Peace Walk - Atlanta to Fort Benning, Close the SOA - November 10th-18th, 2007
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Greetings 
It's Thursday November 8th and I am getting ready to head for Atlanta. My name is Jim Toren and I am heading up a team of people to make the Peace Walk from Atlanta to Columbus Georgia where we will join in the protest sponsored by the SOAW attempting to close the dreaded School of the Americas. I'll be picking up my friends Jon Blickenstaff and Larry Crane who are members of FootPrints For Peace and will be taking part in the peace walk and protest. If you can't join us then please check back to this home page for updates on the walk.
If you would like to comment on this site or send a message to one of our Peacemakers just click the Navigation Bar and then click Feedback. Kindest Regards - Jim |
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We arrived around 10pm at the Temple in Atlanta on Thursday night. And after getting familiar with our surroundings we had some tea and talked about the upcoming walk for a little while then it was off to bed.
A few months back we were at the Great Smoky Mountain Peace Pagoda Stone Pagoda dedication and I meet Warren from the Australian Bakery here in Atlanta and I had told him that we were going to be here and start the walk from the Dojo and he told me when we got here I should come up and say hi. So this morning after we all woke up I called Bob Watkins and told him we were on our way to the Bakery. He met us there and over breakfast we talked about the walk and all the things that happen with the walk routes, food, overnights and so on.
After a fine breakfast we headed back to the temple and started organizing a few things Bob and Jon went to the store for some food items and some origami paper so we can make peace cranes to give to our overnight host as a Thank you. 
Maggie showed up about two hours later around noon and with her Scottish heritage her and our other Celt Larry are talking away. We had some lunch and during lunch Jon and Bob showed back up and joined us for lunch.
The day is full of planning organizing and good discussion and now we are just awaiting the arrival of some more walkers from the airport and bus station. 
Later on after everyone had arrived we ate pizza, had great conversation about what we are going to be doing for the next week and then spoke about Vernon Belcourt, a great activist for his people and co-founder of the America Indian Movement, who has passed on. We also prayed for Floyd “Red Crow” Westerman singer, song writer, actor and most importantly activist who is very ill.
We all sat around, talked and made Peace cranes to give to our overnight host and just made sure we are ready to go. Now it’s off to bed early morning tomorrow the adventure begins. |
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Day 2 began with prayers at 6:00. We chanted and shared prayers. Jim sang a wonderful Native American chant for a friend who had recently died and one how is very sick. We had decided to dedicate the walk to them. We had a simple breakfast and set about packing the cars. Bob arrived with rope for the banner, which he had made.
We formed a circle in front of the Temple and shared the plans for the day. Maggie and Beth and Bob were the drivers. On the way down, all of a sudden the group stopped drumming and chanting and moved slowly forward. We had encountered our first homeless person asleep under an overpass. Beth and Bob walked with us to the King Center, where we chanted and circled and took lots of pictures of the graves of MLK and Coretta. The sky was so clear and blue. 
As we left we walked to the Gandhi statue and read the wonderful inscriptions about Gandhi written by MLK, Einstein. The walk was filled with so many inscriptions I wanted to photograph each one to take home. A park policeman stopped and asked if one of the cars in the parking lot was ours, since the window was open. He told us this wasn’t a good idea in this part of town. We continued along Auburn Avenue toward Peachtree. As we turned there were many men in the park, whom we greeted. Some were deeply involved in chess games. As we walked along Peachtree, we passed so many ethnic shops. At one point we stopped for a break and were sitting against a building with our shoes off. A homeless man approached us and told us that a rat had taken his wallet the night before and showed us a chewed up ten dollar bill, which was all he had left. We gave him the remains of our snacks. He called his friend from around the corner, who gave us his rendition of Amen. They told us they had a camp, where they slept. When we asked where it was, they said it was under the MARTA, the subway. They said it was really noisy at night. As we shared our stories, they said “You know this area is pretty rough, don’t you”. We assured them that we would be careful.
Later when we found a spot of grass to stop for lunch, we were approached by several other men, whom we made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and some fruit. One was having a major problem with his girlfriend. We sympathized and offered some stress reducing ideas instead of the beer, which he had asked for and which we didn’t have.
As we continued out of town we walked down Route 29; we could see the planes coming into the airport for a very long way. We passed a large military facility, which was surrounded with barbed wire razor fencing and metal reinforcements. I kept wondering if they were there to prevent the soldiers from leaving or the civilians from entering. What could they be doing there that would necessitate such protection? Maybe I really don’t want to know. 
We had trouble finding a place to go to the bathroom; the gas stations had them only for employees; we finally found a vacant lot, which was private enough to use.
The last mile of our twelve seemed very long to most of us. We finally spotted the Thrift store where the cars were parked, got into them and drove to Erin and Amanda‘s house. The dogs were here to welcome us. We unpacked the cars, made tea and had lots of discussions about where we were going to sleep. We had a great tea party and now are waiting the finishing of the pasta cooking. What a wonderful community feeling! |
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We began a little late for 6:00 am prayers, because people slumbered. We attempted to get on the road earlier than yesterday, since this was going to be a long day. After breakfast, we packed the cars and prepared to go. Two cars pulled out of the driveway and Bob put his key in and turned it and “nothing”. We left it in the driveway and headed for our starting point. With one wounded warrior and one hesitant car we began the day. The air was really cold so we were really layered. We got to the BP station and had an instant brainstorming “ Be Peace, Be Patient, Brave People, Blessed Path, Basic Philosophy, Better P…., and continued through the day with a 7 year old’s joke “Where does a Bee P?”
