Photo of actual sign used as a prop in my little play, "My People" I'm
making the ebooklet of the script available this week in Peep's Cafe. It comes paired with another ebook of stories I
wrote, "Nascent Constellation."
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Peep's Cafe online opened this week
Thursday, February 11, 2010
ACIM Speaks - The Call to Love podcast
Acim Speaks - The Call To Love by Peter Demers
Download now or listen on posterous
ACIM-Speaks-Call-to-Love-ep24.mp3 (16730 KB) Download now or listen on posterous
Episode 24, ACIM Speaks podcast, this time on "The Call to Love." We
restore the Kingdom with the gifts we receive of God and give to each
other. We accept ourselves as the Light of the world. In time for
Valentine's Weekend.
In the podcast, I did mention a recent blog post on time spent in New
Will you not answer the Call of Love with joy?
You have learned your need of healing. Would you bring anything
else to the Sonship, knowing your need of it yourself?
For in this lies the beginning of knowledge, the foundation on which
God will help you build again the thought system which you share
with Him. Not one stone you place upon it but will be blessed
by Him. For you will be restoring the holy dwelling place of His Son,
where He wills His Son to be and where he is. In whatever part
of the mind of God's Son you restore this reality, you restore it to
Yourself. For you dwell in the Mind of God with your brother,
for God Himself did not will to be alone.
~ A Course in Miracles
Orleans, and that there would be a few more of these posts. I forgot
to mention that what inspired me to write and publish this post was
the earthquake in Haiti and how the scene there reminded me of being in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It's something not forgotten, though, with ease, we can
look beyond the experience. The next blog post will also have a
setting in New Orleans, a special one for V-day. Further notes and reference chapter read in the podcast: The Miracles Journal Project. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.
Monday, February 8, 2010
What people need after natural disaster
The news of of the earthquake in Haiti reminded me a lot of Hurricane
Katrina and its aftermath. I was about to head down to New Orleans
when Hurricane Katrina happened. So I wasn't there for the hurricane,
but I went there shortly after and spent six months as a volunteer and
living in a volunteer camp. Much of what people need during these times is the same. The
circumstances of an earthquake and a hurricane are different. Along
the Gulf Coast, there was warning and most of the people evacuated. In
the Haiti earthquake, there was no warning, so there were many more
deaths and many more injured people. In most areas that were severely
affected by Hurricane Katrina, people were not allowed into the area
for an extended period of time. For people in Haiti, generally, there
was nowhere to go. So, the immediate needs were different. And,
because Haiti is on an island in the Caribbean, how help arrives and
who goes will be very different. Seeing the destruction of Hurricane Katrina on television was a shock.
I normally would not have a tv, but at that time I did, and I watched
it for three days. Since I was planning to go to New Orleans in a few
weeks, I looked online for a way to go there to help. I couldn't think
of going anywhere else at the time. I found one ad hoc group on the ground providing meals, clothing, and
community for people returning to the area. This was outside of the
metropolitan area of New Orleans. The was group formed by some of the
Rainbow people around one of their portable kitchens. They were
already experienced in feeding large numbers of people from a kitchen
on a truck. Hurricane Katrina took place days before the long Labor Day holiday
weekend, which was also the weekend of Burning Man. The Rainbow people
were joined by Burners after their event. The reason why this group and residents were allowed in the area was
because it was several miles inland. The area between the camp and the
Gulf Coast was severely damaged, but at the point where the camp set
up, roads were passable. Tech savvy members of the group maintained a
web presence and called for volunteers. I chose this place to
volunteer. I began the drive down to the Gulf Coast with a stop in Atlanta. I did
not have wifi on my computer at the time, but I did find a coffee shop
with limited public access computers. I had a couple of things to do
in Atlanta and checked for new messages from the group on the Gulf
Coast a couple of times. Just as I was ready to leave Atlanta there
was a message from the group that they were not accepting more
volunteers, at least at that time - things changed rapidly. After that, a notice that the municipality asked that the group leave
after Thanksgiving. It was a well meaning request, meant to allow the
residents to be independent and begin the rebuilding process without
outside help. Later, it turned out, the mayor admitted that he
