After Aftershock
Very busy (and behind deadline) today but I want to send a quick shout out to Claire at Vegan Book Club for posting an insightful and very engaging review of my book Aftershock yesterday. (Belated shout outs to Deb at Invisible Voices and Kelly at Easy Vegan for also posting thoughtful and thought-provoking reviews on their sites.)
Claire describes reading the book while on the way to the recent AR2007 conference. It was at the conference that I became profoundly grateful to Martin Rowe of Lantern Books for provoking me to write it. At the conference, I facilitated a “rap session” on dealing with grief and despair. Forty-eight people, from every stratum of the movement, packed into a small room that vibrated with emotion even before we began. Everybody had a story to tell, even if they weren’t ready to tell it yet. Most importantly, everybody was ready to listen. Since that’s the key — talking about your experiences with a truly empathic listener — that told me that we already have what we need (whether it feels that way right now or not) to be the sanctuaries that other activists need us to be.
Speaking of sanctuaries, I’ve also got to send thanks to the folks who have responded to our call for help with our well problems here at the Eastern Shore Sanctuary. Slowly but surely, donations have been trickling into our well fund since I sent out a call for help yesterday afternoon. I’m sure that the generosity will continue to flow until we have what we need to keep the ducks swimming.
One of those donations came from an activist in Israel, who wrote to tell me that, after reading Aftershock, she and her comrades started up a support group for activists that has met three times already and is turning out to be helpful. I’m so happy about that! Later this summer, when I get around to expanding the Aftershock website, I’m going to ask her and other activists who have done something similar to write up their experiences as examples for others. But right now, I’ve got to get back to writing what I should have been writing while I was writing this…
August 1st, 2007 at 8:10 am
Oh! This sounds like a WONDERFUL book!!! Frankly, it sounds like just the kind of book I need to read right now, as everything I have read describes me and my current mindset exactly. I couldn’t get through reading your entry, the review, and certainly not the entry about your and the animals’ situation with the well without spilling quite a few tears. There have been quite a few of those shed from these sad eyes, as you well know, and especially since just before Christmas.
I’ll talk to you in the next few days, my good and kind friend. In the meantime, I will be dropping something in the mail to you today. I wish you all the best and truly hope that everything works out.
I sure missed being there at AR2007. Very, VERY badly. *sigh* Perhaps next year…….
Peace and love and light————–
August 1st, 2007 at 9:27 am
We’re even. Because I can’t think about what you’re going through without feeling very sad too. I thought that I had sent you a copy of the book months ago. I’m so sorry that I forgot to do that! I’ll get one out to you ASAP. Meantime, please do let us know how you and the animals in your care have been holding up during this hot, sad summer. Is it dry there too?
I missed you and Virgil in LA. And Kevin. And Lauren. Sigh.
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:16 am
I was in your rap session and I agree with what you said about it. And I feel like crap because I never met up with the woman I exchanged info with, and I really felt like she needed someone to talk to, she got so upset talking about how she had nothing left to give. I need to go through all of my AR materials and find her number. Thank you for mentioning this, else I might have forgotten all about it and lost that opportunity to make a connection.
Good luck with the well situation. I just sent a donation to help.
August 6th, 2007 at 7:51 am
We all forget to follow through sometimes. The main thing is not to led the guilt about that inhibit you from doing what you can to make up for it. I’m glad you’re not going to let that happen.