let your hair down
Posted: June 30, 2014 Filed under: cycling, pearls of wisdom | Tags: cycling, Pratt Castle, rapunzil, tolerance, vilify 30 CommentsI happened to come across a post where someone labeled another who had differing views. Of course I violated the “blogging prime directive” – don’t throw gasoline on someone else’s fire, it’s their blog, their belief, and one snarky comment won’t do a darn thing to open their eyes.
Still, I am reminded of Gimli the dwarf words from Tolkien: “The words of this wizard stand on their heads.”
When we dehumanize or vilify an opponent we take the first step of the path toward justifying violence.
While I am sure this tower is not so grand as Orthanc where Gimli and Sauron bandied words, if you ride your bicycle down the Illinois Prairie Trail as it lazily parallels the Fox river, you can catch a glimpse of this modern day castle built in the 1930’s by the Pratt family.
Built in the 1930’s by an engineer.
Maybe just the place to let down your hair….
bwthoughts 
Cool castle and quote. 🙂
Thanks Kristi – hope all is well with you and your family.
yes, we’re guuuud. 🙂 Enjoying the summer, strawberries and garden. And working on thesis…half way through…yay. How are you Bill?
fighting through some health issues, but Jan and I are off soon to a couple weeks in France near Dijon 🙂
sorry to hear that about your health. Oh, France…nice…that’s just a stone throw away from Copenhagen :). Pls share photos of all the views and the FOOD….We’re going to Estonia to spend some time with my family in a summerhouse and have the kids run barefoot and eat ice-cream all day long.
Now that sounds like fun! if you kick back for a moment drop me a line, I’d love to hear how you and your thesis are doing 🙂
you’ve got mail. 🙂
🙂 — Copenhagen – if we ever visit there, Jan and I would be thrilled to meet you for a cup of tea 🙂 We will have to see about adding that to our list 🙂
I don’t know how I’m so slow in answering comments….I’d love to meet you both too and I’ll make sure to show you Copenhagen and fun things here. 🙂
you’re on our wish list, and of course if you and your family ever come to Chicago 🙂
yay! You’re very welcome. Summer time it’s the best time to visit Denmark….cos otherwise it’s often windy and raining here. 🙂
If I didn’t read the text I’d think there’s no way that stands in our modern world. So cool.
You are so right. Today, in the public market, my husband and I witnessed a husband and wife arguing. The words were hurtful. I was reminded of this quote by J.R.R. Tolkien
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
We do not have time to cause pain to others or to ourselves. There are so many better things to do with our limited time….
That’s an appropriate quote – If I recall, wasn’t that uttered during the siege of Gondor ?
I think it was the Mines of Moria! But I am not exactly certain on that point.
I’ll check…. you know what they say… the sharpest memory yields to pale ink….
Does anyone live in the castle?
You mean like an ogre ?
I was thinking more like a princess, or beautiful maiden.
to be rescued from the ogre ? 🙂
YES!!!! 🙂
🙂
Hi Resa – here is some more of the story… from the web…. no water, no electricity… no plumbing… no fun 🙂
The 50-foot tower and a neighboring boathouse have been empty since the original owner, eccentric medievalist Harold S. Pratt, sold it in the early 1970s. An electrical engineer obsessed with the Middle Ages, Pratt designed his summer home to be a replica of a 10th Century northern European fortress.
He had fallen in love with such buildings while serving in Europe during World War I, said Mike Alfd, an Elgin historian.
In 1937, Pratt re-created a keep, a tower that serves as a last refuge for besieged soldiers. The tower’s smooth, round walls were difficult for attackers to scale.
Taking the fantasy further, Pratt installed a catapult in the castle’s walled-in courtyard. He also built a portcullis–a heavy, barred gate–that could be lowered over the castle’s entrance.
“He didn’t want any modern improvements, no plumbing, no electricity, no water,” Alfd said. “The people in his wife’s family thought he was off his rocker.”
Inside the tower, a now-rickety stairway spirals up to the stark rooms that Pratt once decorated with crossbows, battle axes and homemade armor.
“Kids used to pay him a nickel, and he’d give them tours,” said Scott Bowers, vice president of the Elgin-based PTS Group, which is auctioning the castle.
Very interesting! Thanks for the info. I wonder who will buy it, and what they will do with it. It could be a tourist thing. Of course one would need to build a little cafe with bathrooms beside t!
The man who built it was a terrific fan of that period and wanted it authentic. He had a big armor collection.
I think they want to make it a museum now so some conveniences must be on the way.
Port-o-lets? 😎 “lol” Just love kidding w/ you!
the power of gravity 🙂
Resa – did you see the two murals I emailed a week or so ago ?
No… where did they go? OMG… What the?
Not in my junk.
OMG!!!
Kk!!! I found them ..Made to measure dresses!
What does this mean? I need to look and think more!\
xo