"Nefarious" is a tricky word. It's unethical, evil, scheming... and I
suppose I've known people like that, but they seem like light-weights compared
to leaders of people who inspire others to shoot up Paris. Sometimes I think the world sucks when we
even need to have words to describe such people. I'd rather not think about it.
I suppose that's part of the problem with the world. I'm not the only one who'd rather not think
about it, and if we aren't outraged, does anything change? But I don't know anyone in a terrorist
group, so I don't see what I can do about it.
Maybe the Germans felt that way in WWII? I have a fascination with that period of time, not the nefarious
people like Hitler and Goebels, but the regular people who let things happen. I'd like to think I'd be brave enough to
hide Jews, but would I? Look at how
many people didn't.
It's all abstract thinking anyway. I hope never to be put to that challenge. I feel sorry for the French victims this
week, but that's abstract too. It's not
the same as when a crazy person broke into a recording studio and murdered one
of my friends in a shooting spree. One
of the nicest guys ever, he'd been in my house earlier that week. It can be a violent, sucky world.
My sis told me to quit keeping my death list, people I've
known closely but died too young. I
know way too many of them, but I don't want James forgotten. I guess I'm not the only one. I'm glad to see him remembered in this newspaper article. They talk about him as a "ladies'
man", but I remember his shy questions about girls and his generous hugs,
things I got for being a perpetual big sister to young guys with a world of
potential never reached when I called my house "my home for wayward
boys". I miss the laughter and
guitars, but not the tattooing on my dining room table. Kind of funny when I think of it in
retrospect, but I just might've threatened to kill them all that week for
despoiling the place where I eat. Who
knew?
Well, enough of death lists like Sis says. She and I did something fun this week,
partly to celebrate her birthday. She
works at Progressive, the insurance company with Flo. Progressive is a big deal in Cleveland, with giant campuses all
over the place. As luck would have it,
Sis and I work about 2 minutes apart and she gave me a Progressive tour.
Peter B. Lewis, Progressive's founder, was married to a
woman who is a big supporter of the arts, and the campuses are filled with
mostly contemporary work. I wish I'd
taken more pictures now that I'm writing about it, especially the giant origami
birds, but I was busy
enjoying what I was seeing instead of thinking about sharing my
experience. Maybe I'll go back and take
more photos. Sis passes this
giant hot tub sculpture every day and loves it. We both like the electronic sculpture that plays music when you
get close enough to it.
