When I was a kid, I had this bad habit of putting other people's rings on my fingers. If you left a ring lying around, well, one way or another it would find its way onto my finger, just because I didn't have any rings of my own and I was fascinated with the stupid things. So, I'd slip this ring that didn't belong to me on my finger, stare at it for a while admiringly and then...well, that's where the trouble would begin.
My stomach would drop through the floor as I would struggle to get the ring back off my finger. I would get panicked. The anxiety would rise and I would start to get sweaty and my stomach would come back up from where it dropped to settle somewhere in my throat. This is when I would have to calm myself. I had managed to get other rings off my fingers. I just had to calm down and to do this, I would remind myself that where there is a will, there is a way. Meaning, if I could get the ring on, and if I wanted it off, I could do so: I just had to figure out how. This of course usually meant a frantic licking of my finger to loosen the ring, but it generally worked out.
This thought has been running around in my brain since I read this post by RP earlier. RP is concerned and I can understand why he is. I am as well. But, for one brief moment, while we worry about what we can't do, let's look at a few things the human race has achieved to remind ourselves of our capabilities. Let's take a look at all the things the human race has achieved to remind ourselves of the truth of "where there is a will, there is a way."
We built this
And this
and this
and this
and this
and this
A genius believed this form was just lying in wait in a slab of marble and that it was up to him to reveal it.
A man spent years painting an image with little tiny daubs of paint, only to show us how images are truly formed in the first place.
We eradicated this disease and we're working on eradicating this one. We found a way to treat infections in mold spores.
We have walked here
And because we're curious creatures and going to our own satellite wasn't enough, we regularly send probes here
If we can do all of these things we can rebuild New Orleans. Because there is a will to do so. And there is a will, no matter what the freaks over at Kos and Denny Hastert have to say. Hence we will find a way.
Posted by Kathy at September 2, 2005 03:55 PM | TrackBackWe also built "Galloping Gertie", that bridge in Washington state that tore itself apart in the wind. We built "Titanic", Pintos with exploding gas tanks, and the Tower of Babel.
Just because we CAN build something, that doesn't mean that we SHOULD build something. New Orleans should NOT be rebuilt as it was - but if someone has a plan for how to rebuild it better, I'll listen.
Posted by: Russ from Winterset at September 2, 2005 05:33 PMWay to take a piss in my cheerios, dude!
Posted by: Kathy at September 2, 2005 06:19 PMAnd we also gave the universe this.
Sigh.
Oh, and the Denver Public Library.
Shudder.
Posted by: andy at September 2, 2005 10:55 PMNo pissing here, K., but I think the rebuilding of New Orleans should only start after a SERIOUS discussion on how to deal with the Gulf & Lake Ponchartrain. You wouldn't spend 10 grand to panel and carpet the bottom of a swimming pool, would you? Then why should we (taxpayers around the country will be picking up the tab, so I can use WE in that context) spend $10 billion or more to rebuild bars, strip clubs, low income housing, and hotels approximately 12 feet below sea level?
Posted by: Russ from Winterset at September 3, 2005 08:17 AMRuss, this post wasn't about that and, yes, you pissed in my cheerios.
Posted by: Kathy at September 3, 2005 10:08 AMWell I for one found the post and photo gallery inspiring. Thank you, Kathy.
Posted by: Tuning Spork at September 4, 2005 03:23 PMNo, Thank You TS.
Posted by: Kathy at September 4, 2005 04:30 PMThanks, Kathy - it brought tears to my eyes.
Posted by: red at September 5, 2005 10:49 AM
