The desert Southwest where I live is experiencing a major heat wave, with temperatures in the high 90s to low 100s F (38-40 C). Arizona temperatures are even higher. Humidity has been as low as 4 percent. Wildfires are burning thousands of acres and destroying or threatening hundreds of homes and other structures.
I usually stay inside my air-conditioned house during the heat of the day, but yesterday I found myself sitting on the covered patio for half an hour or so with my dogs. The satellite television installer was working in the living room, so I wanted to keep my three dogs out of his way. I knew they wouldn't be happy being outside in the heat while I was inside, so I took a book and sat on the patio. There was a slight breeze, but there was no denying that it was HOT outside.
This reminded me of my childhood, living in a house with no air conditioning. Back then, very few places had air conditioning. On hot summer days in the Midwest, when humidity made the heat seem even more unbearable, we used oscillating, table-top fans to provide whatever cooling we could get. And it wasn't much, as the fans simply blew hot air across the room. I knew only one house that was air conditioned, a brick home that belonged to an elderly couple who were friends of the family. What a treat it was to go visit them on a hot summer day!
My grandparents' house wasn't air conditioned either, and I don't remember even having a fan. I do remember sweltering as I lay in bed at night. And I remember spending lazy summer days sitting in the shade of a big tree in their back yard. But my siblings and I were young, so we spent much of those hot, sticky days playing outside, tramping through the woods, riding horses with our cousins, and getting so hot we thought we would melt. My paternal grandmother lived in a big brick house that trapped the heat like a brick oven.
I also remember the taste of icy cold watermelon, a cold bottle of my favorite soft drink and the wonder of homemade ice cream. Somehow those treats made the hot days a bit more bearable.
And just think about the Native people who inhabited the southwestern desert long before the first Spaniards arrived, and about the white settlers who moved to this hot, dry, desolate land. They had no electric fans, swamp coolers or air conditioners to help them endure the blasting sun. They had no electric refrigerators or freezers to provide cool drinks or frozen ice cream treats. And the whites typically wore long sleeves and long pants or dresses. Imagine!
I think we in the early 21st century have it pretty good, with only brief forays out of the house or air-conditioned car. I think our ancestors were made of sturdier stuff than most of us are.
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Facebook-Free
I lasted six days since deactivating (but not deleting) my Facebook account.
I did this once before for a single day, and of course, when I am in Africa and other parts of the world where wi-fi isn't as prevalent as it is here. But this is the first time I have intentionally been Facebook-free for this long.
What prompted this hiatus was the recent slaughter of 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, FL, and the resulting onslaught of posts by the 'anybody should be able to buy an assault rifle' crowd. Overcome by grief and anger that our so-called 'leaders' had again refused to do something -- anything -- to prevent more mass killings, I simply had to step away for a while.
Since then, I have vowed to remain Facebook-free for as long as I can. Facebook is a useful way for me to keep in touch with friends both in the US and abroad, but it also causes a lot of stress when I read about all the abused animals needing medical assistance or rescue, and when reading the posts of people who refuse to see the necessity for tightening laws regarding who should be allowed to purchase automatic weapons.
Out of curiosity, I did a Google search about 'how to kick the Facebook habit.' I was surprised to see how many authors have addressed this issue, as if Facebook is yet another addiction like alcohol or drugs.
I try to stay clear of political debates online, as nothing good ever comes of them. But I am unable to stay silent in light of the ongoing mass murders taking place on a regular basis in America. I am saddened when I think about what our country has become -- a country filled with violence, hatred, deep political divisiveness and a refusal to do anything to find a common ground for the safety of our people.
I did this once before for a single day, and of course, when I am in Africa and other parts of the world where wi-fi isn't as prevalent as it is here. But this is the first time I have intentionally been Facebook-free for this long.
What prompted this hiatus was the recent slaughter of 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, FL, and the resulting onslaught of posts by the 'anybody should be able to buy an assault rifle' crowd. Overcome by grief and anger that our so-called 'leaders' had again refused to do something -- anything -- to prevent more mass killings, I simply had to step away for a while.
Since then, I have vowed to remain Facebook-free for as long as I can. Facebook is a useful way for me to keep in touch with friends both in the US and abroad, but it also causes a lot of stress when I read about all the abused animals needing medical assistance or rescue, and when reading the posts of people who refuse to see the necessity for tightening laws regarding who should be allowed to purchase automatic weapons.
