RantWoman here offers two resources involving voices and recognition of the indigenous people from whose presence the Thanksgiving holiday draws.
RantWoman had in mind two rather different lists of to-dos and timing about Thanksgiving feast matters than occurred. One involved email. The other..dry sunny day..resonance with someone else's confrontational.... RantWoman got very involved in a latino USA segment about the 50th anniversary of the native American takeover of Alcatraz.
Why a group of Native American activists laid Claim to Alcatraz Island 50 years ago.
RantWoman finally decided just to skip the email and other plans and catch the next bus straight to Thanksgiving dinner with the Fambly..
On the bus, RantWoman realized in similar vein she should remind readers of a documentary about the Kootenai nation of Idaho and their quest for recognition. The documentary is called Idaho's forgotten war.
Idahos Forgotten War site
Friday, November 29, 2019
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Tactile turkey, blessed, forgiven? pardoned?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RantDad.
RantDad would be 85 today except he died just past 60, 3 days after RantWoman's birthday the next summer.
Before Sunday RantWoman had never before heard RantMom reminisce about her Meet the Parent thanksgiving journey with some other teachers to WY from MT to meet the Righteous Reverend future RantGrandad. Checking calendar, that would have been 60 years ago this year. RantMom said the future RantGranddad at first just made some kind of a joke about her first name. Apparently the future RantGrandDad did have one career suggestion: RantDad should become an undertaker. RantWoman and rantMom agree, um, no!
RantWoman wonders what else there is to tell.
RantWoman could also try to probe about what if anything registered about the future Rant Granddad and the family eye conditions. RantMom says RantDad just barreled ahead anyway. This probably would be RantDad in charismatic engaging mode.
Digression about Turkey See When RantWoman gets too neurotic at the Friendly neighborhood Center for Extreme Computing sometimes she calms herself down by making topical tactile art (RantWoman has heard the word anxiety from multiple directions in this vein. RantWoman is working on that issue.). RantWoman had already found one turkey image she would not make tactile are from. RantWoman did not want a roasted turkey image. RantWoman wanted something that could at least explain unique turkey features. So here we are.
Back to RantDad. One of Quaker Honorary Auntie's gifts was just seeing and naming that, um, eye stuff things were a LOT more difficult on the vision front than anyone wanted to admit.
RantWoman is going to remember RantDad just by recycling a few blog posts.
Happy Fathers'Day 2018
Oh, hell. Put RantDad into the Search bar and choose your own dang slice of the material or just take your chances with the Srort by relevance button.
Or in honor of the horrible coincidence of RantDad's birthday and Blind Roommate's fatal bus accident, look for the points where they crossed paths because RantDat and Blind Roommate really hit it off over music.
RantWoman is still working off the need for various strands of therapy. RantWoman does NOT feel like lingering in that space for a birthday celebration except foragain and again blessing RantBrother for at least once dragging RantDad into therapy.
RantWoman still feels thrills over the Thanksgiving Day flight to MT 25 years ago. Congratulations by the way to Little Sister and brother in Law on 25 years together. Just the surprise on RantDad's face when RantWoman came in the door was worth the whole trip and Thanksgiving is actually not a terrible day to fly.
And finally one of these days RantWoman will summon the right level of coherent thought to expand on thoughts for forgiveness via a requiem mass, the Dies Irae (wrath of God) followed by all is magically forgiven. RantWoman thinks this approachcan be pretty cathartic, but it does not necessarily solve the communications problems where amends need to be made in human terms not just divine everything goes poof all better now. But enough for now.
In Light and Faithfulness.
RantWoman
RantDad would be 85 today except he died just past 60, 3 days after RantWoman's birthday the next summer.
Before Sunday RantWoman had never before heard RantMom reminisce about her Meet the Parent thanksgiving journey with some other teachers to WY from MT to meet the Righteous Reverend future RantGrandad. Checking calendar, that would have been 60 years ago this year. RantMom said the future RantGranddad at first just made some kind of a joke about her first name. Apparently the future RantGrandDad did have one career suggestion: RantDad should become an undertaker. RantWoman and rantMom agree, um, no!
RantWoman wonders what else there is to tell.
RantWoman could also try to probe about what if anything registered about the future Rant Granddad and the family eye conditions. RantMom says RantDad just barreled ahead anyway. This probably would be RantDad in charismatic engaging mode.
Digression about Turkey See When RantWoman gets too neurotic at the Friendly neighborhood Center for Extreme Computing sometimes she calms herself down by making topical tactile art (RantWoman has heard the word anxiety from multiple directions in this vein. RantWoman is working on that issue.). RantWoman had already found one turkey image she would not make tactile are from. RantWoman did not want a roasted turkey image. RantWoman wanted something that could at least explain unique turkey features. So here we are.
Back to RantDad. One of Quaker Honorary Auntie's gifts was just seeing and naming that, um, eye stuff things were a LOT more difficult on the vision front than anyone wanted to admit.
RantWoman is going to remember RantDad just by recycling a few blog posts.
Oh, hell. Put RantDad into the Search bar and choose your own dang slice of the material or just take your chances with the Srort by relevance button.
Or in honor of the horrible coincidence of RantDad's birthday and Blind Roommate's fatal bus accident, look for the points where they crossed paths because RantDat and Blind Roommate really hit it off over music.
RantWoman is still working off the need for various strands of therapy. RantWoman does NOT feel like lingering in that space for a birthday celebration except foragain and again blessing RantBrother for at least once dragging RantDad into therapy.RantWoman still feels thrills over the Thanksgiving Day flight to MT 25 years ago. Congratulations by the way to Little Sister and brother in Law on 25 years together. Just the surprise on RantDad's face when RantWoman came in the door was worth the whole trip and Thanksgiving is actually not a terrible day to fly.
And finally one of these days RantWoman will summon the right level of coherent thought to expand on thoughts for forgiveness via a requiem mass, the Dies Irae (wrath of God) followed by all is magically forgiven. RantWoman thinks this approachcan be pretty cathartic, but it does not necessarily solve the communications problems where amends need to be made in human terms not just divine everything goes poof all better now. But enough for now.
In Light and Faithfulness.
RantWoman
Memorial: a non-credal religion
RantWoman humbly honors the life of Nina Sullivan, longtime Friend who passed away just shy of her 104th birthday in fall 2019. This brief post is about the memorial; the part about Nina specifically. Other Makes RantWoman's head explode moments get a separate post.
Nina lived in Sweden, Africa, England and the US. She is remembered by all--including RantWoman to the extent that RantWoman knew her at all, as a vibrant gifted engaged centered presence.
Of note about the memorial:
--The worship room was overheated when RantWoman arrived. Others were also concerned. Accessibility to the visually impaired is an iffy concept for most thermostats, though RantWoman prides herself on knowing what to tell sighted people to look for when she can. RantWoman found a needed phone number on her phone faster than anyone else. Caregtaker is unfailingly courteous to RantWoman and the thermostat got turned down.
--No Mic, but everyone who spoke had a voice that carried.
--Many memorials have some brave person who mentions the kind of annoying characteristic that people are afraid to mention; often when such traits emerge, people from other parts of the deceased's life feel free to mention the same trait. As far as RantWoman can tell, based only on this memorial, not one held on Vashon, Nina had no such characteristics.
She does sound like she would have been fun to have as a mom, except for the part about tennis, which would NOT be RantWoman's game.
Rest in Peace Nina and holding sons in the Light.
And the reception featured a Quaker ultra meet the parents comment that RantWoman is filing with multiple other Make RantWoman's head explode moments in a separate post.
Nina lived in Sweden, Africa, England and the US. She is remembered by all--including RantWoman to the extent that RantWoman knew her at all, as a vibrant gifted engaged centered presence.
Of note about the memorial:
--The worship room was overheated when RantWoman arrived. Others were also concerned. Accessibility to the visually impaired is an iffy concept for most thermostats, though RantWoman prides herself on knowing what to tell sighted people to look for when she can. RantWoman found a needed phone number on her phone faster than anyone else. Caregtaker is unfailingly courteous to RantWoman and the thermostat got turned down.
--No Mic, but everyone who spoke had a voice that carried.
--Many memorials have some brave person who mentions the kind of annoying characteristic that people are afraid to mention; often when such traits emerge, people from other parts of the deceased's life feel free to mention the same trait. As far as RantWoman can tell, based only on this memorial, not one held on Vashon, Nina had no such characteristics.
She does sound like she would have been fun to have as a mom, except for the part about tennis, which would NOT be RantWoman's game.
Rest in Peace Nina and holding sons in the Light.
And the reception featured a Quaker ultra meet the parents comment that RantWoman is filing with multiple other Make RantWoman's head explode moments in a separate post.
Monday, November 25, 2019
Clerking: Conference Call considerations.
November 2019
Inspiration: Conference Calls
RantWoman has been inspired by Extremely Weighty Friends to meditate
about Quaker conference calls. RantWoman’s light comes from being part of calls
run by FCNL advocacy teams and from serving as Recording Clerk for Friends
Committee on WA Public Policy / now Quaker Voice, webinars run by
WesternFriend, as well as from conference calls related to blindness advocacy.
RantWoman has also participated in many webinars.
The comments here need editing but are a good start.
RantWoman tartly notes a recent clerking workshop with 52 people ateending.
RantWoman also tartly notes that the experience would have been richer if it
included actual Blind people in Meetings issues. That is only one reason
RantWoman is clear to post these comments and suggestions.
RantWoman recognizes that her deep appreciation for
conference calls is not necessarily shared by others, but here are a number of
accessibility and ecological reasons RantWoman really appreciates conference
calls.
