How Does it Feel to be one of the Beautiful People?

Credit: Public Domain and air brushing

Airbrushed models stare back with empty looks as I thumb through one of today’s popular magazines. It is chock full of these empty-eyed ones selling this and that. Their long glossy hair and oh much too white neon teeth prompt me to remember to jot down Crest White Strips when I make out my weekly shopping list; something I have yet to try but am beginning to feel bad that I haven’t.

I don’t normally look at these types of magazines. I am more of a National Geographic type but my co-worker had it lying on her desk and I admit I was a bit curious so I asked to take a peek.  I instantly felt bad; too short, too fat and definitely too old. A photo of a 71-year-old actress with no visible wrinkles tells me this.  She looks on top of the world and I …well…I look dumpy.

I’m definitely not sporting the new “it” color which is emerald by the way and I haven’t spoken to my manicurist about this news flash. In fact, as shocking as this may be: I don’t even have a manicurist or an interior designer, who this magazine also says I should be speaking to about custom lighting and the new vivid countertops.

I do like the mega heeled bright fuchsia shoes on the following page, but I’d break my neck if I tried to walk in them. The shiny pants are nice, emerald by the way. I haven’t felt this inadequate since I was 19 and used to read this stuff. Back then I would compare myself to these models and even then, I didn’t stand a chance.

It never occurred to me at the time those models couldn’t compare with their own doctored up photos and that no one who appears in these things actually even resemble themselves.

I went on my first diet at age 9 and stayed on one or another until age 40 when I threw out my scale and gave up on that nonsense. (one of the smartest things I’ve ever done by the way)

It is a shame I felt so inadequate.  It is a shame many other people do; women and men alike. We as a society base too much importance on appearance. It is superficial, shallow, so damn unnecessary and frankly, stupid.  There are so many faces of beauty in different colors and hues. Like in a flower garden, variety of shape, form and color is what lends to the loveliness of a garden. Oh what a boring garden it would be if all the flowers were tall, slender and dainty, pristine white roses.

Credit: SBI

People, especially younger ones are put under so much pressure, so much scrutiny by themselves and their peers. This leads to so many bad feelings and heartache…not to mention health concerns and deaths from anorexia and bulimia.

I remember how bad I felt when my then 14-year-old daughter, who wears a size seven and is a willowy beauty with long wavy hair told me she was fat and didn’t like the shape of her face.  I remember how I felt when was that age and used to starve myself to squeeze into impossibly tight jeans because I too felt fat.  This cycle must stop. Of course I told her the truth;  she is not fat, that she is wonderful, smart and artistic and it’s what inside that counts and how I am so very much proud of her. She didn’t buy it…”You have to say that, you are my mother.”  she said…

I can’t compete with these magazines…not back when I was 19, not last summer when I tried to convince my daughter that she is beautiful and not now as I turn the pages of this all too glossy thick magazine jammed packed of examples of how I don’t measure up.

I know better, I’ve given up on ever being perfect, I am a short middle-aged woman without super whitened teeth and I have fine, straight hair. Although I am well-groomed and take pride in my appearance, I know I am no beauty queen but I am loved by my family and my heart is pure and my conscience clear. I know better and yet this still bothers me. Reading this magazine reminds me why I stopped looking at these things years ago…

We all say that it is what’s inside that counts. We say it’s someone’s heart and soul that is beautiful, many people pay great lip service to this truism…even the media will throw us “common” folk a bone every once in a while; making a big deal out of featuring “real people” in an ad and patting themselves on the back the whole time but how many “Dove women” are there compared to those perfect ones who really don’t exist?

DOVE soap Ad. Credit: Public Domain

It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and we the public; the masses, so to speak are the beholders. If we keep buying this hype, they’ll keep selling it.

I got I new National Geographic today and I’ll be taking it to work, perhaps I will pass it around a bit…and while all this was going on I ran across this quote…online, not in THAT magazine…

“Step Away from the Mean Girls…
…and say bye-bye to feeling bad about your looks.
Are you ready to stop colluding with a culture that makes so many of us feel physically inadequate? Say goodbye to your inner critic, and take this pledge to be kinder to yourself and others.

This is a call to arms. A call to be gentle, to be forgiving, to be generous with yourself. The next time you look into the mirror, try to let go of the story line that says you’re too fat or too sallow, too ashy or too old, your eyes are too small or your nose too big; just look into the mirror and see your face. When the criticism drops away, what you will see then is just you, without judgment, and that is the first step toward transforming your experience of the world.”
~Oprah Winfrey

Beauty is contained in the soul. Credit: Public Domain

Perhaps I’ll print it up and give it to my daughter…

Have a great day!

Strawberryindigo.

 **Related You Tube**

Baby You’re a Rich Man by The Beatles

You are Beautiful by Christina Aguilera

**Related articles**

Imperfection is beauty (jessiemarie19.wordpress.com)

La Beauty Myth (elomazotor.wordpress.com)

Scientists can detect if photos have been airbrushed or not (dailytelegraph.com.)

Emerald is the color of the year  (cbsnews.com)

The Culture of Want

Gold is Yummy! Credit: Public Domain

“You can never get enough of what you don’t need to make you happy”.

~Eric Hoffer

We are taught by this culture to want and want it now and no matter what we get, we are never satisfied. Our economy is built on our rampant consumption of everything; this intense overpowering feeling to want it all, to have it all.

And all this having and wanting leads to high expectations that for most of us are never fulfilled. It’s as if our society sets us up for disappointment.

“Home” Sweet “Home” Credit Public Domain

There are certain ideals set before us, by media, by government, by our peers and by society in general. We are expected to live up to these impossibly high and unrealistic standards. If we do not we are deemed a failure. I think much of these expectations are top-heavy and backward. Much emphasis is placed on high status careers and wealth.  Wealth that is quickly spent on expensive items as fancy cars, houses that are much too large, expensive and exotic vacations and trendy gadgets. I marvel at the lines people are willing to wait in to pay exorbitantly high prices just to get themselves  the newest “I” somethings. We are expected not only to keep up with the “Joneses” but to outdo the “Joneses” at every twist and turn and then rub their noses in it. People are expected to lead these “full” lives with as many over the top experiences one can muster. We are also expected to remain forever and impossibly young in this culture while the natural process of aging is frowned upon and is seen a detriment.

Shallow untalented celebrities are held up as an ideal to aspire to. The news of their lives are featured as the top stories of the day. We place these people on high pedestals and then watch with relish as they crash and burn all in front of the unblinking eye of the media.