Out of curiosity, I did a Google search about 'how to kick the Facebook habit.' I was surprised to see how many authors have addressed this issue, as if Facebook is yet another addiction like alcohol or drugs.
I try to stay clear of political debates online, as nothing good ever comes of them. But I am unable to stay silent in light of the ongoing mass murders taking place on a regular basis in America. I am saddened when I think about what our country has become -- a country filled with violence, hatred, deep political divisiveness and a refusal to do anything to find a common ground for the safety of our people.
Monday, June 13, 2016
A Sad, Soulless Country
Another day, another mass shooting. Another kick in America's gut.
A gunman with ties to ISIS has murdered 49 people and injured 53 others in a gay nightclub in Orlando, FL. Two days earlier, a gunman murdered an up-and-coming 22-year-old singer, also in Orlando.
When will the American people rise up and demand action by our so-called 'leaders,' most of whom are in bed with the National Rifle Association, to stop this ongoing carnage? Every mass shooting in America is followed by members of Congress offering their 'thoughts and prayers' to the victims and their families. And the NRA announces that the slaughter would have been prevented had everybody in the club, movie theater, mall or whatever been armed with an assault rifle. And neither of these things does anything to stop future carnage.
I am sad and I am angry. But most of all, I am tired of the do-nothing Congress offering nothing more than 'thoughts and prayers.' I am tired of the NRA and its congressional puppets blocking even the most logical, well-considered steps to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill and terrorists. No one has proposed 'taking away the guns' from law-abiding citizens. Did you know that people can be prevented from taking a commercial flight on an airplane if they are on the 'no-fly list', but they cannot be prevented from legally buying weapons?
I have been around for more than six decades. This country has been through many ups and downs during that time. But I have never, ever, been so dismayed, disgusted and fearful for this country. In all honesty, I no longer want to live here. The senseless violence and the ongoing mass slaughter of innocent people is just about more than I can bear. And it isn't all perpetrated by religious extremists. It seems that any nutcase who wants one can get a gun and go out and slaughter people. Our so-called elected leaders are so far up the ass of the NRA they can't see what they are doing, or maybe they just don't care.
I am quite literally in tears, not just for the people murdered in Orlando, but also for what this once-great country has become. And no, Donald Trump is not the answer.
I don't want 'thoughts and prayers.' I don't want false accusations. I WANT ACTION! Every time I hear about one of these attacks, I feel as if I've been kicked in the stomach. I literally feel ill. And the worst part, aside from the loss of life, is knowing that nothing -- NOTHING -- will be done to prevent the next attack.
If the murder of 26 first graders and their teachers at Sandy Hook, CT, didn't create changes, why should we expect the murder of 49 gays to make a difference? America has sold its soul to the NRA and the gun industry. What a sad, sad place America has become.
A gunman with ties to ISIS has murdered 49 people and injured 53 others in a gay nightclub in Orlando, FL. Two days earlier, a gunman murdered an up-and-coming 22-year-old singer, also in Orlando.
When will the American people rise up and demand action by our so-called 'leaders,' most of whom are in bed with the National Rifle Association, to stop this ongoing carnage? Every mass shooting in America is followed by members of Congress offering their 'thoughts and prayers' to the victims and their families. And the NRA announces that the slaughter would have been prevented had everybody in the club, movie theater, mall or whatever been armed with an assault rifle. And neither of these things does anything to stop future carnage.
I am sad and I am angry. But most of all, I am tired of the do-nothing Congress offering nothing more than 'thoughts and prayers.' I am tired of the NRA and its congressional puppets blocking even the most logical, well-considered steps to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill and terrorists. No one has proposed 'taking away the guns' from law-abiding citizens. Did you know that people can be prevented from taking a commercial flight on an airplane if they are on the 'no-fly list', but they cannot be prevented from legally buying weapons?
I have been around for more than six decades. This country has been through many ups and downs during that time. But I have never, ever, been so dismayed, disgusted and fearful for this country. In all honesty, I no longer want to live here. The senseless violence and the ongoing mass slaughter of innocent people is just about more than I can bear. And it isn't all perpetrated by religious extremists. It seems that any nutcase who wants one can get a gun and go out and slaughter people. Our so-called elected leaders are so far up the ass of the NRA they can't see what they are doing, or maybe they just don't care.
I am quite literally in tears, not just for the people murdered in Orlando, but also for what this once-great country has become. And no, Donald Trump is not the answer.
