Yes. That is Yeeesssssss!!!
It was nearly 70 degrees today.
All during the wet cold months of late fall and winter Pacific North westerners bundle up in layers of sweaters and rain proof garments and vacate the streets as quickly as possible.
On my way to the light rail each wintry evening I passed a number of outdoor eating areas all tied down and abandoned for the rainy season. It was like walking through a twilight ghost town. The people you pass are shrouded in rain clothes, hats or hoodies and no one has a face. Only a few offer a muffled hello in response to yours.
Then the sun comes out and people blossom like the desert after a rain storm. Spots of color and skin, yes, SKIN appears. People wearing shorts and halter tops, even those who might look better with a little more covering unbutton and remove a layer or two or three for the sunshine. The outdoor cafe chairs and tables are completely filled within minutes with colorful people all alive for the first time since the rains began.
Really it is an overnight transformation (sometimes only a few hours).
On the way into work I passed a man sitting with his face toward the sun. "I am soaking up every last bit of rays" he said, "since it won't last long."
How true. It is only March and we still have the April showers for May flowers to go until the rainy season officially ends (the day after the Rose Festival concludes is the usual first day of sun.)
But for the moment I can't help but feel good along with all of the other creatures of the area. My sinuses are clear. The moss between my toes has been shed. My overcast headache has lifted and my spirits are up in the blue skies of promise.
The first taste of Spring in the northwest. Nothing like it.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Monday, March 28, 2016
To My Children, with love.
We talked over the holiday about the presidential campaign. I always appreciate what my sons and daughters have to say. I am proud that they are thinking about what goes on in the world and coming to their own conclusions. I also like it when I am challenged by the next generation because it gives me hope that society is continuing to evolve. We talked in particular this weekend about the candidates in the Democratic Party, about Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
Like the younger generation I am inspired by Senator Sanders. I have followed his career for some time because I sincerely believe the country needs to adopt more people nurturing policies like universal healthcare and affordable education. I look at other industrialized nations and see that they are able to take care of these needs for their people and I wish we could. I have always appreciated Sander's recognition of the growing divide between those who have everything and those who have nothing.
I realize that our nation has taken on the role of defense for more that just our own nation and that is not all bad, but it is costly. I also think that this nation "defends" the American way of life even when it is unhealthy or unsustainable, and I think you agree with this. I am hopeful that change is coming, that people are moving slowly in the direction of universal care ... most of the time... albeit very slowly. Mostly I am encouraged by how your generation is willing to live differently, try harder to be sustainable and open to inclusive community.
Like you I am very worried by the political conversation on the other side that has edged so far to the right; anti-immigrant, protectionist, and xenophobic.
I am writing this however in response to your statement regarding whether or not I would vote for Secretary Clinton just because she is a woman. The answer is no since I didn't vote for McCain and Palin just because Palin is a woman. I do have some sense. But when it comes to Clinton I feel differently.
As much as I like Senator Sanders something different happens when I look closely at Hillary Clinton.
She is not perfect. I wish she held some Sander's views more overtly. I don't really believe in dynasties. I didn't like it when we had two Bush presidents from the same family. (There are millions of people in this country and at the minimum there are dozens who have held public office including Governors and Senators who should have background to be President so why would I want the wife of a former president?) Nonetheless, when I look at Hillary Clinton I see a woman who has done all the right things to be president (with the exception of being married to a president -- although that seems to work pretty well in other countries!) If she was a man I think the commentary would be very different.
In my own life and work I have experienced how women who move to the top are supposed to accomplish things like all the men who have gone before them while remaining overtly female and how they are criticized if they do things differently. I have also lived through the women's movement when it became clear that only the women who became as aggressive as men were able to knock down the doors or raise the ceiling for the women who came after them -- even though the personal toll was very high since no one liked pushy women.
But, back to Hillary Clinton. She has experience of her own, she is smart, she has moved through the system and she is in a position to knock down the door and suddenly the rules change. It is not that people don't want a woman, they just don't want an insider. They want someone who will change things -- someone like Senator Sanders or (yikes) Donald Trump. But when I look at them I see two old white men. What's different about that?
When I look at Hillary Clinton I see someone like myself. A wife and mother, and also a highly educated woman who has broken through barriers because she has learned how to play the game as the men want to play --- and done so with as much integrity as she can just as many men have done.
