Serenity Restored!
Parked at 3pm on Friday, stolen at 5 or 6 pm, reported on discovery Saturday evening, much lamented...
On Monday I went to get a parking permit for the Honda so we might get and put a rental car in its place in the garage where it won't be ticketed for existing on the street in Berkeley. The Parking Enforcement people asked "Do you know you're other vehicle has a ticket?" I said "Hot Diggidy!", was made fun of roundly by the clerk for sounding like a hick, found out where the ticket had been issued, ran down the street to activate the cops and walked to meet them where the van was parked, five blocks from my house. The Bad Guys sorted our stuff and removed the expensive stuff they wanted, but left the heirloom silver pitcher from my grandmother Craig and the van in working order with only minor damage. I'm feeling VERY glad to have Serenity back, have purchased a brake pedal lock anti-theft device, and am most grateful for all your support during the crisis.
In Other News
Fall is officially here. The shorts are being switched for sweaters in my closet and I need a jacket every night as I walk in the neighborhood. Ahhh. Birthdays and other new beginnings galore. Intense memories. Aidan's Birthday on the 23rd was particularly difficult. Spent it alone as much as possible, which was very good. Not looking forward to December.
A report from the trip to D.C.
Richard Page and I went to D.C. this month to record the International Forum on Globalization's Teach-in addressing the "Triple Threat: Climate Change, Peak Oil, and Extinction." The weather was unbelievably beautiful, we drove back and forth in cabs, and came back alive, against all expectations. Throughout we avoided employing any false solutions to the big three. We traveled in no hybrid vehicles, generated no nuke-you-lar power, and shipped no house-pets to feed children in the Amazon. OK, well, there was that one pig we sent back to Equatorial Guinea only to discover he wasn't from there originally and that we had created another displaced person, of sorts, but you can only do your best, after all.
I was called on the carpet at the National Gallery.
To enter it is required to stop at one of the long tables that blocks every door to the outside and interact across said table with security guards who will ask questions and prod in bags with a garden variety dowel or other arm length stick of their choice.
After being in the building for some time we needed to get to the cafe. I approached a nearby security detail and, stepping up behind and between them, discretely inquired as to which direction we should go. They leaped to the side like John Cleese in Fawlty Towers and the younger of the two insisted "you are on the carpet!" Not sure about how to take this revelation I looked at the floor.
There was, as he insisted, a carpet there.
I was, not to put too fine a point on it, on it.
Not wanting to unsettle him too much further I became agreeable.
"Yes I am!" quoth I.
Said he in reply, "You can't be on the carpet, sir!"
Reluctant to gainsay him I could not prevent a certain downward glance as I observed in all honesty, "Nevertheless, here I am."
"Step off the carpet, sir, and come around to the side," said he.
Moving the 1 1/2 feet required I asked him again where I might find the cafe.
Regarding me with great suspicion, he pointed in a direction that turned out to lead, eventually to the vicinity of the cafe.
By the time we arrived it was closed.
I had been called On The Carpet and, to be sure, I had been.
more later...
Special Hidden Bonus Track
An excerpt from Lisa's lecture notes:"The heightened period for order occurs from age two to three. The child will close drawers, move chairs, put things in their proper places. The child's sense of external order is black and white and he is disturbed by changes (and other David Bowie songs, the Sensitive Period for Glam Rock occurring much later in the child's development)."
Labels: conference, conflict, daily, season, travel
| posted by Unknown @ 9/29/2007 03:55:00 PM
Two years ago today, Sept 23rd, 2005 Aidan was born.
I miss him more than I can quite grasp, much less express.
Whenever I put more media here I'll simply move this post to the top of the cue.
I miss him more than I can quite grasp, much less express.
Whenever I put more media here I'll simply move this post to the top of the cue.
| posted by Unknown @ 9/24/2007 05:33:00 PM
extended cover letter
~ this assumes a following conversation - feedback more than welcomed ~
~ this assumes a following conversation - feedback more than welcomed ~
To whom it may concern:
Dear Whom,
Things change.
