A Story of Laurel, In One Breath

Life is so mysterious, not long ago nobody could’ve imagined that I, Laurel Carpenter, would be sitting here, risen from my sickbed with an achy body and sore throat, looking into a device connecting me with another human being in the web of all existence, Zooming through space for a screen-time face to face conversation about a story of my life, the stories of my life 
(while columnist Monte imagines me thinking – “what is he thinking?!
how can he possibly take my story, make my story into a never-ending prose poem?”)

Life is so mysterious, beautifully wonderfully
I am not living the life I thought I would be living, oh my life
surprises me all the time, at no time did I think I would be a nurse and a farmer,
or that I’d live here in the Grand Valley I am from Miami where I lived for over 20 years,
yet my family – five generations of my family are from here, when I was a toddler my family moved to Miami where my dad’s from, and I lived there until I went off to college
it’s a strange in between feeling, like living in two worlds
I didn’t grow up here yet I have all this history here, I’m living in the family farmhouse that my grandfather built
yet I’m not from here, my cousins all grew up together – I grew up apart

Beautifully wonderfully I’ve come a long way in my 17 years of living here
I married a man from rifle – to Jake, Grand Junction is a big city and for me it’s a small town, so this is our middle ground, our best balancing act and we’re perfecting the art of juggling. It is a considerable part of my identity
doing the splits between urban and rural – I’ve learned to farm, to irrigate, keep animals And Can – 
the first year we moved onto the farm Jake said he was going to plant a garden and I thought
oh that sounds nice, and he planted an acre! the vegetables were overflowing
thankfully the gardens have gotten smaller yet the property has gotten bigger and we have sheep and chickens and ducks and dogs and cats and

Hi Mom, I’m Zooming with Monte, come say hi [hi Laurel’s mom (Ruth)]
she is marvelous, it is fabulous raising my kids intergenerationally
my mom has lived with us for eight years and my dad lived with us for the last few years of his life, so
my kids know what it’s like to be cared for and to care for elders,
and to support people through the end of life – life is mysteriously so, beautifully wonderfully so

in high school Laurel was in the Boy Scout Explorers so she had many adventures in the wilderness
Florida is ecologically diverse so she experienced and learned about the specific ecology of different places, various wild spaces swamps to old world forests camping kayaking hiking listening Laurel
was also the president of the environmental club and became the president of the countywide Congress
of environmental clubs in Miami, Dade County 2 million students
organizing beach cleanups organizing workdays organizing workshops
(picking up leadership skills, setting her foundation so
throughout her life leadership roles often find her)
Laurel assumed she would study environmental science

yet no – surprise! – It was time to visit colleges so Laurel
got on a plane with her father flying to Hampshire College in Massachusetts
life is beautifully wonderfully mysterious – she didn’t know it at the time
that Hampshire College is renowned for activism so Laurel found out about this protest that she
wanted to attend and convinced her dad to switch their tickets to Miami, instead fly to Washington DC so suddenly she found herself standing in a mass of 10,000 people
gathering flyers and posters and buttons and it was like she had found her world
a world of social justice, thoughtful Movement Oh the powerful feeling of finding yourself
in the midst of an active movement, 10,000 worker bees buzzing Oh feel the energy vibrating
people power pulsing, hearts united to awaken the masses to right a wrong
to create a better world

Laurel left college after two years, followed her heart to backwoods Montana
for a wildlife conservation campaign to protect the last remaining herd of wild bison she lived
in a commune 60 people cozy in a three bedroom cabin 
every day snowshoeing and cross-country skiing into the wild documenting and disrupting
the harassment the trapping the slaughtering of ancient bison, the fog of their mingling breath One
alive with the Great Beasts in the pristine winter wilderness beautiful wonderful the passion the purpose
this was her new world and she loved it

Laurel hopped the peace and justice train and became a traveling activist, she joined the struggle
to expose the moneymaker worshipers of wealth, spotlighting
the economic malignancy that tramples everything and everyone that gets in its way –
she organized protests, large mass mobilizations all across the country, her favorite memory
returning home to Miami to take a stand against the Free Trade of the Americas Treaty, trying
to prevent the exploitation of Central and South America, 30,000 people marching Oh!

the movement of energy and emotion the sense of accomplishment marching she
would usually get arrested and often hurt, but then she would be released and the charges dropped
because the arrests were never lawful and she would sue them and she would win
and they would give her money funding her activism 
marching Oh the motion the emotion, engaged in the work devoted to the struggle
the deep bonds you form with your brothers and sisters in arms, linking arms
Speaking Out beautiful wonderful – one-of-a-kind life-changing experience

and then, when you come out of these giant protests and into the real world
the general population just doesn’t understand – the force
the force for good pulsing through your veins, and they don’t seem to understand the power
the people have the power to create a better world they don’t seem to understand what is happening and how
the world needs the heart’s power and they look at you like you’re the crazy one with your idealist mindset attempting to heal the world

