Sepia Saturday #329: Feeling Crowded...

The prompt: If I could gather my flock around me for a moment, I would like to reveal the theme image for Sepia Saturday 329. Look at that calm and gentle stance, look at all that wool - and I am only talking about the shepherd! In addition you have a sheep, a dog, a crook (I can think of several of my relatives who could fit into that as a theme) and a rustic fence. As usual, Sepia Saturday is bounteous with its potential themes. The theme image is from the collection of the National Media Museum on Flickr and was taken in the 1890s by the photographer Joseph Gale. It is entitled "Ninely and Nine" and if you want to know why you can read more about the image HERE. As always, all you need to do is to post your post on or around Saturday 7th May 2016 and add a link to the list below.

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I have nothing in my albums for a match this week, but I did remember this event in Spain. Looking at the picture of the sheep made me sweat.

By The Associated Press 
on October 25, 2015 at 4:13 PM, updated October 26, 2015 at 7:17 AM

10shares

MADRID (AP) — Spanish shepherds have led 2,000 sheep through the streets of Madrid in defense of age-old droving, grazing and migration rights that are increasingly threatened by urban sprawl and fenced-in pastures.

Tourists and children were surprised to see wide avenues blocked off in the Spanish capital to let the woolly parade — bleating loudly and clanking bells — cross the city, accompanied by sheepdogs.

Government agriculture spokesman Carlos Cabanas says the tradition is essential to "maintain native breeds that are in danger of extinction."

Shepherds have held the right since at least 1273 to use droving routes across land that used to be open fields before Madrid became a sprawling metropolis.

A shepherd handed over 150 maravedies — coins minted in the 11th century — to city officials for the crossing.

Crowds bother me. The largest I've been in was at sporting events years ago and while somewhat unsettling just because of the numbers, the events were cheerful and positive; there was nothing menacing going on back then, short of one's team losing. Back in the good old days, losing was not a reason to go out and trash your community. Now I avoid all kinds of crowds fearing that unexpected violence can erupt anywhere. Even at Walmart on the day after Thanksgiving. 

The greatest hazard involved with crowding is the danger of stampede. During the Jubilee year 2000 I was in Rome and decided to go through the Holy Doors at St. Peters (unlocked for the year) - there was a plenary indulgence involved. I picked the wrong time on the last open day and arrived with crowds of nuns from all over the world. Everyone decided to go through that door at the same time and a stampede almost broke out. I can remember thinking of the irony involved in being killed by stampeding nuns trying to get into St. Peters. Most of the deadly stampedes throughout history are

at religious events. 

Haj crowds from www.theatlantic.com Photo by Muhammad Hamed/Rutgers

2016 is another Jubilee year, the Holy Year of Mercy, and the Pope opened the doors again in December last year. 

A nice orderly line waiting to go through the Holy Doors, but wait until November as the closing date nears. 

Stampedes are terrifying because of the unpredictability. Here’s how John Seabrook described them in a harrowing 2011 article in The New Yorker:

The transition from fraternal smooshing to suffocating pressure—a “crowd crush”—often occurs almost imperceptibly; one doesn’t realize what’s happening until it’s too late to escape. Something interrupts the flow of pedestrians—a blocked exit, say, while an escalator continues to feed people into a closed-off space. ... At a certain point, you feel pressure on all sides of your body, and realize that you can’t raise your arms. You are pulled off your feet, and welded into a block of people. The crowd force squeezes the air out of your lungs, and you struggle to take another breath.

A story that has always fascinated me is "My Petition for More Space" by John Hersey. I myself have suffered attacks of line sickness at times in my life - waiting to get into the Bolshoi Ballet when Rudy Nureyev was dancing, I experienced it - the jamming and cramming and pressure of the crowds behind. Here's a summary of the story by David Hoftas in Allreaders.com: 

"The tale takes place in a waiting line. It is the near future, when couples have to apply to have a child and are allowed only one. (Patriotic teen males can agree to get a vasectomy.) Personal space for individuals is limited to an 8x12-foot painted square in a large warehouse dorm, and the only area in New Haven with grass and trees is walled off -- the mayor gets to mow it but others can only look at it through a window after waiting long hours in line. Thirty-seven-year-old Sam Poynter, who writes reports and is getting divorced, is in a line, four abreast, to get to the petition windows where he will ask the authorities for the unheard-of favor of a slightly larger living space. Crushed around him are people petitioning for more protein, to change their residence or job, to get Havana cigars, to have a child. An elderly woman is petitioning to have her dear grandson not to be taught to read, so he can learn something more useful. Moving a block every 15-20 minutes for several hours, Sam grows to like some of the strangers around him (especially the young blonde in the blue dress against whom he is pressed from behind, who seems to respond to his verbal and physical overtures) and dislikes others. A woman faints and is passed over heads; several people suffer "line sickness" and go screaming mad. An unhappy gent starts up a chant to get Sam thrown out of line." 

I like this book cover design - sardine cans. Says it all. 

I'm so grateful to live in the 182nd most densely populated country in the world at 85.24 persons per square mile. There's plenty of room here for us and for lots and lots more sheep. 

I was in Macau a couple of times in the 90's and it didn't feel so crowded then, but now it's the most densely populated country on earth at 54,970 people per square mile. The sheep and I have crossed Macau off our visitation list. No self-respecting shepherd would be comfortable in Macau either.

Having grown up in Canada, 230th most densely populated, with 9.44 persons per square mile I got used to having a little space. I guess if it gets too crowded here, we can move to Greenland, the 244th and least populated spot on the planet at .08 persons per square mile. Any shepherd out there feeling a bit pinched would be

welcome to come along. 

I realize this population clock has been around forever, but it's very sobering to take a look at it every once in a while. Makes you want to scream "STOP."

World Population Clock

Grab your hook or your crook and visit Sepia Saturday.