Category Archives: Uncategorized

Jianda Monique

Posted on by freshencounter

For the past few months I’ve been posting my thoughts and feelings on my FB page. Coincidentally, Jen started doing the same. Some how we in our different ways and different words and at different times started speaking our truths – and people are listening.

Jen is a writer, workshop facilitator, performer, author, singer, poet, baker, cook, Gardner and so much more. She has helped people heal in her writing workshops and she has been healed by these people’s participation and courage. It made sense that she would write. But this posting is not about Jen or her organization or beautiful-soulful blog or about how I love to listen to her talk about her work, all-the-time or how much I love her.

My writing came out of strong aversion to stepping back into a den of gremlins. I was about to walk into a group of folks who honored deceit, silence, and hierarchy while nurturing racism and classism in the most blatant and insidious ways. And this posting is not about that…

Jen was posting her truth and I was posting mine and many folks were/are following us on FB. One of those folks is Jianda. She would “like”, comment and/or respond in some way to what we were saying. I totally appreciated it – I appreciated that my words were affecting someone enough that they would actually write something, or take the time to like something – which is a pretty open thing to do on FB.

At some point Jianda made a statement, or sent Jen or I a note; she said we were like the one-two punch on her wall (amongst many cool and wise folks I imagine). Not only did I think it was really cool of her to say that, I honestly didn’t realize it was happening. I rarely looked at Jen’s wall and although she sometimes looks at mine, we were not aware of how we might be looking to our mutual friends. I was glad for that new knowing about us.

Weeks, many weeks went by before I noticed that Jianda had a blog – http://jiandanet.wordpress.com/ And, so much more. This woman/diva/Femme Goddess is a poet, actress, singer, song writer, motivator artist, community builder, model, interviewer, activist and so much more has got it going on!! She’s “working it out” as Jen would say – and yes she certainly is!

Thanks Jianda for helping to create safety in the world for all of us to be ourselves, learn who we are and be openly loving while bringing our whole-selves into light. Thanks for being a my leader/follower & and peer and allowing me to be yours.

Check this out people, then go to her blog to learn more:

Love is Love is Love and stories help!

Posted on by freshencounter

Love is the absolute eliminator of all of our societal discretion’s. There is nothing better than having the “wrong people” fall in love to help create change and progress. And/or maybe it’s not just people. It can be a person falling in love with a mountain, stream or animal that would encourage them to change their life and document their story, which helps to change the lives and opinions of others as well.

“…normal has always felt like a lie to me, a too-tight sweater we force ourselves to wear. Normal has never been too kind to women, to children, or people of color, people mired in poverty, anyone different in any way. Normal is good for no one, really. It is a lie we all decide to believe—after even the most cursory look, no one is actually normal; it is a plastic bag we wrap around our own heads….” by Allison Cooper, her story on O – Falling in Love…: http://bit.ly/czj5BX

Love Is

Posted on by freshencounter

Hello All,

Today I spent the morning with some friends at Glide. As always the audience was a beautiful rainbow of people. Some folks were smiling so big you could feel your own heart melting at the sight of them. The choir, was the Glide Choir – just loving. Spirited song birds is what they are.

Near then end of the service, Pastor Finch spoke on this, his last day as a Methodist Preacher on the importance of loving one another. For some reason he said he felt that those who hate, seem to do so very powerfully because of their commitment to it. Their hate is very thought out, well managed and organized. Many of us have seen that they who practice and preach hate and bigotry are are so committed to it, their followers will turn their backs on their own brothers and sisters, family friends and neighbors.

Then he spoke the truth I’ve been hearing in my own head and in my own heart all my life. I wrote about it last week and speak about it daily – there is never a reason to believe that you are better off or serving anyone else by keeping your emotions, your love, your feelings of gratitude and honoring humility to yourself. Who can you serve and how can you find and be in community when your fear of being hurt, rational or not, keeps you from me; keeps you from your family and neighbors; keeps you from all the wonderful gifts life has to offer.

Today Dr. Finch asked that all of us not just love ourselves, but let that love out and share it with others.

Today I commit to expressing love and gratitude; trust and humility, appreciation for life and charity for the rest of my days, and oh yeah, a lot of compassion for the times I’m not meeting this commitment. :-)

Hello world!

Posted on by freshencounter

Thanks to my dear co-worker Britt, I have finally set up my blog!!! I was especially encouraged today because I support justice movements in our cities, nations and the world and I believe the US Social Forum taking place in Atlanta at the end of the month is a valuable event for me to attend. Here is a link to the main event: http://www.ussf2007.org/en/about

Below you can find information about a pre-Forum Queer Leftist Event

When I put a call out for support for air fare to get to this event Britt suggested I create a blog and add a ChipIn Widget that will allow folks to contribute to travel. Thank you Britt. I’m now hours behind with actual work (thank goodness for flex-time) and I now have a way for folks to contribute if they’d like.

Why I want to go:

This is the exact type of conference that I have been thinking about for a long time; as I have been growing with and supporting small organizations in the SF Bay Area. I have always stressed the importance of collaboration amongst the various groups and organizations I have worked or participated with. I have had a vision of pulling together the Unionist, Queer Groups, Educators, Heathcare professionals, Environmentalist, technology and all justice minded community members into something that looks a lot like what the US Social Forum intends. I believe I will learn and grow from this experience and that this growth will benefit all the communities I am involved with.

What will happen with any extra funds? Any extra funds collected will be split evenly between the group I am acting as a delegate for, the Community United Against Violence (www.cuav.org) and Roopa Singh, a political poet activist who is also working to raise funds to attend. You may email Roopa for more information on her mission at: politicalpoet@gmail.com.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I promise to keep it up to date with my activities.