Credit: Public Domain… Kim Kardashian, What is she famous for? Someone please tell me, I really don’t know…

Our young people have no other role models nothing to aspire to except more of this flashy shallowness. The family unit is deteriorating and our common sense of home and well-being is being put through the shredder. It is no wonder that many are depressed and suffer from mental illnesses and addictions.

As a society we are searching for something. A something we know we lack and we pretend we haven’t a clue about what or where it is. We are losing ourselves and what makes us great.

Those ideas and ideals, those which helped us become who we were in a golden age that now seems so distant. Those ideals of family and hard work and patience. Of perseverance, wisdom and respect. The importance of generosity and understanding, kindness and love. These are the ideals we should aspire to. These are the values that are truly valuable.

I don’t have to tell anyone this. We all know this. In the back of our minds, in our hearts and souls, I just think we need to be reminded once in a while…

Credit: Public Domain

…and while I stand on this soapbox, shouting to whoever will hear me…I realise that  I am for the most part, preaching to the converted. We are an enlightened bunch who swim in the deepest end of the pool, we in this community of bloggers…but I bet we know others who may not swim in such deep waters. It is up to us to inspire those who may need a little inspiring and a bit of encouragement now and then. Perhaps lead by example and do some preaching ourselves.

We are a part of a society at large and although we may not participate fully in this consumermania and celebrity obsession we do have an influence over those who do.

It is up to those who are enlightened to help light the way for the rest of us.

Strawberryindigo.

Credit: Pixabay

“It isn’t by getting out of the world that we become enlightened, but by getting into the world…by getting so tuned in that we can ride the waves of our existence and never get tossed because we become the waves.” 
~Ken Kesey

**Related articles**

Travie McCoy: Billionaire ft. Bruno Mars [OFFICIAL VIDEO] (youtube)

*I admit I actually like this song*

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How to Stop Keeping Up With the Joneses (cashnetusa.com)

Keeping up with the Joneses in Suburbia (suburbo-types.com)

The Crisis of American Consumerism (Huffingtonpost.com)

Celebrity Worship Syndrome (Wikipedia)

A Colorful Person: Andy Rooney

Old Whatshisname: that cranky guy.

I am starting a new monthly feature similar to Fresh Quotes. I will be publishing this right in the middle of each month and I thought The Ides of March would be the perfect time to introduce it.  I am calling it A Colorful Person for now. If I come up with a better name, which I hope I will, I will change it. Ideas anyone?  Every month I will feature a different person. Someone who has made the world a bit more colorful. Someone who I personally admire. Some of these people will be quite obvious, others not so much. Every one of them will be people who have shaped my thinking and helped make me the me I am today. (So you’ll know who to blame. haha)

This month’s Colorful Person is Andy Rooney; the cranky old guy who was a fixture on the TV show 60 Minutes for what seemed like 60 years. He passed away at the end of 2011 at the ripe old age of 92 and I miss him terribly especially on Sunday evenings.

He was at heart a writer who said what he meant and he meant what he said. I started watching his stories on 60 minutes as a child and I continued watching until his last in October of 2011. He was an influence on me as a writer and as a person. He was the cranky Grandfather I never had.  He had tons of common sense and I’d like to share some of his plain talk wisdom with you today.

~SBI

…..and so, Here’s Andy…

Say What?

“If dogs could talk it would take a lot of the fun out of owning one.”

♦

Credit: Scubamom

“I’ve  learned ….  That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.”

Credit: Public Domain

“People will generally accept facts as truth only if the facts agree with what they already believe.” 

Credit: Public Domain

“I’ve learned that no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.” 

“Did you ever hear one of those corny, positive messages on someone’s answering machine? ‘Hi, it’s a great day and I’m out enjoying it right now. I hope you are too. The thought for the day is share the love. Beep.’ ‘Uh, yeah, this is the VD clinic… speaking of being positive, your test is back. Stop sharing the love.”
 ♦

Credit: Public Domain

“Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it’s not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize. For all those men who say, “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?”, here’s an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it’s not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage!”
♦

Credit: Public Domain

“The best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.”
♦

“Writers don’t often say anything that readers don’t already know, unless its a news story. A writer’s greatest pleasure is revealing to people things they knew but did not know they knew. Or did not realize everyone else knew, too. This produces a warm sense of fellow feeling and is the best a writer can do.”

*All of the above quotes are credited to Andy Rooney

♦

Andy Rooney was born on January 14, 1919, in Albany, New York. During WWII, he wrote for the Army’s Stars and Stripes newspaper and was one of the first American journalists to visit and write about the German concentration camps. Rooney joined the staff of CBS’ 60 Minutes in 1968 and began his iconic “A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney” segment in 1978. Rooney’s final 60 Minutes essay aired in October, 2011. He died a month later at age 92.

Credit: Biography.com

Related articles

Andy Rooney: My Lucky Life ( His last one) (youtube.com)

*** In the Andy Rooney spirit, I just hate deceptive packaging. (dakotatoday.typepad.com)

Andy Rooney Dead at 92 60 Minutes Commentator Dies (binsidetv.net)

Comedy is Hard

“Everything is funny, if you can laugh at it.”
~ Lewis Carroll

Never trust people who smile constantly. They’re either selling something or not very bright.”
~Laurell K. Hamilton,

I never thought that I could be funny. Sure, on rare occasions I have elicited a chuckle or two from a group of people but never when I meant to be funny.  It was always at my expense because I did or said something that was well, odd. I could never tell jokes. My timing is about as off as one can get. Life’s little ironies that made me giggle quietly to myself never were very funny to others who couldn’t seem to get my strange humor. I excepted this. I mean how many people are really truly funny, even most comedians, who attempt to be humorous for a living aren’t very funny.

“I’ve had great success being a total idiot. ”~ Jerry Lewis

It is a rare thing when someone or something can be funny. Imagine my surprise when MM upon reading a bit of this or a bit of that started to laugh at something I wrote. Of course I thought he was laughing at my funny strangeness and not at my funny hahaness, but he was. I couldn’t believe my ears.

At first I thought it was some sort of cosmic joke on me or some mistake perhaps an odd fluke that I could never repeat, but then it happened again and again. Others would comment that a post here and there was funny.

Sometimes I can take myself way too seriously and at other times I think I don’t take myself seriously enough.

And then that awful depression hit and I found I couldn’t be funny anymore. I tried and tried and all I could do is sound well, sad and pathetic. Sorry about that. I wasn’t as though I wanted to be that way.  I tried to snap out of it.  I watched funny movies, I scoured the internet for jokes. I tried to be funny and it would work.  It was like OK, now be funny..ok now…do it now!  UGH!  Is this mic on?

Dammit, Comedy is hard.

