Canadian Knights Without Armor Save My Summer

As I hustle through my back-to-school life, I realize I actually missed having a deadline and a reason to write. Of course, good writing takes quality time and thought which can both dribble to nothing when faced with multiple personal crises, which happens to the best of us.

However, this summer has been glorious despite some unplanned – and planned, physical changes of venue at home and at work. When you take your life apart physically in both of those essential arenas, you find out what’s really important and necessary.

For example, in my classroom, I asked, “Do I have to keep those fifty folders of old teaching ideas from ancient workshops?” Or as I shuffled through my closet at home, I questioned how often I’ve worn that sweater or if I really need those ten out-dated scarves that hang there. It’s good to clean out your life; but how many times, I wonder, will my furniture make the move? Unhappily, I discovered how tough it was to part with some pieces – like family almost.

Balancing the movin’ blues, however, was a summer full of wonderful short trips here and there. Sometimes it’s helpful to just walk away – or fly, perhaps, to get a better perspective. During a 10-day journey to New York, I found the view from the top of Niagra Falls really helped to clear away a few spiritual cobwebs! The beauty and force of Nature never fails to re-charge my faded outlook; and boy, did my camera get a major workout. I wanted to take it all home with me. Funny thing was, the most exciting and rewarding part of the trip was when my camera almost didn’t make it out of the Niagra River Gorge.

Fair warning: this could be one of those stories where you just had to be there, but it needs telling. I learned two things in this particular crisis: one, my faith in humanity is restored once again; and two, Canadians rock!

After a long and somewhat exasperating attempt to find a good trail down to the river’s edge, we were finally able to drag and scrape across some of the giant boulders to get close to the river. It was pulsing with jet boats blasting upriver over huge, white rapids and around swirling vortexes. We were not alone; many hikers swarmed over the trails and boulders nearby.

I started to unzip my case and pull my camera out for yet another picture, but hesitated and decided to move over another foot for a better view. Bending over to crawl across the rough slate surface, I helplessly watched as my camera slid out through the unzipped cover and clacked down between the piled-up boulders under my feet. I won’t repeat here the expletive that also escaped my lips, and I didn’t whisper it either.

In fact, three young men hiking nearby at that moment heard my exclamation and were immediately at my side asking, “What happened – are you all right, ma’am?”

Strapping and bare-chested, the two who were perhaps near thirty years old insisted that they could help. A younger boy with them hung back but followed their every directive. After a few acrobatic stretches down between boulders and a few scratches, their efforts proved fruitless. I was willing to forget it, to leave behind my newly-acquired mementos of a wonderful trip. But, they were not.

Sean and Larry took on their roles of brave knights on a Quest. Whether to prove something to themselves or to impress us, the two young Canadians from St. Catharine’s, Ontario refused to give up. My camera was going to re-surface from beneath the boulders come hell or high water.

After holding each other upside down to reach under the rocks, then cutting a branch from a nearby tree to extend their reach, they decided they could move small boulders which blocked their efforts. Valiant tries notwithstanding, victory still was not theirs – or mine; and I once again insisted that I could live without it. They should relax and enjoy their day on the river. But, no…

After many heave-ho’s and loud grunts, my hero Sean, covered with colorful tattoos and several stabbing scars, jumped down off the rock into the shallow water. He began his first foray trying to go under the boulders; moving smaller pieces of rock, he was able to see my camera resting on gravel up out of the water beneath me.

“Serge, come here!” he yelled to the smallest, perhaps ten or twelve years old. “Serge can squeeze right under – I know it’ll work!” New energy raced into Sean’s face. He was not going to quit. In fact, he told me if I wanted to leave without my camera, he would stay until he found it anyway. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore, we agreed later on our way home.

Little Serge wiggled and stretched through the water and gravel. We heard a muffled, “I got it!” It took another squeezing effort to get himself back out exactly the way he’d gotten under. The older men cautioned him to carefully exit the way he had entered commenting to me that his mother would be upset otherwise. Duh! I was just picturing the headlines…and I was near a stroke, myself!

My joy, relief, and astonishment almost left me speechless. What could I do to repay this?! My small cash rewards didn’t seem enough. This did not happen everyday, and people in our society don’t work this hard to help a stranger! It was definitely above and beyond the call of duty.