Of this a human being can be reasonably sure.
Sometimes everything changes, not literally but in the way that one mbday wake to a morning different from every other that preceded it. The night before made this possible because, in my case, the future I had imagined died with my little boy. Perhaps the sun set on the birthday that finally made you feel Old, or the doctor's assistant called to murmur the word metastasized, or it finally hit home that ten years ago the power equivalent of two nuclear plants was expended to run the vending machines in Tokyo each day. Now the figure is much higher.
And what remains is Now, and a series of questions and moments for making decisions.
Climate Change, Privatization of remaining space, food, water, air, and energy, the resulting moves toward War, and Extinction, for example, are not any more the burdens of tomorrow that humanity may be able to lighten, given sufficient reactive fear and growth of collective wisdom. Supremely unpopular (until they are recognized as heroism) choices for entire cultures to change are what stand between us and a dark tomorrow, blue like a bruise. The revisioning of education, business, and public policy to shape a culture of Peace, the work to which you and I are called, is not for someday but for Now and we are as prepared as we need to be to model and learn in this moment a new ethic of Community and conflict done well.
To that end I have a three-part request to make.
At 38 years old, and after working in a multitude of capacities in academia and the private and not for profit sectors, I am finally finishing a Ph.D. dissertation on the psychology and mythology of culture. Please read what follows which outlines my current readiness and hopes for the future and then, if I have held your interest, go to bdwc.net and read my story and qualifications. After reading, if you know of 20 hours each week of employment related to my vocation I may provide while I write, please contact me with information. My time of building this work with little regard for my personal longer-term sustainability has passed. Any additional assistance you might provide in securing a good working relationship is more than appreciated. If you are able to connect me with direct funding for this work at this time or in the future, all the better. I ask for the gift of your support.
If you feel moved to connect for other deeply felt or less clear reasons I welcome the chance to meet with you for an exchange of listening.
Warm regards,
Brandon WilliamsCraig
My current capacity:
- Discharging executive responsibilities in professional support of a shared vision
- Facilitating group processes designed and implemented to result in ongoing groups which discern and learn from internal mistakes, keep the needs of the greater community in focus, and make dynamic mission-moving decisions while improving the quality of life of everyone involved.
- Working within an existing structure to improve the sense of connection and practice of communication between members, building the capacity of the whole to respond quickly, flexibly, and ethically to difficult situations.
In 2008 I will serve an existing organization and finish my dissertation. Then, hopefully still in partnership with that group, I will return my focus to fostering a coalition of individuals and organizations to create a partnership that builds a culture which gives rise to Community on purpose. This community will support all ages in learning and practicing the Process Arts such that peace is redefined as conflict done well and the arising, worldwide, communitarian myth is reinforced in which individual freedom, martial nonviolence, and the hands-on love of all life are woven together.
I intend to do this by co-founding a community of professional conflict facilitators who will learn, demonstrate, teach, and offer public actions. This community may then grow to include study in all levels of academic, public, and alternative endeavor, a school of its own, a residential apprenticeship program, and offerings for the ethical deepening of business and the process of shaping public policy. At this point we may offer services to the international community. From the beginning the partnership will model the behavior it advocates but inevitably both succeeds and fails in realizing. It will welcome "external" change requests and critique, remain faithful to an ongoing auto-critical process, and be transparent throughout, changing, fostering, and sharing leadership regularly and growing only to the point that a felt sense of quality of relatedness will allow.
Labels: bdwc, professional
| posted by Unknown @ 9/24/2007 01:40:00 PM
Others' Responses to Tragedy, Crisis, and Grief
"I wish there were words to comfort and fix, there just aren't any. Know that things are what they are for a reason - which is unknown. That is the mystery. If any of us had a crystal ball to see what lie ahead, I wonder if we would even be willing to proceed...perhaps that is the reason for mystery. In times like these, it would be comforting to have a crystal ball to see what good lies ahead - certainly, it must be closer than we think..."