But now when she is in position to move forward... this is not what the nation wants.
How different from what we have always had would it be to have a woman as president? I don't know but I would really like the chance to find out.
President Obama could not provide all the change that he wanted. He was stopped at every point by those who simply did not want a Black President... especially one who was on the side of the middle class and the poor. What has changed however, is that there is now a model in the highest office of the land for every young black person. A good model too, since President Obama has not been riddled with scandal, always showing the nation a loving first couple and first family. He is articulate, educated and extremely thoughtful. Young people are the future and they need this good model - we all do.
When at last we have a woman president there will be a model in the highest office of the land for every young woman regardless of color. That is something my generation has never had -- nor any generation before us. I agree that it would be nice if Hillary was the perfect candidate... but has there ever been one? Are only women supposed to be perfect? I mean, isn't Bernie Sanders a little old... too old to be president for the next 4-8 years?
Maybe having a woman president shouldn't be so important to me.
But it is.
Like the younger generation I am inspired by Senator Sanders. I have followed his career for some time because I sincerely believe the country needs to adopt more people nurturing policies like universal healthcare and affordable education. I look at other industrialized nations and see that they are able to take care of these needs for their people and I wish we could. I have always appreciated Sander's recognition of the growing divide between those who have everything and those who have nothing.
I realize that our nation has taken on the role of defense for more that just our own nation and that is not all bad, but it is costly. I also think that this nation "defends" the American way of life even when it is unhealthy or unsustainable, and I think you agree with this. I am hopeful that change is coming, that people are moving slowly in the direction of universal care ... most of the time... albeit very slowly. Mostly I am encouraged by how your generation is willing to live differently, try harder to be sustainable and open to inclusive community.
Like you I am very worried by the political conversation on the other side that has edged so far to the right; anti-immigrant, protectionist, and xenophobic.
I am writing this however in response to your statement regarding whether or not I would vote for Secretary Clinton just because she is a woman. The answer is no since I didn't vote for McCain and Palin just because Palin is a woman. I do have some sense. But when it comes to Clinton I feel differently.
As much as I like Senator Sanders something different happens when I look closely at Hillary Clinton.
She is not perfect. I wish she held some Sander's views more overtly. I don't really believe in dynasties. I didn't like it when we had two Bush presidents from the same family. (There are millions of people in this country and at the minimum there are dozens who have held public office including Governors and Senators who should have background to be President so why would I want the wife of a former president?) Nonetheless, when I look at Hillary Clinton I see a woman who has done all the right things to be president (with the exception of being married to a president -- although that seems to work pretty well in other countries!) If she was a man I think the commentary would be very different.
In my own life and work I have experienced how women who move to the top are supposed to accomplish things like all the men who have gone before them while remaining overtly female and how they are criticized if they do things differently. I have also lived through the women's movement when it became clear that only the women who became as aggressive as men were able to knock down the doors or raise the ceiling for the women who came after them -- even though the personal toll was very high since no one liked pushy women.
But, back to Hillary Clinton. She has experience of her own, she is smart, she has moved through the system and she is in a position to knock down the door and suddenly the rules change. It is not that people don't want a woman, they just don't want an insider. They want someone who will change things -- someone like Senator Sanders or (yikes) Donald Trump. But when I look at them I see two old white men. What's different about that?
When I look at Hillary Clinton I see someone like myself. A wife and mother, and also a highly educated woman who has broken through barriers because she has learned how to play the game as the men want to play --- and done so with as much integrity as she can just as many men have done.
But now when she is in position to move forward... this is not what the nation wants.
How different from what we have always had would it be to have a woman as president? I don't know but I would really like the chance to find out.
President Obama could not provide all the change that he wanted. He was stopped at every point by those who simply did not want a Black President... especially one who was on the side of the middle class and the poor. What has changed however, is that there is now a model in the highest office of the land for every young black person. A good model too, since President Obama has not been riddled with scandal, always showing the nation a loving first couple and first family. He is articulate, educated and extremely thoughtful. Young people are the future and they need this good model - we all do.
When at last we have a woman president there will be a model in the highest office of the land for every young woman regardless of color. That is something my generation has never had -- nor any generation before us. I agree that it would be nice if Hillary was the perfect candidate... but has there ever been one? Are only women supposed to be perfect? I mean, isn't Bernie Sanders a little old... too old to be president for the next 4-8 years?
