We Can Make It
Friday Bricolage
Greetings!
It’s sunny today here in Chicago. Blue sky. Yellow leaves. Cold toes. The fresh scent of autumn is mingling with my Nag Champa incense. The taste of my own tears on my lips. The pomegranate on my altar reminding me of Prosperina and her journey to the Underworld. I love that myth as a reminder that Ceres got her daughter back.
Protection
Here is Ceres on top of the Chicago Board of Trade Building by artist John Storrs protecting the city of Chicago as a reminder of the power of the Goddess.
Darkness doesn’t last forever, my friends. This is a sentiment also shared by someone whose work I was recently introduced to, Corita Kent. I dig this interview with her. It feels good to meet a kindred spririt, even if only posthumously. I saw this piece and decided it fit what is currently going on in my heart so it’s today’s title: We can make it. Why not?
Inspirations
Alexandra Varriano
My daughter wrote this poem a few years ago and I come back to it whenever I need to remember the beauty than comes along with the pain of being a mother in this culture.
Alexandra is an inspiration not just because of that lovely poem but also because she is the epitome of grace under pressure. We are women of European descent with fair skin and blue eyes and can end up being seen as a problem by people who know nothing about us because prejudice happens in the minds of many people.
A most recent example of that happened on the train the day after the election. A man was trying to get her attention. When she didn’t give it, he called her a “racist” and said, “She hates black people” and proceeded to attempt to get everyone on the train to pay attention and finally said, “Black power”. She continued to ignore him and stay quiet.
Most women know that she was ignoring him because giving attention to strange men—especially the ones who are badgering—is dangerous. It had nothing to do with his ethnicity or with structural racism.
The overculture continues to try to divide people through the media with their pitiful attempts at power. We don’t have to let them. We can make it! We can choose peace.
I also find Alexandra inspiring because, after working hard for several years and supporting both her younger brother and me as we went through both the pandemic and some health challenges, she grabbed her brass ring, applied for grad school and is making it happen. She kept making monologues for years and went on scant auditions in Seattle. She kept supporting her friends, family, and fellow artists. One of her high school teachers once told me that she wasn’t just the most thoughtful student he’s ever had, she’s the most thoughtful person he had ever met. (He wasn’t a young man.)
She knows who she is, she knows what she wants, and she knows where she’s going. She is an actor, a director, and a writer. She is kind, generous, and deeply loving and I couldn’t be more proud of the light that my daughter is in this world. Here’s a quote from her website:
My vision is to bring women’s suppressed and untold stories to the surface of cultural consciousness, with the ultimate goal of changing perceptions of our experience and helping the next generations form new narratives. I am firmly committed to leaving a legacy of work as an artist-performer-creator that I can be proud of and that elevates and honors the role of women in society.
~Alexandra Varriano
Joan Ganz Cooney
Alexandra’s kindness and embrace of storytelling for good has roots. As someone who grew up in rural America, I do believe I have Joan Ganz Cooney to thank for my open mind, general biophilia, lack of bigotry, and love of language. She is the founder of Sesame Street which I watched as a young girl and also watched with my own children.
The first preschool program to integrate education and entertainment and feature a multi-cultural cast, Sesame Street is the longest running children’s program in U.S. television history. It has been watched by millions of children in more than 150 countries and is currently seen on PBS, where it has aired daily on stations across the U.S. since 1969. In addition to all of that, international co-productions of Sesame Street that reflect local customs, languages, and educational needs have been produced for audiences all over the world. Studies have been done about the positive effects of Sesame Street. Here’s some date from wiki:
Summative research conducted over the years, including two landmark evaluations in 1970 and 1971, demonstrated that viewing the program had positive effects on young viewers' learning, school readiness, and social skills. Subsequent studies have replicated these findings, such as the effect of the show in countries outside of the U.S., several longitudinal studies, the effects of war and natural disasters on young children, and studies about how the show affected viewers' cognition.
I left my corporate job when I became a mother and, as I watched Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers with Alexandra, I remember thinking what a different world it would be if adults still watched these shows on the daily. I feel that way now more than ever. Thank you, Ms. Cooney!
Movie Recommendation
Not exactly a movie but it is what I recommend this week. Elmo talks to Andrew Garfield about grief.
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All my love,
Kymberlee
PS, Here’s a video postcard from Chicago from me to you.
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PPPS, We can make it!