Yesterday, I was sorely tempted to simply hit “publish” and let the title of this post speak for itself. I am glad that I didn’t.
For while I woke up today with that feeling of being lost again, my eyes aching from last nights tears of disappointment, I remembered another series of mornings, not long ago. When I was staying with my friends in Menton, I would start each day by pulling back the curtains and standing before an open window to face the sea. My gaze would soften as I tried to focus on what was beyond fixation, out to the line and beyond, into unkowing. And how strong that felt to me then, the possibility present, thumping, alive.
My Mother and my Sister are attending their local version of the Women’s March in Ann Arbor, Michigan. My American friend C is training up to Paris from this tiny village to participate. How proud I am and what hope this instills.
For while there is leisure lulling on the beaches (a constant echo back to other times, memories that seem all the richer for their distance), out on the waves, we can make our voices heard. After having lived in France for fifteen years, where the people are not afraid of contestation, I know the power that we yield, still.
There are many facets to Peace.
We can resist, we can write our future in action and response. To find and be found, again and again; awake, as a sea of possibility. With a societal shift that I am quite certain reaches beyond politics, this is our tide now.
I don’t feel at all qualified to be writing this post; I feel awkward and am not sure of what I am doing. The “Who do you think you are?”‘s are rolling through my throat, wishing to stifle thoughts, even half-formed but well-intentioned, into silence…but of course not. We are all qualified just by the nature of our being human and our innate connection with each other…so let’s wade into the waters, even if we are just learning to swim.
Are any of you joining the Women’s March? If you are curious about taking part in this international movement, you can find more information about it here and a listing of locations in the United States and around the globe, here.
So far, it is estimated that there are over two million marches that will occur, including one that is happening in the Vieux Port of Marseille as I type.
This has always been a very respectful community and I don’t wish to make anyone ill at ease but I would love to hear how you are feeling in response to yesterday’s inauguration in the comments below, no matter where you are reading from on our beautiful planet. This concerns us all, as you are already well aware.
It is Laura. I believe in women, especially to be vigilent and to insist on their voices being heard without giving up.
Teresa, I wanted to thank you for putting so much thought into your response.
My friend Judith is knitting me a pussy hat and I will be so proud to wear it!
Just read your post today. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on peace and the many ways we can express it. These are beyond trying times with Mr. Trump at the helm. The power of many voices was expressed in the women's march. Everyday brings some new and tragic decisions from the current administration. All we can do is stay true to our convictions, and make sure the rights of all people are secured.
It will be an uphill struggle, but well worth the effort!
The sea can wash away all sorrows even the unexpected.
The unexpected happened. Hope for the best.
While I didn't vote for either candidate (I picked that nice Mormon fellow who did missionary work, then CIA, the Goldman Sachs, oh! he was peachy. But I digress), I do feel that many of Trump's cabinet selections were excellent. I hold them high in my meditation / prayers and hope that they can help us fix our problems at home.
I'll admit I didn't care for Hillary as she felt like someone who was part of The (imo stupid) Inner Circle of Politicos and I had always hoped our first female president would be someone awesome, like Mia Farrow. ya know?
I live in the Seattle area and, frankly, am fairly certain that if I even admitted to being married to a rep******n, I'd be dragged from my car and beaten.
The most troubling thing, and yes, Tracy you said it so eloquently, is fear-mongering and outright hatred. "Damn trump supports, didja see those swastikas painted on that one house? I bet a trump supporter did that." Huh, really? Oy.
Heather, as always, your photos are stunning and a nice soothing balm, and a reminder that the ocean is still there, the tides still come in and out, life has continued forward.
Oh, Heather. You are about the only blog I read now; busy with too many other things to read the fluffy ones, and you are the only true one I can find. I just checked in to see your newest post, and reading through the comments to this one makes my heart sink.
The angst and despair that is coming from the majority of comments is puzzling and sad; I had to think about what to say here without making it worse so I will just repeat what the very wise Joanna said above…"create light and the darkness will recede…"
We are in a river of change all over the world but especially in America; not unusual, and never pretty or easy. This will all settle out and we will morph into a different world in the end because it is the way humans seem to go about evolving their societies. Living in the midst of that morph is unsettling, but exhilirating if you are up for the ride.
Meantime, do as Joanna says: "Let rationality negate chaos".
It seems you've got very few comments from non-Americans so here is one from Finland, which by the way is the best country to live in by a number of standards. Just have a look at this impressive list: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvzx3QtPWhM
I was shocked after the elections (this shocked: https://amateursventuresonlife.blogspot.fi/2016/11/wondering.html) and I've been shocked ever since. I watched the Friday festivities – which I until the very last moment hoped would never happen – live. The speech without the slightest hint of statesmanship you expect at this level but full of ugly and hostile populistic slogans made me sick and I felt bottomless shame the former president(s), Mrs Clinton, etc, had to sit there composed listening to such propagandistic agitation from a man who has a million times proven himself unqualified for the job.
Now that he's been in the office for a few days I'm feeling even more shocked and worried because the untruthful views and outright lies are continuing and it seems the 'entourage' is not doing anything to make it better, but helping it to continue. Such a situation is extremely alarming. Lies and slander already paved his way to the office. I suppose no one believed they could continue equally blatant and ridiculous but would be kept under control by his ‘advisers’ after that.
There is a whole nation of more the 140M people on the other side of our eastern border that has been systematically fed with lies for a couple of decades now, or broadly speaking for centuries. The younger generations are completely brainwashed in everything from historical facts to present-day politics. The (not that many) educated older ones who see through the propaganda are being kept quiet by fear. There is no hope for anything better any time soon there. As the European populistic leaders are now expecting a victory also here, Mr P. must be so happy with a smug smile on his face. Confusion in the western world is what he is aiming at making it easier for him to continue with his own agenda. I hope I’m wrong but there’s nothing indicating we would see anything better from another man obsessed in lying and cheating to serve nothing but his own ‘grandeur’.
We can't even imagine what kind of conflicts could arise in foreign politics when an impulsive politically uninformed narcissist is taking the uncontrolled lead for one of the superpowers against equally delusional leaders of some foreign powers. So far, there are no signs of anything else than self-will. It makes you wonder whether his own party is wilfully letting him stumble over before the end of the term. Otherwise it's hard to understand how anyone with such political incompetence could have been allowed to write let alone give such a thoughtless and immature speech. The thought that the party would back his kind of populism is too frightening not only for the future of your country but that of the world.
Here is where I see some hope. Perhaps the impulsiveness and outrageous immorality will go so far that he will have to step down mid-term. If not, I don’t know how my heart will survive the four years and the constant fear that any of the myriad of horrifying scenarios that would affect us all could materialize any day. In my part of the world, anyone with Mr. T’s kind of disposition would have been far below standard to ever run.
PS. I haven’t made a pussy hat yet but will definitely sew one soon for everyday use.
…I've come to talk to you again…
History repeats. Or in more buddhist terms, we repeat won't we don't repair.
I think that last sentence needs to be my new mantra, Joanna. Thank you.