let kindness win

As summer has escalated, I am more grateful for these opportunities of reflection that WDRT community radio has provided me. You can listen in to “Consider This” every Thursday at 5:30 pm CST on 91.9 FM or by streaming live.

Here are the offerings of August. I hope you find them helpful and that they compel you to action. Best wishes for all.

Water The Great Equalizer

In the past ten years our Driftless Region has had two – so-called – 100-year floods. Our recent flood is leaving many, who live along creeks and waterways, questioning the sanity of rebuilding in the same location. It is hard to watch a lifetime of effort destroyed over night.

Water is the great equalizer. Next to air it is the greatest of our physical needs. It is estimated that a human being cannot live more than three days without water. So why are we so reluctant to protect it?

We live in a water plentiful area, but our geology in Vernon and surrounding counties holds potential problems that we cannot ignore. In scientific terms, we live in a “karst” region. This means we have porous underground that is made mostly of cave-like areas. This allows for the free flow of water, but also the free flow of contaminants.

America began a love affair with herbicides and pesticides with the advent of DDT in the 50’s. And while DDT was banned in 1972, the production and use of hazardous agri-chemicals continues.

Nitrates also pose problems for our water. And while it has been proven that rotational practices for animal grazing and diversity of crops have a positive effect on decreasing water contamination, too often our safety is jeopardized by political ignorance and a powerful ag lobby that promotes concentrated animal feed lots and the use of toxic contaminants.

Logic would tell us to protect our water sources from unnecessary and man-made pollution. Nature is enough for us to contend with – just ask the people whose homes and farms are emerging from the flood.

We have a right to clean water. We have a duty to ensure clean water for our next generations. We would be wise to pay attention to what is happening around us. Water is the great equalizer. It is precious and so are we. It is time we protect it.

Making a Living

In a recent town meeting, a gravel pit was discussed. The pit company offered $10,000 dollars as a gift to the community while asking to traverse a township road to reach a county highway. Questions came up immediately, “Is $10,000 enough to repair the road after the steady stream of trucks begins to break it down?” “What are the operating hours?” and “Will the constant rumbling of trucks and explosions disturb local residents?”

These are the answers given in reply: “Nobody lives on that road.” “The road is already in disrepair.” And then came the showstopper, “I wouldn’t want to stop a man from making a living.”

Hmmm, “I wouldn’t want to stop a man from making a living”…so for $10,000 dollars, a man, who is not a man, but is in fact a corporation, which, by the way, is not incorporated in the township or even in the county where the quote un quote “living will be made”. This gift of $10, 000 will allow a corporation, not a man, to create a nuisance for the land and the people who reside here.

This is the thinking that has nearly destroyed Trempealeau County and is on its way to destroy Jackson.

When does the right of a corporation to extract the resources of a land cease to become a right? How far are we willing to go in the destruction of pristine landscapes, corruption of water and wells, and the very real disruption of lives created by the illusion of “making a living.”?

There are many ways to make a living that do not create harm. I think it may be time we ask that of a man – or a woman – or a corporation. This is not a matter of money. This is a matter of dignity, decency and legacy.

Let us find the fortitude and good sense to stop or at least curtail the potential to cause harm. Perhaps it is time to create livelihoods that do not interfere with the happiness of those around us. Not only is it time; it is possible.

Line 61

Nimby is a catchy phrase that means NOT IN MY BACK YARD. It describes people who wake up to a problem when it directly affects them. An example would be the government claiming eminent domain on your dream home for a pipeline, transmission line, road, or other supposed necessity.

And as if commandeering your property was not enough, you learn that the company who acquired the rights to your land has had at least 800 recorded oil spills since 1999, including the largest in our history – at the Kalamazoo River. You learn that it is not merely oil but a chemically laced derivative called tar sands, and it makes cleaning up after inevitable leaks nearly impossible.

Ok, so it is not going through your land, but what if you learned that the world’s largest pipeline carries toxic tar sand oil right through the heart of Wisconsin?

And the company wants to triple the capacity of oil being transported from Lake Superior to Delevan, continuing on to southern refineries and likely sold on international markets, while Wisconsin carries the risk of contamination.