I started to think about what people, especially what we who are Americans think is comical. Making fun of others seems to be high on the list, most notably celebrities and politicians which seem to say the wackiest of things. I can think of several incidences. One recent one that came to mind is Pat Robertson, the TV Evangelist who recently admitted that he believes demons live in used sweaters which is kinda funny on the surface but also sort of sad.

The leader of North Korea is the butt of many recent jokes including the whole Unicorn thing. Personally, I wouldn’t want this guy angry with me, no matter how ridiculous he appears.

Kim Jong Un upon his steed. What a man!

I googled “funny images” and most of what I saw was disturbing to say the least and many images were of cats. I shudder to think how many doctored cat photos they are online. It just seems…well, wrong.

Would you like to come home from work and find this?!

Really any animal doing anything vaguely human seems to tickle many funny bones, especially when they wear clothes and say smart things. Perhaps it is the element of surprise that comes into play here. For me it is the Homo sapiens saying smart things that surprise me.

I confess that I just don’t get many of the ‘comedians” that are out right now. Personally I like the old stuff like the Marx Brothers, especially the funny one, you know the one…

Karl Marx, communist and comedian.

I am automatically suspect of anything that has a laugh track or of any movie that claims itself to be a comedy. Those usually hit a wall in what I call the dip and turn morose and sad.  In my opinion anyone who is trying to be funny isn’t.

What I find laughable is people who are trying too hard not to be, the one’s who take themselves and what they say, way too seriously. Now these people are hilarious!

“Can demonic spirits attach themselves to inanimate objects? The answer is yes.”…..”It doesn’t hurt to rebuke any evil spirits that attach themselves to clothes.”
~Pat Robertson

I will try not to be so hard on myself;  when I am funny and I am and when I am not, I guess I won’t be….but I promise you one thing; no more depression, no more sadness no more of any of that crap.  The world is too full of THAT.

So…I choose to go to make you laugh in this decade and do the other things. Not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

John F. Kennedy says that comedy is harder than going to the moon and Boy, this ice cream GOOD!

Thanks for listening,

Strawberryindigo.

“I believe that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade… And try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party.”
~Ron White

Related articles

• Lazy Comedy: Why I’m Not Laughing (jmuwomensstudentcaucus.wordpress.com)
• In life and love, keep a sense of humor (wcpo.com)
• What’s Funny? (mejonez.wordpress.com)

Fresh Quotes PEACE March

There is a movement afoot called Bloggers for Peace. It is a crazy dream started by my friend Kozo from Everyday Guru’s. Kozo is a big-hearted person who believes that we can achieve this dream of living life in peace. I happen to agree and the more people involved the better. This blogging for peace is growing and growing and with every post published, we inch our way closer and closer to achieving this seemingly farfetched goal.  It had to start somewhere and Kozo wasn’t the first person to yearn for peace and he won’t be the last. Perhaps this is futile after all, but peace is a beautiful song and the more people who sing it the more beautiful it becomes and all the more powerful.

Please join us. Add your wonderful voice, let it be heard. All that is asked of you is devote your talents and energies to at least one post a month for peace. The details are here.

So in honor of Peace. I thought this month’s helping of Fresh Quotes would be devoted to this lovely cause.

Much happiness to you my friends, 

Strawberryindigo.

Life is beautiful!

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
~Buddha~

Flower Power

“I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings.”

~Mahatma Gandhi~

Sgt. Shane Pudgett hugs his wife goodbye as his son, Bryce, age 5, sheds a tear.

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”
~Albert Einstein

Peace + Love=Happiness

“Imagine all of us living in peace, it’s too beautiful to just be a dream.”
~John Lennon~

We can all do our part!

“It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.”

~Eleanor Roosevelt~

The faces of War

What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.”
~Mother Teresa

PEACE is the word

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.”

~Francis of Assisi~

Just say “NO!”

“NEVER GIVE UP…No matter what is going on…Never give up…Develop the heart… Too much energy in your country…Is spent developing the mind…Instead of the heart… Be compassionate…Not just to your friends…But to everyone…Be compassionate …Work for peace…In your heart and in the world…Work for peace…And I say again…Never give up…No matter what is going on around you…Never give up”

~Dalai Lama

Our future lies in the heart of a child

“ If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.”
~Mahatma Gandhi~

Click to join!

Related Peaceful Articles

**The post that started it all**

****We can make a difference right here right now (everydaygurus.com)****

♥ Kozo and Cheri asks you to always link to this post (bloggers4peace.wordpress.com) ♥

Monthly Peace Challenge: Marching towards Forgiveness (everydaygurus.com)

Sharing Some More Thoughts (Inspirational) On “The War For Peace” (peacepursuit.wordpress.com)

Bloggers for Peace on Facebook (facebook.com)

The Peace Garden (picturesinlivingcolor.wordpress.com) **My other blog**

B4Peace – February (sarahneeve.wordpress.com)

 Living My Dream: I will fight for you people (summer4soul.wordpress.com)

PEACE is Possible (strawberryindigo.wordpress.com)

Peace & Love Are Eternal… (spiritualworldtravelerblog.com)

Spiritual Peace (motherwifestudentworker.wordpress.com)

Us and Them

The world is a runaway train about to jump the tracks and head straight into a deep dark abyss.  There are over six billion souls on board. People from all walks of life; men, women, children. The good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful. People who have it all and those who have nothing. We are all on this runaway train together; whether we asked to be here or not, here we are. And you my friend are at the controls. You didn’t ask for this…you shout to no one in particular:  “I don’t want this, what did I do to deserve this?  Your desperate shouting falls on deaf ears but all eyes are on you…what do you do? Just what do YOU do?

This is a nightmare scenario my imagination just cooked up.  Of course you are not at the controls and I’m sorry that I put you on the spot like that.

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You are probably in the comfort of your cozy home reading this on your computer or electronic device as I am while writing this.  The world, although disjointed is still relatively intact. Odds are we are alright.  It is those other people that are in trouble.  We have nice families and friends, a warm house and full stomach.

Odds are tomorrow we will go off to work or school or somewhere; perhaps to meet someone for coffee or to walk the dog or go shopping or to a show. The world will still be here when we get home back to our nice warm beds. The world has always been here as long as we’ve been alive and for the most part, for most of us, life has been pretty good….

…and so I get back to the runaway train part….haha lulled you into a false sense of security. I bet you thought I might have forgotten about the train and that scary abyss…

Well here we are and it’s like we are on the train and there is no one at the controls at all. We are all passengers; our fates dangling precariously.  Most of us just want to get along and make it through to our destination, even enjoy the ride a bit, but there is a disturbance…a fight has broken out…

We are a world divided. As polarized as ever. Each side is 100% convinced they are 100% in the right. Pick an issue; any issue, no matter how multi-layered and complex it is and you will get the two sides and each will explain in vivid detail how incredibly wrong the other side is.

