I admire very talented and successful people who can keep a sense of personal balance. Bob Woodward, the amazing investigative journalist, shared words of wisdom from his Editor after he broke the Watergate story. Beware of the demon pomposity.
Our parents would likely say, “too big for their britches” or “big hat—no cattle.” Woodward took the advice to heart and continues to be a trusted source of the actual news. The stories are not about him or his ego but rather about the subject. His most recent book about our 45th President reinforces that he is not qualified to lead our country forward. We cannot seriously consider sacrificing our individual freedom to his self serving aggrandizement . I am so glad to see his minions turning on him. I believe the rats are generally thought to desert the sinking ship.
On a separate topic, we are on vacation on the Big Island of Hawaii this week. Standing on the rim of the Kilauea volcano looking into the caldera you can see the power of the earth. In 2018 an eruption dramatically reshaped the summit of the volcano as one billion cubic yards of lava poured out of the lower east rift zone, magma drained from beneath the summit. The Halema’ uma’ u crater sunk 1600 feet into the earth. We hiked down into the caldera and walked along the moon like surface. The kids loved the unique scenery and not ever a complaint about what ended up being over a six mile walk on very steep terrain. In a translation from l865 Hawaiian language journal, Pu’iwa—“amazement; a surprise; a stupefaction on account of wonder.” That pretty much sums it up.
We are staying in the rain forest near the city of Volcano. Megan had stayed at this bed and breakfast a few years before. She and her kids are in the Bamboo bungalow, a pretty traditional space with a lot of Japanese architectural influence. Karen and I are in the Serenity Suite, a well appointed glass house that is the same architectural mode but tiny, the toilet is inside but to our surprise, the shower and the very nice Japanese style soaking tub is a short distance away in the rain forest. Yes, there is a gazebo and a net screen on one side, but this outdoor exposure is a bit disconcerting. I highly recommend the soaking tub and you can get used to showering outside. Who says older people can’t adapt.
The internet is spotty and cell service is intermittent. I am sorry I cannot keep up with the news but grateful for the respite. America is a wonderful place to live. When I get home I will get back to trying to contribute in some small way.
Enjoy the week end. Mike