regretted making the request because he realized people still needed
help and the locals appreciated the community presence. There were
many photos published of uniformed officers, volunteers, residents,
and hippies side by side. What happened around this time was an odd confluence – and different
voices will tell this part differently, I'm sure. The Rainbow kitchen
would leave and others, Burners and friends of Burners, would take
over the operation. It was a kind of friendly take-over. They made
arrangements to move the camp. The notice that the operation in Mississippi would be closing brought
my plans to a jarring halt. I knew no one in Atlanta. I took temp
jobs, but I was homeless for a couple of months. In late December,
there was another call for volunteers. The call was put out by someone
I recognized from the former location, so I was able to piece together
that it was the same organization in a different place. I responded,
there was a 30 minute phone call in which I was on hold for more than
20 minutes. I arranged to arrive at the camp at the beginning of
January, 2006. The take-over group set up the kitchen and camp in St. Bernard Parish,
an area just south of New Orleans with borders on the Mississippi
River, the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), and the Lower Ninth
Ward of New Orleans. The State of Louisiana must be known as one of the most corrupt states
in the country and St. Bernard Parish must have been known as one of
the most corrupt parish in the state. The organization that formed,
which no longer exists except in memories, also gained a scandalous
reputation. Probably the only organization more corrupt than these was
the Federal Government at the time. A politician stored cash in a
refrigerator; a sheriff brought ATMs and casino machines to his home
during the hurricane. I came to three bridges were completely wiped out along Highway 90.
And I visited two other encampments along the way. When I arrived in St. Bernard, I looked for the person I had made
arrangements to meet. I didn't ask anyone. Everyone seemed to be still
in shock. I thought I would recognize him from the photos he posted.
The next day, I continued to keep an eye out for him. It was half
raining, half drizzling and cold outside, but I stepped out to walk
around and someone spoke to me finally. It wasn't the guy from the
phone call, but it was someone in charge. I related my story and he
simply said that there was an orientation the following morning. It turned out that the phone call guy had recruited me for a side
project that wasn't wholly endorsed by the organizers. I met his
girlfriend at lunch and learned that he wouldn't be back for two
weeks. The next morning, someone asked me to go with them to gut a house. I
had the orientation to go to. But I joined house gutting crew the day
after. In the days, weeks, and months ahead, I would be doing many
different things, in many different situations. There was a wide range of people who came to this place. There were
retired teachers and young burners; there were drug addicts and drug
dealers, alcoholics, and people recently released from prison; there
were cross-dressers and hermaphrodites. Drug deals were common, and at
least two rapes were reported and charges filed. Green builders and permaculturists came, including a man who wanted to
build concrete houses that he claimed would float in the next flood.
Rarely did these ideas fit into the local culture. The one thing that
did catch on was vegetable oil recycling for running diesel vehicles,
but that was only because of the huge market for fried food in New
Orleans. There was greed, there was corruption, but there were many who came to
help. And, when all was done, what people remembered was the place
and the meals cooked for them. What people need. Water. When the infrastructure is broken, there will
be no running water. I read about a U.S. ship with a power plant and
desalinization system on-board that could give out 200,000 gallons of
its water daily, so maybe water needs are taken care of in Haiti. In
St. Bernard and the Ninth Ward, sometimes people would go to a Red
Cross truck and get meals to go and throw the meals away. I wondered
why they went. Each bag contained one-half liter of water, one apple
or orange, one ounce bag of chips, one ounce package of chips, and one
styrofoam container of food. People needed the water and many threw
the rest away. What people need. Food. People will survive on MREs (Meals Ready to
Eat in sealed packs), but food cooked locally will make people feel
cared for. And community forms. Of all that I saw, this was the one
most important thing that happened at the volunteer camp. There were
three meals served every day like clockwork. Up to 3000 meals a day
were served at the peak. People gathered and community formed without
directors or leaders. I read on some web sites that people were not happy about sending help
to Haiti when so many are in need and homeless in their own backyards.