Maybe having a woman president shouldn't be so important to me.
But it is.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Menu for change
Six years ago my husband and I traveled to Washington D.C. by train. At the time we were both vegetarians. Neither of us ate any gluten either although my husband is the one who gets really sick pretty quickly when he consumes gluten. Eating in the Dining Car on Amtrak was very difficult. None of the waiters knew much about gluten intolerance and they were not interested in learning. We were told repeatedly that we had to order from the menu "as is" since the food was pre-packaged and no one was willing or able to take meat off the plate let alone offer something else, like a veggie burger in its place. It was not only difficult to eat, it was also kind of embarrassing since the waiters were prone to raising their voices and making us feel pretty bad. A couple of times were told to go "buy food from the snack bar" which, if you have ever ridden on the train, you will know is far more gluten and vegetarian unfriendly than the dining car menu.
Nonetheless we love traveling by train so we always take food with us in case there is nothing on the menu we can eat. Now, six years later, we are both vegan as well as gluten free and we were quite aware when planning for our recent trip that it could be difficult to order food that we could eat on the train. I called the special services line ahead of time and was told that we could pre-order vegan food although there would be no way to know if the food would be gluten free or not. That was a pretty big issue for us since we do know that many vegan foods are packed with noodles or wheat or other gluten filled products and vomiting on the train from gluten consumption would be rather unpleasant.
I was assured by the Amtrak special services person that no one should make us feel bad and that it seemed perfectly reasonable to her that we would ask for the main entree without the meat. So we decided to take our chances on the regular menu and take food with us as well. Much to our delight the regular menu offered several items that were labeled 'certified vegan' and which came with no foods that would have gluten in them. There was also an option for soy milk on the menu. So we had vegan Pad Thai with Rice Noodles several times. We ordered potatoes and grits - without the eggs and bacon -- for breakfast and had Gardein black bean veggie burgers without the buns for lunch after I looked up the brand name online and could see that they were gluten free.
The waiters in the dining car were cheerful and helpful. For our last dinner on the train we had the steak, baked potato, and veggies - without the steak and with a Gardein burger in exchange. After one meal the waiter remarked that "you two are so healthy you have the right to scold other diners for the next 20 minutes." We laughed and felt at ease in the dining car which was a very pleasant change from six years ago. We were also aware of several other diners who chose vegan, vegetarian or simple foods.
Sometimes it seems that change will never happen but when we look back through our own lives we can see where change is happening rather rapidly considering how long it took humans to evolve into carnivorous creatures unable to pass up meat or dairy even when it clearly is "not doing a body good."
Nonetheless we love traveling by train so we always take food with us in case there is nothing on the menu we can eat. Now, six years later, we are both vegan as well as gluten free and we were quite aware when planning for our recent trip that it could be difficult to order food that we could eat on the train. I called the special services line ahead of time and was told that we could pre-order vegan food although there would be no way to know if the food would be gluten free or not. That was a pretty big issue for us since we do know that many vegan foods are packed with noodles or wheat or other gluten filled products and vomiting on the train from gluten consumption would be rather unpleasant.
I was assured by the Amtrak special services person that no one should make us feel bad and that it seemed perfectly reasonable to her that we would ask for the main entree without the meat. So we decided to take our chances on the regular menu and take food with us as well. Much to our delight the regular menu offered several items that were labeled 'certified vegan' and which came with no foods that would have gluten in them. There was also an option for soy milk on the menu. So we had vegan Pad Thai with Rice Noodles several times. We ordered potatoes and grits - without the eggs and bacon -- for breakfast and had Gardein black bean veggie burgers without the buns for lunch after I looked up the brand name online and could see that they were gluten free.
The waiters in the dining car were cheerful and helpful. For our last dinner on the train we had the steak, baked potato, and veggies - without the steak and with a Gardein burger in exchange. After one meal the waiter remarked that "you two are so healthy you have the right to scold other diners for the next 20 minutes." We laughed and felt at ease in the dining car which was a very pleasant change from six years ago. We were also aware of several other diners who chose vegan, vegetarian or simple foods.
