It's been a crazy week - for the world and for me personally - so I don't have a theme or particular idea to explore. There have been beautiful moments and very dark sad moments. I was in Washington, DC on Wednesday when the first round of EOs on immigration were released. I spent a couple of hours at the White House protest on Wednesday night, along with a beautiful, diverse community who took over the street and chanted about love and support and connectedness. We heard from immigrants - why they came here, their hopes and dreams for themselves and family, why they were willing to risk so much to occupy the street and tell their stories.
Then I went to Miami for 1 1/2 days to meet with labor and community leaders. It was beautiful to see the shared conviction that this is not our country, these are not our values. The desire to step up to support immigrants facing deportation.
Then on Friday afternoon the EO barring refugees and migrants from targeted countries. It is heartbreaking to see this happening, to hear the stories of individuals and families stopped in airports, unable to finally set foot on American soil. Some of them sent back to other countries before they could even leave the airport. And meanwhile, friends and colleagues all around the country at airports protesting and resisting. The ACLU successfully filing a stay of the plan while it is litigated fully; Trump's DHS saying they will enforce anyway.
So who knows what is happening, to the refugees and migrants, to the values of American democracy. It is a question now of what DHS staff are willing to do given that the court decision clearly bars them from holding people with lawful papers.
Resistance is beautiful but exhausting. There is a collective insistence that this will not stand.
Despite writing so much about saucha and not complaining, and not flooding my brain with negativity, I've been pretty addicted to the news this week. Today I tried to take the afternoon off and I didn't even make it an hour before I was back on facebook and news sites.
Earlier in the week I read & bookmarked this article about DJT as malignant narcissist. I have some experience dealing with people with this condition, so a lot of it rang true. But I thought the most important part wasn't about narcissism at all, but about a theme that Rebecca Solnit has also been writing about. It is time to take ourselves seriously - to realize we are the leaders. Our elected officials follow us. They don't make the resistance, we do.
From the article:
10) Whenever possible, do not focus on the narcissist or give him attention. Unfortunately we can’t and shouldn’t ignore the president, but don’t circulate his tweets or laugh at him—you are enabling him and getting his word out. (I’ve done this, of course, we all have… just try to be aware.) Pay attention to your own emotions: Do you sort of enjoy his clowning? Do you enjoy the outrage? Is this kind of fun and dramatic, in a sick way? You are adding to his energy. Focus on what you can change and how you can resist, where you are. We are all called to be leaders now, in the absence of leadership.
So I'm recommitting to saucha - sitting meditation everyday to clear the mind, intentionally replace the negativity and the DJT overload with something nourishing and beautiful. I'm planning a new guided meditation for refugees and migrants, which I will post later this week. Until then, hope all my sisters and brothers in the struggle are staying strong. This is only the beginning.
With love, solidarity and gratitude.
Then I went to Miami for 1 1/2 days to meet with labor and community leaders. It was beautiful to see the shared conviction that this is not our country, these are not our values. The desire to step up to support immigrants facing deportation.
Then on Friday afternoon the EO barring refugees and migrants from targeted countries. It is heartbreaking to see this happening, to hear the stories of individuals and families stopped in airports, unable to finally set foot on American soil. Some of them sent back to other countries before they could even leave the airport. And meanwhile, friends and colleagues all around the country at airports protesting and resisting. The ACLU successfully filing a stay of the plan while it is litigated fully; Trump's DHS saying they will enforce anyway.
So who knows what is happening, to the refugees and migrants, to the values of American democracy. It is a question now of what DHS staff are willing to do given that the court decision clearly bars them from holding people with lawful papers.
Resistance is beautiful but exhausting. There is a collective insistence that this will not stand.
Despite writing so much about saucha and not complaining, and not flooding my brain with negativity, I've been pretty addicted to the news this week. Today I tried to take the afternoon off and I didn't even make it an hour before I was back on facebook and news sites.
Earlier in the week I read & bookmarked this article about DJT as malignant narcissist. I have some experience dealing with people with this condition, so a lot of it rang true. But I thought the most important part wasn't about narcissism at all, but about a theme that Rebecca Solnit has also been writing about. It is time to take ourselves seriously - to realize we are the leaders. Our elected officials follow us. They don't make the resistance, we do.
From the article:
10) Whenever possible, do not focus on the narcissist or give him attention. Unfortunately we can’t and shouldn’t ignore the president, but don’t circulate his tweets or laugh at him—you are enabling him and getting his word out. (I’ve done this, of course, we all have… just try to be aware.) Pay attention to your own emotions: Do you sort of enjoy his clowning? Do you enjoy the outrage? Is this kind of fun and dramatic, in a sick way? You are adding to his energy. Focus on what you can change and how you can resist, where you are. We are all called to be leaders now, in the absence of leadership.
So I'm recommitting to saucha - sitting meditation everyday to clear the mind, intentionally replace the negativity and the DJT overload with something nourishing and beautiful. I'm planning a new guided meditation for refugees and migrants, which I will post later this week. Until then, hope all my sisters and brothers in the struggle are staying strong. This is only the beginning.
With love, solidarity and gratitude.
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