Things Unseen

                       
                       

Not Two

The brilliant Ken Wilber says that “the fact that life and death are ‘not two’ is extremely difficult to grasp, not because it is so complex, but because it is so simple.” And the equally brilliant Kathleen Dowling Singh, who has given her life to hospice work, says that “We miss the unity of life and death at the very point where our ordinary mind begins to think about it.”

--Fr. Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation

August 30, 2013

Industrial Evolution: Philly's Regional Rail

                          
                               

Making the Train Go

Okay, so... I take lots of nature shots: critters, especially dragonflies; trees and botanicals of all kinds, especially wildflowers; landscapes and waterscapes of all kinds. Love it and will always do it.

But cities and industry have their own beauty. Just came home from Philly a few days ago, and one of my favorite things about that city is regional rail. Of course, Philly has subways, trolleys and buses, too, and I ride those as well.

But the regional rail is special: clean, efficient stations and trans staffed with pleasant conductors. And affordable: $8 for a relaxing, comfortable 30-minute trip from the airport to Center City!

If Louisiana were a more forward-looking state, willing to invest in the future rather than pinch pennies in the present, we'd have one of these between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, maybe even interconnecting Lafayette. IMHO, of course!

Next time you're in Philly, hop aboard. "Mind the gap" between the platform and the car, as multiple signs warn you. But don't forget to look up to see some of the beautiful infrastructure that makes the trains go!