In two days it will be Election Day.
Someone is going to win and someone is going to lose.
Propositions will succeed or they will fail...and I have no idea what the outcome of this election will be.
But I can tell you that as a nearly life-long progressive social justice activist and organizer, I've had a lot of experience working on campaigns that didn't win.
In fact, I've worked on many more failed campaigns then winning ones.
What I've learned as an organizer is that it's actually rare to win the first time.
We have to be in it for the long haul. With every loss, we must continue to build on the progress we achieved, and keep trying until we succeed. Most recently, we've seen this strategy working with marriage equality.
So yes, I fail. A lot. And while I may not see it at the time, in my failures there is always a seed of success. The success is in learning from mistakes.
In fact, many of my successes have been born out of failure. I bet I can safely say that we all have experienced failure in some way or another. And all of us have also experienced success. The thing is, unfortunately, some of our greatest successes aren't the kind you can necessarily list on a resume.
For example, I think about my dad.
He was a member of the 10th Mountain Division in WWII.
He was awarded a silver star and a purple heart.
He helped to build every house he lived in from the time he was 14 years old.
He had a successful professional career.
Yet I consider one of his biggest successes to be the day he spent teaching my 7 year old son how to whistle while repairing a fence.
But I can't think of where you'd list something like "I taught my grandson how to whistle" on a resume.
I think we need 2 resumes. One for all the professional work we've done and one for the stuff that actually really matters.
My son is 20 now. Whenever he picks up a hammer, he invariably whistles. Every once in a while, when he's whistling, he’ll stop, and get a big grin on his face, and ask me "Hey mom--Remember that day when Grandpa taught me how to whistle?"
Now that - that is something that really matters and something that would be on my dad's life resume.
I've been thinking about what really matters a lot. To me, the things that matter most are those that help us acknowledge and feel our interdependence -- with each other and with this beautiful planet we call home.
Someone is going to win and someone is going to lose.
Propositions will succeed or they will fail...and I have no idea what the outcome of this election will be.
But I can tell you that as a nearly life-long progressive social justice activist and organizer, I've had a lot of experience working on campaigns that didn't win.
In fact, I've worked on many more failed campaigns then winning ones.
What I've learned as an organizer is that it's actually rare to win the first time.
We have to be in it for the long haul. With every loss, we must continue to build on the progress we achieved, and keep trying until we succeed. Most recently, we've seen this strategy working with marriage equality.
So yes, I fail. A lot. And while I may not see it at the time, in my failures there is always a seed of success. The success is in learning from mistakes.
In fact, many of my successes have been born out of failure. I bet I can safely say that we all have experienced failure in some way or another. And all of us have also experienced success. The thing is, unfortunately, some of our greatest successes aren't the kind you can necessarily list on a resume.
For example, I think about my dad.
He was a member of the 10th Mountain Division in WWII.
He was awarded a silver star and a purple heart.
He helped to build every house he lived in from the time he was 14 years old.
He had a successful professional career.
Yet I consider one of his biggest successes to be the day he spent teaching my 7 year old son how to whistle while repairing a fence.
But I can't think of where you'd list something like "I taught my grandson how to whistle" on a resume.
I think we need 2 resumes. One for all the professional work we've done and one for the stuff that actually really matters.
My son is 20 now. Whenever he picks up a hammer, he invariably whistles. Every once in a while, when he's whistling, he’ll stop, and get a big grin on his face, and ask me "Hey mom--Remember that day when Grandpa taught me how to whistle?"
Now that - that is something that really matters and something that would be on my dad's life resume.
I've been thinking about what really matters a lot. To me, the things that matter most are those that help us acknowledge and feel our interdependence -- with each other and with this beautiful planet we call home.
This was probably best modeled for me by my daughter and my beloved step-mom, Cynthia in 1985. At the same time, my step-mom also modeled the ability to acknowledge mistakes and turn them into successes.
Cynthia hand stitched a stuffed bear for my daughter's fourth birthday. My daughter loved it - it was never out of her sight from the moment she unwrapped it. This bear was truly a fine piece of artisanship - it had mohair fur, jointed limbs, and a music box from Germany that played beautifully.
