Love, Our Greatest Quality

On several occasions I have heard folks say that our community is full of hate. This has not sat well with me, because it has not been my experience.  I have spent much time considering these statements and believe now that I can speak to them with clarity (from my point of view) and love and respect for those who have made this statement and ones like it. 

From my point of view, our community is not full of hate, but we are most definitely pissed off. This leads to interactions and communication that could be very easily taken as hateful. But it's not hate, it's anger, and we have the right to be angry about many things. We are angry with Forest Service policy which has decimated our economy, our forests and the safety of our communities. We are angry with Cal Fire for being completely unprepared to defend our town, despite all the funding and legal control they have acquired over the years. We are angry with our County for the seemingly lackadaisical response and effort in the Dixie Fire recovery process (please be note that I am also aware of the tremendous efforts some of our county officials have put forth). We are angry at the hordes of various NGO's which wield massive amounts of money and influence within our community and lands that are largely unaccountable to us. We are angry with our Community Services District for inaccurate billing and being so seemingly dysfunctional for so long (long before the fire). We are angry about our insurance policies being dropped. We are angry about predators being reintroduced to our area that are impacting our way of life (while the powers at be denied that it was happening for so long). We are angry because we have been speaking out, concerned about the consequences of the actions we are taking only to be gaslighted, ignored and name called. Many of us are angry because we recognize all of these factors as part of a long-game plan to remove Humans from the rural places in which we live in order for a small group to control us and the natural resources we cherish and wish to protect. We are angry because we have watched as many of our concerns have become a reality (though we are still generally ignored, at best). The list of things we have to be angry about could go on forever, but I hope I have made my point - we have the right to be angry. Many of the things we have experienced are infuriating. That said, I believe it is our love for this place and each other that fuels our desire for us all to be well and to thrive.  We are angry because we are not well and thriving on so many accounts. We love our way of life, our community and This Place and thus want to see it flourish. We get angry when our own doings and ideologies stand in the way of our wellness and thriving. 

So how do we move forward, honoring our anger and frustration while also honoring those we disagree with (who generally want the same things we do) and who are also working hard to rebuild our towns and community? I wish I had the answer. What I can share are some ideas and observations.

For one, we are out of practice at disagreeing with each other. We have become so divided in our ways of thinking and believing that this division has crept into our everyday lives and relationships. It is very difficult for us to disagree civilly. There is so much emotion and so many triggers buried deep in the important things we need to discuss that it is very difficult not to become emotional when discussing them. Let's acknowledge this. Let's realize that we are Human (and it's a tricky time to be a Human on Planet Earth). Let's forgive ourselves and each other for our emotional responses and realize that they come from a place of love, not hate. Let's begin to practice talking about the emotionally charged issues which face us, understanding that we are going to get emotional and that when we do, we can recognize it, take a step back, calm down, apologize and take responsibility for our actions if necessary, and reengage all the wiser and more equipped to disagree civilly.  Sometimes we will not be able to do this. Rember that this is something which we are out of practice at and that becoming good at it again will be a process. Let's be patient with each other and ourselves as we begin to practice civil disagreement again.

Let's talk about responsibility and accountability. Another thing that many of us are angry about is the apparent lack of accountability within our leadership and influential individuals and organizations. Meriam-Webster defines accountability as "the obligation or willingness to accept responsibility for one's actions and to provide satisfactory reasons for them. It involves being answerable for decisions and actions, whether in personal, professional, or governance contexts." We are all Human. We all make mistakes. The way we learn from our mistakes is to acknowledge them and hold ourselves accountable. This enables us to turn mistakes, even catastrophic ones into wisdom and knowledge that will enable us to navigate similar situations in the future with better success. Too often we see mistakes and bad ideas swept under the rug. This is not how we learn and grow. Talking about our mistakes and errors can be tricky. Sometimes those who are responsible feel attacked. Sometimes they are being attacked. How can we foster the courage to hold ourselves accountable? How can we point out mistakes and errors without personally attacking each other? Perhaps remembering that mistakes are opportunities to grow will help. Perhaps prioritizing growth and learning over personal agendas or the desire to appear correct will help. No matter what, if we are not able to review our failures and bad decisions honestly and openly, we will be doomed to repeat them. 

Now let's talk about Love. From my perspective, This Place has a lot more love in it than hate. I know of few places where I see more love shared amongst community members than here. When there is an emergency or someone is in need, we never fail to help and support each other to get through the tough times. In tough times we put our differences aside and do what needs to be done, sometimes working side-by-side with those we vehemently disagree with. This is because of the deep-rooted love we have for each other as Humans and as fellow community members. The problem, it seems, is that in between catastrophes, we have too much time on our hands and revert back to squabbling. I believe, however, that we can choose to focus on Love, call it in, evoke it and use it to help us to be more compassionate, supportive and forgiving of each other when our emotions or personal beliefs get in the way of our relationships with one another. I'm not saying we shouldn't disagree, not at all. Rather, I am encouraging us to disagree civilly. "Variety is the spice of life" someone wiser that me once said. Isn't this true? How boring would it be if we all agreed? What would we get out of this Human experience if we were all the same? How can we honor our differences and recognize that each of us, each perspective, is their own piece of the wheel, a vital spoke that enables the wheel to keep its shape and functionality?

Lastly, I would like to fucus on the love we all have for This Place and the Love that It gives back to us. I want to focus on this aspect of Love because it is such a positive and binding force, and it occurs here naturally. Some time ago I was listening to a Washoe Elder tell their story of creation. (for clarity, he was an elder of the Washoe tribe from the neighboring lands to the east of us, not from the Washoe family). I was fascinated by his tale, and it left me wanting to know more about the Maidu story of creation specific to This Place. I asked him what he knew of the Mountain Maidu and the lands they lived on. He told me that the Mountain Maidu lands were the place where all of the leaders of the neighboring tribes would come together, no matter what was going on between them (war, strife, etc.), lay down their weapons and share news, experiences, relevant information that would enable them to coexist, even if they were at war with each other. Now I don't claim to be an expert on Native American or Maidu history, nor do I presume that this man knows more about our lands than the Maidu do. What I do find fascinating (and encouraging) is that, according to this story, This Place held the medicine and tradition of doing exactly that which would enable us to face our challenges and differences with honor and grace - focusing on the common ground which benefits us all. The frequency of peaceful disagreement emanates from the rocks, trees, plants, animals and water which reside Here. It is eagerly waiting to support us as we navigate these trying times. All we have to do is to consciously connect with the natural world around us. We can intentionally receive, from the natural world, the medicine that will assist us as we navigate the controversial and emotionally charged issues which we disagree on. It is a tool that we can utilize to support ourselves as we practice civilly reengaging in the issues upon which we disagree. For me, it also explains some of my personal attachment and love for This Place.

I look forward to a future with all of you and to the things we will accomplish together. I am grateful for the trials and tribulations we are experiencing - because of the opportunities for growth they provide us. I'm grateful for the love we have and share, for each other and for This Place - because it will help us to navigate our trials and tribulations with compassion and grace (at least more so that we would without it). I'm grateful for all of you who make this place what it is (yes, even those of you that think I'm nuts and those of you who piss me off from time to time). I wish each of you all the best.