Saving this piece to dust off when my daughter is old enough to receive some of its wisdom. Uncanny how things of value materialize fortuitously. Thank you, from a fellow Rucker.
I am trying to think of words that properly express how honored you have just made me feel. Things like, "now I can die happy" are coming to mind. Truly. I am so touched by this.
On another note...my dude, you do realize that the fact that you are a Rucker puts you at direct odds with your username, do you not? Another fan of contradiction?
Recently, I was talking to someone about the weird feeling I developed during the covidian nightmare of '20–'21—a feeling I can't quite seem to shake.
He said words to the effect of, "It's like magic has been drained from the world." That is as good a way to describe it as I have yet heard.
Being a meliorist at heart, my response was, and has been, "Well then, we have to bring magic back." You have glimpsed this same problem, and you are bringing magic back. Thank you.
And I would love to learn more about how you are doing so.
Oh, absolutely! Feel free to crosspost, and thank you!
In sticking with this framework of magic, another reader astutely commented that perhaps the magic has been here all along, we had merely forgotten about it. Now those of us who recognized the horn of war in 2020 (some of us had heard it before, others have yet to, but there was a critical mass to have come into an awareness of the forces of the world under the pressure of the covid years) are learning how to respond - we are honing our strengths, we are transcending the conflicts keeping our ability to find, organize, and cooperate with one another in a state of suspense. We are breaking through.
My challenge going forward from this war anthem will be to explain some things about how I found the magic for myself and the specifics of how I, and others, wield it without going too far in the direction of making particular equations out of what has a very critical nexus to intuition, among other intangible and often indescribable powers. But I do intend to write in this vein. I greatly hope I can channel what I managed to channel with this essay since it resonated with so many people. But to keep the magic alive, intuition informs that it is best not to over-explain. It is easier to contain Truth within boundaries that are not so rigid.
All of that makes perfect sense to me. I look forward to reading more about all of this.
"perhaps the magic has been here all along, we had merely forgotten about it."
—Not that is an interesting question. Surely that has to be true to some extent. Especially if we assume—and I think we should—that the magic is not just created by us, but it is in the trees and the bees and the mushrooms and the seas. In that case, all we need to do is remember.
Your vibe is the vibe of my childhood—a part of who I am. And that is one of the things I need to remember! So thanks for helping with that.
I ended up spending six hours preparing a big, complicated post an anarchic instantiations yesterday, with charts and all sorts of craziness, so I did not get around to cross posting. Gonna do it now.
I'm very grateful to you for cross-posting this, and for opening that post with such kind words. Thank you.
I started typing out a long response to you - addressing your sentiments about childhood in particular - and realized it was quickly heading into essay territory, way too long for a comment. But you have given me much to consider along these lines, and if I am able to finish something to my satisfaction, I'll definitely tag you.
I am reading through your most recent post now and am enjoying it thoroughly so far. You're speaking my language mentioning the likes of Rothbard and Hoppe. I will comment further over on your stack soon!
"I started typing out a long response to you - addressing your sentiments about childhood in particular - and realized it was quickly heading into essay territory, way too long for a comment."
—Apparently you have not seen the 16 million-word comment threads we've got rolling over at the Freedom Scale. 🤣
But that's cool. I am sure, in the fullness of time, you will impart all the thoughts that matter.
"You're speaking my language mentioning the likes of Rothbard and Hoppe. I will comment further over on your stack soon!"
My daughter heads off to college this fall and this is the manifesto I will give her.
You have given words to her nascent desires to be both a Valkyrie and a mother, a warrior and a keeper of the home. You have given me, her mother, hope that there will be an army of shield women we all can be a part of.
I am moved to tears by the sentiment of your words. I cannot tell you what a cherished honor it is to hear that I have articulated something of supportive value to your family. This piece is very personal to me as I had to contend with the conflicts I describe throughout my most formative years, as I believe many young women do. I wish all the best to you and your family. I believe in my heart that the enemies of Freedom will suffer the powerful force of your emerging Shieldmaiden!
Truly great post. Eowyn's character and later contentment was forged by hardship. The same with nearly all the women of TLOR. It seems Tolkien wanted to acknowledge a truth: that the inverse - privilege, ease, and affluence - leads to misery, while hardship to happiness.
