Read! draw! march!

Written last night:

Dear Friends,

Today might have been my most relaxed since Zing and I arrived in California. Maybe it’s because the windows are open and the weather is sunny and warm. San Francisco might have been a turning point … who knows? But today I went slow, did what needed to happen, and didn’t worry (much!). 

I am starting to shape my days around what I love. One thing I finally did is read -- a book — for an hour or more. And then I drew from after dinner until just now. I finally finished the book, The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., “one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma.” (You can hear an interview with him here). I first thought of trauma in connection with Zing, from the veterinarians at UC-Davis. I wanted to understand why I couldn’t train him out of his separation anxiety. Of course I was confronted with the realization that Zing might be a reflection of me, and that I too have suffered a trauma. 

I’ve been reading this 400-page book for ages. It is not the kind of thing to read as you're falling asleep. It is full of thoughts that are challenging and true and useful to everyone, I think. There’s a lot about addiction and abuse and PTSD, loss, and pain and also joy, meaning, creativity and connection — for children and adults (and also maybe dogs). Van der Kolk shows that accepted ways like prescription drugs and talk therapy may not fully address deep pain, but simply mask it. He discusses other trauma therapies, from sophisticated neurofeedback to basic theater and dance.

Soon after I sat down to read I heard shouts and challenges on the street, so I had to put the book down, of course. Zing and I followed the noise and  joined a May Day parade heading to the Capitol. Well, we didn’t exactly join it, but trailed at the edges. In addition to fair wages, the signs called for equal rights for women, LGBT and Native Americans. 

The marching cry was: "Be loud/ Be clear/ Immigrants are welcome here!”

Zing and I couldn’t go all the way to the Capitol; we had to hurry home because we were expecting a phone call, but I am glad we could be part of this for even a short time.

Love,

k