A month after receiving the bear, My daughter and I drove up to visit my parents and we came across a particularly bad multi-car crash. We stopped and I did what I could while waiting for the paramedics to arrive.
One of the cars had a grandmother traveling with her 2 granddaughters, the youngest was my daughter’s age. The 2 girls were able to get out of the car, but the grandmother was trapped. As firefighters worked to free the grandmother, my daughter and I stayed with the 2 girls and she gave her bear to the youngest to hold on to while we waited.
The grandmother was soon freed from the car and transported to the hospital.
As the Highway Patrol came to take the girls to join their grandmother, the oldest girl tried to give my daughter back her bear.
My daughter wouldn't accept it and told the youngest to keep it because "it gave really good hugs".
I was an especially proud mom in that moment.
When we got to my parents house, we told them what happened. My step-mom was unhappy and pulled me aside and angrily told me that I had been very irresponsible in allowing my daughter to give away a gift that she had worked so hard to make. I was surprised by her reaction and told her so. I shared how precious the bear had been to my daughter and how proud I was when she chose to give it away to help another little girl feel better.
After we returned home, she wrote me a beautiful heart felt apology - it meant a lot. I definitely think that this experience would make it on both my daughter and step- mom's life resume.
I've been thinking about the kind of things that would go on that life resume.
The real and most significant of successes. Things like teaching your grandson how to whistle.
Or giving away a treasured bear.
Perhaps it's pausing to talk to that houseless person on the street instead of just walking by. Or choosing to reduce your carbon footprint by riding your bike to work instead of driving--even when its raining.
Cynthia hand stitched a stuffed bear for my daughter's fourth birthday. My daughter loved it - it was never out of her sight from the moment she unwrapped it. This bear was truly a fine piece of artisanship - it had mohair fur, jointed limbs, and a music box from Germany that played beautifully.
A month after receiving the bear, My daughter and I drove up to visit my parents and we came across a particularly bad multi-car crash. We stopped and I did what I could while waiting for the paramedics to arrive.
One of the cars had a grandmother traveling with her 2 granddaughters, the youngest was my daughter’s age. The 2 girls were able to get out of the car, but the grandmother was trapped. As firefighters worked to free the grandmother, my daughter and I stayed with the 2 girls and she gave her bear to the youngest to hold on to while we waited.
The grandmother was soon freed from the car and transported to the hospital.
As the Highway Patrol came to take the girls to join their grandmother, the oldest girl tried to give my daughter back her bear.
My daughter wouldn't accept it and told the youngest to keep it because "it gave really good hugs".
I was an especially proud mom in that moment.
When we got to my parents house, we told them what happened. My step-mom was unhappy and pulled me aside and angrily told me that I had been very irresponsible in allowing my daughter to give away a gift that she had worked so hard to make. I was surprised by her reaction and told her so. I shared how precious the bear had been to my daughter and how proud I was when she chose to give it away to help another little girl feel better.
After we returned home, she wrote me a beautiful heart felt apology - it meant a lot. I definitely think that this experience would make it on both my daughter and step- mom's life resume.
I've been thinking about the kind of things that would go on that life resume.
The real and most significant of successes. Things like teaching your grandson how to whistle.
Or giving away a treasured bear.
Perhaps it's pausing to talk to that houseless person on the street instead of just walking by. Or choosing to reduce your carbon footprint by riding your bike to work instead of driving--even when its raining.
And there is a common thread.
They all seem to be about recognizing our interdependence--about connection.
You know, I volunteered with hospice for several years and witnessed a lot of conversations dying people had with their friends and families. Not once did I hear a dying person wish that they had gotten that promotion, bought more stuff or had a nicer car.
What I witnessed over and over again was that they all seemed to have a powerful need to look back and remember the moments of connection they had shared with their loved ones or to heal connections they felt had been broken.
Most of my significant failures seem to come about when I forget that I am connected to everyone else. When I act selfishly and not consider the effect my action might have on others. Whereas my most notable successes seem to occur when I am operating out of a place that taps into that connection. When I am mindful of our interdependence when I say or do something...
or choose not to say or do something.
But let me shift my sharing here, shift it to something that has been on so many UUs minds and hearts—particularly over the last week and a half.
