I'm a Quaker. My meeting just had a hybrid zoom/in person memorial meeting for one of our former members. During quaker memorial services, everyone is encouraged to offer comments on the life of the decedent.
I haven't seen FH in a long time. Unfortunately, what I remember about him is that he was quick to anger, and that I was uncomfortable with that. I didn't feel comfortable sharing about it. I'm not even comfortable using his full name here.
Other people gave wonderful messages about how kind he was -- generous, gentle. One friend gave a very moving message about how FH basically saved his life, by taking over care of his mentally ill mother, who was driving him insane.
One good thing about the zoom meetings is that I can take notes -- or journal -- into the text program on my Mac, while attending, inconspicuously. I did write something about him. I probably should have shared it, but didn't quite dare.
This blog is often a way that I can share things so that no one who I know is likely to see it -- and in fact perhaps no one will see it at all -- a way of burying things in public.
This is what I wrote:
What I remember about FH is anger
That’s relevant to me, because I have anger issues as well
Quakers tend to not relate too well to anger
Curiously, in the Bible, God is also described as angry in the Bible, in some cases
BA talked abut Fred laying a fire in the meeting house before meetings — a fire waiting to be lit
fire is a symbol of anger as well
a fire waiting to be lit
That last line sticks with me
A fire waiting to be lit
Yes, anger is a fire, but so is spiritual passion, eagerness to be of service, and even revolution. There are many kinds of fire. My latest twitter profile cover shows my anger at a political situation using fire
FH: a fire waiting to be lit
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