Once Around the Block?...No Wait, Once Around DC!
Today the tulips and violets and cherry blossoms are in full bloom. The daffodils are wide open under blues sky and 70 degrees. The lawns are awash in squirrels and flocks of robin pairs.
From yesterday's blog you know that we were to go to Ft. Meade today. When I called Jason at 11 AM after PT and his time with prosthetics-arm not fitting; he said, "No, we were not going to Ft. Meade we want to go to Ft. Belvoir." There we would find everything he needed. Jason does not have the new ACU's (Advanced Combat Uniform). It is the one with fabric that looks like the blurring they do on TV so you can't recognize a person. The uniform also has velcro for patches and names, etc. instead of sewing on the badges by hand. So off we go down the Beltway(makes a complete loop around DC) 495 to 95 to Ft. Belvoir about 25 miles from WR. Jason was very impressed by the new housing. We spent about 2 hours wandering about the Fort and finding the Clothing Sales and in it everything that Medhold had given Jason a "pre-paid shopping list" to purchase including the boots. Jason turned down the winter coat as they did not have the new fabric yet.
We still had a problem. Jason needed some items (name tapes) to be sewn by tomorrow so he could pick them up and be ready for Monday. He also needed his Captain's bars sewn to his hat, one like the train engineers of old used to wear. The store had a sewing shop but it would take 3 weeks, so Jason said, "We head to the sewing shop located just out of the Post's gates." It will cost $50 but Jason will have his needed items ready by tomorrow. I felt great relief as you remember the "uniform chase" in January when Jason was invited to attend the State of the Union. We had to collect pieces of his uniform from Chicago, Tampa and Ft. Stewart Georgia. This time I think our gathering of the required uniform is a piece of cake! Except...
Jason and I get on 95 heading back to DC and WR, of course, this is our first trip and we head "East on 495" not good. I soon was saying, "Jason I don't remember this bridge" and then we knew we were the going the wrong way with the Washington Monument on our left "way over there," now we were S of DC. Jason checked where we were: exactly 1/2 the way around the Beltway. As we passed Andrews Air Force Base, Jason mused that he would like to visit there. I said, "Jason you should have told me quicker. I would have detoured." (Anyone out there with connections for a tour of Andrews for Jason?) Remember, too, that Jason was in a medically induced coma when he arrived at Andrews on his way to WR last October. The traffic was not backed up yet so we decided to head N on 495 and came to Silver Spring from the East. We had circumnavigated DC on our trip to and from Ft. Belvoir! I assume about 50 miles around the city!
What a way to spend a traveling afternoon. But the sun was shining, Jason was feeling good because he had gotten his uniform for Monday. Life is a blessing and being with Jason is a blessing. And getting lost can be an adventure; enjoying the music on the radio and hearing Jason sing along.
When we got to Silver Spring we decided to eat dinner at the Asian Bistro a new restaurant for us. Jason had beef and noodles, I had chicken and snow peas with cashew nuts added. A surprise for both of us; I had never had this option offered before, "White rice or brown rice?" I love brown rice and chose it. I so enjoyed the rice not having had it in my 5 months at Walter Reed. We headed back to WR and I headed to the walking track behind Mologne to get in some exercise before dark. When I got back to the room, Jason was watching Law and Order, one of his favorite shows. He "remote controlled" back and forth between L&W and The Simpsons.
Later I left because Jodi called. The Scouts were back in the lobby with a table of cookies as they have been all season. I could not even begin to guess how many boxes of Scout cookies have been delivered to WR and Mologne House Hotel-I am sure 1000's is not an overestimate. Jason has been eating the mint ones; today after I took a box of those to him he queried, "Don't they have the peanut butter cookies covered in chocolate?" I head back down and ask the bouncy pre-teens womaning the table, "Oh sure, tag a longs." So Jason now has his favorite cookies to munch "They are freaking good!" Perfect ending to a really good day for Jason.
Katy meets a Palestinian Quaker:
Diann Neu from WATER (Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual) www.hers.com/water gave me a flyer for a morning with Jean Zaru, a Palestinian Quaker from Ramallah. I planned to spend the morning at WATER but I had to leave after an hour to take Jason to get his uniform. I googled Jean under "Jean Zaru, Palestinian Quaker" and got 498 cites (lots of reading to choose if you care to learn more), so I will give a very brief bio and some of her thoughts as she shared with us this morning.
Jean was born in Ramallah and has "dedicated her life to dialogue and non-violent social change, struggling for liberation for women, for Palestinians, for the earth. A teacher and writer she has been the presiding clerk of the Ramallah Friends Meeting for 17 years (the only woman clerk in Palestine or Israel) Her present focus is to restore the historic Friends Meetinghouse located there and to establish an International Friends Center. Jean has served as a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches She has been the President of the YWCA in Jerusalem, as well as Vice President of the World YWCA."
Jean was recently honored by the joint Global Ministries of the United Church of Christ and The Disciples of Christ for her non-violent effots with Palestinians and Israelis, and by the Swedish fellowship of Reconciliation with their nonviolent Award for 2005.
