Thanks, Chris

[Julie Hotard]

Thanks, Chris, for your feedback that
you were trying to support my point rather
than being hurt by what I said.  And also
thanks for your thoughts about deciding how
to use resources.

It is very hard for me in e-mail sometimes to pick
up the emotional tone of what someone is
saying, and I often guess wrong.  Because
without facial expressions, voice tone,
body posture, gestures-- it's difficult.
Maybe I was just reacting to the way some
of my interpersonal relationships have been
lately.  After the tragedy, I and others have
sometimes been rubbing each other the wrong
way.  I and my friends/acquaintances have
been working our way through it, but it has
initially been difficult for some of us to be
supportive of each other when we were having
such different emotional reactions and political
opinions.  I've been working on releasing what
emotions I can from my own body and then find
I am better able to be present for others.

I love your idea of feeding ourselves to stay strong and not
burn out as we go along making our contributions to the world.
Thanks.

Peace,

Julie

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Corrigan" <corcom at INTERCHANGE.UBC.CA>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2001 12:18 AM
Subject: Re: Apologiy/ How to use resources; How is Bin Laden just likethe
rest of us?


> Julie:
>
> No need to apologize...I think I was trying to support your point.  Funny
> that it didn't come across that way.
>
> All I'm saying is that most of us in the world, if we have nothing else at
> least have this: functioning bodies, nimble minds, bright spirits and 24
> hours in a day.  That was all folks like Nelson Mandela and Louis Riel and
> Rigoberta Menchu and Ang San Suu Kyi had to their names.  And look what
they
> did.
>
> I'm a big believer in just doing what you can.  Feeding one person takes
> less than an hour.  You prepare a meal and you give it away.  Done.  No
> government is going to make life that simple :-)
>
> One time, I was doing a community consultation in Prince Rupert, on the
> northwest caost of Canada.  We were fed by an Elders group, who insisted
> that we eat first.  Where I come from, in Ojibway country in Ontario, it
is
> customary for the young men to feed the Elders first, so I was a little
> uncomfortable.  But in Rupert, the Elders would not eat until we had our
> food.  One Nisga'a woman explained to me that the young men must eat first
> so they can be strong enough to look after the older ones.
>
> In other words, you can only be useful if you are strong.  To me that was
a
> great lesson about burning out, and about doing as much as you can while
> still staying healthy, lithe and spirited.
>
> So, apology not accepted....it wasn't necessary.
>
> :-)
>
> Peace back to you,
>
> Chris
>
> Julie Hotard wrote:
>
> > Hi, Chris
> >
> > I am so sorry if my previous communication
> > sounded like I was saying that poorer people
> > have nothing to offer.  I certaninly don't believe
> > that.  Some of the poorest and most disabled
> > folks I have personally worked with are
> > an inspiration to me.
> >
> > The choices that you mention about how to use
> > resources are personally a struggle for me--
> > choices about how to spend my energy,  money,
> > time, and spirit.  I did some very meaningful work
> > that seemed quite useful and helpful to people in great
> > need for around 15 years.  But then I felt very burnt out.
> > It was a great relief to take a break and do more superficial
> > and less meaningful seeming work.
> >
> > With my money I am aware that my government
> > here in the U.S. takes tons of it yearly in income
> > taxes-- enough to feed tons of people during the
> > next year-- but then uses that money mostly to do
> > other things, most of which I personally do not want
> > done.
> >
> > With my after-tax income I also have difficult
> > decisions.  I have contributed hundreds of dollars
> > to the Red Cross recently.  Was it enough?  Was it
> > too much?  Should some of that have gone to my
> > niece's college tuition fund?  How responsible
> > should I feel financially, political activism-wise
> > etc. for multiple sufferings going on in multiple
> > areas of the globe?  It could easily get
> > overwhelming, even to try to keep track of it all,
> > much less contribute.  Should priority go to
> > the folks whose lives my own government,
> > against my will, has made worse?
> >
> > I hope I have not created ill feelings between us.
> > If I have, I am sincerely sorry about that.  This is
> > a difficult time for many of us in North America
> > and in the world all over, and emotions are running
> > intensely.  I do not want to send even a tiny drop of
> > pain toward anyone, least of toward someone making
> > such a major contribution to the world by working with
> > the populations you work with.
> >
> > Peace,
> >
> > Julie
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Chris Corrigan" <corcom at INTERCHANGE.UBC.CA>
> > To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
> > Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2001 10:33 AM
> > Subject: Re: How is Bin Laden just like the rest of us?
> >
> > > I work with some of the poorest people in Canada.  People suffering
> > > mental illness, AIDS, physical disabilities, racism, hunger and
> > > illiteracy.  Some of them give more of themselves to their communities
> > > than is even conceivable by "richer" people.
> > >
> > > We all have different amounts of money, but we are all equally rich in
> > > spirit.  People make choices about how to spend both.
> > >
> > > Peace,
> > >
> > > Chris
> > >
> > > --
> > > CHRIS CORRIGAN
> > > Consultation - Facilitation
> > > Open Space Technology
> > >
> > > http://www.chriscorrigan.com
> > > corcom at interchange.ubc.ca
> > >
> > > RR 1 E-3
> > > 1172 Miller Road
> > > Bowen Island, BC
> > > Canada, V0N 1G0
> > >
> > > phone (604) 947-9236
> > > fax (604) 947-9238
> > >
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> --
> CHRIS CORRIGAN
> Consultation - Facilitation
> Open Space Technology
>
> http://www.chriscorrigan.com
> corcom at interchange.ubc.ca
>
> RR 1 E-3
> 1172 Miller Road
> Bowen Island, BC
> Canada, V0N 1G0
>
> phone (604) 947-9236
> fax (604) 947-9238
>
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> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
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