so – Laurel is protesting at the Republican National Convention in New York City and she gets arrested
and all the arrestees get stored in a decommissioned bus depot with petroleum spilled on the ground and the fiberglass ceiling coming down so they spend three days sitting and standing in fiberglass and petroleum My God! (though she didn’t meet them at the time, didn’t know this at this time
she would later find out that Jacob Richards and Connie Murillo – her people – were present in that jail and smuggled out pictures which they sold to CNN making national news) so, Laurel gets out of jail and Ben, her husband at the time, tells her that her grandfather fell out of a tree and broke his leg so they get  on a plane with Laurel’s clothes still soaked in petroleum and fiberglass heading to Grand Junction to aid her grandfather

and they are living in the countryside and they don’t know anyone and they have a lot of spare time so Laurel is scrapbooking yes you heard that right Laurel is scrapbooking for eight months until one day they are walking by a coffee shop on Colorado Avenue and notice a flyer about the showing
of a documentary called “The Miami Model” – what the what?! life’s is so mysterious
Ben and Laurel look at each other like are you the one that put up that flyer because, because, because it is a documentary about the protest Laurel helped organize and she is featured in the film

and she hasn’t yet seen it so they decide to attend the screening and as they turn into the parking lot Laurel is unaware of the magnitude of the occasion, that she has truly arrived
her lifeline is shifting as she walks into the small building on Grand Avenue
into the Unitarian Universalist Church! And obviously they recognize her
hey aren’t you in this movie?, and watching the movie brings out pent-up emotions because the Miami arrest was extremely traumatizing and of course the lights come on and they ask her to speak so
she blubbers all puffy-faced and teary-eyed through her words, wonderful beautiful
so thus is she introduced to The Church and her best friend Connie

a room full of people viewing the movie and among them the few
who would become Her People like kindred souls they connected and started sharing their stories and within a few months they moved into a house together forming
the Confluence Collective – a place where people were encouraged to stop by and share their ideas,
safe to say even the most radical ideas and they began planning and organizing, building people power within the Valley, Speaking Out against injustice spreading the word of a better way
wonderful beautiful to be a part of a community so close together sharing their space and their lives and
organizing locally to affect the larger community 
[Elizabeth and I were working with them through a local activist group called A Voice of Reason]

Connie and I weren’t that close at first, we were kind of competitive in the beginning yet we became closer and closer over the years and then boom! Connie had Nicolai and Cohen, and I had Ramona all in
a span of 18 months , so, we moved out of the collective and into a house and we started 
raising the babies together, it was just the babies Connie and I and our partners living together and it was Amazing the babies shared a nursery together Connie and I both breast-fed all three of them 
they grew up together the children became our activism our way of changing the world, 
creating a better world.

(so when people approach me to thank me for taking in Connie’s children, saying things like you’re amazing it’s amazing what you’ve done I know they mean well, yet they are missing something – we were always a family, already a family, kids and parents enmeshed in each other’s hearts,
we’re just missing a family member now) 

several years later Laurel’s next story, the one we’ve all been awaiting (members of our congregation who’ve been around a while) holding our breaths because our hearts play a small part in this grieving
story of mourning
yes, Connie got cancer, no, no, no! Connie got cancer

at the time Laurel was a doula, a professional childbirth coach who walks you through a harrowing, intimate medical experience which is what cancer is so she became Connie’s personal doula
holding her hand every scan every imaging every surgery every everything and
Connie did the treatment grueling debilitating harrowing to buy some earthly time,
Connie let Laurel help shape how the boys were going to know about it
Laurel bought children’s books about how to understand your loved one’s cancer
she showed and explained Mama’s (she was Mama, Laurel is Mommy)  scans and x-rays and procedures and

Connie went into remission, she grew her huge heart impossibly larger living in the moment she celebrated life
(she sits in a circle singing –
may we be filled with loving kindness, may we be well
may we be peaceful and at ease, may we be whole)
she quit work homeschooled Nicolai spent all of her time with he and Cohen, and when the boys
were with their fathers, she would go on adventures everything from rock climbing to concerts,
dancing, dancing, dancing

she got 11 months free from cancer – Connie collapsed at a concert Laurel got a call from an ICU 
in Arizona so Laurel drove down to get her brought her back home, the cancer was back had moved into her brain, soon they moved her and the boys into their house like they had lived for so many years 
one big family
(“you know, it’s strangely paradoxical, some ways our family grew yet
it also shrunk because we lost her”) Connie opted not to do the treatment,
chose to cherish the rest of her life, they set her up with a sunny plant filled music filled
healing room, love poured into her room beautiful wonderful 

while Laurel tended Connie’s sickbed she worked full-time on her second bachelor’s degree,
a five-year commitment, graduating two months after Connie’s death,

sometimes I regret that it took me 15 years to graduate with my first bachelor’s degree yet
I wouldn’t be the person that I am today if I hadn’t driven out into the woods in Montana
beautiful wonderful I have a husband Jake and I are crazy busy yet we are happy 
Jake got a Masters degree in education and his dream is to be a middle school civics teacher yet now he’s living his other dream as a whitewater flyfishing guide and also works as a counselor at the mental health hospital – I am an RN working in home health I also deliver babies at a birthing center I also teach nursing classes at Colorado Mesa University and 
I still do a bit of volunteer organizing both locally and nationally and