So, boys, this column is for you. At least the good people here in Mendocino County will know of your good Samaritan efforts, your indefatigable attitude and know the world is a better place with folks like you in it! Thanks for making my summer!

The Top 10 you don’t want to be in

We are all rude – to someone at some time – or at least we have been perceived that way. Being human usually entails thinking only of oneself on occasion; hence, that’s when someone has thought us rude. Okay, now that we’ve justified our incivility…
Let’s talk about perceptions. Look back 30, 40 or 50 years (sorry, youngsters) and you will see how our actual definitions of rudeness have changed. Working for someone who showed favoritism in hiring or promotions, listening to blonde – Polish – or “the little woman” jokes, and breathing other people’s cigarette smoke in the work place, restaurant or even your own home were all commonplace.
As social and environmental progress is made, we’ve seen our reactions to these behaviors change dramatically. And, yes, many of these situations only evolved via the courtrooms or legislators of our land. Interestingly, however, some things never seem to change.
Johns Hopkins University released results from a study last week – the Terrible Ten Behaviors, which listed as number one: “Discrimination in an employment situation.” Polled were 615 employees and university students in Baltimore. See their press release at www.jhu.edu/news/home07/oct07/civility.html.
Thirty examples of rude behavior were listed on the survey, and respondents were asked to rate each from 1 (not offensive) to 5 (most offensive). Not surprisingly, using cell phones during conversations or meetings made it to the top ten; but, surprisingly it was at the bottom of that list. In fact, misuse of handicapped privileges was two places ahead. While driving anywhere in California, it seems the blue designated parking places are most often the only vacant spots…or is that just my perception?
Back to the number one category – employment discrimination. First of all, the category is vague. Discrimination against one’s age, sexual orientation, race or body shape? Who knows?! We know it can and does happen, but often difficult to prove or redress. Maybe we forget that only one applicant can be granted the open position; could we be upset that we just didn’t get the job? “I’ve been cheated!” Uh-huh.
The next few terrible behaviors have always been perceived as terrible: aggressive or dangerous driving, taking credit for someone else’s work, treating service providers as inferiors. Then we come to jokes or remarks that mock another’s race, gender, age, etc. Many have lost the ability to laugh at these, thank goodness. However, some rude, outspoken media celebrities continue to model this behavior which keeps it alive, unfortunately.
Bullying is number six of these top ten. Our perception of this has begun to change, but we still have a ways to go. It used to be traditional behavior in high school locker rooms or hallways, often instigated by coaches/leaders perhaps. Hazing was an accepted part of the maturing process – until we woke up and noticed the real damage to our quiet, introverted students. Now, we see more violent reactions of some of these mistreated who finally “speak up” - with their parent’s revolver.
Number seven is littering. Yes, it’s a problem, but compare our streets and highways to earlier decades, if you can. Major ad campaigns have helped achieve a major overhaul in many folks’ thinking. Most parents instill this early in their children - as opposed to parents in earlier decades who probably rolled the car window down for us to throw our gum out onto the blacktop. Of course, back then we didn’t even have paper-wrapped foods to eat on the go, thus eliminating much potential litter. Hmmmm.
Remember seeing cigarette butts all over the ground - if you weren’t near an ashtray, which was often part of a room’s furnishings?! Watch any mid-20th century movie and you’re reminded how it used to be - main characters lighting up and puffing through every scene. Has our perception of smoking ever changed! With laws now prohibiting smoking in many public places, this behavior still makes it into the terrible top ten. Unbelieveable.
In fact, while enjoying our local Pumpkinfest downtown last weekend, I struggled for hours to find someone smoking, and I looked hard – especially on the periphery of activities. Only one cigar and one pipe could be seen, together with two cigarettes…pretty amazing.
Now, the final and nefarious cell phone user was very visible at the downtown event just like anyplace - all the time! And I was one of them, admittedly. But in my defense, I found an isolated spot and made it short. If we are walking, talking or spending time with our friends or family, is it rude to take or make a phone call without removing ourselves? In a casual environment, it may be no worse than someone coming up and interrupting our conversation…but in a more formal work or entertainment setting, it has become, deservedly, a major faux pas (though only number 10 on this list). And how many annoying phone rings can there be?!
It would be interesting to see results of a top ten terrible behavior survey fifty years from today. Our perceptions are always changing, along with society’s norms. Hopefully, as our technology and customs evolve, we will continue to think about others and the effect our behavior has on them. The old golden rule still works.

