The Morning After, Part II

Divide and blame is the wrong game for America.  The path of “elegant solutions” wins my vote.

My way or the
highway!

Imagine that you are the child of divorcing parents. How is taking sides going to be helpful for your growth and development? Please take a good look, if you think otherwise. You may not be right. (Or you might be right and me be wrong.)

Divisiveness is not going to help our country get on track!  

Differences of opinion? Yes!

Standing up for what you believe and what you hold to be true? Yes!

Excess reactivity? No!

Taking sides in a divorce, if you are the kid, might not work. Same deal about the “morning after” Election 2012.

We, as voters, are not to be like the children of divorced parents, divided in two, pulled between sides, or, not, at least, unless we want things that way. We’ve got to, somehow, personally, be a part of solutions, not the problems. Whatever does that mean for you?

Here’s some guidelines from my formula –

• Be clearheaded about what you can do, personally, to help us get out of the tangles we are in;
• Make careful, well thought out decisions about what you can do to help find the way to the best possible path forward, on your own and with others;
• Always do your personal best to head for the high road, no matter what you face.

I don’t recall too terribly much about the mornings after Election, 2008 when Barack Obama became the American hope for tomorrow. As I was, at the time, right in the midst of packing for an extended trip to South America, I was not particularly caught up in much of the election aftermath.  As it turned out, however, that trip brought me a great deal of clarity about where I stood as an American with Barack Obama as president.

Out of that trip was born the Possible Human, Possible Society Study because I really wanted to know how I and we, Americans, were going to support the platform of a new American dream to back up Obama’s vision.  In other words, who was going to really be walking the walk and who was, instead, going to just be a talker about the new America, hanging on the coattails of this next possible Messiah?

On landing in Ecuador, I recall being happy and hopeful that we had an African American soon to take office.  The idea seemed to bode well for America’s progress; the prospect held promise, I thought. I had my doubts, however, that this somewhat, seemingly over-confident, inexperienced  in the ways of Washington, but highly charismatic idealist, could truly carry through and deliver what he promised.  Of course, my healthy skepticism turned out to be quite right.

Obama could not deliver all that he promised, but what about us? What did we want to see of ourselves that would support Obama’s  2008 election win? What did we want to see happen? And, how much of our hoped for outcome was our own personal responsibility, not only that of our being carried to some promised land by a Messiah?

Dismayed at what seemed to be a premature Nobel prize for Obama, I sat back and watched as the walls of his Jericho (and our’s) came tumbling down.  Washington had not changed too terribly much over the years since I had first come to it. Playing the D.C. game still required a certain kind of finesse; actually artistry, if you will. And, Barack Obama was far and away, not an artiste.

But what about you, and me, and our personal responsibilities? Did we, somehow, get off the hook for the hoped for results to be gained or the lack thereof? I think not.

I hope you think not, too, and will be taking your own inventory, about things being the way they are, presently, and for our future.

Some people have worked really hard these past four year to support a new, positive American identity while some sat themselves comfortably on the fence, observing the action and letting the next guy put out the effort. Some haven’t even climbed up far enough to take a careful look at what is going on around them and how changing some of their ways might help us all.

In early 2009, after I had returned to the United States from my sojourn to South America and designed New Horizons’ Possible Human, Possible Society Study, I had the suspicion that, as a collective, we might be heading into a human foibles set-up that I labeled the “Messiah failed me/us. Let’s now crucify him” syndrome.

But here we are a handful of mornings after Election, 2012 with Barack Obama assured of his renewed lease for living at 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. In the midst of this I am hoping you are shining some light on your own self, now, to find out what you can do to reach across that aisle of divisiveness that separates us from one another and do something different from here forth to help build our national unity, even if only with your neighbors.

And, if you are living within the one hundred mile radius of the White House and haven’t yet decided on your next right actions in the realm of “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” how about participating in our Possible Human, Possible Society Study and letting us know, at least, what you are thinking about for –

“Your vision for a healthfully functioning U.S.A.”

