"Thinking Outside the Box" by Turtle GG

 

            As a 75-year-old woman brought up in the 50s and 60s, I look back and notice that I was never encouraged to solve a problem by looking at a bigger picture than the problem. That was not encouraged even in a master’s social welfare program. Forty years later, in anthropology graduate school, I wrote many papers based on ideas in research and then applied my own ideas which were never big enough to solve the problem of, for instance, the global refugee crisis. All this leads to my fascination with huge ideas. I enjoy mulling over these proposals and wondering how they could be implemented.

            One example I have enjoyed is trying to picture how to stop the exploitation of creatures and their habitats. Thomas Berry and others in The Christian Future and the Fate of the Earth propose a global jurisprudence system for creatures and their habitats. Now how in the world would that look? And could it ever be done in time to make a difference? And yet, maybe we can take some things from the big picture to help the United Nations get started. What kind of protections would there be for wild animals or domesticated? How would humans have to change behaviors to stop extinctions? This big picture certainly fosters higher thinking to reach big solutions. Of course other thinkers could join in the process once it is started.

            Another big picture idea has come up lately in the news as the Biden administration tackles climate change issues. I do not know that this is a brand-new idea, but it caught my attention. The proposal is to present climate change as an economic problem across all the current political issues of the day such as transportation, emergency services, global relationships, food insecurity, poverty, housing, fuel issues, education, and equity of services. This view takes climate change out of just the scientific community into consideration of the cost to our country if we do not attend to it. I think this will help people pay more attention to the problem because behaviors are more likely to change if money is part of the issue.

            On the nightly news, I saw a piece about a water science lab in Flint, Michigan where lead levels in the water had been harming children for years. The clever idea was that many of the lab people had been those kids who were affected the most. They were working on ways to prevent a disaster like that from happening again. Those children who were disregarded by state and city officials now have an opportunity to correct that system for other kids. Someone had a brilliant idea for how to fix the problem and mitigate some of the harm the lab kids had suffered.

               Another big-picture idea that has been around for years but not known to me is that human beings are in a time now of self-directed evolution beyond materialism. Many humans are interested in the unfolding of consciousness that leads to better use of creativity and recognizes beauty and peace of mind that grounds them. It is a higher version of the self. This self then can connect with a unified consciousness of other evolving humans that collectively bring peace to the world. World peace coming from the energy of spiritual thinking is definitely a big-picture idea.

                I hope this blog encourages more big-picture/critical thinking. Perhaps a spinoff from a large plan can become your Outside the Box contribution to the universe. These kinds of solutions spark incredible inspiration in me.

                                                           -- Elder Turtle GG

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"The View From Avery's World: What Would Our World be Without Animals?" by Turtle GG

                                                                            

As a family therapist and cultural anthropologist I have been increasingly concerned about how casual and disrespectful humans are about their relationship to animals—companion animals as well as those in the wild. In my search for ideas for changes in this world view of the supremacy of humans, I opened the book of essays, Zoologies: On Animals and the Human Spirit by Alison Hawthorne Deming, a science writer and poet. Her answer to my dilemma came in the form of a question, “What does the disappearance of animals mean for the human imagination?” I admit it took me three days of pondering what she was talking about.

Then I got smart and consulted with my 11-year-old granddaughter, Avery, about what she thought animals mean for us. Instantly, she said she loves the beauty of the flowers along with the bees they feed, not only the animal but how the rest of nature relates to it. She went on to say birdsong is so important to her that she couldn’t imagine outdoors without it. She agreed with me that animals can teach us things like how all the elephant family helps take care of the babies. Then lovingly she described the connection with her two dogs, wanting to be with her and snuggle and play. They feel warm and soft, comforting.

