Comments on: Saving the World http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/ Finding the keys to the future…and trying not to lose them in the mess. Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:31:55 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: April http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-19143 April Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:29:16 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/#comment-19143 I've spent the last few days pursuing your blog. I've found a bit of kindred spirit, learned some, gotten food for thought, and now I've cried. I'm grateful you shared this story. I’ve spent the last few days pursuing your blog. I’ve found a bit of kindred spirit, learned some, gotten food for thought, and now I’ve cried. I’m grateful you shared this story.

]]> By: Penny Walker http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-19142 Penny Walker Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:26:33 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/#comment-19142 Hi Sharon I've been reading your posts for just a week or so now, and am exhausted just reading about how busy you are! Like other commenters, I wept as I read this one. You are right to remind us of the possibility of doing something big and important with whatever gifts and resources we have available to us. Nicholas Winton probably went through the same denial, anger, disbelief that we all do when faced with appalling, yet second-hand, information. Thankfully, he must have rapidly passed through that and made the choice that this was not "somebody else's problem" but his own. And he found a way of providing a solution, at least for some. I hope that in the hard times to come (and I'm thinking here particularly of peak oil, climate change, disrupted eco-systems etc), enough of us are able to step up to the plate like he did. Thanks. Penny Hi Sharon

I’ve been reading your posts for just a week or so now, and am exhausted just reading about how busy you are!

Like other commenters, I wept as I read this one.

You are right to remind us of the possibility of doing something big and important with whatever gifts and resources we have available to us. Nicholas Winton probably went through the same denial, anger, disbelief that we all do when faced with appalling, yet second-hand, information. Thankfully, he must have rapidly passed through that and made the choice that this was not “somebody else’s problem” but his own. And he found a way of providing a solution, at least for some.

I hope that in the hard times to come (and I’m thinking here particularly of peak oil, climate change, disrupted eco-systems etc), enough of us are able to step up to the plate like he did.

Thanks.

Penny

]]> By: Anonymous http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-19141 Anonymous Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:10:12 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/#comment-19141 Sharon, this story made me think that so many families have a "founding" story about a parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, who make a journey and is considered to be the start of the family, or the start of the family in the new land. In my case, it's my father's mother, born in a village near Constantinople, Greek, but living in Turkish Asia Minor. Come the Armenian Genocide, when she was about 11 (she might have been 10 or 12 -- her date of birth is unknown), her mother knew it was time to get out of town. In order to protect her daughter (and only surviving child) from rape, she put her in a sack, carried her on her back, made it onto a boat, where she dumped the sack on the deck, and sat on it (and my grandmother) for the crossing to the Greek manland. Four years later, a picture-bride marriage was arrange for her, and she came to the U.S. (My Yaya was a rather passive heroine in this family tale.) Perhaps on day, you and other who left the urban/surban world to farm will be their family founders -- and perhaps people who left untenable rural situtations and established flurishing PO lives in sustainable towns will have the same distriction. MEA Sharon, this story made me think that so many families have a “founding” story about a parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, who make a journey and is considered to be the start of the family, or the start of the family in the new land.

In my case, it’s my father’s mother, born in a village near Constantinople, Greek, but living in Turkish Asia Minor. Come the Armenian Genocide, when she was about 11 (she might have been 10 or 12 — her date of birth is unknown), her mother knew it was time to get out of town. In order to protect her daughter (and only surviving child) from rape, she put her in a sack, carried her on her back, made it onto a boat, where she dumped the sack on the deck, and sat on it (and my grandmother) for the crossing to the Greek manland. Four years later, a picture-bride marriage was arrange for her, and she came to the U.S. (My Yaya was a rather passive heroine in this family tale.)

Perhaps on day, you and other who left the urban/surban world to farm will be their family founders — and perhaps people who left untenable rural situtations and established flurishing PO lives in sustainable towns will have the same distriction.

MEA

]]> By: dewey http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-19140 dewey Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:45:47 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/#comment-19140 Who could read that without weeping? Thank you, Sharon, for writing it and helping us all to remember. Who could read that without weeping? Thank you, Sharon, for writing it and helping us all to remember.

]]> By: Lisa Z http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-19139 Lisa Z Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:22:04 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/#comment-19139 This story made me cry. I know I wouldn't have been able to send my children away from me. No way. But thank goodness for those who did. Blessings on all who survived and their offspring. This story made me cry. I know I wouldn’t have been able to send my children away from me. No way. But thank goodness for those who did. Blessings on all who survived and their offspring.

]]> By: Sharon http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-19138 Sharon Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:46:57 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/#comment-19138 Traci, who wouldn't? Seriously, even knowing what I know, I find it hard to imagine putting my boys on the train. How could you blame any parent for that? Sharon Traci, who wouldn’t? Seriously, even knowing what I know, I find it hard to imagine putting my boys on the train. How could you blame any parent for that?

Sharon

]]> By: Stephen B http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-19137 Stephen B Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:06:45 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/#comment-19137 "They would not be here without the courage of those who sometimes struggle to believe the unbelievable, the truth, even when it seems very difficult to comprehend." Point taken, in that there certainly isn't any shortage of in-our-face, yet seemingly unbelievable information (foretelling us of possible and very troubling future events) all around us now either. *Sigh* The parallel there - it really does make one think. Anyhow, thank you so much for writing this. “They would not be here without the courage of those who sometimes struggle to believe the unbelievable, the truth, even when it seems very difficult to comprehend.”

Point taken, in that there certainly isn’t any shortage of in-our-face, yet seemingly unbelievable information (foretelling us of possible and very troubling future events) all around us now either.

*Sigh* The parallel there – it really does make one think.

Anyhow, thank you so much for writing this.

]]> By: Jenn http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-19136 Jenn Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:06:14 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/#comment-19136 Thank you for this lovely story - it reminds me of a quote from Helen Keller. "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do." I wish Sir Winton every blessing. Thank you for this lovely story – it reminds me of a quote from Helen Keller.

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”

I wish Sir Winton every blessing.

]]> By: Traci http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-19135 Traci Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:00:23 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/#comment-19135 Thank you Sharon, your writing speaks directly to my heart. I am afraid I would have been one of the mothers who thought my children would be safest with me to protect them. ~traci Thank you Sharon, your writing speaks directly to my heart.
I am afraid I would have been one of the mothers who thought my children would be safest with me to protect them.

~traci

]]> By: Greenpa http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-19134 Greenpa Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:28:28 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/09/06/saving-the-world/#comment-19134 Me too. Thanks, Sharon. :-) Me too. Thanks, Sharon. :-)

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