1.
Conference calls are a godsend anytime travel is
difficult whether from rural distance or urban congestion. Conference calls save considerable travel time
and cut carbon footprint dramatically.
2.
Look for blind people. It’s all like conference
calls: everyone is on the same footing visually. This is not helpful for people
with severe hearing impairment, but RantWoman is happy to suggest options for
amplification or for automated speech to text captioning.
3.
There are currently a number of online options
to support conference calls by phone, or by smartphone, or by other device with
internet connection.. Accessibility, functionality with screen readers /
accessibility tools varies a little but these tools come with call management
options such as Muting so only one person can be heard at a time. People use
the raised hand key sequence or app button to ask to be recognized.
4.
Techniques that work in person also work on
conference calls. Callers can ask to be recognized by saying “Clerk please, this
is ….” Even if more than one person talks at once, this gives the Clerk a
chance to sort out voices and call on people.
5.
There is no substitute for technological tools
that let a moderator mute or unmute individuals, allow individuals to Raise
their hand to be recognized.
The process of the call:
1.
Choose a schedule and if needed set up the call
in advance with the tool of your choice. Some tools also allow for automated
audio archiving so people can listen to the call later.
2.
Prepare materials such as agendas and needed
documents in advance so people can consider matters before the call.
3.
Start with Silent worship. This will definitely
seem weird as callers join and say their name. Sometimes, what is wrong with
weird? The silence helps everyone center.
4.
Respect everyone’s time and allow for a few
minutes of closing worship.
The March of technology: conference call apps for Smartphones
This note from the past is one funky perspective about
accessibility
However, rereading this post, RantWoman realized that technology
has marched forward quite a bit and RantWoman regularly participates in webinars
on her Smartphone. The same techniques and recommendations as above apply.
Typically the app can be installed on either a computer or a smartphone.
Scheduling events generates both a link and a call-in audio-only option for
people who do not have a smartphone. Often, the call can proceed and participants
can follow along with any event Powerpoint.
RantWoman’s perspective: RantWoman has enough vision to
appreciate the Powerpoint if there is screen enlargement but RantWoman has
never tried any of the most common apps in screen reader only mode and cannot
comment.
RantWoman notes that Western Friend uses an Adobe product
for its webinars. For more detail check the Western Friend website.
RantWoman notes 3
teleconference apps usable on multiple platforms: Zoom, GoToMeeting, and
BlueJeans. RantWoman has not checked the websites for documentation of their
accessibility efforts, but RantWoman listed them in order of her experience
with her needs. Zoom has been developed jointly with blind team members and
currently is used by multiple blind consumer groups for their teleconference needs.
RantWoman has decent experience with GoToMeeting except that last time she used
it, the PC version kept shutting down automatically. RantWoman has less
positive experience with BlueJeans. RantWoman is cross about this because a
government entity uses Blue Jeans. RantWoman thinks whoever chose BlueJeans as
a tool should have done better due diligence checking about accessibility
issues. However, RantWoman sometimes when faced with accessibility issues, just
gets simple with the audio only options anyway.
Such is RantWoman’s
Light for the moment.
Faithfully,
RantWoman
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Exploring Music as a Quaker Ministry
RantWoman loves this story of faith and performance. RantWoman also think sshe may have been one of the people who said to Anna some version of "...have a ministry..."
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Clerking Workshop Announcement, as edited
RantWoman has been seasoning several matters related to an upcoming Clerkign Workshop:
--RantWoman has attended previously. This does not mean, by a long shot that RantWoman knows everything there is to know. Plus every group is different and part of the point of learning together is to hear what gifts there are in a room.
--Chasing RantWoman away from one Meeting without dealing with things that have been on RantWoman's mind since the last clerking workshop (thank you Gmail search bar and a distinctive search string) will not solve anyone else's problems about the same issues.
--Suppose RantWoman were to take the words "all are welcome" below as an opening what else would need to happen, besides thanks but no thanks for an offer for materials in alternate formats that would have taken a lot of time and not been RantWoman's preferred choices anyway
--Should RantWoman just decide she does not care about concerns roiling her soul and go spend time being an ally for a younger Friend with disabilities who consistently runs much more inclusive meetings with more centered discernment--even though the groups do not call it that) than is RantWoman's current disturbing experience in the nearest slices of nearby Quakerdom?
--Should RantWoman just editorialize all over the registration form about concerns, things she would do differently, and that all-around gift for affrontery that makes RantWoman such a joy to be around sometimes?
--What calls lie behind "True to RantWoman's Light?"
In the meantime, RantWoman got all self-absorbed and attempted to edit the workshop Flyer.
--RantWoman has attended previously. This does not mean, by a long shot that RantWoman knows everything there is to know. Plus every group is different and part of the point of learning together is to hear what gifts there are in a room.
--Chasing RantWoman away from one Meeting without dealing with things that have been on RantWoman's mind since the last clerking workshop (thank you Gmail search bar and a distinctive search string) will not solve anyone else's problems about the same issues.
--Suppose RantWoman were to take the words "all are welcome" below as an opening what else would need to happen, besides thanks but no thanks for an offer for materials in alternate formats that would have taken a lot of time and not been RantWoman's preferred choices anyway
--Should RantWoman just decide she does not care about concerns roiling her soul and go spend time being an ally for a younger Friend with disabilities who consistently runs much more inclusive meetings with more centered discernment--even though the groups do not call it that) than is RantWoman's current disturbing experience in the nearest slices of nearby Quakerdom?
--Should RantWoman just editorialize all over the registration form about concerns, things she would do differently, and that all-around gift for affrontery that makes RantWoman such a joy to be around sometimes?
--What calls lie behind "True to RantWoman's Light?"
In the meantime, RantWoman got all self-absorbed and attempted to edit the workshop Flyer.
Figure 1A shepard, with a staff on a lawn with a wooden
fence and several cats
Clerking and Being Clerked:
The Spiritual and Pragmatic Practice of Herding Cats
All are welcome!
(Emphasis added, *see except..? for
circumstances that cause RantWoman to promise to be faithful to her Light with
no idea in advance what that will look like)
(Clerking experience is not required.)
Salmon Bay
Monthly Meeting is hosting…
(Emphasis
added)
What: A workshop on Clerking and Quaker Business Process
When: 10am – 4pm, on Saturday, November 23rd,
2019
Where: University Friends Meetinghouse (4001 9th Ave. NE,
Seattle, WA)
Facilitators:
Seriously Weighty Friends
RantWoman has a lot of damn nerve trying (AGAIN) to elder about disability,
inclusion, accessibility; stay tuned for Quaker testimonies and Cats!
Simplicity is not doing so well, peace has to be lurking somewhere, but
Integrity, Community, and Equality have been duking it out (um, oops, need
Quakerese translation) muddled with word clouds about
ableism
and privilege,
community,
allyship, solidarity, spiritual accompaniment
physical
and technological accessibility, alternate formats
reasonable
(and unreasonable) accommodations, the ADA, a single standard of Truth, and
dozens of other topics.
Suggested Donation: $25.00 (Feel free to ask your Meeting for support if
needed)
Support? For right now a really
good place to start, besides the “emphasis added “ points above: STOP expecting
RantWoman to tolerate separate and VERY unequal access to worship with the rest
of the community. By the way, RantWoman is SERIOUSLY CREEPED OUT that all a
business meeting she was not at thought RantWoman might care about is attending
memorials to talk about dead people. What about seeing people while they are
still alive? What about figuring out Life???
Lunch and childcare are
provided.
To Participate: (deadline is past, but) Please request a Registration form ….(Leave a comment
and RantWoman will forward)
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
How to Clerk a Quaker Business Meeting
Lurking in RantWoman's drafts folder since 2016 and surfacing just in time for RantWoman to need to mumble about continuing revelation and workshop materials in accessible formats and other welcomign and inclusive practices.
Um, well, RantWoman could at least kindly distill her bloggery.
But INSTEAD, RantWoman is going to commit Quaker heresy, cite her other blog, and suggest that God shows up just as well (aind is just as needed) in meetings run under other terminology.
Facilitate This
Eureka?
RantWoman recently came across the following Suggestions about clerking a Meeting for Business. RantWoman probably could do a more exhaustive search for similar documents, especially if she is truly going to be all about alternate formats and electronic accessibility. RantWoman notes the STUNNING absence of very nuanced comments about anything to do with accessibility and reasonable accommodations.
Perhaps RantWoman has been missing a call to labor with .. about those exact topics, particularly since RantWoman at one point emailed and asked whether Arthur had ever been in meetings iwth Blind people. To his knowledge, no.
The Eureka moment?
Fasten seatbelts because it's going to be a ride.
Once upon a time many moons ago RantWoman remembers sitting in perhaps a North Pacific yearly Meeting Steering committee meeting. The discussion was about NPYM's annual practice of sending two people off to Philadelphia, also known as the Quaker mothership to attend a clerking workshop put on by Arthur Larrabee.
RantWoman's memory is that the thought formed simultaneously in several people's heads--including RantWoman's--that gee, airfare costs about the same round-trip if one person comes west as if 1 person goes east and gee, if one person came west maybe a whole bunch of people could have training. And lo, it was decided to hold exactly such a training before an NPYM Annual Session.
Arthur Larrabee
PS RantWoman confesses: she has a little bit of oldest child angst: RantWoman suggested... and did not get invited to the workshop. On the other hand if RantWoman needs to be liberated to think freely and clearly about matters of disability and inclusion....
Um, well, RantWoman could at least kindly distill her bloggery.