The interdependence I just spoke of, that interdependence is probably why the issue of climate change is so important to me.
Because the choices I make,
the choices you make,
the choices our government makes
can significantly impact every other person, every other animal, every other living thing on this planet.
Take a moment to really think about that...
(pause)
It’s a very large thing to consider.
It can be both a bit overwhelming to contemplate and also sometimes easy to lose sight of.
Our choices, and the choices OUR government makes on our behalf, whether to act or not act, to speak out or stay silent, will help determine if countries around the globe will experience the kind of drought and climate driven natural disasters that will likely lead to the deaths of millions of people, animals, and plant species on our planet.
It's been really easy to think of the effects of climate change as something far in the future - even as we've learned about Greenland melting and record drought.
Experts have been trying to warn us that the earth has already changed and at a rate much faster than expected.
And we have been ignoring them.
They all seem to be about recognizing our interdependence--about connection.
You know, I volunteered with hospice for several years and witnessed a lot of conversations dying people had with their friends and families. Not once did I hear a dying person wish that they had gotten that promotion, bought more stuff or had a nicer car.
What I witnessed over and over again was that they all seemed to have a powerful need to look back and remember the moments of connection they had shared with their loved ones or to heal connections they felt had been broken.
Most of my significant failures seem to come about when I forget that I am connected to everyone else. When I act selfishly and not consider the effect my action might have on others. Whereas my most notable successes seem to occur when I am operating out of a place that taps into that connection. When I am mindful of our interdependence when I say or do something...
or choose not to say or do something.
But let me shift my sharing here, shift it to something that has been on so many UUs minds and hearts—particularly over the last week and a half.
The interdependence I just spoke of, that interdependence is probably why the issue of climate change is so important to me.
Because the choices I make,
the choices you make,
the choices our government makes
can significantly impact every other person, every other animal, every other living thing on this planet.
Take a moment to really think about that...
(pause)
It’s a very large thing to consider.
It can be both a bit overwhelming to contemplate and also sometimes easy to lose sight of.
Our choices, and the choices OUR government makes on our behalf, whether to act or not act, to speak out or stay silent, will help determine if countries around the globe will experience the kind of drought and climate driven natural disasters that will likely lead to the deaths of millions of people, animals, and plant species on our planet.
It's been really easy to think of the effects of climate change as something far in the future - even as we've learned about Greenland melting and record drought.
Experts have been trying to warn us that the earth has already changed and at a rate much faster than expected.
And we have been ignoring them.
Except that last Monday, we had a very big wake up call when "Superstorm Sandy" hit the East Coast leaving devastation in its wake. Suddenly, climate change became personal.
I was also extremely aware of the fact that the people in Haiti, after already being devastated by earthquake, had to weather Hurricane Sandy in the tents that have been their homes for the last 3 years since that earthquake hit. I cannot imagine how terrifying that must have been. I can only imagine what it must be like for the families searching for loved ones --knowing they DON'T have the comfort of relying on first responders or infrastructure as we do.
Worse, I know this is going to happen again.
As Al Roker said Friday, on the Today Show: "This is the new normal."
We have known this was coming and I suppose that is why one of the things that has disturbed me the most about the current election, is that neither of the two party candidates addressed climate change when debating each other.
For the first time since 1984, climate change was not addressed during the presidential debates. Not one word was mentioned.
Yet 15 current or former national security and military leaders from across the political spectrum have clearly stated that they believe climate change is a significant threat to our national security.
So no matter which way you want to look at it, whether you want to look at climate change as an environmental issue, or a national security issue, or simply an issue of survival, the fact is, we cannot ignore it.
It is not going away. And the potential for global catastrophe is very real, and up until last week, I would have said it was walking up the path to our collective front door. Now, after Sandy, I'd say it has knocked that door down.
3 months ago, in an article in the August 2 edition of Rolling Stone magazine, environmentalist, author, and founder of 350.org Bill McKibben laid out some simple math: we can burn 565 more gigatons of carbon and stay below 2°C of warming — anything more than that risks catastrophe for life on earth.
