On October 1 the following email message came from Mary, with a subject line of “Mary’s Blog – Get thee to a nunnery.”
Yesterday I had my best day ever on the Great March for Climate Action and here’s a glimpse into why it was so good.
We awoke at Our Lady of the Pines Retreat, on the outskirts of Fremont, OH. This is a retirement center for the Sisters of Mercy nuns and these kind souls opened their facility to shower, to shelter, and to feed us as we make our way across the USA raising awareness about climate change. The grounds are truly lovely, with many benches, meditative spots, artwork, and natural beauty to please the senses and to offer restful pauses in the day.
Because I do the kitchen scullery duties, I stayed behind the rest of the walkers to wash the kitchen towels and to pack away the food and to wrap up all our loose ends. The Sisters were quite interested in Birdie, my little canine companion, and showered her with affection and attention as I went about my business. Kelly, a member of the kitchen staff, took it upon herself to prepare our cabbage and carrots and onions in their food processor so cole slaw can be whipped up in a jiffy to feed our Marchers. There was coffee available via a machine that brewed a fresh cup on command and never ran out, so I could sip my morning brew while I puttered around.
My chores lasted long enough to keep me around for a lunch invitation. The staff apologized that it was “only leftovers,” but what a delicious range of choices met me in the buffet line. We could select from ribs, pot roast, fried chicken, salads, squash, beets, scalloped potatoes, and sherbet. Mmmmmm. The love and care that goes into the food preparation made for a most tasty meal! And when I wanted to switch from coffee to hot water as my chosen beverage, the machine didn’t even need to be adjusted — just choose a different knob and your whim is indulged. I felt pampered, and Birdie scored bits of the meat when the nuns slipped her scraps of meat.
I learned of Sister Moira Kenny, a valiant nun who just recently moved from the center to a new home elsewhere. By chance, I chose a mug that commemorated Sister Kenny’s jubilee ceremony to mark 50 years of service. I found out she’d been arrested and imprisoned for six months for her protest actions at the School of the America’s at Fort Benning, GA. This school trains ruthless dictators and has been a focal point for pacifists who want to voice their opposition to military “answers” to global problems. Unfortunately, the “criminals” in social confrontations too often turn out to be folks like Sister Kenny who have the courage to question the status quo business model promoted by the military-industrial-complex. To drink from Sister Moira’s cup was an honor as well as a humbling experience. I resolved to invite this fine woman to address the Tucson Peace Fair & Music Festival to be held February 28, 2015 in Tucson, AZ, after the Climate March concludes.
When I departed the retirement center, I had all clean laundry, a full belly, and a whole bunch of new friends. What a comfort for a weary Climate Marcher.
Another highlight was spending time with Deb James, another Climate Marcher. She and I went to the post office to get a money order to mail to our home office in Des Moines. We got to convert the bills that had been collected in our donation buckets at rallies into money orders. While I waited for the postal clerk to count out the ones, fives, tens, twenties, fifties, and (oh joy!) hundreds that formed the stack, Deb went next door to a bakery and brought me back coffee and a fudge brownie. Does it get any better — a delicious lunch and a mid-afternoon snack, too!
After shopping for food for our 45 Marchers (quite a job in itself), I returned to our next campsite. This one was by the water’s edge at a recreation center in Belleview, OH. And at this site, there was a community recreation center with showers and a sauna. I could finish off my day with clean hair and skin, warm bones, and my belly full once again.
There was another all-camp meeting in progress when I slipped off to my tent to sleep once again next to the earth. And I had my sweet little dog to curl up with me in my little mobile bedroom. We could hear the voices of our fellow Marchers as we drifted off to sleep. It was all so lovely and peaceful.
Prayer probably will not rescue us from the coming climate crises that we face due to human-caused destabilization of our planet. We’ll need everyone working together to introduce novel ideas to conserve energy, to switch to renewable sources of energy, and to be wiser stewards of the many gifts we’ve been given. But yesterday sure felt like prayers had been offered and answered for the health and well-being of the Great March for Climate Action. And we are grateful for the hospitality we’ve encountered along this trek.
Love,
Mary