Action is the Antidote

“Call to Action!”

When those three words pop up in an email or a Facebook post, I am ready to devour the message and see what I can do. Taking action means I am doing something positive to help reduce or erase a problem or situation. Taking action means I am not helpless or powerless.

Last weekend, I got up from my computer and took action, marching with Inaugurate Compassion, a group that was organized and galvanized on Facebook.  Our march was a “Peaceful action of compassionate solidarity with the causes and communities under duress in the emerging political climate.”

It took place in downtown Bakersfield from a parking lot on L Street to the Liberty Bell in front of the courthouse. Approximately two hundred folks took part, all of us concerned about the welfare of our community and the impending forecast for the direction our nation is heading. Because of the solidarity shown and the speeches by spokespersons of compassionate community organizations, my heart was lightened and my spirits buoyed. I’d become filled with ideas of additional ways to take action.

Sometimes we forget it is still our country. WE, the people. As last Saturday’s rally crowd chanted, “The people, united, can never be divided.” We’ve believed that before. That’s how we got to be the United States of America.

It’s still true today. Activists, patriots, have never forgotten this even though many of the rest of us got comfy and sat back, rested on our own laurels and enjoyed the privileges others fought for on the front lines. I sure did.

Taking action is a good thing, an invigorating thing. We feel less helpless if we can DO something. So much is happening in our country and world we can’t sit still and complain or stick our heads in the sand. It’s our job as citizens to act.

What can I do, you ask? Help out with seniors, foster youth, homeless people, or your family members who may be struggling. Support businesses and products that reflect your values. Resist tyranny, the unrestrained exercise or abuse of power. Call and write your government representatives and officials --  local, state, and national –- and tell them what you, their constituent, want them to do. Voice your opinion in letters to the editor of your newspaper. Be a good neighbor. 

Get involved in your neighborhood school.  Your kids are grown or don’t live in your city? No matter; you will be living in the society run by those kids who are now in school. It’s in your best interest to help insure their academic success. Volunteer to read with kids, tutor in math, or share your life experience in a classroom.

Many things are out of our control. But we do have control over what we will do to help preserve our democracy and make our country and world places where every person has a chance to live and thrive.

 “It falls to each of us to be those anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy; to embrace the joyous task we’ve been given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.  Because for all our outward differences, we all share the same proud title:  Citizen.” Barack Obama, in his farewell address to the American people, January 10, 2017.

We are all responsible. What can you do? One resource I find helpful is Wall-of-Us. 

~ xoA ~

Preschoolers ‘Get It’

Seventeen faces lit up and a low buzz began when I entered Classroom A at Fairfax Head Start Center. My mission was to read to the children. It’s Dr. Seuss week. Taking part in this event was something I’d wanted to do, but it never seemed to fit into my schedule. The children sat in a small space at the front of the room, where teacher, Miss Maggie, was finishing a lesson. Seventeen musial voices greeted me in unison, “Good morning, Miss Annis.” They had me right then.

The day before, I immersed myself in the charming, narrow picture books at our main library. It was hard to choose from the crammed-full shelves that lined the walls, wound around corners, and filled in the nooks. So, I went to a favorite from when my own children were young, Ezra Jack Keats’s Whistle for Willie, and also decided on an Elmer the Patchwork Elephant book called Elmer and Butterfly by David McKee.

The third book I read, Herbert the Snail by Cheryl Brown, came from one of those free-standing Little Libraries on our neighborhood walk route.

Before lining up in pairs to go to the decorated reading area outside, the children donned their red-and-white-striped Dr. Seuss hats. The hats, freeform replicas with strips of construction paper and a headband that displayed their names, made everyone look like miniature Seusses.

They gathered on the colorful round tarp and sat at my feet, their hats bobbing until they focused on me when I was ready to start. And, with a minimum of fidgeting, this little group of three-and-four-year-olds sat quietly, answered my questions, and asked their own pertinent questions.

