Now that the water fountain coming out of my eyes has stopped and my nose has ceased its running I have to process some of the beauty of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Though a different kind of beauty than the Fall or Baraka, Ben Button gave me the almost uncomfortable feeling that I was intruding on something too intimate for anyone but those involved to understand. My investment in the characters grew as they did; that is, my heart was fond of Benjamin from the beginning backwards, while it took me a little longer to fall in love with Daisy as she grew up. This film embodies every manifestation of love and connects it to the cycle of each person's existence. It gives hope that someday we will all have the same opportunity for those different kinds of love, but that we'll only realize it in looking back because we're too young to fully grasp that now. I am moved.
"Life can only be understood looking backward. It must be lived forward,"
R-
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Inauguration Day
This is a letter written by Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize winner for The Color Purple, to our president Barack Obama. I received it in an email and thought it worthy to pass along.
Dear Brother Obama,
You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balmfor the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.
I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.
I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.
A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.
We are the ones we have been waiting for.
In Peace and Joy, Alice Walker
Happy Inauguration Day!
R-
Dear Brother Obama,
You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balmfor the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.
I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.
I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.
A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.
We are the ones we have been waiting for.
In Peace and Joy, Alice Walker
Happy Inauguration Day!
R-
Dreams Create Change
"True compassion is more than flinging a coin at a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring." --MLK 4.4.1967
Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Day,
R-
Sunday, January 18, 2009
We are the change!
Wow, can I just gloat for a minute about having the best job in the entire world? My time at Gatzert with Treehouse has been so formative and inspiring. I swear, I learn more from these kiddos than they do from me.
Friday I was given the opportunity to walk with my kids during their annual MLK march to Jefferson and around 13th back to school. They had made signs that said stuff from "peace" to "don't drink and drive" and what they deemed other important messages. On the flipside, half had decorated their signs with pictures of Obama and the others had MLK's face glued onto their rulers. The entire school, Kindergarten-5th grade, teacher, principals, custodial staff, lunchladies, volunteers, etc marched together for peace and remembrance. It was a beautiful thing. One of my kids, Rosy, held my hand and we yelled "We can do it! Yes we can!" the entire half hour. It really charged me to see a sea of kids in front of me and behind me yelling "We are the change!" and sincerely believing it! For so many of them, they've been broken by "the system" and have been labeled as dumb or troublemakers or not worth it. For this half an hour, every student believed in him/herself and each other and it brought tears to my eyes to witness that. I am so proud of them and so energized at the beauty of these kids. Their hearts are in the right place, and I think we can all learn from that.
Enlightened and inspired,
R-
Friday I was given the opportunity to walk with my kids during their annual MLK march to Jefferson and around 13th back to school. They had made signs that said stuff from "peace" to "don't drink and drive" and what they deemed other important messages. On the flipside, half had decorated their signs with pictures of Obama and the others had MLK's face glued onto their rulers. The entire school, Kindergarten-5th grade, teacher, principals, custodial staff, lunchladies, volunteers, etc marched together for peace and remembrance. It was a beautiful thing. One of my kids, Rosy, held my hand and we yelled "We can do it! Yes we can!" the entire half hour. It really charged me to see a sea of kids in front of me and behind me yelling "We are the change!" and sincerely believing it! For so many of them, they've been broken by "the system" and have been labeled as dumb or troublemakers or not worth it. For this half an hour, every student believed in him/herself and each other and it brought tears to my eyes to witness that. I am so proud of them and so energized at the beauty of these kids. Their hearts are in the right place, and I think we can all learn from that.
Enlightened and inspired,
R-
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