I’m the president of the Board at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley my
little community I am a spiritual person I had a religious upbringing I went from Methodist to Episcopal to born-again Baptist and became a Buddhist in college until I studied Comparative Religion and realized there isn’t a right answer, there is sacred wisdom in all of it my mother is now a Methodist minister so
I am a fine fit as a UU I am a spiritual person I love my little community
it means so much to me and my family I’m so grateful will never forget
how the UU’s supported us during Connie Murillo’s  passing, I love
knowing that my kids are being raised in a church environment where they can believe
whatever they want to believe and still be supported and loved

My kids mean the world to me, are the world to Jake and I they are happy kids
I love how they get to play in open country spaces catching snakes and frogs, exploring, wild 
life is so mysterious my kids don’t have sidewalks or a neighborhood we have soil and trees,
so different from my childhood it boggles my mind how I came to so love chickens
Jake teaches the kids flyfishing and bow hunting they can all tie flies and shoot a bow and arrow,
whenever we get spare time it is often an adventure in the Great Outdoors beautiful wonderful

Jake and I have four beautiful wonderful kids (two from Connie and two from Jake and I – all ours) I’m simultaneously humbled and filled it’s an honor to witness the type of people 
my children are becoming

Ramona is 13 in eighth grade wants to be a surgeon and a writer she’s already working on her first novel she is an avid reader and makes jewelry and art beautiful wonderful Ramona

though Nicolai is no longer living with us we lost the court battle he’s living with relatives in Denver
he still talks to Cohen on the phone and they text back-and-forth every day he’s a good soccer player is playing flag football now attending a private Catholic school is 13 in 8th grade beautiful wonderful Nicolai

Cohen is 12 in sixth grade is learning the clarinet wants to be a mathematician and videogamer he enjoys video games is saving money to buy a gaming PC beautiful wonderful Cohen

Emmett is nine in third grade is really into archery, plays hockey and likes anything to do with trains and visiting model train museums beautiful wonderful Emmett

and so is Laurel’s unexpected life,  living in the moment, taking one more breath 

Life flows on...   In endless song...

Over the years I’ve heard numerous people disparage the designation of wilderness areas by speaking on behalf of people with disabilities. They say that wilderness areas are unfair to the disabled because there are no roads allowed to take them there. I’ve heard it said that the designation of wilderness areas is like a slap to the face of the disabled population. As a person with a disability, I wholeheartedly disagree.

In 1983, as a 20-year-old boy, I was driving along a small winding highway between Dolores and Cortez, Colorado when five horses ran out in front of me. The ensuing collision caused a spinal cord injury that left me paralyzed, a quadriplegic with limited movement below the neck. I have now lived most of my life navigating the Earth in a wheelchair.

Before the crash I was very physically active, and spent much of my time in the Great Outdoors – hiking, hunting, fishing, camping – being. Some of my best memories are of traversing the tree line – hiking along rushing streams, through Mountain Meadows, Aspen and Pine, to come face to face with rocky outcroppings. Walking through the wild wonder. Otherworldly surroundings. The silence – there is sound, but no noise. Just the soothing sound of nature. I sit still and listen, and move on with a renewed sense of belonging. I am reminded of the connectedness of all things, that everything is one in God. I am awakened to reality, aware of my place on the sacred path I follow as a human being. O the beauty! O the Peace, the exaltation of my soul! Even now, as I write these words the beauty brings me to my knees in reverence, tears roll from my eyes. The tears come not because I can no longer visit these pristine places, but because these places exist – just knowing that such beauty exists within our world brings me joy.

I still love getting out into nature. There are many beautiful natural areas that I can access in my wheelchair, places I can sit where it seems as if I am out in the middle of the wilderness, where I can recharge my connection to nature, experience a sense of immediacy and enter wholly into the moment. I live in Grand Junction, Colorado. I love spending time along the Colorado River front trails and the local State Parks. Wheelchair accessibility has come a long way in recent years. I am grateful. Yet, I am aware of the need for designated wilderness areas and I am grateful for the wild places where wildlife can thrive.

As a wheelchair user I have learned to adapt. There are many places that are not accessible to me, including many of my friend’s homes. I do not take this as a sign that I am not welcome. I do not expect my friends to spend thousands of dollars to remodel their houses just so that I can enter. There are many other places where we can meet, where my friends can welcome me into their hearts. Likewise, I do not expect anyone to build roads and trails over every square inch of wilderness so that I can visit in my wheelchair. Especially when I realize that my selfishness could lead to the demise of the very land I love. I love knowing that there are wild places where animals can room free without human disruption. Many species are going extinct. Some animals, such as elk, require large wildlife corridors for migration, and many species cannot survive around the noise and pollution of machines. These lands mean much more than how much money we can pump out of them – for much of God’s creation these wilderness lands are crucial for their survival.

Compendium

[I know that I always carry the wilderness within me, that the wild wonder is within me to be awakened any time I choose. I believe that human beings are created to be happy, and that to be happy I must be whole, and that to be whole I must realize that everything is One. All of God’s creation is One – I am a part of everything; everything is a part of me. I believe that we human beings lovingly need to return to nature, to realize our connection to nature. Nature can bring us wholly into the moment, into the holy instant where time turns to eternity.]

