I recently read "God Grew Tired of Us" by Jon Bul Dau. If you don't have time to read the book, check out the movie by the same name. Dau tells the story of his life from Dinka childhood in a small Sudanese village, through his experience of being a refugee and one of the Lost Boys, to his relocation to the United States and his transition into life here.
I have historically given money to local organizations with the thought that there are many people here, in the United States, who need food and shelter. This is true. I was astounded, however, at the level of poverty experienced by refugees in war-torn countries in Africa. I've never read, or seen, anything like it.
A co-worker of mine is involved with a new program aimed at educating children from Uganda. Please read the information about Children UP and learn more, read more, and give as you are able.
Children UP
Dedicated to supporting northern Uganda from the Children UP.
Children Up is an organization founded in 2007 of mostly former teachers from Elmhurst, Illinois interested in the health, welfare and education of the youth of Uganda. An under-reported war has been raging in northern Uganda for over 20 years. In that time over 30,000 children have been abducted and used as child soldiers and sex slaves. These children have seen unimaginable horrors. As an organization, we have been supporting individual children as well as supporting reading programs. Supporting one child in primary school costs $300 a year. This includes the cost of education, school supplies, food, two uniforms, a pair of shoes and a mentor overseeing the child’s welfare. A similar arrangement at the high school level costs $900 a year.
Tax-exempt contributions may be sent to:
Children UP
% Charles Laliberte
481 Alma
Elmhurst, IL 60126
630-832-9010
Friday, November 7, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
what's so scary about poetry
A friend asked me to find the text of a poem today. Finding, reading, absorbing and liking the poem has brought me to a place of re-thinking my earlier post proclaiming my distaste for poetry.
The poem, The Avowal, comes from 'selected poems' by Denise Levertov. Levertov lived to 74, and died in 1997 (same as my mother). She was initially from England, an anti-war activist, an environmentalist, and most definitely a spiritual person.
Here it is:
As swimmers dare
to lie face to the sky
and water bears them,
as hawks rest upon air
and air sustains them,
so would I learn to attain
freefall, and float
into Creator Spirit's deep embrace,
knowing no effort earns
that all-surrounding grace.
So, what's so scary about poetry? That poem is nice. Pleasant. I can place myself in it, envision the moment, grasp it, and let go of it. So, what brings me to prefer journalism and well-outlined academic text, over a good poem?
Emotion.
It's that simple.
Poets seem to quickly zap into the emotion surrounding an event, a moment, even the description of a tree can pull up emotion. Quickly, seemlessly.
I can read an article from the daily news about a vice-presidential candidate wanting to prevent me from marrying the person I love. I can read a report about the large number of military servicemen and women losing limbs, senses (literally) and minds in a war that's gone on for five years. I can read these and not be forced to feel. Willingly reading a poem is another story entirely. God only knows how the topics above could be brought to life, and emotion, in a poem! Imagine the anger, fear, tears, joy, laughter, you name it. . . .
Perhaps I'll check the poetry book out and experiment with reading it in the comfort of my own home. See if I can live through - or even enjoy - some poems.
My Dad liked poetry. He used to read it aloud and become rather emotional about it. I would dodge these impromptu sessions at all cost. I remember one night the year before he died when we sat next to each other on his couch flipping through a National Geographic. I didn't realize it, but I was in for a pseudo poetry reading. He couldn't really follow the sentences and read at that point, so I started reading an article on penguins with him. It was heart wrenching! We started going through the cut lines below the photos, learning how they keep each other warm in bitter cold temps. . . who knew that National Geographic authors could be so dramatic and creative in describing penguin life. Before I knew it, my father and I were reading, looking at the adorable pictures, and crying. We may have been crying because I was reading to him (it had always been the other way around), we may have been crying because we wouldn't have many chances to sit together again, we may have been crying because the penguin pictures were more adorable than any we'd seen. Regardless, we were moved.
That was one session I'm grateful for having and I'm glad I didn't dodge it. Maybe having some of those emotional, poetic, poetry moments is worth it.
~
The poem, The Avowal, comes from 'selected poems' by Denise Levertov. Levertov lived to 74, and died in 1997 (same as my mother). She was initially from England, an anti-war activist, an environmentalist, and most definitely a spiritual person.
Here it is:
As swimmers dare
to lie face to the sky
and water bears them,
as hawks rest upon air
and air sustains them,
so would I learn to attain
freefall, and float
into Creator Spirit's deep embrace,
knowing no effort earns
that all-surrounding grace.