Notes:
We began by going around the circle of about 25 men and women and introducing ourselves. Persons represented the UCC and DofC, the RCC, an agnostic, and a Jewish woman. I wore my "Grandmothers for Peace" tee and introduced myself as such, having three grandchildren and also Jason at WR.
Jean believes "That the world grows stronger as each story is told. Telling the truth in stories, sharing the griefs is incompatible with violence. Affirming life and everyday truths combats the "numbness of history."" Jean said, "I live in a world of inequality
1. as a woman I am not an equal to men in my culture,
2 As a Palestinian I live in a world of conflict; unequal in power
3. As a Christian I am called to see God in each of us and live in world that does not see God in all.
Wherever we are, wherever we struggle for peace and justice, we are not isolated. We have many others working for peace and justice in their own homelands. We all care for the same issues and know their interconnectedness. We need to increase our networking with like minded persons. We all need community we cannot do this work alone. We need beauty around us (she was commenting on the artwork in the office) and we must be open to beauty in our lives and let it renew us and bring peace.
Women work through non-violence to change structures in their societies. The role of women is defined as to nourish life and are known in their relations to people: mother, sister etc. Men are defined by their positions in the work world. Both are limiting the potential of women and men. To effect the process women must participate in the decision-making. Jean spoke of women needing to learn about "the capitivity of the inner image" of women given to them by family and society. Women must empower themselves to move beyond "the roles of women" given by culture, politics and religion. She called it the "coloninazation of women's minds"
Often women reinforce the structures of domination-at home, religion, society, political by compliance to norms. Jean calls on women "to resist non-violently and to push the the margins." Women may suffer because of the stands (against domination) they take. Women must link an issue of justice to actions "I can take." Since 70's Jean has taught about the oppression in south Africa. Her students boycotted products from SA to fight apartheid. I was in awe at this woman and at her wisdom gained through of life of working non-violently for peace and justice. I am glad to have had the opportunity to meet with her and to spend time at her feet.
Let us give thanks for the wise women and men in our lives. Let us be open to learn new ways of being and living a life of compassion no matter our age, no matter life's journey to now. Let us know even if we get lost our lives are in the hands of Compassion that created the universe and holds it in being.
Please continue to pray for the healing of Jason's eye, for his digestive system and possible surgery, healing of the scar tissue in his buttocks so that Jason may walk with ease and without a limp, pray that Jason may work with his prosthetic arm and be able to do easily the tasks of daily living. Please pray that Jason will be accepted into the research program for the next generation of prosthetics.
From yesterday's blog you know that we were to go to Ft. Meade today. When I called Jason at 11 AM after PT and his time with prosthetics-arm not fitting; he said, "No, we were not going to Ft. Meade we want to go to Ft. Belvoir." There we would find everything he needed. Jason does not have the new ACU's (Advanced Combat Uniform). It is the one with fabric that looks like the blurring they do on TV so you can't recognize a person. The uniform also has velcro for patches and names, etc. instead of sewing on the badges by hand. So off we go down the Beltway(makes a complete loop around DC) 495 to 95 to Ft. Belvoir about 25 miles from WR. Jason was very impressed by the new housing. We spent about 2 hours wandering about the Fort and finding the Clothing Sales and in it everything that Medhold had given Jason a "pre-paid shopping list" to purchase including the boots. Jason turned down the winter coat as they did not have the new fabric yet.
We still had a problem. Jason needed some items (name tapes) to be sewn by tomorrow so he could pick them up and be ready for Monday. He also needed his Captain's bars sewn to his hat, one like the train engineers of old used to wear. The store had a sewing shop but it would take 3 weeks, so Jason said, "We head to the sewing shop located just out of the Post's gates." It will cost $50 but Jason will have his needed items ready by tomorrow. I felt great relief as you remember the "uniform chase" in January when Jason was invited to attend the State of the Union. We had to collect pieces of his uniform from Chicago, Tampa and Ft. Stewart Georgia. This time I think our gathering of the required uniform is a piece of cake! Except...
Jason and I get on 95 heading back to DC and WR, of course, this is our first trip and we head "East on 495" not good. I soon was saying, "Jason I don't remember this bridge" and then we knew we were the going the wrong way with the Washington Monument on our left "way over there," now we were S of DC. Jason checked where we were: exactly 1/2 the way around the Beltway. As we passed Andrews Air Force Base, Jason mused that he would like to visit there. I said, "Jason you should have told me quicker. I would have detoured." (Anyone out there with connections for a tour of Andrews for Jason?) Remember, too, that Jason was in a medically induced coma when he arrived at Andrews on his way to WR last October. The traffic was not backed up yet so we decided to head N on 495 and came to Silver Spring from the East. We had circumnavigated DC on our trip to and from Ft. Belvoir! I assume about 50 miles around the city!
What a way to spend a traveling afternoon. But the sun was shining, Jason was feeling good because he had gotten his uniform for Monday. Life is a blessing and being with Jason is a blessing. And getting lost can be an adventure; enjoying the music on the radio and hearing Jason sing along.
