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Getting Directions

BudLiteGood morning, y’all. Just another gorgeous day here in the mountains. The wind is still blowing cooler air through the area, but that’s fine by me. I’ve been known to stand in front of an open refrigerator door to cool off, so a cooling wind fits right into my lifestyle. If I get too warm, I’ll just turn into the wind like a human weather vane. I promise to keep my shirt on if I’m in public.

Mulva and I decided to take our show on the road, and see one of Georgia’s many treasures today. I think it does both of us a world of good to go and spend a day toodling around together. Visiting places we’ve never been, or re-visiting places that deserve a second look. Mulva had in mind that it might be a good time to take our grandson Trey to see the Georgia Aquarium. Unfortunately, he caught a bad cough last night and his parents didn’t want him to expose us, or others, in case it was contagious. I appreciate their concern and we’ll bring him back a souvenir from wherever we decide to go.

I have to admit, I’m not too keen on the Georgia Aquarium anyway. It’s beautiful place, and it has done worlds for Georgia’s economy, it’s just that I identify too strongly with the fish. Watching the Belugas and the whale shark swim in tight circles in their little aquariums just breaks my heart. It’s like watching a man pace back and forth in an eight by eight cell. I don’t know that the whale shark has the intellect to recognize his bad luck at being captured, but I’m sure the Belugas do. Whales are right behind primates in intelligence, even ahead of porpoises. My guess is that the whales know they’ll never get to swim free again. I find that heartbreaking, and I would feel guilty about taking Trey to a mammal jail. We won’t be taking Trey to Sea World, either.

So, where to go? We decided to do a funky little road trip that we could use an “out and back” course that would allow us to use different routes for coming and returning. That way we’d be able to cover a lot of ground, and see what changes had been done since our last visit. In truth, there are many places in Georgia that once you’ve been, you’ve been, if you know what I mean. They haven’t changed since Sherman passed through, either in landscape or temperament. Where we were going had activity all around it, so we were anxious to see what was new.

We decided to go to Georgia’s Guidestones. We used the long way through Cleveland, Homer and Royston to get there, and returned by Hartwell, Lavonia and Cleveland to TackyToo.  It was a lot of driving, four hours in total, but we got to see a lot of North Georgia in the process. And we got to see Georgia’s answer to Stonehenge. By the way, whoever wrote up the guide description to the Guidestones should apologize profusely for comparing them to Stonehenge. Ignoring the historical implications, the physical structures are like comparing Nunsuch High School’s Cooter Field to the Georgia Dome. The only comparison can be is that they are both stone, and have got writing on them.

So, as the legend of the Guidestones is told, they were commissioned by an anonymous donor, R.C. Christian, and built and positioned by the Elberton Granite Finishing Company. They are inscribed with eight languages, each delivering the following message:

  • Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.
  • Guide reproduction wisely — improving fitness and diversity.
  • Unite humanity with a living new language.
  • Rule passion — faith — tradition — and all things with tempered reason.
  • Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.
  • Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.
  • Avoid petty laws and useless officials.
  • Balance personal rights with social duties.
  • Prize truth — beauty — love — seeking harmony with the infinite.
  • Be not a cancer on the earth — Leave room for nature — Leave room for nature.

The stones are positioned to display certain astronomical properties, which fits with one interpretation of their purpose. Some folks think the Guidestones are to be used for the rebuilding of civilization. Being that they were built in 1979, during the Carter administration, they could be the “acting out” of some disgruntled Georgia Republican. Until they come forward, we’ll never know.

Well, after an exhausting exploration of the grounds, Mulva and I retired to the air conditioned comfort of the La Fogata Mexican Restaurant in Elberton. Eating Mexican before a two hour drive is risky, but we felt like we had the mystical forces of the Guideposts on our side. The gods were kind, and we made it back to Nunsuch just fine. Also, Trey got a cool T-shirt.

See Georgia first, and put the Guidestones somewhere near the top.

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