A Sudden Recollection

[shanmonster]

Back in those years when I was living off the land, I remember gleaning the fields with my family. I can't quite remember what crop(s) we were picking. It might have been potatoes or beans. But the point was the field wasn't gone over twice by the owners. They invited people in to pick what hadn't been harvested, just as proscribed in Leviticus 19:10: "Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God."

I don't remember being thankful at the time. I was more annoyed that I had to do gardening when it would have been more fun to run wild through the forests. But times were pretty lean then, and whatever we gleaned from those fields put necessary food on the table.

So, here's a big thank you to whoever shared their fields with the needy.

Oh, and here's a virtual raspberry to Paul Hanson, a kid who was gleaning with me that day. I know he spied on me when I went behind a bush to pee.

And now for a completely unrelated link:

Traditional Bows in Contemporary Warfare: Fascinating photo essay of a recent battle fought with weaponry more associated with Agincourt.

Comments

[suzycat.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you've already seen it, but just in case: have you checked out the Agnes Varda film "The Gleaners and I (Les Glaneurs et la Glaneuse)"? It's a way cool documentary about gleaning in France, along with Varda's own meditations on what it means to be old and, I guess, approaching the late harvest yourself, and/or marginal. I had to watch it for a film course but unlike many of the other films (Chantal Ackerman, anyone? Urgh.), I recommend this one a lot.

[janabard.livejournal.com]

Yay for bows and arrows-- they're so much more effective than people give credit for!

That's why I hate the whole "plate is proof" thing. I've punctured a 14-gauge mild steel breastplate at 30 yards with a 30-lb. recurve and field points. Proof that plate is NOT proof. ;-)

[ltmurnau.livejournal.com]

Interesting link to the bow-and-arrow post, and an alternative to the usual run of "wars" in Africa these days, where only one side shows up with weapons.

I remember reading somewhere that the last man to be killed in combat by an English longbow was in 1940 in France - a British officer brought his personal one over and used it to kill a member of a German foot patrol, in the retreat to Dunkirk.

Traditional Bows in Contemporary Warfare

[sageincave.livejournal.com]

I immediate thought of the courtly sort of bow, then the Japanese...

[(Anonymous)]

I think you mean prEscribed, not proscribed - in that it was mandated, not banned.