When we got to Silver Spring we decided to eat dinner at the Asian Bistro a new restaurant for us. Jason had beef and noodles, I had chicken and snow peas with cashew nuts added. A surprise for both of us; I had never had this option offered before, "White rice or brown rice?" I love brown rice and chose it. I so enjoyed the rice not having had it in my 5 months at Walter Reed. We headed back to WR and I headed to the walking track behind Mologne to get in some exercise before dark. When I got back to the room, Jason was watching Law and Order, one of his favorite shows. He "remote controlled" back and forth between L&W and The Simpsons.
Later I left because Jodi called. The Scouts were back in the lobby with a table of cookies as they have been all season. I could not even begin to guess how many boxes of Scout cookies have been delivered to WR and Mologne House Hotel-I am sure 1000's is not an overestimate. Jason has been eating the mint ones; today after I took a box of those to him he queried, "Don't they have the peanut butter cookies covered in chocolate?" I head back down and ask the bouncy pre-teens womaning the table, "Oh sure, tag a longs." So Jason now has his favorite cookies to munch "They are freaking good!" Perfect ending to a really good day for Jason.
Katy meets a Palestinian Quaker:
Diann Neu from WATER (Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual) www.hers.com/water gave me a flyer for a morning with Jean Zaru, a Palestinian Quaker from Ramallah. I planned to spend the morning at WATER but I had to leave after an hour to take Jason to get his uniform. I googled Jean under "Jean Zaru, Palestinian Quaker" and got 498 cites (lots of reading to choose if you care to learn more), so I will give a very brief bio and some of her thoughts as she shared with us this morning.
Jean was born in Ramallah and has "dedicated her life to dialogue and non-violent social change, struggling for liberation for women, for Palestinians, for the earth. A teacher and writer she has been the presiding clerk of the Ramallah Friends Meeting for 17 years (the only woman clerk in Palestine or Israel) Her present focus is to restore the historic Friends Meetinghouse located there and to establish an International Friends Center. Jean has served as a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches She has been the President of the YWCA in Jerusalem, as well as Vice President of the World YWCA."
Jean was recently honored by the joint Global Ministries of the United Church of Christ and The Disciples of Christ for her non-violent effots with Palestinians and Israelis, and by the Swedish fellowship of Reconciliation with their nonviolent Award for 2005.
Notes:
We began by going around the circle of about 25 men and women and introducing ourselves. Persons represented the UCC and DofC, the RCC, an agnostic, and a Jewish woman. I wore my "Grandmothers for Peace" tee and introduced myself as such, having three grandchildren and also Jason at WR.
Jean believes "That the world grows stronger as each story is told. Telling the truth in stories, sharing the griefs is incompatible with violence. Affirming life and everyday truths combats the "numbness of history."" Jean said, "I live in a world of inequality
1. as a woman I am not an equal to men in my culture,
2 As a Palestinian I live in a world of conflict; unequal in power
3. As a Christian I am called to see God in each of us and live in world that does not see God in all.
Wherever we are, wherever we struggle for peace and justice, we are not isolated. We have many others working for peace and justice in their own homelands. We all care for the same issues and know their interconnectedness. We need to increase our networking with like minded persons. We all need community we cannot do this work alone. We need beauty around us (she was commenting on the artwork in the office) and we must be open to beauty in our lives and let it renew us and bring peace.
Women work through non-violence to change structures in their societies. The role of women is defined as to nourish life and are known in their relations to people: mother, sister etc. Men are defined by their positions in the work world. Both are limiting the potential of women and men. To effect the process women must participate in the decision-making. Jean spoke of women needing to learn about "the capitivity of the inner image" of women given to them by family and society. Women must empower themselves to move beyond "the roles of women" given by culture, politics and religion. She called it the "coloninazation of women's minds"
Often women reinforce the structures of domination-at home, religion, society, political by compliance to norms. Jean calls on women "to resist non-violently and to push the the margins." Women may suffer because of the stands (against domination) they take. Women must link an issue of justice to actions "I can take." Since 70's Jean has taught about the oppression in south Africa. Her students boycotted products from SA to fight apartheid. I was in awe at this woman and at her wisdom gained through of life of working non-violently for peace and justice. I am glad to have had the opportunity to meet with her and to spend time at her feet.
Let us give thanks for the wise women and men in our lives. Let us be open to learn new ways of being and living a life of compassion no matter our age, no matter life's journey to now. Let us know even if we get lost our lives are in the hands of Compassion that created the universe and holds it in being.
Please continue to pray for the healing of Jason's eye, for his digestive system and possible surgery, healing of the scar tissue in his buttocks so that Jason may walk with ease and without a limp, pray that Jason may work with his prosthetic arm and be able to do easily the tasks of daily living. Please pray that Jason will be accepted into the research program for the next generation of prosthetics.
posted by Katy (Scott) Zatsick | 3/30/2006 07:02:00 PM
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