 And I had always operated like trying to circumvent the real economy in my own older words that is the same as the transactional to relational pivot. And what I did when I got here was drive down all of the side streets and go to everyone's garage sale, everyone was clearing out their houses, so there was tons of that to get to know people and to get to know the area geographically. And I found lots of things driving around like seed exchanges and little free libraries and parks and open farm stands and berry areas where people would open up like their blueberries for public and flower stands and stuff like binomation or just take one. And I put all of those things together years ago to tell people about, but it was also really helpful because now I know when people are talking about a neighborhood where to place it, it's pretty spread out here. And it did used to be mostly farmland and for that it's still quite spread out. Another thing that worked for me during COVID because churches have memberships and they're set and they're accessible, like you get the whole list, the whole population. And this was partly to deal with what COVID was doing as far as furthering people's isolation was search for people's needs. I divided up congregations and this is not depending on the denomination. It was just a project and most of the time I was met with open arms for getting this together for different churches. But to divide up the people, find out what they needed, find out the best way to get a hold of them, which of their needs weren't being met, what they could contribute for other people who weren't and what I would tell people is that we're trying to make up for that time that you have when you run into each other in the hallways. You don't have a chance to say, my sister's having a hard time anymore or we got a new puppy, like whatever it is you want to share or could use help with. We got to figure out a way to keep track of you and that figured out. And so similarly to people offering what they have to provide, I do home health care. So I do that for people who can't afford it with elderly or recovering from surgery and other people would offer up like yard work or pet sitting or help with the resume. And it was kind of amazing to see when you're calling to ask what people might need, what they were also able to contribute and then match the people with the needs to the people with the resources and keep mainly lines of communication open, which kind of brings me to something I've learned very much about living where I do and that's that communication seems to be what's lacking most. A lot of the community mapping should expose shortcomings and resources and also solutions and things that are there to fill those gaps. And we have an elderly population. It's largely agricultural. There's a tourist influx that's here all summer. There's lots of money coming into the rural areas from Seattle that creates some conflicts. There's a strong tribal presence and and it's a little bit interesting where I moved from. I can see it from across the water was an island with a lot of youth, a lot of art and a navy base and and the same tourist situation. But let's see. I I've found really that what's lacking for me is communication, but I'm looking to see what I was going to say. I'm putting together a resource database, much like one on the website for Code Pink. And I go around and want to interact with people. I'm always paying attention to see what they have to say about what's going on to put into that. So we have places and programs and resources. And an awareness that I'm hoping to make accessible in like a little print directory when it's close enough to done. Most of these things surprise me when I learn about them. We have a pet rescue group there. There seem not to be any way to have your pet found and returned to you should it have gone missing. And they're set up and are getting a new ambulance so they can keep your pet safe while they're rescuing it. And that that that's one interesting thing. We have a hospice medical closet that a lot of people somehow don't know about where you can borrow your wheelchairs or even like beds for. For seniors or people recovering from surgery or even we recently this week found out that they're willing to lend us like 20 wheelchairs to get a bunch of people down to a protest in Seattle. These are all little just little bits and pieces of things I've been learning now with a little more direction. Since COVID one thing that I found really helped me learn about where I live is to take up some kind of like small non controversial cause. Like we're trying to set up a pet emergency clinic. That's aimed to be not profit and we don't have any emergency pet services anywhere in the area. So that's something that I can print something out about and walk into every business without having to wonder about. There being a controversy and and setting foot in those doors and talking to the business owners and seeing the people there teaches me a good deal about who I live with. And and and what they have going on which then goes back into my my catalog of course. Let's see there we've I've learned a lot from social workers when I'm trying to figure out if there is or is not a resource or a solution a social worker. Lots of the churches are pretty gossipy and information can be counted on with a couple in particular out here to get around fast which is good if there's. I'm going to be a power outage or or if somebody needs like a place to stay for an emergency there are also a few people who are incredibly well informed about history here and and have written books and stuff who can answer. Questions history is as part of the culture is always also interesting to check. The pulse with the tribes at the same time as as anything else that's going on. What's the story you've heard and check that story against. Against what you'll hear from. Our First Nations people or what did they have to say about maybe an irrigation