Carthage

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April 03, 2003

When I look down I just miss all the good stuff, when I look up I just trip over things

Sara rescues sea turtle eggs for a living. She doesn't feed the hungry or give aid to adolescent prostitutes in Thailand. She just watches turtles lay eggs in places where the eggs will be harmed, then she digs the eggs up and moves them somewhere safer.

Dig. Gather. Dig. Deposit. It's no less good for being small.

It made me remember some things. Like the reason that I originally started taking massage classes. My uncle had a nasty form of cancer, and he started hugging people a lot more. All these hugs made me realize that most people with terrible or terminal illnesses need a lot of physical contact. Your supply of that tends to dry up when you're sick, even with something non-contagious. People are reluctant to touch or be near the sick. I wanted to become a massage therapist because touching sick people seemed like a need even I, with my basic skill-less-ness, could manage to fill.

No matter where I put my body, the wheels of this war are going to keep turning. The government will continue to do bad things. People will steal from each other. Women will be raped. No matter how much of the night you take back, there will always be more night you can't reach.

I am suspicious of movements and causes. All I can do is something small.

I emailed SFPAWS (San Francisco's Pets Are Wonderful Support) to find out when their next volunteer orientation is. They need volunteers to walk dogs for people with AIDS. Kim J told me about it a long time ago and I didn't really internalize it until now.

Leash, walk, scoop. It's small, but it's something.

Posted by didofoot at April 3, 2003 12:00 PM

Comments

it makes me so happy that instead of bemoaning your weakness in the face of government suppression/ignoring of the people you're going to DO something useful for someone else. that is something to be proud of. word up.

Posted by: michele at April 3, 2003 12:06 PM

thanks!

the orientation is on tuesday at 6:30. paws also needs cat people, so if you wanna come with me you feel free.

Posted by: didofoot at April 3, 2003 12:49 PM

but.....although don't get me wrong i HAVE put cats on leashes and walked them, it doesn't work very well. what do they need cat people for? plus....i would prob have to come to SF huh? that's effort my friend. i might just be impressed with YOUR good deeds.

Posted by: michele at April 3, 2003 12:58 PM

yay for giving a shit about your fellow man! or i guess, for picking up shit for your fellow man...whatever.

man, imagine if *everybody* gave a shit about their fellow man. naw, i've stirred up too much controversy on this site already.

Posted by: kt at April 3, 2003 02:11 PM

oh, and as per michele's comment, i support DOING something *and* bitching about the government.

you can even do them at the same time. tell the dogs how sweet they are for not bombing other dogs. "aren't you a fuzzy little ball of not-hate? yes you is! oh, yes you is!"

Posted by: kt at April 3, 2003 02:16 PM

well, but i think we can all agree (maybe) that there's a difference between what YOU do about the government and what Kristen was/is doing about the government.

you = EXTREME do and say
kristen = a little protesting, a lot of feeling rotten.

Posted by: michele at April 3, 2003 02:30 PM

damn. i am past-due for effing agreeing with someone already, but i have to differ (only slightly!)-

kristen's writing to you all is at least as effective as my organizing blockades (ha ha feds, um, for entertainment purposes only), toward the mutual end of introducing a thoughtful/critical perspective toward THE EVIL GOVERNMENT into all our daily lives.

a little praise with your criticism sandwich, kris.

Posted by: freedom fry at April 3, 2003 03:31 PM

i agree with miss freedom fry, kristen. walking the dogs sounds awesome, but don't sell yourself short in this action stuff. you've been doing it to it lately, and i appreciate it, for sure.

Posted by: erica at April 3, 2003 10:50 PM

answer my email, please. i'm starting to take it all personal like.

oh, and this post was cool. kristen is the peace queen.

Posted by: tracy at April 4, 2003 09:19 AM

mich: they need cat people for cat boxes in homes, which i know is not the most satisfying cat volunteer thing you could be doing. possibly they need them for other stuff. i will keep my ears open at the orientation and let you know.

possibly there's also cat programs where you take your cat to senior homes or kid wards in hospitals and people pet them and feel better. i know you can do that with dogs.

