It wasn’t a choice
From the time I was a kid, I questioned authority. The late 1960s was a good time for me to come of age because other people were questioning authority too. This time reminds me a lot of that, except nobody seems to care as much about corruption in high places and there’s nobody like Bobby Kennedy to take a stand for the poor.
I attended my share of peace rallies and walked in don’t-buy-California-grapes picket lines. I’ve covered social justice issues at newspapers for 25 years now. Well, 23 — my first two years in the daily newspaper business were spent covering business. I still remember the smarmy chamber of commerce creep who kept calling me sweetie until I refused to speak to him — or cover the chamber — until he addressed me by my name.
Anyway, social jusice has been a passion all my life. But when Mike died, something changed. Newspaper people are supposed to be above it all, neutral and completely unbaised.
But how can we say we’re fair when we see the horrible things going on and still seek to get the opinions of people who support the greedy, corrupt power structure? Sometimes, the story isn’t about getting both “sides.” Sometimes there’s just one side and that’s the side of justice.
A friend told me the other day that I didn’t choose this mission, it chose me. Maybe so, but I couln’t embark on this without the support of a lot of people, including my employer. A lot of newspaper bosses would tell me I have to choose: the issue or my job. My publisher, Randy Hammer, has encouraged me to follow this path that unfolded before me when my child died because he didn’t have insurance. In today’s corporate America, it’s too often about the rules and company policy and not about the human beings doing the work. Randy has encouraged me to follow my heart and I’m really grateful for that.
I also have the encouragement of friends. People from my church and others are always eager to hear the latest. Tomorrow, the women of my church sewing circle will help me make and design the banner we will carry at the rally. Friends will pray with me before I go to Savannah, and pray for the success of the rally there.
I didn’t choose to lose a child. I didn’t choose to become an activist. But here it is. I never understood when I was a child and my grandmother told me, “the Lord works in mysterious ways.” But the strength I’ve found has come from somewhere outdside myself.
Maybe it’s Mike, egging me on, hoping I can create some trouble in his name.
Tags: Have a beer in May
Stop into Altamont Brewing, 1042 Haywood Road, West Asheville, any time in May and ask for their "charity" beer of the day. Buy one and Life o' Mike gets $1. In fact, we get a buck for each one sold. So go in every day and have one to support Life o' Mike.
Thanks, Altamont!
Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a peer support program for people with one or more serious or chronic medical issues or disabilities.
We aim to reduce isolation and fear among people who have conditions, including psychiatric illness, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, mild dementia or other cognitive disorder or disability, thereby reducing depression and complications as people learn to improve self-management of their medical conditions.
Patient Pals help alleviate feelings of isolation and frustration. They can help people develop a list of questions to ask the doctor and then accompany the person to the doctor to make sure all the questions are answered, taking notes to be sure the person understands the doctor’s answers.
Our trained volunteers also accompany their “Pals” to art exhibits, movies and walks outdoors, meet for coffee, call to check in and more.
Our Pals have experienced weight loss, improvement in diabetes, HIV, psoriasis, depression and more, just because they have someone who cares about them. Some relationships develop into longer-term friendships; other Pals move on to more independent lives.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.
Start From Seed
Life o' Mike has a new program- Start from Seed (SFS).
SFS is a volunteer doula program aimed at providing non-medical, comprehensive support to low income, high-risk women and families of Buncombe County focusing on three areas:
1. We help new doulas with certification and training in return for their participation as a volunteer doula for SFS
2. We mentor volunteer doulas with their first few clients
3. Our volunteer doulas provide birth and postpartum doula services to low income, high risk moms, providing support and tools to empower them as a new parent.
A birth doula is a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; a postpartum doula provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.
Start from Seed clients are referred to us from the Buncombe County Department of Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership Program, Western North Carolina Community Health Services, and Mission Hospital. The Program is intended and designed for growing clients’ inner strength and helping them gain empowerment to help them cope with the emotional, physical and mental challenges of childbirth, labor, and motherhood.
Our new moms and their infants have many needs. If you would like to help them get off to a good start, please visit our Start from Seed web site: Start from Seed, or call Program Director Chelsea Kouns at 804-814-9946.
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