When I was a social worker/home visitor and got paid for playing with toddlers, I worked in a community that was predominantly Spanish-speaking. This means that I learned a couple of songs in Spanish that are typically sung in Puerto Rican families (at least in Holyoke and Springfield, Massachusetts) to their little ones. “Que Linda …
Last week, I facilitated a day-long workshop for a delightful group of dedicated social service folks who work with people who are homeless or are about to be homeless. It was the second of three workshops I have done with for this organization – three workshops in three different regions of Massachusetts. The topic is …
Room for Misunderstanding: Proxemics and the Platinum Rule Read More »
I woke this last morning of 2013 with my mind full of gratitude. Lists and sub-lists of thanksgiving began to form. Here I offer my small public witness of gratitude for this past year. I want to acknowledge the limits of my mind, knowing that what I remember as I write this is not everything, …
Nearly two decades ago, when I first earned my MSW and ventured into the world of home visiting with families with children birth to three, I stumbled upon this quote from Carl Jung. It rocked my world. I resonated with it and it felt deeply true to my experience in working with various clients, both …
Today is day two of a three-day training intensive called “Culture, Diversity, and Change: Developing Skills for Inclusive Community,” we (UU ministers, ministerwannabes, and assorted ilk) focused on intercultural aspects of conflict. Do you know how it can be complicated to take part in some activity that is in your realm of professional expertise but …
Conflict Fluency, Matching, Shushing: Taking a Leap of Faith Read More »
In my Early Christian History class, we talked about how creeds came into existence. The professor ~ the brilliant, funny, and knowledgeable Reverend Mary Luti ~ spoke about the development of Christian creeds not as handed down from above. Well, not only handed down from above – but also organically vetted by the people, over …
Long Live Sensus Fidelium: Workshop Facilitation and Spiritual Intelligence Read More »
On Monday, Joan Walsh wrote a compelling article on Salon, “Are the Tsarnaev brothers white?” She begins with a discussion of a piece by David Sirota, written after the bombing and before the suspects were identified, that expressed the hope that the bombers were white Americans and the shitstorm that followed once the suspects were …
On White Identity, Terrorism, Radical Subversion, Home Visiting, and Love Read More »