Hello and welcome to the first Saturday of June here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is June 6. Anyone see the "strawberry moon" and partial eclipse last night?
Wow, what an emotionally distraught week. How quickly we transitioned from celebrating graduation in the time of corona to nationwide, societal upheaval. Pandemic-shpandemic. We've got bigger problems to worry about.
I’ve been dreading writing this blog post. The question: “What should I say?” has sat hunched like a squawking parrot on my shoulder all week. Here’s my dilemma: I don’t want to offend. I don’t want to lose friendships. I don’t want to become further isolated than I already am due to the pandemic in my community.
What I keep circling back to is listening. This week, the world was called to listen. I know this is a skill I need to work on. I’m a chatterbox, a chatty Kathy. (All my Kathy friends say so.) My husband and I regularly debate who’s the chattier one at parent-teacher conferences – him or me.
I wear hearing aids, too. I have since I was 10 years old. A friend and I have a running joke: “You ain’t lit’nin’!” While I tell people that hearing aids are a lot like glasses, admittedly, there’s a lot of hearing that has also gotten missed in the last 35 years.
So, I’m listening.
What do I hear the people of Wannaska country saying?
Honestly, it's hard to hear these things. I don’t want to hear these things.
Believe me, I would much rather ignore what I’ve heard and stick with my own thoughts and narrative. I’d rather talk about how my son shaved his head and about how I’m learning to do flips on the trampoline. I’d rather share my enthusiasm for my kids’ math teacher’s vlog journey through a Scandinavian cookbook from which I learned about Heart waffles and gjetost cheese (a caramelized goat cheese). That I’ve lost ten pounds during the pandemic without exercising like an exerciser. That tomorrow’s my birthday.
But I know this conversation is important and necessary. That, because of the friendship and regard that has been built between my family and my neighbors during the time we have lived in Wannaska country, I have a responsibility to be present - not on the national stage, or even in Minneapolis - but in THIS community to hear the things that are hard for me to hear.
And my neighbors, I think what you’re telling me is this: You are angry. You feel attacked. You feel excluded. That your very sense of self is being violated and unfairly redefined. You are worried. You question your own safety.
Being the excessively talkative type, sometimes I have a response to the comments I’ve heard. But mostly – and surprisingly – I don’t know what to say. I feel something in my body that tells me something is amiss. But I can’t articulate it. I can only point to a spot in my abdomen or my throat and say, “I feel your words here.”
And while the conversation is uncomfortable, the one thing I do know is that I want to be a holder of the space for this conversation. That I will do my part to listen because the conversation has to happen. That if I choose to live in community – and I do – then I have to hear all the voices at the table, even when I don’t want to.
Will you join me? I've got a great new recipe for waffles.
Kim
Wow, what an emotionally distraught week. How quickly we transitioned from celebrating graduation in the time of corona to nationwide, societal upheaval. Pandemic-shpandemic. We've got bigger problems to worry about.
I’ve been dreading writing this blog post. The question: “What should I say?” has sat hunched like a squawking parrot on my shoulder all week. Here’s my dilemma: I don’t want to offend. I don’t want to lose friendships. I don’t want to become further isolated than I already am due to the pandemic in my community.
What I keep circling back to is listening. This week, the world was called to listen. I know this is a skill I need to work on. I’m a chatterbox, a chatty Kathy. (All my Kathy friends say so.) My husband and I regularly debate who’s the chattier one at parent-teacher conferences – him or me.
I wear hearing aids, too. I have since I was 10 years old. A friend and I have a running joke: “You ain’t lit’nin’!” While I tell people that hearing aids are a lot like glasses, admittedly, there’s a lot of hearing that has also gotten missed in the last 35 years.
So, I’m listening.
What do I hear the people of Wannaska country saying?
- I’m not racist.
- I’m colorblind.
- All lives matter.
- I treat everybody the same.
- I’m nice to those who are nice to me.
- I’m judged for being white.
- Don’t judge me.
- Everyone has their own story.
- I don’t have white privilege.
- Even some black people say there’s no such thing as white privilege.
- I don’t condone violence.
- Looting and damaging property is wrong.
- We need law and order.
- There was no teargas.
- Who can really know whether the president prayed or not while he stood in front of St. John’s church?
- Protesters should follow the law.
- They should have gone home when the curfew went into effect.
- Professional protesters are intentional agitators.
- Not all cops are bad.
- Families of law enforcement need our care, too.
- The president does not make overtly racist remarks; that is one person’s interpretation.
- Trump is God’s Anointed One.
- I will stand by my president.
- If you choose to see evil, then evil is all you’ll see.
- Conservative church, where are you?
Honestly, it's hard to hear these things. I don’t want to hear these things.