But INSTEAD, RantWoman is going to commit Quaker heresy, cite her other blog, and suggest that God shows up just as well (aind is just as needed) in meetings run under other terminology.
Facilitate This
Eureka?
RantWoman recently came across the following Suggestions about clerking a Meeting for Business. RantWoman probably could do a more exhaustive search for similar documents, especially if she is truly going to be all about alternate formats and electronic accessibility. RantWoman notes the STUNNING absence of very nuanced comments about anything to do with accessibility and reasonable accommodations.
Perhaps RantWoman has been missing a call to labor with .. about those exact topics, particularly since RantWoman at one point emailed and asked whether Arthur had ever been in meetings iwth Blind people. To his knowledge, no.
The Eureka moment?
Fasten seatbelts because it's going to be a ride.
Once upon a time many moons ago RantWoman remembers sitting in perhaps a North Pacific yearly Meeting Steering committee meeting. The discussion was about NPYM's annual practice of sending two people off to Philadelphia, also known as the Quaker mothership to attend a clerking workshop put on by Arthur Larrabee.
RantWoman's memory is that the thought formed simultaneously in several people's heads--including RantWoman's--that gee, airfare costs about the same round-trip if one person comes west as if 1 person goes east and gee, if one person came west maybe a whole bunch of people could have training. And lo, it was decided to hold exactly such a training before an NPYM Annual Session.
Arthur Larrabee
PS RantWoman confesses: she has a little bit of oldest child angst: RantWoman suggested... and did not get invited to the workshop. On the other hand if RantWoman needs to be liberated to think freely and clearly about matters of disability and inclusion....
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Clerking and RantWoman, circa 2012!!!!
RantWoman is meditating about clerking workshops, alternate formats, accumulated experience or experience lost track of.
RantWoman is sitting humbly with appreciation for how much it meant for the PResiding Clerk at the 2019 Annual Session to ask RantWoman ( and some others to hold her in the Light.)
An email exchange from RantWoman's archives. Thank you nuanced use of the search bar to find. RantWoman is mostly posting verbatim, aware thatediting would make a tighter story.
From: (RantWoman)
Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2012 23:01:35 -0700
Subject: Blind person in big meetings.
Mesdames Former NPYM Presiding Clerks, teachers of clerking and
generally Weighty friends
I have a request, a fairly direct request left over from various
experiences and thoughts that woke me up at 4 am one day last year at
Annual Session.. I hope that my questions generate easy suggestions,
preferably with a focus on accessibility suggestions taht benefit
other people besides me.
I am cc'ing two Friends just for data purposes. One says she
called up the Community Services for the Blind and Partially Sighted.
She got told, probably in gentler terms than I have been trying to say
for, oh, a LONG time, that the most appropriate way to help a person
with a disability is to provide the help asked. The best way to figure
out what an individual needs is to ask the individual directly and
work with trial and error in different contexts to help the individual
articulate concerns and what works, including for instance figuring
out more precisely what "help" is helpful.
CSBPS is a great resource. It has all kinds of cool stuff and I highly
recommend visits for anyone who needs blindness tourism. The staff are
very helpful and probably anyone could just go pick up some random
merchandise and learn a lot by asking "what's that?"
But I digress. The topic is blind people in large meetings, say
plenaries at Annual Session. At assorted public participation fora
there is often a staff person who helps people blinder than me who
want to comment find their way to a mic or line to comment. my other
experience is one year at the state convention of the WA Council for
the Blind. There I remember:
--I think the chair relied on a spotter
--either use the mic / wait for the mic runner or line up somehow.
I do not remember how documents needed for the meetings were handled
except I remember lots of Braille and large print. I am nat a fast
enough Braille reader to care about Braille except as a curiosity.
Probably the main point to draw from this experience is "wait for the
Mic." In other words, not much different from other people.
As far as Annual Session plenaries, I expect that I will offer my
concerns and suggestions and not necessarily that it will be possible
to expect more than that, but I would be grateful for any comments by
phone or email based on your experiences. I would also appreciate, if
you feel able, experienced eyes to watch and listen for some of the
points that come up below; I expect I will also try specifically to
recruit someone else to help me pay attention to what is going on.
First my basic thoughts, then some data points including fresh stuff
from PNWQWTC:
NOT necessarily a vision issue.
--the discussion about events involving men at the Women's conference
Business Meeting. I know what I think. I know what was said by
someone else. I have NO clue about people's non-verbal reactions. I am
not sure I presented what I think clearly so I would be curious what
you heard. Do you have any thoughts about why it was hard to reflect
concerns in minutes?
--the other inclusivity comments about one-day events and about women
from hispanic churches. In the latter two cases, I first just need to
know were those comments made in business Meeting or later? Next, do
you remember whether those points got mentioned in the minutes? How
would you characterize visible, non-verbal reactions to those
comments?
A vision issue:
I was touched by Carol Urner struggling to stay within her allotted
time. Carol Urner is someone whose tendency to go on and on I would be
tempted to indulge so I was glad her quote was used at the end of the
epistle. The other point though is that if anyone wants me to stay in
a time limit, I need a bell because I cannot see hand signals. Here
for reference is a charming tale of me boring the chair of a State
Senate committee and not being able to tell partly because the person
who had agreed to be my timekeeper was seated behind me.
http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2009/02/testimony.html
Now to Annual Session
--I will remind John to ask people please to STATE THEIR NAMES and to
state their names EVERY time they speak. This
--helps the recording clerk.
--helps anyone with interpreters (probably not applicable at NPYM
plenaries but ask me if you want about someone who has a new
interpreter every month.)
--This REALLY helps me if I want to try to find someone to follow
up or if I come in late because of some other responsibility.
My memory is that people state their names inconsistently. Any tips
about how to encourage people to do this?
--Invoking my nodding and not even grunting comment from Business
Meeting one time at UFM, I will ask John to state his sense of things
verbally and to be clear about what Friends are approving.
--I will ask John to discourage Death by Powerpoint broadly defined to
include, two examples from PNWQWTC not only Powerpoint but anything
projected in fonts that are too tiny or with bad contrast such as
white lettering on mottled grey and white background. It's not that I
necessarily expect to be able to read the screen anyway but both of
these issues affect LOTS of people.
I think I have a link with some concise instructions. I do not
remember urges to project being so ubiquitous when either of you were
clerks. What is your experience about people's interactions with
material projected on screens, for example the epistle at the Women's
conference?
--Janet last year kept waving her hand in my direction and I had no
idea whether she was waving at me or someone near me. Some of the time
she could identify who she meant to recognize verbally. I will ask
John if he means to recognize me to find some way that is pretty
specific. How difficult was it for either of you to identify people
you meant to recognize in verbal terms?
--I am so excited that a tentative schedule and most materials are
already on the website. This SHOULD give me reasonable hope of being
able to come prepared to plenaries with the right documents in mind
even if everyone else gets to rifle through their papers. Plus I have
a new gizmo. Unfortunatley it talks. But at least now I get to be
responsible for what I do or do not get read instead of (long list of
irritating crazy-making points no one has interacted with yet from...
Feel free to ask if you want my take on chaotic process and some key
W&M functions not getting done.)
I will ask John to publicize any changes from the tenative
schedule in each day's Daily Bulletin. Any other thoughts?
--I need to figure out whether there is anything topical to NPYM
plenaries from the following two accounts of me doing something
arguably obnoxious in large meetings that wound up enhancing
accessibility for multiple people. Any thoughts?
The Death By Powerpoint votes at the health care forum
http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2009/01/death-by-powerpoint-part-n1.html
Agnes Schmoe's Memorial
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2011/07/agnes-schmoe.html
My sense is that in plenaries sometimes pockets of conversation do
develop that might need to be quelled. What are your thoughts or
experiences?
Thank you in advance for comments or for directness if you have little time.
In the Light
(RantWoman)
The response
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Extremely Weighty Friend
Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:53:40 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Blind person in big meetings.
June 25, 2012
Dear (RantWoman)
I think you ask some good questions, and I will try to answer.
1. I actually don't remember any discussion about men at the PNWQWTC! If there was, it was very quick and no issue raised. However, I was a server that night and could only hear bits and pieces of the minutes, so don't know what is there. What I did hear concerned me, because it sounded like Recording Clerk, listed all the ideas thrown out, as if we kind of agreed to all. Write Recording Clerk, if you want more info..
2. One day and include Latinas from the NWYM Hispanic Churches. I think those ideas are in the minutes, but again, check with Helen. My admittedly vague memory is that the one-day idea did not generate discussion and my hit is that people did not think it would work. I do think there was considerable interest in the idea of including Latinas.
3. Excellent reminder that you are not going to SEE a time-keeper! Other means would have to be used. Personally, it seems to me a bell would be intrusive to the feel of whatever was going on and that having someone beside you to touch you on the shoulder or something like that would be better.
Your communications with Another Friend
1. Excellent re reminding him to be sure everyone gives name and Meeting before speaking - your explanation of why would be very helpful to him, aside from the fact that it is simply the practice we are always supposed to use, so that new-comers can also learn who people are. For many of us, that takes multiple times hearing a name! He may have to stop people and remind them a number of times before the meeting gets it. This means intervening, which is not always easy. But, it is much better for the clerk to do it than some irritated member of the Meeting shouting "Your name, Friend!".
2. Yes, a clerk should always restate what we are approving when asking for approval. If the body just agrees, it may not be necessary to re-state. However, if any discussion continues, the clerk should restate. I am afraid we can be sloppy about that. It may, for example, be the role of a recording clerk to say to the Clerk, something like: Sorry, I didn't quite get that - could you please restate what we just decided!