Reading in appropriate voices, with the book facing out to display the pictures, I felt the familiar thrill of introducing new experiences, thoughts and vocabulary. I felt the warmth of all these sunny faces looking up at me. The children’s reactions, smiles, hugs, and sweet good-byes filled my heart.

As I drove away, I remembered how the adults we come in contact with every day were once like these little ones -- inquisitive, helpful, caring, displaying good behavior. That means it’s in their nature. It reminds me that good qualities reside in each of us. While that’s evident in many folks, we may have to search in others. But if we take time to look for the good, we’ll find it.

~ xoA ~

So Others May Eat

The older, mostly-female crowd emerged from the dim passageway into the light of the courtyard of La Parroquia, the parish church of San Miguel de Allende. Some shuffled in, some walked with canes, some held onto the arms of friends and daughters. These deeply-weathered, elderly women and men are among those perched daily on steps or street sidewalks, selling small sacks of pepitas or gum or little items as a way to help their families survive. 

Many had walked miles to be at the Wednesday lunch provided by So Others May Eat (S.O.M.E.) As they passed through the courtyard, already set up with colorful, cloth-covered tables, we and the other volunteers of the day greeted them. 

Judy and I continued our job of chopping bagged romaine lettuce into shreds; it would garnish the soup. Several other volunteers lined the walkway, shaking hands, smiling, and welcoming the folks. Bypassing the tables, they filed into one of the rooms that opened onto the courtyard for prayers and songs.

 We helpers continued with our prep work. This day, two men slathered bean paste on halved bolillos then topped them with chopped tomatoes and cheese.

Another person cut limes in half and set one in each blue plastic bowl along with a white spoon. The cooks carried large covered pots out to the work table. Lifting the wide lids, curious volunteers discovered a pasta soup in clear broth, Spanish rice, broccoli, mole sauce and stewed chicken feet. 

 

A young man who had been over-seeing the operation came out of the kitchen and served up one plate. This was the example so we could see the quantity and the plate presentation. 

We’d only heard about this luncheon the weekend before from our friend and former San Miguel neighbor, Pam. The owners of The Spa-Hotel Casa del Misionero, who sponsor this benefit lunch, have been doing it each Wednesday since 1989 with the help of volunteers. So, on our last full day in our beloved San Miguel, we’d walked over to La Parroquia to see how we could be of service.

While we stood ready to help when the serving began, more people came in and sat at the tables. They seemed to know where to land because, as Pam explained, there is a seating protocol that’s strictly followed. The eldest sit at the first table, which is one of several that are beneath a shady, roofed area; they are served first. The rest also sit according to age, with the youngest in the uncovered section at the end of the courtyard. 

After the lengthy ceremony ended and everyone was finally seated, the group sang one or two more songs. Then, a blessing was said, signaling the volunteers into action filling cups with tea. Judy began ladling soup into bowls held by another volunteer who added the lettuce garnish. Two runners delivered and served the filled bowls to the eager diners.

I scrambled to ready more bowls and find extra spoons when it looked as though we were about to run out. An extra table had been set up to accommodate the overflow of people who needed to be fed.

High-pitched laughter and multiple conversations filled the air, creating a carefree atmosphere. What a difference nourishing food, moments of respite, and genuine caring make.

Hearts warmed, Judy and I both felt grateful for the opportunity to help even a little.

Giving back feels good. I would love to read your story of giving back. So, feel free to share it in the comments section, in an email, or on Facebook.

~ xoA ~

Harvest Lunch

We stood in line for veggies. In my younger days, when I was cultivating a close personal relationship with at least twenty-five of Baskin-Robbins’s 31 Flavors, never did I imagine eagerly awaiting a luncheon harvested from the gardens of friends and neighbors. But, the annual Harvest Lunch in Coos Bay is irresistible. It’s a perfect introduction to some vegetables that folks may never have tasted -- or ones they might feel hesitant to cook at home. 

For seven years now, the Southwest Community Garden Association and Chef Jardin Kazaar of Black Market Gourmet have cooked up a bounteous vegetable feast that’s worth standing in line to get.

