Local Politics, Local Pleasures

“Sit and sweep the garden—any size.” 

 

This the advice Gary Snyder’s Zen teacher gave to him and it’s a bit like my C.S. Lewis quote in my little bio, opening the conversation between enjoying the world and saving the world. Of savoring the world and attending to its joys and pleasures and sustaining the world, caring for it in service to both the present and future. 

 

I love the addendum— any size. Following the thoughts of the last posts, our youthful motivations were reaching for mind-expanding Zen enlightenments or LSD-induced fireworks. Now in a more mature phase, simply fully tasting a ripe early-girl tomato is pleasure enough. Back then, it was a lot of talk about revolution and bringing down the whole corrupt system. Now it’s about writing postcards reminding people to vote and alerting people to the importance of keeping a road in the park car-free. 

 

So here’s the photo of the small rally (again—any size) I mentioned in the last post, along with a photo and the echo song I wrote and led. (Note: JFK Drive is the name of the road we want to keep car-free.)  If you’re in San Francisco, don’t forget to vote yes on Proposition J and no on Proposition I! If you’re somewhere else, consider this model of not only closing some roads to cars, but enlivening them with painting, sculpture, pianos, beer gardens and more. Balancing what doesn’t work so well these days with what does. 

 

1) I don’t know, but I heard some say(group echoes each line) 

They want cars back on JFK

So we are gathered here today

To stand together and say “No way!”

 

2) We love this space to take a walk 

And hear each other when we talk

We love this road to ride our bike

Skateboard, roller blade, take a hike.

 

3) We’re using too much fossil fuels

That’s what we teach the kids in schools.

So here’s a chance to mean what we say

Keep a car-free JFK.

 

4) If we vote and pass Prop J

All the kids will say “Hooray!”

If we don’t and they pass Prop I,

All of us are going to cry. 

 

So we’ve come together, you  and me

To keep JFK (clap) car-free!

To keep JFK (clap) car-free!