Fantastic Imagery in this piece! Material for a future illustration, maybe?

House of the Hare

“At the time I was four years old
I went to glean with the women,
Working the way they told;
My eyes were blue like blue-bells,
Lighter than oats my hair;
I came from the house of the Haldanes*
Of work and thinking and prayer
To the God who is crowned with thorn,
The friend of the Boar and the Bear,
But oh when I went from there,
In the corn, in the corn, in the corn,
I was married young to a hare!
We went to kirk on the Sunday
And the Haldanes* did not see
That a Haldane had been born
To run from the Boar and the Bear,
And the thing had happened to me
The day that I went with the gleaners,
The day that I built the corn-house,
That is not built with prayer.
For oh I was clean set free,
In the corn, in the corn, in the corn,
I had lived three days with the hare!”

-Naomi Mitchison

*Haldane: A Scottish last name, but also possibly a reference to J. B. S. Haldane, British geneticist and evolutionary biologist.

On one of the other sites I frequent, there was a discussion about HBO’s series “Big Love.” For those not familiar with it, the series is about a Mormon family in Utah who has chosen to adopt a polygamous lifestyle. From what I?ve seen, the show handles this subject with warmth and sensitivity, although certain conflicts are played up for dramatic effect.

For more about this show, please visit the show’s official site: http://www.hbo.com/biglove/Q: “So how true to life is “Big Love” anyway? Poisonous snakes in the bed aside, is this kind of jealousy, in-fighting, and kid trouble “normal” for families that “live the principle” for real?”

A: While I can not speak for the Mormons, Polygamy is a valid and accepted lifestyle in 85% of the world’s cultures. There are many people, both in the United States and around the world, who have chosen to live in polygamous families and are all the happier for it. While I can not claim that this system works for everyone, I can honestly say that I?ve known several families who do practice this lifestyle. The majority of them were not Mormon and had never been Mormon.

From my own observation, I would say that the producers of “Big Love” may have emphasized the conflicts, as most entertainment producers and scriptwriters do, for the purpose of making an entertaining story. Granted, in any polygamous relationship, there are bound to be conflicts, just as there are conflicts in monogamous relationships. This is part of the human condition. However, I have to give “Big Love” credit for also showing the goodness, the joy, the closeness, and the love that is present. Actor Bill Paxton (who plays the leading man) hit the nail right on the head in an interview when he said that he agreed to this role because he loves a good love story, and that’s exactly what this is: times three!

For a more academic point of view on this subject, the Derek McCullough
and David S. Hall, Ph.D., of the Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality (Volume 6, Feb. 27, 2003) wrote a terrific article called ?Polyamory – What it is and what it isn’t.?
It is available at http://www.ejhs.org/volume6/polyamory.htm.

I found this delightful little segment and it really got me to wondering, “How many lives do I touch in one day? How many lives can I make brighter?”It’s something to think about… sort of like the “butterfly effect.” You know the theory: “A butterfly flaps its wings in London and it can cause a typhoon in Hong Kong…”

“If you ever drive on the New Jersey Turnpike … you might just be fortunate enough to find my favorite toll collector. He’s the one who always says, “Good morning! How are you? What a great day!”Since he must say those words five thousand times a day, consider the cumulative, positive effect this man is having on the lives of other people.

A few weeks ago, I flew into Newark Airport. I got into a cab and struck up a conversation with the driver. I asked whether he knew my favorite toll collector.

“Oh, yeah, that guy!” the driver answered. “He’s the nicest toll collector anywhere! But have you found the one at the Holland Tunnel yet? There’s one there who is just as good. Sometimes cars line up to get to him. People would rather wait an extra minute to get him than go to someone else.” …

The moment you enter the space occupied by a kind person with a strongly positive attitude, you have a wonderful power directed at you. You feel positive, elevated, inspired. Suddenly, new things are possible for you.

Would you not like to have that kind of impact on the lives of countless other people?”

Arthur Caliandro
Simple Steps:10 Things You Can Do to Create an Exceptional Life
Copyright 1999