I don’t have to tell you, my esteemed and learned friends, how both sides can be wrong: no one can be 100% right on anything. We all know the world is made up of a myriad of colors, shades and hues.  Nothing is all black or all white.

I myself have been guilty of this thinking in the past, actually not so long ago. As many of you have surmised; I come in on the left side politically, to call myself a liberal is not far off the mark and I see nothing wrong with being one. However I am a person who tries to see outside of the neat little boxes that society tends to shove us into.

That being said, there have been times upon hearing a remark coming from “the other side” that I became a wee bit incredulous even to the point of anger. I am not proud of this, but this I do freely admit. I have somewhat of a temper about what I feel passionate about, but there is one thing I try not to be and that is a hypocrite, so I admit here to you and everyone else that in the past I have ben angered by some of the things, the other side has put forth. I don’t have to go into what nor do I want to. Most of you have heard some of this stuff and can fill in the blanks. What I am writing here is not to promote my cause or beliefs when it comes to these very hot button issues that we liberals and conservatives are fighting tooth and nail over. This is not at all what I am addressing today.

The point I am attempting to address is the polarization: the fight-fight-fight till you drop attitude and how it’s not getting anyone anywhere.

Taking governments, corporations and special interest groups out of it, while we are at it lets take the media out too–The “liberal media”, Fox news and what have you.  Lets just address people here. Your average citizen. I am mostly talking about Americans here because being one, I feel I can speak for Americans…but on second thought…maybe I am speaking for us all, because I am a citizen of the world as well as you are…

We are in a state of decay. I think most of us can agree with that and I think most of us can agree that we are divided and that most of us care….care about our communities, our fellow citizens, for the world at large and most importantly I’d say that most of us care deeply about our families and ourselves.

The world is a confusing and scary place; hey….another thing we can agree on.  Again this is overwhelming and most would agree on that too.

This proves my point and here is my point in a nutshell: we can agree on something. We can find common ground and this is where we can start. Next comes the listening. As I’ve mentioned no one can be 100% right about everything, at the very least we can agree to disagree and then move to what we agree on.  There is too much at stake to just shut our eyes and ears to everything that the other side has to say….and while I’m at it….this Us vs. Them thing…this sets us up for failure.

We humans have this tribal mentality, it’s hardwired into us genetically.  This need to belong to a group, but somewhere along the line, a long time ago, we humans decided that in order to belong to a group this group must exclude others.  We have trained ourselves to search for differences instead of looking for commonalities.This has led to  much heartache, death and destruction. I don’t have to tell you this.  I don’t know if we can ever get over it, honestly…but I do know that we should try because there is a lot at stake, in fact there is everything at stake.   This tribal tendency goes far beyond our local politics, this enters into every fight, skirmish and war we have ever been involved in…..perhaps this is irrevocable human nature and what I am suggesting here borders on the impossible…

For the most part there has always been war. Some would say this built-in aggression has been essential to our survival as a species and I would tend to agree. Out of the many humanoids who lived on the planet, only Homo sapiens have endured and that is probably no accident.  We are a product of evolution and humans are capable of great change and growth and we as a species can learn.  I believe we can learn to, at the very least, try to find common ground and listen to each other.  We share this beautifully wonderful and diverse planet. We are neighbors and we are on board this runaway train together.  We have a vested interest in getting along….

So maybe next time you hear someone; a co-worker, an acquaintance who lives down the hall, the man at the bus stop, the woman at the grocery store, even your “cranky” Uncle Pete or anyone for that matter who disagrees with your beliefs.  No matter how vocal that person is, or angry or whatever…even if what they say sounds 100% insane to you.  Remember that no one is 100% correct on anything and we can all learn something from everyone…so open your mind and your heart.  Show some compassion (even if they have none themselves) and listen….please.

The world needs leaders, the world needs compassion, the world needs you and I… and even cranky Uncle Pete.

Thanks for listening,

Strawberryindigo.

♥

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” ~Albert Einstein~

Us and Them by Pink Floyd (youtube.com)

Click here for details

Join us!  Bloggers For Peace

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Related PEACEFUL Articles

♥

Monthly Peace Challenge: Mad Men (everydaygurus.com)

Peace, Kindness and Attention (motherwifestudentworker.wordpress.com)

Peace, Chickens and Eggs (leavingshitbehind.wordpress.com)

Peace Begins with You and Me (dadirridreaming.wordpress.com)

PEACE is Possible (strawberryindigo.wordpress.com)

Little Bits of Good

My son as a baby

The other night I was talking with my son. He has just turned 18 and is thinking about what he wants to do with his life.  He conveyed to me his doubts and fears; his concerns about how the world is.  He told me he sees us humans as parasites and he voiced his concerns about how we are treating our planet and each other.

I listened and kept silent. I thought how much he sounded like myself in the past.  A past not so long ago.  These were things I thought before I decided to have children  It was a choice I considered very carefully. There was a voice in my head that said; how dare I bring another person into this crowded planet? Who was I add another hungry mouth into this already hungry world.

Another side of me: The hopeful part, the ones with dreams, the one that believes in belief, said that it wasn’t up to me to decide. Who was I to discard a potential human life…even and especially, the life of my possible child.?  Who was I to deny life to anyone? Who made me judge, jury and executioner?  If this potential child only had a few years of life…even one year, one month, one second…who was I to deny that?

Who was I to deny his beautiful blue eyes  just one sunset, one hug or one tip toe through the tulips.  Perhaps this child would contribute to the world…perhaps in a way I’d never imagine; maybe this child would be needed.  I thought all of this at the time, almost 20 years ago and all those thoughts and feelings came flooding back to me as I heard the words of my son. I understood his feelings exactly; he is an intelligent and thoughtful young man and he made some very valid points.

I saw the look of defeat in his eyes and a bit of anger too.  I know that anger all too well. The world had already been “screwed up” before either one of us got here. It’s easy to feel hopeless and angry.   I listened carefully to everything he had to say and then it was my turn…

Lately in my life I have found just the right thing to say but I don’t know actually what it will be until it comes out. This is quite new and I think it is all the writing I’ve been doing and I was very grateful for that because I found myself explaining to him much of what I just mentioned,about how I had thought carefully before deciding to have him and I told him how glad I am that he is here now.

The proud Mom with child circa 1995

I told him I agreed that the world is going to hell and how we’ve fouled up our seas and skies and land, and how all we humans seem to see is our differences…and how much we fight each other. I also told him how much hope I have for the future and how I believe that we have it in us to make this all right, and how we as a society can change things and how it all starts with one.

