Exploring Ways To Make Peace Within
Ourselves & the World

Women In Black Denver, Colorado

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Why Do I Write This Blog???

The easiest (and probably the most honest) answer to that question is: I don't know. It all started in the summer of 2005, when I went to Crawford, Texas ( a.k.a. the home of the prez's ranch, a.k.a. the home of Camp Casey) to support Cindy Sheehan. I wanted the world to know that, contrary to what one could read in the mainstream media, the peace movement was alive and well and large numbers of Americans did not support the war in Iraq. I wanted people to know that thousands of Americans were willing to travel to Texas and tolerate the heat, humidity, and bugs in order to support a grieving mother whose new purpose was to shine a light on the lies that led to the war and to bring home our troops so that no other mother would have to know the pain that she felt.

Over time, this blog has become more of an exploration of who I am, my spirituality, and how life works. I love life's complexities, exploring the shades of gray. I want to, as Rainier Maria Rilke said,

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer."

Maybe my blog is just one big question about what is needed in order for people to take the time to love and cherish each other and our earth. Maybe someday, I will "live along some distant day into the answer."

In the meantime, thank you for joining me on my journey. I welcome you to share yours with me

 

Friday, November 16, 2007


Do you really want peace?

Or just an end to this war?

These are NOT one and the same.

If we really want a healthy, peaceful world,

we have to first live with kindness toward ourselves and all others.




"We have to live in such a way that a future will be possible for our children and our grandchildren and our own life has to be our message." Thich Nhat Hanh

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi.

"Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me." - Matthew 25: 31-46

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posted by Carol at 2:03 PM 0 comments

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Tiny Tim Had it Right


There is an email that is being forwarded all over that tells us we SHOULD all fly our American flags on 9-11-07. The body of it reads like this:

On Tuesday, September 11th, 2007, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States. Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this fifth anniversary of our country's worst tragedy. We do this in honor of those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.

In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds.

The email goes on to tell us to spread the word and also display our flag on the 11th. It ends with:

Thank you for your participation. God Bless You and God Bless America

I think that it is really important to think about what we do and what our motivations are instead of just emotionally fulfilling an action because someone says we "should". Who is that "someone", anyway? And why are they telling me what I "should" do? (Maybe that someone is a flag manufacturer. cha-ching!) Will flying my flag really help us prevail over terrorism?

I am sure that the person who originated this had good intentions. It is very kind of them to want us to remember that scary day and to acknowledge those who have died because of it. But let's also, while we're at it, not forget the other 148,000 people who died that day (151,338 people in our world die each day) and every day. Some of those other 148,000 who died on that day also departed in horrible circumstances, and all who died left grieving friends and relatives behind. Families and friends of those other 148,000 will commemorate their loved ones' deaths with no national fanfare, even though their loss was just as important to them.

I'm not even going to go there with "our cherished freedoms" that our soldiers are fighting for and our government is taking away...

Then there's the "God Bless America" bumper-sticker quote. We really do need God - or someone - to bless us. We have lost our way. Our national debt, the decimation of our constitution, our occupation of a country, and all the deaths in our name, etc., etc. We're walking into deep doodoo and need all of the blessing we can get.

Or maybe we just need the American people to wake up and right our ship.

God Bless America
I feel sad every time I read those words, because I can't figure out why we are sooooo special that we only ask for Her to bless US. It seems very callous and inhumane to not wish for blessings from God/Jesus/Allah/Buddha/you/me for ALL of humanity.

Tiny Tim had it right.

"God bless us, every one!" - Tiny Tim, A Christmas Carol

"Jesus loves the little children, ALL the children of the world. Red or yellow, black or white; they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world."
(Song I was taught as a child. I still believe it today.)

"The only real, dignified, human doctrine is the greatest good of all." - Mahatma Gandhi

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posted by Carol at 8:34 AM 6 comments