In one week, I went to three water places.
I splashed cold water on my face this morning from my kitchen sink and I thought of its source, the Mckenzie river, and this reminded me of its source, Clear lake, and I remembered being there on my paddle board next to the burbling headwaters in the rocks when a bird landed and we sat for a while together with no one else around.
Let’s look at the places I went.
Dorena reservoir
Fern Ridge
Clear Lake
A clear, cold source, and even signs of beavers (chewed sticks)!
I like conversations where we come away feeling a little bit braver.
I had that, a phone conversation with someone and it was very relatable, productive, funny, encouraging, thought provoking.
We both felt more confident from it, no doubt about it.
Anything that makes me feel braver is the thing I need.
I’ve noticed people yell to make their point but I don’t think shouting works. At a recent town hall some of the crowd were almost holding pitchforks and torches and this was for the person on their side. They were angry. It makes me wonder how far does anger travel toward resolution? Does it increase participation and solutions or push people away from participating. I left early, I didn’t see a point in which to participate.
I got stung by a bee a few days ago that had crawled up my shirt sleeve and I couldn’t get it out before it stung me. I was pushing my bike, trying to cross a street and holding a matcha latte that I dropped due to flinging my arms around like one of those car dealership wind supplied floppy creatures.
Anyway, my sting is red, itchy, burning and hurts every time my handlebars vibrate from a bump in the road. It kind of reminds me of group anger. Irritable, reactive, single-minded.
I wonder if anger stops war. I understand feeling angry and fearful about war. I just don’t think yelling at each other makes way for helpful solutions toward peace.
What I see is blaming and finger pointing going in circles.
I can handle this briefly, then I can say, I have to go now (like a friend recently advised when in conflict that can’t be resolved, or you have reached your limit with trying).
I picked zinnias again, this time same as last, only me and the rooster in the garden.
I thought about confidence, elegance, because for one reason, I am watching Gentleman Jack and am now obsessed with Anne Lister.
I want more elegance, more upper-level thinking, language. Not snobbery, just elevated decency.
The main thing is we need to keep our wits about us and work at being unified, confident, brave, without yelling into rightness.
We did a democrat coffeehouse in Cottage Grove and since I was there early I walked around in the farmer’s market. There was a booth with poets offering to write poems so I asked for one and they said what is the subject and I said “zinnias” before thinking about it. So a couple hours later, I picked up the poem, typed onto a bit of paper.
Let’s help each other be a little bit brave.
