O give me a home where the buffalo roam, where the d-e-e-r and the antelope play. Where never was heard, a discouraging word.
~ Cowboy Song
Karol Wojtyla was right: every inch on earth is sacred and blessed.
Venan island of <300 inhabitants[my scandinavian experience 2009-10] [for GPS sake] |
Surrey Research Parkpair of female deer played hide-out with me[fond memories of Guildford] [for GPS sake] |
Naradeer sat by me for an hour[my visits to Japan 2007, 2009] [for GPS sake] |
Prévessin-Moënswhere my office is; rare but fearless apparitions by the size of a family[for GPS sake] |
Teddingtonwhere the UK National Physical Laboratory is; deer park, stunning antiers[for GPS sake] |
Mysorewe were on a night bus, brief encounter; memorable eye-contact, healthy puffy cheeks[my visits to India 2001, 2009] [for GPS sake] |
Jardin Botaniquenot wild; in constant display; least surprising[a second look at Geneve] [for GPS sake] |
Washington DCfriend said I was hallucinating[my visits to DC 2007, 2010] [for GPS sake] |
Godalmingenergetic male darted across driveway; bouncy[surprises in Godalming 1999, 2009] [for GPS sake] |
Deer, not piano, taught me staccato. The Malay language gives the deer a royal and kingly name: Sang Kancil. Deer is a protected and sacred species for me. I shouldn't have favorites; all species in this kingdom should enjoy equal favor indeed, but most of us can't help it.
In an unfortunate occasion of finishing a served dinner in Backafallsbyn (Ven), we were each guessing what meat we had. I insisted that it was definitely not beef, not pork and not chicken. We asked the waiter and to my horror, there it went: my protected species. One of the mistakes least possible to undo. I was then reminded of an incident in an emu farm near Perth (Australia) donkey years ago. That was my first trip outside Malaysia and Singapore. After finishing lunch in the farm restaurant the host revealed that it was emu meat which was served, I nearly threw up.
That's the Malay / Islamic phrase closest to my heart. That's what Muslims say to each other on Eid (Malaysians call it Hari Raya Aidilfitri). Translated literally, it means bless all that has been eaten and drunk by mistake. Isn't it elegantly humble to ask for pardon and forgiveness this way?
The challenge for Catholics is to say sorry direct to the person they wronged. Whether or not they go to the priest for confessions (modern term: the sacrament of reconciliation) is a separate matter. I tend to see the exercise (exercises may be holy, why not) as picking up and rearranging chess pieces on a toppled chessboard, putting each piece back in place.
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