Survivors choose their future

“Man is made or unmade by himself. By the right choice he ascends. As a being of power, intelligence, and love, and the lord of his own thoughts, he holds the key to every situation…” ~ James Allen
The Situation. That’s what Spanish writer Arturo Perez-Reverte called it in “The Queen of the South.” Published in 2002 and translated into English in 2004, this book both rocked and fortified me recently. In the first pages, his female protagonist Teresa Mendoza suddenly found herself in what her recently murdered drug-courier boyfriend had called The Situation.
For Teresa, it meant running for her life from drug lords and government agents after her boyfriend was ‘taken out’ – and she not only remained alive, but for the next twelve years gained power and became a legend in that dangerous world. Based on an actual woman who – possibly with her child, may now be in your American neighborhood - in a new ‘situation,’ this novel was illuminating and often inspiring. A young sweetheart is left alone, but somehow takes control of her emotions and thoughts to turn the tables of her life.
Well, she was responsible for injuring, maiming or taking lives to wrangle that control from her enemies, which I can’t admire. However, her indomitable spirit helped her survive the dangerous mine field which had been her boyfriend’s world. She took control, since it was impossible to escape.
More in keeping with Mr. Allen’s quotation above may be a woman from the opposite end of the spectrum – Eleanor Roosevelt. Her life was reputable, documented, nonfiction…and she survived the loss of her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, remaining steadfast and retaining control of her life. Eleanor’s words and actions still motivate women and men today.
As The Situation confronted her, she maintained her strength and bore her mantle well. President Truman appointed her to the United States Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly, remaining there until 1953. She also became chairman of the Human Rights Commission during the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948.
She went on to volunteer her services to the American Association for the United Nations and in 1961 was reappointed by President Kennedy to the United States Delegation to the United Nations. He also placed her on the National Advisory Committee of the Peace Corps and chairman of the President's Commission on the Status of Women. Her humanitarian awards were plentiful, plus she had a huge presence in the media, even writing her own syndicated column “My Day” from 1935 nearly up to her death in 1962.
Wow. Now, there’s a widow to learn from. Somewhere between the Queen of the South and the First Lady of the World is me. On a September Saturday morning, I lost my young husband Michael to a sudden massive heart attack after only twelve years together. I reflect this month on the twenty-four years I’ve now lived without him and ponder again his death’s effect on me and my children.
I remember several new girlfriends who also attended college as re-entry students with me after Michael was gone. They were all divorced and didn’t understand how I was making it. I couldn’t relate to their relief to be estranged from their husbands; and they had a dad to send the kids to for an occasional respite. I was on duty 24/7 for my three young children while finishing college to realize my dream of teaching - and supporting us.
Unlike Teresa Mendoza, my life was not dangerous; but the physical, emotional and financial pitfalls were still there. And, unlike Eleanor Roosevelt, my resources were minimal. I would like to think my influence on my two daughters and son has been positive, but we all have our imperfections. Facing The Situation was traumatic and life-changing for us. One moment he’s there – the next, he’s gone.
Making the choices to stay positive, work hard, reminisce fondly, and look forward has ultimately made us stronger human beings, I believe. We take no one – and no days for granted; carpe diem rings a loud bell in our ears.
Unfortunately, writer-philosopher James Allen's life was also brief and his literary career lasted only nine years until his death in 1912. During that period he wrote nineteen books, inspiring hope for readers like me.
In his Foreword of “As a Man Thinketh,” Allen writes his purpose is “to stimulate men and women to the discovery and perception of the truth that ‘They themselves are makers of themselves.’" We choose our thoughts, he says. And our “mind is the master weaver, both of the inner garment of character and the outer garment of circumstance.”
I appreciate Allen's two essential truths: today we are where our thoughts have taken us, and we are the architects - for better or worse - of our futures.

Teachers Can, Do,...and Teach!

