Welcome to A Humble Ambition

Here in the Rocky Mountain west, the smoke-filled skies that descend on us during bad fire years serve as a metaphor for the political and cultural atmosphere we all must breathe – an atmosphere that is often choked and toxic as we battle over one issue after another. The sunlit sky disappears, making it difficult to get our bearings, to see the landscape around us clearly and with understanding.

A Humble Ambition is a collection of writings that keeps clear of contentious issues. The big, controversial questions are worthy of discussion, but so much attention focused on a few big subjects means that much is ignored, like treasure left hidden where no one is looking.

It is often in these less visited places that we find ideas and insights, shining like freshly unearthed gems. Some we can hold close and cherish. Others we might pass on to friends. A few might even help illuminate the big issues without actually stepping into the fray.

The writings offered here are the result of digging in these out of the way places. Many, but not all, of these essays deal directly with Christian themes, hopefully without being dogmatic and heavy-handed. Others only brush up against the faith; still others don’t mention Christianity or even religion at all.

This is by design. Much can be said to believers, but there is a bigger world out there, full of people who believe otherwise. Hopefully readers outside the bounds of faith will find these essays thought-provoking and worth their time. Perhaps some might even wander into the world of belief.

And of course, may those who already believe also find much here to value.

Waxwings, Waxwings, Everywhere

Images of the waxwing are found throughout A Humble Ambition. This bird serves as the logo for this collection of writings. I first had the pleasure, the joy really, of seeing one on a hiking trip in Pennsylvania. A friend and I spent two days backpacking and, a bit winded, had paused at an overlook. Just in front of us, on a shrub, a beautifully colored bird was perched. It was a waxwing, just like the one pictured on the home page.

I had never seen one before; I have never seen one since.

Yet I have never forgotten that bird, or that moment. The memory has never been lost, and quite often an image of the waxwing, perched on a branch, resurfaces in my mind. Ever since, the name waxwing has had a magical appeal for me; it still resonates deeply within.

Some Native American traditions hold that we have totem animals that act as spirit beings, guiding us throughout life. Perhaps the waxwing, seen one time so long ago and carried with me ever since, is my totem.

What I find so breathtaking about this bird is the modesty of its beauty. No garish colors, no gaudy plumage. Just a few colors, rust-brown and lemon-yellow set against the gray of wing; black mask topped by subdued crest. A perfect arrangement of form and color, a work of art.

If the waxwing could speak, I think its voice would carry a similar modesty. It would speak in muted tones, saying what it has to say as simply as possible, with no guile and cunning, no anger or venom, and certainly none of the flashy outbursts of rage and dogmatic certainty that so mar our modern culture.

I hope the writings offered in A Humble Ambition can do the same.

Thank you for visiting,

Ron

Ron Righter is the creator and writer of A Humble Ambition. He found his calling as a writer of essays, after years spent working in information technology where he wrote code for computers. He finds writing for people much more rewarding.