sunday report

friday turned out well, even though i went in to work in the morning and then had a hell of time prying myself out of there to attend the dialogue on democracy. the colloquium turned out to be so popular there was almost no seating left when i arrived a few minutes late. more than 70 people spent the afternoon participating in discussions about radical scholarship, the labour movement, and the grounds for activist-organizing. my biggest difficulty was in attempting to understand the grad students there, who all seem to be speaking some other language completely unrelated from the way people in the rest of society talk. once upon a time i did attend university so it’s not entirely foreign, but half the time i am not sure if the speaker is actually saying anything at all or if i’m just not getting it.

i was complimented afterwards for my part in the talking (speaking notes are in the post below this one), and other than a few small self-criticisms, i am pleased with how it went. my speaking skills are getting better lately, and i think mostly what i need is more practice and opportunities. i have been invited to speak on police brutality themes on may 19th at an east vancouver citizen’s assembly on police violence in the neighbourhood.

after the evening program which ended at nine, i walked over the silkhaus with some friends to see the ever-talented norman nawrocki and submission hold. both acts rocked (as usual) but the real highlight of my evening was in seeing some people i haven’t hung out with in awhile and whom i have known for a long time. being an activist can at times be alienating, and i have really come to cherish the people i have known for years who are in the radically alienated place. there is so much shared about that existence no matter how different our lives might be in other ways, i appreciate so much all that can be left unsaid as i muddle through my own questions and seek the way forward as an individual and as an organizer. i really am starting to feel recharged and able to engage with people and organizations on a more consistent basis again.

on my way home late saturday morning (a little hung over, but esssentially feeling generous of spirit), i ended up in a conversation with a senior in the ferry lounge with me. we started out talking about our hopes for the upcoming election but progressed from there into all sorts of other topics about the failures of the ndp in being true agents of change the why the labour movement is problematic. turns out he is an activist from way way back in the day – involved in labour and was a member of the infamous socialist caucus inside the bc ndp back in 1972 (of which svend robinson was also a part). he was a teacher in grenada just after the revolution and had the misfortune of being there when the us invaded, and told me a bunch of stories about working up north in the 50s. i got to fill him in on the radical caucas forming up in the labour movement in bc, and what some of the younger scoundrels are up to… we ended up eating lunch together on the ferry and talking the whole way, and as enjoyable as it was for me to hear the old stories, he seemed very pleased to get to tell them as well as realize that there are still people out there resisting just the way he did when he was my age. it was one of those nice moments of serendipity when two people meet and share something a little special, completely on accident.

i have managed to get more of my house set up as well this weekend, but today have really just been taking it easy. i am feeling the need to just work on some stitching projects i have on the go and be restful for a day. turns out this evening alison and ben are coming over to the coast and with sean we will have a band practice and then they will stay at my place for the night. fun stuff! it’s been ages since we have played music together.