But why did they need the earthquake to express this? When the camp in
St. Bernard closed, there was food left over. There were truckloads of
clothing carted away. Even after the hoarders and greedy had their
fill. The message I get from all this is this and what I want to end with is
this: there is enough for everyone. There is more than enough. One of
the greatest kindnesses anyone can do for themselves is to help
someone else. It doesn't matter who it is or how it seemed to you in
the midst of doing it. When it is done, you will remember something of
that experience that will reveal the light inside you. That light will
be reflected back to you over and over again.
post-Katrina volunteer. There are many other stories and anecdotes to
write. Here are links to previously posted stories:
Happy Birthday, Chance
Elegy for Rob Matson
Also, I've chosen to include a link to a small organization that I
believe is doing good work within the Haitian community:
Haiti Project, Inc. link with brief description
Katrina and its aftermath. I was about to head down to New Orleans
when Hurricane Katrina happened. So I wasn't there for the hurricane,
but I went there shortly after and spent six months as a volunteer and
living in a volunteer camp. Much of what people need during these times is the same. The
circumstances of an earthquake and a hurricane are different. Along
the Gulf Coast, there was warning and most of the people evacuated. In
the Haiti earthquake, there was no warning, so there were many more
deaths and many more injured people. In most areas that were severely
affected by Hurricane Katrina, people were not allowed into the area
for an extended period of time. For people in Haiti, generally, there
was nowhere to go. So, the immediate needs were different. And,
because Haiti is on an island in the Caribbean, how help arrives and
who goes will be very different. Seeing the destruction of Hurricane Katrina on television was a shock.
I normally would not have a tv, but at that time I did, and I watched
it for three days. Since I was planning to go to New Orleans in a few
weeks, I looked online for a way to go there to help. I couldn't think
of going anywhere else at the time. I found one ad hoc group on the ground providing meals, clothing, and
community for people returning to the area. This was outside of the
metropolitan area of New Orleans. The was group formed by some of the
Rainbow people around one of their portable kitchens. They were
already experienced in feeding large numbers of people from a kitchen
on a truck. Hurricane Katrina took place days before the long Labor Day holiday
weekend, which was also the weekend of Burning Man. The Rainbow people
were joined by Burners after their event. The reason why this group and residents were allowed in the area was
because it was several miles inland. The area between the camp and the
Gulf Coast was severely damaged, but at the point where the camp set
up, roads were passable. Tech savvy members of the group maintained a
web presence and called for volunteers. I chose this place to
volunteer. I began the drive down to the Gulf Coast with a stop in Atlanta. I did
not have wifi on my computer at the time, but I did find a coffee shop
with limited public access computers. I had a couple of things to do
in Atlanta and checked for new messages from the group on the Gulf
Coast a couple of times. Just as I was ready to leave Atlanta there
was a message from the group that they were not accepting more
volunteers, at least at that time - things changed rapidly. After that, a notice that the municipality asked that the group leave
after Thanksgiving. It was a well meaning request, meant to allow the
residents to be independent and begin the rebuilding process without
outside help. Later, it turned out, the mayor admitted that he
regretted making the request because he realized people still needed
help and the locals appreciated the community presence. There were
many photos published of uniformed officers, volunteers, residents,
and hippies side by side. What happened around this time was an odd confluence – and different
voices will tell this part differently, I'm sure. The Rainbow kitchen
would leave and others, Burners and friends of Burners, would take
over the operation. It was a kind of friendly take-over. They made
arrangements to move the camp. The notice that the operation in Mississippi would be closing brought
my plans to a jarring halt. I knew no one in Atlanta. I took temp
jobs, but I was homeless for a couple of months. In late December,
there was another call for volunteers. The call was put out by someone
I recognized from the former location, so I was able to piece together
that it was the same organization in a different place. I responded,
there was a 30 minute phone call in which I was on hold for more than
20 minutes. I arranged to arrive at the camp at the beginning of
January, 2006. The take-over group set up the kitchen and camp in St. Bernard Parish,
an area just south of New Orleans with borders on the Mississippi
River, the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), and the Lower Ninth
Ward of New Orleans. The State of Louisiana must be known as one of the most corrupt states
in the country and St. Bernard Parish must have been known as one of
the most corrupt parish in the state. The organization that formed,
which no longer exists except in memories, also gained a scandalous
reputation. Probably the only organization more corrupt than these was
the Federal Government at the time. A politician stored cash in a
refrigerator; a sheriff brought ATMs and casino machines to his home
during the hurricane. I came to three bridges were completely wiped out along Highway 90.