Thank you! Yes, I do believe he was shedding light on the impact that hardship can have on the emergence of good character, strength, valor, and happiness.
This is the kind of girl I picture when I dream of marriage, but even greater than that, I dream of being the kind of man I must become to deserve such a girl... that’s what I strive toward.
Eowyn was gallant. But when she defeated the Witch King alongside Merry the Hobbit by the Grace of Eru. And when she experienced Aragorn who was to be King with healing hands at the House of Healing. She saw that the glory of the battlefield is not for her. But hearth and home with Faramir is more precious than any bloody victory and being bloodied herself.
If change is to come it will be women who lead it. This may not be as should be but I believe it will be as it has often been in the past. Women have often been farsighted and have called men out of their stupor at time of need. May it be.
So many men and women are waking up to the need to stop enabling the worst in one another, and not a day too soon, too. There is much work to do, but I am hopeful for the future.
If I had to describe why I love my girlfriend, this would be it. To put it plainly...I am blown away. You’ve given me the inspiration for the next poem I owe her this Friday. Thank you for this gift :)
This is so refreshing and so very sweet! I see from your profile that you're about 20. I married my husband when I was 22. I used to ask him to describe me in a nutshell when we were still dating (probably following the example of a bad sitcom or something, lol) and he used to struggle to do it even though we knew one another better than anyone else. That confused me for a time until I realized what a walking contradiction I am. Understanding that he loved me for this brought me closer to an understanding of myself and my purpose in life - he gave me a safe haven wherein I could see the strength in all the things that made me an outlier.
I love the enthusiasm you have for your girl. This reminds me of my husband and me at that age (only he wrote song lyrics more so than poems ;-) ) and I'm too much of a romantic to stop myself from saying that I hope the two of you stay together and experience all the richness of love and family.
As an older women, this was deeply moving, you spoke to my soul. I have always felt the magic but a life of being the warrior to survive was not in balance and I can see so much more clearly now. The magic is alive and well in the hearts of so many and I nurture it daily. I truly would love this to be published as a book, it’d be fantastic, lots of illustrations I can totally see it. Bravo !!
Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm happy this resonated with you. You're far from alone in recalling a time when things felt a little out of balance, skewed in one direction or another to favor necessity in the midst of a challenge. Sadly, so many women are now faced with the difficult task of recognizing when a challenge is not only a natural part of being alive, but when it is being outright manufactured for them, too. It's so important to be in touch with all that makes us delicate and all that makes us fierce so that we can navigate that territory without losing ourselves; without losing sight of what makes us powerful. It is remarkable, though, isn't it - how life has a way of putting everything into clearer perspective if only we pay attention? ♡
I hope so, and I think so. The purveyors of reductionist materialism are intentionally blocking the profound but simple truth that existence is much larger than we have been told.
They are certainly trying to, but I believe they will ultimately fail totally. I don't think most people can sustain the belief that they are content to have a full resume but an empty house forever. Deep down, I believe people are in touch with the suffering that stems from the indoctrination they've endured. Something doesn't feel right: They are lonely, if they're honest; life has been feeling redundant lately; they actually do think babies are quite cute; etc.. I believe we're on the precipice of many of these souls waking up to the magic of meaning and purpose again (and not a day too soon).
Saving this piece to dust off when my daughter is old enough to receive some of its wisdom. Uncanny how things of value materialize fortuitously. Thank you, from a fellow Rucker.
I am trying to think of words that properly express how honored you have just made me feel. Things like, "now I can die happy" are coming to mind. Truly. I am so touched by this.
On another note...my dude, you do realize that the fact that you are a Rucker puts you at direct odds with your username, do you not? Another fan of contradiction?
I just did the exact same thing. I was close to crying a few times reading through this. The magic is coming back!!
I am so deeply thankful for this. I wish many blessings to your family.
Women did not talk like this when I was young. It is very good to hear, for this older warrior. Keep saying it. Magic is rising.
I'm happy you enjoyed this! Thank you for the encouragement. I will heed it.
This is a soaring manifesto. I love it.
