Comments on: Shit Creek

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:52:08 +0000

In reply to Paul Stevens. Yes, even our hippies buy into the pervasive American paranoia toward the government, which is (theoretically at least) ourselves.

By: Paul Stevens

Paul Stevens — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 19:24:54 +0000

Hah! Nice one, Dave! Ya gotta be careful of those gummint planes :)

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:56:41 +0000

In reply to Smokey. Thanks for illustrating the very thing that led me to stop hanging out with hippies years ago: the strong tendency to caricature and condescend toward anyone with a different viewpoint. In fact, if you'd taken the time to read my latest post, you'd see that I'm not a real big fan of patriotic displays. Nuance much?

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:48:59 +0000

In reply to Smokey. Ah yes, blame the hillbillies. They wouldn't know anything about living off the land, would they?

By: Smokey

Smokey — Fri, 29 May 2009 07:28:29 +0000

it was probably some tucky folk shittin in the creek

By: Smokey

Smokey — Fri, 29 May 2009 07:27:22 +0000

I’ve been to 6 Gatherings and have never gotten sick or seen anyone shitting in the creek. We dig shitters, latrines if you will. I won’t argue with you, stay in Babylon, have your fireworks, and celebrate your loss of freedom.

http://www.infowars.com/

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:02:07 +0000

It is the answering of that call in the communal public space by the kitchen that bugged me.
Understood. Good point about community, too. Actually I am with you on most of this.

By: robin andrea

robin andrea — Fri, 29 May 2009 01:54:12 +0000

I’m okay with people answering the call of nature outside. It is the answering of that call in the communal public space by the kitchen that bugged me. I’ve always had this notion of what is appropriate public behavior. I once told my older brother that I didn’t want to see him arguing with his wife in the same way I didn’t want to see them making love. I have a very strong sense of what is public behavior and what is private. I am always interested in how other people feel about these things, since we all basically grow up outside of true community and have to make it up as we go along.

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:18:21 +0000

In reply to robin andrea. I guess since I grew up in the country with parents who taught us how to go to the bathroom outdoors, it can be hard for me to understand how other people might experinece that as liberating -- or, conversely, how many people find it impossible to answer the call of nature outside. Now that I think about it, I suppose the behavior described in this poem represented a reaction against that repression.

By: robin andrea

robin andrea — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:47:10 +0000

This poem reminds me of a time one summer I spent in the dusty high country of the Oregon coastal mountains, nearly 40 years ago. Lots of families living in the woods together. Tents and lean-tos, and a giant sweatlodge off to the side. I remember walking near the cook tent when a fellow wanderer squatted right there in front of me and peed a long trail into the dust. yeah, it was natural, but I considered the proximity to the kitchen and figured it was time for me to move on.