3. The powerpoint issue is more challenging. I agree it was not always used well at the PNWQWTC, but for NPYM, having Nominating Committee reports, Budget, and Financial reports on the screen are very useful. Yes, the latter are, hopefully, in the materials in advance. Nom Reports are likely to change, not only from now until Annual Session, but also during Annual Session. Should there be a few hard copies be made? Should they be in large print? I don't have answers on this one. I think projecting the epistle for the PNWQWTC worked well for most people.
4. Other presenter and I both agree that the Clerk in any large group should always recognize people by a verbal description . . . the man with the red shirt and hat; the woman with the grey hair and black shirt. Sometimes it is a little harder to think fast about identifying characteristics, but it is still better than calling people by name. If we were to use the British process, it would be even easier. They ask that when someone wants to speak, they stand and wait for the clerk to call on them. Often a number of people stand at once and then the clerk calls on one. The rest are supposed to sit down! I remember a British Clerk instructing the Meeting as follows: "If you have stood 3 times in a row and not been called on, please sit out the next time and discern if you are still led to speak and have something new and different to contribute." I completely agree that the clerk should not just wave vaguely at someone.
5. Great idea that changes from materials in advance should be publicized in the daily bulletin. That would help all of us.
6. I didn't read you blog entries, but deduce that one talked about side-conversation(s?) going on at a memorial. A clerk should instantly stop any side conversations.
A lot of the above assumes a clerk who is willing to educate and intervene. It is not always easy to do, and we all need to forgive clerks (and ourselves) when we fall short. Communicating your concerns with John in advance is, I think, a blessing.
Extremely Weighty Friend
RantWoman is sitting humbly with appreciation for how much it meant for the PResiding Clerk at the 2019 Annual Session to ask RantWoman ( and some others to hold her in the Light.)
An email exchange from RantWoman's archives. Thank you nuanced use of the search bar to find. RantWoman is mostly posting verbatim, aware thatediting would make a tighter story.
From: (RantWoman)
Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2012 23:01:35 -0700
Subject: Blind person in big meetings.
Mesdames Former NPYM Presiding Clerks, teachers of clerking and
generally Weighty friends
I have a request, a fairly direct request left over from various
experiences and thoughts that woke me up at 4 am one day last year at
Annual Session.. I hope that my questions generate easy suggestions,
preferably with a focus on accessibility suggestions taht benefit
other people besides me.
I am cc'ing two Friends just for data purposes. One says she
called up the Community Services for the Blind and Partially Sighted.
She got told, probably in gentler terms than I have been trying to say
for, oh, a LONG time, that the most appropriate way to help a person
with a disability is to provide the help asked. The best way to figure
out what an individual needs is to ask the individual directly and
work with trial and error in different contexts to help the individual
articulate concerns and what works, including for instance figuring
out more precisely what "help" is helpful.
CSBPS is a great resource. It has all kinds of cool stuff and I highly
recommend visits for anyone who needs blindness tourism. The staff are
very helpful and probably anyone could just go pick up some random
merchandise and learn a lot by asking "what's that?"
But I digress. The topic is blind people in large meetings, say
plenaries at Annual Session. At assorted public participation fora
there is often a staff person who helps people blinder than me who
want to comment find their way to a mic or line to comment. my other
experience is one year at the state convention of the WA Council for
the Blind. There I remember:
--I think the chair relied on a spotter
--either use the mic / wait for the mic runner or line up somehow.
I do not remember how documents needed for the meetings were handled
except I remember lots of Braille and large print. I am nat a fast
enough Braille reader to care about Braille except as a curiosity.
Probably the main point to draw from this experience is "wait for the
Mic." In other words, not much different from other people.
As far as Annual Session plenaries, I expect that I will offer my
concerns and suggestions and not necessarily that it will be possible
to expect more than that, but I would be grateful for any comments by
phone or email based on your experiences. I would also appreciate, if
you feel able, experienced eyes to watch and listen for some of the
points that come up below; I expect I will also try specifically to
recruit someone else to help me pay attention to what is going on.
First my basic thoughts, then some data points including fresh stuff
from PNWQWTC:
NOT necessarily a vision issue.
--the discussion about events involving men at the Women's conference
Business Meeting. I know what I think. I know what was said by
someone else. I have NO clue about people's non-verbal reactions. I am
not sure I presented what I think clearly so I would be curious what
you heard. Do you have any thoughts about why it was hard to reflect
concerns in minutes?
--the other inclusivity comments about one-day events and about women
from hispanic churches. In the latter two cases, I first just need to
know were those comments made in business Meeting or later? Next, do
you remember whether those points got mentioned in the minutes? How
would you characterize visible, non-verbal reactions to those
comments?
A vision issue:
I was touched by Carol Urner struggling to stay within her allotted
time. Carol Urner is someone whose tendency to go on and on I would be
tempted to indulge so I was glad her quote was used at the end of the
epistle. The other point though is that if anyone wants me to stay in
a time limit, I need a bell because I cannot see hand signals. Here
for reference is a charming tale of me boring the chair of a State
Senate committee and not being able to tell partly because the person
who had agreed to be my timekeeper was seated behind me.
http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2009/02/testimony.html
Now to Annual Session
--I will remind John to ask people please to STATE THEIR NAMES and to
state their names EVERY time they speak. This
--helps the recording clerk.
--helps anyone with interpreters (probably not applicable at NPYM
plenaries but ask me if you want about someone who has a new
interpreter every month.)
--This REALLY helps me if I want to try to find someone to follow
up or if I come in late because of some other responsibility.
My memory is that people state their names inconsistently. Any tips
about how to encourage people to do this?
--Invoking my nodding and not even grunting comment from Business
Meeting one time at UFM, I will ask John to state his sense of things
verbally and to be clear about what Friends are approving.
--I will ask John to discourage Death by Powerpoint broadly defined to
include, two examples from PNWQWTC not only Powerpoint but anything
projected in fonts that are too tiny or with bad contrast such as
white lettering on mottled grey and white background. It's not that I
necessarily expect to be able to read the screen anyway but both of
these issues affect LOTS of people.
I think I have a link with some concise instructions. I do not
remember urges to project being so ubiquitous when either of you were
clerks. What is your experience about people's interactions with
material projected on screens, for example the epistle at the Women's
conference?
--Janet last year kept waving her hand in my direction and I had no
idea whether she was waving at me or someone near me. Some of the time
she could identify who she meant to recognize verbally. I will ask
John if he means to recognize me to find some way that is pretty
specific. How difficult was it for either of you to identify people
you meant to recognize in verbal terms?
--I am so excited that a tentative schedule and most materials are
already on the website. This SHOULD give me reasonable hope of being
able to come prepared to plenaries with the right documents in mind
even if everyone else gets to rifle through their papers. Plus I have
a new gizmo. Unfortunatley it talks. But at least now I get to be
responsible for what I do or do not get read instead of (long list of
irritating crazy-making points no one has interacted with yet from...
Feel free to ask if you want my take on chaotic process and some key
W&M functions not getting done.)
I will ask John to publicize any changes from the tenative
schedule in each day's Daily Bulletin. Any other thoughts?
--I need to figure out whether there is anything topical to NPYM
plenaries from the following two accounts of me doing something
arguably obnoxious in large meetings that wound up enhancing
accessibility for multiple people. Any thoughts?
The Death By Powerpoint votes at the health care forum
http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2009/01/death-by-powerpoint-part-n1.html
Agnes Schmoe's Memorial
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2011/07/agnes-schmoe.html
My sense is that in plenaries sometimes pockets of conversation do
develop that might need to be quelled. What are your thoughts or
experiences?
Thank you in advance for comments or for directness if you have little time.
In the Light
(RantWoman)
The response
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Extremely Weighty Friend
Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:53:40 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Blind person in big meetings.
June 25, 2012
Dear (RantWoman)
I think you ask some good questions, and I will try to answer.
1. I actually don't remember any discussion about men at the PNWQWTC! If there was, it was very quick and no issue raised. However, I was a server that night and could only hear bits and pieces of the minutes, so don't know what is there. What I did hear concerned me, because it sounded like Recording Clerk, listed all the ideas thrown out, as if we kind of agreed to all. Write Recording Clerk, if you want more info..
2. One day and include Latinas from the NWYM Hispanic Churches. I think those ideas are in the minutes, but again, check with Helen. My admittedly vague memory is that the one-day idea did not generate discussion and my hit is that people did not think it would work. I do think there was considerable interest in the idea of including Latinas.
3. Excellent reminder that you are not going to SEE a time-keeper! Other means would have to be used. Personally, it seems to me a bell would be intrusive to the feel of whatever was going on and that having someone beside you to touch you on the shoulder or something like that would be better.
Your communications with Another Friend
1. Excellent re reminding him to be sure everyone gives name and Meeting before speaking - your explanation of why would be very helpful to him, aside from the fact that it is simply the practice we are always supposed to use, so that new-comers can also learn who people are. For many of us, that takes multiple times hearing a name! He may have to stop people and remind them a number of times before the meeting gets it. This means intervening, which is not always easy. But, it is much better for the clerk to do it than some irritated member of the Meeting shouting "Your name, Friend!".
2. Yes, a clerk should always restate what we are approving when asking for approval. If the body just agrees, it may not be necessary to re-state. However, if any discussion continues, the clerk should restate. I am afraid we can be sloppy about that. It may, for example, be the role of a recording clerk to say to the Clerk, something like: Sorry, I didn't quite get that - could you please restate what we just decided!