Sometimes it seems that change will never happen but when we look back through our own lives we can see where change is happening rather rapidly considering how long it took humans to evolve into carnivorous creatures unable to pass up meat or dairy even when it clearly is "not doing a body good."
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Into the Wild
I am just back from ten days of travel by train to New York.
In Albany, NY, I met up with several other Climate Ambassadors connected with the Catholic Climate Covenant. We were asked to participate in a Climate Summit at Paul Smith College which is located in the Adirondacks near Lake Placid.
It was my first time in New York and no, I did not travel "into the big city." (That will have to happen some other time.) This time it was a trip into a gorgeous area that has played host twice to the winter Olympics but which this year does not have enough snow to attract the cross country skiers who usually play a major role in the area's economy. We stopped at the Olympic Center Friday morning on the way to the college. The cross country parking lot was empty.
There was however, a skeleton competition in progress. Skeleton? What's that? A very very fast head first sledding event down a very very slick and icy track. I had never heard of it before so if you haven't don't feel ignorant. The lodge at the site featured antique bobsleds along with information regarding the sports of skeleton, bobsledding and the luge. Apparently the skeleton competitors can reach speeds over 130 miles an hour all while going down hill head first. (For the fun of it we tried to take pictures as the sleds whizzed by but there was no luck among any of us in getting more than a small tip of a sled coming or going.)
After leaving the Olympic site we traveled by van up to Lake Placid where we stopped to get a bite to eat before taking some time to stretch our legs. We walked around Lake Mirror... or better we walked on the Lake. It was my first time 'walking on water' and it made me feel a little uneasy even though there were many people on the Lake including several teams of youngsters involved in ice hockey practice. (see Pictures below) Clearly the people of the region identify with outdoor activities and the beauty of the region. They are also very concerned about the effect that the changing climate is having on their way of life.
On Saturday evening, March 5, the Climate Ambassadors had been asked to give a presentation at Paul Smith College regarding our work integrating science and faith with the topic of climate change. The crowd that gathered was large and diverse. There were elders as well as young students from area high schools. Some of the people came from faith backgrounds but many did not. The opportunity to dialogue regarding ways that we could all work together to care for Creation was exciting. People stayed for an hour longer that we had anticipated in order to ask questions, share stories and encourage one another.
I will write more in the coming days. I am exhausted now and need to transition from travel to the work day ahead.
In Albany, NY, I met up with several other Climate Ambassadors connected with the Catholic Climate Covenant. We were asked to participate in a Climate Summit at Paul Smith College which is located in the Adirondacks near Lake Placid.
It was my first time in New York and no, I did not travel "into the big city." (That will have to happen some other time.) This time it was a trip into a gorgeous area that has played host twice to the winter Olympics but which this year does not have enough snow to attract the cross country skiers who usually play a major role in the area's economy. We stopped at the Olympic Center Friday morning on the way to the college. The cross country parking lot was empty.
There was however, a skeleton competition in progress. Skeleton? What's that? A very very fast head first sledding event down a very very slick and icy track. I had never heard of it before so if you haven't don't feel ignorant. The lodge at the site featured antique bobsleds along with information regarding the sports of skeleton, bobsledding and the luge. Apparently the skeleton competitors can reach speeds over 130 miles an hour all while going down hill head first. (For the fun of it we tried to take pictures as the sleds whizzed by but there was no luck among any of us in getting more than a small tip of a sled coming or going.)
After leaving the Olympic site we traveled by van up to Lake Placid where we stopped to get a bite to eat before taking some time to stretch our legs. We walked around Lake Mirror... or better we walked on the Lake. It was my first time 'walking on water' and it made me feel a little uneasy even though there were many people on the Lake including several teams of youngsters involved in ice hockey practice. (see Pictures below) Clearly the people of the region identify with outdoor activities and the beauty of the region. They are also very concerned about the effect that the changing climate is having on their way of life.
On Saturday evening, March 5, the Climate Ambassadors had been asked to give a presentation at Paul Smith College regarding our work integrating science and faith with the topic of climate change. The crowd that gathered was large and diverse. There were elders as well as young students from area high schools. Some of the people came from faith backgrounds but many did not. The opportunity to dialogue regarding ways that we could all work together to care for Creation was exciting. People stayed for an hour longer that we had anticipated in order to ask questions, share stories and encourage one another.
