Seattle Yogini

Anger Isn't Good Enough

There's a bumper sticker I've seen around town a lot lately, which says:

If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention

I disagree.  There are a number of problems with this concept, the first of which is the obvious presumption that if the reader does not feel the same way that (presumably) the driver does, then the reader is just plain wrong - and maybe even stupid.  That's more than a little arrogant, and generally arrogance is not a helpful tool in the art of persuasion.

Even more striking than the arrogance, however, is the insinuation that outrage is an appropriate and sufficient response to...whatever it is that the driver thinks we should be paying attention to.  Yes, things in the world - and certainly in the US - are (choose your negative or scary adjective) right now.  Yes, there is a lot of change that must be made, in a number of areas, if we wish to avoid self-destruction.  Outrage has, so far, not been useful to anyone - not to those of us who want change, nor to those who wish to maintain the status quo.

Here's why:  anger is a distraction.  It takes our energy away from the issues at hand and focuses our attention to it - the anger itself.  In addition, anger is a cover-up emotion.  It is usually what we feel when we are unable to deal with a deeper feeling - particularly fear.  Anger is what we are taught to feel when we feel afraid, small, helpless, useless, intimidated.  When we feel anger, it is generally accompanied by a sense of self-righteousness that fuels the ego and - in theory - fuels our fight (propagating violence...in our actions, our thoughts and our words).  Anger is what our society tells us is "tough", and a concept of callous toughness is highly valued right now.  The same kind of "tough" that certain politicians display in order to persuade voters that they'll be able to handle whatever comes their way.  The same kind of "tough" that leads people to stick to erroneous conclusions because "failure is not an option".  That toughness is merely a mask for the fear of being proven little, inconsequential, ridiculous.

Yoga teaches that we are so much more than we ever imagined.  We are sparks of the creative force itself, that nameless and many-named idea/entity that many people call "God" or "the Divine".  How can we feel inconsequential, small, useless, when we hold this spark deep within ourselves?  The confidence that is inherent to this knowledge supports the positive action that is needed to make important changes - in our lives, our finances, our work situations, in the environment, in world politics.  If we truly want change, not only must we "be the change we wish to see..." but we must also support small- and large-scale change through positive action rather than negative reaction.

Anger often prevents us from acting rationally and sometimes even responsibly.  Let us not get bogged down in reactionary bluster (Ever tried to follow the diatribe of an irate person?  It's pretty challenging).  Let us not fall prey to the intentional fear-mongering of "the man".  Instead, let us clear our minds, open our hearts, focus our intentions and offer our energy as fuel for positive change in the world.  As you prepare to vote next week I implore you to let go of all that you've heard or seen about the candidates that makes you feel afraid or angry.  Focus on their records, their behavior toward each other, their presence, character, whether or not they can put words together into a coherent message, and whatever else is important to you.  Vote from your heart, not from your fear.

Don't let anger distract you.

Dear Governor Palin...Sincerely, A Veteran

Dear Governor Palin,

Yesterday I read with increasing gall your reproach to fans whom you mistook for protesters at a recent rally in Virginia.  You took the opportunity to, yet again, pull your "I support U.S. troops/veterans" card, saying:

"I hope those protesters have the courage and honor to give veterans thanks for their right to protest."

Well, I am here - a veteran myself - to tell you that it is getting old.  I am tired of being a tool for politicians to cull more votes.  I am tired of people pretending the U.S. military is something it is not.  I am tired or people with a microphone insinuating that the military has provided for our right to protest what they have to say...as a means of one-upping the protesters.

I was an officer in the U.S. Air Force for four years, during which time I served in two war zones (one of which was a combat zone).  As such, I feel the need to point out an important misconception that you, and many others, seem to hold regarding the military's role as it relates to American's right to protest.  Let us begin by reviewing the oath of office, which all military officers take upon commissioning (there is also an oath of office for enlisted personnel, but here I focus on my own experience).  The oath states that we swear to "...support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic..." not to support the president, the country, or even the government itself...but the document which, ostensibly, makes our nation what it is.