project going on. Or what do they have to say about health care out here we also had a real hard hit from the opioid crisis and for that the tribes have stepped up and and this is the first place I've ever lived where I would say there's a like visible recovery community. And And there's a lot of behavioral health in the education system and I don't the college only offers two bachelor's programs one is behavioral health and it seems like it's it's kind of so big here that there there's really little room for stigma. And and those recovery communities do a lot of self sustaining and and it's interesting they're among the stronger microcosm is out here and what what I've been doing with communication. Is is try to put together meeting groups like little household parties where where the topics are head hearts and hands on what do you know what what drives you what's what's your interest and what is it that you're able to do. This helps with just getting to know you and is also good for organizing projects we've got a May Day thing coming up. And it's a bunch of pretty disorganized people on the first step will be running through those three things because most of us don't even know each other there's also something that I've done in the past on called a story census. Where I will pick a topic. And and hopefully something that's exciting to people this isn't especially inclusive at being Christmasy but I asked once. Just about anyone from the most diverse aspects of like our little community that I could find and think of to write a story about a Christmas tree that had been memorable. And and we bound that and it was just kind of interesting because you'd see names that you recognized and and it did a lot to demonstrate the differences in culture and and economics standing and and such. So I'm trying to think about something to do with that and also to set up a favorite trade board, a few of our coffee shops we have some similar things in place, but again with the moving away from the economy with the fashion. So to stimulate community and people talking I suppose that's notes guys. I also subject things to a gossip test. And here the system doesn't work like it did where where I'm accustomed to living in a couple of their small towns word would get back to me pretty quickly like within a week. And here I've been able to tell about 30 people. Three things that changed in our community. We lost our pride organization meals on wheels disappeared in October. And I did say that the pet rescue group has a new ambulance and it was interesting because what circulated was the pet rescue group has an ambulance that went everywhere. And meals on wheels and our pride organization. Nobody had heard anything about so what I'm mostly doing for myself right now is focus on where the brakes and communication and how to get things a little bit more connected. It seems like there's a lot going on and very little getting together on any certain point. But when you set out to map your community I think that it's impossible not to be inspired and and surprised by what you'll find and see people are interested in and putting their energy into and then to make connections between those resources. And and the relationships between causes and people and and and their assets and hopefully use that for for whatever project you're looking to see through. If nothing else just for knowing better your world that you live in your sphere of influence. Well and you're and we know your sphere of concern is huge but your sphere of influence you just what you added to that may see is how you weave it into something strong and how you weave it into something resilient and beautiful and caring and life filled and relational. So you just gave that sphere of influence a whole new image for this community of and also that it's you know it gives back. So may see that was so beautiful. I just like can everybody just like oh yeah cool may see good like amazing sharing and bringing us into what it is on so many levels thank you so much. So I remember what you said once about the basket. That holds everything together and when I was looking for my peace economy that's the criteria that's how I judge it. Is it part of that basket. And it's pretty simple yes or no. It all is right. When we get out of the complicated. I'll also say when I moved here during COVID I thought I just had to wait for COVID to go away and the town would expose itself and stop being weird and impenetrable and confusing and it didn't it didn't. Not on its own. Thank you. So I'd like to move everybody into your groups now and to share anything you want to say about mapping or you know like if you're worried about it some ideas about if there's anybody that's mapped their community to share that. So let's see I think to get three in. I'm going to do groups of five for 15 groups of three for 15 minutes. So you really have a chance to talk and connect remember you can talk about your privates or. But here's your chance to share what's been happening for the last two weeks and what you want to do with mapping or if anyone else has an experience of mapping that they want to share. So we'll see you back in 15. Thank you. You could kindly meet yourself as you come back you're probably off mute. You see stuck in room one and two still on its way back. Welcome back everyone welcome back sorry Zach that you got such a short amount of time. And so maybe we can do a little recap if anybody heard anything they want to share. Please raise your hand and we can do a little share back from the small groups to the big groups. Small groups to the big groups anything learn that you feel the whole group might want to know. With you and your group that you want to share. Audrey. I mean it's very helpful to talk with other people about the things that they find to do that that they feel make make a difference in other people's lives. And. Yeah so I found that I found that very interesting. Many different. Marjorie that's such a