I will write more in the coming days. I am exhausted now and need to transition from travel to the work day ahead.
Monday, February 15, 2016
Observing people
I had an appointment to keep today which meant I had to get up early even though I was not working.
I took a book and my transit pass and headed for the light rail line.
I left a bit early so I could get off at the first stop and buy some coffee to take with me. I have changed coffee shops but not because of taste, ambiance or cost. I changed because I feel more welcomed by the people in the new coffee shop. Not everyone was unfriendly or made me feel uncomfortable in the other shop, actually there was only one young woman who made me feel less than comfortable. It had to do with a question I asked when she charged me more than I had been charged before. I asked if the price had gone up and she treated me like I was lying to her which was awkward and embarrassing. The other ladies are quite nice but it only takes the possibility of that one person being behind the counter to make me turn to the right instead of the left when I get off the light rail.
This morning, in the new shop - which is not really new except to me - the young women were not only friendly, they remembered what I bought last time and asked me about my weekend. I felt good buying the coffee from them. It is nice to be part of a neighborhood and a good way to start the day.
On the light rail going downtown I watched as a young man who was clearly blind got on the train with another person, possibly his tutor or daily companion. There is a section that is clearly marked for people with disabilities or who are elderly but no one got up for this young man. I was not close enough to offer my seat but I watched as others shifted their eyes so as too appear like they didn't see this blind man who needed a seat. His companion looked around but no one looked back so he led the young man up the stairs to a regular seat. I felt slightly embarrassed for the lack of compassion or even courtesy or just willingness to follow the rules: "These are priority seats for seniors and people with disabilities!" That means you must get up if you are not a senior and not disabled and offer your seat if someone gets on who fits the description.
Later on the train I was trying to read my book but kept being distracted by a young man about twenty years old who was make noises with a small chain attached to a water bottle. I looked up to see what the noise was and met his eyes briefly. They were blood shot and he seemed to be high on something... marijuana I supposed - since he was in a good mood but unable to hold still like a small child. He started hitting his metal water bottle against his hand or knee in a way that was not musical or rhythmic. I kept reading and at another stop someone got on and sat down across from the noise maker.
The young man began sharing how he was going to drop off a job application at a pizza place. He held up a large envelope that he had with him indicating that it held the application. He then began to talk about how as soon as he had this job he would be able to get an apartment and contribute to the city in a positive way. Contrary to reality he said that housing in the city was plentiful and he would have no problem finding a place right away. All the while that he talked he kept tapping or shaking his water bottle. He also mentioned that he didn't do drugs although he said "I do drink" and added that he thought that drinking contributed to the city's economy. I felt kind of sad thinking that I couldn't imagine anyone hiring this young man to work around people. He was very oblivious to his behavior which was annoying not only to me, but to a number of people who kept glancing at him as he made noises. Eventually he got off the train. I had a good long way to go.
After changing trains I sat down across from a young man who was very very high on something, meth I supposed. He was moving non-stop with his arms and face gesturing and acting as if he was communicating somehow with someone no one else could see. The much older woman who was seated nearest to him was clearly uncomfortable, maybe a bit scared since the young man's gesturing was very elaborate. He got off after a couple of stops and I thought that he had made the noise maker of the last train seem almost normal.
There was a couple with a toddler seated by the window. The little boy was very excited to be on the train. The woman, who I assumed was his mom, kept up a running dialogue with him about everything that was happening. When I first got on the train he looked over at me, smiled and waved. Sometimes it makes me happy to look like a grandmother... I am a grandmother after all and little people feel comfortable around grandmothers. Smiles are nice gifts.
There was another child who got on the train downtown very reluctantly. His caretaker had to coax almost pull the little guy onto the train. She was a woman who would only have been his mother by adoption since they were not of the same ethnicity. I thought that she was more likely a babysitter or caretaker of some sort. I wondered how I would know without making a fool of myself if this woman was supposed to have this unhappy child with her but as I watched them together I could see that she was very gentle and he was eventually at ease with her even if he had not wanted to get on the train at first. Sometimes we just trust that things are okay.
It is amazing that I was able to read so much of my book and get so much people watching in at the same time. I like being out in public. I am wondering what some of the other transit riders were thinking when they saw me!
