From the Standpoint of Water

This is a tough hurricane, one of the wettest we've ever seen, from the standpoint of water."
  ~ Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, September 19, 2018

The dictionary definition of the word "standpoint" is as follows: "the position from which someone is able to view a scene or an object." So I guess that, as President of the United States, one is in a position to determine how wet a hurricane is. Wait . . . it's the water's standpoint! So water is able to determine how wet the hurricane is? Oh, damn, I am so confused! But at least now I am reassured that water is, indeed, wet.

So, from the standpoint of water, here are some fun facts:

~  I make up 73% of your brain and heart.
~  I make up 83% of your lungs.
~  I make up 64% of your skin.
~  I make up 79% of your muscles and kidneys.
~  I even make up 31% of your bones!

Well, now I'm on a roll (from the standpoint of water). A watermelon is 92% water. Watercress is 95% water. The earth's surface is 71% water. But don't get too excited here: only 2.5% of that water is fresh, and only 1% is accessible. (Sorry, Puerto Rico and Flint, Michigan.)

I have lots of water here at my country home. Some of it has decided to come in from the rain and fill up my basement. Seriously, I'm wringing out a dozen soaked heavy-duty bath towels a couple of times a day. I am trusting the excavators to find a solution, but last week's digging and drainpipe replacement did not do the trick. I am practicing patience and optimism. "How's that going, Terry?" Not so well, thanks.

Let me switch from the standpoint of water to the standpoint of peace. Today is the International Day of Peace, a declaration by the United Nations. This year's theme is "The Right to Peace - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70." Yes, it was 70 years ago that the United Nations stated that "Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the security of person" (Article 3). That's everyone, all races, creeds, genders, ages, ethnicities. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it best: "It is time all nations and all people live up to the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human race."

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that Christine Blasey Ford has the right to her dignity in calling out someone who abused her human rights through a sexual assault. And that the man that abused her must have been absent the day that his prep school taught the concept of human rights. Clearly, there will not be peace on earth until this bad behavior is exposed and stopped.

From the standpoint of peace, namaste.