Prayer Vigils, Planetary Warming, and Other Ethical Dilemmas

Because yesterday was President's Day, and some of us had the day off, and others of us had a more flexible work schedule and the traffic was lighter, we met a group of friends at The Field, an Irish restaurant and bar.  It looks just like I've always imagined a bar in Ireland would look, and it has dining areas that look like cozy Irish cottages.

We spent more time talking about Donald Trump than I really wanted to.  One friend has printed out the indictment that was recently released.  She brought it with her, but luckily, she didn't read it out loud.

We talked about whether or not we'd have sex with Donald Trump for 5 million dollars (we floated this amount, since it was the amount that one ex-wife got in a settlement, I think).  I said, "We really need to change the subject or I'll have bad dreams all night."  We talked about whether or not Winston Churchill had said that quote about how to determine one was a prostitute, something along the lines of Lady, we've already determined what you are, now we need to determine the rate.

We also talked some about the school shooting and whether or not those high school seniors will be able to make a difference--they're headed to Tallahassee today.  I said that they might be able to make a difference:  they have the energy of youth and no mortgage payment to hold them back.

I really wanted to talk about our friends' decision to move inland and upland, which I first talked about in this blog post.  We talked about that a bit, but there have been so many political events that happened between our dinners together that I really wasn't surprised that those discussions eclipsed the how to live a life that's in better alignment discussion.

I spent part of the afternoon fiddling with a sea level rise map, in part because I knew we were meeting our friends for dinner, but mostly because I fell down that internet rabbit hole when I found a news article that says that new research, released last week, says that Miami will experience 2 feet of sea level rise by 2050--not quite far enough away for comfort, since water is rising faster with every report.  At one point, the date for 2 feet of sea level rise was 2100.

I think our plan will still work:  to fix the house, enjoy the house for 5-10 years, and then sell.  We may stay in the area and rent, if my job (the only full-time job between the 2 of us) still exists.

I find it interesting to watch the nation argue about guns, while all the while the sea eyes our shores with growing hunger and impatience.  But I also understand the way that a violent event can transform both individuals and communities.  I will go with my church tomorrow to a prayer vigil because I'm always going to be available to pray for peace.  That might work.  I'm not sure that our prayers can change the processes governed by physics or chemistry that we've already set into motion.