Mission Post #9

Well, it's been a bit of time since my last post.  The world has been providing me with lots of reasons to be depressed for the future of our country.  Abortion.  Homosexual marriage.  HHS mandate coming at us like a screaming runaway train.  The craziness of our politicians, particularly Nancy Pelosi.  The lack of support for the U.S. military.  And more.  I allowed myself to fall into the trap of believing that my world, the world we all live in, would derail hopelessly onto the path of becoming a new Sodom.  The I read this.   

After reading How to be an annoying Catholic, I resolved to:

• Laugh more
• Be the real me
• Be unexpected
• Know what I believe and why
• Grow a backbone
• Love - live the example of love the sinner, hate the sin
• Pray more

I think God meant for some of this to be easy.  In fact, the list wouldn't have had to exist at all but for our fall from Grace.  No, what should be so easy - love one another - is the hardest this we can do.  Love has powerful enemies - Fear. Hate. Anger. Bullishness. Contempt. The view of tolerance as a virtue. And more.  These are all weapons that we use on each other almost indiscriminately.

I've felt the slings and arrows of all these enemies and these weapons haven't been limited to just "those liberals" attacking "we conservatives".   I've noticed that these weapons are used whenever any ideological brethren strays from an approved line of belief.    Consider Juan Williams and his ejection from NPR or, more prosaically, the damaged career of The Dixie Chicks when lead singer, Natalie Maines, infamously criticized President Bush on the eve of the Iraqi invasion.

As I sit here mulling matters, sorrowing over the state of my world, and wondering what social calamity will hit us next, I really have to just remind myself to suck it up, quit the pity party, focus on the rules above and pay close attention to the example of Pope Francis who simply "lives it" and that, my friends, is no simple thing at all.

Mission Post #8

One of the requirements of being selected for volunteer work is completing an online class on child safety - how to detect and report behavior that suggests potential abuse and inappropriate interaction with children and vulnerable adults.  This 2 hour course took me 6-7 hours to complete over a two day period.  

The format and study was easy to work with and accomplish.  The subject matter, on the other hand was not easy to get through.  I was surprised by what I didn't know, the sheer awfulness some people.  As a consequence, it took me a lot longer to get through.  I also wanted a complete record of the course so page by 68 pages, I copied and pasted it into a word document.  

Not knowing what will be expected of us, I know that taking this course could add up to just being a formality.  If it isn't, I sincerely hope that I detect no evidence of actually abuse.  I know we will come face to face with some fierce poverty but neglect and abuse? - well, I hope not.  

Based on what I've read , volunteers aren't left alone with children or vulnerable adults so quite possibly Don and I will work as partners.

I haven't thought about it much this week but the week is young.  I DID have an idea though, on Saturday, the day we went to Sonora to attend a memorial service.  As I listened to Fr. John Fitzgerald speak of why we are drawn to gather together, he reminded us that it isn't death that draws us together, it is love (perhaps a novel idea to some of us).  His words nudged a germ of an idea on recording the experience of this trip.

We will be on the road for at least four months and we will have a chance to meet all sorts of people who may feel very different from what I grew up with.  Don is very adaptable to the slower pace of life and the Midwestern and Southern thought processes.  I'm not.  Very Catholic and Conservative I may be but I'm also firmly imprinted with a California mentality.  It will be a golden opportunity for me to:

• talk and listen
• ask questions
• find out what people know
• discover their points of view

I expect a lot of differences.  I'll take lots of sets of pictures, series that tell a story.  I've also thought about putting the information together and creating a mini-documentary of what we encountered and who we met.   The materials needed will be part of the organized supplies I plan to bring with me so I can mitigate the lack of some art or writing tool that will make my record keeping easier.  But in the end it really is still all just thoughts.

Mission Post #7

I took a step back for a few days.  I've been feeling very muzzled lately like I don't have a right to dissent from current popular mores.  The feeling sneaked up on me over a period of time and the end result is that I have become angry that I am feeling effectively shut up.   

My position of abortion, same sex marriage, and speaking freely if I disagree run counter to our current repressive culture.   

I've been thinking a lot about the mission this week and I realized today that I really need to do some interior housecleaning.  I'm thinking of finding a spiritual advisor to help me along the road.  I know a couple of priests, Sam West in particular, whom I might approach.

I think part of what holds us back from seeking spiritual advise is our sense that we can be self-reliant.  I know that is one of my big problems so I don't turn to God first when troubled.  I stumble around in the dark a lot.  I must admit that I have gotten a lot better at turning to God than when I was much younger.  But at the moment I feel a bit behind the eight ball.  There are serious changes coming up in the not too distant future and I want to get this right.

Mission Post #6

Just a short check-in.  Don is gone all day today.  No car for me.  The front room is calling.  Today I'm gathering up all my crocheting and embroidery supplies to start working on now and to have ready for the big trip.  Along the way, I'll dump more stuff from the front room.

I ordered some books from Amazon yesterday.  I'll be doing this periodically to prep my travel library.  I won't take them all with me, of course, but I'll have plenty to choose from.

I've been thinking about clothes and totally failing. Typical. I think I just need to start a list of whatever I think of and then hone away.

One good step forward is the email I sent to Hewlett's Auction House a few weeks ago.  I spoke with Mrs. Hewlett yesterday and she is forwarding the information about my prints to a local Turlock expert.  Perhaps I'll get some guidance from her and get these prints sold.  It would be nice to have the money to add to our travel fund.