Home › Forums › Open Discussion › There's rude, and then there's Ole-rude
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January 29, 2013 at 6:20 pm #770834
DBPMemberJanuary 29, 2013 at 6:43 pm #770835
wakefloodParticipantHa! That’s a good one. Nope, I was the only one in my entire clan to refuse to be Confirmed in the Catholic Church. I was 13 and they started the classes and I didn’t go to the first one. My parents found out and solemnly sat me down for “the talk” and they were clearly fired up. Their child was not going to be the only outcast. Nope. Not gonna’ happen.
They casually asked why I didn’t go, expecting some flippant response they could ignore and move on to closing arguments. I simply stated the two main reasons. First, if I understand the concept of the sacrament of Confirmation correctly, it was that the Confirmant was making a commitment to Catholicism as their life-long theology. Why would anyone expect a 13yr. old to have an adult understanding of what they want to have as their guiding principles for the rest of their life, I asked?? That sounded bassackward, mom, dad. I’m still figuring out if I want to play soccer or basketball next week.
Oh, and reconciling the fire n’ brimstone sermons I was subjected to for years as an alter boy with the “loving and accepting god” of the scriptures wasn’t helping any either.
So, my apopleptic mom and dad retreated to their bedroom to figure out Plan B (which never materialized) and that turned out to be the day I became a recovering Catholic.
Not that you asked for any of that. ;-)
January 29, 2013 at 7:02 pm #770836
skeeterParticipantWhether the tree was there before the house is not relevant. Whether the tree is more beautiful than the space needle is also not relevant. The only think that is relevant is the tree-removal ordinance that was adopted after a public advisory vote. My opinion? Olerude is completely within his rights to ask the neighbor to remove the tree. If the neighbor will not remove the tree then Olerude is within his rights to seek forced action using the tree-removal ordinance.
January 29, 2013 at 7:11 pm #770837
skeeterParticipantWakeflood – I found post #52 interesting. Thanks for sharing. Looking back, I probably lacked the maturity of faith at age 12 to be confirmed, too. Please remember that we’d love to have you back and you’re always welcome. I hope you won’t be disappointed, but there aren’t a whole lot of fire and brimstone sermons anymore. <wink>
January 29, 2013 at 7:24 pm #770838
wakefloodParticipantHey Skeets, thanks for the sincere and generous invite. I do know that the fire n’ brimstone sermons are quite out of vogue in most modern Catholic congregations. I still have siblings in the church that keep me abreast.
I seem to have found comfort in my own, uniquely configured, metaphysical house o’ cards. :-)
January 29, 2013 at 7:26 pm #770839
wakefloodParticipantYeah, Skeeter, I concur with the logic of your note on Olerud’s rights. It’s just disappointing to know that just cuz he could, he did. We humans fall into that trap a fair bit more often than I wish were so. Myself included.
January 29, 2013 at 7:36 pm #770840
wakefloodParticipantAnd it is also the case that the “how” can matter. In this case, Olerud’s denigrating of the neighbor’s perspective verbally as well as some appearance of judgement of their character.
A little humility and sensitivity to the situation can go a long way. How about suggesting that this was a particularly difficult situation with no perfect resolution and, oh, I don’t know, maybe asking if planting some replacement trees and paying for the removal with a little bonus $ might seem pretty neighborly?
I guess it’s possible he offered that and was rebuffed?
January 29, 2013 at 7:50 pm #770841
WorldCitizenParticipantThe best post in this thread:
KBear:
“I think Rev. Baker should hang a giant cross in his tree.”
Well done. Really…this is the ONLY answer. Just so long as the Cross doesn’t obstruct any more of the view than the tree, so that Olerud still doesn’t have a leg to stand on. Or gain any moral ground (not that there is any to his argument in the first place.)
January 29, 2013 at 8:10 pm #770842
skeeterParticipantOh yeah, I agree that Olerud should have worked in a spirit of neighborly goodwill to come to an agreeable solution. Using the law for forcing action should be a last resort. I’m the sort who really, really avoids confrontation. So I’m not sure what I would have done in this situation.
I live in the redevolped Highpoint and I’m very thankful that several old trees are protected/saved. I’m also thankful that my modest lifestyle virtually guarantees that I’ll never have to worry about one of my trees blocking a scenic view or vice-versa!
January 29, 2013 at 8:15 pm #770843
wakefloodParticipantAnd yes, I too would love to see how Mr. Olerud would respond to seeing a large cross pointed right back at his house.
January 29, 2013 at 10:10 pm #770844
DBPMemberI’m glad to hear that you’re not like Mr. Olerud, skeeter. However, with that attitude, I’m afraid you’ll never make it to the Big Leagues.
