-=> Quoting Jane Kelley to Jim Casto <=-
 JK> It took awhile for me to realize that I had to assume the
 JK> responsiblity for filling in my own blanks.
 
 It appears that many people _never_ reach that point. They want the 
 "responsibility" to be someone else's even if it can be bought with a
 credit card. (The old "I paid $250 for personal peace and didn't get it.")
 JK> They want the magic back, Jim.  The magic of Merlin and others that
 JK> was once in all religion.
  I just wrapped up a college course about "King Arthur".  I found
 it interesting that an "English Lit" class would tend to promote the "myth
 and fantasy" taught by so many History Departments. Thereby causing
 "incorrect" American History teaching to be perpetuated. The old "Oh, it's
 O.K. that King Arthur wasn't as real or as great as all the legends make him
 out to be, it's the 'magic' and 'fantasy' that's important." 
 JK> Mostly the kids.  They look in the wrong places for the magic today.
 JK> What they find is the black arts.
 Well, if they accept what they find, then doesn't that say they "knew" what
 they were "looking" for? So when they find "it" (whatever "it" _is_), they
 can say: "YES!!! This _IS_ 'IT'".
 I always get a kick (not meant in a derogatory way) out of people that can
 say: "I found peace in __________ ." Whatever works
 for them, is o.k. by me. "It" (whatever "It" is) came to me by accident. 
 
 JK> All of them are followers rather than those who can make a solo
 JK> journey. 
 
 Absolutely. Which is why I have chosen to reject them (those beliefs that
 would require me to be a follower).
 JK> There are those who can exist in the untamed areas of this globe with
 JK> very few other humans or live alone.  There are others who must live
 JK> in a crowded city with all kinds of humans around them.
 I can _cope_ with either, but I would prefer fewer humans around which is
 why we live in a small town. It's a compromise.
 Re: "Native Peoples" magazine.
 JK> Wonderful!  I haven't heard about that.
 
 Then have you heard of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI),
 part of the Smithsonian with a branch already located in New York City? The
 NMAI has been an ongoing project from the federal government as well as the
 private sector for probably at least three or four years now. The building
 (in D.C.) will occupy the last vacant piece of land on the Mall. The wife
 and I will make a trip to the East Coast when it is completed in 2002 or
 2003.
 JK> acknowledgement to the Iroquois Nation.  As a child in New York state
 JK> years ago, we learned about that rather than gay parents.
 
 My, how times change.
 JK> I also was lucky enough to work with one judge on a reservation who is
 JK> an expert in Indian law.  He taught me what that was.
 
 Well, I am learning whilst doing some research for my paper on "Washington
 v. Yakima - 1979".
 JK> I haven't had much exposure to all of this, just what I picked up here
 JK> and there, but have been shocked to learn it is more than some Native
 JK> Americans ever learn about their heritage.
 Actually, what shocks (maybe "shocks" isn't the right word... "mystifies"
 might be better) me more than anything is the fact that many NAs don't have
 any interest. But.... neither do many non-NAs. I remember one Anthro prof
 (American) that said she couldn't care less about _her_ ancestry/heritage
 she wanted to learn about others. So, she specializes in Asian Anthropology,
 adopted a child of Asian birth, etc.
 JK> That is for certain.  There has to be some sort of feedback in order
 JK> to keep it going.
 
 That's why I never liked classes that were: "Me lecture, you listen." 
 Fortunately, I haven't had too many of those. 
 
 JK> You would go find someone to talk to that was more interesting, not
 JK> being either stupid or needing to punish yourself :).
 
 I think you figured out the "real me".  BTW, just in case you were
 wondering (actually, even if you weren't )... I am not one of those
 that can sit around and "chat" about the "mundane". You won't catch me in
 a discussion about last night's episode of "Friends" or "Melrose Place". 
 I was never one of those that could sit and talk for _hours_ on the
 telephone, either. 
 Jim
--- Blue Wave v2.12
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