Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Clean Writing & Dirty Laundry

If the past has nothing to say to the present, history may go on sleeping undisturbed in the closet where the system keeps its old disguises.
Eduardo Galeano

Our relatives are counting on us, and we are the only shot they've got… we're not protestors, we're protectors.
Winona LaDuke, Enbridge Tarsands Resistance Tour

The laundry had piled up to the point of no rewearing, so yesterday, Tom lugged our 5 loads of dirty clothes to the laundromat two miles down Michigan Ave. After he loaded up the washers, he instinctively peered up at the TV blaring a TMZ broadcast: something about Justin Bieber in a headlock at Coachella. After a few seconds, Tom looked to his right and a 70-something black guy proclaimed: “This is all just money talking and bullshit walking!” He was shaking his head vigorously and rubbing his thumb and index finger together. They experienced some good community right there, as they turned their attention to something far more important: Tigers baseball. People just don’t keep to themselves here in Detroit. We’re finding it very refreshing.
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Last Monday, it was Opening Day for the Tigers, an excuse for tens of thousands of suburban white people to flock to the city and get drunk (starting at about 10am). Lindsay and her friend Erinn ran home from the church that afternoon and, for the first five minutes, had to bob and weave middle aged drunk white guys giving awkward high-fives and peeing in the bushes. A mile later, they were running through an all-black neighborhood and men, women and children were waving and hollering, “Keep up the pace!” Indeed, an illuminating experience in light of allegations that white suburban folks flippantly raise about what black people have done to this city.
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Jeremy, one of the frequent guests at the soup kitchen, has been telling Tom for the past 5 months, that he looks just like Mitt Romney. He goes on and on with the same spiel, asking Tom if he’s taken his stockbroker test yet and how many children he’s going to have. Jeremy thinks it’s really funny. Some of our friends back in California have asked why Tom is growing his hair out. This is about 70% of the reason why.
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If you are in the mood for some light reading, Lindsay made her RadicalDiscipleship.Net writing debut last week in a post entitled Upstream Swimming Made Easy. Check out Tom’s article in the Spring issue of Geez Magazine—on the women of the water struggle in Detroit.
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We got to hang out with good friend and Christian Peacemaker Teams Director Sarah Thompson, while she was in the D organizing for the upcoming CPT Peacemakers Congress. Nothing but fun, light, love and joyous energy when Sarah is in town! We were thrilled she decided to extend her stay a few days.


We eagerly await the arrival of Sam and Kristen Orr (Lindsay’s sister) this weekend for a quick visit to the D. Slumber party!

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