Hello friends.
Though I intend not to make this blog political, it’s more and more clear to me that I cannot exclude my social and political views from this forum. If I am to be an authentic writer, I must disclose certain values and beliefs that I hold dear.
My personal and professional missions are to maximize open communication, mutual understanding, shared vision, and collaboration for common good (basically world peace) between all people. It will take my whole life to find and try different paths to that goal. Today I tried a new one for me. It felt powerful, and I’ll reflect for a while on the experience. Below are my initial impressions.
I marched with an estimated 150,000 people in Chicago today, a sister event of the Women’s March on Washington.
* * *
Beautiful day for marching.
The energy was positive, strong, and welcoming. It’s not every day that we get to participate personally in an actual, physical expression of a movement. I’m so glad we went.
I hope this day can be remembered in history like Woodstock–gatherings of people in peace, more to express what we are for than what we are against. Because we marched today FOR inclusion, solidarity, generosity, and the dream of a peaceful life for everybody.
Acts of violence, intolerance, hatred, or contempt by any of us marchers, regardless of the circumstances, would undermine the message and wreck the credibility of the movement.
Onward.
from a friend’s Facebook page…
Healing Through Connection 
Glad you had that experience! I was a little disappointed that I had a scheduling conflict, but I also know crowds make me irritable and anxious. I was so proud of my friends who marched in Minneapolis – 60,000+ and very peaceful.
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So far I haven’t heard of any violence or negativity related to the marches. And I read a headline that this was the biggest protest in US history, with an estimated 2.9 million people in attendance. YAAAAY HOOOOEY!! 😁
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My estimation of you Catherine, just went up a FEW MORE notches! And it was pretty high already! Way to go. We have to work together in a positive manner even while in the midst of a negative climate.
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Thank you, Paul. Positivity vibes in the driver’s seat. 👍🏼👊🏼👏🏼
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Thanks for sharing your experience, Cathy. Mine was similarly positive here in Seattle. Crowd was massive, entirely peaceful, and focused on positive intention. Mother Nature was smiling on us, too, with fabulous weather. A message was sent worldwide. Only the delusional could fail to see it.
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Yep. 👊🏼👍🏼👏🏼
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Thanks Donna! The challenge now will be to funnel the energy into some kind of unified, sustained, effective action in service of the ideals. …And to do it while upholding our values of free speech, mutual respect, kindness, etc.
I’m still looking for something concrete to do, to feel like I’m doing enough… Onward!
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