A Valentine for You

 

“Eighty percent of everything that is true and beautiful can be experienced on a 10-minute walk.”—Anne Lamott

I need to take a walk.

 

Lamott said she got that quote from her husband.

I read her Substack post this morning and found that it’s Valentine’s Day.

Happy Valentine's Day!*

 

Lamott spoke of love, the magnificence and sloppiness of it, and she said she almost sent her husband a card that said, “I love you to the bottom of my butt.”

That girl is a joy!

And I was reminded once again that Lamott called God GUS, “Great Universal Spirit.”

I think I will call a book “Dear GUS,”

Lamott’s book Bird by Bird, Some Instructions on Writing and Life, was the first book I read on writing (and life). Published in 1995!!!! My gosh, 30 years ago!

In Bird by Bird, she was a single mom struggling with a newborn. Now she is a grandmother, and so am I.

I still have the book with its original cover, but I see it has been reissued with other covers, and it is a bestseller.

Way to go, girl!

And oh my God GUS, my Real Estate re-licensing goes on and on! I thought it was over. And I don’t sell houses.

What is this, my ego—wanting to keep my license? I worked hard for it a year ago, and I didn’t want to lose it, so last month I took their required 30-hour continuing education course, dreaded it, but actually enjoyed it. (It was the best RE course to date.) I had to wait until my birthday month to file it with the state, so two days ago I attempted to do that, and found this: “You must take the State and Federal Fair Housing Course.” (Another 2 hours)

Ok, I did it, reluctantly paid their $300 to get my license, and then, this morning, I got an email: “Your license isn’t complete until your Principal Broker files it with the State. You must pay $150.”

Augggggh!

The end of the month is coming up, and if I miss it, they will charge me again.

At least I get 2 years before another renewal, and being a licensed Broker may give me some clout, for I have a few things to say about Housing history and how it is instrumental in advancing Civil Liberties.

Would you believe, according to that continuing ed class, Real Estate Agents rank in repetition behind Politicians and Used Car Salespeople?  I’m sorry, used car people. And consider this: when we sold our house in California, our Real Estate Agent told us he was giving $10,000 from his commission to a former girlfriend because she was the one who got him into Real Estate.

You will find good people everywhere.

I’m of the ilk that if people behaved themselves, we wouldn’t have to pass so many laws, also, I realize that when people are working on commission only, it is rife for skullduggery.

Contrasts.

While you are out walking and noticing little flowers that are poking their heads out of what were bare sticks all winter, (Winter? It’s February) your heart also aches because shootings, bombings, and general unrest or malaise still exists in our country.  I need to go back to my idea of, “It depends upon which window you look out of.” Rather like the photographer’s lens, it depends on what they focus on. Prettiness can be framed right in the middle of a disaster.

This week, after walking in spirit with the Buddhist Monk’s Peace Walk, I felt an after-Christmas drop when it ended, and found on my computer that Political business as usual still abounds.

Dear GUS, don’t let the people who were moved by the peace movement forget how thrilled they were with it.

And dear ones, “Do not be sad it’s over. Be glad it happened.”

I believe an awakening is happening. The propaganda machine will try to persuade you that it isn’t, but don’t believe them. Look over here: There is peace in people. There is joy in people. We are awakening after a long sleep.

And you know about awakening a sleeping giant.

They are formidable.

 

A Valentine card for you: click on picture:

 

https://jlcards.com/rq6vW3/

The Heart Knows

Spiritual Warriors

Last night I went to bed with joy swelling in my heart. For I had watched the awakening of America, and I felt proud once again to be an American.

I understand how we have felt beaten down. Once I saw a movie where, in a Nazi concentration camp, a man was stripped naked, tied to a post as tribal hunters would bring home a fresh kill, sprayed with water, and allowed to freeze to death.

The inmates were forced to watch.

I was screaming inside, " Rush him, you are more than him, rush the man with the hose, the man with the gun. He will only shoot one or two of you before the rest overpowers him.

But who wants to be the first?

You need a unified group behind you. Otherwise, you are just another dead idealist.

We value our lives and want to live. And if the one inmate had spoken, had suggested the overrun, he would have been a goner, and the others would be back in fear and captivity.

We needed a small group of warriors to silently walk for peace. To stir our hearts to health and hope once again.

 

 

And the I.C.E  killings lit the spark that exists in the hearts of many of us, that we aren’t going to take it anymore.

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUMXkqbjYyv/

And this is only a part of the people. They are taking to the streets in LA, San Diego, Boston, all over. We are watching history—we are always making history, but this is unprecedented. I began copying photos to save for posterity and to share. (It’s all over Instagram—for that’s where people are photographing and posting, and where you see kind hearts all over the place. People have lined up for 7 miles to praise the Monks on their 2,300-mile hike for peace. But if you aren’t watching Instagram, you can miss it.

This morning, my surging heart dropped a notch when I turned on my computer and saw nothing about the marches, the assemblages of people all over America who say, “We aren’t going to take it anymore.” I did see that a judge issued a ruling on I.C.E.’s presence in Minnesota.

 

“U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez denied a request from Minnesota officials for a temporary restraining order, despite acknowledging what she described as “profound and even heart breaking” consequences for communities in the state.”

She said “those are not the only harms to be considered,” however.

“The Eighth Circuit has recently reiterated that entry or injunction barring the federal government from enforcing federal law imposes significant harm on the government,” the judge wrote.”

 “Significant harm on the government?!!! Brother! Hey, did you notice, I.C.E. is killing people, and the government is blaming the victims? And the President will not intervene in a Democratic jurisdiction unless they say, "Please." Silly me, I thought we were a two party system.

 

There is a sign over the door at the Cardo Rehab Gym at the River Bend Hospital in Springfield, Oregon that reads:

“The heart can do anything.”

 

P.S. I have opened a New Newsletter, and for the past four days have posted small comments. I would love it if you would join me. 

click on the image

 

 

This is what commitment looks like: