Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 13, 2011)
18 in other words september13 2011 THE yearnings, not our material ones. This is often uncomfortable but not unhappy. Carol Sawyer, local resident and published poet, uses a series of stark, evocative images and a powerful visual format in her poem, “Gross National Happiness” to raise the question to the reader--what should we be using to measure our happiness? Her title makes allusion to the GNP or Gross National Product, which is used to measure the financial strength of a country based on By Lynn Berry its gross wealth. From this title, Sawyer suggests that Guest Contributor Chris Sedlmeyer a nation’s strength or success should be measured not by the merely material GNP but by a more intimate In the aftermath (afterglow?) of the arrival measurement in the human heart—in the love and of Lynn’s Twins, she has found herself in the midst compassion its citizens have for each other: of the ancient ritual of the newborn: the half-sleep- walking 2:00 AM feedings, a tsunami of diapers, and at the end the quiet breathing on your chest as a tiny Couldn’t the Official Policy of hand closes on your shirt in sleep before it starts all that high over again. As Lynn adjusts to her new ones, she Himalayan kingdom has asked me to step in and act as an interim for the Teach us Inkwell. As soon as she is able, she will return with Quietly her familiar style, no doubt babies on hip, to share her insights on her new life. about As I look over Lynn’s shoulder and watch the overwhelming range of obligations and emotions Trusting that come with newborns, I am struck by the fact in that that although the work and the stress involved is spark of immense, Lynn is happy. Tired, taxed, maybe even Heart mildly traumatized (she jumps at each squeak on the in our monitor, not knowing which one will become a roar), Simple Lynn is nevertheless content and happy in her life. Temporary However, by every standard we usually use to measure Sacks of happiness, Lynn should be miserable. For the most Flesh? part, our society measures happiness in leisure time, money, possessions, food, entertainment or, at least, Look into my eyes, my brother (1-15). the lack of anything unpleasant, uncomfortable, or challenging. -------Carol Sawyer Happiness (like love) is a choice more than a feeling. We choose what makes us happy and that choice makes all the difference in who we are For Sawyer, the alternative to this “Trusting/ in that/ and what we make of this world. True happiness Spark of/ Heart” is the continuing isolation, fear, and comes from using our freedom to fulfill our spiritual INKWELL repression that keeps us struggling to find happiness in things and searching for our personal meaning and purpose in the empty and unfulfilling images of leisure, wealth, and excitement that come to us each night on the millions of TV screens she powerfully describes as the “flickering/ Blue/ Indoortwilight” (24). Realizing that our happiness comes not from what we have or do but from how we live and what we do for others, it becomes critical for us to examine how our lives are being narrowed by the isolating fantasy of materialism and entertainment and how we can broaden our lives to include compassion for others and the striving for our own deepest purpose. In pursuing our own meaning, we may not always be comfortable but we certainly will be happy, and those we touch and the world we shape will be the better for it. ---Writer’s Idea: Write a piece that describes your values--what makes you happy, what gives your life purpose. ---Writer’s Tip: Try to change the look of your poem and emphasize critical images or statements by changing how the lines or words are arranged on the page. No one said a poem has to rhyme or be written in blocks of lines, so experiment. ---Please send your original submissions to, (or if you would like a copy of any of the published poems in their entirety), InkwellVernonia@gmail.com or by mail: PO Box 333 Vernonia, OR 97064. Please include your name and contact information. Write—Express—Expand. Chris Sedlmeyer holds an M.A. in English, specializing in archetypal criticism and medieval spirituality. He has published an article in the American Benedictine Review and is currently at work on a new article examining the practice of lectio divina in light of Carl Jung’s structure of the psyche. CAT Builds Energy Efficient Home in Vernonia continued from page 9 Earth Advantage works with Energy Trust of Oregon in order to determine the energy performance of the home. The home received energy star certifica- tion from Earth Advantage which means that the home will be at a minimum 15% more efficient than a home built to Or- egon building code. This home exceeds the minimum energy star rating with an energy performance score of 32. Ryan Shanahan, a Builder Out- reach Specialist from Earth advantage, explained what this rating means is that this home will use 32 million BTU of energy per year yet without the improve- ments this exact house would have used 50 million BTU of energy per year. This totals a 36% reduction in energy use for the homeowner. At the open house, Ryan also explained the first thing you want to do is conserve energy and the first step toward energy conservation is with the shell of the home. The home was built with ad- vanced framing on two foot centers us- ing less lumber but equaling more insu- lation. The shell of the Fifth Ave. home has 2 inch poly-iso insulation; the best Subscription Form Vernonia’s Voice is published and distributed twice each month on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday. Subscription rates are $35 for one year (24 issues). Name Address City Phone rigid insulation you can get on the ex- terior. The poly-iso forms a continuous layer which interrupts thermal bridging that happens through wall studs. More insulation lowers the heat load of the house. This allows you to use products such as mini split heaters that run super quiet and super efficiently providing both heating and cooling year round by exchanging energy molecules in the air. The house has an energy recov- ery ventilator that continuously brings in fresh air while extracting some of the heat energy from air inside the house before it exchanges. It is also equipped with a tank-less water heater which re- moves the need to spend energy keep- ing tank water hot. Other features of the home are an insulated front door; a kitchen equipped with energy star appli- ances, and LED canned lights that use 1/13th of the energy that a normal light would use. To learn more about Communi- ty Action Team go to www.cat-team.org and to learn more about Earth Advantage Institute go to www.earthadvantage.org. Friends of the Vernonia Public Library Family: Minimum: Membership Dues: $10.00 Individual: $5.00 $1.00 plus 2 hours minimum of work in the library Make checks payable to: Friends of the Vernonia Public Library Mailing Address: 701 Weed Avenue, Vernonia, OR 97064 State Zip This is a gift subscription. Send renewal information to: Name Address City State Zip Phone SEND TO: Subscriptions, PO Box 55, Vernonia, OR 97064 Name Address City Phone Date State Zip Amount Enclosed $ I am interested in helping with the following committees (optional): Please Circle •Membership •Endowments •Book Sales •Publicity & Public Relations •Fund Raising •Library Services •Finance-Budget-Legal Matters
