Thoughts from the Nuts Chapel Hill Nomad, and a Chapel Hill Resolution

Hey folks,

Two words, one summer: Absolut trip.

In all senses of the two words.

Now it's my turn to get mushy and friend-centric.

It really was refreshing to see you who I saw. After I left, I realized where a lot of my own behaviors since graduation come from. Somehow my stories seem to come out like Kevin (I'm a rookie, so so far they're hit or miss) and I actually ate a piece of sausage while in LA (call me Unclean Bhatti). Recently I've charged like a Golden Michael Retriever toward a loved one. I read slate.com, am becoming excited by economics (to the chagrin of my anthropologist buddies), and throw my hat at the Red Sox when they lose. I have started to hand hug everyone I meet, eat completely vegetarian weeks, and devote myself to enable others in understanding what seems complex.

Over the course of the trip, Kevin's #4 became a reality before my eyes. I really am not who I am without Elise saying that I would get lost on Telegraph Street (which I almost did... or maybe I'm still there O.O), or Kevin laughing (in half joy and half agony) as he watched my partner self-plunk on the first shot of our die game in NH. The pieces of myself that I tossed, hugged, cried, laughed, and iced with you all thrived when I was around you. The times we spent this summer helped me love the symphony of your pieces, and yet continued to create new arias for me to still close my eyes and get hopelessly lost in your music.

There was a saying I used to say when I was abroad in India (and up until recently in my meditation sessions): I am me.


But it's old and needs a replacement, and so it goes now, freshly and with new purpose: I am us.


For all I did not see, you're on the list. Beware: I am lethal with a cell phone, internet access, and excess funds.

Until then, as most of you know, I'm going to be living in Chapel Hill for the next half a year, and I'm going to be busy. I'm moving away from the parental home, taking a part time class in fiction/poetry writing at UNC, working various educational jobs during the week to put money in the bank, and continuing the rootsie/granola-y oral history community activist work at the history research lab I've been working with.

What I will be doing on the side (and only as often as I can): dialogue workshops on social change (getting ordinary people together to talk through their own impressions of social issues, create relationships with others that significantly disagree with their viewpoints, and starting to create coalitions across the board as opposed to with your own allies) both in the community and at my synagogue (about Israel... Oy va voy does my congregation need to start talking Israel), co-leading creative writing workshops at the homeless shelter, aiding two homeless/underemployed Chapel Hillians in helping themselves obtain opportunity and success, and, most importantly, having a buttload of fun. I'm going to write, sing, dance, swim through whatever shakes and shudders if it's what it takes to be merry.

Which brings me to the next portion. Last year I had a goal, but I never wrote it down, and I almost lost my direction. This year I'm going to put it down, publicly. This year, I will put words to further cement my passions, encourage myself to idle away an afternoon, and make music out of the mud bubbles. It won't be complete unless I look back with my hands caked with the dirt and sweat of life and my eyes dead set on unveiling the beauty and justice that this world holds through education, conflict resolution, and underprivileged empowerment.

Last year was for healing. This year is for strengthening.

And next year? I have some clearer grad school leanings. Or perhaps a teaching fellowship is what's tugging at my leg. Community organizing? Abroad social justice? Masters in Fine--ah, f*** it, that tension's for mid-October. I'm here, August 22nd, 2012, and I'm ready to do me.

But, go ahead; try and outdate me. I dare you.

I@mbNuT$


PS: Aldaily led me to this site about the crisis in Psychology/Psychiatry that we all discussed on our way back from Georgia in 2010. Good piece of random bar-conversation: http://lareviewofbooks.org/article.php?type=&id=812&fulltext=1&media=#

You know it's going on. I know it's going on. Wanna open the can with me?

I visited Kevin/Robin/Jess last week when I was up in Boston for Rosh Hashanah. During this brief visit, me and Robin got into a discussion about the can of worms that could potentially put friendships at risk: what do we think of the Occupy Wall Street movement that's sweeping the country. Being Colbyians, it was a really fruitful discussion that let out our viewpoints on the matter, despite the fact that we came from two very different places. (God I love Colbyians).

As a person who spent a year studying social justice and three years at Colby studying anthropology, I have become very aware of the inequalities that exist between the advantaged and the disadvantaged in our country and our world. Most importantly, I am always in favor of the value that comes with speaking out against societal issues for the sake of furthering a common good, and to always engage in dialogue about social movements to better understand them. I see speaking out being a dialogue, not a debate, where human experience and understanding each other for collective learning is goals. Thus, I'd like very much to open a discussion, perhaps, about our impressions and about our thoughts of a movement started by our generation, because I know that you all will have experiences and viewpoints that are valuable to bring up with such a contentious issue.

Whaddya say? If yes, answer the following question:

What are your thoughts on the Wall Street protests (and like-minded protests all over the country)? Is this the "Vietnam backlash" of our age, or is it something that is misguided idealism and will only further divide our nation?

If no, call me up and let's talk :-)