So, what's so scary about poetry? That poem is nice. Pleasant. I can place myself in it, envision the moment, grasp it, and let go of it. So, what brings me to prefer journalism and well-outlined academic text, over a good poem?
Emotion.
It's that simple.
Poets seem to quickly zap into the emotion surrounding an event, a moment, even the description of a tree can pull up emotion. Quickly, seemlessly.
I can read an article from the daily news about a vice-presidential candidate wanting to prevent me from marrying the person I love. I can read a report about the large number of military servicemen and women losing limbs, senses (literally) and minds in a war that's gone on for five years. I can read these and not be forced to feel. Willingly reading a poem is another story entirely. God only knows how the topics above could be brought to life, and emotion, in a poem! Imagine the anger, fear, tears, joy, laughter, you name it. . . .
Perhaps I'll check the poetry book out and experiment with reading it in the comfort of my own home. See if I can live through - or even enjoy - some poems.
My Dad liked poetry. He used to read it aloud and become rather emotional about it. I would dodge these impromptu sessions at all cost. I remember one night the year before he died when we sat next to each other on his couch flipping through a National Geographic. I didn't realize it, but I was in for a pseudo poetry reading. He couldn't really follow the sentences and read at that point, so I started reading an article on penguins with him. It was heart wrenching! We started going through the cut lines below the photos, learning how they keep each other warm in bitter cold temps. . . who knew that National Geographic authors could be so dramatic and creative in describing penguin life. Before I knew it, my father and I were reading, looking at the adorable pictures, and crying. We may have been crying because I was reading to him (it had always been the other way around), we may have been crying because we wouldn't have many chances to sit together again, we may have been crying because the penguin pictures were more adorable than any we'd seen. Regardless, we were moved.
That was one session I'm grateful for having and I'm glad I didn't dodge it. Maybe having some of those emotional, poetic, poetry moments is worth it.
~
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
What if the Candidates Were Reversed
A friend of mine forwarded this to a batch of folks yesterday. She's not one to send many emails of that sort, and I'm not either. I am, however, happy that this one is floating around in cyber space. It's worth the read and some reflection.
What if the candidates lives were reversed?
What if John McCain were a former president of
the Harvard Law Review?
What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the
bottom of his graduating class?
What if McCain were still married to the first
woman he said 'I do' to?
What if Obama were the candidate who left his
first wife after she no longer measured up to
his standards?
What if Michelle Obama were a wife who not
only became addicted to pain killers, but
acquired them illegally through her charitable
organization?
What if Cindy McCain graduated from Princeton
and Harvard Law?
What if Obama were a member of the Keating-5?
What if McCain were a charismatic, eloquent
speaker?
If the above questions reflected reality, do
you really believe the election polls would
be as close as they are?
This is what racism does. It covers up,
rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities
in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities
in another when there is a color difference.
You are The Boss... which team would you hire?
With America facing historic debt, 2 wars,
stumbling health care, a weakened dollar, all-time
high prison population, mortgage crises, bank
foreclosures, etc.
Educational Background:
Obama: Columbia University - B.A. Political Science
with a Specialization in International Relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude
Biden: University of Delaware - B.A. in
History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law -
Juris Doctor (J.D.)
versus
McCain: United States Naval Academy - Class
rank: 894 of 899
Palin: Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College- 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism
Now, which team are you going to hire?
PS: What if Barack Obama had an unwed,
pregnant teenage daughter...
What if the candidates lives were reversed?
What if John McCain were a former president of
the Harvard Law Review?
What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the
bottom of his graduating class?
What if McCain were still married to the first
woman he said 'I do' to?
What if Obama were the candidate who left his
first wife after she no longer measured up to
his standards?
What if Michelle Obama were a wife who not
only became addicted to pain killers, but
acquired them illegally through her charitable
organization?
What if Cindy McCain graduated from Princeton
and Harvard Law?
What if Obama were a member of the Keating-5?
What if McCain were a charismatic, eloquent
speaker?
If the above questions reflected reality, do
you really believe the election polls would
be as close as they are?
This is what racism does. It covers up,
rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities
in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities
in another when there is a color difference.
You are The Boss... which team would you hire?
With America facing historic debt, 2 wars,
stumbling health care, a weakened dollar, all-time
high prison population, mortgage crises, bank
foreclosures, etc.