When the last school year ended, many might have been singing, “School’s out for summer!” But, for some who work in the hallowed halls (or in the trenches, literally, at Ukiah High during modernization), the lessons don’t end when summer begins.
Though teachers aren’t lined up fighting for summer school positions, several keep teaching to get students a step closer to graduation. I’m fortunate for the last twelve years that the Title VII program sends me off campus to work at the Tribal Learning Centers on area Native American rancherias or reservations.
Change of scene and coursework gives me at least some kind of break from the norm. Plus, it’s been a pleasure to go out and see old friends I’ve worked with over the years, watching these youngsters grow up to play integral roles in their tribes’ futures.
If teachers don’t teach, they don’t continue to get paid, since this district pays on a ten-month schedule. And, unlike yesteryear, seasonal jobs are hard to come by. If they’re fortunate to have other sources of income or contributions from a working spouse, it’s possible for those in education to totally pull up stakes and not give their classrooms another thought until late August.
However, many teachers stay in “teacher mode” for part of the summer at least. For example, they need to continue their professional development in order to maintain their credentials or climb the salary ladder. And we can use summer months for that (if we can afford the tuition or travel costs it often entails).
Computer Project instructor Jade Tippet learned how to teach Digital Animation in East Los Angeles for a few days, and math teacher Leslie Banta came back from an AP Calculus Institute this summer ready with some exciting ideas for her classes.
English teacher David Spain enjoyed touring the Steinbeck Center in Salinas, finding new inspiration to teach American Literature. US History instructor Natalie Perry “ate, slept and breathed real American history for nearly 3 weeks” as she toured buildings and monuments throughout historically-rich Eastern states.
Perry added, “I came home with a renewed love for my subject, great pride in my country, and total inspiration to share all I learned with my kids!”
Art teacher Pilar Crooks kept teaching in the summer, but it was a watercolor painting course (Create!) for fellow teachers; she also took some high school students to the coast to do some plein-air painting. Likewise, Journalism instructor Tonya Sparkes taught a summer course at Mendocino College, but also practiced what she teaches working part-time composing pages and writing occasional articles for the Ukiah Daily Journal.
To increase his gardening potential at home, Ag Science teacher Eric Crawford completed a new greenhouse. Contrary to the popular quote of G. B. Shaw, “He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches,” (very UNpopular with teachers) we often CAN do, yet still opt to teach.
A great example of that is Suzette Cook-Mankins, newly hired at Ukiah High last year to teach ROP Photography classes and Yearbook. Her professional calendar was packed this summer, including shooting former Vice President Mondale’s family holiday photo, accepting an invitation to do a call-in radio show for KZYX about photography, and continuing her regular Ukiah Daily Journal column “Frame by frame.”
For her personal business, Mankins also set up an online action photo website where customers order from her shots of local youngsters playing several different sports (www.mizdigitalsports.com). And to her personal satisfaction this summer, she cheered, “I finally got a great pic of the white deer up in Ridgewood!”
Other Fine Art instructors Denise Doering (music) and Maria Monti (drama) were busy providing excellent stage entertainment for our community in two summer performances. Monti played a role in the uproariously delightful and well-received “Urinetown – the Musical.” Singing, dancing and acting in the 14-performance run kept her occupied, but at home she worked on her Master’s coursework, plus completed major home improvement projects – great patio, Maria!
Denise’s singing and acting role in “The King and I” was heart-stirring, yet at times comical. As the king’s head wife, Lady Thiang, she contributed much to the audience’s enjoyment of the staged reading, accompanied by the wonderful Ukiah Symphony. Bunny Edwards, an Eagle Peak science teacher, performed the lead role beautifully as the British teacher who opted to go to Siam and teach the king’s children nearly 150 years ago.
Doering, the choral instructor at Ukiah High - plus Pomolita this year, has little time during the school year to perform; this summer opportunity was especially enjoyable to both her and Edwards. Plus, yours truly - who certainly doesn’t teach music, got a kick out of spraying my hair black, kowtowing to the king, shuffling barefoot onstage, and singing with his chorus of wives.
Now, we shuffle back into classrooms again…well, maybe not shuffle. Our newly-charged spirits help us greet over 100 new faces this fall. It’s an exciting challenge; we teachers will continue teaching, because we CAN.