I told him how it starts with little changes and how it was up to him to be that change.;It is up to him to make a difference in his little corner of the world. To find something near and dear to him and make a difference.  I told him that I thought my writing was like that and if enough people make a small difference…how that could grow and spread.

I talked and talked; a lot  I don’t remember, but I kept talking and as I did I saw the light in his eyes begin to brighten; he was listening and I could sense the lights turning on in his brain.

Then it was my turn again to listen: He told me of his interest in nature and teaching children about nature and sharing his love of it. He told me of his plans and as he did I could see his burden lifting and my heart soared as the corners of his mouth began to curl up into a wide smile.

I”ve never have been prouder of him as I was at that moment… it was very much like the moment when I first held his tiny body in my arms and gazed into his big blue trusting eyes of his; when I knew that I had made the right decision. I have brought another beautiful life into this world who will touch others with his beauty and how wonderful this all is!

A Nature advocate in the making

We may be small and insignificant in this world and our actions may seem hopeless; a mere drop in the bucket, but I believe we together…drop by drop by drop, together we are a mighty ocean. Together we can do anything….even save the world! The first step is believing….. and it all starts with you…make your drop count.

Credit: Public Domain

Thanks for listening,

Strawberryindigo.

∞

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.

~Desmond Tutu~

.

Related Articles

I will be a hummingbird (youtube.com)  Very inspirational!  Please watch!

Saving the World (www.savingtheworld.net)

Saving the Planet (www.ideastosavetheplanet.org)

It’s the end of the world and I feel fine!

“Don’t wake me for the end of the world unless it has very good special effects.”  ―    Roger Zelazny

Hello!  If you are reading this the world has not ended…yet. I still have time to let you know that I need your help because I’m not even close to being ready for all of this.  Does anyone know any Mayans? Are they still around? Maybe someone can give me their number.  An e-mail address perhaps because as I said I am not ready for this at all.

One would think they could have picked a better time for this? I have a million things to do and time is running out…isn’t it always like that around the holidays?  What were those Mayans thinking?  I still have shopping to do and gifts to wrap. I need to clean out my refrigerator and I still have cookies to make… I was also planning on getting my hair done; a girl’s got to look her best if the world is ending… right?  …and what about important things like my TV shows?  The next episode of The Amish Mafia won’t be out till January…

Seriously, I don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble or rain on anyone’s parade but I think these Mayans may be a bit off.  I know there are supposed to be signs to the coming apocalypse. I’ve seen enough disaster movies for that. I suppose a case could be made in this aspect as crazy as the world is but hasn’t it always been crazy all along? What about those crazy conquistadors? Did the Mayans see them coming?

I have heard many silly stories about this but this one takes the cake: Supposedly a mountain will open up in France and UFO’s will come out, I guess sort of like a spooky pinata spewing alien sweet things all over.

“Some French and international Web sites devoted to the apocalypse claim that the mountain of Bugarach is a sacred place that will protect them from the end of the world. Some even believe that, on doomsday, they will be spirited away by a group of aliens who live under the mountain”

Now if that were true it would be interesting to say the least. I have always had fantasies of “my people” coming to take me home, but they being intelligent life forms would see the sheer folly of it at this time; Christmas is only a mere 4 days away!  I’m sure the aliens are much too busy.

And the zombies…let’s touch on the zombies here.  Some including my son have been warning me of the impending Zombie Apocalypse. This seems a tad more realistic, I’ve seen all the movies but for that too…I am not ready.

Apparently there is a training course one must take to be prepared and frankly, I haven’t had the time….and really, zombies?  Most of them are pretty slow and I’m sure I could outrun them. I think I’ve even seen a few in real life:  Ever been to a 24 hour grocery at 3 a.m.? They are no threat believe me, all they seem to be looking for is junk food not brains although I’ve seen some scary ones at the DMV–yikes but really, in all honesty I don’t view a couple of cuddly zombies as any threat.

Some say the magnetic poles of the Earth will do an abrupt shift. Now that is something I could get behind…maybe it would bring us in the northern hemisphere an instant and early summer. I would really enjoy that.

Others, mostly people in the government are predicting we’ll fall off some fiscal cliff thing, now THAT is ridiculous, I can see zombies…but that?  HA!

Don’t forget about Planet X. Ever heard of that one? I hadn’t either until last night upon doing reasearch on this end of the world nonsense and this one sounds the most plausible…

Some claim there’s a planet or brown dwarf called Nibiru or Planet X that is
approaching the Earth and threatening our planet with widespread
destruction.  NASA has taken this one on: they say it’s a hoax, but then on second thought…why believe NASA? Aren’t they the one’s behind that moon landing hoax and all those fantastic claims that the earth is round–ha, who’s crazy here?

RING RING–RING RING…Oh exuse me..the phone is ringing, I must answer this…sorry…

“Hello, Yes?…..What?!  Are you serious?   I’m writing about it now…you guys have the worst timing you know…Damn…”

That was the Maya on the phone, apparently they do still exist. They too don’t believe the world is ending and they want everyone, including me to stop blaming them.

Sorry about that. The last thing I want to do is spread misinformation especially on the internet. THAT would be wrong…

I guess I’m back to square one….If it isn’t The Maya behind all these dire predictions, I wonder who it is????

It could be the Doomsday Preppers or the 90′s Band REM who did write a song about this very thing and claimed to feel fine about it…or it could be someone in Hollywood, like John Cusack is behind this, perhaps there is a sequel in the works to that 2012 movie he was in…..hmmmm….

It could be Scientology’s, Tom Cruise, he’s a bit wacked you know or perhaps it’s the Amish Mafia, now those guys are scary tough, talk about scary tough…what about John Boehner? I hear he’s power mad…or…gasp…this guy?

Boehner..oops…sorry, this is THE GRINCH, I got the two mixed up (my bad)

… I could go on…..

I don’t know who it is but whoever it is…STOP THIS because I am not at all ready.

I still have to clean out my fridge. Now THAT is scary.

THE END???

ESSENTIAL READING IF YOU ARE TO SURVIVE THIS!!!

Doomsday Sign (Photo credit: matt.ohara)

It’s the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine)  By REM (http://www.youtube.com)

Beyond 2012 why the world won’t end  (www.nasa.gov)

For End of the World, a French Peak Holds Allure   (www.nytimes.com)

10 Essentials for surviving a zombie apocalypse  (www.huffingtonpost.com)

Mayans Unfazed about the end of the world (usatoday.com)

Some end of the world predictions that didn’t come true  (www.journalnow.com)

Tin-foil Hats Will Save You From Mayan Doomsday (weeklyworldnews.com)

A Love You Can Bank On

“It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and money system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.” ~ Henry Ford~

.

