Week 3-The Art of Possibility

Rally on the capital steps.

It's been a difficult week here in Wisconsin. I am sure most of you have heard by now that our governor is trying to take away our collective bargaining rights here in WI. This will affect 157,000 public unionized employees. Teachers, sanitation workers, nurses, health care workers, etc.  This "budget repair bill" has divided our state and created huge conflict. I am going to admit, it's been very hard to focus on anything else this week. I've been doing my best to keep my head held high, but it's been tough.

I became a teacher because I had a teacher once tell me I was stupid to my face. I never wanted another child to feel the way I did at that moment. I set out to make a change in the world, small little me...making a change. I never thought the day would come that our union rights would be threatened and our bargaining rights taken away. I never thought I would see the day that an elected official (not by me!) would find so little value in education. It makes me sad.

Ok, so I am sure you are wondering how this all connects to this weeks reading. Here goes.

"Being present to the way things are is not the same as accepting things as they are in the resigned way of the cow. It doesn't mean you should drown out your negative feelings or pretend like you really can't stand."
"It simply means, being present without resistance: being present to what is happening and present to your reactions, no matter how intense."

The capital rotunda at 8:00 on Wednesday February 16, 2011

This seems so fitting to the personal turmoil I've been dealing with this week. Last Friday this bill was introduced and the state began to panic. My husband and I followed it all weekend, but there was little news coverage about it. Monday it began to pick up and Tuesday we were in full force. Unions began peacefully protesting at the capital.  Teachers began to plan days to go to Madison and protest in solidarity. (I do want to say I don't condone "sick outs" and not showing up to work.) I've been very vocal about my feelings at school, something I usually don't do. I like to keep politics out of my workplace.  But I couldn't stay quiet about this! Wednesday we got an e-mail from our union saying the district would allow teachers to leave upon student dismissal. (Wednesdays our students are released early for collaborative time within the building.) So almost all the teachers walked out together and 8 of us piled in the car and drove two hours to Madison to make our voices heard. I couldn't sit still anymore and not take part in what was happening.

The capital rotunda at 8:00 on Wednesday February 16, 2011

I have to admit, I was a bit nervous. I've never been a political activist or any type of activist for that matter. But I had to do this. I had to make my voice heard. I couldn't stand by and do nothing anymore. Being there was the experience of a lifetime. It was peaceful, inspirational and motivating. Seeing thousands of people come together to fight for something they believe in was amazing.

The capital all light up at night.  2-16-11