Two months back stateside...it has been a strangely normal transition back into life here in Nashville. I was just ready for a little stability, and feeling like a productive person again. I was craving structure, and found it quickly. I was able to move into a room in my friend Sean's beautiful house, and I found a job within a week of being home. I didn't even have to look for it, which took a big burden off my shoulders. I never imagined myself being a receptionist at a small computer store, but...hey, more suprises.
I am so greatful for everything I saw and did, all the increadible people I met, over the past year. Many people are kind of shocked when I tell them what I've been doing...I get a lot of "wow, how do you just...DO something like that?". I guess you need a small quotient of insanity, and a lot of curiousity. But also, something increadible happens when we open ourselves up to the world, to newness, to being alive. A lot of times, I have felt like I have been taken care of in ways I never expected, that by just jumping with eyes open and arms wide, I have been greeted by little wonders. It's not that amazing things can't happen to us all the time...I think we're just usually not receptive to them because we've got our heads down as we trudge along the preindicated paths of everyday life. One of my favorite things about traveling is the ability and necesity to be spontaneous, open, and perceptive to the unexpected. I hope to carry this on with me back into the world of routine structure.
On a more somber note, I just got an upsetting email from a friend of mine. He is in Oaxaca, where I lived. There has been social unrest there for several months now, since May when I was living there. It started as a protest the teachers carry out annually to get a pay raise, and morphed into a cry of the general populous to bring the state's corrupt and brutal governor to justice for repressive violence and fraudulent financial dealings that have made the population of the state suffer. It is a movement that has been generally supported by a lot of the population. Yesterday, there were 5 deaths inflicted by police officers. Two of the victims were news reporters (one of whom was from the U.S.), and three teachers. Even though the police were the ones who inflicted this violence, the governer used these shootings as a pretext to say that the protesters were violent, and to call in the Federal Police. This is really bad news for the population of Oaxaca, and especially those involved in the struggle. They are the culprits in the recent oppressive violence that occurred in Atenco, I think. It is hard for me to believe that this is happening in a place where I was living just a few months ago. It is even harder for me to believe that, were it not for my friends that are still there, I would have no idea about what was going on there. Oaxaca is not that far away, and we receive almost no information about a really serious situation that is happening there. Imagine what is happening in further-away places that we don't have a clue about. Anyway, I am really worried about my friends that live in Oaxaca, and the people in general. I encourage anyone reading this to find out more about what's going on in Oaxaca. The more international awareness about what is happening, the better, because it will mean that there is more of a chance of someone demanding investigation and accountability for the repression and violence that is occuring there. Check out http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20061021213801306&mode=print
and
http://www.worldhumanrights.com/
I am so greatful for everything I saw and did, all the increadible people I met, over the past year. Many people are kind of shocked when I tell them what I've been doing...I get a lot of "wow, how do you just...DO something like that?". I guess you need a small quotient of insanity, and a lot of curiousity. But also, something increadible happens when we open ourselves up to the world, to newness, to being alive. A lot of times, I have felt like I have been taken care of in ways I never expected, that by just jumping with eyes open and arms wide, I have been greeted by little wonders. It's not that amazing things can't happen to us all the time...I think we're just usually not receptive to them because we've got our heads down as we trudge along the preindicated paths of everyday life. One of my favorite things about traveling is the ability and necesity to be spontaneous, open, and perceptive to the unexpected. I hope to carry this on with me back into the world of routine structure.
On a more somber note, I just got an upsetting email from a friend of mine. He is in Oaxaca, where I lived. There has been social unrest there for several months now, since May when I was living there. It started as a protest the teachers carry out annually to get a pay raise, and morphed into a cry of the general populous to bring the state's corrupt and brutal governor to justice for repressive violence and fraudulent financial dealings that have made the population of the state suffer. It is a movement that has been generally supported by a lot of the population. Yesterday, there were 5 deaths inflicted by police officers. Two of the victims were news reporters (one of whom was from the U.S.), and three teachers. Even though the police were the ones who inflicted this violence, the governer used these shootings as a pretext to say that the protesters were violent, and to call in the Federal Police. This is really bad news for the population of Oaxaca, and especially those involved in the struggle. They are the culprits in the recent oppressive violence that occurred in Atenco, I think. It is hard for me to believe that this is happening in a place where I was living just a few months ago. It is even harder for me to believe that, were it not for my friends that are still there, I would have no idea about what was going on there. Oaxaca is not that far away, and we receive almost no information about a really serious situation that is happening there. Imagine what is happening in further-away places that we don't have a clue about. Anyway, I am really worried about my friends that live in Oaxaca, and the people in general. I encourage anyone reading this to find out more about what's going on in Oaxaca. The more international awareness about what is happening, the better, because it will mean that there is more of a chance of someone demanding investigation and accountability for the repression and violence that is occuring there. Check out http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20061021213801306&mode=print
and
http://www.worldhumanrights.com/
posted by Emi at
7:19 PM
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