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Monday, November 29, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Who’s Walking The Walk?
Well, it’s pretty much official in all voting precincts now; the winners and the losers. And what the “talking heads” think about it all. Them – and the Monday morning quarterbacks.
But it’s not really all that newsy when you think about it. When you’re playing a win
-lose game, it’s all pretty much the same in the end; there will be winners and there will be losers. The former will do certain unsurprising things as will the latter.
So what’s new? What is most predictable is that there will be a lot of “them- ing;” – my new word for finger pointing. And, not nearly enough “me-ing” -- another new verb I offer the English language, particularly as spoken in the United States. Gloria, my best day-by-day critic and purveyor of inspiration, offers another suggestion, “How about “US-ing?” she quipped this morning.
Almost everyone around recognizes we are in a crisis here in the U.S.A.. A crisis we had hoped might be turned to the good by Obama. Even those of us, like myself, who were too jaded by Washington politics to put much faith in a change of administration.
I, for one, would have been joyfully surprised, if he could have pulled it off. Nonetheless, to date this has been a pie in the sky dream; Obama as another Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr. The let down brings to my mind an old ‘70s tee shirt I wore until it was practically in shreds: It read – “I have abandoned my search for reality and am now looking for a good fantasy.”
Joking aside, I know – “not know about, but know it,” to borrow an expressed stance of Murat’s -- that lying somewhere between reality and imagination, there are realistic models abounding that can get us to peace. Win-win ways of living life on this planet. Lots of folks (including myself and my supporters) have been developing, polishing and re-polishing them for decades.
Many of these models even have thousands of years of people living in peace (relatively) behind them. As does the New Horizons Small “Zones of Peace” model. The New Horizons Small “Zones Of Peace” Project has one to offer that’s been evolving for close to forty years.
And, that doesn’t even begin counting in the teacher and mentors that came before it. I promise that our model “works, if you work it.” I know because I have lived it. Not nearly enough, however. Or, with enough people. But enough to know that peace, day-by-day can be a win-win reality.
Have you got a peace action model that works? And, the leadership, support – and – commitment to guide it? Tell us about it here, if you do.
Please!
Put your money where your mouth is. No more “them-ing.” And, “me-ing” isn’t enough!
Not even your prayers, solitary or communal, are enough. The call now is for action; people together action – grassroots action, small "zones of peace: action. We cannot rely on our leadership! Isn't that the reality as you know it?
Let’s go for the “us-ing.” We, the “silent majority,” have no need to remain silent, complaining or passive. Sue and I – and – our friends and supporters are now moving into action through our New Horizons Small “Zones Of Peace” approach.
How about you? Anastasia In the mountains on a chilly, dreary day.
But it’s not really all that newsy when you think about it. When you’re playing a win
-lose game, it’s all pretty much the same in the end; there will be winners and there will be losers. The former will do certain unsurprising things as will the latter. So what’s new? What is most predictable is that there will be a lot of “them- ing;” – my new word for finger pointing. And, not nearly enough “me-ing” -- another new verb I offer the English language, particularly as spoken in the United States. Gloria, my best day-by-day critic and purveyor of inspiration, offers another suggestion, “How about “US-ing?” she quipped this morning.
Almost everyone around recognizes we are in a crisis here in the U.S.A.. A crisis we had hoped might be turned to the good by Obama. Even those of us, like myself, who were too jaded by Washington politics to put much faith in a change of administration.
I, for one, would have been joyfully surprised, if he could have pulled it off. Nonetheless, to date this has been a pie in the sky dream; Obama as another Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr. The let down brings to my mind an old ‘70s tee shirt I wore until it was practically in shreds: It read – “I have abandoned my search for reality and am now looking for a good fantasy.”
Joking aside, I know – “not know about, but know it,” to borrow an expressed stance of Murat’s -- that lying somewhere between reality and imagination, there are realistic models abounding that can get us to peace. Win-win ways of living life on this planet. Lots of folks (including myself and my supporters) have been developing, polishing and re-polishing them for decades.
Many of these models even have thousands of years of people living in peace (relatively) behind them. As does the New Horizons Small “Zones of Peace” model. The New Horizons Small “Zones Of Peace” Project has one to offer that’s been evolving for close to forty years.
And, that doesn’t even begin counting in the teacher and mentors that came before it. I promise that our model “works, if you work it.” I know because I have lived it. Not nearly enough, however. Or, with enough people. But enough to know that peace, day-by-day can be a win-win reality.
Have you got a peace action model that works? And, the leadership, support – and – commitment to guide it? Tell us about it here, if you do.
Please!
Put your money where your mouth is. No more “them-ing.” And, “me-ing” isn’t enough!
Not even your prayers, solitary or communal, are enough. The call now is for action; people together action – grassroots action, small "zones of peace: action. We cannot rely on our leadership! Isn't that the reality as you know it?
Let’s go for the “us-ing.” We, the “silent majority,” have no need to remain silent, complaining or passive. Sue and I – and – our friends and supporters are now moving into action through our New Horizons Small “Zones Of Peace” approach.
How about you? Anastasia In the mountains on a chilly, dreary day.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Morning After (Election Day)
Goodness gracious, I'm glad all that hostile, combative, intense polarizing is over. At least for today. Now everybody, or a lot of people, want to make nice. Can we, at least, catch our breath.
For my part, holding onto an intention to reach the peak of that Mountain of Awe – and – getting it together on ground level have been far from simple tasks for me these past few months.
Oh, my! Oh, my!
The NYC mosque controversy and mid-term elections were enough to fog up my window on community development as well as my visionary proclivities. As captain of this ship of fools, if that’s what we be -- (I don’t think so, but sometimes I wondered in my moments of feeling at a loss for direction these past few months) -- -- yesterday’s election results, creepy as the whole pre-election ordeal was, gave us what we have needed out here to come up with a worthy plan for our next best efforts.
Elegant solutions won again where we are, at least, for one more round.
We’ve -- my first mate, Sue and I -- found the clearing through which to blaze our next peace action trail. I'd been hunting, but WE've got it now, I believe. Stay tuned in.
More to follow. I will keep you posted as developments unfold. From Anastasia
In the mountains ,as the days grow shorter and the temperature colder. Brrr.
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