     I was recently contemplating:  Why is it that some groups or projects grow and thrive, while others falter and disappear?   While the answer is complex, I believe that a key element of thriving groups is that people value their personal relationships with each other.  In addition to whatever hard work the group is doing, they also have fun.  And each person feels that they belong and are a valued member of the group. 

     We are all so busy these days, it is easy to get pulled into a “get down to business because that is all that we have time for” mindset.  And yet, if we remember the moments that felt meaningful and brought us joy over the past few years, isn’t it often those moments when we felt connected to others?  

     How do we help groups we are part of elevate the value of loving relationships?  If the group is a part of UUCGV, then regularly rereading our UUCGV Covenant of Right Relations can give us inspiration and clues to attitudes and actions that we each can each cultivate.  For example, wouldn’t most of us enjoy being part of a group in which members strive to “to express sincere appreciation for each other as we recognize our human fallibility, while maintaining a sense of humor as we live through both difficult and joyous times together”?

     We are seeing a light at the end of the COVID tunnel and hoping for a return to more in-person gatherings before long.  As we move in that direction, let’s celebrate the fun, beauty, AND challenges of the various friendships and bonds we each have or are building within others in our congregation.  Let us also take guidance and inspiration from our UUCGV Covenant of Right Relations:

Each of us, as members of this Beloved Community, do covenant: 
to live as a caring community, actively supporting each other in our spiritual values as expressed in our UU principles and sources of faith; 

• to work together respectfully, remaining honest and direct in our communication in order to draw wisdom from both our commonalities and our diversities;
• to share our gifts generously in order to contribute to the development and growth of our community; 
• to live, teach and demonstrate our UU tradition so that we pass a rich inheritance into the caring hands of future generations;
• to express sincere appreciation for each other as we recognize our human fallibility, while maintaining a sense of humor as we live through both difficult and joyous times together. 

     I love our little, mighty community, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley – how we stand for one another and for what we stand for in the community at large – linking loving arms and waltzing our way into peace. We support one another in so many ways – with our Care Team that helps members in need with services such as providing meals or rides, with worship services that lift our spirits with inspiring sermons and participation in song, by joining small groups and listening to and sharing our stories, by listening deeply to one another and accepting and cherishing our differences and encouraging one another, or by simply being together. We may be small in numbers, yet we are a force in the Grand Valley – whether it be supporting the local homeless and low-income population, sending food to the Navajo nation or advocating and activating peace and justice. Our building is (pre and post pandemic) a hub for nonprofits and those who come together to join forces and organize for peace and justice, and for helping those in need.

     Many of you have not heard the story of our UU Congregation’s history, how we wandered around in the desert for 40 years (actually, closer to 60) until we found our home. The first UU group started up in the 1950s. They met in people’s homes. Since that time our foremothers have met in multiple buildings around the Valley, sharing space with different churches and organizations. The group changed their name a few times, and the number of members fluctuated. They even disbanded for a couple years in the 1970s, only to rise from the ashes and thrive like never before. Most recently we rented a building close to 10th and Grand, and then moved to share space with the Congregational church across from Grand Junction high school. Our weekly worship service was held on Sunday evening. During our time at the Congregational church, we began searching for a building that we could buy, with a mortgage we could afford.

     After inspecting and touring three different locations that didn’t quite work out, an intriguing prospect arose. The Downtown library was selling a building across the street that it used mainly for storage. The building began as a credit union. It had a drive-up window, a vault in the middle of the building that ran from the first floor down into the basement, and a conveyor system in the middle of the main room that hauled books from the basement. How in the world could this possibly work? Yet, the building had a strong foundation. The location was outstanding. And the imagination of our building team members was amazing – if we knock this wall down… and we put up a wall here… remove the conveyor belt and the drive-up window… put in a lift… a sound system… a kitchen and classrooms in the basement… 

     With the help of a generous donor, we were able to get a loan. Some of the work had to be contracted out, but much of it was done by congregants. Thousands of hours of volunteer time went into the remodeling of our building. Many of our congregants poured their blood, sweat and tears into the renovation.

     Though the work continued, and continues to this day, at long last, in June of 2014 we moved into the building and held our first worship service. Such a beautiful space! A place of our own, a place we could truly call home.

 Although tragedies are constantly unfolding in different parts of the world, sometimes a tragedy really hits home. For me, this is true of the recent shooting at a grocery store frequented by my dad and stepmother; a grocery store which I grew up going to regularly.

When my world splits open that way, I feel urgency to deepen my spirituality and be of service in this world. And I feel boundlessly grateful to have found a community that can amplify that desire and be a force for positive change.

This quote from an article on the gratefulness.org website about a group called “TreeSisters” summarizes my feelings about UUCGV:

As the forests burn and fear rises, the choice to continue bringing all your creativity to something that builds hope and comfort, that believes in everyone and calls for their greatness, and that provides directly relevant and impactful solutions… is such a relief.
​
​~ Clare Dubois

     Each time we feel paralyzed by feelings of helplessness about the state of the world, we can choose to do some small concrete task to help UUCGV create hope and comfort. We can choose to do some small concrete task to help UUCGV create directly relevant and impactful solutions to world problems.

