Gambling with misery?

As the events in Japan dominate world news, I am reminded of a conversation I once had with a friend. Dave, a trader in the Toronto Stock Exchange, once confided that one of the more distasteful aspects of his job was that all human events – natural disasters, wars, uprisings, etc. – were distilled as fuel for speculation. He wondered how long he could stomach it.

Recently I watched something on David Suzuki during which he referred to the ‘market’ as a new mythology – not unlike the contrary deities that our ancestors appeased with sacrifices. It made perfect sense to me. The ‘markets’ have become a religious cult without logic and, like the gods and demons of the past; have come to dominate our lives.

Is it a measure of our humanity that we consider the plight of others through the narrow lens of economic well-being as interpreted by modern-day druids and shamans?

But I take heart in that throughout our history, we have abandoned beliefs when the stood between us and evolution. I think it is time to consign the market-cult to the scrapheap. It is time to evolve. It is time to place our humanity above self-destructive greed.

Our humanity is flawed by greed and selfishness but it is also where we draw compassion, empathy and consideration. It is our choice.

My Lagan Love

"My Lagan Love" is a traditional Irish song from the 15th to 16th century found in Donegal. It was written during a time in Irish history when it was forbidden to write openly about Ireland, or express love, devotion, or nationalism towards the country. The Irish had decided to write songs that indirectly would reference their love for their mother country; they would refer to Ireland as a beautiful woman. Hence, "My Lagan Love" speaks erotically and poetically about a beloved woman which is also a beloved homeland.  (Source – Wikipedia)

But I can’t help but think that there is more to it than that.
I would like to believe that this song is about another forbidden love – The Lenanshee!
At the time, 15^th and 16^th century, Ireland was still resisting foreign occupation – particularly in the lands of defiant clans – like the O’Donnell’s whose independent sovereignty survived until 1601.
The song has a haunting quality that whispers of the Old Ways, which, despite the suppressing efforts of Christianity, survive even if only as superstition.
I believe the song echoes the longing of some long dead Bard honouring his Muse! Hey, it makes as much sense as what the Irish people spent the last ten years believing in.

The cover, front and back, done. √

Time to start feeling good about it all but, to be honest, I will feel better when I see it in someone’s hands. It’s been an interesting journey. Moments of joy, frustration, doubts that I could actually see in the faces around me – concern that I had gone mad. I had!

But it was a good kind of madness – the kind that gave birth to some very interesting characters (if I may say so myself), who insisted on getting themselves into all kinds of difficult situations with themselves and the undercurrents of fate, Yes, I believe in stuff like that – we all do but we call it different names.

The story is very dear to me but not about me. It is about people and places I knew back when I was young and unaware that nothing lasts forever. I was very young and foolish and kind people looked-out for me. Lagan Love is for them – the living and the dead.