I would like to meet up with Mr. Olerud sometime and see how he defends his actions. I mean . . . would he just sit there and go, “I don’t care what other people think of me,” as Genessee Hill suggests? Or is there yet some “unextinguish’d ember alurk in the man’s dark soul” waiting but for the “breath of shame” to bring it ablaze?
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It is easier for a camel to pass through the Eye of the Needle than for a rich man to pass into Heaven.
–Mark 10:25
. . . yet all things are possible with God.
:27
January 29, 2013 at 11:17 pm #770845
pattileaParticipantI was thinking the same person that did the tree “art” behind the WS nursery should have had a chance at the tree!
January 30, 2013 at 2:42 pm #770846
anonymeParticipantSo, if you live in Innis Arden and a spotted owl craps on your Cadillac, can you blow it’s head off? I don’t think a ‘private’ community should be able to override prevailing environmental laws – or common sense. I wish I lived behind Olerud, so I could force him to tear his house down if it obscured my view in any way.
And, as I’ve said many times before: a tree IS a view. Trees are what define the northwest landscape. What is this obsession with water views, aside from a perception of status? If you want barren views toward the water, move to California. Good riddance.
February 21, 2013 at 3:17 am #770847
DBPMemberDo you guys believe in happy endings for trees?
Well, it turns out that a nice woodworker guy has volunteered to turn the wood from Mr. Baker’s poor ole tree into objects of beauty.
The woodworker, one Warren Weber, told Mr. Baker that “the life of the tree will go on because it will become an object of beauty in people’s lives.”
Weber said he will make products for sale and for charity out of 30 feet of the 24-inch-diameter trunk and its largest branches.
Baker will be especially pleased if Weber uses part of the tree to make a communion table, as he did for his own church.
That, Baker said, would be “a very redeeming thing to do.”.
In other happy endings, the Weyerhauser Corporation announced its intention to donate 1000 acres of prime company land, which will henceforth be known as the “John Olerud State Forest.”
February 21, 2013 at 2:27 pm #770848
anonymeParticipantThat’s SOOO generous of them, considering they illegally logged hundreds of thousands of acres of old growth forest over the years. It would be appropriate if John Olerud State Forest contained nothing but stumps.
February 21, 2013 at 2:33 pm #770849
JoBParticipantanonyme.. i thought the same thing
February 21, 2013 at 3:09 pm #770850
B-squaredParticipantThe only happy ending for me would have been if the tree had landed on Olerud’s house during the take-down! What a piece of work.
February 21, 2013 at 9:54 pm #770851
wakefloodParticipantFor Release –
Weyerhauser, Inc. Federal Way, WA. 2/21/2013
Subject: Olerud Forest Designation Update
Weyerhauser’s Forest Management Group has just announced that 1000 acres of prime forest land has been designated “John Olerud Forest”, in honor of the former MLB Baseball player and Seattle Mariner.
“John approached us a few weeks ago with a persistent perception problem resulting from a dispute with a neighbor”, said VP of Media Relations, Bob MacCulloch. “We determined that there was an opportunity for both of us reinforce our commitment to sustainable forestry and being positive forces in the community. Consequently, this prime acreage will stand as testament to those commitments for future generations. We’d like to thank Mr. Olerud and Go Mariners!”
End release.
Addendum: It was announced later today that the John Olerud Forest is now scheduled for clear cutting later this month. End Addendum.
February 23, 2013 at 7:35 pm #770852
westseamikeMemberThis is why I moved away from the Eastside where I grew up. Too many so called ‘Christians’ with way too much money. They spout off about how fantastic they are and how they are ‘good’ because they’re ‘Christian’. It’s all a front, they are incredibly self absorbed and hate one another. They only want to one-up their neighbor, all the time. You have a Ferrari…well I have 2 and I a Bugatti… that’s their mentality. Long live West Seattle, love living here. I may not agree with all my neighbors on everything, but I appreciate them more than I would if I lived over on the ‘other’ side of the pond.
February 25, 2013 at 6:40 pm #770853
wakefloodParticipantYou’re not alone in noticing that attitude, mike. I have a friend who works as a product rep for years. He always says that the people he least likes to deal with are the ones how put the “fish” on their cars and biz cards cuz they jack him around worse than any of his other clients.
Oh, and he’s a practicing Christian. :) I realize it’s a stereotype and those folks are in the minority but it makes you wonder if these folks actually have any idea WWJD???
February 25, 2013 at 7:36 pm #770854
DBPMemberPlease note that both sides in this struggle claim to be Christian.
Detail from “Massacre of the Innocents” by Pieter Bruegel.
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