk critics. I especially remember our "Writers' Workshops" - when those of us with stories to tell got to try them out and get your feedback on their merit. You often gave suggestions as to where we might go from there, too, to fill out the background, etc. It was as if, then, we were all "People" together, rather than the image of "Our Host as a Personality On Stage," staring out across a abyss of "difference." In my mind's eye I can see you putting your hand on the shoulder of a woman who had just bared her soul to us, and comforting her in a meaningful way! It meant a lot to her, to get it off her chest and feel accepted for it.
This thing about "lecher" gets really overblown! Some men, including my pastor in the Slavic Full Gospel Church, and the current President of the United States, sometimes act like a favorite uncle and do put their hands on someone's shoulder. There doesn't have to be anything "lecherous" about it! It's just a gesture of sympathy and sharing - saying "I know how you feel" or "I'm with you."
The French would say "Honi soit que mal y pense" (Shame to he who evil thinks.) Some people keep their hands to themselves, and others reach out to others. Probably some of the difference
stems from the cultural background those folks grew up with. It seems to me that it's better to step back and get a sense of people as a whole, rather than focus on one minor detail.
My father's people, a couple of generations back, came to Iowa from Germany. When Dad would visit his farm cousins, an uncle would signal that folks could begin eating by saying "Fressen sie snelle." Literally, Dad said, that meant "Eat like a pig!" The Uncle didn't literally mean that folks should stick their faces in the food and gobble it down. It was just an old family joke that been passed down for generations.
I'm not going to think any the less of Joe Biden as our President because once or twice photographers had captured him standing with his hand on the shoulder of a young girl. So, the man can feel like an Uncle on occasion. Big deal! Personally, I'd rather have a president who has sympathy for others, than a president who tries to manipulate others to turn against anyone who isn't in their particular ethnic, or social, or regional, or political group.
So let's stop reading too much into folks who come from cultures where interpersonal touching is acceptable, or even encouraged. When I saw Cher in Moonstruck, I was amazed at how "tactile" those Italians seemed to be, relative to my "American" norms. It doesn't say anything bad, really, about Italians. It only indicates that different cultural backgrounds have different means of expressions. We're a diverse population, so, Viva Diversity!
We need more storytellers such as yourself to remind us who we are,collectively.
Music from Baptists or Anglicans can lift my hands high, but I'm sorry to say that separation can bring them down. You lifted me up, Garrison Keillor. You're not just a post on the internet. I've seen you LIVE AND IN PERSON, and you and your Companions warmed my heart!