The Ripple Effect of Practiced Hope

Comment from Alan about Hiroshima:

"I'm sure it was quite a sight. I just wonder if the Japanese feel remorse for what they did in China during the 1930's, well before our entry in WWII."

I can understand Alan's wish for others, in this case Japan, to take responsibiity for what they have done. The exhibition at Hiroshima does not exclude their responsibility. In my mind, if we are to change ourselves and to effect public policy own work is not to blame others, but to hold ourselves and others accountable.

The idea of stories is that as we tell them and as we listen to them, they have the power to change public policy at the same time that they sooth and offer us alternatives for our personal struggles.

An example from Kaethe one of the Teachers I have been writing about with a response from her friend and colleague:

A letter from Kaethe:

Dear Friends and Family:

My days are filled with rehab stuff, some reading, and napping. I have enough stamina to do my regular outdoor workout at my original pace, but the breathing and lung volume measures lag far behind and are what require work. The napping bespeaks to having much sleep to catch up on. I must continue with my IV and inhalation treatment indefinitely, at this point, so that begins and ends my day. I am multiply tethered.

Days don't "open up before me" --as some of you have written -- because there is so little stamina and so much to be done. In truth, this is a kind of blah time. But I have always found that in times of disequilibration/discontent/ dis-ease/unease/uncertainty that the kaleidoscope eventually turns and a new pattern emerges. Sometimes if you listen carefully to the little glass pieces you can hear the momentum mounting and catch the instant that change occurs, but I prefer the surprise of watching the pieces topple into a new design.

So I am letting my life turn as it must. And we shall see.

Again, thank you for being such a wonderfully supportive community during this time.

Love,
Kaethe

In response a friend and colleague wrote back:

Dear K,
I went tonite to a meeting this evening with state legislators from our area who came to meet with people about mental health concerns and funding. I listened as person after person approached the podium with concerns. Some spoke quite personally, some not, most reading their speeches, none could exceed 3 minutes.

When I went up to speak, I began with saying that a colleague, Kaethe Weingarten, in her living and writing and teaching about dealing with illness and trauma, talked about hope, about it not residing as a static trait in a person, but about it being a practice, that we practice it together, that it is a community practice. I spoke about the ways that we were doing it here tonight, all of us differently positioned in the system, in the speaking of our various concerns and in the attentive listening, the note taking, in the endurance and the listening of the audience participants to one another.
Then more speakers spoke. Then we concluded. And the legislator (my favorite one from what I have read) started to respond. And guess what he led with. Practicing hope together.

Kaethe, You should be very proud. You should remember while you do those tedious exercises at home that your work is being used, that your words are being spoken in Charlottesville.

Love,
Melissa