Code Pink Journals CodePINK Journals

Work 4 Peace,Hold All Life Sacred,Eliminate Violence! I am on my mobile version of the door-to-door, going town-to-town holding readings/gatherings/discussions of my book "But What Can I Do?" This is my often neglected blog mostly about my travels since 9/11 as I engage in dialogue and actions. It is steaming with my opinions, insights, analyses toward that end of holding all life sacred, dismantling the empire and eliminating violence while creating the society we want ALL to thrive in

Thursday, September 06, 2018

I'm the problem...

I've womonaged to extend my workout at the y this afternoon to beat the heat - and to watch/read the disgusting kava hearings that should not even exist. I'm SOOOOOOO proud of MY senator Kamala Harris, who I've had the distinct honor of voting for several times!!! Durbin shocked me with his ruthless honesty calling out tRump, and Cory Booker - another hero, saying 'try to get rid of me, I'm telling what I know'.

But leaving the y I'm stuck in Philly traffic as I try to advance to Whole Foods to continue using wifi and cool air. A young white man in a pick up truck next to me, drops his window to lean over his passenger seat to tell me "there are some good white men". I grin at him and do my best fake shock, hand over the heart and all that "what, really?" but he responds seriously, "yes, I'm a good white man".

I tell him I'm sure he is as he tells me he has three beautiful daughters  and he tries really hard to not be sexist in his interactions with them. I nod and smile my approval as he continues telling me that he talks to old white men about their racism. I tell him I support him doing both, and don't add out loud as he should.

"But your sign" he indicates the back of my truck "makes me feel like I'm the problem."

Traffic is starting to move and he will be ahead of my lane in a few seconds so I quickly ask him "to take a few quiet moments to himself, and honestly look at where that feeling comes from." I add but don't think he's able to hear "not all 'good' white men react this way". He is nodding contemplatively as he returns his windows to their closed position.

Interesting, the white men responses to "End the white and male war..."

Tomatoes!

I've gone ten miles out of my way to find a laundry mat with both air conditioning and wifi but I don't get to plug in and work because as I'm putting my clothes into the dryer a very tall older man with a "Viet Nam Vet" cap slung over his forehead approaches me and asks me if he can take a picture of my truck.

I say of course, all four sides! He tells me how much he loves it. I struggle to understand him as he speaks fast, has no teeth, and the laundry mat is so very noisy plus there's loud music playing - music I want to sing and dance along with.

He comes back as soon as I'm finished loading my wash machine - it was hi-teck and I had to get help figuring out how to pay my $4.95 for the damn thing. He starts talking to me about food: he's an organic gardener, retired military, and has a large garden at the airport on land no one wants or can build on. Plus he has another garden in West Philly. He says people aren't looking to grow food anymore but he has some of his grandmother's seeds!

He has misinterpreted my anti-monsanto mural. He doesn't speak Spanish and doesn't realize I'm saying NO GMO's as he points to that symbol and starts to tell me all the bad, side effects of GMO food. He's so happy when I tell him I'm anti-GMO. He talks about horse manure and straw as the only natural things you need to make the soil strong to grow delicious food.

I ask him if he wants some seeds - I tell him I'm also a seed-saver and I love handing out organic seeds to folks. He's very hesitant at first but he has three acres! It must be difficult and expensive to find seeds for that much land! Finally he tells me he has a bag of tomatoes he harvested today that he was going to give to someone else but he'll trade me for seeds!

We make the exchange as I get a phone call I have to answer so I never get to taste the tomato and tell him how yummy they are. And how timely, as it's still too hot to cook