Believe me, I would much rather ignore what I’ve heard and stick with my own thoughts and narrative. I’d rather talk about how my son shaved his head and about how I’m learning to do flips on the trampoline. I’d rather share my enthusiasm for my kids’ math teacher’s vlog journey through a Scandinavian cookbook from which I learned about Heart waffles and gjetost cheese (a caramelized goat cheese). That I’ve lost ten pounds during the pandemic without exercising like an exerciser. That tomorrow’s my birthday.
But I know this conversation is important and necessary. That, because of the friendship and regard that has been built between my family and my neighbors during the time we have lived in Wannaska country, I have a responsibility to be present - not on the national stage, or even in Minneapolis - but in THIS community to hear the things that are hard for me to hear.
And my neighbors, I think what you’re telling me is this: You are angry. You feel attacked. You feel excluded. That your very sense of self is being violated and unfairly redefined. You are worried. You question your own safety.
Being the excessively talkative type, sometimes I have a response to the comments I’ve heard. But mostly – and surprisingly – I don’t know what to say. I feel something in my body that tells me something is amiss. But I can’t articulate it. I can only point to a spot in my abdomen or my throat and say, “I feel your words here.”
And while the conversation is uncomfortable, the one thing I do know is that I want to be a holder of the space for this conversation. That I will do my part to listen because the conversation has to happen. That if I choose to live in community – and I do – then I have to hear all the voices at the table, even when I don’t want to.
Will you join me? I've got a great new recipe for waffles.
On This Day
Historic Highlights (credits)
1984 - The video game Tetris is published
Russian computer engineer, Alexey Pajitnov, created the puzzle game. With over 100 million copies sold, it is one of the most successful video games in history.
1982 - Israeli forces invade Lebanon
The 1982 Lebanon War was triggered by the attack on Israeli ambassador, Shlomo Argov, in London on June 3. Thousands of civilians died during the war, which lasted three years.
1946 - The National Basketball Association (NBA) is founded
The NBA, which comprises teams in the United States and Canada, is considered the world's premier men's professional basketball league.
1944 - On D-Day, 160,000 Allied soldiers land in Normandy, France
The World War II invasion of Normandy established a new major front against the Germans in the west and helped Soviet forces facing the bulk of German troops in the east. Germany capitulated on May 7, 1945.
1930 - Frozen food is sold in retail stores for the first time
18 stores in Springfield, Massachusetts took part in a trial to test consumer acceptance. Clarence Birdseye, the founder of the Birds Eye Frozen Food Company, is considered to be the father of the modern frozen food industry.
Russian computer engineer, Alexey Pajitnov, created the puzzle game. With over 100 million copies sold, it is one of the most successful video games in history.
1982 - Israeli forces invade Lebanon
The 1982 Lebanon War was triggered by the attack on Israeli ambassador, Shlomo Argov, in London on June 3. Thousands of civilians died during the war, which lasted three years.
1946 - The National Basketball Association (NBA) is founded
The NBA, which comprises teams in the United States and Canada, is considered the world's premier men's professional basketball league.
1944 - On D-Day, 160,000 Allied soldiers land in Normandy, France
The World War II invasion of Normandy established a new major front against the Germans in the west and helped Soviet forces facing the bulk of German troops in the east. Germany capitulated on May 7, 1945.
1930 - Frozen food is sold in retail stores for the first time
18 stores in Springfield, Massachusetts took part in a trial to test consumer acceptance. Clarence Birdseye, the founder of the Birds Eye Frozen Food Company, is considered to be the father of the modern frozen food industry.
Happy Birthday to You!🎶
1963 - Jason Isaacs, English actor, producer
1901 - Sukarno, Indonesian politician, 1st President of Indonesia
1868 - Robert Falcon Scott, English navy officer, explorer
1850 - Karl Ferdinand Braun, German/American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
1799 - Alexander Pushkin, Russian author, poet
1901 - Sukarno, Indonesian politician, 1st President of Indonesia
1868 - Robert Falcon Scott, English navy officer, explorer
1850 - Karl Ferdinand Braun, German/American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
1799 - Alexander Pushkin, Russian author, poet
Remembering You
2013 - Esther Williams, American actress, swimmer
1968 - Robert F. Kennedy, American politician, 64th United States Attorney General
1961 - Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist
1891 - John A. Macdonald, Canadian politician, 1st Prime Minister of Canada
1832 - Jeremy Bentham, English jurist, philosopher
1968 - Robert F. Kennedy, American politician, 64th United States Attorney General
1961 - Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist
1891 - John A. Macdonald, Canadian politician, 1st Prime Minister of Canada
1832 - Jeremy Bentham, English jurist, philosopher
Make some waffles, keep the conversation going around your table, and make it a great Saturday!
Kim
"Pandemic-shpandemic. We've got bigger problems to worry about."
ReplyDeleteReally?
