13 July 08 - 12:08
Respect
People often ask us how the two of us can live in such a small space without killing each other. While a sense of humor helps a great deal I think the most important ingredient is respect.Dave and I acknowledge that we have different needs and we try to help each other meet those needs. When food shopping I buy him sweets and he buys me salty snacks. When I need a nap he sits quietly with his computer. When we go places like Devils Tower, I sit and people watch while he goes hiking.
I wish I could say Devils Tower is a place of respect but I can't. American Indians worshiped there long before the white man "discovered" it. It had many names--most of them included the word bear: bear hill, bear tree, bear tipi, etc. But the white man was made uncomfortable by the place so he named it Devils Tower. Since he was a map maker, that name spread to other white men. The American Indians resent this negative name for their sacred place but no one listens to them so Devils Tower it stays.
And the white man climbs the tower for fun and to prove he can. This place is sacred to the Indian's so the park rangers request that it not be climbed in June which is the most sacred month there. Note that they don't forbid climbing then, they just request it. This would be like an Indian deciding it would be fun and challenging to use ropes to climb a church's steeple but saying he probably would not do so during December. Did you flinch when you read that? I hope so.
TTYL,
Linda
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