We will pass on some of what you tell us to help inspire others as our study has been doing, already, still in our beginning stages. (Deadline for data gathering completion, December 31, 2015.)

Mountains to climb, vistas to view

New Horizons’ (Almost Annual) Veterans’ Day hike

There are mountains to climb, vistas to view and so we did just that on Sunday, November 11 in honor of Veterans' Day.

The hearty of New Horizons, once again, made that trek high up into the mountains of Harpers Ferry National Park to honor our vetarans. Taking pause to remember and give thanks, we visited the Civil War encampment, climbed to the Maryland Heights Overlook, looking over the historical town of Harpers Ferry and, took a respite with the many others similarly inclined on this almost perfect Indian summer day.




At the joining of two rivers; the Potomac and Shenandoah:
"a view worth a voyage of a thousand miles," said
Thomas Jefferson



And, North (Face) meets
South (Butt).

We pause and give
thanks.







Finally, close to five hours later, devoted friend, Linda, lifts
we weary day warriors back to where we began at
the New Horizons Harpers Ferry Retreat Center,
a work in progress, if there ever was one.








Back In The Saddle

Oh, so glad that election is over, so wearied of the race for the occupancy of the White House. Much relieved to know who will take the reins for the leadership of our country.

Now what? If each one of us can now securely seat ourselves in our own saddles of choice, to where do we head?

Like everyone else,  New Horizons has needed to ride with the pack and get ourselves down to the “ole election booth to be appropriately in the game.

Election campaigning, Hurricane Sandy, a few leaks in the roof – and – now very much needing to stand back, take a pause and re-group to keep pace with all the changes.

Today, on the mountain,  the sun shines, the birds vy for eating space at their feeder and I, Anastasia, am looking to find the next best trails for re-engagement for New Horizons.  It is a bit tricky for me, today, as Sue, my astute collaborator, is off on her own new trail, moving into her dream house with her husband, Paul, over the coming week and into Thanksgiving

Nonetheless, here are some of what you can expect from us, as the holidays come and go and the New Year beckons. Hurricane season will abate, God willing, and the end of the world, according to the Mayan calendar will either affect our plans or not.

• Long overdue Peace Buddy of the Month Profiles, beginning with a story about our much appreciated, wise, dedicated and respected volunteer, Jim French;
• Possible Human, Possible Society Study reports, with the now added benefit of perspectives derrived from the election just passed;
• Tips on how real deal Peace Buddies carry their load that might inspire your own activities;  
• Stories on how New Horizons is contributing to our “possible society in motion;”
• Updates about the availability of the soon–to-be-published in hardback, Ahmsta Kebzeh: The Science of Universal Awe, Volume II, by our mentor, Murat Yagan and our contribution to it.
• Links that will tell you how you can make your tax deductible contribution to our fundraising efforts.

And whatever else show ups next.

We are back in the saddle again.

Our Brave New World

(Also posted at: http://anastasiastoryteller.blogspot.com/

Well here we are, at last, the brave new world fought so hard to reach.

Now be thankful. And, then next?

But now that we have arrived, what comes next?

We are the fighters that, like the Arab Spring, have been victorious in our crossing over to a new way of living. That is, if we are wise in the choices we make from here forth. After all, living the life of a winner is more than just crossing the finish line in the race to get there.

What comes next on the morning after and the ones after that.

What can we learn from other similar victories on this planet of our's? Has victory in politics been enough? What comes next?

So far, we have made just one, major, right choice, electing Obama and not that yukky Mitt Romney. My choice was really for the Democratic party instead of the Republican. Your’s was for whatever your choice meant for you.

Now what? I think to pause and be thankful, take a breath.

Dreams come true, but what is the vision? Your vision, my vision, our vision?

What is your vision for a healthfully functioning U.S.A.?

What does it look like? And, how does it work?

Game changer? Or not.

Our Overcoming (Community) Polarization kickoff event project has been announced. Check out this link for details.

So now what?

And the question
is.....?