Who Will Take Care of You?

Let’s toast to growing old and wise! It’s good to keep your chin up about that…getting older can be much maligned. Some think that as they lose their hair and memory, their quality of life also fades. Well, actually, that’s possible. But, I didn’t want to depress you in the first sentence.
You probably will get wiser, no doubt. But will there be any who want to hear it or learn from your experiences? Hope so. Two factors may affect that possibility.
First, boomers and their children are having fewer children, if any. Add that to the fact that boomers will probably live longer than their predecessors; they could end up with no one to see them through those last, physically challenging years.
We do see some strong movement towards extended families – elders staying at home longer, maybe living with or near their grown children. They are the lucky ones. Those giving the care may feel good about it, too, sometimes; but often the toll is high for their sacrifices – even if given willingly.
Yes, it can be emotionally draining, but there is also a practical as well as financial cost to their loving efforts. In fact, a new AARP Public Policy Institute study shows that 34 million unpaid caregivers provide about 21 hours of care per week for a calculated $350 billion dollar cost; that’s an average of $2,400 out of pocket each year spent to help their relative.
Not every parent in their 80’s has a son living next door who can work from home and support his family - while being on call to make runs into Urgent Care Center for the folks. My parents are that lucky, I’m glad to report. Still, it’s hard to watch them start using walkers, complain of hearing aides or try to remember their pills.
Dad turns eighty-six next month and is still able to pack up his keyboard and assorted musical apparatus to go entertain the “old folks” at a few area nursing facilities. He is ever mindful of how much less he can do now than last year. It can’t be easy – or fun, this growing old, I told Dad. But, it’s better than the alternative, we agreed.
After talking to Ukiahan Eileen Bostwick recently, I became more aware of the struggle many elders have just trying to get to the doctor’s office. One example is a woman with no family in the area who no longer drives, but is able to live on her own here in a small town with a good transportation system. However, when her doctor casually refers her to a specialist in Sonoma County, getting to that appointment makes her life very complicated.
Thankfully, volunteers working in a program called Senior Companions, directed by Bostwick, are available to drive the elderly woman down to that office at the prescribed time and not charge a fee. This service can be a lifesaver for many not able to drive themselves or who have no relative caregivers.
Say you’re 83, can walk around a bit, but have some visual problems which make bills and banking difficult. No family lives near and you’re not sure who to trust with your finances; living on your own is still important, so what do you do?
In many areas, but not all, programs like the Senior Companion and Foster Grandparents are available to meet the practical needs of elders who want to stay in their own homes. Locally, these efforts are sponsored and supported by the Mendocino/Lake Area Agency on Aging, a project of North Coast Opportunities.
So far this year, five Senior Companions working with Bostwick provided over 2,000 hours of service and companionship to seventeen homebound seniors. These volunteers - Sam Campagna, Joy Legg, Joan Martella, Minnie Marchall and John Rauch not only transport their senior ‘clients’ to medical appointments, grocery stores, senior centers for socialization and to church, but help with rehabilitation exercises, paperwork or sometimes just listen and chat – be their companions.
Bostwick often says her local volunteers are “truly angels on earth.” Go visit a ‘rest home’ to see the loneliness these local helpers can alleviate. When clients were asked how they’d feel if they didn’t have their Senior Companions, all their responses sounded somber:
“…I’d be sad and depressed…I’d probably have to move someplace – I couldn’t live alone…I’d feel a little left out, something missing…pretty lost.”
Not only is this program great for clients, but volunteers reap good rewards, too. Certainly the joy of helping others is paramount. But, along with training, they also receive an annual physical, supplemental insurance, help with meal and transportation costs; plus a small stipend is available to those who qualify. Volunteers must be over 60 years old and have twenty hours available per week to give. Call 462-1954 for more information.
As the huge graying of America continues, we must look for better and innovative ways to make sure everyone gets not only the medical care they need, but also other practical daily help and companionship. The end of our journey should be as meaningful as the beginning.

