Clare Consultation, LLCPosted on December 3, 2011 by Mary Clare
Marsha and Nancy — How We Occupy Change
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the idea of having guest bloggers write to the original three questions of EX:Change and the 100 Voices. (EX:C blog, “These Questions Belong to You Now,” 10-22-2011) When you say the word change what do you mean? Alongside change, what is important to have remain the same? What would be concrete signs that positive change was occurring? Then I got email from Marsha Cuyjet – voice #48…. Read More
Posted on November 27, 2011 by Mary Clare
“In casual conversation, how long does it take before someone starts complaining?”
I had Thanksgiving Dinner at the home of a Nigerian-American family. My brother, Preston(since the dawn of our friendship we’ve been pretty sure we are twins separated at birth) and his wife, Michelle and their 5-year-old daughter, Rachel had invited me along on their Thanksgiving plans. Preston, the host couple and three more guests share the fact of long ancestries, birth, childhood and young adulthood in Nigeria. Although they did not meet… Read More
Posted on November 20, 2011 by Mary Clare
Onward
Several years ago I became aware of a newly formed nonprofit organization called Onward Oregon http://onwardoregon.org/. Shortly after learning of the organization, I received an e-mail inviting me to be on their mailing list. In that introductory email, following the words “What We Believe” came this: “We inherit the good that flowed from the people who came before us and the societies they created and will continue building on that foundation. The… Read More
Posted on November 14, 2011 by Mary Clare
Office of Blame Accountability
Love is encouragement. Kindness is not weakness. Freedom is scary because, if I am truly free, I can’t blame anyone. These three statements came as small gifts over coffee and tea this morning with my friend Jim. You may recognize him from earlier blogs. Sayings like these are as natural, even essential to Jim as heartbeats. This morning we were talking about being people in relationships – love partnerships, friendships, kinships, acquaintanceships… Read More
Posted on November 7, 2011 by Mary Clare
Standard Time
I just got on the bus. It’s Sunday afternoon. As I enter, I step carefully around two people rummaging the floor; an older woman with “a serious disability, so I can’t stand up,” and a short balding man. Both are bent over and reaching to pick up the contents of a spilled purse. The large black handbag belongs to the young mom who sits at the front of the bus with an… Read More
Posted on October 29, 2011 by Mary Clare
Bloke – AKA Barber Babes Redux
Halloween. Perfect. A day when we let ourselves be a bit less in denial of the fact things both are and aren’t as they appear. Change is change is change. This is the storefront I wrote about in May. My new friend Justin is the botanical artist who recently took over the space 6 months after the Barber Babes had to call it quits. Over the past few years Justin has followed… Read More
Posted on October 22, 2011 by Mary Clare
These Questions Belong to You Now
I’ve had three meetings so far today. One with a Yaqui man who is a veteran and a student. “For me it is a question of balance,” he said. “Internal balance. External balance.” Half of his bagel sat on its small plate with one semi-circular bite gone for the entire time we talked. I also met with a woman activist. She had a question. “I’m just so curious about what people would… Read More
Posted on October 16, 2011 by Mary Clare
A Squirrel Story
Wednesday morning, October 5, I was filling time before my mom arrived at the Portland airport. She was on a nonstop from ATL that had left at 3 a.m. Pacific Time. She turned 77 in September. That’s a long way on little sleep. She’s my hero! The real truth of the matter is, I had been a bit uber–intense (who me?) with getting the house clean and adorable enough for my mom… Read More
Posted on October 9, 2011 by Mary Clare
Video of this Week’s Book Release Event
Books shipped on October 1. By Thursday night at Annie Bloom’s Bookstore in Portland, OR the word was out enough to draw a full house for the first public reading from 100 VOICES – AMERICANS TALK ABOUT CHANGE. We were thrilled with the turn out and completely delighted with the fact that the store sold out of books. Now, thanks to the talent and generosity of friend and volunteer, Jesse Combs here… Read More
Posted on October 2, 2011 by Mary Clare
Mr. Prude – III
“I didn’t make the second cut.” Mr. Prude was smiling. We’d run into one another again in the crosswalk on Sandy Boulevard and I’d turned to walk with him back toward the dialysis center. We stopped to stand on the sidewalk just beyond the old Barber Babes (EX:C blog, “I’m Not Done Yet,” 5-21-2011). Mr. Prude had been telling me about being just back from Joseph, OR where he’d spent a week… Read More