This is the story dwarfed by the sexier Keystone XL pipeline and of course the now famous stand at Standing Rock. It is the story of Line 61 and the proposed Line 66, which would run parallel to it.

But there is more, Enbridge, a Canadian Company, is also looking to continue running a pipeline through a national forest near Ashland. It is called Line 5 and it runs through ceded Native territory and under the Straits of Mackinac. A rupture here could impact two of the world’s largest fresh water lakes…

Maybe it’s time we go NIMBY in a big way. Maybe it’s time to recognize all land is our home and water is life. Maybe it’s time to say, “Keep it in the ground”, and work together to find better ways to fuel our world.

CAFO’S

During this past month here on “Consider this”, I have focused on issues in Wisconsin that are potentially corrupting our water, air and land. There is another very important issue facing our groundwater and air that is now coming under scrutiny. It is called the CAFO or Controlled Animal Feed Operation. These are not your mom and pop small sustainable farms these are mega industrial ag farms which confine over 1,000 animals “units” for more than 45 days in a year.

Wikipedia tells us that an animal unit is “an animal equivalent of 1000 pounds live weight and equates to 1000 head of beef cattle, 700 dairy cows, 2500 swine, 125,000 broiler chickens, or 82 thousand laying hens “.^[1]

Leaching and runoff of crop nutrients, pesticides, and animal wastes, are very real threats to our groundwater supplies. Many CAFO’s in Wisconsin are operating with expired permits. These permits are key to ensuring safe practices for elimination of waste in each CAFO.

Here are the facts from Sustain Rural Wisconsin: Raw, untreated manure from CAFOs can contaminate waterways through field runoff, spills, and cracks in confinement pits.

Over 150 gases are produced at factory farms from decaying manure, which can cause airborne diseases and unpleasant smells for local residents.

Factory farms have displaced independent, traditional farmers, weakened rural economies, and create unnatural environments for animals. Surely it is time for a moratorium on creating new CAFO’s in our state until such a time as we are ensured the safe practices and regulations of all existing CAFO’s.

This is the request of the organization called Sustain Rural Wisconsin. You can find these very important points and easy to follow toolkits at their very informative website: www.sustainruralwisconsin.org

There is an old saying that what you don’t know can’t hurt you. I’d like to think it is time we challenge that notion. Get the facts. Know what is hurting you.

 

It has been a very busy summer with flash floods and an incredible growing season. Thankfully I have had the opportunity to volunteer for WDRT’s programming and each Thursday at 5:30 CST, I am given a two minute window to speak out. Following are the four broadcasts of July. I hope you enjoy them.

Let’s Tell the Whole Story

Another Fourth of July has come and gone. We celebrate the birth of our country with beer and brats, fireworks and bravado. We lay claim to patriotism and salute the brave warriors who fought for independence. And we teach our children to be proud of their homeland.

Yet while we honor the fortitude and the vision of the founders of this country, perhaps we should recognize as well, those among us who are continuing the struggle to create a land of the free.

Today some of the greatest acts of love for this land and its people can be found in those who stand for clean water and our right to peace.

There are those among us who are refusing to diminish human dignity and are working towards prison reform, ending homelessness, forging fair and humane immigration policies, and are fighting to end human trafficking.

And let us not forget those engaged in the struggle to eradicate ideologies that promote separation and division. These battles are not waged with guns or any form of power. They are waged with love and respect and an unwavering commitment to peace.

These are not only heroes of our nation, but of our humanity.

Let’s teach our children the whole story. That July 4^th is but a mile marker in our long walk to create a world of peace and equality, affording everyone “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.

Hatred is Not Welcomed Here

Sometimes here in the Driftless I feel as though I am living through Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities.

My predominant experience is of people who care for and about one another and that we are a kind lot.

Yet what I witnessed the other day at the roundabout outside of Cashton, gave me pause. I was following a white truck through the circle to continue on towards Westby. Waiting to enter was an Amish horse and buggy being driven by two young men. The flashy white truck went into high gear as it passed the sitting buggy, throwing the rear end into a tailspin that nearly hit the horse. It was daylight, no rain and no reason for the action except one: the corruption of hate.