3. The powerpoint issue is more challenging. I agree it was not always used well at the PNWQWTC, but for NPYM, having Nominating Committee reports, Budget, and Financial reports on the screen are very useful. Yes, the latter are, hopefully, in the materials in advance. Nom Reports are likely to change, not only from now until Annual Session, but also during Annual Session. Should there be a few hard copies be made? Should they be in large print? I don't have answers on this one. I think projecting the epistle for the PNWQWTC worked well for most people.
4. Other presenter and I both agree that the Clerk in any large group should always recognize people by a verbal description . . . the man with the red shirt and hat; the woman with the grey hair and black shirt. Sometimes it is a little harder to think fast about identifying characteristics, but it is still better than calling people by name. If we were to use the British process, it would be even easier. They ask that when someone wants to speak, they stand and wait for the clerk to call on them. Often a number of people stand at once and then the clerk calls on one. The rest are supposed to sit down! I remember a British Clerk instructing the Meeting as follows: "If you have stood 3 times in a row and not been called on, please sit out the next time and discern if you are still led to speak and have something new and different to contribute." I completely agree that the clerk should not just wave vaguely at someone.
5. Great idea that changes from materials in advance should be publicized in the daily bulletin. That would help all of us.
6. I didn't read you blog entries, but deduce that one talked about side-conversation(s?) going on at a memorial. A clerk should instantly stop any side conversations.
A lot of the above assumes a clerk who is willing to educate and intervene. It is not always easy to do, and we all need to forgive clerks (and ourselves) when we fall short. Communicating your concerns with John in advance is, I think, a blessing.
Extremely Weighty Friend
Monday, November 18, 2019
Blower me and Chair Envy
Reporting on RantWoman's current local Quaker Meeting world tour.
Recently Salmon Bay.
RantWoman is striving to draw out a fountain of love for all the holy children of God; RantWoman is also striving to embrace all occasions for gratitude.
But this IS RantWoman. This week gratitude showed up as an image of an SUV that has driven into a living room. Who knew we needed an SUV in the living room? Well the SUV in the living room is about realities in one strand of RantWoman's life that hone skills, strengthen backbone and, gotta love that single standard of Truth, then show up in other parts of RantWoman's life.
RantWoman! You are equating the holy decisions of ... with an SUV driven into a living room??? How could you?
Soundbytes, digested:
God keeps sending people with disabilities to live among and asks everyone to Figure It Out, to figure out how to live together in our different realities..
RantWoman has a very versatile God who gets things done lots of ways.
Stay tuned?
God and sleeplessness made a surprisingly doable First Day bus itinerary that ..
RantWoman will be called to meditate on the matter of chairs below. But first,
Worship passed almost entirely without vocal ministry except for one voice toward the end. The voice was VERY grateful to have eluded #TrafficViolence from some speeding vehicle while out running. The danger was heightened because of a hearing issue.
This lone message does not mean worship was silent. A TRULY magnificent roaring blower kicked in about half way through the hour and roared away for about 20 minutes.
Talk about a way to make RantWoman REALLY MISS the crows on the roof at ...
Luckily(?) RantWoman needs worship so badly that if she cannot just zone out, she can pretend the blower is just, say, a badly discombobulated pipe organ. Very badly discombobulated.
Mercifully, the blessed thing quit, went silent, The sun came out, and the voices of children playing outside the windows fluttered into worship!
Worship closed after children entered. RantWoman was not called to stay for Business meeting but instead.
RantWoman later found herself remarking about the chairs available: lightweight black plastic folding chairs. The chair conversation was, Surprise, the second conversation in a week, where some matter of accessibility came up! RantWoman will argue about whether that matter is in or out of scope. RantWoman tends to think it is in scope. See repetitive mention below!
RantWoman remarked on the chair issues to a Friend with whom she had a very productive in-person conversation after responding to a clear leading just to GO to a meeting RantWoman thought of skipping while fighting a cold. RantWoman is glad she was faithful to her Light and thus geographically available for in-person conversation after her other meeting. Doing many errands in the same vicinity if possible when travelling to a distant area is a key RantWoman survival strategy for her transit-dependent lifestyle!
But the chairs?
RantWoman spoke about the chairs at Salmon Bay and then talked about chair issues at UFM. Friend opined that Site committee for annual session should involve one tall person, one short person, a couple people with mobility issues. And they should be required to sit in the available chairs for 4 hours before deciding on a site.
This suggestion amuses RantWoman RantWoman has visited a number of local churches and been a poll judge in several neighborhood polling sites when we still had polling sites. RantWoman can say, the chair situation varies widely from mediocre to terrible with one tony outlier a presbyterian church in Bellevue wehre went with RantMom for something once.
But the other point: sure, Great idea. Talk to Annual Session planning committee and think about accessibility. This conversation is the second conversation in about two weeks where someone has said some variant of "Yes, increase the scope of the disability conversation" so thank you for validating RantWoman's point that there is much to talk about!
Also for the second time this week, some variant of "I hope we will do something about accessibility with or without you involved." WHASSUP with that??? RantWoman definitely does not want to discourage LOTS more people from being involved. There is plenty to do!not necessarily want to discourage LOTS more people from taking up this work and helping shared understandings of what matters, RantWoman is also reminded of a certain clearness committee related to adjusting to blindness that thought it was done before RantWoman thought it was done and of comments from a former member of Oversight / Oops well / now care and Counsel about realizing after they did a report about accessibility that they had missed many parts of the disability picture.
In Light and faithfulness.
(RantWoman)
Recently Salmon Bay.
RantWoman is striving to draw out a fountain of love for all the holy children of God; RantWoman is also striving to embrace all occasions for gratitude.
But this IS RantWoman. This week gratitude showed up as an image of an SUV that has driven into a living room. Who knew we needed an SUV in the living room? Well the SUV in the living room is about realities in one strand of RantWoman's life that hone skills, strengthen backbone and, gotta love that single standard of Truth, then show up in other parts of RantWoman's life.
RantWoman! You are equating the holy decisions of ... with an SUV driven into a living room??? How could you?
Soundbytes, digested:
God keeps sending people with disabilities to live among and asks everyone to Figure It Out, to figure out how to live together in our different realities..
RantWoman has a very versatile God who gets things done lots of ways.
Stay tuned?
God and sleeplessness made a surprisingly doable First Day bus itinerary that ..
RantWoman will be called to meditate on the matter of chairs below. But first,
Worship passed almost entirely without vocal ministry except for one voice toward the end. The voice was VERY grateful to have eluded #TrafficViolence from some speeding vehicle while out running. The danger was heightened because of a hearing issue.
This lone message does not mean worship was silent. A TRULY magnificent roaring blower kicked in about half way through the hour and roared away for about 20 minutes.
Talk about a way to make RantWoman REALLY MISS the crows on the roof at ...
Luckily(?) RantWoman needs worship so badly that if she cannot just zone out, she can pretend the blower is just, say, a badly discombobulated pipe organ. Very badly discombobulated.
Mercifully, the blessed thing quit, went silent, The sun came out, and the voices of children playing outside the windows fluttered into worship!
Worship closed after children entered. RantWoman was not called to stay for Business meeting but instead.
RantWoman later found herself remarking about the chairs available: lightweight black plastic folding chairs. The chair conversation was, Surprise, the second conversation in a week, where some matter of accessibility came up! RantWoman will argue about whether that matter is in or out of scope. RantWoman tends to think it is in scope. See repetitive mention below!
RantWoman remarked on the chair issues to a Friend with whom she had a very productive in-person conversation after responding to a clear leading just to GO to a meeting RantWoman thought of skipping while fighting a cold. RantWoman is glad she was faithful to her Light and thus geographically available for in-person conversation after her other meeting. Doing many errands in the same vicinity if possible when travelling to a distant area is a key RantWoman survival strategy for her transit-dependent lifestyle!
But the chairs?
RantWoman spoke about the chairs at Salmon Bay and then talked about chair issues at UFM. Friend opined that Site committee for annual session should involve one tall person, one short person, a couple people with mobility issues. And they should be required to sit in the available chairs for 4 hours before deciding on a site.
This suggestion amuses RantWoman RantWoman has visited a number of local churches and been a poll judge in several neighborhood polling sites when we still had polling sites. RantWoman can say, the chair situation varies widely from mediocre to terrible with one tony outlier a presbyterian church in Bellevue wehre went with RantMom for something once.
But the other point: sure, Great idea. Talk to Annual Session planning committee and think about accessibility. This conversation is the second conversation in about two weeks where someone has said some variant of "Yes, increase the scope of the disability conversation" so thank you for validating RantWoman's point that there is much to talk about!
Also for the second time this week, some variant of "I hope we will do something about accessibility with or without you involved." WHASSUP with that??? RantWoman definitely does not want to discourage LOTS more people from being involved. There is plenty to do!not necessarily want to discourage LOTS more people from taking up this work and helping shared understandings of what matters, RantWoman is also reminded of a certain clearness committee related to adjusting to blindness that thought it was done before RantWoman thought it was done and of comments from a former member of Oversight / Oops well / now care and Counsel about realizing after they did a report about accessibility that they had missed many parts of the disability picture.
In Light and faithfulness.
(RantWoman)
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Changed Mind?
RantWoman is meditating on dribs and drabs of conversations / minutes. RantWoman recognizes that in some cases it might be better to call up the afflicted parties and try to continue conversations by phone. RantWoman also recognizes that social media can be risky. And RantWoman needs physically present somewhere where phone yakking is problematic.
Hence this set of popcorn kernels:
"RantWoman, I have never seen yhou change your mind."
RantWoman to herself: that is because you have not been listening, a continual problem, but never mind.