I asked myself that question this morning after the flurry of activity to get this striking official announcement out into cyberspace, print and broadcast media etc. etc.

Interesting.

Next, back and forth email conversations revealed the fact that, perhaps, New Horizons was flying almost solo when it came to having any agenda at all that this event, billed as a kickoff to air the problems of polarization in our local community, Frederick County, Maryland, might be anything at all by way of being a game changer.

Sue and I thought it intriguing that others, having a stake in the program, didn't care one way or the other if anything changed as a result. Well, I asked myself, why bother talking?

We got involved in order to offer our best, as an organization, to building that vision of the Possible Human, Possible Society.

Could it be that others want only to keep talking the talk?

Not really interested in taking the time to walk that “real deal” walk?

Very interesting said I, Anastasia, Super Sleuth, "Talking versus walking. Umm."

That's pretty much what we experienced being the rule, rather than the exception, from our Abkhazian Dinner backlash. One guest reported being verbally abused by another with a racial assault. The “victim” was traumatized. The apparent perpetrator blamed the victim (and New Horizons and me, personally) for being disturbed. And, her friends who had originally invited her to this Season For Non-violence event walked away still wondering --
"How is it possible that 6.9 billion people can all claim to want the same thing (peace, security, opportunity, prosperity, happiness, and love) and be singularly unable to get it"? Neale Donald Walsch

Oh, well, there it was again; the talking versus the walking.

Our Abkhazian Dinner event – and the upset that followed -- became a game changer; a turning point for New Horizons, our Possible Human, PossibleSociety Study and myself. Not in quite the way we had anticipated from a Season For Non-violence sponsored event, but a turning point, no less.

A teachable moment, actually a series of them, had occurred. In some ways, we learned more through our immersion in this moment about "real deal" community unity builders than we might have with only our study to inform our data gathering. In the game instead of watching and analyzing the game. Umm. Good for growing, but challenging, being a part of the action on the field.

I have pondered this unpredicted turn, of late, as it came about from Abkhazian Dinner, concluding that circumstances such as those that arose from that event may not be, so much about the absence of yearning for an unknown something better, but people not really having a concrete vision of how we could be as a possible society in motion -- and the skills to bring that vision about. After all, no real blood was actually shed.

Sometimes, actually most of the time, people see things from different angles; what is big to one may be tiny to another. In this case the more subtley oriented, like my board members, the more attuned guest that we shared the incident with and myself,  saw that we had just encountered an unhealed piece of our mid-1800s civil war; the piece about racial respect and dignity.

In terms of this next coming event and the possiblities for it to open any doors to creating anything to actually overcome polarization in Frederick County, Maryland, we know we will just show up, offer our best and, again, as Dore, my favorite fish in "Finding Nemo" suggests, “Just keep swimming." 

Or, as Pastor George, urged of his congregation that did its successful turn around with our help, “Just keep talking.” And, so we will.

Overcoming Polarization, Hood College, Tuesday October 30th 2012, 6pm to 9pm

Event Announcement: Overcoming (Community) Polarization

.

Overcoming (Community) Polarization

A Roundtable Event

The Date:        Tuesday, October 30^th 2012

The Time:        6pm to 9pm

The Venue:      Hood College - Whitaker Campus Commons

             Sponsored by: Engaged Citizen
Envision Frederick
Hood College
New Horizons – Small Zones of Peace Project
Rockwood Brown Communications

             Moderator:     Pattee Brown – President of Rockwood Brown Communications & Radio Host of WFMD’s Frederick’s Forum

The Panel:       David Brinkley – Maryland State Senator

Sharon Dobson – President of the Frederick County Women’s
                             Commission

            Steve Gottlieb – Chair of the Republican Central Committee

Dr. Syed Haque – President of the United Maryland Muslim Council &
                             Writer for FNP

            Linda Hardman – Executive Director of CALM Frederick County

            Myrna Whitworth – Chair of the Democratic Central Committee

The Opening Speaker:  Michael Corrigan –
                                      Author of Exposing America’s  Secret Civil War