     As Pamela Haines writes at http://www.findingsteadyground.com/

     The goal of injustice is to breed passivity — to make us believe that things happen to us, events happen to us, policies happen to us. To counteract this, we need to stay in touch with our sense of personal power. One goal is to see ourselves as people who create, whether it’s cooking a meal, organizing a dazzling dramatic action, knitting a hat, making a sign, or playing the piano. We are more than consumers, and our humanity must be affirmed.

     The energy from our grief and anger can be channeled into energy working for good. Sometimes it will be fun and creative. Other times it may not look very exciting. It may involve tackling some unpleasant and mundane task that we have been procrastinating but which will be helpful to a larger picture goal that will benefit others.

​     Let’s support each other by believing in each other and ourselves and by drawing out that greatness that can shine forth when we set our egos aside. Let's take full advantage of the blessing of finding ourselves together in this valley, at this critical point in time in our world. 

     Our church theme for April is “Becoming”. I thought I would pose a question about becoming to several random UUCGV congregants, and include the responses in my April newsletter column. My question:

     Recently, when I am in a situation where I am uncertain, I try to remember to ask myself first of all – what do I want to come of this? What is it for? So, I thought I’d try to pass it on and ask, keeping this in mind, what would you like our church community “to be”, what do you see our church “becoming”, especially given that we’ll hopefully be returning to in-house services by the end of the summer? Pick something in particular that comes to mind and write a sentence or a few.

Here are the responses:

“I would like to see us continue to be more of an activist church, in particular reaching out and serving as a headquarters or place of refuge for vulnerable populations (those with food insecurity, POC, immigrant/latinx, LBGTQ). In other words, truly welcoming with open arms (in remembrance of Duane Carr) to all who enter our doors.” - Bill Hilty

“Somehow have a random 6 person Coffee breakout right after the service and then go visit with your friends. Just like we do online.” - Floyd Joramo

“A community in which authentic and loving relationships plant the foundation for individual growth, spiritual transformation, and service and activism in the world at large. A community which swiftly and generously welcomes newcomers into its network of loving relationships while continuing to treasure its established members.” - Elizabeth High

“More active with children and seniors.” - Kathleen Hedlund

“A sanctuary of safety and peace. A place of acceptance and love. A well of new ideas and concepts for the good of all. A platform for inspiring music and arts. A place where hugging is important!!! A magnet for persons of all colors and spiritual paths.” - Janet Hassell

“I want this congregation to become what it has always been for me, but for a wider and more diverse group of people. My name is David Miller and I joined this congregation in about 1996. Since then, this congregation has given me both safe haven from the trials of the world and inspiration to take meaningful action in that world. It provided my children with compassionate education that honored them as individuals with will and dignity, regardless their age, which contrasts with the theological abuse of my religious childhood. I want that for all children. This church has given me welcoming community when I had things to celebrate and also when I had losses to grieve. So I want this church to remain that.

I felt welcomed the first day I walked into a UU church, but I already matched their existing demographic in nearly every way. What I want this church to become, is a place where people who do not have my white, male, CIS-gendered, educated-sounding presentation will be actively invited, be warmly welcomed upon entry, and will experience genuine comfort and acceptance as they meet us. We must not only offer who we are and what we have to our community, but we must be open to being changed by their participation and engagement. We can become more than what we have been, and the more we are willing to accept the changes others will bring, the better, kinder and more loving we will all become.

​I want this church to continue on its path of growth in community outreach, in material ways, helping people who need help, and also in inspirational ways, speaking out for the power of human love and acceptance. Both are essential for us to become both that safe haven and that launching point for action that we are steadily growing to be.” - David Miller

January is a time when many people remind themselves of the ideals that they want to live up to in the coming year. Mahatma Gandhi, who called himself a “practical idealist,” demonstrated what can be accomplished by someone who truly holds onto ideals! I love the way that Unitarian Universalism continually reminds us not to let our ideals get covered with the moss of habit or cynicism. Each of our seven principles is a shining ideal, and UUCGV offers us avenues to help bring them to life. These include projects that are directly part of UUCGV, such as teaching Religious Education or contributing to our Blessing Blox. They also include projects that individuals or groups from UUCGV can partner with. During our December 13 worship service, we heard inspirational talks from representatives of three organizations that UUCGV can partner with. Clara O’Connor spoke about the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, Emilee Brown spoke about The Wilderness Society’s 30 by 30 Campaign, and Stephania Vasconez spoke about Grand Junction Mutual Aid. As you consider what YOUR ideals are, consider also whether any of these projects will allow you to live into your ideals this year. If so, jump on in, and invite some of your UUCGV friends to join you! 