RantWoman to Friend: okay cite some examples.
Friend offered a moment in a clearness committee when RantWoman was absolutely crystal clear not only that she needed to be discussing her spiritual life with someone besides that Friend and that further conversation about the topic was pointless.
But to cite other moments from this blog:
Consider the renaming of committees to rid ourselves of the term Oversight due to its association for some with slavery. The first time RantWoman encountered this must rename perspective, it took several months for the one Friend most passionate bout the topic to be availabe to present the topic in Business Meeting. RantWoman thinks if the renaming is that important, why couldn't anyone else do it?
RantWoman is also a word nerd and likes considering the linguistic variety and provenance of some names for that committee. RantWoman did not know at the time how more precisely to ask for help about that. Sigh. But the main point: RantWoman has come around to understand why it is important to make thee changes as soon as possible. Rantwoman still also likes word nerd stuff but does not always want to be having to go to the same Walking Encyclopedia Friend.
Starving Orcas and transit
Recently RantWoman's Meeting considered a minute that ultimately help articulate the point that embracing all the transportation changes near the Meeting has everything to do wtih saving the planet and at least addressing the grief of the starving orcas. RantWoman, humbly, has admitted in public more than once that, basically at first the minute made her roll her eyes. However the friend led to bring the minute is very persistent and at some point RantWoman just Got It: dealing with the passion and grief is just as important as policy wonk stuff. RantWoman is VERY glad Meeting finally moved forward about that minute.
Hence this set of popcorn kernels:
"RantWoman, I have never seen yhou change your mind."
RantWoman to herself: that is because you have not been listening, a continual problem, but never mind.
RantWoman to Friend: okay cite some examples.
Friend offered a moment in a clearness committee when RantWoman was absolutely crystal clear not only that she needed to be discussing her spiritual life with someone besides that Friend and that further conversation about the topic was pointless.
But to cite other moments from this blog:
Consider the renaming of committees to rid ourselves of the term Oversight due to its association for some with slavery. The first time RantWoman encountered this must rename perspective, it took several months for the one Friend most passionate bout the topic to be availabe to present the topic in Business Meeting. RantWoman thinks if the renaming is that important, why couldn't anyone else do it?
RantWoman is also a word nerd and likes considering the linguistic variety and provenance of some names for that committee. RantWoman did not know at the time how more precisely to ask for help about that. Sigh. But the main point: RantWoman has come around to understand why it is important to make thee changes as soon as possible. Rantwoman still also likes word nerd stuff but does not always want to be having to go to the same Walking Encyclopedia Friend.
Starving Orcas and transit
Recently RantWoman's Meeting considered a minute that ultimately help articulate the point that embracing all the transportation changes near the Meeting has everything to do wtih saving the planet and at least addressing the grief of the starving orcas. RantWoman, humbly, has admitted in public more than once that, basically at first the minute made her roll her eyes. However the friend led to bring the minute is very persistent and at some point RantWoman just Got It: dealing with the passion and grief is just as important as policy wonk stuff. RantWoman is VERY glad Meeting finally moved forward about that minute.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Alternate formats, exasperated shrieking optional
Alternate Formats: the tip of an iceberg
RantWoman is meditating about "alternate formats," non-print ways of accessing information In connection with various Quaker matters RantWoman has email in her inbox about the following:--QuakerSpeak videos, one of RantWoman's recurring non-print go-to's when talking to people curious about Quakerism. Stay tuned for other riffs from this info stream.
--Hallelujah. Praise Jesus. Manifest whatever gratitudes neededas exuberanltly as possible: NPYM Faith and Practice is now online in a format RantWoman can actually deal with without all kinds of electronic standing on her head. Even better, part of the reason is someone else mentioned eBooks and even possibly in the future Audio! Not only is RantWoman not the only freak on the planet who needs this stuff, but there is that continuing revelation and Quaker materials in the media of this century and able to reach Friends of the electronic age.
--"For this workshop we will of course provide large print ..copy machine...." Friend, thank you so much for thinking of me, but in this case if you wait for me to ask for what works for me, life will be much easier. In the meantime, RantWoman will think about how to address items that really are not available in electronic format, as well as the option of suggesting some options that ARE available in electronic format.
Refuses to change
RantWoman is meditating about an item from the newsletter about "RantWoman refuses to change her behavior." RantWoman is trying to be faithful to her Light as kindly as possible. RantWoman truthfully does not understand what behaviors a certain Care and Accountability Committee was hoping to change, whether or not it is in her Light to do so for instance if the Care and Accountability Committee repeatedly claims their charge does not include dealing with disability for a Friend with a disability, and whether she can in fact do as desired. So far, RantWoman's sense of integrity keeps hitting full stops.One full stop: RantWoman is pretty sure there are some behaviors Friends would prefer she NOT change.
The same information as everyone else: testimony on equality?
Consider a quest awhile ago for a presentation handout in electronic format. The persentation was part of Meeting's annual educational effort related to sexual abuse awareness. RantWoman forgot to ask in advance but afterward inquired whether the workshop handout was avillable in electronic format. No. However, RantWoman got two email responses to her quest for access to the same content as everyone else. One Friend had torn up the handout and thrown it away but offered to retrieve it, tape it back together and scan it. Ummmm, aside from the technical difficulties likely from this approach, RantWoman found herself wonering, um Friend, you are on a pastoral care committee (and the Care and Accountability committee as well). RantWoman might hope these roles mean you have some sense of what is needed for community resources, and since the topic of the workshop sometimes makes RantWoman's head explode due to issues in her own family, RantWoman will just be breathing deeply for a good long time so she does not break out in shrieking or have her head explode. RantWoman has practice about head NOT exploding issues around this Friend. Shrieking from said experience optional?Another younger Friend who is NOT on a pastoral care committee had the handout and access to a scanner. and the document was shortly in RantWoman's email inbox. OCR capabilities are now built into lots of screen reading software,and it was fine. RantWoman had access to the same content as everyone else. The content in question a checklist of indicators someone may have been abused is probably available lots of ways on the internet, but the POINT of shared experience is everyone having access to the same content.
RantWoman wrote back thanks but no thanks for the tape together offer and profuse thanks for the option that got her the material. RantWoman assumes Friends would NOT prefer that she add more shrieking to the Friend with the tape it together offer?
Nostalgia?
Late-breaking news: RantWoman realized she should add another moment to these meditations, another rant related to being creeped out by a sense RantWoman gets from some Friends that she is much too freaky to talk to about life now as opposed to life in the past. At a recent memorial, the Subcommittee on Interpersonal violence came up. This subcommittee as created when the person RantWoman sometimes refers to as teh Safest Sex Offender ont the planet first came to the UFM community, with a stop along the way for one of RantWoman's several Hospitality Committee / Coffee Hour is pastoral care plus knives and hot liquids moments.. Find tangled narrative and RantWoman's reflections on this blog tagged "Safest."
One of the things the Subcommittee on Interpersonal Violence did was creat a big thick notebook of printed resources from the ear related to sexual assault, trauma recover, and other topics the community collided with while supporting one offender's treatment program, caring for people surviving their own experiences of sexual assault and educating ourselves and our children about safety, empowerment. Repeat: in print. From now almost two decades ago..Oh, yes, and the next increment of electronic presentation was, when the offender's various legal obligations expired, to scan all the materials in the notebook and put them online as one big file. RantWoman has looked at the file but not recently.
RantWoman expects that some of the material might be out of date but NO, RantWoman did not shriek about everything on her mind when the notebook came up at a potluck. One Friend who had served on said subcommittee as being her usual plainspoken forthright self about how the committee work resonated with her life experiences. She was also gushing about having the notebook online but somehow, maybe it was the curried chicken, RantWoman decided that that particular audience was probably not the best place for her current resource concerns.
For no reason RantWoman feels compelled to explain, places to start for resources:
https://www.adwas.org
https://wscadv.org
In light and Faithfulness.
RantWoman
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Worship off site?
Dear Beloved Community
This post comes with a prayer: the right wordsare not going to make it out of RantWoman's mouth in conversation, especially in multiple conversations and progress needs to happen, so please read and hold in the Light as you are able and consider whether responses rise.
News Flash! RantWoman is VERY clear in a call to continue worshipping among you and to respond to a call from God about how this might occur. Please understand, RantWoman believes God sometimes asks people to do things they would rather not do but wind up better for. RantWoman has become clearer about this listening to some voices who clearly just want RantWoman gone, gone, gone; RantWoman is particularly annoyed by voices that do not realize that rantWoman wears multiple hats and is unable to turn off interest in a number of topics just because someone at meeting suggests it.
Furthermore RantWoman has not spent multiple decades of her life tending to this Meeting just to disappear when someone says it is "not good for the community" for someone to deal with midlife vision loss and to have to challenge many people's assumptions about many things. Talk about othering! RantWoman admits, she has no patience with "It's too hard so RantWoman should just go away," a thread now evident for several years. There would also be the process of interacting with an offer for separate and very unequal worship away from Meeting. But RantWoman is getting ahead of herself.
RantWoman thinks she is supposed to be grateful for Friends who have offered to come worshipwith RantWoman in separate and very unequal circumstances and without reference to a number of people very dear to RantWoman,. At Meeting RantWoman can see all these dear people at once on First days and not have to spend huge chunks of time travelling around by bus to visit these Friends individually. RantWoman really cannot see how it can be called "community building" simply to shred these connections.
At first, RantWoman attempted to think through logistics of Business Meeting's request basically that RantWoman stay away for awhile.
