Adventurous Life Newsletter - Inviting You to Find Inspiration in Odd Corners (January 2003)

I was in Boston the other weekend for a conference. I was attending alone, so spent the day connecting with interesting new people in an unfamiliar environment. As I walked out into the night streets to catch the "T" (Boston's transit system), I noticed that I was in "travel mode." This means I'm alert, attentive to my surroundings, and willing to engage and smile at strangers.

It also means I'm outside my familiar bubble. As a seasoned traveler, when I find myself in this situation, I tend to assume the best about everyone around me. This may sound odd to those who haven't experienced it, but my view is that, as a stranger, I'm dependent on the generosity of others, which means every person I meet is a potential ally.

In this frame of mind, I entered the "T." The car was crowded. I found myself in a crush of people of every hue and class, speaking a variety of languages. A group of Latino teenagers flirted by the door. South Asian businessmen read the Wall Street Journal. Two young Chinese women gossiped nearby. I was thrilled.

As the train moved out of the city and the car cleared, two seats emptied. I took one, and when the door opened to admit a large black man wearing a red down jacket, I smiled and gestured that he should sit next to me. After a few minutes, he turned to me and said, "We don't have trains like this in my country." This threw us into a discussion about where he was from (Kenya), and what he was doing in Boston (studying at the Harvard Business School).

When my stop came, I bade him a reluctant farewell, stepped into the clear night air, and drew a satisfied breath as the train pulled away. An adventure. On the subway. Who'd have thought?

Are you open to everyday adventures and surprises? Getting out of a "rut" can be as simple as refreshing your curiosity about your surroundings -- people, sites, sounds. This month, drive a new route (or better yet, take public transportation), sit still for a while in a public place, see what happens when you strike up conversation with strangers in your own home town.

Want to become more of an activist? Obviously, the first thing to do is decide what issues you're passionate about (the environment, women's issues, poverty, human rights, globalization/big business, genetically altered food, fair trade, education, sweat shops, children...the list goes on). Then you'll want to find (or form!) a group that's taking action (educating, lobbying, organizing, demonstrating). Your yellow pages will probably list several local organizations under "Volunteer Services" or "Social & Human Services." The political science librarian at California State University maintains a list of political advocacy groups with web site links and contact information. You can also check out the lists of "Activist Toolkit" and "How to Organize" links on the United For Peace web site. You could attend the National Conference on Organized Resistance January 25-26 in Washington, D.C. And don't forget to pick up a copy of the highly acclaimed Generation React: Activism for Beginners by Danny Seo.

If "losing weight" was on your list, but you're dragging along "food issues," I highly recommend the thoughtful series of books by Geneen Roth (Breaking Free from Compulsive Eating, When You Eat at the Refrigerator, Pull Up a Chair, etc.). Her "radical" no-diet approach -- throw out your scales and learn to listen to yourself -- offers an alternative that works, but doesn't require hating yourself (in fact, just the opposite).

Want to exercise more? No book ideas for that one. Instead, may I suggest that you follow your delight? It seems to me that some movement is better than none at all, so if you hate jogging, but enjoy walking, do it! Do you like dancing? Skating? Cross-country skiing? You don't have to be good at it to get out and enjoy it. If you're headed for the gym, try listening to books on tape -- your local library probably has a collection (and can request more through interlibrary loan). You might even find yourself looking forward to your storytime -- I mean workout!

Skeptical About War? Want to DO Something?

If you're shaking your head in dismay over the U.S.'s apparently headlong rush to war with Iraq, you're not alone. In fact, 72% of respondents (including 60% of Republicans) told a December 17 Los Angeles Times poll they believe that "in the absence of new evidence from U.N. inspectors...the president has not provided enough evidence to justify starting a war with Iraq."

A January 2, 2003 call to action from International A.N.S.W.E.R. states, "Despite the fact that weapons inspectors have found no trace of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in Iraq after unfettered access and 200 searches across the country, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld has ordered the doubling of troops near Iraq to over 100,000 by early January."

Want to learn more than you're getting in the mainstream media? Interested in taking action to make your voice heard? Check out the following web sites:

International A.N.S.W.E.R.
U.S.-based coalition that organized the powerful October 26 Anti-War March in Washington, D.C. (over 100,000 strong) and San Francisco and is the organizing center for the bicoastal January 18, 2003 demonstration and upcoming Peace Conference.

Stop the War Coalition
Formed in September 2001, this London-based coalition has information on anti-war conferences and demonstrations in the U.K. (including a January 11 conference and a February 15 demonstration).

United For Peace
Created by a coalition of over 70 peace and justice organizations, this web site offers a comprehensive calendar of anti-war events happening in the U.S. It also has great resources for organizing and background on Iraq (books, films, and articles).

Global Policy Forum
Founded in 1993 by citizens from several countries, the GPF's mission is to "monitor global policy making at the United Nations....to promote a more open, accountable and democratic policy process at the global level." Check out the Humanitarian Consequences position paper issued by Save the Children UK.

ZMag's Iraq Watch
Includes ongoing, in-depth analysis and background information, as well as overview articles like a "Talking with Family and Friends" primer.

Global Exchange's "Ten Things You Can Do"
A straightforward list of actions you can take to stop the war on Iraq, from writing letters to organizing a weekly peace vigil.