in the past month i have:
– been pushed to a deeper place in my practice of meditation, jo kata and nonjudgment at the somatics and social justice collaborative 3rd weekend
– gotten my environmental solution mind energized at the movement generation solutions training
– brought a community and action lens to a conference on ending poverty in mexico (opportunity collaboration) where i renewed ancient friendships and found surprising allies who i will be working with for the rest of my life.
– i was one of the facilitators for the second us social forum (ussf2) planning meeting which took place in atlanta, the site of the first ussf. the atlanta-detroit ussf communities got to meet and share stories, and the meeting went really well, with good tensions, good questions, and good decisions. one of which is that i got selected as one of the national coordinators of the us social forum! it is a great honor for me, and for the ruckus society, to be able to support this national and international process in this way.
– i went to see my grandparents, which was a big healing trip. it went very well, and i got a flash of historian in me and did some oral histories of them, and two of my 5 aunts and uncles. that was a great way to hear from them, and i had to really sit with the ways in which my grandfather’s spirit is in me, even if he can’t see it. we both have a desire for joy, an aversion to anger, and a belief that spirit should guide your life. his is jesus christ, mine is universal…i see that certain things emerge from every belief system i come across, and for me the devotion to a single entity is less important than submission to spirit. but the important thing is to be in conversation again, across the generations and cultural differences, with my grandparents. it makes me a more centered person and organizer, and just so grateful that i still have these elders in my life, to tell their stories and share their wisdom and love me.
so i am sure i will write longer pieces on all of that – the movement generation and opportunity collaboration ones are half written, and the USSF one is coming. but i just wanted to have a moment of wow – that’s a lot for a month. now i have emails and meetings and phonebanking and other work to do…no rest for the weary, so my perspective is going to be gratitude for the amazing work i get to do…
will try to post more regularly 🙂