today....

[Guest guest]

I know a few people in this group. Hoping to get to know more of you.

We're a diverse group with a common interest, and we share a passion for

health and deep caring.

 

I sang today in association with the Eyes Wide Open exhibit. (Eyes Wide

Open includes a pair of boots for ever dead soldier in this war, and a

pair of shoes representing the Iraqis as well. It's been traveling the

country, and came to Baltimore this weekend on the Hopkins campus.)

 

I rarely do " gigs " but a friend asked, and I said yes. I loved doing

it. Even I was suprised by the power of my own music, though as people in

the audience cried....(and laughed, as suited the song...)

 

There were actually two concerts, and someone needed to do a shorter set

in the evening, so they asked me to sing at the evening concert as well.

 

Basically, I briefly performed, but also listened to music from the

perspective of peace and social justice for at least 5 hours today. Wish

everyone here could've been there! Songs of peace, songs of anger, songs

that use humor in powerful ways, a diversity of performers, a diversity of

instruments, and styles. Jasaga (David Sawyer) sang the last song of the

whole day, and chose a favorite of Paul Robeson: There is a Balm in

Gilead.

 

Between the two concerts, I happenend to cross paths with the Iraqi

Veteran for Peace who spoke last night, and he ended up sitting down and

chatting with me for an hour, telling stories, exchanging songs on the

guitar. He was one of the real early supporters to Cindy Sheehan down in

Crawford, and he talked about how the idea was born, and about visits from

the Secret Service, where different guys kept coming by to tell her small

crew " this is a really dangerous street...people die here... "

 

Oh, how the peace and justice movement needs raw food! They had a

hospitality room for volunteers and speakers. M & Ms and Pretzels, and soda.

 

My new friend was sipping a soda talking about post-traumatic stress. It

seemed that in the face of what he had been through, talking to him about

his soda seemed like too far a gulf. I did allude to it, when he offered

me the cold water someone gave him, saying he was fine since he had the

soda...

 

(Imagine healing centers, shelters, relief operations, schools, prisons,

mental health treatment centers, on raw food.... I know we all do.)

 

I'm full of thoughts, and also the power of the music, from both sides of

the stage.

 

 

Does anyone know of any facilities that treat post-traumatic stress that

integrate whole foods? Does anyone know of any food bank, or relief

operation that prioritizes whole foods and fresh produce?

 

 

Tomorrow (well, now today!) is the Peace Path in Baltimore.

Lots of information here: http://www.peacepath911.com/

 

Also, the continuation of Eyes Wide Open

http://www.afsc.org/eyes/details/baltimore/default.htm

 

All the best,

 

Margie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--

Marjorie Roswell

3443 Guilford Terrace

Baltimore, MD 21218

mroswell

410-467-3727

RawFoodWiki.org

50BushFlipFlops.org

BaltimoreVillage.org

[Guest guest]

Hi, Margie

 

I really feel what you're saying, as a musician and a

raw foodist. Being a classical pianist, I've had a

hard time finding ways to express my craving for

worldwide social justice through my music. I admire

people who do so much. You go, girl! Wish I had been

there.

 

I had heard once about a psychologist who uses

internal cleansing (fasting, colonics), juicing and

nutritionaltherapy (not totally raw) to treat prison

inmates diagnosed as criminally insane, who had

amazing results. I'm sure post=traumatic stress

disorder plays at least some role in how people become

this way. I think your idea is a great one coupled

with some real therapy(not the drug kind or the

squeeze-you-the-cultural-straightjacket kind)

 

I've often thought about drug rehab centers where

people cleansed and fasted, learned to eat correctly,

diagnosed food allergies, did as deep bodywork as they

could handle, went through the 12 steps,learned hatha

yoga, relaxation and meditation. These are all the

things that I credit to my true recovery from drug

addiction. I still refer to myself as a recovering

addict, which to me refers to a way of being in/with

the world that is dysfunctional that I'm constantly

inthe process of healing from at deeper and deeper

levels. I feel that cleansing, be it internal(fasting,

enemas, dietary change, relaxing, meditating,

developing a spiritual life through surrender to a

Higher Power) or external (removing toxicity in one's

immediate environment, be it foods, household items,

jobs, relationships) is a huge part of the " changing

the things that I can " part of recovery (to quote part

of the Serenity Prayer) I can say in all honesty and

modesty that I no longer crave cocaine, amphetamines,

nicotine, or any of the other heavy-duty poisons I

would self-medicate with. This attitude got me in

trouble in my NA meetings, so sadly I'm no longer an

active member. I felt the whole notion of being a

cocaine addict for the rest of my life to not be true

for me at some point. I'd like others to find that

kind of peace, as well. I strive for complete

recovery, aka nirvana, enlightenment, transcendence,

etc.etc.

 

Ok, I've rambled a bit. i can only hope that this

self-indulgent rambling might be of some use to you

 

Blessings,

Elise

[Guest guest]

Dear Margie & Elise,

 

Margie, I congratulate you on your superb work last year to get voters into

political consciousness. You should be heralded as a heroine for democracy

without question, far more than I had a chance to achieve myself during that

electoral season. Elise, you've come a long way toward recovery and I

congratulate you on your progress. You shouldn't be sad, however, that you're no

longer an active NA member. Narcotics Anonymous is nothing more than a front

group for Scientology, whose international spokeswoman is Kirstie Alley. I

strongly suspect that the foremost reason you " got in trouble " at NA meetings

for declaring that you no longer crave such poisons is that NA seeks to addict

you to Scientology as they supposedly help you recover from drug addiction. This

is exactly how they operate, by addicting people psychologically and

financially, regardless of their cultural backgrounds. I can't imagine that the

foundations of NA are friendly to the holistic spiritual approach underlying raw

food philosophy. Raw food spitirualism teaches us individual accountability for

our personal health, which always goes against the grain of cult recruitment.

Cults require us to march in lockstep, much the way George W. Bush's eternal

supporters would do, antithetical to democracy. Raw food is not just a dietary

regimen; it's a way of life that truly subverts the dominant paradigm. Let's

celebrate our independence & be proud of our ongoing evolution (while honoring

those still on the path).

 

Namaste,

David