I was also extremely aware of the fact that the people in Haiti, after already being devastated by earthquake, had to weather Hurricane Sandy in the tents that have been their homes for the last 3 years since that earthquake hit. I cannot imagine how terrifying that must have been. I can only imagine what it must be like for the families searching for loved ones --knowing they DON'T have the comfort of relying on first responders or infrastructure as we do.
Worse, I know this is going to happen again.
As Al Roker said Friday, on the Today Show: "This is the new normal."
We have known this was coming and I suppose that is why one of the things that has disturbed me the most about the current election, is that neither of the two party candidates addressed climate change when debating each other.
For the first time since 1984, climate change was not addressed during the presidential debates. Not one word was mentioned.
Yet 15 current or former national security and military leaders from across the political spectrum have clearly stated that they believe climate change is a significant threat to our national security.
So no matter which way you want to look at it, whether you want to look at climate change as an environmental issue, or a national security issue, or simply an issue of survival, the fact is, we cannot ignore it.
It is not going away. And the potential for global catastrophe is very real, and up until last week, I would have said it was walking up the path to our collective front door. Now, after Sandy, I'd say it has knocked that door down.
3 months ago, in an article in the August 2 edition of Rolling Stone magazine, environmentalist, author, and founder of 350.org Bill McKibben laid out some simple math: we can burn 565 more gigatons of carbon and stay below 2°C of warming — anything more than that risks catastrophe for life on earth.
The only problem? Fossil fuel corporations now have 2,795 gigatons in their reserves, that’s five times the safe amount. And they are planning on burning it all. Not burning it would cost the fossil fuel corporations who own it roughly $27 trillion dollars. That's a lot of money. And I am fairly sure that is why Presidential candidates are not talking about climate change. Alienating some of your largest donors is politically unwise. And fossil fuel corporations are not going to give up that kind of profit unless we force them to.
It is very clear that this is our problem and we can no longer wait for someone else to solve it. We need to actively work together to bring about the changes we need to save this planet - our home. It may seem daunting. You may wonder: "How can I make a difference?"
British primatologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace Jane Goodall said: "You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."
My step-mom, Cynthia, took that message to heart.
10 years after my daughter gave away her bear, Cynthia died. At her memorial service, I was surprised to see a large group of police officers in attendance.
That's when I found out that my step-mom had made and donated a bear to the police EVERY MONTH from the time of that accident to be given to kids in crisis.
When she found out her cancer was terminal, the first thing she did was make 4 more bears to donate to make it an even 150 before she died.
I had no idea. But the police all knew the story well and were excited to meet my daughter, then 14, and let her know how her decision to give away her bear had inspired her grandma.
In fact, it inspired a program that eventually went state-wide.
I learned a lot from that experience. Because of course, there have been times when I have gotten angry, and said things that in retrospect I wish I hadn’t. And when that happens, I do try and make amends.
But before learning about my step-mom and the bears, I don't know that I would have thought about turning those mistakes into successes in quite the way she did. I find it perfectly illustrates how we never know how far out the ripples of our actions will spread - how many people we might influence, or the difference one regular person can make.
And each person influenced can go on to spread ripples of their own until we are able to achieve what we previously thought impossible. Like slowing down climate change.
It is very clear that this is our problem and we can no longer wait for someone else to solve it. We need to actively work together to bring about the changes we need to save this planet - our home. It may seem daunting. You may wonder: "How can I make a difference?"
British primatologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace Jane Goodall said: "You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."
My step-mom, Cynthia, took that message to heart.
10 years after my daughter gave away her bear, Cynthia died. At her memorial service, I was surprised to see a large group of police officers in attendance.
That's when I found out that my step-mom had made and donated a bear to the police EVERY MONTH from the time of that accident to be given to kids in crisis.
When she found out her cancer was terminal, the first thing she did was make 4 more bears to donate to make it an even 150 before she died.
I had no idea. But the police all knew the story well and were excited to meet my daughter, then 14, and let her know how her decision to give away her bear had inspired her grandma.
In fact, it inspired a program that eventually went state-wide.
I learned a lot from that experience. Because of course, there have been times when I have gotten angry, and said things that in retrospect I wish I hadn’t. And when that happens, I do try and make amends.
