a day
Today started early, and then I forgot my lunch. But don't worry, it got better from there. I'd been kind of anxious about going back to the toy library after the holiday break, because sometimes I feel at loose ends, given that I have no baby of my own, and it's quite competently staffed without me, plus my lack of language skills, but today ended up being a really nice, relaxed time. Yet another example that relationships take time to build, and things do get easier with time. Time is my magic ingredient. One little girl turned one last week, and anyone who has known anyone just after they turned one can imagine how adorable she is, I'm sure. It is so beautiful to see mothers and children interacting like that.
At lunch I went to another cold, cold vigil on a street corner about this bi-annual arms fair that's coming to town. The wind was bitter, though walking beside the river on my way to said vigil was just sunny and gorgeous (the old docks were all rotten and covered with this deeply green algae, so striking!)
In the afternoon I boldly struck out on my quest to research successful examples of community integration across lines of self-segregation. Does anyone have any leads in this area? (Please? Please? Pretty please?)
This evening Kathy and I gave our first presentation on our delegation to people who don't know what CPT is. It's always hard to say, but I think it went well. It was just unfortunate because our presentation itself was stunningly sympathetic to every "side," but one woman arrived late, and so only experienced the activites we did at the end (at the request of this particular group), that highlighted some of the issues, but in a way that simplified the situation. And it just so happens that this woman's husband is Jewish, and so she was uncomfortable with the message the game brought home. We talked afterwards though, so I think we're all good there now. It was really unfortunate though, as aforementioned.
It struck me though, as I was trying to make real to this new group of people some of the crap millions of people are living with every hour of every day, that I have actually pretty much shut down my own thinking on such things in general. And I think it's because I can't keep living and being happy if I think about it all the time. It's kind of like not thinking about the number of nuclear weapons in the world. And terrible though it may sound, I don't want to make myself think about it anymore than I have to. Hm...okay, I don't have any conclusions here. Just thoughts. Just more navel gazing. But I dunno, maybe your navels look kind of like mine some days?
On the train home there was a couple sitting across from us, and she was obviously pregnant. And it was beautiful to watch them interact in a non-precious-moments sort of way. They gave the sense of dirt under the fingernails and diamonds in the rough at the same time. They are one of my little glimpses of hope after a long day, which for me is a little glimpse of God.
At lunch I went to another cold, cold vigil on a street corner about this bi-annual arms fair that's coming to town. The wind was bitter, though walking beside the river on my way to said vigil was just sunny and gorgeous (the old docks were all rotten and covered with this deeply green algae, so striking!)
In the afternoon I boldly struck out on my quest to research successful examples of community integration across lines of self-segregation. Does anyone have any leads in this area? (Please? Please? Pretty please?)
This evening Kathy and I gave our first presentation on our delegation to people who don't know what CPT is. It's always hard to say, but I think it went well. It was just unfortunate because our presentation itself was stunningly sympathetic to every "side," but one woman arrived late, and so only experienced the activites we did at the end (at the request of this particular group), that highlighted some of the issues, but in a way that simplified the situation. And it just so happens that this woman's husband is Jewish, and so she was uncomfortable with the message the game brought home. We talked afterwards though, so I think we're all good there now. It was really unfortunate though, as aforementioned.
It struck me though, as I was trying to make real to this new group of people some of the crap millions of people are living with every hour of every day, that I have actually pretty much shut down my own thinking on such things in general. And I think it's because I can't keep living and being happy if I think about it all the time. It's kind of like not thinking about the number of nuclear weapons in the world. And terrible though it may sound, I don't want to make myself think about it anymore than I have to. Hm...okay, I don't have any conclusions here. Just thoughts. Just more navel gazing. But I dunno, maybe your navels look kind of like mine some days?
On the train home there was a couple sitting across from us, and she was obviously pregnant. And it was beautiful to watch them interact in a non-precious-moments sort of way. They gave the sense of dirt under the fingernails and diamonds in the rough at the same time. They are one of my little glimpses of hope after a long day, which for me is a little glimpse of God.
posted by dm at 10:35 PM
1 Comments:
"And terrible though it may sound, I don't want to make myself think about it anymore than I have to."
I don't think it sounds terrible. In fact, I think it's good. Acknowledging that the problems exist and thinking about them is one thing, it's another if you dwell on it and sink yourself into despair. No good every came from dwelling on negatives. Better to focus on positive solutions? Easier said than done, of course, but hope spurs more action than depression does. :P
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