I don't want 'thoughts and prayers.' I don't want false accusations. I WANT ACTION! Every time I hear about one of these attacks, I feel as if I've been kicked in the stomach. I literally feel ill. And the worst part, aside from the loss of life, is knowing that nothing -- NOTHING -- will be done to prevent the next attack.
If the murder of 26 first graders and their teachers at Sandy Hook, CT, didn't create changes, why should we expect the murder of 49 gays to make a difference? America has sold its soul to the NRA and the gun industry. What a sad, sad place America has become.
Friday, June 10, 2016
Unplugged
I recently spent time in India and South Africa, and as is often the case in Africa, my Internet access was either limited or non-existent.
And that, I believe, was a good thing. I had Internet/wi-fi access in my Indian hotels in Delhi, Ranthambhore and Agra, but in the lobby only, not in my room. And in South Africa, I had no access at all in the first camp, spotty -- and extremely slow -- access in the office area at the second camp, and very good access in the third camp in the reception area. There was no television or radio in my room, and the only places I saw a newspaper were in Delhi and Agra.
After a couple of days of 'withdrawal,' I found that I didn't mind being unplugged from the world at all. I was able to send and receive a couple of text messages from my daughter, but for the most part, I was cut off from the world. It was liberating not to be bombarded by negative news stories and the latest blatherings and lies of political candidates. If I wondered about local weather, I simply opened the door to my room or unzipped my tent. I did take time to upload a couple of videos or photographs to my Facebook account, but I didn't read anything on my timeline.
Since returning home, I have felt a need to somewhat step away from the many media that daily bombard me with information, requests, etc. I have cable television, the daily newspaper, Facebook, e-mail, texting, phone calls and on-line news. It's all a bit overwhelming and stress-inducing, which is something I usually don't realize until I am forced to go 'cold turkey' and not have access to any of these things. And every so often I disconnect from social media and cable news just to avoid many of the heartbreaking and infuriating stories I come across.
We get so accustomed to being 'connected' all the time that it's hard to remember that life wasn't always like this. When I was a kid, our house had one telephone, a rotary land line. My grandparents had a party line, shared by several nearby houses. We had one television that used an antenna to receive local broadcasts. It was such a thrill when I got my first transistor radio. Telephones were used to make phone calls and nothing else. There was no such device as an answering machine, and no voice mail. If someone wasn't home, we called back later. Research for a school paper or project meant going to the library and checking out books, and using reference books in the library. There was no Google or Wikipedia for us!
I admit, I do enjoy the ease of getting information -- directions, sample menus, hours of operation, reviews, booking airline tickets -- online. But it's so easy to let our electronic connections keep us away from our face-to-face human connections. It's easy to get overwhelmed trying to keep up with everything going on in the world. And for me and others I know, it's so easy to become weighed down by the endless stories of cruelty and suffering.
So I think some periods of being unplugged from the cacophony of the world, whether by design or by circumstances, is a good thing. If we allow it, it can let us reconnect with the world around us and with our families and friends. One thing I have learned from my four trips to Africa is the importance of slowing down. Maybe we should all follow 'Africa time,' a more relaxed attitude toward time. I think we would live more stress-free lives if we did.
And that, I believe, was a good thing. I had Internet/wi-fi access in my Indian hotels in Delhi, Ranthambhore and Agra, but in the lobby only, not in my room. And in South Africa, I had no access at all in the first camp, spotty -- and extremely slow -- access in the office area at the second camp, and very good access in the third camp in the reception area. There was no television or radio in my room, and the only places I saw a newspaper were in Delhi and Agra.
After a couple of days of 'withdrawal,' I found that I didn't mind being unplugged from the world at all. I was able to send and receive a couple of text messages from my daughter, but for the most part, I was cut off from the world. It was liberating not to be bombarded by negative news stories and the latest blatherings and lies of political candidates. If I wondered about local weather, I simply opened the door to my room or unzipped my tent. I did take time to upload a couple of videos or photographs to my Facebook account, but I didn't read anything on my timeline.
Since returning home, I have felt a need to somewhat step away from the many media that daily bombard me with information, requests, etc. I have cable television, the daily newspaper, Facebook, e-mail, texting, phone calls and on-line news. It's all a bit overwhelming and stress-inducing, which is something I usually don't realize until I am forced to go 'cold turkey' and not have access to any of these things. And every so often I disconnect from social media and cable news just to avoid many of the heartbreaking and infuriating stories I come across.