Master gardeners provide the produce from their community garden plots and from their own home gardens as well. Kristen and Jardin Kazaar and their staff prep all the food and transport it, along with their portable grill and other catering gear, and orchestrate the whole event.

Patrons pour out of downtown offices and businesses, hustling to Ladybug Landing, the site of the original community garden in this area. Today, four additional community gardens thrive in nearby towns throughout Coos County. 

 Walking down our hill to the garden, Judy and I found our friend Karen (who is also one of the community garden founders) greeting everyone. A number of our buddies already had gathered. About half had just worked out together at the fitness center’s morning classes. For some of us, it was the chance to get together with folks whom we’d not yet seen this summer.

We helped ourselves to homegrown leaf lettuce with cherry tomatoes, drizzling Black Market Gourmet’s delicious, from-scratch raspberry vinaigrette over the top. Next, a marinated salad of yellow squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes awaited. We made our way down the line, where Jessica and Chef Jardin heaped our plates with rice and curry and a stir-fried vegetable mélange containing an assortment of greens, eggplant, squash, onions, green beans, and whatever else the master gardeners had harvested. It was colorful, gorgeous and delicious! And, healthy.

This event is one more opportunity for community bonding. We get to take in the lovely fall garden surroundings and soak up the beauty and peacefulness of the garden. One thing I loved was seeing all the people seated on bales of hay amongst the raised beds in the garden proper, visiting and eating.

Designated “runners” dashed in to pick up lunch for their co-workers. These angels swooped in and carted away stacks of take out cartons. Someone in line said, “We’ve been waiting all year for this!”

But, it wasn’t all veggies. Dessert was a mixture of freshly-picked berries cascading over a yummy, local vanilla ice cream. (Eat your heart out, Baskin-Robbins!). It was a perfect ending to the Harvest Lunch of 2012.

Now we wait, already anticipating next year.

~ xoA ~

Leaving our Footprints on San Miguel

"Take only pictures; leave only footprints."

~ Girl Scouts of America

But, when people enter or land on any place, we cannot help but have an effect. We leave something behind or cause some kind of reaction, no matter how careful we are. Often the resulting change is planned and beneficial.

How have the people affected this place? That question is the second part of geography’s theme of ‘place. ‘ No matter the location, depending on one’s point of view, both positive and negative effects occur.

Specifically in San Miguel, increased tourism and the lure of ex-pats has put more money into the economy.  There is a greater demand for services and goods, such as hotels, restaurants, entertainment, and stores. Building construction increased, providing employment opportunities, but real estate prices have escalated, sending land and homes out of the price range of many natives.

While out on a photo expedition, Judy came upon the stall of a belt vendor in the Artesanos’ Mercado. Having been his customer on more than one occasion, they have developed a relationship. She stopped to say hello and to see if, perhaps, names of places she’d been photographing might show up on some of the post cards in his shop. She explained what she was looking for in Spanish, English, and sign language. The old man bent to a low shelf beneath some of his wares and brought out a handful of other cards he’d had tucked away. He must have thought she wanted to share photos and explained, in Spanish and sign language,  that these old cards were photos taken before, when the horizon was clear and the surrounding hillsides were bare except for vegetation.

Nowadays, looking out from any San Miguel rooftop, we observe that the hillsides are bursting with the colors of newly-constructed casas and compounds. On our forays into many areas of the city, we see and hear the remodels in progress and often stop to marvel at the design and beauty.

Changes in the landscape are not the only footprints being left behind. Programs through the Biblioteca and other entities are making inroads in filling societal needs. Judy has taken part in St. Paul Church’s Mattress Project, which benefits children and elderly women who would otherwise sleep on dirt floors in small countryside villages. In addition, this project helps the environment by recycling thousands of specially-twisted plastic grocery bags to stuff each mattress.

The Biblioteca’s House and Garden Tours sell out every Sunday, funding educational projects and scholarships for local children. We’ve heard more this trip about other programs that advocate on behalf of women, feed the hungry, and care for the terminally ill.