Potter-mania thrives despite embargoes and bans

It’s hard to compare, I know, but I don’t recall anyone standing in line at a book store forty years ago waiting for the newest Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys mystery to be unveiled. What a difference a few decades of high-tech hype make!
A couple hundred fans squeezed into our own independent bookseller, Mendocino Book Company, for the Saturday, July 21, 12:01 a.m. countdown to celebrate the new Harry Potter release. After competing in contests, watching Potter films and munching popcorn, then more schmoozing and book-talking, I watched with other locals as bookstore owner Ann Kilkenny refused to open the guarded cartons of books one second too soon.
With seven Harry Potter novels – and no more to come, J.K. Rowling has by chance, then by design, placed her phenomenal and controversial series in the forefront of today’s readers of all ages. The internationally-renowned series may have grown darker, but its popularity has not faded; rather, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows parks at the number one spot on bestseller lists – as expected.
Helping to build Potter momentum was the calculated release of the fifth Harry Potter film on July 10. The midnight opening show was filled to capacity, overflowing with Potter-mania. Customary for Ukiah’s Regal Theater Potter film openings, Caleb Meek-Bradley continued as honorary emcee dressed in his Hogwarts cloak and other Potter fixtures – the hairdo, black-rimmed glasses and necktie. Armed with his wand, recent Ukiahi grad Caleb (Potter) warmed up the audience with trivia questions during the last few minutes before show time. A great number of those costumed fans were again seen in their regalia at the new book release party. These were not just pre-teens, but adolescents and adults as well!
Rowling may not be the first series writer to capture and hold universal interest; but she is doing it right now and very successfully - with readers aged 7 to 70. That’s hard to do – just ask most authors! Billed originally as children’s literature, her books are also a hit with mainstream, adult audiences whether they speak English , Greek or …Parseltongue.
How popular are they? Well, though an embargo was in effect until 12:01 a.m. last Saturday, July 21, the mail arrival of some books (what a weight on postal shoulders!) plus scanned pages via the internet made it available early to unscrupulous fans. But, don’t worry, I won’t spoil the end for you – in fact, I’m just now reading book six. Yes, I lag behind; but I always get there.
Rowling’s official and very interesting website (http://www.jkrowling.com/) is her personal attempt to handle the constant deluge of fan responses to her writing. A better example of a young, struggling writer’s success story is hard to find. But, some would definitely like to shorten her time in the sun.
Her books of fantasy (a fact many critics and hard-line Christians often forget) have perhaps put a metaphorical spell on many of us. But, it’s hard not to see ourselves in her characters and their struggles with fate and with each other. Admit it - countless stories of witches and spells have entertained children for the last few centuries!
Controversy can work magic for a writer’s book sales; her books’ banning by alarmists and “goodness protectors” is not necessarily a bad thing. Her statement during last year’s Banned Book Week (posted on her webpage) admits, “Once again, the Harry Potter books are featured on this year’s list of must-banned books. As this puts me in the company of Harper Lee, Mark Twain, J.D. Salinger, William Golding, John Steinbeck and other writers I revere, I have always taken my annual inclusion on the list as a great honour. ‘Every burned book enlightens the world.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson.”
One embargo-breaker reviewed the book a day before its release, but thankfully didn’t spoil much. New York Times Writer Michiko Kakutani did say it is, “a somber book that marks Harry’s final initiation into the complexities and sadnesses of adulthood.”
No matter your age, you can feel for Harry – either you’re in the throes of growing up, or you can recall the hard-flung emotions which chipped away at the child in each of us. Potter’s magic attracts us to Rowling’s characters; we would like some magic added to our life stories, perhaps.
Staying up late – again with Potter-costumed Ukiahans was a novelty for me, but I discovered via the internet some lengths to which many Potter fans went to celebrate. Dropping countdown balls, together with fireworks and popular bands playing across the globe, fans found numerous exciting ways to usher in the last of this book’s era. What is exciting for bibliophiles like me is to see such a to-do about a book that millions of people will stand in line to buy for $35.
What is the big deal? Arthur A. Levine, the Scholastic editor who first bought the United States rights for Rowling’s book, says “I think there is something that is extremely special about having lived through the first wave…But when I read Jane Austen for the first time, I didn’t feel like ‘Darn, I wish I’d been there when Jane was out there letting them go for the first time.’ ”
At the end of the day, Levine said in a Times article, a reader’s experience is a “special, one-on-one intimate experience whenever you have it.” To which I say, “Amen – and thank you, Ms. Rowling!”

