06/04/2010

I am moving from Clymela's Place back to singing Sparrow In The Morning: I prefer to be known as Singing Sparrow.

I was reading the long and wonderful NYT Sunday article on David Simon and Tremé and The Wire and the writer was discussing the theme of The Wire: the societies left behind by the new economy. I was lit up by my sorrow reading those words knowing that I and my family are part of this. I immediately thought well we just have to turn to prayer for inspiration and suddenly I imagined urban gardening and home ec classes and sewing classes and I imagined the young poor here just as I always have.

When I went to the garden party at the public garden in North Berkeley there was precious little public there. Most everyone there is from the highest social levels with multiple degrees, multiple languages, backgrounds for the most part of extreme privilege and the instinct to sort out people by class and background. I was looked up and down but got by because of my friendship with Dave and AnnMarie and of course because I have always known that Berkeley is my home town and have been impervious to the haughty ways of the privileged-I belong and know that I belong.

Still- we of the lower classes (said tongue in cheek) need to work to save our children and our futures. This is where my idea of urban gardening and classes that teach nutrition and skills like sewing, car upkeep and repair, household maintenance, and all the skills that make life beautiful.

I am thinking that beautiful women and men are needed for this: young people are not going to feel inspired by "old white women" such as myself. That is not to put myself down I am as young as the Beingness from which I grow but I face the facts of life I have found myself in. The young people I seek to inspire are full of glossy pictures of thin young women richer than King Midas, they listen to songs of young artists who are also at the moment so wealthy that our young ones can only dream of such material wealth and believe me this is what they want. Yes we will need wealthy and beautiful young people to inspire our young ones to love the work of gardens and the grease of car upkeep.

HMMM!! off to my dear Josie for help in figuring out how to set about this. Steve is well on the way to working with those left behind because of learning problems when they were young and no one had the patience to work with them or even those who had the patience simply didn't have the time. So here comes Steve to their aid now. Last summer he worked with one guy until he was able to pass the reading test for the professional truck driver which is no joke. He could drive the big trucks but the written test had him fearing that he could never earn a living but after a season of work he passed that test.

Steve admitted to the Master's program at SF State for teaching. Hallelujah!! He so deserved this.

Haven't wanted to talk too much about our daily meals but I will go back to this because I have some really good recipes that are nutritional and very cheap and a way of life that is sustainable. That's what I am talking about.