There was a good turnout at the rally in Sedro-Woolley this morning.
Xavier and Eduardo, in the green safety vests, helped organize the event, and acted as crosswalk guards to get us safely from one side of the roundabout to the other. (And see? We even had our own chicken to help us answer the question: Why did the chicken cross the road?)
I ran into some of my old colleagues who taught with me years ago when I was a teacher in Concrete – it was so good to see Mary and Paul, John, and Larry again!
Germaine was there, too! And Chris – who I met at a rally in MV in January, and who is one of my “old friends” now.
I met some new friends, too – Calisa, who talked about the importance of showing up at the rallies in our small hometowns, and Jonathan, who shared his experiences as a soldier deployed to Iraq after 9-11.
Jonathan said that when he’d signed up for the service, the U.S. wasn’t involved in any wars and he hadn’t expected to ever find himself fighting in the middle of one. But when he was in boot camp, 9-11 happened, and everything changed. During his time in Iraq, the command car got blown up and his commanding officer lost a leg, and his First Sergeant lost half her face. Soldiers he served with in Iraq lost their lives. Jon’s experiences in Iraq have informed the way he looks at our current war in Iran, and I am so grateful to him for his willingness to share his thoughts and experiences with me.
I left the rally feeling inspired by the people I met there, and the positive response we got from the cars passing through.
I know there’s a meme going around that FOX News busted out the “truth” about the NO KINGS rallies – that it was put together by nefarious organizations hell-bent on some diabolical plot to destroy the United States. This is fake news.
I learned about the rallies through my friends, mostly, and through a local chapter of the Indivisible organization. https://indivisible.org/
And no, nobody paid me to protest yesterday, and nobody handed me a sign. I’ve been carrying around my own hand-made TRUTH JUSTICE KINDNESS sign since 2020. You’d think TRUTH JUSTICE KINDNESS would be universal values EVERYone could agree with. But weirdly, some people actually give the thumbs down to TRUTH JUSTICE and KINDNESS. (So I made a flip side that says SEAHAWKS on it – and when I get the thumbs down for TRUTH JUSTICE KINDNESS, I flip it to the SEAHAWKS side and usually get a thumbs up and a grin from those people who just thumbs downed the other side.)
I’m not sure I can find the words to express my gratitude to you. You are our nation’s heroes. Unpaid, unappreciated by our nation’s political “leadership,” you resolutely stand on the front lines in our airports, keeping us safe.
On Friday we traveled from SeaTac to LAX, and on Monday we made the return trip. All along the way we were treated with nothing but patience and kindness by the TSA staff. Knowing the incredible stress you must all be under now, your patience and kindness seemed superhuman to me.
SeaTac was collecting gift cards for the TSA staff, and we left a few at the drop-off place, but I know those cards don’t make a dent in what you deserve. Not only should you be receiving your duly-earned paychecks, you should be receiving medals and accolades – you should have statues in your honor. Seriously.
Thank you for your service. May our legislators and president get their act together and – without stipulation – get you the paychecks you’ve earned and deserve. You should never again be used as hostages by our politicians.
I drove up to the Peace Arch Park on the border of Canada and the States, to celebrate the friendship between our two nations.
The weather was interesting on the drive up. I left under blue skies and fluffy white clouds, but when I got near Lake Samish I suddenly found myself driving through snowfall. That lasted about ten minutes, and then I was in the sun again. “March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb,” right? – and I guess when you’re in the middle of March you get all of that on the same day.
Many cosmic and wonderful things happened today.
Before I left for Peace Arch Park, I’d needed to make a stop at an old neighbor’s house. This old neighbor now lived in a neighborhood where an old teaching friend of mine had once lived. I’d asked my old neighbors if Lou still lived there, and they said he’d moved away a while ago.
So guess who I ran into at the rally at Peace Arch Park?!! Lou!! Lou had married another teaching friend of mine, Michelle, and they now lived in Bellingham. It seemed absolutely cosmic that I should run into Lou and Michelle (and their sweet pup, Brody) when I’d just been thinking of them that morning. But I’m starting to realize that cosmic coolness is happening all the time, and we just don’t always notice it.
My friend, Tom, was there today, too. He and another friend, Haidee, were the original creators of the Peace Arch Park get-togethers. Another person I consider an old friend now, Ranger Rick, the beloved Peace Arch Park ranger, came down to the arch to see how we all were doing and if we needed anything. AND I found the sister to my TRUTH JUSTICE KINDNESS sign: TRUTH JUSTICE COMPASSION! How cool is that?!
