Spring Cleaning, Spring Self Love

 

Spring is officially here bringing with it warmer temps and invigorating sunlight. This is also a time where many of us undergo some type of spring cleaning. This is a good season to open the windows in our lives and let in some fresh air. 

While breezes are always nice sometimes we find we need a bit of metaphoric fresh air. We need to open our internal windows and let in something new. We need to (in the words of Wentworth Miller) find new ways to vibrate at the right frequency.

Sometimes the best way to grow into our best and boldest and most wonderful selves is to ask our selves questions such as:

What actions are bringing us Joy?
What actions should we let go of in order to grow?

What activities are bringing us Joy?
What activities should we let go of in order to grow?

What behaviors are bringing us Joy?
What behaviors should we let go of in order to grow?

What beliefs are bringing us Joy?
What beliefs should we let go of in order to grow?

What communities are bringing us Joy?
What communities should we let go of in order to grow?

What dreams are bringing us Joy?
What dreams should we let go of in order to grow?

What hopes are bringing us Joy?
What hopes should we let go of in order to grow?

What material items are bringing us Joy?
What material items should we let go of in order to grow?

What thoughts are bringing us Joy?
What thoughts should we let go of in order to grow?

What relationships are bringing us Joy?
What relationships should we let go of in order to grow?

If we ask ourselves these type of questions we can determine

What we would love to become this season of spring

And what steps we have to take in order to become our 

Best and Boldest and Most Wonderful Selves

I will end with a poem I wrote for us all this spring

Happy Happy Spring

May this be a season of growth

Growth of new opportunities

Growth of new imaginings

Growth of our amazing selves

May this be a season of growth

Happy Happy Spring

Pictures For A Rainy Day

Today is a cold and rainy day

So I thought I would share various photos I have taken in the past

To help bring a big more color to a gray day

Celtic Goddesses, Gods, Druids

So tomorrow is the day that St Patrick is celebrated though his story is one who helped destroy the faith traditions and magic of the people of Ireland. So here is a little info on all the Goddesses, Gods, and Druids who were there long before St Patrick came and got a holiday named after him.

The info is from Wikipedia 

Goddesses

The Celtic goddesses are not divided by singular qualities such as "love goddess", but are more of the nature of well-rounded humans, who have areas of special interests or skills. In this way, they do not correspond directly to other pantheons such as those of the Greeks or Romans. A number of the goddesses are associated with sacred sites where seasonal festivals are held. Warrior Goddesses are often depicted as a triad, and connected with sovereignty and sacred animals. 

Gods

The Irish Gods are divided into four main groups. Group one encompasses the older gods of Gaul and Britain. The second group is the main focus of much of the mythology and surrounds the native Irish gods with their homes in burial mounds (The Great Barrows of the Dead). The third group are the gods that dwell in the sea and the fourth group includes stories of the Otherworld.

Druids

An order of priests and philosophers highly revered in Celtic society. The root deru- implies solidarity, firmness as a tree is steadfast. The Indo-European root wid- means "to know." Druids could be male or female and were often compared to Roman flamines and Indian brahmins. Druids in Gaul had authority over divine worship, and also officiated sacrifices, exercised authority over legislation and judicial matters, and educated elite youth about their order.

A Visit To The Art Institute Of Chicago

Today I got to the art institute for the first time since before Covid. 

It was fun seeing some of my old friends 

Plus seeing some new exhibits too (such as seeing a mummy)  

Here is a collection of photos I took on todays adventure. 

They are a random sampling of pieces of art that caught my eye.

Understanding Ukraine's Multifaceted Context

 

As War in the Ukraine continues it is important that we all continue to learn about Ukraine's historical and cultural background. Here are several resources I have run across that look at the country of Ukraine (as well as the current war) from different angles and points of views.

Art

Talk Art: Mark Neville (Ukraine Special Episode: Stop Tanks With Books)

Talk Art speaks to Mark Neville, the award winning British photographer. Since 2015, Neville (born 1966) has been documenting life in Ukraine, with subjects ranging from holidaymakers on the beaches of Odessa and the Roma communities on the Hungarian border to those internally displaced by the war in Eastern Ukraine. Through his community-based projects, Neville explores the social function of the medium, using still and moving images as well as photo books. His projects have consistently looked to subvert the traditional, passive role of social documentary practice to activate social debate and change beyond the boundaries of cultural institutions.

