Ten Years 9/11

A sweet group of activists now grown old, a tree and bench that are going away because they provide too much shelter to homeless, a strict heat and lots of activity yesterday. Today is stillness and listening. When we circled after the Chico Peace Endeavor Vigil yesterday the whole ten years struck like circles around a stone which were the 9/11 murders, all the suffering of the occupations, terror, war, injuries, mourning--it was like the last visions of one's own life but all of it based in travail.
Before that I'd participated in the Critical Mass bike ride in solidarity with the students who are pointing out the stupidity and injustice of the new parking structure being built on campus. The structure which the Associated Students overwhelmingly voted against will encourage more cars and will be built with their tuition money. They have every right to be angry that their tuition has risen so it is mostly unaffordable to go to college now. There have been injustice piled on injustice in these last ten years but none worse than the redistribution of wealth away from the middle class and those barely surviving below.
Despite all this I look at the sleek glee-filled smile of water and forest activist Jim Brobeck to know it is better to be dancing or tooting our horns, jingling our bells, or quietly planting out our delicate onions and broccoli like I have been this sacred morning.
As in meditation this morning, I surrender to gratitude. To our unity, to the pricks of adversity, to dryness, age, stiffness and to a full and open heart.

Michael and I picked up 55 gallons of waste veggie oil up in the Lassen area, camped a night up on a quiet summit, wandered around on Mill Creek and on the back side of Wilson Lake but I left the memory card at home so hopefully the memories remain in the mentioning.