Monthly Archives: August 2011

I can take it with me


During the wee hours of tomorrow morning, I will fly back to New York after about five beautiful days at a retreat for artist-activist folks at The Stone House in Mebane, North Carolina. I’ll write more about this place and these people and this land, but for my last day, I want to focus on being in it.

One of the retreat participants headed home earlier than the rest of us. When she got to her house, she came across this poem and sent it over:

Blessings
occur.
Some days I find myself
putting my foot in
the same stream twice;
leading a horse to water
and making him drink.
I have a clue.
I can see the forest
for the trees.
All around me people
are making silk purses
out of sows ears,
getting blood from turnips,
building Rome in a day.
Theres a business
like show business.
Theres something new
under the sun.
Some days misery
no longer loves company;
it puts itself out of its.
Theres rest for the weary.
Theres turning back.
There are guarantees.
I can be serious.
I can mean that.
You can quite
put your finger on it.
Some days I know
I am long for this world.
I can go home again.
And when I go
I can
take it with me.
-Ron Wallace

Photo: On the grounds of Stone Circles at the Stone House, August 2011.

 

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Stormy weather

I’m in Mebane, North Carolina, crossing my fingers that Irene fizzles out to sea and leaves all of my people alone. Y’all ok up there?

Photos: My bedroom window in Brooklyn, early August 2011.

You’re welcome.

Just got off a call with my parents, during which I learned:

1. If you are unemployed, you might want to get together with your unemployed neighbors for a job seekers’ support/co-coaching group. You might want to give it a very glamorous, motivational name. You might encourage each other to just get that damn teaching certificate if you’ve always wanted to teach (Dad: “and don’t think of it as something that’s going to box you in!”); you’ll want to open yourself up to hear what the others in the group have to say; oh, and you should probably let your daughter blog about it through her work platform in order to spread this brilliant idea. (Er, I may have added that last part. Stay tuned.)

2. If you have a cough, you might want to try rubbing Vicks on the soles of your feet before bed. (Dad: “I heard this on a radio show about home remedies the other day. And then I vaguely remembered my mother doing it when I was a kid!”)

Photo: Near Drummond, Montana, 2009.
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Long shots

Just a few things that have energized me lately:

1. Longshot Magazine. A bunch of people got together and used a bunch of free or cheap online tools and made a magazine in 48 hours – with submissions from people around the world.

This issue, their third, is about debt. I ordered a copy and can’t wait to dive in.

2. After taking a class through SpeakeasyDC, my mom is writing daily. I’m considering calling her every night for a bedtime story.

3. On very short notice, 826DC set out to raise $4,130 over the last five days of July (that’s $826 per day). With the help of our community, we breezed past that mark and raised $4,721.46. I have a hunch that some of the kind readers of this blog helped make it happen. Thank you.

Photos: NYC skyline from Astoria park (summer 2010); my mom (summer 2011); wheel at the 826DC Museum of Unnatural History (fall 2010).

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