I met new friends today, too – Cora was there with her “TOGETHER WE ARE AMERICA” sign; Arsh (an American citizen) was at the Peace Arch with his girlfriend, Harleen (a Canadian citizen) and they posed in front of the boundary marker for me as they walked their way down to U.S. Customs; Georgia from Lynden was there, to show her support for our friendship with Canada; and, afterwards, when I sat down at a picnic bench by the water, nibbling on the macaron I’d bought myself at L&L Bakery, I met Nancy who’d come up to Blaine to take pictures of birds. I learned Nancy was a retired school principal and teacher, and an avid birder. I had such fun chatting with Nancy in the sunshine at that picnic table and talking about birds with her. (I told her about that whooping swan I’d seen a couple days ago, and gave her directions to where she might find it – I hope the swans are still there for her tomorrow.) While Nancy and I were talking, a sweet pup named Finnegan wandered off the sidewalk to come say hi and get a pet on the head. He was such a sweetheart!
Pups and old friends and new friends and the inspiration that comes when two neighboring nations come together to celebrate their friendship – today was full of magic, my friends.
Years ago I took part in a peace workshop being taught at our local community college by Leo Valk (I think that was his name?), from de Nederlands. Here’s what I remember about the peace workshop –
1) Leo asked us to draw a line down the middle of a paper. On one side of the line he asked us to draw war, and write our definition for war. On the other side he asked us to draw peace, and write our definition for peace. This got us all thinking about what war and peace actually ARE.
Then he told us that there are actually different kinds of war, and different kinds of peace. There is negative peace and positive peace: Negative peace is just the absence of war; Positive peace is built on the idea of social justice for all members of a society. Leo talked about Von Clausewitz and Tolstoy and Karl Deutsch and their differing views on war. Leo asked us if we thought, as Von Clausewitz did, that war can be justified as a way to solve problems when diplomacy doesn’t get us what we want? Is war, as Tolstoy believed, like a natural disaster that we can’t prevent, but shouldn’t participate in? Can just the threat of war be seen as war, as Karl Deutsch believed? Can we justify war if it’s used to stop evil? Or is war, as Gandhi believed, the worst evil of all?
Leo got us thinking.
2) Leo talked about nuclear weapons and explained the difference between missiles and warheads – just limiting the number of missiles, doesn’t limit nuclear power when each one of those missiles can have more than one warhead on it. He asked us if we thought a nuclear war was “winnable.” And if you “won” a nuclear war, what would that look like? What would be left of civilization to “win” when there’s already enough nuclear weapons to annihilate all life off the face of the planet?
3) He talked about strategies in a nuclear disarmament:
– Unilateralism – when a nation says, in essence, “We’re done playing this game,” and gives up all its nuclear weapons without waiting for other nations to give up their weapons.
– Reciprocity – when nations take turns giving up their weapons – “We’ll give up this, if you give up that.” This helps to build trust between nations.
4) He talked about ways to maintain peace:
– Stop changing boundaries – establish them and keep them.
– A nation’s security depends on the security of other nations. Maintaining peace is letting your neighbors know they’re safe, and not threatened by you. If countries are happy and prospering they’ll be less inclined to invade other countries.
– Do not intervene in other nations’ governments.
– Working with other nations to solve problems we all share – problems with the air we all breathe, and the oceans we share – builds alliances and trust.
– Trade with other countries is a way to maintain friendships and alliances.
I think so much of what Leo taught us all those years ago is timely now, too. I’ve been asking myself how our nation’s leadership is doing with the whole “maintaining peace” thing, and I’d have to give them all a failing grade right now. In fact, it seems like our leadership is doing the exact opposite of what brings peace.
I had a nice walk along the River Walk in Mount Vernon. Met sweet Indigo pup who approached me for a pet on the head and a scratch behind the ears. Exchanged “Go Seahawks!” with a couple of folks wearing their Seahawks caps. Saw a young man lithely leap over a fence from the embankment to get to the riverwalk. He was kind of shy. Ducked his head as he approached. But I had to say it – “That was pretty athletic!” I observed – and I got a big grin from him.
After my walk, I fetched my TRUTH JUSTICE KINDNESS sign out of my car and went to join the folks in front of the Courthouse. I met two new friends down there today and they both had way cool names: Osa and Selah. After they’d introduced themselves, they turned expectantly to me to learn my name. Sheeze. “You guys have such cool names,” I said humbly. “But I guess every group needs one of me. I’m Karen.” Osa and Selah gave me welcoming, inclusive smiles – as I’d expect from the people in front of the Courthouse – reassured me about my name, and took me into their fold.
