At the three day art institute, I took pictures on all three days. Here is the gallery from day 3.
I wanted to connect more of the Ten theme with the last post, this post and the next post. I don't know if it will happen yet. Ten was everywhere... or X.
So was c, but that was from a different story. I even tried 10cc which is an old group with a powerful writing team.
Once upon a time I argued with a lawyer about the definition of compromise. According to the lawyer, compromise is when both sides walk away unhappy. Silly lawyer. That's Advocacy!
I forget if I arrived at my advocacy philosophy before I remembered Clinton's Sister Souljah Moment or afterwards. Either way, I considered writing how if I had a Sister Souljah Moment, I would find a way to offend the Clintons, David Duke, The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, 2nd Amendment supporters, peace activists, Siser Souljah, and maybe even Monica Lewinsky.
I am not saying that I am perfect, I am just saying that I have learned how to apologize. There have been times when I wish that I could have gone back and apologized for my bad apologies. I am actually saying that I put my foot in my mouth and then kick myself in my face with my other foot... or something like that.
Clinton's Sister Souljah Moment is instructive (for me), because I have often wondered why people have not rushed to my defense. I have been sincere, in the same way that I think Clinton was sincere when he looked for his defenders after the blue dress appeared. Well, that was also his Sister Souljah Moment. You can't cry Vast Right Wing Conspiracy after you used David Duke against African Americans and expect them to rush to your defense. Do you know what might have happened to a black man who had been caught with a white woman in a blue dress? Do you need a hint? I will give you three letters. KKK.
Well, I attack everyone too, and I have not accomplished as much as Bill Clinton. I probably haven't accomplished as much as David Duke. Depressing.
After I mentioned Sister Souljah, I was going to try and become more peaceful, because I nudge the extremes and the middles to get along. As a person with epilepsy, we are a mosaic, a tapestry, and I know it helps our community to imagine that anyone can have epilepsy and that we would find a way to help them. Perhaps we would refer to a friend who would refer to another friend, but we would find a way.
My friend recently bought a rifle that I think is unnecessary. It is advertised to be accurate up to a mile away. I think, if you are going to shoot at something a mile away, the gun better be accurate... or, get a referal from someone closer, but sometimes we are alone.
Are we our brother's keeper? Are we soldiers for each other? The brother theme would be connected to music and people. The Isley Brothers have a song and album called Brother, Brother, Brother. Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" includes all the family. The song feels more relevant today with Ferguson, Mo leading the hourly news updates.
Continuing with The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, I am including a YouTube video between Chase Jarvis and Brene Brown about Daring Greatly. Gil Scott-Heron's song ends with the phrase "the revolution will be live!" Chase's video is called Chase Jarvis Live. When Chase begins discussing hip-hop after the ten minute mark, remember that Chase is a successful photographer.
Brene Brown researched vulnerability. I challenge those of you with epilepsy to reconsider your definition of safe. Perhaps you should reveal nothing. Maybe that is the most daring thing you can do. What does it mean to "own our story?" Do we give it to a pharmaceutical company? Do we give our art away? Do we sacrifice so that others can live better lives?
Last year while teaching, I used Brene Brown's book Daring Greatly to nudge my photography students to create work that showed the difference between "Fitting In and Belonging." I wanted the students to progress to work that showed belonging.
True With a thrill in my head and a pill on my tongue, Disolve the nerves that have just begun, listening to Marving all night long....
As a white person who lives in Oakland, California who sends two white kids to an Oakland Unified School District dual immersion public school, I do not actively support charter schools. I believe that charter schools have been used to pull resources away from low-income schools and perpetuate school segregation. Oakland California supposedly celebrates diversity, but I have not seen it in our public schools. I suspect that our schools are more segregated now than they were when Brown v. Board was decided in 1954. We are even called the new Brooklyn. What does that mean? Are we going to lose our baseball team soon too?
As a person with a disability, I am reconsidering my position on charter schools. Public school teachers and district officials have unintentionally persuaded me that the X-Men might have had a good idea for a charter school. I wonder if teachers unions and districts know that we can read. People with disabilities are taken. We are statistics. We are not welcomed. Do you notice the difference? Include us in the conversation. I mean, really have an educator who went through the system do the talking and messaging. I am embarrassed by some of the comments I have heard by educators. If you advocate in the schools to educators, you might want to know something about education too. Teachers work really hard, some of them work hard during the summer.
Comments