Four intrepid women who live in our beleagered Green Acres Neighborhood are working feverishly to get an application in for us to become a Conservation District, and thereby foil plans to demolish five sweet, small, original homes inside our neighborhood for what is likely to be a four story student apartment building. We managed to delay demolition one month, to August 14 from July 14th. But now we need to get all our materials in for review by the Historical Commission (which, BTW, is rooting for us), by Monday, July 29.
For me, and two others whom I recruited from last night’s dinner (see next paragraph), that now means going door-to-door to the 80 owner-occupied homes (most homes are rentals) in this neighborhood to ask them to sign our petition to become a Conservation District.
Meanwhile, as the growing maelstrom swirls around us, our bi-monthly Green Acres Village Community Dinners continue. Last night was a hearty surprise; long-time attendee Rachel called to tell me she was bringing six people with her, four of them from France, Germany, and Italy, and all of whom walked the El Camino with her last year. Great fun. Fired us all up.
I cannot help but feel that the solution to the extreme polarization that is accelerating mayhem everywhere, is first, intensely personal. Do your own shadow work.
Notice when you become annoyed, or furious. Ask: what about that person reminds me of qualities within myself? Qualities I don’t like? Aha! For me, it’s someone’s controlling attitude, and/or attitude of superiority — both yuk! (Hate to confess! But then I’m a recovering Catholic, so confession comes naturally.)
Then, internally thank your “honorable opponent” for the unfortunately all-too-accurate reflection.
Then go to work, and its hard work, very rewarding: to continuously take back unconscious projections onto others. Instead of trying to fill a yawning hole in our being with another, who invariably disappoints us, become whole!
When we do become whole, when we do begin to express our full selves, the universe responds in gratitude, and bends in the direction of our intent.
Secondly, the solution is interpersonal. Once we we are familiar with and have begun to integrate our own shadows, and once we no longer accept shadow projections from others, we can view and interact with them compassionately.
In other words . . .
Get to know your neighbors!
Learn what love is!
Love banishes Fear.
Oh, and then, LOOK UP!
As one of the enigmatic Q drops put it: “Consider the vastness of space.”
But geez, they might need help too!
Just kidding. Or am I?