~ Elizabeth High 


The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) is a statewide, membership-based coalition of immigrant, faith, labor, youth, community, business and ally organizations founded in 2002 to improve the lives of immigrants and refugees by making Colorado a more welcoming, immigrant-friendly state. CIRC achieves this mission through non-partisan civic engagement, public education, and advocating for workable, fair and humane immigration policies. Clara@coloradoimmigrant.org

Mutual Aid Partners (MAP) is a network that supports and connects grassroots organizations on the Western Slope by facilitating communication, education, boosting collaboration, sharing resources & volunteers, and partnering on fundraising efforts. GJ Mutual Aid is for offering surplus items, requesting needed items, and sharing reliable information in Grand Junction and the surrounding areas. We are creating change in our community, and improving each other’s lives. We will get through this. Stephania@MutualAidPartners.org

The Wilderness Society 30 by 30 Campaign Since 2001, Colorado has lost over a half-million acres of natural lands to development. If Colorado continues on the same path of nature loss compounded with climate change, we will experience ever-larger consequences on the landscapes and animals that are foundational to Colorado’s identity. With a prolonged fire season and the entire state facing drought, we must encourage bold leadership from Colorado’s elected officials on efforts to conserve the lands and waters that we cherish and can abate the threats of climate change. If there's one thing that unites Colorado, it's an abiding love for the outdoors. About 9 in 10 Coloradans regularly participate in outdoor recreation, supporting a half-million jobs and $62 billion to Colorado’s economy in 2017. Fortunately, there is an emerging, science-based global campaign working across local, state and international boundaries to accelerate the pace and scale of conservation to 30% of the planet by 2030. This is an ambitious goal, but a bipartisan majority of Coloradans – nearly three quarters – support setting a national goal of protecting 30 by 30. emilee@greencorps.org

     This October, UUCGV Leadership met for an online version of our annual leadership retreat. Our discussion included how to keep a sense of beloved community in this time of needing to minimize in-person contact. On the one hand, there is a real sense of mourning as we miss being in the sanctuary together, having potlucks, chatting together during in-person coffee hours, being able to hug or shake hands. On the other hand, there have been bonuses to the online services, including easier access for some people who have mobility limitations, regular community discussions after the sermons, and online coffee hour small groups that are randomly put together and force us out of “cliques”.

     A huge kudos goes out to Rev. Wendy, Chelsea, Amandalin, and Maya for all of their work adapting our services to an online format. Also much appreciation to Bill Conrod and the membership team for putting on a fun and relaxing “Fall into Fellowship” outdoor socially distanced picnic in October. Virtual meditations, online Goddess Group, and online discussion of Layla Saad’s book “Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor” are among the other community opportunities in recent months: much gratitude goes out to the leaders of these groups.

     In coming months, look for more new online opportunities, including an online auction and possibly an online film watching/discussion group. We hope to also have a partial second round of “check-in phone calls”: let me know if you would like to get a call or make a call to other congregants. If you are looking for other ways to contribute to UUCGV, keep your eyes peeled for announcements in the weekly emails.

     You also can contact the Team liaisons listed in every print newsletter under “2020-21 Leadership/Team Leadership Circle” to find out more about how to get involved with specific teams such as Worship, Membership, Religious Education, or Celebrations. We usually do not print phone numbers in the newsletter, contact our administrator Maya if you’d like someone’s phone number/email or an entire new UUCGV directory.

​     Wishing everyone love, light, and strength as we head into the challenging Winter of 2020-21.

~ Elizabeth High 

Revelations
This is a monthly column helping us to get to know our friends and members in a deeper way. We thank Monte High for taking the time to do these in-depth interviews for us. This month Monte used his talents to create a beautiful poem for us.

I phoned a bunch of people in the congregation and those who answered the call contributed to this poem. Here are the questions that I asked:

The Unitarian Universalist seventh principal is Respect for the Interdependent Web of All Existence. Contemplate this – everything is connected; everything is One. The whole world is literally Part of you. Your wholeness has no limits, because Being is in infinity. Now, contemplating this, go to a window, gaze outward and tell me what you see.

The following is from Brother David Steindl-Rast:
“Mobilize the courage of your heart. Say one word today that will give a fearful person courage.” I was astonished that of all the responses only one word was repeated.”

~ Monte High

“Mobilize the courage of your heart.
Say one word today that will give a fearful person courage.”

Hope, Mountain, Hope,
Breathe, kindness
Solidarity, calmness, purpose, love
Peace, get-started!
Source, trust
Grace, now
Being, joy

The Unitarian Universalist seventh principal is Respect for the Interdependent Web of All Existence.

Contemplate this – everything is connected; everything is One. The Whole is literally Part of you. Your wholeness has no limits, because Being is timeless.

Awaken your heart Tap it, open the I inside pure, true being in the Holy-Whole

One I open the door and step outside, within sunlight I am

I am the remains of my garden, the spinning things on my neighbor’s roof and their apple trees that I hope will pollinate with mine, the too many electrical wires but they do connect us, my dormant chrysanthemums, the orange berries on my crabapple tree and the huge flock of starlings that will descend sometime this winter and eat them all sometimes within a couple of hours.

I am the backyard, the chain-link fence dividing the property behind us and the vacant house that ​brings sadness because both of the people living there have recently passed away.

I am the many cars that are normally parked on the street in front of my house that I am missing today because the virus has closed the University and the students and professors are elsewhere, the giant honey locust tree with its top cut off making it look like a finger-pointing into the sky and even in this disabled state the tree is the giver of givers providing shade for my house in the hot summertime, everything has spirit everything in the universe has soul my belief that the river rock surrounding my yard is protecting my sacred space, the irises that are going to sleep that I know will awaken in Spring because they are going inward for the winter.

I am the clouds and sky, the Mesa outlined in the distance, the rooftops of the houses aligned below me.

