Random Wisdom from Andrew

Dear fellow sentimentalists,

Random wisdom from Andrew today, unaware of Dan’s email and I think unprompted by the 40th anniversary of Gagarin’s flight. “It’s funny. Most kids want to grow up to be astronauts and train conductors, and almost none of them succeed.” Actually I don’t have any idea what prompted this, as he just said it an hour ago as I dropped him off at fencing class, and now I won’t see him for two more hours. Could they have commemorated Gagarin in an American middle school today? I’m guessing not. More likely Andrew had just seen the conductor in a passing Metra train.

I did not know it was the first spaceflight anniversary until Dan brought it up, but I was prompted to check out Wikipedia to learn more. Interesting stuff, especially given Dan’s suggested context of the Soviet “spin” to his singular orbit. He was apparently later quoted by Kruschev as having said “I don’t see any God up here,” but others claimed he more likely said “Someone who never met God on earth would never meet Him in space.” Or could that have been in response to Kruschev? Three years later, after visiting a monastery he said to a friend, “Just think on these words, ‘who art in heaven.’”

Neither Gagarin nor Kruschev will have the last word on God in heaven, but Gagarin will always be the first human in space —and he was apparently well favored for the task. Wikipedia reports that the cosmonaut candidates were asked to vote anonymously on their own choice for “first to fly,” and 17 of 20 voted for Yuri.

So here’s to Yuri, and sentimentalism, and all kids wanting to be Astronauts, and any one of them succeeding.

Meanwhile, back on earth, again prompted by Dan but also, I hope, in the spirit of Matthew 4: 5-11 (and 1 Corinthians 2:10-14, and, interestingly enough, Yuri’s thoughts), here’s my Earthworm Theology:

http://walledgardenpoetry.blogspot.com/2011/03/earthworm-theology.html

Now, isn’t that much easier than attachments? This was inspired by the opening rhythm of an otherwise blank-versed Coleman Barks poem. I took the liberty of rewriting it, but I tried to make it my own poem too. I do not have a copy of the Barks’ poem where I am writing this (it’s at home, I’m at the office), but if anyone is interested I’ll send it later.

(Dan, I have no answers on what to do to sign in as a blog author, but if you or anyone else has continuing difficulties, I will be happy to post your pieces for you until we figure it out. I also do not use my gmail address for anything else, but I guess that’s the trend - AT&T now wants me to have another email address just to check my voice mails.)

love to all, Jon

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Next Day Postscript

I meant 50th anniversary. Old math.

Coleman Barks' original poem is now posted as a comment on the same link.

Andrew's inspiration, it turns out, was the conversation we were having about Scott Kuntz, my colleague, who is driving to Pennsylvania today for a model train convention.

Enjoy your days!