I’ve forgotten to take the “SEAHAWKS” side of my sign off since the Superbowl, so I made use of it and flipped to it a couple of times today. Once, I got two people shaking their heads in disapproval at my TRUTH JUSTICE KINDNESS sign, but when I flipped it to SEAHAWKS, I got smiles and two thumbs up. You’d think that TRUTH JUSTICE KINDNESS would be something everyone could agree with, but I have found this is not always the case. The response that gave me a big laugh, though, was when I got a thumbs up for TRUTH JUSTICE KINDNESS and a tilty-handed “meh” for the SEAHAWKS.
Can you imagine what our world would look like if, instead of wasting our time worrying about feeding our egos and naming buildings after ourselves and seeking revenge on those we think are our enemies, we instead spent our time being kind and fair, and making sure we did right by each other?
As Abraham Lincoln said in his Gettysburg Address – our government is “of the people, by the people, for the people.” It’s not meant to dictate to us. We are meant to dictate to it.
I have recently been involved in some interesting discussions about our Bill of Rights and what it means – particularly the provision in the First Amendment for peaceful protest.
I think there are things that should be considered non-partisan: decency, fairness, equity, kindness, wisdom, honesty. And there are certain things that no party should tolerate: cruelty, inhumanity, bigotry, racism, misogyny, dishonesty.
In a thread on a friend’s FB wall, one poster pointed out that 56-67 ICE detainees died during the time of the Obama administration. (Note that according to The Guardian, “Thirty-two people died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] custody in 2025 – making it the agency’s deadliest year in more than two decades, as the Trump administration moved to detain a record number of people.”)
In a comment to another poster, I wrote: “…thank you for reminding us all that this is a non-partisan issue, and whenever our Bill of Rights is ignored – no matter what administration is in charge – it is our duty to protest to make sure we keep our rights.”
To which, that poster replied, “…well the left treats it like Its (sic) a partisan issue and only sends (sic) to have a problem because trump is doing it. If you’re gonna protest then you need to protest when the left does it or allow when the right does it too. Its (sic) not rules for thee and not for me.”
To which, I posted the photo below – of me marching in a local migrant farmworkers’ march in 2012, during the Obama administration.
And no, I certainly don’t think any of us should EVER “allow” cruelty, injustice, inhumanity – regardless of which party is sitting in the White House. Activism – fighting for the rights of others, and for our own rights – doesn’t begin when one party gets in office, and end when another party gets in office. It should be, I think, a lifelong commitment to our country, and our world.
Another poster posted a response that gave me my first laugh out loud of the day. I’m still cracking up. 😀 Here’s a screenshot of that conversation…
I’m finding a sense of humor is essential to keeping one’s sanity in these interesting times. 😀
Today was split into two parts – the “before” and the “after.”
In the “before” I drove into town to see if I could find a little bedside lamp for our spare bedroom. I thought I’d stop by Pat’s New and Used – I hadn’t been there for years and I wondered if my former student, Rod, was still connected to it. His family had owned the old Pat’s New and Used, I remembered. So I stopped by to see what I could see. It was amazing in there! – full of nostalgia and fun, useful things and cheerfully whimsical things. I found a little lamp right away and set it on the counter, and then just explored for a while.
When I came back to the counter, I asked the clerk if Rod still was part of Pat’s New and Used, and she told me he was! Then she led me back through the aisles and outside and called out to him. Rod came out from behind some machinery and I asked him if he remembered me. He smiled and said he did – he said I was “Mrs. Terrell” – he recognized my voice and smile and mannerisms. I’d had Rod in class probably 37 or 38 years ago and it’s an understatement to say that I’ve changed a little since then – so it was very cool that he still remembered me. Rod and I chatted and laughed together for a while and then I asked him if I could get his picture, and this is when I realized I’d left my cellphone at home. So Rod kindly took our photo with his cellphone. (See our pic below.)
It was so fun to see Rod again, and I was so excited about finding my new little lamp. I came home all full of gratitude about the gifts Life gives us.
Then I checked my FB messages. I learned about the murder in Minnesota this morning. All the joy of the morning got sucked out of me.
The rest of the day was my “after.”