Posted by: didofoot at April 4, 2003 09:47 AM

ps thanks for the support, gang, i do appreciate it. i want to say though that i'm actually with michele on this one - blogging should never be confused with action.

if i may attempt to interpret for her: she understands that everyone moans about their lives on blogs; that's partly what blogs are for. AND she is my friend and therefore glad that i'm taking the initiative to make my life a better place to be.

i'm only commenting here in an attempt to avoid a flamewar a la zembla...speaking of which, jeeeeesus christ.

Posted by: didofoot at April 4, 2003 09:56 AM

cat pooooooooooooop. poooooooooooop.

i wrote to the spca and said, "hey, you want i should be a foster parent to some mother and her cat child reunion? well i'm your girl. give me those kittens, give them to me now." so even though that's not helping PEOPLE who need it, it's still helping ANIMALS who need it. and one step lower on the totem pole is still on the pole, i say. see you inspired me. =)

plus, there's little itty bitty tiny squirming kittens.

p.s. for those of you terrified i'm going to become awash in cats with no place to step on the floor, let me assure you that fostering in this sense means keeping a mother cat and kittens for 8 weeks till the kittens are old enough to be adopted and then GIVING THEM ALL BACK. now i know you think i don't have that will power. but i do. i don't need no more pissers in my house for the long haul.

Posted by: michele at April 4, 2003 10:05 AM

whoa! crikey, i just read the flame war on zembla. thanks for the tip.

what i think is funny--and i'm posting it here, since zembla is a minefield--is that we're all so goddamn "chill" and "laid-back" that the word "BITCH" causes our collective panties to bunch and our heart monitors to go blipblipblipblipblipblipblipblip!

c'mon. share the anger. feel it. everybody get together, and hold hands, and scream BITCH!

it's ok. it's healthy. and if anybody tries to make the cuddly peace with *me*, i consider him standing between a lion and her next meal. he might get his peace fingers bit off.

Posted by: but i believe in peace, bitch at April 4, 2003 10:54 AM

it's not the word so much as the tone which gets everyone het up. and since, as erica pointed out, tone is subjective, we're all het up over nothin.

michele - good things for animals is still good things. it was the sea turtle rescue that got me started on all this after all. and yeah, i knew you and nuala were looking into arf possibilities and all that already, good for youse.

Posted by: didofoot at April 4, 2003 01:04 PM

I read Katie's comment and all I could think was:

I BELEIVE IN PEACE, BITCH! (ah Tori how I love you)

Posted by: Nuala at April 4, 2003 01:44 PM

re: acts of kindness - do it fast.

Posted by: sean at April 4, 2003 01:58 PM

And maybe that was because that is how she signed her name, although I don't think I noticed that when I made the comment. I am so oblivious at times.

Posted by: Nuala at April 4, 2003 02:00 PM

of course it's the tone--that's what i meant, that everybody went ballistic, because anger is UNCOOL, MAN. don't harsh our mellow. dude.

'salright, you know, whatever. stay chill. no drama. you know? i'm just laiiiiid-back.

Posted by: with my mind on my money, and my money on my mind at April 4, 2003 02:29 PM

kt: thanks. i was getting a little confused about all the het upness myself. and great show at the protest the other day! you bitches sound great! =)

kristen: while i by no means want to start a snob/bitch fest on your page, i stand by my assertion that you are doing some good with your page. for instance, i never would have found "where is raed?" and other such informative pages if it wasn't for your blog. also, i think that for people to get out there and DO something (like your kick-ass dog walking plan) it helps to feel like there are others out there who feel the same way. support and solidarity are not to be underestimated! that's all. =)

nuala: tori can get subliminal like that, can't she? =) i didn't know you liked tori... fun!

(note: this comment is filled with =) to ensure the right tone, that of =), gets across. thank you and goodnight.)

Posted by: erica at April 6, 2003 04:52 PM

What the fuck is =) supposed to mean, Erica? Is that supposed to be some sort of banana with a gun? What the hell are you implying?

Posted by: jason at April 6, 2003 06:18 PM

=)

Posted by: Jolie at April 7, 2003 02:38 PM

oh, here we go. the Shooting Banana Sisters are at it again. what did I tell you about coming on here with your projectile fruit?

Posted by: didofoot at April 7, 2003 04:41 PM

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