I'll never make it to the Congo-fallout from Mother's Day

First watch this short video if you have three minutes...it's good:

Wow. Moving. Impressive and articulate and I have more to say about it below. I actually found this video in two places this past Mother's Day in two separate reading situations. On Saturday I did my grocery shopping. I shop on average twice a week in order to get the freshest vegies and fruits; our parrot George is a connoisseur of blueberries and fresh corn-on-the-cob.

On this trip I included in my cart the May issue of O the Oprah Magazine. I don't often purchase printed magazines anymore, but on some occasions I prefer the printed page. I like to sit down in my favorite chair with a cup of iced tea [this time of year it's iced] and a book or magazine. I have a delicious recipe for a great glass of iced tea: first add ice; then about a teaspoon or so of grenadine, then the rest of the glass is half milk and half Tazo Chai Tea concentrate and stir well- OMG this is good!

This issue had a very short article on page 56 titled "Brotherly Love" about activist and author John Prendergast. I was intrigued and wish it had been a much more extensive article. I'm sure many people have heard of this man and his work, but I hadn't before this. The article, by Kimberly Hiss, began with Prendergast saying, "...Our phones contain profitable minerals that are mined in the Congo, where they're often a source of revenue for warring militias...."

This caught my curiosity. So I 'Googled' his name and found his website and looked at the blog's Mother's Day article titled "A Deadly Mother's Day Secret." The top of the post had a mention that it had been included at The Huffington Post and you know? I remembered seeing it there but not reading it at the time. So, I went looking again and sure enough, there it was.

Me? I had a great Mother's Day. Wasn't able to spend the day with my daughters but I was able to communicate with them both. I also spent some time remembering my own mom who passed away five years ago next month and my grandmothers. I never knew my maternal grandmother very well, but my dad's mom was someone who I loved very much. She taught me gardening - she had been a Master Gardener and had an impressive collection of bonsai trees. That is a skill I'm slow at learning. I spent the day at my art table working on a mosaic project with a favorite tv show in my dvd player and my parrot George "helping" me. My husband worked at his computer all day - he's a software engineer. Then I fixed a pretty tasty dinner: portabello ravioli in cream sauce with summer squash.

I don't have to worry about war in my neighborhood. It makes me very sad and quite angry that there are women in this world who do. Prendergast and Javier Bardem make a good case in their video above about contacting the powers in governments to sanction the use of minerals from the Congo that go into electronics - with the aim to take revenue away from warring groups who prey on mothers and daughters in those regions. Being female ought not to be dangerous in and of itself.

I'm not an activist of any kind. I often feel absolutely powerless in the face of the great sorrows of the planet. I have no financial resources to give anyone, I have no political clout and I get uncomfortable just having a debat with someone. But I can write and say this: enough. Stop.

Here's a thought: it's the 21st century for Pete's Sake! Why not ask the men of the world who are trying to live lives of good report - in all areas of their life - to apply pressure on the other men of the world who are not? It is time in the evolution of human society for the male of the species to stop victimizing the female of the species. I think men ought to police themselves and get a grip. Just because you can do a thing gives you no right to do that thing. I'm not ignorant of personal violence [when I'm 95 I'll write a book] and wish violence against women would end. Just stop it.

Well. Yes this is an artist blog and sometimes I just feel the need to write about the Art of Living. It is an art indeed.

Here's a design I'm working on...what do you think?