And I visited two other encampments along the way. When I arrived in St. Bernard, I looked for the person I had made
arrangements to meet. I didn't ask anyone. Everyone seemed to be still
in shock. I thought I would recognize him from the photos he posted.
The next day, I continued to keep an eye out for him. It was half
raining, half drizzling and cold outside, but I stepped out to walk
around and someone spoke to me finally. It wasn't the guy from the
phone call, but it was someone in charge. I related my story and he
simply said that there was an orientation the following morning. It turned out that the phone call guy had recruited me for a side
project that wasn't wholly endorsed by the organizers. I met his
girlfriend at lunch and learned that he wouldn't be back for two
weeks. The next morning, someone asked me to go with them to gut a house. I
had the orientation to go to. But I joined house gutting crew the day
after. In the days, weeks, and months ahead, I would be doing many
different things, in many different situations. There was a wide range of people who came to this place. There were
retired teachers and young burners; there were drug addicts and drug
dealers, alcoholics, and people recently released from prison; there
were cross-dressers and hermaphrodites. Drug deals were common, and at
least two rapes were reported and charges filed. Green builders and permaculturists came, including a man who wanted to
build concrete houses that he claimed would float in the next flood.
Rarely did these ideas fit into the local culture. The one thing that
did catch on was vegetable oil recycling for running diesel vehicles,
but that was only because of the huge market for fried food in New
Orleans. There was greed, there was corruption, but there were many who came to
help. And, when all was done, what people remembered was the place
and the meals cooked for them. What people need. Water. When the infrastructure is broken, there will
be no running water. I read about a U.S. ship with a power plant and
desalinization system on-board that could give out 200,000 gallons of
its water daily, so maybe water needs are taken care of in Haiti. In
St. Bernard and the Ninth Ward, sometimes people would go to a Red
Cross truck and get meals to go and throw the meals away. I wondered
why they went. Each bag contained one-half liter of water, one apple
or orange, one ounce bag of chips, one ounce package of chips, and one
styrofoam container of food. People needed the water and many threw
the rest away. What people need. Food. People will survive on MREs (Meals Ready to
Eat in sealed packs), but food cooked locally will make people feel
cared for. And community forms. Of all that I saw, this was the one
most important thing that happened at the volunteer camp. There were
three meals served every day like clockwork. Up to 3000 meals a day
were served at the peak. People gathered and community formed without
directors or leaders. I read on some web sites that people were not happy about sending help
to Haiti when so many are in need and homeless in their own backyards.
But why did they need the earthquake to express this? When the camp in
St. Bernard closed, there was food left over. There were truckloads of
clothing carted away. Even after the hoarders and greedy had their
fill. The message I get from all this is this and what I want to end with is
this: there is enough for everyone. There is more than enough. One of
the greatest kindnesses anyone can do for themselves is to help
someone else. It doesn't matter who it is or how it seemed to you in
the midst of doing it. When it is done, you will remember something of
that experience that will reveal the light inside you. That light will
be reflected back to you over and over again.
What I see now are but the signs of disease, disaster, andI have written a couple of times before about my experience as a
death. This cannot be what God created for His beloved Son. The very
fact that I see such things is proof that I do not understand God.
Therefore, I also do not understand His Son. What I see tells me that
I do not know who I am. I am determined to see the witnesses to the
truth in me, rather than those which show me an illusion of myself.
A Course in Miracles
post-Katrina volunteer. There are many other stories and anecdotes to
write. Here are links to previously posted stories:
Happy Birthday, Chance
Elegy for Rob Matson
Also, I've chosen to include a link to a small organization that I
believe is doing good work within the Haitian community:
Haiti Project, Inc. link with brief description
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