Illustration Friday-Red

for this Illustration Friday pic I sketched a Quan Yin figurine reclining in front of a Japanese fan.

The Man Who Planted Trees

The Man Who Planted Trees (1987)
(L'Homme qui plantait des arbres)

Link to "The Man Who Planted Trees" (1987)

"The Man Who Planted Trees tells the story of a solitary sheperd who patiently plants and nurtures a forest of thousands of trees, single-handedly transforming his arid surroundings into a thriving oasis. Undeterred by two World Wars, and without any thought of personal reward, the sheperd tirelessly sows his seeds and acorns with the greatest care. As if by magic, a landscape that seemed condemned grows green again. A film of great beauty and hope, this story is a remarkable parable for all ages and an inspiring testament to the power of one person." 30:08 minutes

Enjoy

The Tale of Two Nazanins

Help Nazanin Petition

and so i just finished this assignment. had to write about some times i was made to feel like "other." so i started typing and all this stuff just came pouring outta me. and the more i typed the more depressed and angry i got. i mean i realize that the kids in the class who come from the dominant culture need to hear/read this stuff but for me who lived it...i just want to forgive and get past it. also there is a lot of stuff that historically we should never forget least we repeat the mistakes (as late as the '80s some ancient old executive could crudely proposition you in front of all your coworkers and get away with it legally]) (and they could grope at you and fire you for complaining about it)

Thankfully the last question was asked how we resolved it and crossed boundries. I could remember that I:

Disarmed them with humor. i.e. when someone calls me white I purr, "I'm not white I was drawn that way."

Forgave them. Because I know human beings who are crippled by holding on to their anger and resentment.

Made Friends: I volunteered for cultural community groups making friends with people from cultural backgrounds different from my own.

Empowered Others: I would teach leaders of some of my non-profit lower fee clients to do what I do so they could eventually do the work themselves and redirect the money back into the community.