We can choose the impact we make on a place, whether we’re visiting or whether it’s our home. It can be great or small. But, we know that wherever we go, we leave a bit of ourselves. Our goal is to leave a positive impact on San Miguel in order to preserve it for our own and others’ future enjoyment.

What kind of impact are you making on your 'place'?

~ xoA

The Gift of Life

Blood. It's not just for Halloween.

More than 20 years ago I became a blood donor -- something I’d never imagined I’d do. But, one thing that inspired me was a book I’d read,  Eric, by Doris Lund. It was a mother’s story about her vibrant, teenaged son who was diagnosed with leukemia and his and the family’s journey through the illness.

Lund educated her readers on the importance of giving blood. She painted a portrait of the blood donor as a hero. She portrayed the blood bank and hospital personnel as ever-so-cheery and appreciative, supplying donuts and other treats for donors. By the time I’d read the last page, she almost had me convinced to go down to our local blood bank and donate.

Then, something more personal happened. A teacher friend came to the house one day. Distraught and worried, she told about a friend of hers who needed blood transfusions. This woman had been diagnosed with breast cancer early in her pregnancy and had recently given birth. The pregnancy had exacerbated the cancer. Now there were some complications. If they could roust some blood donors, that would offset the cost to the family. Several of us began telephoning other friends and colleagues, and we were quickly mobilized.
 

That was the start of my relationship with the good folks at Houchin Community Blood Bank, hcbb.com, where I regularly donated blood for many years. Since 2001, my own health issues prohibited me from further blood donations, but today, my goal is to support the blood bank in whatever way I can. So, I am using this forum to make a pitch.

On October 20, from 5-8 p.m., my branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) is partnering with Houchin Blood Bank for a blood drive and evening social. We need donors to sign up in order to make this event a "go." If you, or your family members, friends, or neighbors, have thought about giving back to our community, donating blood is a great way. Who knows whose life your blood may save. 
 

Our blood drive and evening social is also a great time to become better acquainted with the AAUW mission and to learn about our work in Kern County, helping girls and women to have economic and educational opportunities.

This is an event for non-members as well as members. Light refreshments will be served. Gift cards from some favorite local eateries will be drawn as door prizes each half hour beginning at 5:30. Please call ahead to organizer Erin Hawkins at 661-706-9269 to inform her of your commitment to being there.

Come on over to Houchin Community Blood Bank on Truxtun Avenue between 5 and 8 on Thursday the 20th of October. What could be better than having a good time while helping to build up our county’s blood supply. Neighbors helping neighbors. If you reside outside of Bakersfield, maybe you’ll consider getting over to your local blood bank and donating. It’s a satisfying feeling to give the gift of life.

~ xoA ~

Raise your Hand

Just last week, I took part in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in Bakersfield. Our amazing, dedicated ten-woman team contributed over $34,450 to the more than $2 million dollars the event raised. We were proud as can be, and the euphoria that broke out when the total was announced pumped us up even more. There was jumping, screaming, hugging, back-clapping, and the prevailing yell, “We DID it!” Already united in the cause, our feelings of one-ness intensified in those moments.

There’s something magical about working on a project to help others. We feel we can make a difference in our community and in the world. Some are making that difference as they volunteer at homeless shelters or food banks. Some tutor in community adult literacy projects. 

Within their organizations, some find ways to provide opportunities for under-served populations. My AAUW branch sponsors several girls who are entering 8^th grade at Tech Trek, a week-long, residential science and math camp held on the CSU Fresno campus. 

Supported by their workplace values of community involvement, some employees mentor youngsters through local schools or other community activities.

Hands fly up in classrooms when the teacher says, “I need a volunteer.” It’s our nature, even as children, to help. We want to be a part of something outside of ourselves.

In varying degrees, we all crave the feeling of community, of belonging, of being valued. When we contribute our time and effort to a cause, we give and we receive.

Tell us about a way you’ve become involved in your community. Seeing what you’re doing may urge others to action.

~ xoA