I am the Ponderosa, the two small trees with just a few leaves still clinging dancing together in the wind.

I am everything, everything in my backyard the sky the grass the trees all of nature connected.

I am the evergreen bush the dried flowers the blue sky the power lines the cars in the parking lot.

I am countryside.

I am the man sitting on a blanket of leaves on the ground with the sun shining on his left side and his right side in shadow holding a walking stick weaving a braided leather belt around it for a handle, leafless trees reaching upward lit by the sun their branches appearing white against the blue sky.

I am the skeletal arms of the tree branches reaching up and enveloping the blue of the sky.

I am a bare Aspen blowing in the wind, a trimmed Juniper, the nondescript suburban landscape beyond, the potted geraniums on the sill that will continue to bloom throughout the winter bringing different shades of red, the beautiful blue sky, the low angle of the sun shining through bringing warmth inside, the book in my hands.

I am the Monument in shadow.

I am the night, the Snow Fountain Cherry ornamental tree that will bear no fruit yet brings such beauty now undressed in silhouette of the streetlight swaying, the porch light across the street on the house where the Trump/Pence sign recently dug into the earth where the elderly couple so sweet and kind are likely grieving and fearful of what our country may become.

I am extraordinarily old trees, one of them a maple has lost a lot of mass and branches but is still whole and part of us as it has been for the years that we have lived here.

I am the infinite I-am’s, being, past, present and future – Lovers all. Awaken your heart

​Life flows on...in endless song… 

This is my love letter to our world, to our beautiful Blue Boat Home sailing through the universe. It is a plea and a prayer for all peoples to join together as one, to end the thoughtless violence and destruction inflicted upon one another and upon the earth.

I hear a call, inspiring me to use my voice, to share my heart and soul. I hope that you will listen. Though my words flow from years of contemplation and discernment, I do not claim to possess the truth. I’m only able to express the truth as I see it, from where I sit, with best intentions. I only ask that you respect me, and listen to my words. I do not expect you to agree with me: you are free to disagree. I will respect you, whatever your own discernment may be.

I’ll begin with a story of my life. I think my particular experience has allowed me a unique view of our world. My adventure has presented me with an extraordinary situation to witness our world. It opened a door for me, and the doorway led to unique insight, to an amazing new awareness that I may not have come upon if my life had continued on as usual. 

There are new congregants who may have not have heard my story. I started writing a column, “Revelations”, for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley newsletter several years ago. For this column I usually pick a congregant and write an abridged version of their life story. One of those past stories was mine. Regardless, this telling will approach my story from a different angle. You see, I navigate our world sitting in an electric wheelchair, gliding along country lanes and city streets, observing it all; and, when I am centered in my true self, I’m immersed in the beauty of it all. Some 37 years ago, at the age of 20, five horses broke free of their enclosure and two of them collided with my speedy silver sports car. The automobile was crushed on top of me, and the paramedics used the Jaws of Life to pry me out. My body was broken. I was partially paralyzed from the neck down, yet I was alive. I tell you this story not to gain your sympathy, and I certainly don’t need your pity. I came through it all luckier than most people with spinal cord injuries because I do have some limited movement. There were years of grief, of grappling with it all, and adjusting to my new reality. Yet, I’m a pretty happy guy. I am grateful to be alive. I am thankful to be living in this beautiful messy world. I tell this story because I I’ve come to realize that my broken body was a gift. I have suffered, yes, and that alone has taught me plenty – yet the true gift of my disabling is that it set me apart – it set me free. It gave me time to sit still upon the shore and ponder, to contemplate my life and the world around me. The stillness was an opportunity to open my mind and explore new ideas. Books were my escape and my deliverance. I read everything from the Bible to Steinbeck’s “To a God Unknown”. I studied philosophy and religion. Curiosity enlivened me. Science fascinated me. What an amazing, intricately connected world we live in! I examined the world around me, including the different cultures, systems and institutions of humankind. I sought the truth no matter how painful or upsetting.
Stilled, I was made to re-examine my life and create a new way of being. This was my gift. What is truly important? What makes life worth living? What is essential? What is extraneous and only gets in the way of true happiness. The happiness I’m talking about is not without grief. A life without grief is a life without love. True happiness requires an open heart, and an open heart often becomes heavy. What do I truly need? What is the difference between a want and a need, because the wants tend to get in the way of the needs. I don’t need a lot of things to be happy. And I believe a human being is born to be happy – is by God!, intended to be happy. What does it mean to be happy? What do I need to truly be happy?

I think that we, as human beings, have become denatured. We’ve lost much of our connection with the beauty of nature, including the beautiful nature of our selves. Many of us are taught to ignore and deny our emotions and our sensuality. These I believe are given to us, by God!, and are essential to our well-being. I believe I need a spiritual practice to still my mind and maintain the connection to my true self, keeping me aligned with God, or the Oneness of All. Without the practice which brings to the surface my true sacred self, without a heart to filter my words and actions I commit malpractice upon my brothers and sisters and upon the Earth. When I am not centered in love my words and actions sometimes become unfeeling, inconsiderate and mean. (And I am not perfect, which is why I need a practice to keep me centered, so that I less often slip into meanness. Practices such as meditation/prayer, singing and dancing and walking in nature... The best of all of the world’s religions have such practices.)

