Peace bubbles

Intergenerational knowledge

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Hello Monitor readers,
Happy May! Happy glorious month of May! The weather is finally warming up! The robins and geese are back; the daffodils, tulips, and other spring flowers are blooming; and the beautiful sites, symbols, and sounds of our coming summer are gracing us with hope of better days ahead. Our Minnesota lawmakers are passing laws that reflect We the People instead of We the Puritans Know Best.
Although, many of us are still in mourning or disbelief with certain societal behaviors and individual acts of dishonesty and shameful violence of all forms, I still carry hope and feel optimistic that things are changing in a positive direction and that the Arc of Justice is bending forward towards brighter and just days. Yes, I have my days of doubt and truly wish I could snap my fingers to make joyful changes happen in a flash or overnight, however, that’s when I turn to family members and trusted friends for comfort and guidance. This month I turned to a dear soulmate from the 1980s to give me hope that indeed things are changing in a fresher, fairer, and open manner. Not a perfect manner, (which I don’t desire), but instead in a healthy, creative, and just Be manner.

Words from UILANI
With so much hate, racism, and divisiveness in the world, I often feel that there is no hope that we as a people will create a different world where everyone belongs. To that end, as a Black woman and single mother of a young Black male, I am constantly looking around me for positive changes in the dominant culture’s exclusionary narratives. That is why it was particularly surprising for me to see a Black man on the television series, “Farmer Wants a Wife.” Although I rarely see Black men in a leading role on television or movies playing a vulnerable, romantic figure, especially in a role where he is kissing a White woman, there he was on primetime television! Ryan, a Black cowboy, looking for love.
As Black women, we know that the tender side of Black men exists, but to see it played out in living color for all to see is encouraging and important. We need more stories like this that show our commonalities, because we often see Black men in a negative light especially on the news. This may not seem like a huge thing but it is a huge step in the right direction.

MORE ON THE MINI-FOREST REVOLUTION
And, to continue the conversation on the Mini-Forest Revolution, I like to introduce a young Green Justice Champion, Piper W. I recently met Piper in a synchronistic way while working with others on a research project about the potential and possibilities for mini forests in the Midway area, in particularly for the Rondo, Frogtown, and Hamline/Midway communities. Please take in the wisdom and insightfulness of Piper.
Hi, I’m Piper W. I’m 10 years old and I’m working on a project that can help with carbon control. My idea was to create a mini-forest using the Miyawaki forest method. What Is the Miyawaki method? It is a way to help human made forests grow faster and take up less space. The method consists of the way you plant the seeds, the preparation of the soil, and how you care for the plants.
Why is this important? As days go by, global warming becomes a bigger threat to the planet and all those who live here. And, because we can’t fix global warming in a day, we have to take baby steps. One of these steps we can take is to plant more trees, or in this case a whole forest.
I have spoken to many different people and heard many different ideas. I would love to hear more voices and more ideas from new people. If you would like to contact me and my team to help, please email mnubranforestleauge@gmail.com. Thank you!
The intergenerational knowledge of Uilani and Piper give me so much hope and inspiration to smile more, to say hello to strangers more, to take more deep breaths when needed, and to blow more peace bubbles. I end this May’s column with the harmonious and compelling words of Piper:

My Point of View
By Piper W.

Ask yourself
Who are you?
Do you know?
Do you need to know?
But then who am I?
Do I know?
Do I need to know?

Who do you think I should be?
Should I be a perfect little princess?
I could sing then.
Or should I be a nurse
where a Man could lead first?
I could be an actress,
saved by a knight in shining armor.
Or a Brave tower climber.

But what do I want to be?
Because that matters right?
Because I might want to be the knight and give that dragon a real fight
Maybe that’s what I want to be?
Because that matters to me.

I realize now that
you are human
and so am I.
We can make mistakes
and sometimes we’ll lie.
We’re able to bring people down
and bring them back up
and sometimes that’s why
people misunderstand this stuff.

It’s sad to say
that some people wouldn’t have it another way.
And they would rather be in charge
like an owl watching its prey,
then swooping down silently in the night
not day.

It hurts to know
that some people feel anger towards women
so
I wrote this poem to enlighten you
so you can see
my point of view.

May Peace Be In the Rondo, Frogtown, Hamline/Midway, Como, and Surrounding Communities...
May Peace Be In Our Homes & Communities…
May Peace Prevail On Earth (MPPOE)!

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