When men do not love their hearth,
nor reverence their thresholds,
it is a sign that they have dishonoured both ...
Our God is a house-hold God, as well as a heavenly one;
He has an altar in every man's dwelling.
John Ruskin (1819-1900)
The Seven Lamps of Architecture, 1908
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
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2 comments:
In reviewing the recent entries in your blog it seems as though there is a common underlying theme, that is:
Our sense of place is directly proportional to the effort we as individuals exert to that end. Good examples of that are the recent quotes by John Ruskin and Eli Wiesel. I thought of this as I looked at the photo of the trim painting of the Union Jack Pub. That exhibited a love and pride in ones work.
Show me a person who hates their job, feels lost in their community, or does not feel a part of their world; and I will show you one who is directing their thoughts and energy inward. A person who diligently directs their energies to helping others, improving their own lives, and doing a good job at whatever they set their mind, are creating PLACE. The place is directly proportional to the energy, direction and effort they devote. It is proportional to their magnanimity of spirit, their love for doing not just for themselves, but the world at large.
It may be reaching, but our war of independence would not have been possible without a generous quantity of this spirit. Common cause between the colonies, volunteerism as evinced by fire departments, libraries, and self help societies (espoused by Franklin) as well as the postal service (also Franklin) societies like the Masons and others. The accepted thinking of the time held that those most fortunate had a moral obligation not just to themselves, but to benefit society at large.
Old Ug
So well said, I made it a blog post:-)
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