It happened quite quickly. The well-trained horse did not buck, but did real back a bit. The two young men looked startled, but did not reflect back the anger that had just been dealt them. Those in my car were in shock, grateful that nothing more serious had happened, and though I tried in vain to read the license of the truck, I decided to settle for telling you this:

When we hate, we lose a piece of our self. It is called respect. And if you do not have it for everyone, you surely do not have it for yourself. When any one of us is compromised by the sickness of hate, we are all compromised. Every day is full of choice; to follow a path of respect and kindness, or to follow a path of hatred and malice.

We owe it to ourselves and to our family, friends and neighbors to choose kindness. And in this time of willful hatred, it is imperative for us to stand firm.

Hatred is not welcomed here.

Look Behind the Curtain

Many of you have heard of the peaceful resistance to DAPL pipeline at the Standing Rock Reservation in ND. You may have heard of police water cannons dousing people for nine hours during 22-degree weather. You might have heard that these and other acts by militarized police were done in retaliation for the burning of corporate vehicles and other transgressions reportedly done by water protectors. The media has helped to assuage our fears that the police acted too violently. They have informed us that progress necessitates pipelines and oil spills and therefore the police were acting on our behalf to stop the water protectors. They have convinced us to ignore the man behind the curtain and carry on with life as usual…

But what happens when we learn that mercenaries who were trained against jihadists in Afghanistan were leading our police and government against American citizens at Standing Rock? What happens when we learn that these same mercenaries, when handed the reigns to lead did everything within their power to cause division – including illegal activities – such as burning their own equipment and blaming it on the nonviolent protectors.

Not only are we discovering the truth. We are becoming aware that these same mercenaries are now infiltrating citizen groups throughout the US on behalf of corporate interests.

Perhaps it is time we consider what is happening to us when free enterprise meets forced enterprise. Perhaps we should consider the cherished principles of governance that are being undermined and what the consequences may be.

Perhaps we all need to research the illegal activities of TigerSwan, Inc.

Perhaps it is time we know who is behind the curtain.

Is It Worth It?

What if I told you that in Wisconsin you could purchase a fox, coyote, rabbit or other animal to train your licensed hound dogs in enclosed training facilities?

What if I told you that anyone can train hound dogs on free-roaming wild animals without a dog-training license?

Or that: unleashed hound dogs may be trained on free-roaming raccoons and rabbits from July to the following April?

Or this: With a license, you can train hound dogs on free roaming bear from July 1- Aug 31, unless of course you are under the age of 12, then the license is free – oh and you can have up to 6 dogs in hot pursuit of the bear while you are in “training”.

And this: if a hound gets caught up in a fight with a wolf defending her cubs and the dog is killed, the owner of the dog will receive a check in the sum of $2500 from the state. I am not making this up. 37 hound dogs were killed in 2016. Some in well-known high risk wolf areas…you do the math.

It is estimated that during these training months 4.6 million gallons of grease and other foods will be used to entice bears towards humans…now what could possibly go wrong here?

Hunting with hounds is outlawed in nearly all states, keeping the state of WI in the business of courting license revenues from hound hunting individuals and clubs.

And I ask you, is it worth it?

You can listen to “Consider This” any Thursday 5:30 PM CST on WDRT 91.9 FM or on livestream. 

I am producing a short piece called “Consider This” that airs on WDRT 91.9 FM every Thursday at 5:30 pm, CST. You can read the month of June’s entries here, listen live or stream it

Bhutan is a small country in the Himalayas that measures its wealth in the happiness of its people. Its economic structure includes self-reliance, environmental conservatism, cultural survival and good governance.

Throughout the world there are ventures of shared economies and cooperatives springing up. These undertakings are putting people and the environment before profit and are working to ensure good living conditions, education, clean food, water and air to all residents. They are doing simple things like setting up tool sharing, or more complicated efforts like rehabbing city blocks and welcoming small, local businesses to support the needs of local people… helping one another to ensure a good quality of life for all.