In the Constitution we are guaranteed many rights, but since you brought it up I will focus on the First Amendment, ratified in 1791, which states:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

So, here we're offered "free speech" as well as the right to gather in a peaceful manner.  If those rights are curtailed we are guaranteed the opportunity to bring our complaint up with the government.  I am neither a U.S. History nor a Military History scholar, so I can't speak to the events leading up to the creation of this Amendment.  I can, however, offer some observations about my experience in the military, vis-a-vis protesters.

I was never called on to ensure that a group of protesters were guaranteed their right to gather.  I never had to do anything to protect someone's free speech, nor any other right guaranteed by the First Amendment.  My own rights were (voluntarily) curtailed during my tenure in the service, but that was more-or-less understood before signing up.  My service, from 2000 to 2004, had very little to do with what my oath entailed, and everything to do with spreading America's interest/involvement into other parts of the world and calling it a "War on Terror".

The military as I knew it was (and, in my opinion, continues to be) an offensive force, rather than a force supporting and defending the U.S. Constitution.  Our Constitutional rights were not in danger when President Bush made the call to invade Iraq in 2002.  That decision, many would argue, was instead made many years earlier.  Sadly, it seems that many of our Constitutional rights seem to have been put in danger more from the current administration than from any outside source...and yet so far the military has not been called to change that trend.  When I took my oath I (perhaps naively) believed that my vow to offer my life in protection of my country would be handled with the utmost care.  I trusted my government to put my skills and force to use only in dire situations.  I believed in the Constitution and in the oath of office.  I thought that my years in the service would uphold that oath, rather than being redirected toward the machinations of "spreading democracy".

Let me be very clear:  my service did not ensure anyone's right to protest.  Those fans/protesters do not have the right to protest because people like me had or have the "courage and honor" to serve in the military.  They have that right because leaders of a bygone era had the foresight to create a Bill of Rights particularly to cover things that were not laid out in the Constitution.  We all have the right to protest not because military members have guaranteed it, but because the Constitution does.  Theoretically, military members guarantee the protection of the Constitution, but so far that is not a task to which our military has been assigned.

Please, Madam Governor, I implore you:

• If you truly support America's troops, find a way to bring them home safely and stop putting them in danger just to spread American influence (nobody likes a bully, any school kid could tell you that).
• If you truly support America's veterans, improve funding to the Department of Veterans Affairs (among other organizations) and improve the opportunities for care to those of us who need it.
• Last but not least, stop using the troops/veterans card to entice people to vote for you, it's a cheap tactic that insults the intelligence of American voters.

Sincerely,

Kelly Pretlow

Yogini, Veteran

Me + Malabrigo = A Good Match

Okay, getting back to the "Firsts for Thursday" theme...today I'll write about a recent first:  I'm knitting with the well-known and well-loved Malabrigo Yarn for the first time.  Many knitters have gone ga-ga for this soft, cozy yarn.  I, however, always steered clear for one big reason:  I was concerned that, being a single-ply yarn, it would pill too much with normal wear were I to knit it into a sweater.  This may or may not end up being the case - only time will tell - but I decided that it's worth a try.  Two major factors helped me change my mind about trying Malabrigo:  a great price point ($10.95/216-yard skein) compared to other yarns I was looking at, and I held a store swatch to my neck for a few minutes and had almost zero itch!!!

I'm going to knit my Malabrigo into Wisteria, a beautiful sweater designed by Kate Gilbert for Twist Collective (fall, 2008).  Since the sweater has a mock turtleneck, and I would like to actually wear the sweater, I needed a yarn that would not drive me to tears due to the dreaded Itch.  I was thinking alpaca, or silk/alpaca, or basically something with as little wool as possible.  I almost bought some Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk, but it would have ended up being a $200+ sweater which was simply not feasible (to say the least).  I didn't even consider the Malabrigo...indeed, I didn't even notice the wall of it (!)...until the nice shop lady started pointing out good, soft, alternatives.

