“I live in Ukraine with my family. I love my country, family, friends, people.
I fight for them. I fight for Ukraine.”
-Oleksandr Usyk
—
art credit: elana vasylieva, ukranian landscape watercolor
Feb24
Category Archives: people
Dec19
no sleep ’til christmas.
this tired penguin duo is not unlike the first two people i met out in the world today
—
stopped by the store at 9am
for a simple return
on my way to the rest of my day
the only other human i saw
was a slow-moving young employee
who began our encounter
by telling me he was sorry
for accidentally spraying a lot of cologne on himself
when mistaking the top of a bottle for the bottom
shared that he was really tired
worked until 11pm, closed the store at 12am
came in early at 6am, opened the store at 7am
in between
he drove home, ate, calmed down,
tried to get a few hours of sleep in
(no time for a shower, maybe explains his ill-fated cologne mishap)
we talked about how busy it would be as the day continued
when another employee arrived
who began her conversation with him by saying:
“don’t even talk to me, i’m going on break.”
his not unexpected response:
“but, you just got here.”
she quickly shot back a:
“i told you to not even talk to me”
when i left i thanked him for working
knowing they both
still had a very long day ahead.
—
“i finally got 8 hours, of sleep. it took me 4 days, but whatever.”
-author unknown
Nov22
getting ready.
as we prepare to gather together in a few days
often with all kinds of people
often anticipating how it will go
often happily surprised.
—
“it’s never the differences between people that surprise us.
it’s the things, that against all odds, we have in common.”
-jodi picoult
—
photo credit: muppets.disney.com
Nov21
freerice.
during this time of year, when we are so lucky for our bounty, why not help to feed someone else
and maybe learn something along the way?
freericetrivia by the U.N.’s World Food Programme
Want to test your knowledge while helping end world hunger? freerice can make it happen. For every question you answer correctly in the trivia quiz, 10 grains of rice are donated to those in need. Since 2010, freerice has raised more than 214 billion grains of rice (equivalent to $1.5 million) for people around the world.
—
“poverty’s child – he starts to grind the rice, and gazes at the moon.”
-matuso basho
Nov17
together.
“america is a tune. it must be sung together.”
-gerald stanley lee
Oct11
indigenous people.
According to the United Nations, there are currently more than 370 million Indigenous people spread across 70 countries worldwide. In total, they belong to some 5,000 different Indigenous groups and speak more than 4,000 languages. Many of these groups have distinct social, economic, and political systems, as well as distinct culture and beliefs. Sadly, they are often marginalized or directly threatened by more dominant powers in society — despite having been the original inhabitants of the land they occupy.
Indigenous peoples often have a strong attachment, understanding, and respect for their native lands, be it the great plains of the United States, the Canadian prairies, or the Amazon rainforest. This connection is frequently apparent in the wise words of Indigenous leaders both past and present. Today, with many Indigenous communities on the frontlines of the battle to protect our natural world, this wisdom is perhaps more important than ever.
—
“Even though you and I are in different boats,
you in your boat and we in our canoe,
we share the same River of Life.
What befalls me, befalls you.”
-Oren Lyons, Onandaga Nation Chief
and member of the Indigenous Peoples of the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations
—
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a holiday that celebrates and honors Native American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. On October 8th, 2021 President Joe Biden signed a presidential proclamation declaring October 11th to be a national holiday.
—
– credits: Penobscot History Museum, United Nations
Sep29
stick together.
our rainbow of people
—
“look at the rainbow, it is made up of different colors, yet they do not split,
because they know how beautiful they are when they stick together.”
―
Nov9
all.
Nov4
along for the ride.
on last night’s walk downtown
i was behind a person who was
giving a skeleton a piggyback ride
heading to the polls?
—
“i just enjoy being along for the ride.”
– darryl royal – american football player (1924-2012)
Jun15
we.
‘Friends Who Share Balloons’
—
“peace is not merely the absence of warfare,
any more than true health is simply the absence of a disease.
nor is peace simply a quiet state of equilibrium –
impossible to achieve in an evolving system.
though refraining from harm is an essential first step,
lasting peace is created by actively redressing harm done.
peace is a creative process of joining i and thou into a co-creative we.
it requires authentic communication, empathic listening, and wildly creative solutions.”
-anodea judith
—
image credit: willowdayflowerproject by gina – Leaves, Twigs, Iris, Geraniums, Lilacs, Delphiniums, Hydrangeas, Marigolds all got together and became “Friends who share balloons.”
I have my glasses on.... 