Post by ~kathlene~ on Oct 31, 2011 18:49:08 GMT -7
I've found myself humbled many times by the people who live in the camp on the courthouse lawn 24/7. There are some amazing people out there, shivering and laughing, flying signs, greeting the public, funneling questions to the information booth and huddling over coffee or tea...or sometimes just cups of hot water when supplies are low...and they have damned good attitudes about the whole thing.
There's Robert who will do anything you need him to do without complaint...and then make sure it gets done every day after that as well.
There's Donny who works at the University and has no home to go to. He took some people to a sweat lodge last week, an experience that deeply impacted at least one life that I know of.
There's Keith who makes me laugh on a daily basis because he adds the phrase "and a bag of chips" to almost everything I say. (It might only be funny if you were there the first day it happened.)
There's Glen...or WAS Glen...who has been missing for 4 days now, who amazed me with his Dylan-esque musical style and his jokes about Rush Limbaugh's "free ham sandwich" mentality.
There's Curt who will cook for anyone who will eat and JP who doesn't say much but walks the perimeter after dark, even when he's not on shift, just to keep shenanigans to a minimum.
Then there are Kelsey and "Bisquit" who would give the shirts off their respective backs to anyone in need. Bisquit's poetry is mind-blowing, should you ever have the chance to hear it and Kelsey is simply kindness personified.
There's Zac whose pink hair and smile somehow makes me take a deep breath and let hours of accumulated stress roll off my shoulders.
There's David, who will be leaving for Ohio soon, who jokes around easily and makes me comfortable no matter which direction the conversation might go.
There's Will who takes no crap, demands accountability from every Occupant, and will undergo major surgery to remove a tumor from his spine some day very soon.
There's Kenny Mac who always has a smile and a hug for everyone, is the epitome of damn hippie...and veteran...and extremely spiritual human being.
There's Clare who always smells good...how the hell does she do that while sleeping outside?
There's Heather who is pregnant and is relentless in her pursuit to change Missoula's view of the houseless.
There are veterans AJ and Scotty and Jeff and Greg who fade in and out, depending upon their ability to abide by the camp agreements. They always add color to the conversation and perspective when I want to complain about being cold...because they live outdoors 24/7/365.
There's Carmin and Ernestine, a couple trying to hold things together despite Ernestine's cancer.
And then there are a few people that have gone on their way: Yoda, Cody and Brett who worked tirelessly to cover every empty shift the camp had and could always be depended upon to show up whenever and where ever needed. And Sierra and Israel and their dog "Up", the "train hoppin', professional travelin' kids" who pan-handle for smiles, trade work for change and never once asked for anything free. I hope they made it to the Occupation in Colorado safely. The road is getting pretty cold.
Then there are those I can't name...those who don't fit the comfortable paradigm that loftier Missoulians would prefer to think of as part of the 99%. To those people I say "pfffft."
The Saturday of the library GA someone asked me if "...that insane asylum was the face I wanted for Occupy Missoula" and my answer is still a resounding HELL YES. If we want the disenfranchised to look a certain way then we had better go out and hire actors to fill the role. Or better yet, we'd better get our asses out of our comfy living rooms and go down to the courthouse lawn and be the face of Occupy Missoula ourselves. I'm heartily tired of hearing that those people aren't who "we" want representing "us." Well here's the scoop from my little corner of the world: the day the 99% starts dividing itself into hierarchical cliques, complete with "cool kids" and "misfits" I will make myself a "HYPOCRITES" sign and join the denouncers who drive by and spit.
If you (and that's the GENERAL "you" so don't get your individual feelings hurt) don't think an addict or a houseless person represents the 99% more eloquently than a well-fed, middle aged white chick with a cute dog (that'd be me) then you're in serious denial. And if you're interested in putting a press-worthy face on things then get down there and show your profile.
Margaret Mead said something about judging a society's morality based on how it treat the neediest of its members. Christ said, "that which you do to the least of my brethren you also do unto me." I say, the lowest common denominator of a community is not the number of people who suffer without but the number of people who allow that suffering to take place.