FULL STOP. We interrupt this post to hold in the Light a Friend who works for a local transportation agency. Local transportation agency does not get to, say, tell all the deaf people to go meet somewhere else because other people are uncomfortable with interpreters. If the deaf peoplle forget to request interpreters, in advance they can show up and cope, something LOTS of people with disabilities have plenty of practice about though. Nor does the agency get to tell wheelchair users just to forget about peeing when they come to meetings. Nor does the agency get to say, okay come back in six months or a year when we have figured something out. Why should RantWoman deprive that Friend of the opportunity for a life of integrity and a single standard of truth as far as Meeting and work?
RantWoman is clear there are things to figure out. Despite assertions to the contrary, RantWoman IS willing to try to figure things out and is NOT willing to promise to do things she really canot do. Plus, RantWoman would happily ask Friends about a number of behaviors, do you REALLY think RantWoman needs to change that behavior?
Back to the matter of worship. RantWoman discovered that, based partly on a previous moment where she felt completely bullied, RantWoman has ZERO leading to invite Friends to come worship where she lives. RantWoman further does not want to promise travel any further than one transit segment for herself, comparable to her journey on First days. Nor does RantWoman want to ask Friends to travel any furhter than they do on First Days. RantWoman also requires a space that is free and wheelchair accessible.
Hence, two options for Reasonable Accommodations requests::
--RantWoman would be happy to discuss a schedule alternating between 9:30 and 11:00 worship along with business meeting every other month. RantWoman is happy to discuss with Worship and Ministry some options to address concerns; RantWoman however will NOT promise to do things she cannot do.
--RantWoman respectfully requests that the Friends willing to worship with RantWoman outside the rgular First day schedule be allowed to meet at Meeting on the schedule selected by the group.
Here one Friend ever so helpfully suggested public libraries, of which there are several that meet RantWoman's one transit segment constraint. RantWoman thought there might be some restriction on explicitly religious activity and RantWoman finds it inconsistent with the testimony on integrity to soft-pedalm, prevariacte, lie. Helpful Friend has checked: there is no restriction on religious activity, but no word on availability in the time windows Friends want to meet.. Events simply must be open to the public. RantWoman finds herself intrigued by the location point and open to the public issue in an "I didn't know Quakers were still around" Light. However, RantWoman will be unable to be less than faithful to her Light about, um, a number of difficult topics.
But RantWoman needs to know, would the open to the public issue bother anyone?
In Light and faithfulness.
RantWoman.
PS Helpful friend is also eager to have RantWoman talk of her, RantWoman's mistakes. RantWoman would be happy to talk of her own mistakes provided others are also willing to talk of their mistakesas well.
This post comes with a prayer: the right wordsare not going to make it out of RantWoman's mouth in conversation, especially in multiple conversations and progress needs to happen, so please read and hold in the Light as you are able and consider whether responses rise.
News Flash! RantWoman is VERY clear in a call to continue worshipping among you and to respond to a call from God about how this might occur. Please understand, RantWoman believes God sometimes asks people to do things they would rather not do but wind up better for. RantWoman has become clearer about this listening to some voices who clearly just want RantWoman gone, gone, gone; RantWoman is particularly annoyed by voices that do not realize that rantWoman wears multiple hats and is unable to turn off interest in a number of topics just because someone at meeting suggests it.
Furthermore RantWoman has not spent multiple decades of her life tending to this Meeting just to disappear when someone says it is "not good for the community" for someone to deal with midlife vision loss and to have to challenge many people's assumptions about many things. Talk about othering! RantWoman admits, she has no patience with "It's too hard so RantWoman should just go away," a thread now evident for several years. There would also be the process of interacting with an offer for separate and very unequal worship away from Meeting. But RantWoman is getting ahead of herself.
RantWoman thinks she is supposed to be grateful for Friends who have offered to come worshipwith RantWoman in separate and very unequal circumstances and without reference to a number of people very dear to RantWoman,. At Meeting RantWoman can see all these dear people at once on First days and not have to spend huge chunks of time travelling around by bus to visit these Friends individually. RantWoman really cannot see how it can be called "community building" simply to shred these connections.
At first, RantWoman attempted to think through logistics of Business Meeting's request basically that RantWoman stay away for awhile.
FULL STOP. We interrupt this post to hold in the Light a Friend who works for a local transportation agency. Local transportation agency does not get to, say, tell all the deaf people to go meet somewhere else because other people are uncomfortable with interpreters. If the deaf peoplle forget to request interpreters, in advance they can show up and cope, something LOTS of people with disabilities have plenty of practice about though. Nor does the agency get to tell wheelchair users just to forget about peeing when they come to meetings. Nor does the agency get to say, okay come back in six months or a year when we have figured something out. Why should RantWoman deprive that Friend of the opportunity for a life of integrity and a single standard of truth as far as Meeting and work?
RantWoman is clear there are things to figure out. Despite assertions to the contrary, RantWoman IS willing to try to figure things out and is NOT willing to promise to do things she really canot do. Plus, RantWoman would happily ask Friends about a number of behaviors, do you REALLY think RantWoman needs to change that behavior?
Back to the matter of worship. RantWoman discovered that, based partly on a previous moment where she felt completely bullied, RantWoman has ZERO leading to invite Friends to come worship where she lives. RantWoman further does not want to promise travel any further than one transit segment for herself, comparable to her journey on First days. Nor does RantWoman want to ask Friends to travel any furhter than they do on First Days. RantWoman also requires a space that is free and wheelchair accessible.
Hence, two options for Reasonable Accommodations requests::
--RantWoman would be happy to discuss a schedule alternating between 9:30 and 11:00 worship along with business meeting every other month. RantWoman is happy to discuss with Worship and Ministry some options to address concerns; RantWoman however will NOT promise to do things she cannot do.
--RantWoman respectfully requests that the Friends willing to worship with RantWoman outside the rgular First day schedule be allowed to meet at Meeting on the schedule selected by the group.
Here one Friend ever so helpfully suggested public libraries, of which there are several that meet RantWoman's one transit segment constraint. RantWoman thought there might be some restriction on explicitly religious activity and RantWoman finds it inconsistent with the testimony on integrity to soft-pedalm, prevariacte, lie. Helpful Friend has checked: there is no restriction on religious activity, but no word on availability in the time windows Friends want to meet.. Events simply must be open to the public. RantWoman finds herself intrigued by the location point and open to the public issue in an "I didn't know Quakers were still around" Light. However, RantWoman will be unable to be less than faithful to her Light about, um, a number of difficult topics.
But RantWoman needs to know, would the open to the public issue bother anyone?
In Light and faithfulness.
RantWoman.
PS Helpful friend is also eager to have RantWoman talk of her, RantWoman's mistakes. RantWoman would be happy to talk of her own mistakes provided others are also willing to talk of their mistakesas well.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
AboutThanksgiving?
Dear Beloved Community
Thanksgiving worship is VERY meaningful to RantMom. RantMom has also been spared details of the muddle currently passing for Business Meeting decisions, and it is only out of respect for the process of business, not the ill-informed decisions that sometimes result, that RantWoman is making it clear to all and sundry that it would be VERY nice if someone were led to specificaly invite RantWoman, RantMom and such of the rest of the RantFamily as feel inclined to join whatever occurs for Thanksgiving.
Rantwoman's clarity about making this suggestion comes partly from what RantWoman reads as very dismissive notes about a disabilities committee and from various moments she is picking up incoversation.
RantWoman is perfectly well aware that this seeking provides the community an opportunity to reconsider its inability or unwillingness to include RantWoman in anything at Meeting except talking about dead people. RantWoman is also perfectly well aware that for many people holidays come fraught with abundant history of conflitive moments, but when people can stay centered, gifts occur.
RantWoman means elsewhere to spell out in the starkest terms possible some serious issues with separate and unequal opprotunities to worship AND to talk about dsability. In the meantime, in honor of many points s where RantWoman has been TRYING to express gratitude, how about JUST INVITE RANTWOMAN TO THANKSGIVING amnd maybe make a point of listening harder for the gratitude points!
RantWoman applauds the energy of a Friend who has been lead to offer to help organize. RantWOman has visions of an relaxed affair where waht food comes is enough, where worship precedes a meal. RantWoman offered to help weeks ago and will be happuy to go onabout what help might look like.
RantWoman also wants a nice non-drama-filled celebration.
RantWoman wants the kind of celebration reflected in:
--the easy childhood nerdiness of looking at hydroelectric dam slides with beloved Great Aunt and Uncle
--high-school age holidays with an honorary grandfather who had been deafened by a stroke in his late 50's. He lived in a retirement community, smoked a pipe, always brought wine which never got completely drunk, and could lipread for hours with RantMom and talk for hours if RantWoman wrote a good question.
--RantDad's younger sister who had a fused hip, a transfer routine from wheelchar to car and a way to get into the RantFamily door even though there was a small step.
--RantWoman would also express gratitude that Little Sister's life has settled down enough and with enough ways to manage all her issues that there has not been a holiday 911 call in quite some time.
This year, RantWoman does not really see a path to include homeless people in any celebration--EXCEPT to note teh passing of "Stanley, Meeting's most enduring unhoused presence, not counting everyone in the community who is "housing insecure."
Finally, however RantWoman and RantFmaily wind up celebrating, we will be noting that RantDad would turn 85 this year, except that he lived only til past 60. RantWoman remembers Rantdad's 60th birthday. That year it fell on Thanksgiving. RantWoman surprised everyone by flying home and showing up on the doorstep. Flying ON thanksgiving is cheap and RantWoman cared more about the surprise than getting there in time to eat turkey. The surprise still makes RantWoman smile.