We get so accustomed to being 'connected' all the time that it's hard to remember that life wasn't always like this. When I was a kid, our house had one telephone, a rotary land line. My grandparents had a party line, shared by several nearby houses. We had one television that used an antenna to receive local broadcasts. It was such a thrill when I got my first transistor radio. Telephones were used to make phone calls and nothing else. There was no such device as an answering machine, and no voice mail. If someone wasn't home, we called back later. Research for a school paper or project meant going to the library and checking out books, and using reference books in the library. There was no Google or Wikipedia for us!
I admit, I do enjoy the ease of getting information -- directions, sample menus, hours of operation, reviews, booking airline tickets -- online. But it's so easy to let our electronic connections keep us away from our face-to-face human connections. It's easy to get overwhelmed trying to keep up with everything going on in the world. And for me and others I know, it's so easy to become weighed down by the endless stories of cruelty and suffering.
So I think some periods of being unplugged from the cacophony of the world, whether by design or by circumstances, is a good thing. If we allow it, it can let us reconnect with the world around us and with our families and friends. One thing I have learned from my four trips to Africa is the importance of slowing down. Maybe we should all follow 'Africa time,' a more relaxed attitude toward time. I think we would live more stress-free lives if we did.
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
New Art Available
Announcing the availability of a couple of new photographs from my recent trip to South Africa:
These and other images are available at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-ann-sullivan.html and at https://desertmountainphotography.smugmug.com/
All proceeds from the sale of images and other photographic products on these two sights will be donated to the Save the Elephants' scholarship fund to make it possible for a deserving but impoverished Kenyan student to attend high school. Details are available at www.savetheelephants.org
These and other images are available at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-ann-sullivan.html and at https://desertmountainphotography.smugmug.com/
All proceeds from the sale of images and other photographic products on these two sights will be donated to the Save the Elephants' scholarship fund to make it possible for a deserving but impoverished Kenyan student to attend high school. Details are available at www.savetheelephants.org
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Listen to the Quiet
I love being in nature, away from the crowds. I also love to travel and visit new places, and when I'm at home for more than a month or two, I get restless.
So this photograph, which I took a few years ago during an autumn hiking trip to Death Valley, reminds me of the solitude nature provides and of humankind's insignificance in the greater scheme of things. It also reminds me of why I love nature. So many people these days can't stand to be left alone with their thoughts. Either they always want to be surrounded by people, or they must have a radio or television on.
Not me. I enjoy the quiet. Sometimes I will put the radio on when I'm home, but generally my house is quiet. I mute television commercials and I have started recording my favorite television programs so I can fast-forward through the commercials. Who needs the shrill, screaming voices of commercials anyway?
I like the sound of the wind, and hearing coyotes howling. We don't have song birds where I live in the high desert, but sometimes I can hear quail and road runners, or even a cooper's hawk that has a nest in a nearby tree.
On a recent trip to South Africa, as I lay in bed in my tent, I heard the wonderful sounds of lions growling and of one or more elephants trumpeting nearby. What a treat it was to hear such sounds!
The point is, we need to listen to the quiet. How we do this is an individual choice. Some people pray, others meditate, some sit peacefully in a garden or enjoy a solo hike, while others just let their minds wander.
Slow down, stop and listen to the quiet.
So this photograph, which I took a few years ago during an autumn hiking trip to Death Valley, reminds me of the solitude nature provides and of humankind's insignificance in the greater scheme of things. It also reminds me of why I love nature. So many people these days can't stand to be left alone with their thoughts. Either they always want to be surrounded by people, or they must have a radio or television on.
Not me. I enjoy the quiet. Sometimes I will put the radio on when I'm home, but generally my house is quiet. I mute television commercials and I have started recording my favorite television programs so I can fast-forward through the commercials. Who needs the shrill, screaming voices of commercials anyway?
I like the sound of the wind, and hearing coyotes howling. We don't have song birds where I live in the high desert, but sometimes I can hear quail and road runners, or even a cooper's hawk that has a nest in a nearby tree.
On a recent trip to South Africa, as I lay in bed in my tent, I heard the wonderful sounds of lions growling and of one or more elephants trumpeting nearby. What a treat it was to hear such sounds!
The point is, we need to listen to the quiet. How we do this is an individual choice. Some people pray, others meditate, some sit peacefully in a garden or enjoy a solo hike, while others just let their minds wander.
Slow down, stop and listen to the quiet.
Friday, May 6, 2016
What Will Your Legacy Be?
Do you ever wonder what your legacy will be?