Democracy In America

Historians Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman: Avatars of Democracy: Zelensky & More 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has become a symbol of democracy around the world. What does this mean for the United States? This week, Heather and Joanne look at past foreign and international figures who’ve fought fervently for democratic values and have compelled and challenged Americans.

Social/Political/Historical Context

Coursera Russian Invasion Of Ukraine Teach Out (Led by The University of Michigan) (note for me Coursera is not happy with chrome and I needed to use a different program)

This free course explores 4 main areas

• History and Context
• International Policy and Governance
• Disinformation and Cyberattacks
• Impact of the War on Ukraine

There will also be a Russian Invasion of Ukraine Teach-Out Town Hall on Mar 23, 2022

Taking Action to Help Ukraine 

This list of ways to take action is from the Russian Invasion Of Ukraine Teach Out 

Ukrainian-AmericanThe Crisis Response Committee of Michigan. This is a grassroots, informal association of organizations and individuals, formed in order to respond to the escalating crisis facing Ukraine.

UNICEF supports health, nutrition, HIV prevention, education, safe drinking water, sanitation and protection for children and families caught in the conflict in Ukraine. "Heavy weapons fire along the line of contact has already damaged critical water infrastructure and education facilities in recent days," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine M. Russell in a statement.

Médecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders: MSF runs a range of activities in Ukraine working with local volunteers, organizations, health care professionals and authorities to help people travel to health care facilities and access prescribed medications.

Voices of Children: The Ukrainian organization's Charitable Foundation helps provide psychological and psychosocial support to children affected by the armed conflict, according to its website. Voices of Children's efforts of support for kids include art therapy, video storytelling, providing mobile psychologists and even individual help for families.

International Committee of the Red Cross: This Switzerland-based organization is aiming to help people affected by the conflict and support the work of the Ukrainian Red Cross.

Save the Children: Save the Children, based in London, helps to deliver lifesaving aid to vulnerable children in Ukraine and around the world. According to its website, the organization says it is on the ground in the U.S. and other parts of the world "delivering essential humanitarian aid.”

UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) The international organization aims to provide emergency assistance to families in Ukraine — providing aid such as cash assistance and opportunitiesfor resettlement in the U.S. "UNHCR is working with the authorities, UN and other partners in Ukraine and is ready to provide humanitarian assistance wherever necessary and possible. To that effect, security and access for humanitarian efforts must be guaranteed," the organization said in a statement.

CARE is raising money for its Ukraine Crisis Fund, which will provide immediate aid including food, water, hygiene kits, support services and direct cash assistance.

Nova Ukraine is a 501(c)3 registered non-profit organization (EIN 465335435) dedicated to raising awareness about Ukraine in the US and throughout the world and providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine. They work closely with nonprofits and volunteers focused on helping Ukraine. They organize fundraisers, meetings with famous Ukrainian people, round table discussions dedicated to Ukraine and Ukrainian culture and participate in various cultural events.


Be an advocate for Ukraine

Five Elements of Effective Advocacy

What is your goal? The most important step in any advocacy strategy is clarifying your goal.

Who are the key decision makers? If you’re participating from the U.S., click here to identify your Senators, and click here to identify your Representatives.

Can you identify a champion? This is a person who is inside the process, and who will advance your goal internally. You might consider connecting with an expert or someone who is already working on poverty solutions or economic issues.

Can you build out a coalition? Who are the other people or organizations that are interested in basic income share your goal? You may find them by sharing your opinion or looking for local organizations.

What is your message? How can you and your coalition share this message? Who should you share it with?

Processing Character's Responses

 

A friend of mine is watching Legends Of Tomorrow and made a comment about Mick that got me thinking about how characters are portrayed in the show vs. portrayed in fanfiction. 

Spoiler Warning: Spoilers through season 3 of legends 

My friends comment was about Legends of Tomorrow Season 3 Episode 10 - Constantine Meets Legends and Mick's line about Leo Snart.