Do you have a story of a memorable Thanksgivng, especially one with disability as part of the picture? If so consider sharing the story as a comment.
In Light and Faithfulness.
RantWoman
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Blind?
RantWoman is struck by this tweet. There is a picture of blind justice nicely captioned if readers click through to the actual tweet.
This Miss Molly (@mholzschlag) tweeted at 8:02 PM on Fri, Nov 01, 2019:
Justice - true justice - cannot be be blind!
Justice - true justice - cannot be be blind!
We must look at the ugly and the beautiful. Feel it in our bones. Know it through all sensory perceptions available to our humanity.
Love - true love - cannot be blind.
We must use all sensory perception available to our being. https://t.co/tv519KYADr
(https://twitter.com/
(https://twitter.com/
Listen
With smiles about a truly amazing "God is watching out for someone" story and reflections from the latest Calvin seminar at RantMom's church.
The latest #DisabilityInChuurch meditation. Someone Rantwoman is a big fan of was complainign on Twitter about accessibility problems in an online faith community site. Yes, indeed, another faith community that maybe needs to be educated about why some people simply cannot use.. if nnot accessible and then does not know what to look for in accessibility concepts in the first place.
What? You mean quakers are not unique in such problems? Shocking!
And finally, from a site with too many ads but helpful content:
Trauma is not your fault but healing is your responsibility
 |
| The Chinese character for Listen |
The latest #DisabilityInChuurch meditation. Someone Rantwoman is a big fan of was complainign on Twitter about accessibility problems in an online faith community site. Yes, indeed, another faith community that maybe needs to be educated about why some people simply cannot use.. if nnot accessible and then does not know what to look for in accessibility concepts in the first place.
What? You mean quakers are not unique in such problems? Shocking!
And finally, from a site with too many ads but helpful content:
Trauma is not your fault but healing is your responsibility
Friday, November 1, 2019
Desfile / parade Dia De Los Muertos?
RantWoman missed her Friday afternoon tactile graphics fix--for the second week in a row! Sigh. RantWoman instead, in honor of The Day of the Dead / El Dia de los Muertos offers a linke in Spanish about the celebratory parade in San Miguel De Allenda, Guanajuato, Mexico and an awesome image that unfortunately probably would not make good tactile graphics. And there is more. Stay tuned after the link and the pic. Link provided opartly to ensure proper attribution
Dia De Los Muertos Parade, San Muiguel De Allenda, Mx 2019
Come now random RantWoman thoughts about memorials. Rantwoman has been asked not to come to anything at Meeting except memorials. RantWoman pledges to be true to her Light and cannot predict how that is going to look on ahny given First Day.
Memorials?
Literature brain could have REALLY a lot of fun turning all kinds of events into memorials.
Lead us not into temptation.
Or at least lead us into MORE QUAKER PROCESS experiences first, hope, pray. pretty please with Day of the Dead sugar on top, so much more culturally interesting than Halloween sugar.
For now, RantWoman's highly idiosyncratic observations about a memorial for a Friend RantWoman will call Bees and Bulletin passages friend. Basically it was a lovely memorial with a good selection of cookies after and no mention in the memorial of this Friend's funky hip brace that made her look like a StarWars storm trooper.
A Friend (who should be horrifed by the nom de Blog RantWoman would assign( did nice intro but RantWoman does not think there was anyone there except the late Friend's sons who was unfamiliar with Quaker memorials.
A Friend mentioned elsewhere with multiple noms de blog did a nice job of reading the excerpt of the memorial minute in the program. He also toward the end had one of his sort of standard
it's the Light messages.Ordinarily RantWoman finds he talks well and listens poorly and other people find him more scintillating that does RantWoman but this time somehow he was fine.
--The subcommittee on interpersonal violence came up multiple times along with library committee. Readers who want to know what RantWoman is talking about, put "interpersonal" into the search bar. The committee has now been laid down and its role rolled back into Care and counsel, sort of.. Rantwoman still finds the name of the committee sort of odd: is the committee for or against interpersonal violence or do they just talk about it? Further thoughts possibly available elsewhere; No, that moment of snark does not do justice to the intent of the committee but oh well.
--RantWoman thinks all three of the Bees and Bulkletin Passages friend's sons were there. Two of them spoke, one about a swarm of bees and RantWoman does not remember the other. Rantwoman opted not to go fogging up to ranom people she did not recognize and ask. That would be one of those points of social difficulty when visual cues do notwork...
--RantWoman liked whoever it was who said Life is for the living and enjoyed the images from the message about the swarm of bees.
--RantWoman was kind of a zombie aft er her weekend away so she just closed her eyes and has NO idea how her message came across. People at least tolerated:
--Appreciation that we are having the memorial because RantWoman misses seeing polly on the bus
--It was sweet to learn she was friends with this blind guy who used to live in Rantwoman's building and who RantWoman is certain tuned the RantFamily;s piano long ago when we lived in CO. They probably had Bible interests in common.
--RantWoman loved the little passages that Bees and Bulletin moments Friend put into the bulletin and
loved that she read contemporary stuff not just old voices.
--RantWoman mentioned that we read Julia Esquivel's poem "They have threatened us with resurrection" one time in a spiritual sharing group but passed up the opportunity to make everyone listen to her phone read it aloud.
--RantWoman offered a hold in the Light thought because The late friend alluded to
tensions among her children. Decades after RantDad's passing, the RantFamily is still sorting out...
Other people were not as lengthy or multi-threaded and not everyone even fathoms that of God aboard Metro.
Miscellaneous additional moments
--Is it possible to make sign up to help set upand clean up for memorials for people you don't know sound like fun, and maybe people who helped with the prep found ti part of the memorial process, but RantWoman repeats her thought from another memorial that there would be some point about inviting newcomers into the
process.
Other than that, it really creepsRantWoman out that the only thing people think anyone should have to handle around RantWoman is talking about dead people. There would be that part about FIGURE IT
OUT as far as living!
In Light and Faithfulness.
RantWoman
Dia De Los Muertos Parade, San Muiguel De Allenda, Mx 2019
Come now random RantWoman thoughts about memorials. Rantwoman has been asked not to come to anything at Meeting except memorials. RantWoman pledges to be true to her Light and cannot predict how that is going to look on ahny given First Day.
Memorials?
Literature brain could have REALLY a lot of fun turning all kinds of events into memorials.
Lead us not into temptation.
Or at least lead us into MORE QUAKER PROCESS experiences first, hope, pray. pretty please with Day of the Dead sugar on top, so much more culturally interesting than Halloween sugar.
For now, RantWoman's highly idiosyncratic observations about a memorial for a Friend RantWoman will call Bees and Bulletin passages friend. Basically it was a lovely memorial with a good selection of cookies after and no mention in the memorial of this Friend's funky hip brace that made her look like a StarWars storm trooper.
A Friend (who should be horrifed by the nom de Blog RantWoman would assign( did nice intro but RantWoman does not think there was anyone there except the late Friend's sons who was unfamiliar with Quaker memorials.
A Friend mentioned elsewhere with multiple noms de blog did a nice job of reading the excerpt of the memorial minute in the program. He also toward the end had one of his sort of standard
it's the Light messages.Ordinarily RantWoman finds he talks well and listens poorly and other people find him more scintillating that does RantWoman but this time somehow he was fine.
--The subcommittee on interpersonal violence came up multiple times along with library committee. Readers who want to know what RantWoman is talking about, put "interpersonal" into the search bar. The committee has now been laid down and its role rolled back into Care and counsel, sort of.. Rantwoman still finds the name of the committee sort of odd: is the committee for or against interpersonal violence or do they just talk about it? Further thoughts possibly available elsewhere; No, that moment of snark does not do justice to the intent of the committee but oh well.
--RantWoman thinks all three of the Bees and Bulkletin Passages friend's sons were there. Two of them spoke, one about a swarm of bees and RantWoman does not remember the other. Rantwoman opted not to go fogging up to ranom people she did not recognize and ask. That would be one of those points of social difficulty when visual cues do notwork...
--RantWoman liked whoever it was who said Life is for the living and enjoyed the images from the message about the swarm of bees.
--RantWoman was kind of a zombie aft er her weekend away so she just closed her eyes and has NO idea how her message came across. People at least tolerated:
--Appreciation that we are having the memorial because RantWoman misses seeing polly on the bus
--It was sweet to learn she was friends with this blind guy who used to live in Rantwoman's building and who RantWoman is certain tuned the RantFamily;s piano long ago when we lived in CO. They probably had Bible interests in common.
--RantWoman loved the little passages that Bees and Bulletin moments Friend put into the bulletin and
loved that she read contemporary stuff not just old voices.
--RantWoman mentioned that we read Julia Esquivel's poem "They have threatened us with resurrection" one time in a spiritual sharing group but passed up the opportunity to make everyone listen to her phone read it aloud.
--RantWoman offered a hold in the Light thought because The late friend alluded to
tensions among her children. Decades after RantDad's passing, the RantFamily is still sorting out...
Other people were not as lengthy or multi-threaded and not everyone even fathoms that of God aboard Metro.
Miscellaneous additional moments
--Is it possible to make sign up to help set upand clean up for memorials for people you don't know sound like fun, and maybe people who helped with the prep found ti part of the memorial process, but RantWoman repeats her thought from another memorial that there would be some point about inviting newcomers into the
process.
Other than that, it really creepsRantWoman out that the only thing people think anyone should have to handle around RantWoman is talking about dead people. There would be that part about FIGURE IT
OUT as far as living!
In Light and Faithfulness.
RantWoman
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