It is late November, soon after Thanksgiving, a woman with a fake smile plastered to her face opens the door and welcomes me inside. The sweet inviting smell of gingerbread wafts out like a meandering tendril of affection pulling me in closer and closer. A giant stuffed pony sits at the ready, seemingly waiting for giant hugs…I must say that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas; I can almost hear the carolers now but all I hear is “Welcome to Wells Fargo!”

I have been frequenting this bank for the last twenty years or so and I have never seen it quite like this: Ever since Occupy Portland staged a bank protest day the people at the bank have become seemingly friendlier and friendlier. To the banks this may seem like good public relations but it seems too artificial and it is unnerving to me.

I look for the cookies to no avail and I feel stupid for doing that…of course they must be practicing the popular trend of piping in the intoxicating aroma to lull us poor unsuspecting customers into a false sense of security… Trust perhaps?

Banks are big on trust. It seems those with the money and the power are desperate to get us little guys to trust them. I have a piece of advice on that: never trust anyone who keeps bringing up the issue of trust: who says “trust me” or really anyone at all for that matter (except for your family and me–you must trust me)

I see the poor nervous ones in the corner, waiting uncomfortably in comfy plush chairs arranged in a circle in a vague semblance of someone’s living room. They are waiting their turn to see a personal banker. (aka purse string holder)  These are the people who help you apply for a loan or help modify your mortgage.  Every one of these poor waiting people look sick.  One in particular, an elderly man in a frayed jacket with paint stains is visually shaken. I’ve been in that spot before; I feel sorry for them and relieved that I am not among their ranks–today.

It is a strange event when banks won’t take cash from you…Yes cash, that funny green paper we mortals keep passing around, the dirty stuff you must wash your hands after using. We had an envelope of cash–around $300, not much to some but a lot to me.  MM hands them the wrong bankcard from another institution of banking and larceny. He receives a disappointed look, like he has been caught cheating. I add to the insult by writing the wrong number on the deposit slip. the teller who resembles Timothy Geithner asks for his ID. He hands it to Timmy but Timmy now squints and gazes at him sideways; MM looks different from the picture with his newish beard and that was that–Timmy refuses to accept the money, seriously. He tells us with utter contempt to return with the correct information. In the past no one has questioned us for such an offense, in my experience banks will always take cash but not today… we are perplexed.

I say to MM:  ” I should write about this.” He gives me that “Oh no, not again” look but quickly tries to cover it with a placating smile.  I don’t know how he can put up with me sometimes and as the afternoon goes on I ask him and a few others if they have ever heard of any interesting stories about banks in the news lately…especially nice ones as I want to get all angles of this story–Happy bankers, heartwarming tidbits of gleeful giving, perfect for the upcoming Holiday season…I ask this with a straight face. I really want the banks to be able to redeem themselves in my eyes, really, I mean it! …I know what you’re thinking and everyone I talked to thought along similar lines and so all I get are the same placating smiles and polite “No’s”.

I then turn to all that’s fit to print: The internet. The Internet knows all, so when I ask it the very same question, it too gives me the same look and this time a very stern “NO!”

And this gets me thinking…

I felt like the long-suffering wife in a bad marriage; unloved and unappreciated.  I looked at myself hard in the mirror, I studied all the newly formed worry lines on my face. I took  way too long showers and cried myself to sleep. I binged on chocolate ice cream and listened to love songs and cried even more…well…no, not really but I did have some ice cream and I did do one other thing–for real:  I quit that bank. I realised that it really  ”wasn’t that into me“ and I withdrew my little sum of money and marched straight to the arms of another love–The local credit union!

“Corporations have no souls but they can love one another.”

~Henry Demarest Lloyd~

 Related articles

Credit Unions VS Banks, the pros and cons (www.huffingtonpost.com)

Goldman Sachs’ Long History Of ‘Money And Power  (npr.org)

Occupy Portland: N17 Protestors move into downtown, go from bank to bank, police make some arrests    (oregonlive.com)

50 ways to leave your lover by Paul Simon (www.youtube.com)

How Traditional Banking Practices Can Make You Poor (wisebread.com)

Banks… (muddiedwater.wordpress.com)

Streetmusic

Here I am in the middle of downtown Portland. The city is alive and pulsating with  creative energy and the streets are filled with happy people in a festive mood. I am one of those happy people walking in the fresh sunshine on a noticeably warm Saturday.

It is akin to a carnival atmosphere out here among the sounds of the many street musicians that have chosen this perfect day to brighten the streets with their colorful music.

I walk in time to the rhythm of the beat, jumping off one curb and onto the next. There is a man playing the buckets at the end of the block. He’s putting on a pretty good show and hamming it up for an another, obviously delighted man and his daughter. The man continues; snapping pic after pic of the Bucket Drummer as I pass by.

I head for what I call Portland’s Dysfunctional Living Room.

 If you want to find some strange very Portland events and meet some very Portland people, with a liberal smattering of bewildered tourists, visit Pioneer Square. (It also has a thriving Starbucks by the way, if anyone is interested)

Today a band of teens backed up by giant refrigerators are setting up for what I imagine will be very cool display of teen angst pop accompanied by huge containers of milk. I wish I could stay but I must move on. I make a mental note to return to the Starbucks on the corner later but now I have important business.

I am on my way to The Portland Farmers Market to take in the good food and the fantastic atmosphere under the late summer trees at Portland State University.

It is a lively place with lots of beautiful food and a vast array of impromptu concerts in the park to keep one entertained.

These guys played some wicked bluegrass and I had to stop and snap some shots. They had CD’s for sale, I silently wished them luck and headed towards the glorious food.

l enjoy perusing fresh healthy food out in the open air with lots of friendly people around. Add trees and music to the scene and I am as content as can be. There is something about fruits and vegetables in the sun: the way they smell. The colors can be intoxicating as well and I cannot help but be in a good mood by this.

There is music everywhere! In addition to the market stage there are at least half a dozen acts playing sweet music under the trees in this lovely park on this lovely day in late September.

lt was all good and made a pleasant day even so much more so. I decided at that point that even good things must come to an end, besides it was getting close to closing time and I was looking to mainline some caffeine. I made my way back to the Starbucks, I ordered a tall one and sat outside near the front steps on a bench facing Nordstrom.