As a human being, I need clean air to breathe. I need clean water to drink. I need a variety of food to provide the nutrients my body needs. I need shelter from the heat and cold. I need love. Yes, I need love. I need community – I need to feel a part of something larger than myself. I need a special companion, or companions that give me the freedom to share my true self. I need to be accepted and valued. I need to feel that I am worthy. I need a purpose – I need to be needed. I think giving is the key to happiness. And I know that loving is enough, is more than enough, that loving is all. If you love, if you love truly and wholly and unconditionally, what a gift that is. If you are able to love your life, and cherish each moment – what a gift that is to everyone around you, what a gift that is to the world. To live each moment, by God!, as a human being is meant to live – to be love – that is the ultimate purpose and what I strive for.

I think giving is the key to happiness. The gift of your self is the greatest gift of all, a gift that contributes to the well-being of others. Even a heartfelt smile in passing is a thing of beauty! I think that to humble yourself, and to be of service to others brings a long and lasting peace to your soul that leads to true happiness. If you can bring your true, whole, self to the table, what a gift that is.

When I witness the world with my heart wide open it pains me to see my fellow human beings suffering needlessly. The pain and suffering that goes along with grieving a loss has its own inherent beauty, and though grief is painful to pass through, joy is waiting around the corner. But, as I witness the wilderness being destroyed, whole species of plant and animal rapidly becoming extinct, the Earth suffering needlessly, dying because of humanity’s greed – my nervous system goes haywire. When I see people suffering because of the lack of basic needs such as food, or suffering from violent words or actions, hatred or injustice, my heart aches in a way that twists my guts and afflicts my mind. I cannot maintain a happy state of being unless I attempt to make the world a better place, do something to help tip the scale toward justice. I feel the need to stand (with loving kindness) with the Earth, alongside those who are treated unfairly, those who are treated as having less value than other human beings. I need to participate in a benevolent movement.

I am moving toward becoming a whole human being – compassionate, loving and kind. I am practicing every day to set myself free. I am trying to allow my emotions and sensuality to flow freely through me. I am trying to surrender to my true self, to allow myself to be authentic, sitting within the infinite space inside of me, sitting within the divine night where the divine light shines – welcoming each moment as a whole human being. We are living in turbulent times. Fear is real. I need to recognize my fear. Unacknowledged, forced down and denied, my fear will control me. I need to acknowledge my fear – so that my fear doesn’t seize my heart.

More and more people are surrendering to their true selves, allowing themselves to be authentic, sitting within the infinite space inside, sitting within the divine night where the divine light shines, welcoming each moment as whole human beings. In my heart of hearts I know that the way to create justice, and a peaceful world – is through a peaceful and just means. I think the way to shift the benevolent movement forward is to focus on touching people’s hearts. People have the power, and though we won’t likely change the hearts of the powerbrokers or the doubled-down deniers – we will bring more people to the table when we employ a practice of touching hearts. People-power movements succeed by getting more people on board, by forming alliances and growing the numbers until they reach the tipping point that forces the hand of the powerbrokers.

I think humanity needs to garner a loving touch. I think that the best way forward is a nonviolent movement, a multitude of nonviolent movements linking loving arms and standing firm in our resolve. We can build a peaceful movement that stands with dignity against injustice. I think we can form a people-power movement that will strengthen democracies around the world and bring power to the people. We can get out the word, the word that we are navigating through these turbulent times, the word that we are working toward healing our Earth and our human relationships.

First and foremost we need to reach out to our family and neighbors, and listen to their stories with a loving heart, with a nonjudgmental loving heart. We can spread the word and garner hearts with demonstrations, teach-ins, rallies – and we can participate while embracing the love in our hearts, showing our world a better way. We can support or participate in direct, radical nonviolent actions such as sit-ins, or obstructive disruptive theater tactics – and we can perform these with smiles on our faces and kindness in our hearts. Even in the face of rubber bullets, billy clubs and pepper spray – we can keep the love in our hearts. These acts and images will bring more people to our movement than those of violence and destruction. I think violence and destruction damage the movement by taking the focus off of our message. Violence and destruction allow the powerbrokers to feed the unconscious fears. Why else would the powerbrokers send agent provocateurs to incite violence and destruction at rallies? Let’s keep the focus on our message, on building a people power movement and bringing more people on board the peace train.

We can even sprinkle in a little joy. What better way to counter the fascist, white supremacist marching than with song and dance, with a rhythm that brings good vibrations into our world?! What better way to show our resolve, to demonstrate that we will not give up, that our dignity will not be taken from us?! What better way than this, to show our world a better way?! 

Here and now, in the Grand Valley I am making a loving stand alongside my Black brothers and sisters. I pledge to have their backs. I much admire and support the heartfelt, courageous work of local Black leaders in the racial justice movement. I hope to help by garnering hearts, by sharing the heartfelt story of my own white privilege. I proclaim with love that all lives do not truly matter until Black lives matter. Black lives matter!

Life flows on...in endless song…above earth’s lamentation…

(These words are from the hymn “My Life Flows on in Endless Song”, which is included in the Unitarian Universalist hymnal “Singing the Living Tradition”.)