Dear Readers of The Dirt!
I have been sitting in front of my computer, trying not to write about a very personal detail of my life. But this detail is occupying my mind to the extent that I can not really write about anything else.
My oldest child has been recently diagnosed with a "disability." Throughout this process I have experienced countless emotions. In some ways, it can be compared to the grief that comes with the death of a loved one. I think it is partially as a response to grief that many parents go looking for the "cause" of "disability." Last week a friend asked me if I suspected vaccinations to be a factor.
I don't want to belittle the power of toxins in the environment, (which are so pervasive as to be present in the mother's milk of polar bears) in that they can and do cause birth defects, neurological damage, and disease. But one of the most empowering things I have been told throughout this experience is that what our society calls "disability" is actually just part of the natural variation of what it means to be human. "Disabilities" have been present throughout human history (we just did not call them that). All species (plants as well as animals) have individuals who are not average. This is normal. This is nature.
Unfortunately, we live in a society, which has a pretty narrow definition of "normal." And most of our society's infrastructure is designed to only accommodate that narrow definition of "normal." Every day, we go out in the world and negotiate a rigid and dominating built environment (busy city streets designed for cars, not humans and big box grocery stores for example) as well as a highly bureaucratized social environment.
I get so angry when I flip through the pages of curriculum designed to teach my child to function within the bounds of normalcy. This is an environmental issue, because it is a diversity issue. The type of thinking and design work that goes into marginalizing people is at its source identical to the logic of clear-cutting a mixed-species forest and planting a monoculture of Douglas firs. Diversity is one of the cornerstones of ecology. Diversity gives us flexibility. Diversity gives us beauty. Diversity makes us strong.
Enjoy this week's edition of the Dirt! and don't bother trying to be "normal." It's not worth it.
Cheyenne
Spreading Roots, Spring Forth
Each year, Tree Team volunteers monitor the health of newly planted street trees. Volunteers are trained to identify problems with tree care and maintenance. Each volunteer is assigned a neighborhood route where trees have been planted during the past year. Each tree's health is inspected: Is it receiving enough water? Has its bark been scarred by lawnmowers or car doors? Is the ground around it properly weeded and mulched? Is the tree healthy and free of diseases and pests? Volunteers leave door-hangers for homeowners, congratulating them for taking good care of their new trees and identifying ways they can help to improve their trees' health.
The task force will be appointed within one month and will then convene regular meetings throughout 2006. The policy recommendations to Council are expected within six to nine months and will be incorporated into the city's global warming local action plan and other measures such as the city's comprehensive plan.
Portland Peak Oil welcomes everyone to its regular Wednesday night meetings at St. Francis Parish dining hall at 7pm 1136 SE Pine in Portland, OR. For more information and to read the resolution visit www.portlandpeakoil.org.
With 17 days and almost 120 events, last year's Pedalpalooza was the largest and most diverse festival of cycle-oriented events (less than a month long) anywhere on the planet. Much more than a collection of workshops, competitions, and themed rides, Pedalpalooza 2005 started with a parade and free movie for cyclists and brought us the World Naked Ride and Dance Party, a singles party collaboration with the Portland Mercury, and not one but several bike-in movies. There was also a musical ride to a mystery destination that was also a picnic, some Clownarchy, and a scavenger hunt. There were events oriented to kids, to food, to transportation geeks, and to alcoholic beverages (responsibly!) not to mention that Vancouver represented mightily. Rather than kick back with smug self-satisfaction about what a great job we did, how about making this year even more stunning?
Happening this year from June 8th - 24th, the content of the festival depends on YOU, the enthusiastic pedal-powered people who host events. Have an idea for an event? Tell us about it, ask for help, or just post it to the online calendar. If you post your event on the calendar by April 10th, it will be on the printed calendar which goes all over town and is in an issue of the Portland Mercury.
You can enter your event directly into the totally slick Pedalpalooza calendar (yeah, some of us are computer geeks).
[Editor's Note: Hey All, Please remember to ALSO enter your events on The Dirt! web calendar! That IS where you found this note and it is a great opportunity to keep getting the word out about how fabulous fun biking is to wider Portland. :) Remember we have readers from all over the whole city and then some...LBN]
To write with questions or suggestions email us: bikefun [at] shift2bikes dawt org (anti-SPAM, you can figure it out!)
Some history: after the stunningly successful BikeSummer 2002 festival in Portland, an international festival which visits a different city each year, some cyclists got together to talk about how to make events happen all year, every year. The result of this was the formation of a community of Bike Funnists, and every year since there has been a festival, though things happen every week otherwise. Check it out, there's something just about every day of the year.
Other Links:
City Repair Invites You to Change the World!
The Village Building Convergence -- Portland, Oregon May 19 - 28, 2006
Each day features daytime workshops, evening events, and localizedhands-on learning in over a dozen communities across Portland. Be apart of this amazing, city-scale transformative event. Gain knowledge, skills, and experience with a broad spectrum of ecological and communityleaders! Past visionary teachers have included Penny Livingston. David Eisenberg, Starhawk, Joseph Kennedy, Becky Bee, Rob Bolman, Amber Wiggett, Tom Bender, Elke Cole, Janell Kapoor, Lydia Doleman, and many others.
Join Growing Gardens staff and other volunteers in preparing plants, flats, and orders for our upcoming plant giveaway day.