Recently, I was talking to someone about the weird feeling I developed during the covidian nightmare of '20–'21—a feeling I can't quite seem to shake.
He said words to the effect of, "It's like magic has been drained from the world." That is as good a way to describe it as I have yet heard.
Being a meliorist at heart, my response was, and has been, "Well then, we have to bring magic back." You have glimpsed this same problem, and you are bringing magic back. Thank you.
And I would love to learn more about how you are doing so.
In the meantime—may I crosspost this?
Oh, absolutely! Feel free to crosspost, and thank you!
In sticking with this framework of magic, another reader astutely commented that perhaps the magic has been here all along, we had merely forgotten about it. Now those of us who recognized the horn of war in 2020 (some of us had heard it before, others have yet to, but there was a critical mass to have come into an awareness of the forces of the world under the pressure of the covid years) are learning how to respond - we are honing our strengths, we are transcending the conflicts keeping our ability to find, organize, and cooperate with one another in a state of suspense. We are breaking through.
My challenge going forward from this war anthem will be to explain some things about how I found the magic for myself and the specifics of how I, and others, wield it without going too far in the direction of making particular equations out of what has a very critical nexus to intuition, among other intangible and often indescribable powers. But I do intend to write in this vein. I greatly hope I can channel what I managed to channel with this essay since it resonated with so many people. But to keep the magic alive, intuition informs that it is best not to over-explain. It is easier to contain Truth within boundaries that are not so rigid.
All of that makes perfect sense to me. I look forward to reading more about all of this.
"perhaps the magic has been here all along, we had merely forgotten about it."
—Not that is an interesting question. Surely that has to be true to some extent. Especially if we assume—and I think we should—that the magic is not just created by us, but it is in the trees and the bees and the mushrooms and the seas. In that case, all we need to do is remember.
Your vibe is the vibe of my childhood—a part of who I am. And that is one of the things I need to remember! So thanks for helping with that.
I ended up spending six hours preparing a big, complicated post an anarchic instantiations yesterday, with charts and all sorts of craziness, so I did not get around to cross posting. Gonna do it now.
Galo thalion!
I'm very grateful to you for cross-posting this, and for opening that post with such kind words. Thank you.
I started typing out a long response to you - addressing your sentiments about childhood in particular - and realized it was quickly heading into essay territory, way too long for a comment. But you have given me much to consider along these lines, and if I am able to finish something to my satisfaction, I'll definitely tag you.
I am reading through your most recent post now and am enjoying it thoroughly so far. You're speaking my language mentioning the likes of Rothbard and Hoppe. I will comment further over on your stack soon!
"I started typing out a long response to you - addressing your sentiments about childhood in particular - and realized it was quickly heading into essay territory, way too long for a comment."
—Apparently you have not seen the 16 million-word comment threads we've got rolling over at the Freedom Scale. 🤣
But that's cool. I am sure, in the fullness of time, you will impart all the thoughts that matter.
"You're speaking my language mentioning the likes of Rothbard and Hoppe. I will comment further over on your stack soon!"
Grrrrooovy. I am very glad to know you!
My daughter heads off to college this fall and this is the manifesto I will give her.
You have given words to her nascent desires to be both a Valkyrie and a mother, a warrior and a keeper of the home. You have given me, her mother, hope that there will be an army of shield women we all can be a part of.
Bravo.
I am moved to tears by the sentiment of your words. I cannot tell you what a cherished honor it is to hear that I have articulated something of supportive value to your family. This piece is very personal to me as I had to contend with the conflicts I describe throughout my most formative years, as I believe many young women do. I wish all the best to you and your family. I believe in my heart that the enemies of Freedom will suffer the powerful force of your emerging Shieldmaiden!
Just wonderful. This is the sound of soul.
If this resonated with you, then I know I have tapped into something.
Truly great post. Eowyn's character and later contentment was forged by hardship. The same with nearly all the women of TLOR. It seems Tolkien wanted to acknowledge a truth: that the inverse - privilege, ease, and affluence - leads to misery, while hardship to happiness.
Thank you! Yes, I do believe he was shedding light on the impact that hardship can have on the emergence of good character, strength, valor, and happiness.