I took a book and my transit pass and headed for the light rail line.
I left a bit early so I could get off at the first stop and buy some coffee to take with me. I have changed coffee shops but not because of taste, ambiance or cost. I changed because I feel more welcomed by the people in the new coffee shop. Not everyone was unfriendly or made me feel uncomfortable in the other shop, actually there was only one young woman who made me feel less than comfortable. It had to do with a question I asked when she charged me more than I had been charged before. I asked if the price had gone up and she treated me like I was lying to her which was awkward and embarrassing. The other ladies are quite nice but it only takes the possibility of that one person being behind the counter to make me turn to the right instead of the left when I get off the light rail.
This morning, in the new shop - which is not really new except to me - the young women were not only friendly, they remembered what I bought last time and asked me about my weekend. I felt good buying the coffee from them. It is nice to be part of a neighborhood and a good way to start the day.
On the light rail going downtown I watched as a young man who was clearly blind got on the train with another person, possibly his tutor or daily companion. There is a section that is clearly marked for people with disabilities or who are elderly but no one got up for this young man. I was not close enough to offer my seat but I watched as others shifted their eyes so as too appear like they didn't see this blind man who needed a seat. His companion looked around but no one looked back so he led the young man up the stairs to a regular seat. I felt slightly embarrassed for the lack of compassion or even courtesy or just willingness to follow the rules: "These are priority seats for seniors and people with disabilities!" That means you must get up if you are not a senior and not disabled and offer your seat if someone gets on who fits the description.
Later on the train I was trying to read my book but kept being distracted by a young man about twenty years old who was make noises with a small chain attached to a water bottle. I looked up to see what the noise was and met his eyes briefly. They were blood shot and he seemed to be high on something... marijuana I supposed - since he was in a good mood but unable to hold still like a small child. He started hitting his metal water bottle against his hand or knee in a way that was not musical or rhythmic. I kept reading and at another stop someone got on and sat down across from the noise maker.
The young man began sharing how he was going to drop off a job application at a pizza place. He held up a large envelope that he had with him indicating that it held the application. He then began to talk about how as soon as he had this job he would be able to get an apartment and contribute to the city in a positive way. Contrary to reality he said that housing in the city was plentiful and he would have no problem finding a place right away. All the while that he talked he kept tapping or shaking his water bottle. He also mentioned that he didn't do drugs although he said "I do drink" and added that he thought that drinking contributed to the city's economy. I felt kind of sad thinking that I couldn't imagine anyone hiring this young man to work around people. He was very oblivious to his behavior which was annoying not only to me, but to a number of people who kept glancing at him as he made noises. Eventually he got off the train. I had a good long way to go.
After changing trains I sat down across from a young man who was very very high on something, meth I supposed. He was moving non-stop with his arms and face gesturing and acting as if he was communicating somehow with someone no one else could see. The much older woman who was seated nearest to him was clearly uncomfortable, maybe a bit scared since the young man's gesturing was very elaborate. He got off after a couple of stops and I thought that he had made the noise maker of the last train seem almost normal.
There was a couple with a toddler seated by the window. The little boy was very excited to be on the train. The woman, who I assumed was his mom, kept up a running dialogue with him about everything that was happening. When I first got on the train he looked over at me, smiled and waved. Sometimes it makes me happy to look like a grandmother... I am a grandmother after all and little people feel comfortable around grandmothers. Smiles are nice gifts.
There was another child who got on the train downtown very reluctantly. His caretaker had to coax almost pull the little guy onto the train. She was a woman who would only have been his mother by adoption since they were not of the same ethnicity. I thought that she was more likely a babysitter or caretaker of some sort. I wondered how I would know without making a fool of myself if this woman was supposed to have this unhappy child with her but as I watched them together I could see that she was very gentle and he was eventually at ease with her even if he had not wanted to get on the train at first. Sometimes we just trust that things are okay.
It is amazing that I was able to read so much of my book and get so much people watching in at the same time. I like being out in public. I am wondering what some of the other transit riders were thinking when they saw me!
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Out and About
At last! Milder weather and returning strength. The cold weather combined with a fall and a few minor ailments left me with less energy for getting out into the world. But at last I am feeling my strength coming back.