I like to people watch and this is an excellent location. I just sat there and took in the atmosphere…

…I did not notice at first. It was as if he just suddenly appeared.  On an empty street corner in front of the Nordstrom and there he was: in a faded and rumpled raincoat, playing on a ragged double bass , strings askew, bow clutched tight. His hair; long, blonde and dirty hanging in matted clumps partially obscuring his face which seemed remarkably unlined. His eyes were closed in deep concentration; each note was deeply felt , I could see it on his face.

The music was beautiful. Funny, I don’t remember the tune. It was classical and I recall it being familiar but that’s all. I do remember the sound. It was clear and sharp and amazingly beautiful. I don’t know how he got such a delicate sound from such a shoddy instrument but he did.

A crowd had formed around him. Maybe 10 or 12 people, each person with the same awestruck look. On another day, each one of us would have passed him by, not giving a moment’s notice to the rumpled and forgotten man huddled behind the bus stop or in some shadowy forgotten doorway.Homeless, probably mentally ill and alone, he had this one gift. This wonderful gift of music. It was likely he didn’t have much else, but he had this one thing and there he was sharing it with whomever would listen.

He played for what seemed like several minutes then stopped abruptly. He never asked for spare change. He had no sign displayed or an empty musical case as many of the street performers had. He had nothing and he asked for nothing.  We watched in silence as he stood up, picked up his instrument and his rickety stool and slowly made his way up the street never once looking back.

I never thought to take his picture. I had been snapping them all day but for some reason I didn’t think to snap his. I guess I thought it would disrupt the moment, that I might have angered him and sent him into a rage. I don’t know. I sound like a chicken but I bet I echo what others were thinking.

“Stay away from the crazy homeless person.”

No matter how beautiful his music may be. No matter that he awestruck a small crowd across the street from Portland’s Living Room.  No matter how his melodies brought tears to my eyes. No matter. He was a crazy street person and I like everyone else will just try to stay out of his way and pretend that he’s no there. I feel bad for thinking this…

I finish my tall black coffee and head out the door. Another has taken the place of the raincoated man. Must be a prime spot.

The new guy seems much more approachable but has yet to draw a crowd. That does not stop him from playing his heart out. I am moved by his pluck, so much so that I gather up some of my own and strike up a conversation with him. Being a shy socially awkward wannabe writer this is amazing and I am rewarded with a story and a song.

Ryan has been playing on the streets of Portland for 2 weeks. He loves it here but is surprised and a bit daunted by the skill level and sheer numbers of his competition. He too has a CD for sale and a blog…this surprises me.  I guess everyone has one these days. If you want to visit Ryan his blog is 16-dollars-a-day.bogspot.com.

Strawberryindigo.

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

Berthold  Auerbach

Never Underestimate the Value of Cash–Election 2012

“But, shucks, we got the best politicians in this country that money can buy.”

Will Rogers

It is election day and after a long fight both sides should be exhausted after working feverishly around the clock, mostly in swing states, trying to reach those undecided voters. Meanwhile, the same politicos with the toothy white grins and the perfect spins are haunting the TV and Internets with images of big glossy maps of the United States decked out in blue and red with a touch of gray.  Always coming to the same conclusion, we are a nation divided. This is of no surprise and how this can be news is beyond me.

We in Oregon are often overlooked. We are quiet and quaint. Most people are distracted by the bright lights of California or Seattle. Politicians usually ignore us. At most we are a photo-op stop as Obama showed in 2008, we are a blue state and I live in a very blue county inside this blue state.

Romney hasn’t a chance here and he should know it but his constant barrage of commercials suggest otherwise. I’m relived that this whole mess is finally almost over.

(See the opinion of a future voter in the following You Tube video that’s making the rounds.)

Tired of Bronco Bamma and Mitt Romney

I think I may speak for all Americans when I say that I am sick to death of all these commercials and ads from both sides. To me it’s a waste. It shows how absolutely money crazy we are. If we have any national religion it is the worship of that–Money.  It’s holier than thou and it’s burning a hole in your pocket right now…

In our mixed up national psyche we are convinced that the candidate who raises the most money is the automatic winner.  Nothing else matters and it’s not as if anyone is holding bake sales to raise this money–they are getting it from the rich who have their own agenda and ideas which may not jive with most of us.

And why do they need the money…what do they spend it on? A great deal on those damn ads and flyers…

My mail has been inundated for weeks with thick glossy and expensive flyers proclaiming this and that. I have been bombarded with countess TV commercials–all with smiling politicians proclaiming this and that–supporting this message and that message.  Each proclaiming the other guy is wrong, very wrong even scary wrong.

Since my city of Portland is right on the border with Washington State we get their commercials too–this can get confusing and annoying.

 

The whole system is like that. It’s not just the presidential candidates or the Democrats or Republicans, it’s all of them.  Honestly, I am happy the people in the flyer factory have jobs and the media people do too and really kudos to the postal service.  I know all this money must be stimulating someone somewhere….Right?

I can’t help but wonder in my simplistic way that perhaps all this money spent on this mania could be spent on something more worthy… 

For instance: feeding hungry children or repairing crumbling bridges. How about training programs for the unemployed? How about jobs…not just lip-service trickle down jobs that live solely in campaign speeches but real jobs…perhaps via public works programs? How about it?

How about money for schools? or for disaster relief? I can think of a million worthy causes…

If I saw a politician spending “hard-earned” PAC money to feed the hungry and damn the consequences, I would have respect for that person–I’d be downright impressed and I’d listen to what that person had to say–regardless of party. I think a lot of people would as well. I also think that people are more independently minded than others may give them credit for.

This kind of do-gooding could create a buzz that would bring in the media with free advertising; a win-win situation for almost everyone…except for the ones with the deep pockets…the donors..the movers and the shakers…the ones attached to all that cold hard cash.  I ran across a list of them, it is HERE

I’ve read that between the two major candidates six billion dollars will be spent on this election, a new record. I can’t help but wonder what good that kind of money could do.

I did a little research…and six billion dollars goes a long way…

In The United States:  All that money could buy 200,000 average-priced cars…22,059 average-priced houses or…with six billion dollars 69,940 students could attend college for four years.

6 billion could buy one month’s worth of food for over 9 million families of four.

2 billion children could buy a warm coat with that amount of money and 6 billion dollars could definitely buy the world a coke…I could go on and on but you get the picture.

As I write this we don’t know who the winner is yet, it’s too close to call…perhaps by the time you read this we’ll all know the outcome…

Either it will be this guy or that guy but no matter who it will be, we’ll face the same problems as a nation and as part of a bigger global community.

We need to work together to get it together and there is much work to be done.

HAPPY ELECTION DAY!

Strawberryindigo.

