Echoes from the Past

Yesterday, proudly perched on the gate to the Fence line Trail at Caswell Memorial State Park where I work as a summer maintenance aide, we found this curious item. It is an oak gall about the size of an apple with an array of various bird feathers suck into it. I can only assume it was made by one of our families that like to hike our trails. It seems very fitting since Caswell MSP has a rich Indigenous American history. It is thought to be the site of the first use of cannons on the Yokuts by the Mexican Army. Cannon balls have been found on the adjacent farmland. Items for grinding acorns and possible old dwelling sites, along with native gravesites have been found. We can’t even dig new holes in the ground without permission.

So it got me thinking. Is it possible that years ago, Yokut children made decorations out of the same materials during times of play or exploration? There are no items like this in any of the collections that I have found, but it wouldn’t surprise me. I even made one myself. I named it Cucunuchi, Estanislao’s real name in honor of the leader of Lakisamni tribe of the Yokuts people of northern California (c. 1798 – 1838). He was baptized in the San Jose Mission as Estanislao, It is from him the Stanislaus River, Stanislaus County, and the old town of Stanislaus City (now Ripon) got their names. If you visit the smaller day use area of the park, there is a plaque commemoration him.

This got me doing a little more research. Cucunuchi or Estanislao, Is really an intriguing figure to me. He spent some time at the mission learning to read and write. He was described as being “about 6 feet tall and as muscular as a horse”. He soon started leading raid on Mission San Jose and the area surround the Stanislaus River. What fascinates me was the way he carried out his raids. He sounds like a well-trained and an amazing battle tactician. His raids were sudden, usually with some kind of trap, and characterized by no loss of life. He is said to have even carved an “S” on things as his mark. It is thought that he may have even been part of the inspiration of the legend of Zorro. After the last battle using the cannons (which mostly killed or injured women and children) Estanislao briefly went back to Mission San Jose and was pardoned. It is thought he went back to the Lakisamni people to help lead them. Later there was another warrior named Yoscolo who continued raids but did not mind killing settlers if he thought necessary. It is said he wore a mask, another possible link to Zorro. After malaria struck the San Joaquin Valley in 1833, Estanislao went back to the mission to teach others the Yokut language and customs. Another name to put on the “who to visit with a time machine” list I should think.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estanislao?scrlybrkr

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=557

 

It was a Good Plan, a Great Plan…

 

Have you ever had a great plan that you got excited about and when you started to work through it, everything came unraveled? It could have been a job, a house, a trip, or even just a great idea. It all seemed to be going well. You thought it out. You prayed about it. You even crunched the numbers. And then, poof! It all fell apart. (No I’m not talking about those put together desks that most of you don’t read the assembly directions and then have issues.) I’m talking about a well thought out masterpiece.

I went through this a few days ago.  I was thinking about retirement pathways and what would come next. No, I do not plan on retiring at the moment, so no rumors please. This was thinking about the future. An “entity” beyond my control put the kibosh on the whole thing. And this was after a chance to appeal. It can be disheartening at first. Now my grandmother used to say, “When God closes a door He opens a window”. That might be so some of the time, and it sounds good, but sometimes that is not the case. I think that there are times that God closes all the windows and doors because he doesn’t want us going anywhere else at the moment. My wife simply said, “It wasn’t meant to be”. You know I like that. We have tried to live our lives doing what God wanted us to do instead of what we wanted (or thought we wanted) to do. The funny thing is, if you’re doing what God wants, it somehow syncs with what you wanted. It’s not usually like you imagined, but it works. And honestly, It has usually been so much better.

I don’t mind waiting for other doors or windows to open. God has always taken care of us. Who knows, at the proper time the door may reopen. I just know I’m where I’m supposed to be, doing what I’m supposed to do. And that is enough.  

World Emoji Day

 

Next Thursday, July 17th, is World Emoji Day. It will be the twelfth annual global emoji celebration. (https://worldemojiday.com)  Now I have no idea why we are having a World Emoji Day, but for the sake of fun, let’s just roll with it. It is celebrated on July 17^th because that is the day highlighted on the calendar emoji. (I bet you didn’t know that.) The first emoji set of 176 was created in 1999 by Japanese artist Shigetaka Kurita. (https://www.wired.com/story/guide-emoji/) They started as a quick way to show how you felt without having to use words. By 2010 there were 625, with more being added every year. Now you can get them in sets for skin tone, country and other groupings. They are ubiquitous; most of us use them on a daily basis. We send thumbs up, prayers, smooches, hearts, and even mad faces. There have been movies about them. My phone even tries to put them into text messages in place of the actual words – well, if I let it. They have become so common place that now it is easier than ever to miscommunicate with each other, sometimes with embarrassing consequences. I once sent a kissy face emoji to my wife, only to find I had actually sent it to my principal. He was a good sport about it, but still.

So if you had to pick one emoji, what would it be? Some people might have to choose several, depending on their mood. (Hopefully it’s not the poop emoji!) I kind of like the meh, but he does come off as kind of depressing. Although I send a lot of smooch faces to my wife, I guess if I had to choose one it would be the gratitude emoji ☺️. God has been good and faithful to me and I hope I stay thankful for everything He has done. I’m glad that there are a variety of emoji that I can choose from to express my feelings. So how will you celebrate World Emoji Day? I hope it’s will be by making someone’s day a little brighter. I mean, look how many you have to chose?

😜

Why All the Differences?

 

Growing up in Illinois, I understandably was a Chicago Cubs fan. I remember watching games with my grandfather. As I remember, they didn’t win much, but it was fun to watch. I also remember seeing some of the great legends play. I was in 8^th grade the year Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record. It was all we could talk about. Hank the Hammer was one of his nicknames. I had no idea how hard he had to work to get to the top.

A few days ago I read an article about his baseball career. I can only say I was shocked at some of the things I found out. In one instance, while his teammates were dining in a restaurant in Washington, DC, Hank and his buddies faced something that no one should ever face. It is said that the kitchen crew in the back destroyed the plates that had been touched by “the blacks”. If a dog had lick it, they would have washed it. Hank took it in stride and pressed on, showing the world that he was made of “better stuff”.

It started me thinking. Did everyone in the back kitchen feel that way, or did some of them just go along out of fear or embarrassment? Either way, it hurt. Either way it was the wrong thing to do. Have you ever been in such a situation? I know I have. Those who think they are better than others looking down on them and holding it over their heads and expecting everyone else to follow aolng. Unfortunately, I’m not sure I have always stood for the little guy, but I try.

It goes beyond race or color or gender. These are just the easy ones to notice. It’s how we treat our fellow man. We have been working for several years helping the homeless and low income families in the Modesto area. It’s amazing how invisible they can become if we are not careful. I’ll be honest, it took me some time also. Questions like, “Are they sick?”, are they clean?” used to  cross my mind. As I got to know them, these things started to fade into the background. I have one man who greets me every day with a handshake and sometimes a “bro hug”. Now, I wouldn’t’ miss it for the world.  

So who do you ignore, or shy away from because of differences? (Hopefully you don’t mistreat anyone!) Better yet, what are you going to do about it? Can you stand up to the pressure, or will you just go along with the crowd? The Choice is yours!