Here in the Driftless, there are discussions brewing about sourcing local energy through solar and other means; considerations of shared tools, skills and labor; and the possibility of creating small coops with local products and basics for everyone to utilize.

Consider what you need from your community and what you have to give to it.

Perhaps it is time to measure our wealth by quality of life instead of capital.

Making a community thrive is everyone’s business.

During a recent event held by Pax Christi in Viroqua, Sr. Marlene Weisenbeck, of The La Crosse Task Force to Eradicate Modern Slavery, introduced some very interesting facts.

Sex trafficking is not only those kidnapped and held as sex-slaves. Girls, boys and women are targeted by handlers seeking to profit from their exploitation as prostitutes, often right in our midst. These profiteers seek children who are runaways, or those in need of physical, or emotional support. They prey upon the vulnerable. In some cases, the profiteers are family members.

This business of seduction and entrapment of human flesh for profit is not limited to sex but also includes labor servitude, drug trafficking and the stealing of body parts. While it is estimated that 45.8 million human beings are currently enslaved, 63% are held for forced sexual prostitution.

Where are the hot spots for sex and drug trafficking? Interstate highways, man camps, shipping ports and recreational places where children like to frequent – such as waterparks – have been found convenient for this trade.

This business dubbed by Pope Francis as the “Merchandising in Human Flesh” is one of the biggest moneymakers in the world. Could this be a reason it seems illusive to law enforcement? Or could it be that we have looked the other way, as the estimated 1 out of every 7 men engaging in the purchasing of illegal sex may be our fathers, brothers, or sons? Or perhaps because it is found that many of these perpetrators work in professions of “trust” and are people of authority and power?

Wisconsin is about to pass a law indicating that minors are always victims in these crimes – hopefully this will end the nightmare of children being treated as criminals and may allow us to address the abuses of power and economic statuses afforded men in our system. Most importantly, it may get help to the victims so desperately needed, instead of more imprisonment.

This is not a time for silence. We all suffer in this abuse, all of us.See something suspicious? 1-888-3737-888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. To learn more: La Crosse Task Force to Eradicate Human Slavery.

 

They tell you it is not worth the effort. They give reasons and excuses to impede your hope. When stories don’t work they hit you with facts. But it is up to you. It is always up to you. To accept defeat or to give yourself to the wonder of what-can-be.

So when I saw the baby birds lying in the drive-way as cats lurched about, I had to think fast and act faster. All the while the thought, “Don’t pick up a bird, the mother will smell you on it and will refuse it later, ” and other such negativities danced through my head trying to halt my progress.

The grass was high, but I spotted two babies. Others told me they had seen the birds down as well, so we were in agreement. Two. As I chased away the cats, I asked friends to stand guard and went to find a makeshift nest. I found a plastic-covered wire basket that I was glad I had not disposed of, and some twine. Time of the essence, I scooped some drying grass which would become their cushion and hopefully keep the little ones from falling out.

As I approached the babies, I realized we were being observed by a red winged black bird and I swung the makeshift nest into the tree. Then the fun began as I picked up the little ones and an adult bird decided to dive at me. OK, good, parents still around: confirmed.

The thoughts that keep buzzing about your head are generally more harmful than the reality. “What if the parents don’t come to feed? What if the cats come back? What if they fall from this nest?” Then someone told me if they really were red winged black birds they didn’t nest in a tree… Doubt at this point was fully loaded. But I had to try. I stopped back a bit later in the day and dropped a bit of water into each gaping mouth and hoped the parents would take over where my capabilities would fail. They did.

One day passed and both were still alive and growing. Two days passed, and while the cats prowled, they respected the nest and all was well. Three days and as I came upon the nest as one of the wee ones took flight.

Four days with mom and dad still observing my intentions but no longer dive bombing me, the little one still looked unsure of departing the nest. Later that day, it was gone, and the scat and the intact nest told me all I needed to know. It was fine and off to its new life.

Never give up trying to make things better for someone. Far better to lend a hand than to turn a back. Ignore the wisdom of people who put too much faith in what they have heard or read and invest instead in the reality of being alive.

I think we call it kindness.

