Be Grateful For Every Day We Are Alive.

There is a certain defining moment that I can remember having a big impact on me, and changing my life.

In the fall of 2011, I was laid off from my seasonal work, as expected, and looking forward to some Joe time. As it turns out, I didn't do much of anything. I spent most of my time sleeping, watching movies, playing video games, and found myself falling into a mild depression.

Then it happened. I received the most devastating news of my life. My best friend informed me that his infant daughter had died in her sleep the night before. I was horrified and stricken with grief for my friends. I felt helpless. I had no words. I spent the next 2 days avoiding everything and everyone simply because I was in shock.

During that time, doing the same as usual, watching movies, I happened upon Ghandi. Ghandi was a man who lived a long and full life. He led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

I was sad that baby Sierra had never got the chance to live her life. Never did a thing for her self, or made a choice, and maybe never even had a thought of her own.

At 28, I was sad to look around my room and see where I was in my life. Filling my days with meaningless activity, and feeling like I was not appreciating my life.

I made a decision at that time. I decided that my life would be appreciated by me, if nobody else. I decided that I would spend my time living and loving, experiencing everything I can. I would seek inspiration, and maybe inspire others along the way.

I realized that every moment of life is precious and that living in gratitude will be the key to a fulfilling life.

Sierra may have lived only 70 days, but it was long enough to touch my heart, and inspire my life.

May we all be grateful for every day we are alive.

<3 Joe

Seeing The Invisible Exchange Of Energies

I was sitting on the bus reading my book, and I noticed someone waiting to board the bus. He was maybe 25, Asian, wearing a red hat, and I just commented to myself that he seemed interesting.

From the moment he came on the bus and greeted the driver with a polite, kinda loud and confident "Hi, how are you?" He had people's attention.

He sat down, and a minute later, he says "Hey! Does anyone know if there is a library close by?" He was asking the entire bus! Everyone was interested, looking, and a few offered suggestions. I wanted to chat with this guy, but not quite yet.

So he comes and sits beside me to talk to someone in front of me about a bus route. I'm laughing to myself about invisible energy of people and I knew that I drew him over to me with my thoughts.

He asked how I was doing, and we talked about getting in shit for not wearing shoes in libraries, as it had happened to both of us. I told him that I was confronted about kissing my girlfriend in a library and he was appalled at such ridiculousness!!

When he got off the bus, I noticed that everyone was chatting with strangers, and I give him credit for changing the energy of the bus.

I feel intrigued and inspired by this use energy and confidence among humans.

<3 Joe

Your life is an adventure!!

I remember an original saying I used to use often, since my late teens I guess...

"It's all part of the adventure!"

I would use this in all the typical "bad luck" moments. The times when you run out of gas, or you get lost, or it rains on your picnic, or maybe forget some essentials at home. It was my way of laughing at the situation, and knowing that these difficulties usually make for a good story, or a good memory if you can work with what you have.

Since then, I have held this attitude, and tried to apply it to all areas of my life. Relationships, emotions, jobs, finances, living situations, and health are all part of this adventure we call life. Difficulties in all of these areas are essential to personal growth, and learning from those experiences is what makes you who you are!

In any adventure, you really never know what will come up next, and that's the exciting part! We keep living in the present, handling things as they come, learning and growing all the way. If we look at all aspects of our lives like this and live true to our hearts.  In all honesty, we will all have lived an amazing life adventure full of surprises, twists, and beauty!

Let's go! Let's see where this road leads us, and we will figure it out as we go! It's all part of the adventure!!

<3 Joe
 

Guest Post: The Importance Of Bearing Witness And Being A Part Of Humanity's Struggles

I'm staying the night in one of the three new Nicklesville "neighborhoods". Nicklesville is a democratic, self-run, tent city for men, women, children, dogs, cats, goats and chickens who are homeless by circumstance or choice. This is the second night that the Nickleodeons are sleeping at their new location, an overgrown asphalt lot twenty minutes outside Seattle, in a place called Skyway near Renton. Two days earlier they were kicked out by the city from their previous location of three years on Marginal Way, under threat of lawsuit for de-valuing surrounding properties. The bustling, well established, community of 100+ strong just days before, has now been split into three groups and dispersed amongst three new location in and outside of Seattle.

Shortly after 12:30am. Eight gunshots ring out loud, close and hollow, *pop pop* *pop pop*, and fade quickly as the vehicle they came from drives away. I've never heard bona fide gunfire that close before. It sounds fake, like a pop gun. Much to unreal to be the source of deadly bullets. I'm jolted from my sleep, but stay on the floor of our tent where I lie, evaluating what is happening in my head. I'm still in one piece. My boyfriend, and steadfast partner in unusual experiences, wraps his arm around me in a protective gesture, but without speaking, we both know there's nothing either of us could have done to keep each other safe. This is a feeling that reminds me of the dangers of the world, but also the importance of bearing witness and being a part of humanity's struggles, rather than sealing myself off in a blanket of financial security, comfort and self-centeredness.

There are a few moments of silence before tents and tarps begin to rustle, as the residents of Nicklesville wake from their second night of sleep as a fraction of the old community, and take stock. On our end of the grassy lot surrounded by chain-link, someone asks "Is everyone okay?". Someone from the other side of the lot follows, "Is everyone okay, did anyone get hit?". The answers are negative, everyone is, physically at least, unhurt. I lay my head on my boyfriend's chest, just to double-check that his heart is still beating. I wonder to myself how someone can throw around death with such wanton abandon. Satisfied, we hold each other close, and listen as raindrops begin to fall on our tent-fly, on what had been a perfectly clear night just hours before. I remember that the man a few feet away from us hasn't been able to rebuild his shanty shelter yet since the move. He's sleeping under the stars tonight, exposed on his air mattress. Barefoot, I unzip my tent and step out to help him throw a tarp over his bed and hope there are no needles in the grass here. Some Nicklesville residents seemed happy at the chance the move gave them to "barre" troublemakers and drug-users from the new locations. Maybe this'll be a positive point for the Nickleodeons, moving forward.

Ten minutes later, the rain passes. More hushed movement. I hear one of the little black kids crying, one of the five kids, who's family's tent is set up along the street side of the camp. The two oldest girls helped us pick up trash with trash-pickers two days ago, as we helped clean out old Nicklesville. Dogs bark at a long-gone enemy and things settle back down in the camp. As I try to soothe myself back into a troubled sleep, the reality sets in of the new situation and hardships that Nickleodeons face. New neighborhood, new camp, fewer people. The feeling of safety in numbers and infrastructure is gone.

We wake in the morning to a cool overcast day, the mood has lifted and the camp residents give off a vibe that is surprisingly positive, which helps me readjust my own attitude after a skeptical night. I'm inspired by the Nickleodeons resilience in the face of so many changes. We pack up our tent and belongings and move on the way only a couple of freedom-drunk gypsies can, with plans to roll back around to Nicklesville one day soon.

-LuLu Redder