In politics it is said, that when not fueled by hope there is a vacuum for fear to fill. Since artists turn to the muses, Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Ourania and Calliope we are exploring what they can offer us for inspiration to have the hope fueling politics.
“Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment.” 
– Napoleon Bonaparte
“Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.“
– Martin Luther
Let us first turn to some history courtesy of Clio:
Oil heir bringing Mormon-inspired sustainable city to rural Vermont
and
Kurdish Women Struggle for a Next System in Rojava
http://thenextsystem.org/kurdish-women-struggle-for-a-next-system-in-rojava-kurdistan-northern-syria/?mc_cid=032cc22112&mc_eid=6e9dcba956
Gave me a kind of hope, how about you?
Now to Terpsichore (education):
Students Create Scholarship to Help Send Undocumented Teens to College (hat tip Joanne)
http://www.takepart.com/article/2016/04/07/college-undocumented-students?cmpid=tpdaily-eml-2016-04-07
My hope for the future in hands such as these went up, how about yours?
Erato would claim (love):
Why this 1-year-old's private plane ride from a hospital was a special one.
Did you grab a hanky like me?
On to Thalia (agriculture):
A Cure for Vile Hospital Food?
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/04/stanford-hospital-cure-bad-food
Sounds good to me, how about you?
Would Ourania claim this one as celestial (is shimmering close enough)?
‘Sesame Street’ Goes Girl Power With First Afghan Puppet (hat tip Joanne-text and video)
My faith in future generations just got even stronger, how about yours?
Now for Terpsichore (brief dance videos):
MDP Keara Solo 'Resurgence'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIYakhGThHw
DANCE CANCER INITIATIVE 2014 RINGWOOD BALLET GROUP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgP72fHJmYM
I feel hope after watching these, how about you?
Thank you dear reader for joining me on this journey of discovery and quest for hope.
7 Responses to “Monday Morning Musings April 11, 2016”
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Clio – Vermont – Most interesting, and I feel another reminder to be cautious with labels. Certainly words have importance, but we as a species have a tendency to think if we can put a label on something, that we understand it. That just ain't so.
Terpsichore – And in Arizona yet. Amazing.
Erato – Adorable child. And adorable story.
Thalia – Nice to see Stanford doing something right. I can't help wondering whether Jesse is related to Kevin, who edits the alumni magazine.
Ourania – My husband and I used to have a saying "You're nobody until you've been on Sesame Street." Yeah, I know we're too old for it, but if you watch it for a week or so you will see a parade of prominent people, many of whom are not even people the kids would know, but you will. But the saying kind of applies to the muppet characters too. Zari gives a face to Afghan girls, and an underseen, underserved group is now Somebody.
Excellent points–I cross-posted to Care2 over an hour ago and it hasn't appeared yet, so am waiting to see if it does before trying again
Cross post (2nd try) to Care2 at:
http://www.care2.com/news/member/663679641/3973618
Clio: The sustainable city sounded good to me until I got to the part about the residents selling all their belongings for the good of the community. The article on Kurdish women was inspirational. Knowing the hardships they live with and danger every day, they are showing so much courage. I hope they are very successful. The Kurds have never been treated right by the rest of the world. Remember, they wanted to be freed from Iraq, no world leaders assisted them.
Terpsichore: How wonderful! We need more efforts like this one.
Erato: Hanky definitely needed.
Thalia: Hospital food yuck. I hope this catches on, but doubt it will.
Sesame street is a great educator, so the Afhgan girl should be a hit.
Thanks for the ballet.
Wings Flights of Hope: So sweet!! Great video.
Thank you, JL for post.
I hope they all pan out!
Another great mixed-bag of hope, Judi. Thanks for posting.
The sustainable city in Vermont caught my interest, but the Mormon-bit in the title was off-putting. I read it anyway, always trying to be open-minded, but besides a basically good idea, this city city turned out to a commune and too sect-like due to its ties with religion for my taste. No hope there for me The Kurdish women had their taste of emancipation – making it clear that there are Muslim women everywhere who do not feel or allow themselves to be subjugated – and these women will not relinquish what they have fought for, even if it means that they literally have to fight to the death for it. Both sad and hopeful.
Hope for the future lies in the hands of the educated young who are both smart and compassionate, willing to past with some extra cash to give unregistered boys and girls of their own age the same chance they have. This really lifts my spirits.
Kudos to the volunteer pilots of Wings, saving lives because they put in the extra time for free.
The Ringwood ballet group gave me most hope, though. Not only were they performing to collect money for the cancer council, they had girls performing of all shapes and sizes, not only those rake-thin, anorexic ballerinas, but some plus sized girls too, and they were just as good!