It seems the quote box is really trying to tell me something lately. Or, there are many super-über quotes in there

Live all you can; it’s a mistake not to. It doesn’t matter what you do in particular, so long as you have had a life. If you haven’t had that, what have you had? — Henry James 1843-1916

I notice that both our local public radio station and the local PBS station are running some September 11 programming in the coming week, so check out your local programming to see what’s available. I’ll see what I can find for local events and post some links here too. Spread the word.

I’ve been of the mind since the beginning that we could use a day of remembrance – as in, stores closed and no work for most – and think it’s more than enough time to do that.

one more post and then I’m done for the night, honest!

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, “I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” You must do the thing you think you cannot do. — Eleanor Roosevelt

I’ve mentioned several times that I’m reading The Silmarillion by Tolkien. It has been my nightly activity the past few nights, since there’s not much to do by candlelight other than read and think thoughts about power outages and modern life.

Last night I finished the section I’d previously read about the Children of Húrin, a sad tale of people wildly cursed by the evil-doer of the world Melkor and the evil dragon Glaurung.

The story I keep thinking about though is one mentioned in the LoTR, The Tale of Beren and Lúthien. It has really made me think about these epic stories. Such characters and huge quests, such obstacles to overcome. They often die, sometimes accomplishing their goal but sometimes they fail. Even if they don’t fulfill the mission they set out to do, they often inspire or stir others to act.

The Silmarillion often mentions how a sub-group of elves or man had lost hope of winning against this god-like evil in their world. After all, his peers and even his creator seemed unable to vanquish him forever. But, then some single person or a small band would push back the edges of the evil or strike a direct blow and the others would rally and try again.

Certainly this is not a fast read but beyond figuring out the characters and what they’re doing, I am so fascinated by the creation of this mythos, this whole universe and set of cultures and their timelines and… the epic tales of good vs evil. Sometimes I don’t even think of it as good vs evil but human (and elf) vs evil, being all you can, playing out your tale individually and larger until the bitter end.