Life has been hectic, my sleep has not been that great, I am 47 and I need conversation,at times, to dig my memory up--But I have hope because my brain is still malleable or plastic--This is what my professor, Michael Yellow Bird, tells me. I am trying to understand this neuroplasticity stuff and how this can play out in everyday life. And, how this knowledge about neuroplasticity will make my community healthier and more vibrant? And how this all relates to community organizing.
Is this more simply stated as the power of education and meditation? So that we become critical thinkers and train our brains with meditation--we become healthier. I think this is what we are being presented to a certain extent with also this new understanding of the capacity of our brain to make new neuro- pathways up until the day we die-So I throw this out to my fellow cohorts and to my professor for some dialog--Maybe this discussion can be brought back to class. If I am on the right track then--how do we present this to the masses and heal the world community by community--with the realization that many don't have access or are just trying to survive? And if I have missed an important aspect about neuroplasticity then--please spell it out.
A past cohort of mine went to Ghana for her internship. She was so affected by her experience such that she is a changed person. When you witness different realities, it changes perceptions of current realities. She said to me one day... If people could see what I saw they would see that Americans living in poverty have opportunities that don't exist for these people. I tell this story because it is so easy to be egocentric and only think about the United States when now is the time to think at a global level and it seems so wrong for groups of people to only work towards lifting oppression for their community. To save the environment we can't do it without including the rest of the world.--and really we need to work together!--And I believe that for our community to be healthy, we have to consider global issues. --of course the point that we have to at least be healthy enough to consider beyond survival is always true.
Recently, I began thinking about purchasing clothing and how I can become more conscious about who I am affecting. Are the businesses I am purchasing from at least moving in a direction that is environmentally conscious? Are the manufacturers decent or exploitative to their employees?-- all the while realizing that I am privileged to be in the position to even consider these things and then I get mad!! Stark raving Mad!! Why in the hell is the system set up this way Dammit! How did the world become so driven by profit that people and the environment don't count! Everyone deserves the right to make conscious decisions with the full understanding of the consequences! Everyone deserves a different world!--If anyone has some ideas to help me--fine but will these kinds of efforts just be some sort of ego-trip to pacify myself and believe that --Hey, at least I am being environmentally, and morally conscious. Which is a good segway into our class discussion. but first-- I just got an idea--Why don't I take pictures of exploitation--the power of images are just that.."POWERFUL" I will uncover business by business of unthinkable environmental
practices and pics of the women, children, and men who are being exploited with some educating words attached and ways that everyday people can respond.--I see a partnering with Michael Moore--Don't laugh or do because it will only propel me to do just this--My images will become so powerful that businesses will become so full of fear they will take action not to become a target of my picture taking!--This will be their motivation to take environmental action and for the government to take action to stop Americans from allowing businesses
to travel over seas and exploit people. Back to the main point of class:
One of the main points I got out of our class discussion is this: Social workers are pacifying systems just enough so that people don't revolt. Well, this got my hairs standing up! Is this true, don't our caring efforts in the work towards change count for anything. Are we maintaining status-quo? Betty Chin our local hero who was on Oprah because she has taken it upon herself to aid the homeless and hungry--Is she just pacifying our community?? I can understand both sides of this issue. People have experienced her generous, genuine care and are better from it. In fact the ripple of her efforts have been felt and are powerful quite beyond my limited knowledge so I need to dig in and keep/hold her efforts as sacred. She saw a need and is responding. I believe that we need more Betty Chins in this world AND people who are willing to see systems and their failings and stand up and push for change. Frankly, I don't see how we can change the systems enough unless we can find a way to educate the masses about the failings of a capitalistic economy and demand something better.
Is this more simply stated as the power of education and meditation? So that we become critical thinkers and train our brains with meditation--we become healthier. I think this is what we are being presented to a certain extent with also this new understanding of the capacity of our brain to make new neuro- pathways up until the day we die-So I throw this out to my fellow cohorts and to my professor for some dialog--Maybe this discussion can be brought back to class. If I am on the right track then--how do we present this to the masses and heal the world community by community--with the realization that many don't have access or are just trying to survive? And if I have missed an important aspect about neuroplasticity then--please spell it out.
A past cohort of mine went to Ghana for her internship. She was so affected by her experience such that she is a changed person. When you witness different realities, it changes perceptions of current realities. She said to me one day... If people could see what I saw they would see that Americans living in poverty have opportunities that don't exist for these people. I tell this story because it is so easy to be egocentric and only think about the United States when now is the time to think at a global level and it seems so wrong for groups of people to only work towards lifting oppression for their community. To save the environment we can't do it without including the rest of the world.--and really we need to work together!--And I believe that for our community to be healthy, we have to consider global issues. --of course the point that we have to at least be healthy enough to consider beyond survival is always true.
Recently, I began thinking about purchasing clothing and how I can become more conscious about who I am affecting. Are the businesses I am purchasing from at least moving in a direction that is environmentally conscious? Are the manufacturers decent or exploitative to their employees?-- all the while realizing that I am privileged to be in the position to even consider these things and then I get mad!! Stark raving Mad!! Why in the hell is the system set up this way Dammit! How did the world become so driven by profit that people and the environment don't count! Everyone deserves the right to make conscious decisions with the full understanding of the consequences! Everyone deserves a different world!--If anyone has some ideas to help me--fine but will these kinds of efforts just be some sort of ego-trip to pacify myself and believe that --Hey, at least I am being environmentally, and morally conscious. Which is a good segway into our class discussion. but first-- I just got an idea--Why don't I take pictures of exploitation--the power of images are just that.."POWERFUL" I will uncover business by business of unthinkable environmental
practices and pics of the women, children, and men who are being exploited with some educating words attached and ways that everyday people can respond.--I see a partnering with Michael Moore--Don't laugh or do because it will only propel me to do just this--My images will become so powerful that businesses will become so full of fear they will take action not to become a target of my picture taking!--This will be their motivation to take environmental action and for the government to take action to stop Americans from allowing businesses
to travel over seas and exploit people. Back to the main point of class:
One of the main points I got out of our class discussion is this: Social workers are pacifying systems just enough so that people don't revolt. Well, this got my hairs standing up! Is this true, don't our caring efforts in the work towards change count for anything. Are we maintaining status-quo? Betty Chin our local hero who was on Oprah because she has taken it upon herself to aid the homeless and hungry--Is she just pacifying our community?? I can understand both sides of this issue. People have experienced her generous, genuine care and are better from it. In fact the ripple of her efforts have been felt and are powerful quite beyond my limited knowledge so I need to dig in and keep/hold her efforts as sacred. She saw a need and is responding. I believe that we need more Betty Chins in this world AND people who are willing to see systems and their failings and stand up and push for change. Frankly, I don't see how we can change the systems enough unless we can find a way to educate the masses about the failings of a capitalistic economy and demand something better.
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