Like it or not, we live in a pluralistic society. Diverse beliefs, life style choices and ways of doing things weave their way around us daily. We can hold on tight to what we call “right”, but in doing so we just might miss out on some very innovative and helpful possibilities.

Community is a dynamic and living experience. Learning about and from one another is essential and fun. There are many ways to cultivate community and one of the greatest assets to us here in the Driftless is WDRT 91.9 FM, “Community Radio From the Ground Up”.

What began as a dream in 2003 has become a household treasure to many of us. While WDRT runs syndicated programming from around the nation, much of the content is locally produced. You can learn more about WDRT’s history and the history of community radio here.

And if you can’t get the station on your radio, you can listen in via the internet.

Unlike commercial radio, community radio is organized as a non-profit and incorporates volunteers into the operation. Their programming mission is to serve the community, and WDRT is a fine example of this.

WDRT’s “Songs to Memory” program is an innovative way to reach Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients through music, connecting them with family and improving their quality of life.

A new program called “Conversations” airs Thursdays at 9:00 AM; nine local hosts bring the voices of local people to listeners on a myriad of subjects. One of my first attempts at hosting was with Conscientious Objector, David Kopitzke.

I am looking forward to bringing a short segment called “Consider This” to WDRT to be aired on Thursday evenings at 5:30 PM, beginning this week. And my next “conversation” is with Karen Parker, editor of the award winning local paper, The County Line and author of Always the River, the History of Ontario, Wisconsin and Indomitable Pluck: One Railroad, Three Tunnels and America’s First Road-to Trail Bike Path.

The strength of a community is dependent on all of its members, not simply a few. To be able to hold onto your uniqueness and play an intrinsic role in the whole can be challenging, but it is possible. WDRT is paving a way.

And the challenge is on!

 

 

 

There are kindnesses left to us from long ago. People thought of us well before our time and with great consideration and effort, they left behind monuments of love. These gifts from the past are today’s state and national parks. The idea to preserve and protect land for everyone to enjoy began in the 1800’s throughout the country. In 1878, Wisconsin designated huge tracks of northern forest for preservation, but within twenty years most was sold to lumber companies. Thankfully today, Wisconsin still boasts 66 state parks, covering more than 60,570 acres.

Whether a day trip or an extended stay, the wonder, adventure and the remembrance of our connectedness with nature is revitalized through this gift of “parks”. Our forbearers saw the need to protect and preserve historical and beautiful places for future generations, and today the protection and the preservation is handed to us to ensure the same.

On a recent tour of sand mining operations in Jackson County, We took the day to enjoy the gift of Black River Falls State Park. The forest and geology is very different from our home in the Driftless and it was awesome to stand next to the ancient rock formations. 

However, when we climbed the stairway to view from the highest peak, we found that we were still touring sand mining operations. The pictures below show the dust whirling around the operation within the pristine area. It was a sad reminder of the day before and one that seemed important to share. 

Continue the kindness. Protect the earth for future generations. Keep it in the ground. Find other ways.

It is that simple. Let’s get at it. Someone you have never met is counting on it.

About fifty people traveled from eight counties in Wisconsin to tour an area hard hit by sand mining operations, in and around Hixton in Jackson County. We met and listened to many people caught in the ravages of mining. Here are a few of the points I found most compelling.

Communities are divided as high percentages of acreage within townships are being devoured. Much of the land that is sold for mining is by absentee landowners, who do not share the common love for the area, nor its history.

One particular brilliant statement challenged the idea, “I can sell my land to whomever I want”, with this, “Yes, you can sell your land to anyone, but it is not permissible or legal for whomever buys your land to cause a nuisance for the people living here.”

For some, the battle to save their land and way of life is only a few months old. For many we heard from today, it has been years in the making. Some spoke honestly of the toll that has been taken. Some held back tears.

People have told me to think of all the jobs that would be lost if we moved away from fossil fuels like the Marcellus shale in Pennsylvania that is sucking up Wisconsin’s sandy hills…but perhaps it is time we consider the lives that are being disrupted with the destruction caused by extreme extraction.