So, my first Malabrigo knitting experience was last night.  I knit up a gauge swatch.  For you non-knitters, that's a little bit of fabric we make in order to determine what size needles to use for the the chosen yarn.  It needs to match the gauge called for in the pattern, otherwise you'll end up with a finished item that is too-big or too-small or too-long or, well, you get the point.  The yarn was, in a word, delightful.  No scratchiness on my fingers as it runs over them.  The finished swatch feels both durable AND soft.  I think it's going to be a joy to knit with and, hopefully, a great sweater when all is said and done.

Now, as a Spanish speaker I feel it is my duty to address the following teensy-tiny issue.  The word "Malabrigo" is Spanish (the yarn is, after all, from Uruguay...just like "Manos del Uruguay" is), which means it is not pronounced in a super-fancy Italianesque kind of way.  I often hear the yarn called "Mal-a-bri-zho", and I can't decide if people simply don't know how to pronounce it or if they're trying to make it sound fancy because many consumers like fancy (it feels to me like a combination of the two).  I remember when I first bought some lace-weight Malabrigo (which is in the stash) the shop attendant handed me the bag with a flourish and solemnly pronounced me the proud owner of two skeins of...moment of awe, please..."Malabrizho".  I half expected an opera singer to pop out of the storeroom and sing me to the door.  Here is my public service announcement for the week:  the word is pronounced "Mahl-ah-bree-go".  It's as simple as that.  That's a hard "g", see?

And some fun trivia about the word.  Malabrigo might refer to a location (as in Malabrigo, Peru).  On the other hand, it could be a tongue-in-cheek name.  "Mal" means bad, or poorly done.  "Abrigo" is a coat or shelter.  Together, these words mean a not-so-good coat.  I think that this is funny, because of course the yarn is fabulous and makes great protection from the elements.  Is the company having a little giggle over its clever name, or paying homage to a place called "home"?  I, for one, would love to know.

Sick and Knitting (but not sick OF knitting)

I'm sick.  Not even a "little under the weather", but more like "crud central".  Upon returning home from my Indiana trip last Thursday, my voice was froggy.  I felt exhausted, but wasn't sure if it was emotional, mental or physical fatigue...or a killer combo of the three.  I think that the combo got my defenses down, and the travel had me exposed to all manner of yuck...and maybe Rob brought something home from school (we often blame the college kids when we get sick   lol).  I took it easy all weekend, but the voice got worse and worse (even though I talked as little as possible - mostly so that I wouldn't frighten people).  I taught my Monday morning class and soon after regretted that decision.  A quick trip to my naturopath Monday afternoon, and now I've got all kinds of concoctions to help fight this thing (haven't heard about the throat culture results yet, but she swabbed to test for strep just in case).

Yes, occasionally the Yogini gets sick.  When it happens, it's usually a doozy.  Sigh.

I'm sucking zinc lozenges (can you say "tart"?!?!?!), drinking tisanes, gargling salt water, eating chicken soup, chewing Esberitox, and - this is the kicker - eating a teaspoon three times per day of honey/garlic mixture.  I made it yesterday, upon my doctor's recommendation:  about 1/4 cup of honey with a couple of minced garlic cloves stirred in.  Not exactly delicious, but certainly potent!  The antimicrobial properties of the honey (it must be raw!) and the garlic should help fend off the infestation.  Also, the smell helps fend off vampires.  Sheesh.

In better news, look: socks!

These are my second pair of Jaywalkers, the first pair having gone to my Mom.  I used a little over half a skein of Yarn Pirate fingering weight from my stash.  I have to use US 2.75mm needles to make them fit...I didn't bother with gauge so much as whether or not I could get them on.

This is a fun pattern, but note that it doesn't have much elasticity.  Those of us with high arches may have to make modifications (such as bigger needles) in order to work the sock around our heels.  Once I got the needle issue figured out, I found this a great knit.  I did it twice, after all!

Okay, back to loafing and knitting for me.  I'm taking another day off and then reassessing.  If my throat culture comes back positive, well...let's just say it's a good thing we have a three-day weekend coming up.  Also, I have lots of knitting to do.