Interestingly, in Avery’s brief and heartfelt conversation, she hit upon most of the salient points I had unearthed in two years of research. She connected the beauty of nature with the animals (bees). She showed her mindfulness of the birds in her own habitat and how they contribute. She noticed that animals have found ways that work toward caring for their own that might be an improvement on what some humans do. She picked up on the importance of reciprocal connection in the world with animals. She touched on the idea that animals she is familiar with live in the moment and provide comfort. And what really stood out is the joy she feels about the natural world. She notices the beauty with her hearing and eyesight, her touch and her emotional attachment, especially to her furry friends.

 Avery also pointed me toward asking the right question in my own imagination--not what do we do for animals but what do they have to offer us? What would the world be without them? Thinking of animals as a resource for our spirits and imagination and for our sense of wonder and awe opens us to a new worldview. We share the earth and contribute to each other. This reciprocity between humans and animals connects us with all of nature, giving us hope for the future of the earth.

                                                  --Turtle GG 

submitted 9/6/18

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Part II Fake News: How to Manage the News (With a Little Help from Wise Friends and the Bible), by Elder Turtle GG

*Part I was posted on March 17 with same photo

Proverbs 3:13 (KVJ) “Happy is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gets understanding.”

Philippians 4:7 (KJV) “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ.”

My savvy 90+-year-old friends at assisted living, who are very wise, want to “get understanding” as Proverbs suggests. Lydia brought up her concerns about the source that her granddaughter uses for all her news. She encouraged her loved one to check with other sources for balance with Facebook, but doesn’t detect much interest.

Joy Reid (New York Times), a political news reporter, talks about similar concerns; she fears that if consumers believe only what agrees with their point of view, what makes them feel good, it leaves the consumer with a narrow version of what is truly happening.

We now hear the term “fake news”—information put out that is not backed up by facts. Often this is political or financial in nature to win one over to a certain agenda. It may just distort or alter something that is factual. Although the term and the action is a global phenomenon, it is not new. Think of the snake in the Garden of Eden trying to get Eve to eat the apple, as Pope Francis explains (The New York Times https://nyti.ms/2GcOVaX) or Hitler’s sugar coating of the Holocaust to come, even consider the late night comedians who do fake news shows for laughs and the tabloids at grocery checkout. Bias is a kind of fake news as are stories based on rumor. 

A story with only a headline is often suspect as well as reports of science based on poor methods. Putting out fake news is meant to cause confusion or distress. It erodes trust of institutions and leaders on purpose. Social media of the kind Lydia is concerned about seems especially vulnerable to fake news and propaganda.

In fact, the Italian Ministry of Education along with Google and Facebook (The New York Times https://nyti.ms/2kYHplf by Jason Horowitz 10.18.17) started a program last fall in 8,000 Italian high schools to teach students to deal with propaganda, training students to recognize fake news and conspiracy theories online. 

We can definitely compare a suspected fake news story to reporting from other sources. Sometimes fact checks are built into stories on line or newspapers. Of course it is hard to be objective if a fake news story happens to make someone or group we don’t agree with look bad. But my wise group members have powerful tools in their own toolboxes of life experience and value systems. When confused by fake news and other deceits, they are grounded in their own guideposts to sort out what makes sense. They rely on “the peace of God which transcends all understanding and will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I would rely on their judgement about fake news from their experience anytime.

As I talked to a friend (Rosewalk) about this trust challenge about news sources, she remembered a scripture that her mother had often quoted. It contains wonderful fact checking terms to help make sense of the world.

Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be a virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

It seems that fact checking is an old scriptural practice. This scripture grounds us in our beliefs. It gives us confidence to engage with the global world by being informed and sharing our compassion with those in the stories. 
 -- Elder Turtle GG

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How to Manage the News (With a Little Help from Wise Friends and the Bible): Part I “Pray Without Ceasing” by elder Turtle GG

(Posted on 3/17/18; reposted on 3/21/2025)

1 Corinthians 16:14 (KJV): “Let all your things be done in charity.” 

Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV): “Pray without ceasing.” 