great reminder that you know we're we're here to inspire each other you know it's kind of like when you look at a rose and you're inspired we're all flowers in the field. And you know the sharing is so important and I think it goes back to what Lisa said about communication and and we're. Like learning to communicate again and learning to share from like the authentic experience is so important because there's so much information that's not rooted or grounded that's about nothing instead of like being able to share from our hearts and our experience and our wisdom. And I thought that was so cool that that was the thread that ran through what Macy was sharing. David. Am I audible. You are audible. Well. Guess who makes the bunker bunker buster bombs Israel is using what company is it are you do you live close to that company. I mean. Any the poet William Stafford said every war has two losers. And it gets complex because the FAMAS is hiding in hospitals were using innocent civilians as human shields. How are they defeated you know you could put yourself in Netanyahu's brain. And certainly we want to ceasefire and some negotiations mainly from the the fellow Arab states who don't do anything. Well but so David I think the thing you're speaking to are the lies that are you know that create war because there are no human shields there was no one hiding under the hospital. There were no rapes there were no beheaded babies so you know it's also one of the reasons to be rooted in community so that we don't get used by the lies to do really violent things. Look six million people are dead because of the response to 9 11 the war on Afghanistan and Iraq ruined by lies. Nobody in Iraq had anything to do with 9 11. So you know what we know about wars is they're started by live and they can be ended by truce is one of the things we know it could pink. But we do have a map by the way of where all those weapons are made that are bombing Gaza. And I will give it to Emily or she can get it from the team and we will make sure to include that in the response email to this meeting just in case there's one near you. That's a good place to start on your map of what violence happens in your community. We actually are working on that in Los Angeles and you know it's like how do we approach this. We've always had a divest from war campaign but right now we're going and we're just going to be outside the place when people are coming to work and ask them what it feels like to be creating the weapons that are creating a genocide. You know and I'm sure they're not reflecting on that themselves. So starting with that communication thing there may see so many. Yes I was in a little group with two lovely people and one of them is team race and that's a story to to tell people it was so lovely. This man was had a couple of careers and got involved and I think through the inspired by your work Jody and Emily and code pink to become an urban agriculture do urban agriculture. And I asked him you know have you ever done agriculture before he said no I'm done lots of mistakes. It was and he said well now you know he's working with people who know a little more but it was such a lovely story. I had to share that. Oh thank you Dominique. Yes Tim is a gem a gem of a human as are all of you but yes I think the important thing about that story is that you know it's just set off into an adventure. You know it's inspiring it's so full of you know magic and yes let's go. Absolutely and I told you I said you you're probably much happier than your previous careers and he said absolutely yeah and and before I am I must say I have a quote in the chat for joy. Well maybe here I don't know if it's join the poet but join the poet. I have had this quote in my little book for you hoping I would be in a group for you but now you are in in the chat because the first time you said you were frustrated because you were just a poet as well as a school teacher. But I came across this quote poetry is always in conversation with public life. So that's for you my dear. Thank you I love that the conversation moves between weeks and sharing. I can see joy smiling. So thank you. I'm happy that was that was a beautiful sharing. All right well Emily's going to give us our assignment for the next couple of weeks. Thank you all for being here. Love you and all that you're exploring. It's an exploring fun isn't like pivoting into this new world fun. All right what are we going to do this week Emily. So over the next two weeks the invitation is to make a map and Jodi gave us so many great examples of the types of map mapping ourselves mapping where we've been where we've lived where we put our energy and love into how we spend our time. So so many options to something that speaks to you if you are looking for more support on page 117 and the local piece economy workbook and that link will be if you don't already have access to it those links will be shared out as well in the follow up email. But there's on page 117 there's a whole section on mapping so there's some great reflection questions in there that can get you started and see where it takes you. I'll also put the link for the mapping that we've been doing. That's on the local piece economy code pink website in the chat that's in there now as well as the link to register for our next call which will be on April 10 so we really hope to see you there and look forward to. Yeah seeing seeing where your maps take you if you feel so inspired to take up if you map something and want to share it please take a picture and send it to I'll put that in the chat piece economy. At code pink dot org. Or you can share it with this nectar in the next call. We'd love to see it and share it with each other and if anybody's in the Bay area. Emily's hosting a little gathering on Saturday reach out to her she can tell you more Emily and Cynthia and Krista in Berkeley at Bioneers so until two weeks much love spread the peace spread the love. Nurse life. Thank you. Bye. Bye.