Trying to stay in a peaceful and calm place is "work". Yesterday while talking to some of my neighbors I realized that they really don't "get it" that if you stick together and confront the electric company we could force them to make amends for all the food we had to throw away. One woman told me that when we lost power she had to throw away all the food she had stored in two huge freezers in her basement. I asked her if she was going to ask them to compensate her for her loss and she shook her head "no". Another neighbor chimed in that the electric company didn't care about our loss and there was no way to make them do the right thing. Then a elderly man who joined the conversation started defending the electric company saying there was no way they could know we were going to have a black out. (sigh). The complacent attitude of my neighbors irritated me because I've witnessed it before and know that the electric company, which is a profit making corporation gets away with what they do because they know nobody's going to challenge them. I was trained as a community organizer years ago and I've successfully organized people who thought they had no power many times. My experience has taught me that this type of organizing effort takes time and careful planning. I also knew that right now I'm not willing to put in the time to convince others to confront this issue on a collective way.
LISTEN LISTEN
Spirit speaks to us in myriad ways. Sometimes it will speak to you while watching television, or through conversations with friends or neighbors. The idea that our electric company was responsible for our losses came to me while watching Gov. Cuomo on television while I was in NYC. He was angry and said that the electric company had to take responsibility because they had plenty of warning about the storm and they were a profit making corporation that hadn't done anything to upgrade their system to prevent power outages. He said the transformers that failed during the storm, were old and should have been replaced a long time ago. While listening to him I thought about our situation up here in the mountains and pushed away the thought that I needed to actively get involved in making our electric company and the politicians who are supposed to help us responsible for the major inconvenience of being without power for 7 days. My mind drifted back to the days when I would have accepted the challenge without hesitation. Thoughts keep taking over my mind on how to get started. I thought about my inner circle and mentally reviewed the people that I felt I could trust to help me get the job done.
IS THIS A CALLING OR A DISTRACTION?
One of the things that happen when you start a 30 day fast or set your intentions to make a change in your life is the distractions that could take you off point. They could happen through family or through something else they calls for your attention. We have our power back on, but there's also another storm making its way to our area. The tv news is warning that we might lose power again, so we'd better be prepared. I've also received numerous texts from my daughters asking me to come back to the city to stay safe and warm. I also have plenty of things to do, students to teach, blogs to write (smile) and a website that hasn't been updated since November.
Still the thoughts keep entering that I could use my organizing skills to pull this community together and make this power company pay. One thing that we were taught to do when we couldn't make a decision was to check how it feels in the stomach area or "gut". Should I just drive to the bus station and go to the city, or hunker down and pray for the storm to pass? Certainly picking up and leaving is not easy, and the cost of bus tickets is expensive. What came to me was this new storm was not going to be as bad as last weeks hurricane. While there was plenty of snow in New Jersey and New York, all we got was a light dusting last night. There are plenty of things to do today and I know I'll feel much better when I tackle some of them.
I GIVE FREELY AND FEARLESSLY
In spite of all the things going on right now, a hurricane, a Noreaster bringing snow and wind, it is possible to give freely, with a word of cheer to others, or to help a neighbor in need, or to help a mother with children who needs a babysitter, or to just lend an open ear to someone who needs to vent. We are being pulled by the angels to be more compassionate and empathetic to others. One friend told me he took the day off to take clothes and water to a community that lost everything. He has been impacted by the devastation and plight of others in need. As he gives freely and fearlessly, we know that he will be blessed with abundance. I'm feeling blessed because of all the messages in my inbox and texts I've been receiving since the hurricane. I even had a cousin who called to say she'd drive up here to bring me what I needed, if necessary. Just knowing that people have my back makes me feel blessed and full of joy. This too shall pass and I'm hoping when it does that we don't forget to care about others and to give help when its needed. I love you all, Ayesha
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