Collaboration: Join Up with Others!

This morning the notion of collaboration is both in my head and on my heart. From these two personal directions and from two arenas, the message is a personal one to me, and likewise it is to many of you.

Politically, partnering and collaborating is a must, in my opinion. As with you, I have my personal opinions about the nature of politics past, present, and future. While I will never abdicate my personal stances on things, and you will find some of those here on this page, I believe that we live in a time where we must join up with others who know how to create movements and mobilize people. So, please comment about that, and if you have joined any movements that advocate for causes important to you, please list them in the comments section. I will list several. I follow Dara Cooper and HEAL Food Alliance. You can find more information about Dara here. I am also prompted by her to pay attention to the Equal Justice Initiative. You can find it here.  She likes some folks who are near and dear to Charla and me. That counts in our book. 

Those friends of Dara's who are friends of mine are found with the Black Farmers Agriculturalists & Association. You can find them here.  One of their causes that is important to me you can find here. JUSTICE FOR MATTHEW & FLORENZA is as near our hearts as you can get. Another you can find here. We have known Eddie and Dorothy for a long time, since probably 2005. Their cause breaks for my heart. Both of these causes are important. Please consider contributing to them.

Charla and I also have much interest this group and its concern for Syrian immigrants. See their important work here on FB and their home page. The SARA organization seems to be doing it right. Please check them out.

On a larger stage, I am following politically another group that is shaking things up out there.  It is moveon.org.  Check them out here.  Another group that I follow is Color of Change.  Check them out here.

Charla and I follow friends on FB who stir us to do well in our corners of the world. Some do wonderful photography, attend events, summarize the latest themes in our world, repost them, and all make me want to do better.

This post has gone on long enough.  So, I'll stop here. It goes without saying that we live in perilous times. Whether we are to the left, right, or middle, we tend to agree on that one. We all love things that matter, including our country.  We love it in different ways. We let our love show in different ways. It also goes without saying that those who know me, know that I am not prone to vitriolic explosions of whatever at whatever. I do what I do and I do it the way I have generally always done things.  I read, ponder, decide, write, and advocate.  It has dawned on me that I cannot do everything but I can do some thing(s). I will not fall into the morass of "my vote doesn't count" or "just get over it" or "give him/them a chance." When things matter, things matter, and I will not be left ten years from now, in my older age, wondering what I could have done differently.

My small voice can be heart amongst the chorus of other voices.

My small vote can be noted via the gathering of other voters.

My few words can be read when people choose, here on this page.

If you live, and you do, you matter; if you breathe, and you do, you matter; if you think, and you do, you matter; if you feel, and you do, you matter; if you are a lover of God and people, you matter; if you matter, then you can voice, vote, march, write, read, scatter seeds of goodness abroad, in whatever fields you choose to sew.

That I believe.  That is where I stand.