In the past years, I have appreciated a small group of lovely people over 90 years of age in an assisted living group. We have taken up devotions on several topics, some related to how to be informed about the outside world in a positive way. They have the same dilemma we all do—what to do with the violent sights and sounds that can bombard us from TV, radio, print news, and social media. What are we to do about what I call “The Bad News”? With 24-hour news cycles available from all kinds of sources, we learn a high proportion of bad news—kidnappings, murder, refugee and immigration woes, disasters, corruption, accidents, and violence perpetrated on the most vulnerable.

When we find stories in the news disturbing, it can challenge our beliefs and peace of mind. We may even feel discouraged and powerless. Here are some ideas about how to exercise our rights as consumers of the news for how to participate as we choose the degree to which we are exposed.

First of all, we are not at the mercy of “The Bad News.” Here are a few suggestions that put us in charge of our exposure to all kinds of news.

1. Limit news gathering to perhaps ½ hour per day.

2. Decide what kind of news you want—local, world, arts/entertainment, political, weather, sports etc. Do you want headlines or interviews with people involved?

3. After looking at different sources for a week (don’t forget different sections of a newspaper or magazine.) Choose one that leaves you feeling informed but not overwhelmed.

4. Some news shows regularly include a closing story about the goodness of mankind and animals. You might like this approach.

5. Arrange with a friend or family member to watch with you, with the intention of having a brief discussion afterward.

Of course, this group of wise elders can be counted upon to find ways to manage exposure to the news but not without asking—“What can we do as a positive response to what we learn?”

Marianne Williamson, author of Everyday Grace (p. 91 and 205), suggests we think of news as “humanity’s prayer list.” She acknowledges there is darkness in the world and that we need to lift it to the light. Becoming discouraged only contributes to fear. Williamson realizes that some reports are so heart-wrenching that they take us out of our comfort zone for finding compassion, but she hopes we can try to extend compassion to each person on “humanity’s prayer list.” She suggests the following:

1. Mentally bless everyone in each news story. Try to find the goodness in each person.

2. Pray for yourself to be a loving force in life.

3. Pray for peace in the world.

I asked my friends in assisted living if they felt prayer, compassion, and charity from them to others across the world would help. They were certain of the power of this approach; they were already working on it. One woman, age 101, wisely pointed out, though, that sometimes she feels this takes “prayers without ceasing.”

I had carefully avoided politics and judgment of news sources to keep our discussion positive, but Lydia brought up concerns about her granddaughter’s source of news. They all chimed with concerns about whether certain sources are reliable. The broader picture is of concern to them.  Please read more in How to Manage the News (With a Little Help from Wise Friends and the Bible) PART II  "Fake News: 

-- submitted by Elder Turtle GG

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Turtle Mindfulness Part II. . . by Turtle GG

Poet Mary Oliver suggests: 

“Teach the children. We don’t matter so much, but the children do….

Stand them in the stream, head them upstream, rejoice as they learn to love this green space they live in…. “Attention is the beginning of devotion.”*

        Arriving back in Kansas I savored memories on the beach with my family.  I like to practice being mindful of the moments each day and began to think about how to be sure to teach the grandkids about being in the moment. I consider mindfulness a sure-fire and portable way to relieve stress and put more joy in our daily lives. Then, silly me, again, I realized that children are probably the most mindful beings I know. Their natural curiosity and spontaneity put them in the present as though each moment is important.

”Oh Lord, how shining and festive is your gift to us, if we

                       only look, and see.”**

         I had watched as little noses were down close in the sand checking out the turrets in the sand castles and the residents of the tidal pools, checking the surf for sea shells.  

        And Mrs. Loggerhead Turtle had a lesson for me. There was nothing on her mind but the sand and surf on a full moon night, needing to lay her eggs. Really nothing short of danger would deter her mindfulness. While kids were exploring, there I had been off thinking of prehistoric turtles making the same trip for thousands of years and currents from East Africa to SC. How far out from the moment was I? Fortunately, nature and children can teach us many things. Surely these memories have longevity to encourage devotion to caring for nature.