Perhaps we should all take a turn living day after day, 24 hours a day, year after year (some mines are guaranteed to operate for 25 years) with explosions, sand dust, shaking homes, children afraid and made ill by the constant disturbance…and much more.

The mining industry has done an excellent job hiding these people from sight. It has done a great job in declaring “mom and pop” status, while in fact most are huge corporations with international ties.

I am not sure what was harder to take in, the visuals of the raw hillsides being raped of the sand as we stood on the handsomely manicured farm …or the deep sorrow in the voices of these good, hard working people as they once again told the story that has become their shared existence.

All I know is that I can not sit by and continue to allow the unchallenged story line that all is well in Jackson, Trempealeau and other counties here in Wisconsin, while my neighbors are being victimized, the earth raped and with the reality that companies are lining up to shred more of the pristine beauty of this land.

So here are a few of my photos of the day, and my promise to continue to report on the status of Wisconsin’s sand mining operations. And to be sure, I will continue to urge all of us to reconsider our energy usage, the high toll it requires on the earth and her people and to move to more peaceful and possible renewables. It is past time.

***

Pictures below: 1.Why sand particles can blow away. 2. While they are creating “covered” carriers – and eliminating trucking jobs – these covered tubes are not enclosed – allowing more silica to escape…3. And coming to a church near you…

“That which is possible.”

I live in an orchard. When I first bought the land I didn’t know there was an orchard. Honestly. I was intent on making the old farm house livable and I didn’t get to explore the acres for some time. And truth be told, it was probably the sheep and goats who brought the orchard back to life and made me take notice. Nonetheless, over the years I  have come to measure the seasons by the fragrances and bounty or lack thereof.

Last spring began much as this one, the apple blossoms graced the trees and the air was prolific with their sweetness, but a late May frost came and decimated the flowers before they could transform into their sweet fruit. So I have waited to see what the orchard would give us this year and I am very happy to see the fruit ripening despite cooler temps and much rain.

Every morning, as I open my eyes, this is my first glance of the day through my window. And today, I thought about “potential”.

I thought about potential as I moved manure. I thought about potential as I tilled a field for indigenous corn. I thought about potential as I reckoned with this being the last day of my 61st year…and I realized how in so many ways I am just beginning.

Potential. The ability for the orchard to roar back after last year’s defeat. Potential. The seeds are making their way through the soil and hopefully their fruit will make their way to mine or another’s table…Potential. What can be. What lies within waiting to be tapped.  Waiting to be fostered. Waiting to be supported. Waiting to be loved.

We are all, my friends, little balls of potential. Take care. Plant wisely. Choose good soil. Nurture with the water of kindness. And don’t forget the manure. Sometimes it takes a loss to see the gift of what you have. I missed the apples last year, and this year looks like we will be working overtime to tend to them. Potential.

Life is full of sweet surprises, look for them and be amazed.

 

Maybe it is in the hum of the bees as they dance in the orchard, maybe it is in the song of the many and varied birds that live here. Maybe it is the size of the moon, or the delicious advent of spring; the feeling of peace is palpable.

Was it hastened by talking to my friend, David Kopitzke on his choice to be a conscientious objector of the Vietnam War and realizing the courage it took to take such a stance? Or maybe it was the way he responded to my question at the end of our interview, “Do you have any regrets?” He brought tears to my eyes when he said, “Yes. I regret that I did not talk to more people about my decision… to help them understand.” And I realized in that moment that we all can live in regret for not talking about the possibility of peace and the ethical and moral ground we stand on… and yet, here he was still talking, still sharing, still operating out of kindness and bravery. And there I was intrigued, inspired and full of respect.

This gift of shared conversation continued as I spoke with the owner our favorite local grocery, Whitaker’s Farm Fresh Market. While I am quite sure we hold beliefs that are seemingly incompatible, we share a passion for peace. As time allows, we squeeze precious moments of kindred spirit between his customers and my list of “to do’s”. I learned today that his parents were married during the Vietnam War and took the position of CO (conscientious objector) as sanctioned by their Christian faith. His eyes were shining, as I am sure were mine as we touched upon the depth of our shared conviction – the need for peace.

