Failure

Once again, it appears that I have failed packing. Last year when Lesley and I went to Istanbul, I forgot some of the basics. I should know better than to leave the USA without long black pants (I had black capris), a plain black skirt below my knees, I had a "little" black dress, some t-shirts…I've had experience, I know what to put in a carry on suitcase. What the hell was I thinking?

On September 1 I embarked on another journey that I thought I had packed for. Haha! Guess what? I had, and probably still have, absolutely no idea what to expect for this journey. Because, this time, I'm not packing for how hot it may be somewhere, I'm not packing for what may be more acceptable dress for a woman in a culture different from mine.

You're packing a suitcase for a place

None of us has been

A place that has to be believed

To be seen

(Bono/U2 - Walk On)

On September 1, I started a 30 day physical challenge to practice yoga and pilates every day. The purpose is to raise awareness and money for famine relief for the Horn of Africa. Those of you who know me know I'm not a disaster relief kind of person. My focus is on after the relief organizations have come and gone, after the attention is off the disaster or problem…then I think rebuilding civil society is so critical, helping to create sustainable, self sufficient solutions in response to disasters.

I digress. My point to all this is, I was prepared for the physical part - thinking I would be tired, sore, physically inefficient. I was not prepared at all for the mental and spiritual journey I've found myself on. It reminds me of when I returned to college at the ripe young and fabulous age of 50…I figured I wouldn't be smart enough, that the other younger, traditional students wouldn't accept me; but it never occurred to me that returning to college would entirely upset my personal apple cart, change my worldview entirely. Right now, I find myself a little more emotionally fragile, perhaps a little more vulnerable - something I'm not totally comfortable with. But I find I am filled with such joy; I am finding such incredible pleasure in the practice of yoga. I have the most amazing opportunity - through myself I can help others. Is that really a possibility?

Yesterday after I dropped my car at the repair store for new tires and an oil change I chose to walk the two miles home. As I walked, I began to think about how irritated I was that my husband wasn't available to pick me up, that the lady who takes customers home wasn't there, right at the moment I wanted a ride home. As I walked, I thought about the women and children in the Horn of Africa, particularly those who are walking 28 days to hopefully get to food and safety before they, or their children, die. As I walked, I wondered what would happen if my neighborhood of 95 homes had to all leave and begin a journey, on foot, that might cost all of us our lives. I imagined what the exodus from my neighborhood would look like. How can you even begin to explain that? How can you even begin to justify that?

I'm 10 days into my 30 day challenge. Wonder what it will feel like at 30 days?

nbb

Famine

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to spend time traveling with my husband. We were able to have a few days together while he was working. As I traveled, I found myself looking for news on the natural disasters that occurred in our country. I was craving all the details I could get and I was impressed with what I saw and heard. Local, State and Federal government officials were being extremely proactive by taking advantage of a very wired constituency to alert people, to evacuate people, to set up shelters for those who had to leave their homes; all efforts to prevent the loss of life.

Imagine if those types of safety nets existed for people living in the Horn of Africa. Imagine if the famine were covered on the international and national media level equivalent to what we saw over those days. Imagine the devastation that could have been prevented if officials were proactive in times before a famine. Imagine saving the lives of the more than 30,000 children now lost. Imagine the lives of over 12 million people that will be affected in this drought. Imagine walking 28 days with the hope of getting you and your family to a place where you might be able to find food and having to choose which one of your three children you would have to leave on the side of the road to die because you were too weak to carry them.

I agonized over this situation; this needless loss of life. I agonized over the idea that I would ever have to choose which one of my children I would have to let die first. Even worse, where I live, people die from obesity, obesity related causes – we have too much. And, people in a different part of the world die from not enough.

What good does it do for me to worry and agonize about a famine in another part of the world? What can I do? Can one person make a contribution that might make a difference? Those of you who know me, know that when I get frustrated with something that is happening I make a conscious decision for change.

On September 1 I began a physical, personal commitment to practice yoga and pilates every day for 30 days. The purpose of this endeavor is to raise awareness and money to support the work that CARE and the World Food Programme are doing in the Horn of Africa. I know that my physical challenge in no way equals what people in the Horn of Africa experience daily but I believe that through my commitment to a 30 day journey of physical healing I can somehow honor the lives that have been lost. I can also reach out to each of you to join me in this experience.

How can you participate?

1. Support me. Donations can be made to Mango Tree Foundation with all proceeds received from September 1 – October 15 going equally to CARE and the World Food Programme.
2. Engage your local yoga and pilates studios to do a community oriented event with the proceeds coming to Mango Tree Foundation, which will then be donated to CARE and the World Food Programme. Suggested donation amount is $30 (people living in extreme poverty live on less than $1/day – $30 for 30 days). Of course, if you are feeling more generous, please give freely.

Through my physical challenge I hope to honor the women and children and men who are struggling every day to find food, to stay alive. Sometimes we need to be reminded of how secure our lives are, how lucky we are. Yes, I know that one person can affect great change in the world. But, I can only start with myself, share with you what I am going to do and ask you to join me.

nbb