The Artist's Prayer (first draft)

God, help me not to be ashamed or embarrassed of the gifts that you have given me.

Help me to be thankful for the level of ability that you have provided, even when I look around and see people gifted with more than I think I have.

Give me pride to use my gifts to the best of my ability, determination to not give up when my gifts seem insufficient, and courage to share them with others regardless of any potential criticism or reprisal I can imagine.

Enable me to trust that my gifts can be used to your satisfaction regardless of how I personally feel about them.

Grant me joy in the use of my gifts and pleasure in the act of applying them, rather than basing my fulfillment upon particular outcomes that I cannot ultimately control.

Lend me boldness to say things others have not said and go places others have not gone, even while removing my reluctance to revisit themes and ideas others have already visited if necessary.

May I think about using my gifts less and instead use them more.

Typical US Wednesday Madness

Weird things happening all over the place:

• Cindy Sheehan arrested, for "demonstrating without a permit" (re: sitting on sidewalk outside White House singing hymns and refusing to move when asked). Having started sincerely, now she seems to be veering towards the left, and the government is slapping her harder across the face because of it. I have no idea where this will end up.
• Tom DeLay indicted for conspiracy (to collect illegal campaign funds). Poor Tom; it's hard to be so perfect and righteous and yet still have to deal with what are so obviously nefarious political attacks without an ounce of credibility...
• Bush's approval ratings are in the high 30's, having dropped steadily throughout the summer. George is desperately hoping the evangelicals will start questioning his decisions instead of playing "Follow the Leader" all the time, if only so that he could get a lot more time to go riding out at the ranch.
• Two out of three people think the war in Iraq should be ended. People are great at spouting off lots of reasons why it's "good" for us to be there, but none of us really deep inside know why, especially in light of all the current domestic issues.
• Li'l Kim releases her newest album the day after she goes to jail and has her hair shorn; she claims to just be a scapegoat, despite her false testimony in court. (Poor Li'l Kim; maybe she and Tom should get together.)
• Michael Brown, formerly of FEMA, testifies that the problems in New Orleans were everyone else's fault. Brown did take a bad rap in some ways -- his boss, not he, was the one with authority to take immediate action -- but it looks like the Tom DeLay fan club is growing.
• Parts of New Orleans are re-flooded by Rita. (It's almost like God is saying, "Didn't you get it the first time? GET! OUT!")
• Never The Dead Shall Rest: Now that Michael Schiavo has expressed himself in print, Terry's parents are writing their own book, and I'm sure it will be as fair, balanced, and gracious as Michael's. (Amazing: The woman has been dead for months, enough vitriol has been spilled to burn Iraq to the ground a few times over, but the hate just keeps on comin'.... Rest in Peace, Terry, you definitely deserve it.)
• "Giant Squid Discovered Off Japan!" Completely irrelevant, but I thought it worth mentioning. (No matter what stupid things human beings continue to argue about, the natural world rolls on. There's a reason it's called "horse sense.")
• Demi Moore marries Ashton Kutchner. Finally, a "Lolita" story that's more "Lolito." (I wonder how Bruce feels about all this.)
• Are gas prices going up? Are heating prices going up? Sure, and sure. They haven't yet, but they will... as long as more profit can be had.
• The Dover school district is arguing in court about whether they should include a pithy little disclaimer about "evolution not yet being a 'proven' theory" and that students should be directed to other ideas about how life began. Don't people have better things to do with their time than debate a pathetic disclaimer? I guess not: After all, if the Right wins, the country will become religiously despotic, while if the Left wins, we all go to Hell.
• Paxil linked to birth defects. And Merck wants a mistrial declared for the Vioxx shindig.

Sometimes life seems more "reality TV" than reality.