Marx, My Family and Perspective- Presente!

It was another full weekend. My brain works overtime, but its starting to feel good. Doesn't hurt that I've been attending to my personal needs: fridge has food, Halloween brings socializing, been working out and feeling like I'm getting formulated well enough to explain what I think about things.

I need to take a moment to be greatful for my parents. They are so good at listening to me and supporting me through whatever. But mostly I have to credit them for the things about myself that I value. My independence, my love of music and getting down, my love of nature, my courage and my political views. I feel bad for the folks who have to be the black sheep of their family. It's hard enough to have political views that are against the status-quo and feel alienated on a regular basis, but to do that and battle your family too must be just awful. There is a certain beauty in the fact that I called my dad no less than three times this weekend to ask him to help me clarify some Marxist theory and put it into real concrete terms. It was, as he said, a "real light bulb moment" when I finally got the idea of labor power as a commodity. Box of crap costs $7. My hour of work costs $7 and in that hour I make a whole lot of boxes of crap. Boss pays for my labor and gets all the boxes of crap to sell and keep the profit for himself. Hello, exploitation.

I guess it goes back even farther though. I went to a great workshop this weekend, again an honor to be able to be included in a Mexican leadership workshop series and again the battle to wonder if I should participate or keep my mouth shut... I just get so into it (it was a GREAT examination of all of the immgration history of the US starting with Columbus' invasion and it was such good pop ed- full of the economic and political context of the whole shebang, excellent fodder to give folks the tool to shut down any anti-immigrant argument coming their way "We are here because you are there") but I don't want to dominate when it's not about me or "my people". But on the other hand if I keep my mouth shut, aren't I then just observer, getting facts about everyone else and not opening myself up? What's up with the solidarity of workshop participation. I know, I know: balance.

In any case: history- my roots are pretty politically right on. My great grandmother was a Russian immigrant, garment worker, hardcore unionist, communist/anarchist- such a history that isn't remotely taught (along with so many others) in US high school. I didn't even know about the Palmer Raids or even Emma Goldman (who my greatgrandma knew apparently) until a few years ago. I grew up in that atmosphere, my parents met in a socialist meeting, I was always aware of class, workers and because of living in Boston, race. There was an interesting moment in the workshop where I recognized the history of communism in my cultural/familial background and the same history of movement in Latin America. I wonder if it explains some of my identification with Mexico and the Zapatistas. Yes, of course it does.... Injustice has always linked right into capitalism/state (and now corporate domination) for me. It seems logical that I would reject the state as they are the Big Capitalists pushing folks off their land, stealing people to force them to be slaves, Baddies indeed. I guess it's hard for me to analyze it any other way though really. How could people really see it another way? An example of the force of truth or the force of believing 100% all I grew up with? Or the both?

And I can't not mention Oaxaca. Teachers on strike get messed with by govt. People join in to support them. Police vs. people conflicts and now people have been shot. Interesting that finally there is lots of press here about it- now that a (white) American got killed. He was an activist and Indymedia journalist. I went to a vigil/protest yesterday (see video here) and couldn't help noticing the variety of folks there and couldn't settle all what I thought. Lots of white folks, handful of Latinos. Mostly the talk was about Indymedia and activism and a little bit about the people of Oaxaca. In some ways it was pulled together more for me when the names of all the dead were called out (and we replied "Presente!" for each of them) then the chant of "La Lucha Sigue!" started and then it seemed solid and right. I guess certain kinds of ritual are important to me, bring it in. And then all over the issue Police/Government Oppression. Mexico is a mess with that- and we are here too. How to fight that? Only as a group. You need critical mass for sure. Zaps are doing what they can to create that.... today is a day I feel like the world can really change.... as long as we remain Presente.

Pues, enough Corryosophy. The light and frothy stuff- a couple of new cd's in the mail (Strictly the Best 34 is all soft, that's unusual, the link has samples- and thanks be again to dad who copied his whole Wilco collection for me), new good haircut, some needed profession repair of the eyebrows, a sweet boy asked for my phone number (but hasn't called, and I suspect he may be under the 25 year old mark...) visiting babies (love those cheeks!) and Halloween! Too many parties, lots of dancing, I brought out ye old standby- the Super Hero look. It's just so easy and I have a gold sparkly cape and belt left over from years as Super Teacher, scary though to think most of my costume is made up of my own clothes. I'm good at that though. Bought costumes are such booty. I liked my Dead Maryanne from Gilligan's Island years ago. I pinned lettuce all over my clothes to simulate seaweed. This year I also had fake eyelashes which I surprisingly loved. I may have to bust them out from time to time in other contexts.... More to say, happy at work, mildly guilty that capoeira has taken such a serious backburner, I guess I've got decent perspective about most things these days.

Oh! And I got to hear Marjane Satrapi speak. She's so wonderful. Great perspective (called Bush a fundamentalist and defended drinking and smoking as being good in that she didn't want her body to be fresh meat for the worms, she wanted a rotted body for those guys...). Love art. Love comics.

More soon.. there always is.