"Like Job you have suffered much for reasons beyond the scope of comprehension. Thank you for sharing how it really is for you right now as you hold the loss of Aidan's physical presence with the challenges of your current world. Love"
"I am profoundly grateful to see the videos of Aidan. Thank you, thank you. Your latest chapter left me drenched in tears, outraged, astounded and finally, resolute."
Not asking for anything - just needing to write.
Really tired of writing stuff like this.
Even more tired of living it.
"Amen to that last sentiment...blessing on you."Really tired of writing stuff like this.
Even more tired of living it.
"I'm so sorry to hear that! As usual... words, words, words... please tell me if I can help!"
"Sending you and Lisa some good energy. I know you weren't looking or asking for a reply, just wanted to show my support by acknowledging I read your email. And that you are being
heard. Blessings"
"Just wanted you to know that you and Lisa are both very present in my heart. Aidan has been on my mind a lot lately as well, knowing that his birthday was yesturday and the one year anniversary of his passing is just around the corner. I can't believe it's been a year since we celebrated his first birthday in the park. Please let me know if I can do anything to help given
Serenity's absence. If you need a truck for moving anything, you're more than welcome to mine.
I hope to see you on the mat this week."
"O Lord have mercy!
You must be working very close to the bone for these outrageous assaults on your consciousness to go on and on. You’ve threatened the Cosmic Devil, exposed The Lie Itself to be crucified so slowly.
On the Mat
the devil of inherited distortion to daily joust with
the devil of slander, misunderstanding and reputation assassination
the devil of rejection and isolation
the devil of financial need
the devils of death and grief and stealing of comfort and transportation
all of them assault you at once and at length, but the Breath of God and The Way of Peace use their momentum against them!
Nothing can separate you from your Center –neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither present nor future, nor any powers, neither height or depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You many be weary, weary, weary but you are not separated.
Think on the love that is yours
and laugh at the human condition. Do some serious laughing."
"I really am at a loss for words. However, I will say the following.
YOU AND LISA DON'T DESERVE ANY OF THIS!!!!
I really can't comprehend why terrible things happen to good people. The Creator and I have had some long conversations about these situations and I still don't understand!
I know that none of what I have written so far is of much comfort. Wish I had the power to go back in time and change past events for you and so many others. Praying that you get well soon and your stolen Serenity is returned soon with nothing missing."
i had a candle lit all yesterday and was sending good energy y'all's way. i got mixed up and thought that monday was aidan's birthday when it was sunday, but probably you could have used the prayers regardless. take care of yourselves!
i had a candle lit all yesterday and was sending good energy y'all's way. i got mixed up and thought that monday was aidan's birthday when it was sunday, but probably you could have used the prayers regardless. take care of yourselves!
Thank you for providing such a stunning example of fully realizing and dimensioning obstacles, losses and disappointments, instead of pretending they aren't there. That is most certainly the first step. Sometimes, for me, the second step is "How do I feel about how I feel (about my disappointment, loss, failure, obstacle)." And if this doesn't present a solution, in about thirty seconds, I ask "How do I feel about how I feel (about that disappointment)" and so forth. Eventually a solution usually comes forth, like Einstein presenting an apple. Thank you for writing from the heart.
The videos of Aidan are beautiful and precious. Of course there are no words to really express the beauty of them and of him. One thing that I think I believe (I guess my beliefs change daily/yearly/over lifetimes) is that everyone we encounter has something to teach us, if we listen with our hearts and learn. I know that Aidan has taught you and Lisa many things - this is so apparent. But, he must have been so much more "special" than we, as humans, can almost comprehend, because he must have been needed elsewhere urgently, to teach his lessons. You and Lisa have obviously been good "students" of little Aidan and have graduated his lessons of this earthly life. So empty are words, though, in the midst of greatness. Greatness both of blessing and of loss.
