My Neighbors and Planet Earth

I live in a big city, with all the tensions and problems of city life. People rush around, don't talk to their neighbors and they often seem angry and beleaguered. I love cities, I love their energy but I don't love these dehumanizing elements that seem part and parcel of it. So I make a point of talking to the people that work in the neighborhood shops, it is important to me to be grounded not only in place but also in relationship with the people that populate my area.

So it is probably no surprise that I have gotten to know (in a manner of speaking) the people who sit on the street asking for change in my neighborhood. They are a consistent thing in my life. There are Michael and Joe, two men in wheel chairs that sit near the Metro entrance. Michael grounds me and helps me keep things in perspective. If I ask how he is that day, he often responds "any day I get up is a good day", he has never once complained regardless of the weather or the day. Michael usually has a story and asks how I am doing, he remembers details of our lives and asks after us. Although I am aware of the imbalance between us I feel like we watch out for each other. Then there is Andrew, he is our neighborhood sage. If it is a bitterly cold day and I express concern for him (he has a bum hip) he always tells me that the cold is just in your head. The life you live is all a matter of perspective for Andrew. And he thanks God for every grace he receives. He sees himself as a helper of us (says that he is there in case we drop anything or need information) and he watches out for the others on the street. Like Gloria. Andrew will often share his food with her and make sure she is o.k. So I look forward to seeing these folks, they are my community. They remind me of what is important, and they always have a kind word or funny joke to share. If these relationships have taught me anything it is to not allow poverty to be invisible. I force myself to see the people on the side of the street and in knowing them I have remembered their humanity, and reclaimed a little of my own.

I was taught another lesson and pulled up short when I turned the corner the other day. There was a new man I had ever seen before sleeping on a bench. He had his bags piled around and under him. I was struck by one of this man's bags. Nowadays all the grocery stores are making their own environmentally friendly bags. There it sat on top, produced by an upscale grocery store, Whole foods, the bag read
"I love my home.........Planet Earth". Food for thought.

Nuff Said

Great YouTube Video on Racism. About time. Click title to watch.

My Kid Rocks!

Friends are always telling me I should write down my daughters one liners....and I really should. She is eight and nearly everyday she says something that makes me laugh - a lot.

A few weeks ago my sister arrived from Canada. As we approached the apartment building she said "Welcome to America, where you can pollute all you want, and don't worry about it!". She makes her green mother proud.

Then the next day we headed downtown to see a movie. A man was handing out Christian Chick comic books, which I have a soft spot for. I took it and she asked me what it was. I said "Oh! Well, it seems that Jesus loves us." And she matter of factly responded, "Jesus - I'm a BIG fan."

She makes my life sparkle. I hope you all have funny, sarcastic and irreverent children that remind you of how marvelous the world is.

Simplicity and Loving Yourself

"Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world."
— Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching)


Why is simplicity so hard to maintain? I seem obsessed with making things, my life, and my interpretations of it necessarily complicated. The situation below got so much worse..... but instead of agonizing about how anyone could be so mean, I need to ask why do I take it on the chin? Why do I let students, life, situations hurt me so deeply? I tell myself it is because I care. But that doesn't make a clear kind of sense, caring shouldn't mean that you then take on everyone's psychosis. Caring shouldn't mean an uncritical acceptance of the criticism of others. I have realized though that it seems to be so easy for me to accept my faults. Suspiciously easy in fact. I will even adopt and pile on ones that aren't mine to carry. This system isn't working and so I have decided to opt for simplicity and love. I work really hard to maintain a belief in the best of people - unless it seems, that person is myself. So I am trying to change things up. It is time for a little change. This lovely spring day is calling me to try a new alternative. I will do what I know best, to the best of my abilities and know that some will love me for it, and some will hate me. But those are THEIR reactions.

The new plan is to try to step out of feelings of inadequacy, I am not going to accept the negative stories so easily. I am going to grow up. I have been taking a position of subservience, and surely my structural position right now is not one of deep strength, however I don't need to take that as representative of some deep Truth about who I am and my abilities. So here is to emotional Spring Cleaning. Raise a glass to loving ourselves as much as we love others and to living up to our possibilities rather than our perceived limitations. I wrote about my heroes earlier, and they don't live out of impoverished senses of themselves. And so I need to follow the example they set - I AM AnthroWoman, hear me roar!
R O A R ! ! ! ! !

Who doesn't love a good Helen Reddy reference?