Related articles

• What’s Your Vote Worth? (beyondanomie.wordpress.com)
• 9 Incredible Campaign Money Stats (motherjones.com)
• US election: Toxic U.S. adverts show cash is poll poison (mirror.co.uk)
• 9 Wild Campaign Money Stats (alternet.org)

References:

2012  Presidential Campaign Finance Explorer (Washingtonpost.com)

Does big money spell big trouble in campaigns? ( CNN.com)

Cost of Average Home (www.census.gov)

What’s the price tag for a college education? (Collegedata.com)

Average cost of a 4 year University (USATODAY.com)

USDA cost of food Sept. 2012 ( USDA.gov)

Cost of food at home (USDA.gov)

∞

Fresh Quotes: November UNITY

It seems our world is more divided than ever. Is it that our basic human instinct is to exclude rather than include? Are we condemned to repeat mistakes of the past because we have this innate tribal mentality? This Us against Them streak  dominates our thinking.

Are we destined to only see the world in black or white?…blue or red?…this or that? left or right? Yes or no?

Or will we acknowledge the need to open our eyes to the whole spectrum of reality to all the colors?…not just the ones we can appreciate and see, but the one’s we do not see and especially the one’s we do not understand.

There are seven billion people on this planet: seven billion hearts and minds…and souls. And seven billion sides to a story, and in essence seven billion realities.

We are all unique individuals–each and every one of us, but we share a common thread that runs through us. We are all connected. I feel it. You probably feel it too.

We share this amazing fantastically beautiful life-giving planet with our fellow humans and all the lifeforms on Earth. This is our common cause.

We share so much and much of what we share is this need for unity.  Now more than ever…

Strawberryindigo.

“I believe in the essential unity of man and, for that matter, in all that lives.”

Mohandas K. Gandhi

“The essence of the beautiful is unity in variety.”

W.  Somerset Maugham

“Unity  is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be  achieved.”
Mattie  Stepanek

“The whole ocean is made of single drops.”

*Thomas Fuller*

“Every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin; and no town, no household divided against itself can stand.”

*Jesus*

“WE CAN FIND COMMON GROUND ONLY BY MOVING TO HIGHER GROUND.”

Jim Wallis

“A choir is made up of many voices, including yours and mine. If one by one all go silent then all that will be left are the soloists.

Don’t let a loud few determine the nature of the sound. It makes for poor harmony and diminishes the song.” 
Vera Nazarian

“It is not in our numbers but in unity that our great strength lies.”

Thomas Paine

“THERE IS NO THEY, ONLY US.”

(Anonymous)

Vote, Dammit.

A couple of weeks ago I spent a considerable amount of a beautiful autumn Saturday knee-deep and totally involved in the exciting and glamorous world of politics and intrigue, out there amongst The People. Me with ponytail and clipboard, voter registration cards and a friendly spunky smile with attitude…in my long-winded way I am saying that I was registering people to vote.

I know, the activism gig again. I can’t help it. I am a bit of a nut when it comes to well….a lot of things and one of them is democracy.  I am big on voting. It may sound corny but I am what I am and I had a blast!

Me with potential voters

True, there was some hard work involved but it was fun work. I got to meet so many interesting people! It was fantastic. Portland is such a quirky town and I savored all that quirky goodness.

I was just recently downtown and was ecstatic to be back. My turf was a section of The Portland Farmer’s Market at PSU. It is a lovely and lively place full of Farmer’s market type of people, college students and tourists.

If you are ever in Portland on a Saturday visit this place! It is full of good food and an eclectic and interesting mix of musicians and street performers all under beautiful trees in the south park blocks.

So there I was with a huge smile plastered on my face asking anyone and everyone who passed by if they wanted to register to vote. I found out that Portland, being the kind of town that it is, a lot of people have already registered and so it seemed more to me as if I was taking a poll than really helping anyone, but I was enjoying myself in the morning sun, talking to citizens about really how crappy the world is and laughing a lot.

Perhaps I was enjoying myself too much. An especially loud guffaw marked a change of tone just as old sourpuss entered stage left; apparently my spot was high on the list of appealing spots for do-gooders to stand. He made it clear through a series of looks, handshakes and innuendo that I was late on the scene; this was his spot.

“I’ve been here quite regularly. Several Saturdays in a row.” He told me.

His lips were moist and his breath reeked of old coffee. He stared at me with big bulbous fish eyes that quivered as he spoke. I’ve dealt with this kind before. I knew his type…

This was a prime spot–must be because of the close approximation to the coffee tent and Pine Street Biscuits which I hear is very good. I had a cute little grassy knoll with a street lamp to lean on. I liked the spot and I know this sounds a bit much but I wasn’t going to give it up without a fight!

I gave him one of those looks I sometimes give to my teenagers: it’s the “Don’t even try it or there will be hell to pay” look. I have perfected this and it never fails to work. Today was no exception. Mr Sourpuss moved on to the other end of the park. I would catch a blurry glimpse of him from time to time fueling up on coffee: he’s quite the drinker. He gave me a sourpuss smile. I beamed my bestest fake smile back, after all, aren’t we on the same side here?

These women had already registered but looked so fantastic I asked to take their picture.

I registered 12 people that day. Probably not a lot. Perhaps old SP made out better. I did however talk to a lot of people. I have found in my travels through life that we are more alike than different.

I talked to some independents, a smattering of Republicans (Blue State here) lots of Democrats (again Blue State) and a few alternatives; two leaning toward socialism and one anarchist. I was surprised by the number of people who choose the option not affiliated with any party.

Most of the people I talked to were articulate and engaged and passionate about our community at large. Many of us talked about how life was changing. We spoke of the economic downturn. I did not meet one person who hasn’t been affected.  Most were hopeful, but wary and many were confused. Everyone I talked to agreed on one thing: this partisan bickering fighting between the two major parties must stop if we are to move forward and fix what is wrong with the country, not to mention the world.

Our children will inherit what we have created.

I encountered some indifference, though not as much as I imagined. I didn’t try to sell anyone. I wasn’t aggressive. I represented myself with dignity. I was knowledgeable and engaged. I was polite to everyone and felt that I was an ambassador of sorts. Maybe not so much just to register people but to raise awareness about the importance of voting, because it is important. Many people have given up their lives for this right!

Too many….

So when THAT date rolls around, whether it be November 6th, 2012 or some other date, if you are fortunate to have the right to vote do me a favor, do yourself a favor, do your fellow citizens a favor and let your voice be heard.

VOTE, dammit.

One voice may be so quiet it is difficult to hear…keep adding voices and it becomes a roar of a sound that cannot be put asunder…

“Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt

BEST WISHES,

Strawberryindigo.

“It is better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don’t want and get it”

Eugene V. Debs