I am really pleased that so many people are popping up all along the walking trail. It makes me happy to see so many neighbors out enjoying the fresh air. Many people are now walking down to take the light rail in to town and others are walking or biking since the finished trail makes for a safe and pleasant walking environment.
I have lived in my current home for more than 30 years and I have never felt as happy about the neighborhood as I do now. The walking/biking trail and the light rail access have made a huge difference. There are now two coffee shops at the first light rail stop and both seem to be thriving. With that stop being midway from my daughter's house and my own we can meet in between without driving much more easily than before. In fact with the opening of the light rail the bus that goes by closest to my home now turns and goes right by my daughter's house. It is a lovely alternative to driving that I appreciate more and more with time.
I met a lady on the trail this morning who I have not seen in some time. She is the mother of a childhood friend of one of my daughters. She told me that she is trying to get out walking more and then she remarked that I was looking younger than before. I translate that to mean that she noticed that I am not carrying extra weight because walking and a vegan diet have been very healthy for me.
Did I also mention that my acupuncturist is a block off the light rail as well? It is just lovely to be so connected and yet to live where I can raise chickens and grow a garden. Life is good.
I am hoping to get back to riding my bike as well when the weather is a bit more reliably dry. I may not have the stamina to ride the 8.5 miles into work anymore, but I can certainly ride the trail for fun whenever I like. Last evening my husband and I took the light rail into Milwaukie for dinner and to run some errands and while we were walking we discovered a real sign of transition next to City Hall -- a bike repair station available for anyone in need! Let me tell you, what a huge change that is for the City of Milwaukie. When my children were in school progressive/alternative/or forward thinking were not terms that were generally used to describe the town. But now! I am really impressed and although hope not to have my bike break down when I am riding... it is great to know where I could go if I was in need! Pretty impressive Milwaukie!
I am really pleased that so many people are popping up all along the walking trail. It makes me happy to see so many neighbors out enjoying the fresh air. Many people are now walking down to take the light rail in to town and others are walking or biking since the finished trail makes for a safe and pleasant walking environment.
I have lived in my current home for more than 30 years and I have never felt as happy about the neighborhood as I do now. The walking/biking trail and the light rail access have made a huge difference. There are now two coffee shops at the first light rail stop and both seem to be thriving. With that stop being midway from my daughter's house and my own we can meet in between without driving much more easily than before. In fact with the opening of the light rail the bus that goes by closest to my home now turns and goes right by my daughter's house. It is a lovely alternative to driving that I appreciate more and more with time.
I met a lady on the trail this morning who I have not seen in some time. She is the mother of a childhood friend of one of my daughters. She told me that she is trying to get out walking more and then she remarked that I was looking younger than before. I translate that to mean that she noticed that I am not carrying extra weight because walking and a vegan diet have been very healthy for me.
Did I also mention that my acupuncturist is a block off the light rail as well? It is just lovely to be so connected and yet to live where I can raise chickens and grow a garden. Life is good.
I am hoping to get back to riding my bike as well when the weather is a bit more reliably dry. I may not have the stamina to ride the 8.5 miles into work anymore, but I can certainly ride the trail for fun whenever I like. Last evening my husband and I took the light rail into Milwaukie for dinner and to run some errands and while we were walking we discovered a real sign of transition next to City Hall -- a bike repair station available for anyone in need! Let me tell you, what a huge change that is for the City of Milwaukie. When my children were in school progressive/alternative/or forward thinking were not terms that were generally used to describe the town. But now! I am really impressed and although hope not to have my bike break down when I am riding... it is great to know where I could go if I was in need! Pretty impressive Milwaukie!
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Fasting
Wednesday marks the start of Lent. For Christians Lent is a time to reflect on the way that they are living in relationship to others.
Lent also gives another opportunity to
become overwhelmed by the abundance of the natural world. Caught up in everyday routines it is very easy to become oblivious to the abundance that is part of Creation and instead become caught up in the frantic desire to protect one's self against
scarcity – which is a major force behind capitalist economics.
If more is always better, safer somehow, then how do people know when they have enough? When to quit accumulating or eating? There may be a financial goal to reach before a decision to marry, or have
children, or before buying a house, or going back to school or changing from a horrible job to one that is more fulfilling or
before retiring or whatever the goal might be… but strangely enough, the goal can keep
expanding out in the face of the fear of scarcity that fuels our economy; an economy
that is based on more and more and more until the abundance of Creation is
entirely reduced to commodities that are daily being destroyed.