In listening to him, I understood what I have thought about for a long time. The voice for and of peace must be heard, at least as often as the voice that proclaims the need for war. There is no need to be shy or to feel regret for what has not been said. Perhaps it has not been the right time, but much has changed and the time to acknowledge and champion peace is upon us.

So go ahead, proclaim your need and your heart’s longing. Each of us uniquely aware, each of us uniquely qualified to speak to the longing of our hearts and to the understandings we hold as living breathing individuals. There is no shame upon the hearts and minds of those who cannot bear arms against their fellow humans. There is no Great Law that has been decreed that war is the only solution. If our warring selves can take the time to recruit and explain away the need to kill, then we should have equal right to stand up for peace and honor the moral ground of those among us not willing to kill.

The only thing stopping us is doubt. Find your peace my friends, and fight like hell. Fight with clarity, fight with kindness and we may find, in fact, this is the greatest action of all – to touch and to cultivate peace.

I am telling you what I hear in the songs of the birds and feel in the gentleness of the warming sun…we got this.

*****

You can listen to my interview with David Kopitzke Thursday, May 18 at 9:00 am CST on WDRT, on the radio or on the web.

For more on becoming a conscientious objector, you can visit Center on Conscience and War. or call  TOLL FREE: 1-800-379-2679.

And here are the magnificent words of Julia Ward Howe in her proclamation of peace.

 

Note: I was invited to a gathering called The Power of Listening Through Food and Ceramics. The friend who invited me created the event and was inspired to make the bowls and to feed people while offering heartfelt communication through music, words, etc. Unable to attend, this is my offering to his kind thoughtfulness. Thank you, Jeremi.

 Today you have been given a gift, but it is only a gift if you recognize it as such. You have been given a bowl, nourishing food and an offer to feel what is in the depths of your being… And I would suggest to you that this is a gift that is given every day… And while this bowl is special and a gift and you might say it is the reason we are here, the question we must ask ourselves is this, “What will we put into our bowl?”

This is the question we ask and try to have answered every day, sometimes consciously, sometimes not so.

For a moment, let us accept that we are the bowl. The often-cited biblical quote, “Remember man that you are dust and unto dust you shall return” is a fact and a reminder of part of our origin, but only part. We are this lump of clay molded into a receptacle. We are, if you will, the beggar’s bowl. And every day, every moment we are asking something to come into the bowl, to come into us. We want love, we want approval, we want compensation, we want recognition, we want happiness… We want what is available to us, and sometimes that which is not…

Choices. We have been given also the ability to choose. What will we put into this bowl that has been given? Choose consciously and remember you can empty what is in the bowl if you do not want it there…

And that is the distinction between needs and wants. Our bowl is meant to hold our needs. What are the things that are our needs? Food, water, air and I will ask you to consider one more thing that we all need and we all hope for – the need to feel peace.

This is where listening comes in. We have been told of and understand our humanity and our need to be humble. We are of the earth, we have needs and we are finite. But there is something else dancing within us that is not bound to the earth. Inside of us, if we listen, is peace.

Let’s turn for a moment to the making of the bowl on the potter’s wheel. This is an anecdote that I heard a long time ago and it continues to teach me. The potter’s wheel spins round and round and as the lump of clay sits in the middle, two very distinct actions take place. The potter’s one hand is inside the clay stabilizing and guiding it. While the other hand is applying pressure to the outside, bending it, shaping it, sometimes slapping it into shape.

It is wise to know the potter’s hands. It is good to know and to trust that hand that holds from within. And it is possible to do so. It begins with listening…

There are undeniable truths, which can be felt but not easily spoken. In the end, I want to feel peace. I want my bowl to be filled and overflowing, and if in that others can be fed, I am grateful.

****

I first heard the anecdote of the potter’s wheel from Prem Rawat. At a very young age I began to listen to my heart and my heart directed me to his words of peace and that has made the difference for me.

Thanks again to my friend for his invitation to consider the importance of listening in our lives.

The photo is one of the beautiful bowls Jeremi Zuba made for the event and it is his photo.