No steady half-time job yet, though I'm grateful to Huston Smith and Kayla Feder for their recommendations. I'm also grateful to Iris McGinnis for In-Home Support work, Jim Shultz for informal pick-up work improving his properties, and Richard Page for conference recording work. We were just in D.C. recording the hugely important information being lectured on at International Forum on Globalization where I learned from Ann Leonard about her new 20 minute film that is the best quick and clear outline of the Triple Crisis (Climate change, peak oil, global resource depletion & extinction) I've ever seen. It will be streamed in about a month and I'll send out a link when I have one. I got around six hours of time-zone crunched sleep a night and, upon returning, was stupid enough to not only work every day but stay up nights to try to get the new apartment ready for my birthday gathering. For me no sleep = sick.
Friday I had finished helping Huston and Kendra Smith for the day, then gave more computer help and had lunch and process time with Leon Regelson. Continuing to feel profoundly under the weather, I returned home and parked just around the corner from our apartment before calling Kayla Sensei at Aikido of Berkeley and asking for someone else to teach my Saturday morning class, as I would be in bed all day.
After being in bed most of yesterday I discovered a huge bank disaster. I decided a bit of a walk might help and stumbled out of the door with the dog to find that Serenity, our van and walkabout home, had been stolen off the street. Our neighbor heard it start up and watched it drive away a couple of hours after I parked it. It took Officer Golden of the Berkeley P.D. longer to show up to take the report because of two homicides.
There appears to be a chance the vehicle might be recovered. It might even have some or all of the stuff in it we had loaded to go to storage: the photos from our wedding and of our family, the silver heirloom pitcher given to Lisa as a wedding gift by my grandmother Martha Craig just before she died, the hakama given me as a present by the dojo, and so much more.
Today would have been Aidan's 2nd birthday.
I have spent it mostly as planned: alone, either enraged or watering the Wasteland or both, working on Aidan related recordings, photos, and videos I have been avoiding. I'll try to post some of it online soon, in case you are interested.
Being one of The Good Guys doesn't mean you win.
Sorry to ruin the suspense, if there still was any.
It just means that you don't have to avoid mirrors.
Not asking for anything - just needing to write.
Really tired of writing stuff like this.
Even more tired of living it.
Friday I had finished helping Huston and Kendra Smith for the day, then gave more computer help and had lunch and process time with Leon Regelson. Continuing to feel profoundly under the weather, I returned home and parked just around the corner from our apartment before calling Kayla Sensei at Aikido of Berkeley and asking for someone else to teach my Saturday morning class, as I would be in bed all day.
After being in bed most of yesterday I discovered a huge bank disaster. I decided a bit of a walk might help and stumbled out of the door with the dog to find that Serenity, our van and walkabout home, had been stolen off the street. Our neighbor heard it start up and watched it drive away a couple of hours after I parked it. It took Officer Golden of the Berkeley P.D. longer to show up to take the report because of two homicides.
There appears to be a chance the vehicle might be recovered. It might even have some or all of the stuff in it we had loaded to go to storage: the photos from our wedding and of our family, the silver heirloom pitcher given to Lisa as a wedding gift by my grandmother Martha Craig just before she died, the hakama given me as a present by the dojo, and so much more.
Today would have been Aidan's 2nd birthday.
I have spent it mostly as planned: alone, either enraged or watering the Wasteland or both, working on Aidan related recordings, photos, and videos I have been avoiding. I'll try to post some of it online soon, in case you are interested.
Being one of The Good Guys doesn't mean you win.
Sorry to ruin the suspense, if there still was any.
It just means that you don't have to avoid mirrors.
Not asking for anything - just needing to write.
Really tired of writing stuff like this.
Even more tired of living it.
Labels: Aidan, daily, death, grief, money, sick, theft
| posted by Unknown @ 9/23/2007 10:11:00 PM
