The new issue of Gilbert has recently arrived in my mailbox. There are quite a few
humorous comments about the cover on the ACS Blog. You might want to take a peek.
Last night I read this issue cover to cover. The ACS Blogmistress asked that readers send in any comments they might have to the Editor. Here's a copy of what I sent to the Editor.
On the ACS Blog, Nancy asked that Gilbert readers provide you some comments on the current issue. So here are a few of mine:
I always enjoy John Peterson's stories. I especially enjoyed "Mason is Shadowed". I did not see that ending coming. I suppose, somewhat like Mason and the bus. And was it planned or just serendipitous that the ending to the story started on a new page?
The Secret Constitution was timely, given that a new Supreme Court justice will be appointed shortly. Justice Scalia is one of my heroes, even is he is a bit acerbic in some of his dissents.
As a subscriber to First Things, I'm always glad to see anything related to the late Fr. Neuhaus/First Things mentioned in Gilbert, i.e. the review of Catholic Matters. Also the sidebar: Distributism is Everywhere from First Things letters.
Seeing Winkie. As a transplant to rural southern Ohio from the suburbs, I too was amazed the first time I saw a cow jump a 4 ft fence. And I, too, would not have had things quite as easy if it were not for some very helpful rural neighbors who showed us how to "capture a spring" for drinking water, identify trees so as to not cut down the wrong type for fence posts (you want locust), dig post holes with a spud bar and posthole digger, stretch woven wire fence, put up electric fence, give a cow an injection, and yes, bend the tail up to gain some measure of control over the creature. The other thing we had to learn was to listen carefully and translate words from the local dialect. We found that our electricity came from the PAR (power) company, if we had a brush fire and needed assistance we should call the FAR (fire) department. Also, if we were invited up for dinner, we had better be there at noon! Yes, Seeing Winkie brought back fond memories.
Reading Three Acres and A Penguin lead me to check out
billpowellisalive.com and his several web sites. I've now got them in my Favorites and will visit them often.
Clerihew Corner. What can I say? I've finally been published. And now I'm really enthused about writing more Clerihews for the upcoming Conference contest. Also, I substitute teach occasionally. As it is the end of the school year here, the kids are not really into doing any more school work. So I sponsored an informal Clerihew contest in one of my classes. The prize was $5. I only got about half of the kids interested, but at least some of them now have heard of G. K. Chesterton (to paraphrase Rahm Emanuel, never waste an opportunity to proselytize for G. K. Chesterton and E. C. Bentley) and know what a Clerihew is. My task for next year is to convince the British/World Literature teacher to at least mention Chesterton along with his contemporaries such as Wells, Shaw, and Wilde.
And last, but certainly not least, I enjoyed the three pieces by Nancy Brown, our ACS Blog Mistress. Her interview of Dr. von Hildebrand and her review of The Privilege of Being Woman introduced me to a new author. Nancy's essay on Fatherhood is also timely, with Father's Day coming up next month. Also, I work part time in a facility that treats about 60 young men. Almost without exception they come from homes with no father present. I feel certain that if these young men had had good role models, they would not have ended up where they now are. Fathers are very important.
All in all, a very enjoyable issue.
Today is G.K. Chesterton's birthday. What a gift to the world! Chesterton was born on this date in 1874. In honor of his birthday, and in order to prepare for this year's Chesterton Conference, I've been reading Tremendous Trifles. A thoroughly enjoyable collection of 39 essays on an arresting array of common subjects. So far the one that has reached out and really grabbed me is The Twelve Men. Specifically where Chesterton writes: "Now, one of these four or five paradoxes which should be taught to every infant prattling at his mother's knee is the following: That the more a man looks at a thing, the less he can see it...." I experienced that when I was working and living in Tucson, Arizona several years ago. I was renting a room in a house which, from the front steps, had a gorgeous view of the Catalina Mountains. For the first couple of months I really looked at the mountains each morning as came out of the house to drive to work. The view was inspiring. Eventually, however, I didn't see the mountains. They were, of course, still there, but not for me. After a year or so, as my work in Tucson was drawing to a close and I was leaving the house for the last time, I looked up, and for the first time in over a year, saw the mountains again. And I remember thinking, how could I have not seen this beautiful sight each and every day? Chesterton, of course, has the answer, or at least that's what I think he means: "That the more a man looks at a thing, the less he can see it..."