I think about this sometimes, more so lately as I have been dealing with some (so far) non-serious health issues. I recently read about a man, a keeper for the animals in an elephant orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya, who had no education, could barely read and write, but who left behind a wonderful legacy of love and service when he died recently in his 40s.
So leaving a great legacy doesn't require tons of money, or a brilliant mind or lots of education. It doesn't require being a public figure, known and recognized by many. Certainly, Nelson Mandela left a great legacy, and he was known by millions. But this simple Kenyan man worked for 16 years caring for elephants whose mothers had been killed. I have visited the orphanage three times, and I didn't know his name. Yet he left behind a wonderful legacy of love and care for some of Africa's most vulnerable animals. What a legacy does require is a great heart, passion for a cause, and lots of love, plus actions to put that love into effect.
So I asked myself what legacy I will leave behind. It won't be a hospital or research center with my name on it. It won't be a Pulitzer Prize-winning book or a ground-breaking discovery. But I hope my legacy, as limited as it may be, will be that I touched the lives of a few others and made life better for them. I also would like my legacy to be that I looked for opportunities to do good in life without expecting anything in return.
Although I don't have a lot of relatives or friends, I hope that those I leave behind will remember me as a person of kindness, love and generosity. Maybe they will remember that I volunteered at a local food pantry and at a wolf rescue, or that I donated my photographic talents to animal rescue groups. Maybe they will recall how I twice paid the tuition for my daughter's best friend so she could attend community college, or how I sponsored a deserving Kenyan student so she could attend high school for four years. Maybe part of my legacy will be the substantial financial donations I made to help animals in need, from dogs to elephants to wolves and whales. And let's not forget the dozen or so dogs I adopted and loved.
I want my legacy to be that my life made the world a better place. I know I made a positive impact on a young Russian girl, whom I adopted when she was 11 years old, and stood by through several turbulent years. She says that she got her love of animals from me, but she already possessed that love before I met her. Maybe I just helped her to develop and show her love.
I hear about presidents and politicians working on their legacies, and they seem so lofty. Most of us won't have lofty legacies when we pass on. I know I won't. But each of us can leave an individual legacy, a history of love and kindness. We can, each in our own way, leave our mark on the world. Even simple acts of kindness and compassion can have a lasting effect on others.
What will your legacy be?
I think about this sometimes, more so lately as I have been dealing with some (so far) non-serious health issues. I recently read about a man, a keeper for the animals in an elephant orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya, who had no education, could barely read and write, but who left behind a wonderful legacy of love and service when he died recently in his 40s.
So leaving a great legacy doesn't require tons of money, or a brilliant mind or lots of education. It doesn't require being a public figure, known and recognized by many. Certainly, Nelson Mandela left a great legacy, and he was known by millions. But this simple Kenyan man worked for 16 years caring for elephants whose mothers had been killed. I have visited the orphanage three times, and I didn't know his name. Yet he left behind a wonderful legacy of love and care for some of Africa's most vulnerable animals. What a legacy does require is a great heart, passion for a cause, and lots of love, plus actions to put that love into effect.
So I asked myself what legacy I will leave behind. It won't be a hospital or research center with my name on it. It won't be a Pulitzer Prize-winning book or a ground-breaking discovery. But I hope my legacy, as limited as it may be, will be that I touched the lives of a few others and made life better for them. I also would like my legacy to be that I looked for opportunities to do good in life without expecting anything in return.
Although I don't have a lot of relatives or friends, I hope that those I leave behind will remember me as a person of kindness, love and generosity. Maybe they will remember that I volunteered at a local food pantry and at a wolf rescue, or that I donated my photographic talents to animal rescue groups. Maybe they will recall how I twice paid the tuition for my daughter's best friend so she could attend community college, or how I sponsored a deserving Kenyan student so she could attend high school for four years. Maybe part of my legacy will be the substantial financial donations I made to help animals in need, from dogs to elephants to wolves and whales. And let's not forget the dozen or so dogs I adopted and loved.
I want my legacy to be that my life made the world a better place. I know I made a positive impact on a young Russian girl, whom I adopted when she was 11 years old, and stood by through several turbulent years. She says that she got her love of animals from me, but she already possessed that love before I met her. Maybe I just helped her to develop and show her love.
I hear about presidents and politicians working on their legacies, and they seem so lofty. Most of us won't have lofty legacies when we pass on. I know I won't. But each of us can leave an individual legacy, a history of love and kindness. We can, each in our own way, leave our mark on the world. Even simple acts of kindness and compassion can have a lasting effect on others.
What will your legacy be?
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