It’s still October and it’s still Glorious! I’m remembering how way back in the day when warm, sunny days would stretch on into October we called it “Indian Summer”. We celebrated it … like a special dispensation from the darkness and cold we knew was coming. We made apple pie and pumpkin soup. We were grateful. Today, it seems that even as I revel in the sun on my face, sitting on my deck mid-day to read or just watch the birds at the feeder, something prickly, something smoky, creeps in and whispers danger, whispers ‘climate crisis’. What next … I wonder.
Last week I shared my enthusiasm for Azar Nafisi’s courageous book, Read Dangerously: the subversive power of literature in troubled times, and said that I wanted to say more about it and hopefully engage in conversation with you about it as well. And I do … but not this week.
This week, I want to emphasize what it means to practice the privilege we still have as Americans … to Vote. To use our Voice to keep democracy alive. It was Edward Everett Hale who said I am only One. I cannot do Everything, but still I can do Something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something I can do. What I can do, I should do. And what I should do … I will do. Even if Long Covid has left you weak and tired, even if you are old or frail, you can still vote! In Oregon we don’t even have to leave home to cast our ballots.
If you still need convincing, here is a 5-minute video that I promise you won’t be sorry you took the time to watch.
And last for now, but certainly not least … On Saturday I attended a workshop titled “Repurposing Your Privilege” where I came to understand the nature of ‘privilege’ and some of the ways we choose to use it. On Sunday, my personal privilege included sharing the pulpit at WHUUF (West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship) with our minister, the Reverend Tracy Springberry, whose sermon focused on the Courage to be Vulnerable … a topic that touched us all. You can watch the whole thing here if you’d like. One of my parts in the service was reading these words from Audre Lorde.
And may all the Blessings of October rain down on us until we meet again,
Sulima
