I received a mail just yesterday from a young man who is an old friend. He spoke of his disillusionment with "hype" mainly around environmental issues and earth causes as these were the issues that moved him into action to do something about making changes for the preservation and good of this beautiful planet. Full of hope he engaged in whatever he could to become a part of this movement. Today he is feeling a bit cynical about it all. It is always tough to enter into that which you believe in both actively and with a strong spirit for making it "right" only to discover that those who wield the power may not want to achieve the goals we began with. This is not new! I remember it well, in the days of believing in peace, in equal rights for all,

in the power a society can have when everyone works together towards a solution to whatever ever problems emerge as critical in whatever ere we are in.

Back in the sixties (which many people would like to forget) that power was in full swing...there was a gathering of the people that held such a force that those who would choose to turn away were made to listen, to see. It was a frightening time for politics and corporates because it was not just a samll gathering here and there which could be controlled and made to fade away. It was not, at that time something that could be turned into profit or used as a front to make us all believe that our leaders agreed! It was the only time in my life so far where the people got past those who had an investment in "no change"

One of the major aspects of the success of that ere, and believe me it was a success was that it was the young students who made us all wake up and see that we were agreeing to live in a world that cred not for "all the people" by the people! There voices were the first to say NO MORE WAR...(Vietnam) The first to demand equal rights for all citizens of any coluer or sex...

soon there efforts were picked up by lawyers, doctors,musicians.. a growing movement coming from the church's...followed by housewives...laborers..dentists... et al.

The jails were full of citizens, not criminals but ordinary people who were bearing witness..I went to jail with the ladies who lunched and played bridge....my son went to jail with Joan Baez...my dentist was held for two weeks for protesting ! imagine a dentist in the local jail!

The point was that it was a time when we were strong enough and aware enough to see through those who were in control and deman our right to be heard on this terrible war that was causing so much loss and pain to everyone.

Around the same time, another storm was brewing in America, in the deep south...word was spread all over the states from those who had seen the poverty, oppre4sion and humilation of our black citizens.

One day, an elderly black woman refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a local bus. She was tired, she had worked all day for her white boss....she was tired also of a system that every moment of every day made her feel unwelcome in the country she was born in. Her name was Rosa Parks...she lit a fire that consumed a nation and the civil rights movement was born!

From these days forward my stories are many.... I was fortunate enough to be there, to see what the power of the people could do and yes, also what it would never be able to achieve. I to was dissapointed in many of the issues that occured while we were living in an era of significient change. Not all was possible, for example I saw the destruction of many good and csring clergy as the rich parisheners wielded there pocketbooks to keep gays and blacks from the doors of their posh cathedrals....but not without a fight..believe me! more to come on all of this for any of you who are interested.

My blog today is for my friend who has every right to be cynical and deeply dissapointed as he sees the charade of charities and do gooders who behind the scenes are not working for change but rather for "big bucks" It is good that you see beyond your enthusiasm...good that you have a bitter taste in your mouth because only when you can see clearly what you are up against, what the big picture really is....then and only then you will find from within the resource that is waiting to be tapped to make change. Go ahead, be cynical! but never give up hope...hope is the very thing that reminds us each day of what we are doing on this planet, for this planet and for all the people on it.