But before learning about my step-mom and the bears, I don't know that I would have thought about turning those mistakes into successes in quite the way she did. I find it perfectly illustrates how we never know how far out the ripples of our actions will spread - how many people we might influence, or the difference one regular person can make.
And each person influenced can go on to spread ripples of their own until we are able to achieve what we previously thought impossible. Like slowing down climate change.
In fact, Bill McKibben has a plan: Divestment. But his plan needs all of us making ripples to succeed.
Mckibben's model is based on the successful 1980s campaign to divest from companies doing business in apartheid South Africa. Spreading from campuses to municipal and state governments, it ultimately led to divestment in more than 25 states and 19 countries leading to an end to apartheid.
Nelson Mandela has often stated that the University of California's divestment of three billion dollars worth of investments was particularly significant in abolishing white- minority rule in South Africa.
McKibben is calling on us to mount a similar campaign and lobby institutional investors - such as colleges and universities, and municipal and state governments to divest all monies they have currently invested in fossil fuel corporations.
McKibben has acknowledged that it won't be easy. However he believes we must proceed based on the the assumption that “moral outrage, combined with indisputable math, can make a difference”. This campaign succeeded before and it can again. It took many years and many failures before the divestment campaign ultimately succeeded in ending apartheid in South Africa. We must be willing and committed to being in it for the long haul.
So, you may be wondering where you can you start? Well, a good place would be to initiate a local divestment campaign. Tina Vernon is the elected Nevada County treasurer and each year she brings forth an investment policy to be adopted by the Board of Supervisors. Start talking with Tina and your Board of Supervisors.
Begin campaigning Sierra College and the government of Nevada County to divest their investments in fossil fuel corporations. Remember that this will take time. Raise awareness. Start talking about climate change with everyone. Help people remember their inter-dependence- their connection with one another and our earth...
As those devastated by Sandy start swinging their hammers to rebuild, we can join them by doing all we can to prevent this type of climate disaster from becoming a monthly occurrence. Together we can start swinging our hammers for change... and while we're doing it - let's remember to whistle.
As we go forward --let us be mindful of our interdependence. Let us strive to honor it. Let us support each other in our successes and our failures. And let our life resumes reflect and celebrate our interdependence, and those moments of connection when we send out ripples of change- because that is what really matters.
Blessed be.
Mckibben's model is based on the successful 1980s campaign to divest from companies doing business in apartheid South Africa. Spreading from campuses to municipal and state governments, it ultimately led to divestment in more than 25 states and 19 countries leading to an end to apartheid.
Nelson Mandela has often stated that the University of California's divestment of three billion dollars worth of investments was particularly significant in abolishing white- minority rule in South Africa.
McKibben is calling on us to mount a similar campaign and lobby institutional investors - such as colleges and universities, and municipal and state governments to divest all monies they have currently invested in fossil fuel corporations.
McKibben has acknowledged that it won't be easy. However he believes we must proceed based on the the assumption that “moral outrage, combined with indisputable math, can make a difference”. This campaign succeeded before and it can again. It took many years and many failures before the divestment campaign ultimately succeeded in ending apartheid in South Africa. We must be willing and committed to being in it for the long haul.
So, you may be wondering where you can you start? Well, a good place would be to initiate a local divestment campaign. Tina Vernon is the elected Nevada County treasurer and each year she brings forth an investment policy to be adopted by the Board of Supervisors. Start talking with Tina and your Board of Supervisors.
Begin campaigning Sierra College and the government of Nevada County to divest their investments in fossil fuel corporations. Remember that this will take time. Raise awareness. Start talking about climate change with everyone. Help people remember their inter-dependence- their connection with one another and our earth...
As those devastated by Sandy start swinging their hammers to rebuild, we can join them by doing all we can to prevent this type of climate disaster from becoming a monthly occurrence. Together we can start swinging our hammers for change... and while we're doing it - let's remember to whistle.
As we go forward --let us be mindful of our interdependence. Let us strive to honor it. Let us support each other in our successes and our failures. And let our life resumes reflect and celebrate our interdependence, and those moments of connection when we send out ripples of change- because that is what really matters.
Blessed be.
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