Consider the Avocado

The Red Cards, the Sacred thread and We the People

In the midst of grief and anger and rage at ICE, the lies violence and threats of this regime, daily life goes on. I stopped at a market near home only blocks from the Annunciation school shooting of 27 August, (remember?) that wounded and killed kids. Shopping feels —off—out of whack with the world—but shop for food I did.

I was caught by a display of avocados. Organic,healthy, inviting. It called me—spoke to me—to notice. I stopped—to consider the avocado. Why!? in midst of all the tumult and the fear-—to consider the avocado !!?? But i did.

I picked one up—felt its nubby hard shell—not soft—yet.

Standing in the aisle of this abundantly stocked market, i considered all the hands that worked to bring this single fruit here. To plant, care for, water, nurture, to select, cut,pack. The hands and backs and legs of all the people that picked and packed and transported , lifted crates, pulled wagons, stacked palettes, drove trucks, loaded ships, crossed borders. Mexico to Minnesota. over 2000 miles.

A person—labeled each one and placed it carefully in this bin in this store of plenty.

This avocado is in this bin because hundreds or thousands of people planned and worked and collaborated. A complicated scaffolding of intersecting systems of people,laws, regulations,trucks,ships —and it worked.

The price of this avocado is $2.99. One avocado.

A quick search says workers in the area of Mexico where this was probably planted and picked may earn $25-30 a day, some regions maybe more-some less. There are over 30 in the bin. More in storage.

Will the scaffolding hold up as the stresses increase of climate, tariffs, ICE deportations, the terrorizing of immigrants and of any “dissidents”??!!.

If the avocado does not make it to this market, does it matter?

Not to me in any significant way—and yet—if not—as a sign that the scaffolding is falling apart, the struts (laws, social norms, common expectations, civil politeness) are broken and come apart—then yes.

Will the scaffolding hold up as they load more and more $$$$ on the top, and the people “below” who keep the scaffolding more or less steady grow more stressed and frightened—and then resentful?

The top 1 % control about 12× more of U.S. wealth than the bottom 50 % combined. 12 times more. Another view—about 3.5 million people (est top 1%) have more wealth than 170 million(bottom 50%).

I don’t know how long avocados will keep coming to this far northern city. I do know that people here—this city,this state, and now everywhere — are increasingly alarmed, frightened.

Instead of an avocado i bought Red Cards (Im no purist—i will buy an avocado) —

The people who labored to bring that fruit 1000’s of miles are often here—have family here—have worked for years and now—face fear each hour.

An effective group—prepared the Red Cards among its legal

Immigrant Rights Resource Center.

https://www.ilrc.org/

Red cards

Are you worried about remembering your rights or saying the wrong thing when approached by immigration enforcement officers? Red cards are like helpful business cards that you can hand to an officer if he/she approaches you in public, or slide under your front door or if an officer knocks on your front door and begins to ask questions. Red cards are printed with your rights under the Constitution, and a statement that you are exercising your right to remain silent.

I bought a bundle in English/Spanish—and with friends give them out to people,businesses, workers, contactors, anyone who might want.

The Red Cards are tangible reminder that you—that we—have rights. That I will stand with you to protect them—because protecting one— protects all of us.

What threads weave the fruit and Red Cards and the calling of sacred?

The Sacred Thread—is life. the singular wonder of life that is each person. A person is not a commodity—not a means to an end—not a prop so the top can pile up more and more. Sacred can mean to set apart—to hold from “common use”. The “common use” now is reduced to what a person can do to “make it” in an increasingly savage and rigged market place.

Sacred work now is to affirm life beyond a price—and live and strengthen relationships. Not a transaction—a relationship. In the midst of the chaos and fears.

It is sacred work to value people apart from whatever cost/benefit calculation the market place labels them .

Sacred—in luminous opposition to the ravages of the market, transcends all that would demean, diminish you, separate us—sacred connects us—you and me —to others—to all life and—maybe—to the greater mystery, the creation that is still underway.

Experience the sacred is to experience and know—in body/soul/mind/spirit—that we live in relationship—to each and all others—to Earth and Air and Fire and Water

Sacred is an invitation—to belong—

Sacred, an action to name and hold what you hold over all, never sell, give up, give away.

“Everyone has their price”—says the market and Sacred choice says —No—

Sacred is a power word—use it—for good.

Practices that open us ( me, sometimes) to the sacred

Begin the day in silence, even for 10-20 minutes. No phone,screen, feed. Sit quietly—listen.

Give attention to one thing—fully—a glass of water, a hand, an image, music. Fully Not judging. Not dissecting, attending. (an avocado?)

Gratitude—say and write 3 things—just 3—simple is fine. (my hand can hold a pen, the pen makes words on paper—i am thankful)

Walking—outside—whenever possible—not to go somewhere or count steps —rather to be curious, open, to wonder.

Affirm and strengthen a friendship—with a message ,an invitation, an acknowledgement?

Radical Amazement —an attitude,an awareness of being alive, awareness of the stunning presence of the world.

Yosemite National Park—we the people chose to set it apart. We didn’t make it “scared” . It is.

Exploring the Sacred —an act of resistance and of creation, a statement in the midst of the cruelty of ICE and this regime.

This park is sacred—set apart—not for sale—invites us to step away from the buying and selling by which we lay waste our lives. Compromised, imperfect, it still exists and persists. Setting it apart—we bring each other closer.

Now we must proclaim and protect the sacred— in yourself—in each other—in the land.

almost 5000 National Park staff—former and current—know the dangers of the cuts first hand—formed this coalition

https://protectnps.org/

In a few days I’ll be hiking here—with son and family and grands and daughter. Red Cards with me as I travel—because. The times.

https://protectnps.org/

Sacred —is calling —explore it for yourself.

I offer this—from poet, creative soul and seer— adrienne maree brown

it is a ritual—a practice that weaves the sacred into our lives—if we choose

it is our turn to carry the world

by adrienne maree brown

a community safety ritual: write down or bring to mind the names of those you commit to protecting, specific names, and targeted groups of people. it can be a long list or a short one, it just needs to be a true commitment for you.

it is our turn to carry the world

we are each other’s safety

right now, and every day

decide who you will protect

yourself, your own and who else

it’s time to cover all that we love

land, creature, place, person

intertwine your roots with mine

in this way our lives become miracles

there will be strangers

they will become comrades

we will each say our needs

we will learn to let community come closer

every part of us is a shield

our words, our trust, our hearts

our bodies in action

and the freedom to think for ourselves

we are the adaptation

no oppressor can imagine

our love is water – form-shifting power, river, vapor, life

we flood each other with belonging

we are building our stamina

we dream of the real world

we carry god, and see god, in each of our faces

your holiness is not too heavy, not for me

our attention and courage

show us the next stand to take

the next hill on which to hold each other

and if needed, the next hiding place: survive!

our imagination and memory

find the wisdom of our ancestors

find our future in the rubble

find the seeds in our songs

we choose our freedom

we keep each other’s souls intact

safer than any cage of empire

we know something better is coming

we are each other’s safety

we see each other’s freest selves

we will hold on tight, in public, in private

over and underground

and we will never let go

we will never let go

we will never let go

we will never let go

now take this and memorize it —write it-– this is your spell of community safety. when you have it in your tongue and bones, bury it into dirt you love so the earth holds this commitment with you, with us.

axé oooo, ameen, amen, aho, and so it is