The need for more and more has motivated humans not only to take more
than they need from the land and the sea, but has promoted ways of producing that
pollute land, air and water while denying creatures any enjoyment of the life
for which they evolved. Here I speak specifically of factory farms which raise
both animals and fish in unnatural ways in order to feed the over consumption
fostered by those who make money in these industrial operations.
Lent can be a time to become conscious of abundance – an abundance
that is daily being diminished by human greed, but which many people believe is still abundant enough to
recover if only humanity can put on the brakes. I want to believe that this is true even though I am aware of the great depletion of the seas and the variety of seeds and wild or natural life in general.
Writing in his book Food and Faith: A Theology of Eating, (Cambridge University Press, 2011) Norman Wirzba says that “Creation is
the concrete manifestation of God’s sacrificial love” and that “it is an
imperative that food production and consumption recognize and honor the costly
grace of life.”
He notes that “as creatures made in the image of a self-giving God,
humanity’s most fundamental task is to participate in God’s self-offering life
dedicated to the nurture and well-being of all creatures…" And that, "the
paradigm of eaters as mostly unknowing and uncaring consumers is a dangerous
one because it suggests that people can eat without concern for the health of
the soil, the plants, and the animals they depend upon. (p. 135). I believe it is imperative that people become conscious eaters if the rest of Creation is to have a fair chance at survival.”
Wirzba also cautions that those who eat animals must do so in ways that
respect their integrity and well-being and therefore honor God. But for this
condition be met it is crucial that these animals be accorded the attention and
care that reflects God’s own self-giving care for creation.(136-137).
Those people who choose not to eat any fish, animals or dairy, and I
include myself in this category, do so because we are aware that more than 95
percent of chickens, turkeys, laying hens, and pigs, 78 percent of cattle, and
virtually all fish currently sold in the US are raised without "the attention
and care that reflects God’s own self-giving care for creation". There are not
enough animals raised with the dignity they deserve to satisfy the needs of all
who want them – nor is there the necessary amount of land, water or other resources to make a complete switch away from the terrors of factory farms if
everyone continues to consume the same amount of meat, dairy, eggs and fish. Less is best: for the health of all creation.
During Lent, Catholic Christians are called to give up meat on Ash Wednesday and on
Fridays, and to fast between meals on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting and abstaining can help people to develop the discipline that is needed in a world that is filled with material goods and access to more than enough of everything.
“How we eat, what we eat, and how much demonstrate what we think our
responsibilities to each other and the world should be...People who fast learn
that food is a gift and is not to be taken for granted or exploited...When we
fast, we learn that too much of the time personal life is marked by an
aggressive or rapacious disposition... When we fast, we learn that in many of our
actions we presume that the world’s gifts exist for our own exclusive enjoyment...Fasting, in other words, leads us to a realization about the responsibilities
of life together. When we refrain from eating, we not only demonstrate
solidarity with those who do not have food to eat, but we also demonstrate that
food is the precious gift of a self-giving God. It is a gift not to be taken
for granted or to be presumed upon. We need to refrain from eating from time to
time so that we can more fully appreciate food as a gracious gift, and then
also practice the self-offering that will enable others to eat when they don’t
have enough." (142)
Wirzba makes the point that feasting is not the opposite of
fasting… rather it is gluttony that is the opposite of fasting. Gluttony is an obsession with eating where the stomach and taste buds rule. A glutton not only takes more than they need, they spend much of their time thinking about food and how to satisfy their particular desires. Feasting on the other had is the recognition of
God’s grace in the gifts we receive. We generally associate feasting with
food.. but we can feast on other things, a glorious sunset or the company of
good friends as well. The key is to recognize God’s gift in whatever we are
receiving and to rejoice in the gift. Clearly it is possible then to feast
during Lent even as we fast from those things that are harmful or which
distract us from living faithful lives.
I will close with words from Wirzba's book and a recommendation that you read what he has to say. His book is available on Kindle as well as in hard copy.
"People should feast so they do not forget the grace and the blessing of
the world. People should fast so they do not degrade or hoard the good gifts of
God. We feast to glorify God, we fast so we do not glorify ourselves."
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