Which got me thinking about the ways that Mick is portrayed

Poor at processing emotions

Mick very clearly did not have good role models for expressing his emotions or even processing them for the vast majority of his life.

Like in S1E10 when Len (Not Leo from above its complicated LOL) and Mick fight and Mick says they don’t have hearts: Legends of Tomorrow - Mick Rory VS Leonard Snart or like how Mick says good bye to an Len from earlier in the time line after Len sacrifices himself DC Legends of Tomorrow S01E16 Mick and Snart final scene

And by many standards Len was Mick closest friend/partner/spouse (if you read fanfiction LOL) so expressing emotions to anyone else is near on impossible.

Poor at verbal communication

Through out the early seasons it is clear that Mick struggles with saying complex words such as anachronism or doppelganger.

This has been explore in the world of fanfiction such as in Words by SophiaCatherine or in a fanfiction I can't find right now where he finally talks to Professor Stein and basically goes I'm not stupid, you guys know I struggle with words sometimes but that does not mean you get to dismiss everything I say.

I sympathize since words don't always come to me either and I am a writer/poet. While I love Mick's creative nicknames for everyone Every Mick Rory Nickname (Part 1) and Every Mick Rory Nickname (Part 2) I also understand as someone who struggles with names and often identifies people based on what they do or how I know them. 

For example growing up there was a friend of my grandparents who ended up being "Brown tide, Save the bay, Spilt the county dude" because that worked better in my brain than anything silly like the guys name. 

Poor at understanding social cues

In addition to the above Mick often seems to find it a challenge to understand social cues. He comes off as blunt but while it is a very different context it reminds me of Sherlock when Sherlock does not have John around to tell him when something is not good. 

So going back to the quote that started this all it feels more like Mick expressing the idea:

This is all too much, we now have a version of my currently dead partner from a different earth, Constantine is being all weird (flirting) with this other version of my partner, now I have to process more new people and I am emotionally overwhelmed so I will say what ever I can to let me leave this interaction. I don't have the energy to care what others might think about what I say.

And in the end my friend and I are in agreement that Mick just needs more hugs (even if he is not a hug person.)

Wait Pulaski might actually be cool?

 

Today is Casimir Pulaski Day which I have always thought of as a made up holiday since outside the Midwest it is totally not a thing.

But I started to do a bit of research and found out that the Pulaski dude actually might have been cool. Now I doubt he will ever be quite as adorable or cool as America's favorite fighting Frenchman the Marquis de Lafayette but then again I don't know how good Pulaski was as a rapper LOL.

But I discovered Pulaski might have been cool. Like really cool. Like intersex cool*. When looking at Pulaski's bones there were indications of female bone structure and while it is not completely clear since "intersex" was not an identified identity back then there are several theories such as Pulaski had

... a condition called congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), which can cause females to develop genitals that look more male than female, Estabrook said. Increased androgen production from CAH could also cause someone who was chromosomally female to have a slightly receding hairline and facial hair — as evident on Pulaski in portraits of the general. livescience.com

I am drawn to the idea that Pulaski might have been intersex, a) because intersex is just cool, b) while intersex is a different story than being ace there are parallels and intersections in being an identity that was not named for long periods of history. So this just reminds me of the power of words and identities. 

We will never know what Pulaski felt about his body, if he suffered any body dysmorphia, if he had any idea that he might have been different from others around him... because he would not have had language to even ask those questions about himself.  

So on this Casimir Pulaski Day I just want to say: 

• Sorry Pulaski dude for not previously believing in the realness of your holiday
• Thank You Pulaski dude for coming here and helping us out/writing the book on calvary.
• While I don't tend to feel any real connection with my hodgepodge of random European heritages right now I feel a bit of connection and pride in the Polish heritage bit of that heritage. I feel some connection, some pride, in this possibly cool dude called Pulaski. 

*If you want the quick version of who Pulaski was in general check out Who was Casimir Pulaski? BBC Casimir Pulaski may have been woman or intersex, study says, Smithsonianmag Was the Revolutionary War Hero Casimir Pulaski Intersex?