I disagree that "we have bigger problems" than the pandemic. A dead person has no problems, so go for it, virus! Let us rest in peace. You win. Just remember that the Chairman warned us yesterday.
Your list is excellent, however lopsided on the political matters of the day. I guess the virus has bored us enough that we can afford to become complacent and move on to other obvious problems. I'm not saying the "other problems" aren't real and urgent. It's just that we are still in the middle of a pandemic that is likely to get worse if we relax our vigilance. I can see why you "don't want to hear" the statements on the list which are far more complex and confusing than the one virus fact: It can kill you or someone you love. Interestingly, the list items all ignore the pandemic. Has boredom with the virus led to stupidity?
Like you, I don't want to offend anyone, but somebody has to. I ask for forgiveness, not permission. JP Savage
Thanks for your comment, JPS! I'm happy to clarify and expound. The "pandemic-shpandemic" was meant in jest. It has been both shocking and amazing to watch how concern for the pandemic has fallen away in this past week. That is not to say it isn't important. Absolutely not. I agree with you. I will be watching the numbers in the next weeks to see what happens. I'm very bothered by the shoulder shrugs I've seen on social media when someone shares a graphic that essentially says, "It only affects 1% of the population. Who cares?"
DeleteYou're right: dead is dead and that should be paramount, but I can also understand how that gets overlooked by the immediacy of the societal upheaval that we're experiencing. People are feeling personally attacked - in so many ways. I think too, on a side note, many conservatives have voiced suspicions that the pandemic response has been overkill. So, in this regard, it's not boredom, but dismissal that may explain why people have checked out. The hot flash of the moment isn't about whether someone is infectious, but whether someone is being called racist. I expect that to change once people start losing loved ones. In fact, I wonder, if someone who loses a loved one to covid-19, but was not in support of the precautionary measures would have the humility to say, "Don't feel sorry for me. I was wrong. I messed up. And now my loved one has died."
Yes, my list is lopsided and I did this intentionally. Our region is predominantly conservative both politically and religiously. I have spent the past week reading comments and opinions shared on Facebook from all kinds of people, and yes, not all Wannaskans have the above opinions, but many do. Many, many, many. If our audience is Wannaska (or, as I like to take liberties and call it the Wannaskan region), I want to be sensitive about that. I recognize that if I'm going to ask people to have a hard conversation, they need to first feel heard.
I'm offering to hold a space for all sides of a hard conversation. In that light, you don't have to ask for forgiveness or permission.
I hope that explanation helps.
Much clarification in you latest comment. Thank you. I now have a more balanced picture of what you are trying to do, and I think it is brilliant.Neither focusing on "one or the other" nor remaining ignorant and careless are good options.
DeleteStill, I am left wondering if the Wannaskan region in general is cognizant of the enormity of BOTH crises, or will it take more escalation on both fronts to get attention. BTW, when I say "Wannaskan region" it do not limit the attitudes and thinking to that geographic area. BP Savage
These riots are familiar to me. I've been awaiting this national conversation about their origin for over 51 years. It's something I've thought and written about in depth so much, personally, that as I type this I'm thinking I've published this before here and if I have, well, I won't elaborate too much again.
ReplyDeleteHere in 2020, of all years, we still lack the 20/20 vision to fully recognize our failures as a society; that although protests like these create momentum for change, they will fail to endure without proper leadership.
I lived in Des Moines, Iowa for the first 28 years of my life. I went to integrated elementary, junior high, and senior high schools. I went to high school from 1967-1969, educated in an America that was going to hell in a hand-basket. There was little reason to believe it wasn't so, with rampant racial rioting, Vietnam War coverage, anti-war protests; the Tet Offensive, the Chicago Democratic Convention; the wanton killings of Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr..
In my high school, like high schools across the country, sometimes we had riot police as hall monitors, raising the position of 'Hall Monitor' to a whole other level. Faking a hall pass was not an option. Classrooms would empty in seconds and spill out into the streets as news came in across town some school was rioting. Racial tensions were explosive situations. Ambulances at school were common occurrences.
The education I received didn't come from text books; no teacher ever held a class to talk about what was happening around us during that time. We were left to our own ignorance and fear to come to our own answers; to some day (or not) finally learn why this seemingly perpetual hatred erupts throughout our lives? Why weren't we educated in the real history of the United States all our lives? The whole red, white, black and yellow of it and not subjugated to some farcical tale of pursuits of religious freedom, peace, love, respect and equality for all. BS.
This morning, I watched this talk on CNN, by the Houston Police Chief. I think it is very good, very courageous. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZBZ_hwUobw
So sorry for the late response, but thank you, thank you for sharing your experience. It is so informative and eye opening. I really, really hope that there is enough whatchmacallit to create positive systemic change.
Delete