Not What But How

 Far too often we hear it said that authority figures, those who are responsible to carry out rules and laws, are "overstepping their boundaries". Most of the time, the accusations are not true. Of course, we all make errors and no one likes to be caught doing something wrong or offensive but the facts remain and to uphold a lawful society, someone has to do the "job" of making sure the laws or rules are followed. And while it is true, the "how" of the way the authority person does the job, is crucial in the eyes of citizens who, yes, committed the offenses knowing it and should be instructed in making amends or receiving due punishment. The law enforcing individual also has  PR standards in carrying out their work. It is wrong to inflict temper or bullying tactics to law or rule breakers. That creates a flaw in what is true  justice. Justice needs a blindfold so that everyone charged with an offense is treated fairly without prejudice according to the letter of the law. What deed the offender may have done may instill anger and disgust, often horror and, therefore, true understanding of the offense in the arresting or prohibiting person, requires a calm head and a steady but humane hand. In our legal system, unlike others that charge guilt before trial, invites the need to prove their innocence, ours is that you are innocent until proven guilty. However, it is also the work of the authority figure to withhold someone who is a danger to society and needs to be contained for the safety of all people and/or property. Those involved with doing the job of maintaining the law or rules, does so, not in a personal tone, but as one who has been trained to do, and should know, the  the rules and regulations of how to carry out that responsibility in the best interests of all society members including those of the perpretator in question. Violent, insulting or inhumane acts against others is never the right tactic. Ways of stopping violent behaviour of criminals must take place, naturally, but only that which is laid out in the mandate of their position.  Bad mouthing, rudeness, harm, indignities and so on are not theirs to use, difficult as it may be when an offensive person appears to have done much worse. Control is the key and mutual respect, the door to justice.

Hearts Into It

 On doing, today, a jigsaw online puzzle, the picture of a magnificent Benedictine Palace, I marvelled  at those who built these elaborate structures that are so admired by tourists, photographed and revered for hundreds of years. Many of these gigantic buildings took centuries to build and were laboured by the hands of humble people who dedicated their entire lives to their work. The architects of  those times, bowed to the appreciations and praises showered on them. Their names were etched into metal and stone markers that honor what they created. But who remembers the arms of people who mixed the plasters and grouts and lifted the stones and bricks into place? They are anonymously part of the construction just as are the statues and gargoyles that embellish the walls, the ones these ordinary people  struggled to set  in place. Many of these workers might never have lived long enough to see the end result of their labours. I think of today when modern workers, the ordinary people now, who work with machines and equipment and materials that are not handwork but that of tapping keys and buttons, to be in production, part  machine and part human in making objects large and small, that give us easier and quicker and cheaper commerce. Technology goes down the same pathway and hopefully makes us appreciate the past as well, or do, ever, we think of it? Are today's workers as patient and dedicated? I think it would be hard to find. We see little handwork with tools that take us further and further away from it.  But the same instincts and aspirations are there, still, in very special people who want to turn their ideas into reality. Can they produce beauty that will survive the centuries as of old?  Will their stuctures be pragmatic but also pulchritudinous? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but if the beholder hasn't seen it, will it disappear? Our "new world style" the cheaper, faster minimalist sort, might, therefore, be in question?

If Pigs and Hens

 Read a delightful article about a pig and a chicken in a rescue centre, making fast friends. I wondered, also, that if pigs and chickens get along and become friends, how come we humans do such as wars and protests and insurrections and disputes: on and on. We often can't get along with neighbours let alone, political confrontations and meetings in government upon which our livings depend. What's missing  that prevents us from something as simple as living together peaceably in spite of marked disimilarities that should peke our interest rather than focus on the differences.  I landed on a possible solution: "words". Words are the "money" that enriches or impoverishes us. Words, or the equivalent, are vitally important to the need to understand each other. It's true that in marriage, it's often a problem when there is no communication or that violence instead of communication is used to express a concern. In the animal kingdom, words are not present between species which is a kind of non-communication that in actions, speak. At times, it, too, involves violence rather than communication much like shouting does. We have to use words but gentle actions as well, along with the words, to show that it is safe to communicate. In the case with the pig and the chicken, the chicken came to share with the pig, its food and then it hopped on the back of the pig and groomed it. Perhaps to show gratitude and return the favour of the food.  Grooming in this instance was cleaning the pigs fur and perhaps plucking out insects as do monkeys and apes among other animal examples. Perhaps we humans should use our words instead of what animals use such as beaks and paws, to comfort each other.  Feeling words that are kind and caring rather than accusing, demanding and hurting could work. Nice words in the human world are "grooming". Grooming is helping and assisting and showing care and concern for others. If this huge pig and its small companion found friendship, so can we. 

Snippets

My most useful tool in the kitchen, besides the fine mesh drain screen to keep the plumber away, is my scissors. Are? my scissors? You might wonder, as I did, where that name originated. The OE  "cisoria" means a cutting tool and likely arises from the Latin word "cisus" or cut. There is a naughty bit also regarding the word, but that is for you to ponder. My scissors are not the fancy kitchen variety that will cut chicken bone, even though I use it for that when I trim chicken wings. I inherited my scissors from my dressmaking mother who ensured that her scissors were quality driven and very sharp. If you think scissors are safe, beware the blades, not the lesser points. And never use your scissors to cut hair. For some reason it does damage if you try to use them also to cut fabric. But why scissors in the kitchen? They beat knives in lots of ways. When I roll up herbs, I snip, not chop. And when bacon bits are needed, out come the bacon strips from the fridge freezer where they are always available and cut little bits into the frying onions in the pan. Often bits such as celery leaves, tiny carrots, thin sticks of any kind of veg or herb, even spinach to add to your  mix, scissors will do a neat job. The mug of scallions that sit permanently beside my kitchen tap need their browish tops nipped off and scissors also do the task of snipping some of them into the little crystal bowl that sits always on my counter, their shards of green drying and waiting to top anything cheesy. What I like about scissors is that arthritic fingers don't mind them as much as dealing with the wiles of very large sharp knives. Chef examples notwithstanding. Maintenance of a pair of scissors is simple. First never put the moving joint, whatever else it's called into water when you are rinsing them. Dip the bottom halves of the blades into soapy water and wipe. I keep my scissory pal nose down, in a little marble bowl along with the bamboo chopstick pals, a sharp paring knife, a wee whisk, my darling ancient one quarter cup scoop and my one tablespoon measure, and the little tin scraper : all ready for action when called upon. Snip and you're done.