Mead also said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." I wonder if we are willing to be more thoughtful and less judgmental, as a community, or if we are content to divide the 99% into a tidy "us" and a less-than-tidy "them" upon whom we might levy our condescending good works once we've achieved liberation?
Many thanks for the gratitude (and rant) space.
There's Robert who will do anything you need him to do without complaint...and then make sure it gets done every day after that as well.
There's Donny who works at the University and has no home to go to. He took some people to a sweat lodge last week, an experience that deeply impacted at least one life that I know of.
There's Keith who makes me laugh on a daily basis because he adds the phrase "and a bag of chips" to almost everything I say. (It might only be funny if you were there the first day it happened.)
There's Glen...or WAS Glen...who has been missing for 4 days now, who amazed me with his Dylan-esque musical style and his jokes about Rush Limbaugh's "free ham sandwich" mentality.
There's Curt who will cook for anyone who will eat and JP who doesn't say much but walks the perimeter after dark, even when he's not on shift, just to keep shenanigans to a minimum.
Then there are Kelsey and "Bisquit" who would give the shirts off their respective backs to anyone in need. Bisquit's poetry is mind-blowing, should you ever have the chance to hear it and Kelsey is simply kindness personified.
There's Zac whose pink hair and smile somehow makes me take a deep breath and let hours of accumulated stress roll off my shoulders.
There's David, who will be leaving for Ohio soon, who jokes around easily and makes me comfortable no matter which direction the conversation might go.
There's Will who takes no crap, demands accountability from every Occupant, and will undergo major surgery to remove a tumor from his spine some day very soon.
There's Kenny Mac who always has a smile and a hug for everyone, is the epitome of damn hippie...and veteran...and extremely spiritual human being.
There's Clare who always smells good...how the hell does she do that while sleeping outside?
There's Heather who is pregnant and is relentless in her pursuit to change Missoula's view of the houseless.
There are veterans AJ and Scotty and Jeff and Greg who fade in and out, depending upon their ability to abide by the camp agreements. They always add color to the conversation and perspective when I want to complain about being cold...because they live outdoors 24/7/365.
There's Carmin and Ernestine, a couple trying to hold things together despite Ernestine's cancer.
And then there are a few people that have gone on their way: Yoda, Cody and Brett who worked tirelessly to cover every empty shift the camp had and could always be depended upon to show up whenever and where ever needed. And Sierra and Israel and their dog "Up", the "train hoppin', professional travelin' kids" who pan-handle for smiles, trade work for change and never once asked for anything free. I hope they made it to the Occupation in Colorado safely. The road is getting pretty cold.
Then there are those I can't name...those who don't fit the comfortable paradigm that loftier Missoulians would prefer to think of as part of the 99%. To those people I say "pfffft."
The Saturday of the library GA someone asked me if "...that insane asylum was the face I wanted for Occupy Missoula" and my answer is still a resounding HELL YES. If we want the disenfranchised to look a certain way then we had better go out and hire actors to fill the role. Or better yet, we'd better get our asses out of our comfy living rooms and go down to the courthouse lawn and be the face of Occupy Missoula ourselves. I'm heartily tired of hearing that those people aren't who "we" want representing "us." Well here's the scoop from my little corner of the world: the day the 99% starts dividing itself into hierarchical cliques, complete with "cool kids" and "misfits" I will make myself a "HYPOCRITES" sign and join the denouncers who drive by and spit.
If you (and that's the GENERAL "you" so don't get your individual feelings hurt) don't think an addict or a houseless person represents the 99% more eloquently than a well-fed, middle aged white chick with a cute dog (that'd be me) then you're in serious denial. And if you're interested in putting a press-worthy face on things then get down there and show your profile.
Margaret Mead said something about judging a society's morality based on how it treat the neediest of its members. Christ said, "that which you do to the least of my brethren you also do unto me." I say, the lowest common denominator of a community is not the number of people who suffer without but the number of people who allow that suffering to take place.
Mead also said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." I wonder if we are willing to be more thoughtful and less judgmental, as a community, or if we are content to divide the 99% into a tidy "us" and a less-than-tidy "them" upon whom we might levy our condescending good works once we've achieved liberation?
Many thanks for the gratitude (and rant) space.