Educational Background:
Obama: Columbia University - B.A. Political Science
with a Specialization in International Relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude
Biden: University of Delaware - B.A. in
History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law -
Juris Doctor (J.D.)
versus
McCain: United States Naval Academy - Class
rank: 894 of 899
Palin: Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College- 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism
Now, which team are you going to hire?
PS: What if Barack Obama had an unwed,
pregnant teenage daughter...
Friday, October 10, 2008
Poet Laureate 2008 ~ Kay Ryan
I'm not a big fan of poetry. Actually I don't read poetry, write poetry, or enjoy listening to poetry. So. . . how did our 16th Poet Laureate, Kay Ryan catch my eye? Take a look at her photo below.
It's encouraging to read that our newest poet laureate is an out, gay woman. And, she credits her partner of 30 years for convincing her to take the job. Can you really say "no" to an honor of this sort? Note to self: If I get a call from someone at the Library of Congress, I may want to say "yes."
So . . . for those of you who are "into" poetry, read the article below, check out some of her books, and keep your eyes (and ears) open for a chance to here our national poet laureate at an event near you.
Photo credit: Peter DaSilva for The New York Times
Kay Ryan, 62, will become the country’s 16th poet laureate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/books/17poet.html
It's encouraging to read that our newest poet laureate is an out, gay woman. And, she credits her partner of 30 years for convincing her to take the job. Can you really say "no" to an honor of this sort? Note to self: If I get a call from someone at the Library of Congress, I may want to say "yes."
So . . . for those of you who are "into" poetry, read the article below, check out some of her books, and keep your eyes (and ears) open for a chance to here our national poet laureate at an event near you.
Photo credit: Peter DaSilva for The New York Times
Kay Ryan, 62, will become the country’s 16th poet laureate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/books/17poet.html
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Enter the Rachel Maddow Fan Club
(AP Photo/ MSNBC, Ali Goldstein)
I've attached a wonderful blog entry about tv journalist Rachel Maddow. Check out the link below, watch her show, let me know what you think.
http://wallwritings.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/now-more-than-ever-you-need-rachel-maddow/
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Non-profit of the Week ~ Do One Good Thing
This week you may feel inundated with challenging news – I know I do. I’m concerned about my savings, the fate of our economy, soldiers and civilians getting injured and dying around the world, land mines, breast cancer, homelessness, hunger, you name it.
During this risky financial time you (and I) may be more inclined to hunker down, protect our savings, keep our jobs, money and families secure. Unfortunately non-profit organizations of all sorts will suffer as more of us give less of what we have.
My challenge to you is to do one good thing this week. It doesn’t matter if it’s giving $1 or $100 or a few minutes of your time, just do one good thing.
Here are some ideas:
• Tithe at church
• Donate clothing or items you no longer use to a service organization like AmVets (http://www.ilamvets.org/donate.cfm ) or the Brown Elephant (http://www.howardbrown.org/hb_brownelephant.asp)
• Give an extra buck for whatever organization is being supported at the pet store or the grocery
• Give food to the local food pantry (http://www.feedingillinois.org/)
• Offer to do an errand for someone in need – take them food – books – movies – you name it
I could write ideas all day. . . . but I’ll spare you.
One of my favorite quotes by Edward Abbey is this, “Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul.” Get an idea and follow through this week – you’ll preserve your soul and help out another!
During this risky financial time you (and I) may be more inclined to hunker down, protect our savings, keep our jobs, money and families secure. Unfortunately non-profit organizations of all sorts will suffer as more of us give less of what we have.
My challenge to you is to do one good thing this week. It doesn’t matter if it’s giving $1 or $100 or a few minutes of your time, just do one good thing.
Here are some ideas:
• Tithe at church
• Donate clothing or items you no longer use to a service organization like AmVets (http://www.ilamvets.org/donate.cfm ) or the Brown Elephant (http://www.howardbrown.org/hb_brownelephant.asp)
• Give an extra buck for whatever organization is being supported at the pet store or the grocery
• Give food to the local food pantry (http://www.feedingillinois.org/)
• Offer to do an errand for someone in need – take them food – books – movies – you name it
I could write ideas all day. . . . but I’ll spare you.
One of my favorite quotes by Edward Abbey is this, “Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul.” Get an idea and follow through this week – you’ll preserve your soul and help out another!
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