Follow the Green Path

Green light, green-stamp, greenback…we know green is Go! Yes! Yay! How does one color carry so much good-to-go feeling? Connotations are actually something interesting to think about – at least for us wordsmiths. Perhaps you have to go to the literal “root” on this one…the botanical bottom of this story.
Nature provides the process of chlorophyll production which sustains our whole planet. The birth of every leaf portends the future of our food and air. Of course, you need both sunshine and water (yellow & blue) to make green, a formula that works on a color palette as well!
Bombarded with headlines, organizations and catch-phrases that include the word green, I began to ponder green-ness again. Has it become an overused jingle or moniker today? I think so - but very rightly so, I decided. Green does mean LIFE, a color coding for everything most natural and necessary for our survival.
Even our Mendocino County Promotional Alliance is compiling a list of “green” businesses – those who use sustainable practices, in hopes of bringing our county’s 52 local conservation groups together and helping to sell the idea of Mendocino being a Green county, according to a recent Daily Journal article. Our county is green in more than its valleys, trees and plants – including medicinal herbs. Julia Conway of the Alliance admits, “We were green before it was fashionable.” Solar energy know-how and organic wines and ales put Mendocino on the map.
When researching for a column early last spring, I found that many people were involved in huge undertakings of localizing, an effort to conserve our “green” status by going a step further. And, actually, it means NOT going more than 50 or so miles, perhaps, to find essentials for our lives or businesses. The statistic that rocked me, after talking to Arky Ciancutti from Brewery Gulch Inn on the Coast last March, was that 20% of all fuel burned is a result of “moving food.”
The Greater Ukiah Localization Project (GULP) encourages local purchasing and sustenance within our area. The Coast Economic Localized Link (CELL) and Willits Economic LocaLization (WELL) are others in our county marching forward with a strong “green” message.
A seasonal opportunity to buy local is our Farmer’s Market at the Alex Thomas Plaza on Saturday mornings and Tuesday afternoons. Once the nice weather is gone, though, local produce may not be so accessible. We would hope there are indoor gardeners that can supply our local markets with fresh, organic products as much as possible, but we may need more work to achieve that.
GULP also invites interested citizens to help at the Cleveland Community Gardens and asks any other community or shared gardens to keep the group advised on local food production. How - or what does YOUR garden grow? Contact Maureen at moski@pacific.net to get on their mailing list.
Participation in the Ukiah Valley Area Plan (UVAP) allows us a voice in what happens to our communities in more ways than its food sources. Efforts to conserve and preserve will help ensure the viability of our area.
We’re not talking secession or radical politics here; we’re looking at self-reliance and self-sustenance. Can we possibly find everything we need right here in Mendocino or within our region? Possibly, but it may cost more. The price is critical or prohibitive to many, but the philosophy may have a greater impact on us in the long run. What is your future worth? How about the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren?
When I look back on growing up in the 1950’s and 1960’s, I recall the excitement and convenience which plastics, polyester, pesticides and food preservatives offered our parents. These were developed to eliminate their drudgery and hard work, potentially giving them more time to relax and enjoy life. Who knew those improvements would greatly affect our mindset, making us ignore questions of long term effects on our bodies and our planet?
One local songwriter Kristine Robin (also a wonderful musician who warrants her own feature article in the near future!) produced a powerful and inspiring video to accompany her song “One is the Sun.” Link to her presence online at http://www.kristinerobin.com/.
I found myself writing some lyrics over ten years ago – as a concerned parent and questioning adult – wondering what to do about correcting the misguided actions of past decades. I imagined handing my child a gift – our abused planet, which she receives with tears.
I ask her,
“Can’t you ignore a few shortcomings, ozone holes and global warmings?
Just needs a few more landfills, naval graveyards and toxic dumps.
Every world struggles through time and picks up a few bruises and bumps.”
Of course, she takes it, but without gratitude, as I leave the scene.
“Sadly I go, looking o’er my shoulder to watch her.
Working with love, she restores and waters her wildflower lawn,
caresses a cloud, protects her wood.”
Perhaps with music and poetry, as well as policy changes and hard work, we can eventually heal our world. We must try.