You've renewed my hope! I had no idea such shieldmaidens were yet among us.
Like all things that fight for Freedom and goodness in this world, we are an eternal presence. I'm so delighted that you enjoyed this, thank you!
This is the kind of girl I picture when I dream of marriage, but even greater than that, I dream of being the kind of man I must become to deserve such a girl... that’s what I strive toward.
Then I believe your Shieldmaiden will be most lucky to have you. You have my strongest hope that you may find each other.
Eowyn was gallant. But when she defeated the Witch King alongside Merry the Hobbit by the Grace of Eru. And when she experienced Aragorn who was to be King with healing hands at the House of Healing. She saw that the glory of the battlefield is not for her. But hearth and home with Faramir is more precious than any bloody victory and being bloodied herself.
If change is to come it will be women who lead it. This may not be as should be but I believe it will be as it has often been in the past. Women have often been farsighted and have called men out of their stupor at time of need. May it be.
So many men and women are waking up to the need to stop enabling the worst in one another, and not a day too soon, too. There is much work to do, but I am hopeful for the future.
Love this so much! A moving manifesto. Your writing is so moving.
Thank you kindly for the praise! I'm very glad this resonated with you.
If I had to describe why I love my girlfriend, this would be it. To put it plainly...I am blown away. You’ve given me the inspiration for the next poem I owe her this Friday. Thank you for this gift :)
This is so refreshing and so very sweet! I see from your profile that you're about 20. I married my husband when I was 22. I used to ask him to describe me in a nutshell when we were still dating (probably following the example of a bad sitcom or something, lol) and he used to struggle to do it even though we knew one another better than anyone else. That confused me for a time until I realized what a walking contradiction I am. Understanding that he loved me for this brought me closer to an understanding of myself and my purpose in life - he gave me a safe haven wherein I could see the strength in all the things that made me an outlier.
I love the enthusiasm you have for your girl. This reminds me of my husband and me at that age (only he wrote song lyrics more so than poems ;-) ) and I'm too much of a romantic to stop myself from saying that I hope the two of you stay together and experience all the richness of love and family.
As an older women, this was deeply moving, you spoke to my soul. I have always felt the magic but a life of being the warrior to survive was not in balance and I can see so much more clearly now. The magic is alive and well in the hearts of so many and I nurture it daily. I truly would love this to be published as a book, it’d be fantastic, lots of illustrations I can totally see it. Bravo !!
Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm happy this resonated with you. You're far from alone in recalling a time when things felt a little out of balance, skewed in one direction or another to favor necessity in the midst of a challenge. Sadly, so many women are now faced with the difficult task of recognizing when a challenge is not only a natural part of being alive, but when it is being outright manufactured for them, too. It's so important to be in touch with all that makes us delicate and all that makes us fierce so that we can navigate that territory without losing ourselves; without losing sight of what makes us powerful. It is remarkable, though, isn't it - how life has a way of putting everything into clearer perspective if only we pay attention? ♡
"It feels like magic is reentering the world."
I hope so, and I think so. The purveyors of reductionist materialism are intentionally blocking the profound but simple truth that existence is much larger than we have been told.
They are certainly trying to, but I believe they will ultimately fail totally. I don't think most people can sustain the belief that they are content to have a full resume but an empty house forever. Deep down, I believe people are in touch with the suffering that stems from the indoctrination they've endured. Something doesn't feel right: They are lonely, if they're honest; life has been feeling redundant lately; they actually do think babies are quite cute; etc.. I believe we're on the precipice of many of these souls waking up to the magic of meaning and purpose again (and not a day too soon).
Where, oh where are you, O' Eowyn, shield maiden, comforter, protector of hearth?
Old warriors, tired warriors, seek solace under thine boughs.
Our hearts have been shattered, and our minds are bent, even by those whom we love,
those who love us not in return.
Rest thine weary head,
Take heart, then cry loudly in Freedom’s charge,
Brave, though lonely, Son of Gondor,
Yours is a desperately needed sword in this fight,
That the White Tree may flower again,
Whether or not you live to inhale its sweet fragrance.
…but I too fight, in the hope that you will.
Respect.
Cheers, brother!