        Attention is also related to mindfulness. Paying close attention to our relationships, especially as children share curiosity and joy, encourages life-long connection. The kids were tuned in to the starfish with only four arms but clearly growing back a fifth, and the best part was sharing it with their cousins and aunts and uncles, grandparents. They could hardly run fast enough to show each treasure they found--the helmet crab, ghost crab, the intact sand dollar. This idea of including your loved ones in what delights you is the best kind of attention to the world. Adults have joyful moments to share, too. Mary Oliver invites us all let our lights shine--

                   “It’s simple,” they say,

                   and you too have come

                   into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled

with light, and to shine.”***

         

*Mary Oliver, Upstream (2006) p 8.

**Mary Oliver, “Look and See,” Why I Wake Early (2004) p 26.

***Mary Oliver, “When I Am Among the Trees,” Thirst (2006) p 4.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    --Elder  Turtle GG

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Turtle Delight by Turtle GG

             

              
             “Every day

                        I see or I hear

                                    something

                                                that more or less 

     kills me

                        with delight,…”*

I had a day like poet Mary Oliver describes above. My husband and I celebrated a 50^th wedding anniversary by taking 6 adults kids and their 5 kids to the beach for a vacation. That particular beach in Kiawah Island, S. C. is known for being an important beach for the endangered loggerhead turtle species to lay their eggs.

We knew about the area turtles because we had spent the day at the Charleston Aquarium and discovered the Turtle Hospital there with an exhibit just opened where we were allowed to watch surgery being done on a Green Ridley turtle that had swallowed a large fish hook. The one way window framed the operating room with the veterinarian and four assistants. The turtle lay asleep on the operating table. We could also follow what was happening inside the turtle via a TV screen. The turtle survived and went to a turtle tank to swim and eat for days until they hoped to release him/her to the open Atlantic.

This was the beginning of a 24 hour period of nature delights. I want my grandchildren to be mindful of what nature can teach us, especially because

            “…Such gifts, bestowed, can’t be repeated.”….**  

That evening, some of the parents went for a beach walk in the full moon. They came upon tracks that, at first, looked like four-wheeler tracks, but that were going straight from the water, across the beach into the sand dune. They watched, mesmerized, as a Loggerhead female, larger than any of them began to dig her nest. She dug an 18 inch deep hole in the sand and proceeded to drop over a 100 eggs and cover them with sand. Even though we hadn’t all witnessed this, we were filled with gratitude that this creature had floated the currents back to South Carolina where she was hatched, probably 25 or more years ago.

The next morning, the kids reported the new nest to the volunteer Turtle Patrol who decided they needed to move the nest out of the walkway of the beach. They invited us all to observe as they generously explained all about turtles to the delight of questions from the 5- 10 year old set. They were then honored to fill in the old hole as the 119 ping pong size eggs settled into their new home a few feet higher up the dune. All kinds of data were collected to share with two other states where the turtles lay their eggs. 

As our merry little band walked back for our last day on the beach together, a pod of dolphins came very close to the beach and put on a joyful show. And then, three deer popped out of the brush and played in the surf.

As the children boogie boarded (not GG’s sport), I hoped these days together with these one of a kind encounters would serve as a reminder to take care of their world and share the joy of it with others. Silly me, I thought of saying this out loud, a “teaching moment”,  but I guess I am now old enough to be somewhat wise and let the moments speak for themselves.

That day as I walked in the sun, surrounded by my family and filled with gratitude, I remembered Oliver’s poem “Drifting”  

I was enjoying everything…

                        I didn’t intend to start thinking about God,

                                     it just happened….***

 --Turtle GG

        

*Mary Oliver, “Mindful,"  Why I Wake Early (2004) p 58.

**Mary Oliver, “The Place I want to Get Back To,”  Thirst (2006) p 36.

***Mary Oliver, “Drifting,” Blue Horses (2014 ) p 53.

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