I’ve been thinking and writing about the blog’s mission in New America; many of us are shocked, confused, or frightened. I’ve decided to learn and continue my spiritual work on my own and my blog. I want to continue and strengthen my idea of the blog as a safe place.
I want Bedlam Farm.com to be a sanctuary blog, an intelligent, colorful, stimulating place to come in a turbulent world.
It will not be a church, temple, or mosque but a place where everyone is welcome to share in the beautiful and meaningful place Bedlam Farm has become. Here is the rich and comforting farm life with animals, rats, landscapes, barn cats, creative studies, sheep, donkeys, and chickens. With it goes the wheel of life and, sometimes, of death. It is not a perfect life, but a wonderful one and Maria and I are happy to share it with those who want or need it.
We are also a creative place, and that is a story all of its own; we don’t need the hate-one-another news out of Washington to dominate our lives or make them interesting. I have a good friend who is being devoured by hatred as he reads the news, cancels friendships, and loses sleep. He can sit in peace and silence, relax, or turn off the news.
I don’t want to be him, and I won’t be. I don’t hate anybody.
I’ll be as woke as I wish or as tolerant as possible. You are invited to come along with me and the task of staying grounded and healthy over the following years.
From the beginning, the blog has been a memoir, the story of a life as it has evolved, changed, experimented, and is finally close to landing. Time to be a worthwhile human is running out, and I don’t want to waste that time on politics, red or blue.
Everyone is welcome to come and speak their minds or look at the pictures and essays, as most people do. You don’t need to agree with me, and I don’t need to agree with you. I will occasionally challenge the weak, the broken, and the angry if there is a lesson in it for you and me. Being spiritual does not mean being silent or a social toilet bowl. Stay away or shut your mouth if you can’t mind your business. I have little tolerance for people who can’t mind their own business.
I have an active mind, and unlike most of our politicians, I like to explore things and put them out. I’m not afraid to be wrong or to misspell words (I’ve been doing that my whole life.) I don’t wish to be a monk. That’s not what spirituality is for me.
This blog will not be political, no Armageddon lamenting, no whining about the end of the world, no hating people who are different. The woke and the sleepy are welcome here, as used to be our way in America, which I believe will be our way again. We are not intolerant or hateful people, as the news suggests. We are diverse to the core; no one can take that away.
Many people have been pushing me to discuss the blog’s current state; that’s the easy part, but I need to spell it out for my sake and yours. I think I’ve got it. I love the sanctuary idea.
Everyone is welcome here. This is not a political blog, and while I sometimes write about politics, it is not as a warrior in the battle but as a former political writer trying to sort things out. I have strong opinions, but they are not red or blue but mine.
Some people would call me woke, but I don’t label myself. My ideas roam everywhere, and labels are not accepted here. I don’t have contempt for people who differ; they are my friends.
My blog is not free. You have to be nice. For many people in America, that no longer seems easy or possible. To be here, you have to do it. If you like it, please donate to it, or it won’t be here to hang around.
I don’t conduct political litmus tests here or ask people what their politics are or what they wish to know. Instead, I want people to come here during this difficult time and feel safe and somewhat calmed by the stories and images of my life, including my farm, photography, animals, partner, and wife.
Maria and I agree that we want our blogs to be where people can escape the world’s craziness, rage, and cruelty. Lamenting or arguing about politics is not us. We intend to do our work and make the blogs as comfortable as possible, no matter what fires are raging outside. This is a place of creativity; labels are forbidden.
Yes, I will occasionally write something that upsets or offends someone. It happens daily, and it is no longer possible in America to write or say anything without upsetting or offending someone.
I don’t wish to be self-censored, bullied, or silenced; I will speak my mind only when necessary or appropriate. I have a short temper for maurading yentas, trolls, and pompous, rude, or cruel people. To participate in our interesting discussions, be patient, civil, and nonjudgmental. I love blocking or deleting rude, self-righteous know-it-alls, especially those who know nothing. They are everywhere.
I was taught to mind my own business. People who were not taught that or who believe social media is a license to blow smoke up one’s ass, you won’t be happy here, and I will find you and get you gone, as they say. My grandmother taught me to stand up to rude people, and I will.
I enjoy the diverse ideas of people on the blog. I respect people who use “me” talk; they say what they feel and respect others’ right to do the same. I don’t need to be agreed with or expect to be agreed with. If you can’t listen to the beliefs and ideas of other people, your brain is in a coma.
People may not come here to fight with one another and insist that we are on the edge of Armageddon or Auschwitz. I do not believe that is the case, and even if I did, it would not be the focal point of my existence, which includes my life, our lives, my blog, the animals, my flowers, Maria’s life and work, and my love of nature and incredible art. Sometimes, we need respite from the tension outside.
I am not looking for Sainthood, which is just as well. I’d never get it. I want to be tolerant, empathetic, and civil on and off my blog. I sometimes fail; I want to be a good human, not an angel.
My blog does not allow fighting, name-calling, or politics. To my delight, it has become a safe place where people think, browse, and enjoy animal and flower photos.
That’s what I always wanted. Don’t expect me to be perfect, forever patient, or happy to be crapped on. That’s not me. You will be my friend if you can help support the Cambridge Food Pantry. It’s my way of being good every day.
I never tell poor people what they should eat; I try to get them what they ask for and say they need. They are not robots to be dictated to but living, breathing, and loving human beings with nowhere else to go. That’s about it. I hope to see you on the blog.
We can have fun and hopefully see many wonderful animals and pretty flowers.