I had to go back into town to get some gas and buy groceries. Usually I walk into Fred’s with a smile on my face, wondering who I’m going to run into in there, and what magic I’ll find. But today I walked in feeling emotionally shattered. I wandered the aisles, shocked and numb. I exchanged a smile with another man who had the same look I probably had on my face – he looked like he was in mourning.
But when I got to the produce section I found a moment of joy – a cart went by with a toddler sitting in it, and I found myself smiling at the wee one, coaxing a smile back from him. His innocence, his unaffected happiness in getting a smile, and returning it to me – was magic. It’s amazing how a small thing like a smile from a baby can bring us out of the depths, isn’t it?
I found the things I wanted. Summoned a smile for the cashier – I love the people who work at Fred’s – filled my tank with gas, and started the drive home.
Following my intuition, I ended up taking a side road on the way home, and found myself gazing at a field of swans. I pulled over and got out of the car and started snapping pictures. The swans didn’t seem scared of me at all. They glanced up to see what was watching them, trusted I was harmless, and then went back to grazing. It was so peaceful there with the swans. Another moment of joy.
As I was about to get back on Chuckanut, I impulsively turned into the Otter Beans espresso stand. The baristas there always lift me up with their kindness. Danielle was manning the shop today. She asked me how I was, and I was honest with her about how I was feeling. There were no other customers there right then, and Danielle and I had a good chat for about ten minutes – talking to Danielle was like talking with a life coach. I told her I always find joy at the Otter Beans, and she told me that I had just brought HER joy by telling her that. Then she reminded me that for all the evil we see happening in the world, there’s always good, too – and she reminded me to look for that.
Just about then, Scotty suddenly appeared next to me. He was on his way home from his errands, too, and had seen me at Otter Beans. It always makes my heart happy when I see my husband unexpectedly. More joy!
I got home. Made myself some peanut butter and honey toast. Put on the 1987 version of *Adventures in Babysitting* and watched a babysitter conquer the forces of evil. I found this weirdly inspiring.
At 7:00, like other people around the nation, Scott and I lit a candle in tribute to Alex Pretti, an American hero.
Go Seahawks! Also yay to TRUTH JUSTICE and KINDNESS.
When I drove by the courthouse just before noon, there was only one sign-holder there. I honked in support, then I parked my car and pulled out my TRUTH JUSTICE KINDNESS sign to join him on the corner. Dylan had started back to his bike by the time I got out of my car, but when he saw me, he turned around and came back to join me on the corner.
Dylan was so fun! I think what had brought him to the courthouse with his sign was the same thing that had brought me today – the murders in Minnesota. But, in spite of the fact that we were drawn there by tragedy, Dylan was one of those people it’s easy to laugh with, too.
I’d worn my Seahawks shirt today, and I found that when people looked grumpy at seeing my TRUTH JUSTICE KINDNESS sign, all I had to do was reveal my Seahawks shirt and yell “Go Seahawks!” and they’d start laughing and give me the thumbs up. Dylan said I should have had “Go Seahawks!” on the other side of my TRUTH JUSTICE KINDNESS sign and then I could just flip it back and forth, depending on our audience.
Not long after Dylan and I joined forces on the corner, another sign-bearer joined us: my FB friend, Tele. Now we were three! I introduced Dylan and Tele to each other and we got a group photo. Dylan had to leave to get to work then, but just about the time Dylan left, we were joined by Teri. And then Kelsey joined us. I introduced myself as the Karen in the group – because every group needs one – and we had fun putting our names together: Tele, Teri, Kelsey, and Karen. I love alliteration.
I’d been parked for an hour by then, in a spot that was limited to an hour, and it was time for me to go. But I so enjoyed connecting with Dylan and the two Ts and the other K.
I drove to Fred’s with the idea of getting a mocha and maybe a pastry. Sitting outside the store was a man, holding a sign for help. I asked him if I could get him a coffee and he said that would be nice. I asked him what kind he’d like and he said a mocha would be good.
The store was full of Seahawks fans – blue and green everywhere. I’m glad I’d worn my Seahawks shirt today.
Just inside the store was a rack of little pies on sale for 50 cents each. I got two of those – one for the man outside, and one for myself – and then ordered two mochas from the baristas.
I brought the man his mocha and asked him if he liked pies – which he did. He thanked me for the pie and mocha, and said, “God bless.” And I wished him well.
And now I’m home, watching the Broncos and Patriots do battle in the snow. Pretty soon the Seahawks will take to the field in Seattle.
Adventures of the Madcap Christian Scientist 