We altered our bathroom strategy from gas stations, who were uncooperative to fast food restaurants, who didn’t seem to care that we used their facilities. Our support people surprised us with hot tea and coffee at our first rest break. Bob started giving us a hard time about taking a break and when challenged said he was channeling Utsumi. We reminded him that Utsumi really enjoyed the rest breaks and would take his shoes off and rest until the break was over. The sun came out and the weather warmed so that we were unlayering by 10:30. By noon most people were down to short sleeves.
The sky was so blue with wispy clouds in peace crane formations. Sunday found lots of cars in the Church parking lots; someone noted that the honks of support and and waves diminished considerably when the churches let out. We do have work to do. 
The trees have so much color, a surprise to us northerners, who thought we had the market on fall color. The trees were golden, with some red and green on the same leaves. Other trees stayed green. Most were holding on to the leaves. The shiny leaves of the magnolias and the holly mixed with the hardwood.
When we turned right on Route 54 the sign said Peachtree City 9 miles. That was heartening; in the morning we weren’t sure we could make it, but 9 miles sounded doable. When we arrived at our lunch break, our team had set us up in front of a “foot and ankle “place. How appropriate, but sadly it was closed. The chefs soothed our wounds with a beautifully laid out spread; they even cut our apples and cheese and arranged them on the plate. The pasta and meat sauce that Erin and Amanda had left for us were even better for lunch today. After lunch, Jim and Bob headed back to see if the warmth of the day would urge the car to wake up and join us and it had. Hurrah 
We walked through sidewalk construction; that will be great walking next year. The Georgia countryside has sprouted strip malls; the first red dirt we saw was at a construction site. All day we didn’t see a single farm or garden or field of grain. Where does the food come from? Is it because of the drought? No cows or horses or sheep or goats today.
The “little back roads” are all four lane highways now. We saw our first dead animals – a snake, a fox, a cat and a deer with antlers. This reminded us of walking with Billy, who would have blessed each of these and moved them into a safe place. 
After we entered Peachtree City, Bob and Jim rejoined us. We walked to the library and then to the peace pole a Scout had constructed, where we ended our day. Jim had given me a sheet with the phone number for Ron and Charlene(and all of our other hosts) in case they weren’t back when we ended. He asked me for the sheet, since none of us could remember the directions to the house. I couldn’t find them! Oh, dear! We retraced our activities at lunch and found it. Ron soon arrived and led us “home”. We did our chanting house blessing, but couldn’t remember how to end it. Oh well. Where are you Utsumi? When Charlene and Chantel got home, we saw had much Chantel had grown since last year. Ron is home schooling her now and they seem happy about it.
We unpacked and visited and soon Charlene had dinner ready. We had lasagna and both lettuce and fruit salad. It was wonderful. After dinner Jim and Bob edited their photos; the peace crane making began and storytelling continued.
Buenos noces! |
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Monday dawned clear and cool. Prayers began at 6:15 to allow more people to get those last few minutes of shut-eye. After chanting, we heard the Meta Sutta – “may all beings be free from physical suffering; may all beings be free from mental suffering; may all beings take care of themselves happily”. We also shared a reading “We remember them”.
We packed up quickly after breakfast, did our wonderful circle, chanted a thanks for the warm hospitality and took our group pictures. We invited Chantel to be our youngest walker. Since she is being home schooled, she gladly joined us for the first hour. She picked up the drumming very easily and marched steadily along. Ron said he had been planning a math lesson for today, so we made suggestions about distance traveled and time to arrive at our destination. They were going to start by checking their odometer to see how far she/we had walked that first hour. We enjoy having the host children join us each year and become part of our walk. We learned that Chantel is now an aunt and Ron and Charlene new grandparents. We saw a wonderful picture of the baby at two hours old. They’re going to California to actually hold this little one after the holidays.
Bob’s car cooperated today and started right up. The temperature agreed with it and the moisture level was low. Yeh! 
Today turned out to be much warmer than yesterday. We were down to short sleeves by 10:30. Late afternoon one of the bank thermometers registered 75. That of course required more hydration. One woman in a Beamer stopped and offered money for drinks for us. We talked about Fuzzy Maui Navels, shakes from Steak and Shakes(but didn’t know if they would have sugar free ones) lattes from the coffee shop, but the more practical among us thought we should use the money for sunscreen and chips. Oh well!
Memento mori! – we saw a very recently killed doe and moved it off the road and another which had been there a long time, four armadillos and a skunk. Jim saw three deer on the road and honked and chased them off the road to protect their lives. Bathroom strategy number 3 was using the porta johns at the many construction sites along the way, though we did find the gas stations more amenable to us as we neared Newnan. The big story of the day is that the creativity spot in the line is at the end. We practiced improvisational chanting, chanting with a a Spanish beat, classical chanting, operatic chanting, and chanting with a dance accompaniment. We learned that laughter really reduces pain. 
Today was a study in hands – our hands hugging and drumming and waving, hands reaching out of cars to let us
know they were with us, hands on cell phones (though many fewer than we’re used to), hands clutched on the steering wheel, some easily moved to acknowledge our waves, others lifting just a finger in response and others pretending they didn’t see us.
We looked for the hands of children, but except for Chantel’s we haven’t seen any children all day yesterday and until late afternoon today. Even then we saw only a couple, two standing in the back of a truck seeming afraid to wave back, one at the end of an afterschool program and delightful Hadley, who ran up to us as we arrived at the Courthouse and held the drum, but didn’t try to hit it. She showed me with her hands when she wanted me to sit down on the cement beside her and when she wanted me to get up, both activities that took the assistance of my own hands to accomplish. We used our hands and arms to carry the luggage into the Church, to greet Father Fogarty and the employees , to wash our lunch dishes and of course to eat the trail mix and fruit and drinks they had offered us.
Although yesterday we found gas below $3.00, $2.98 to be exact, today we found one station with $2.71, so our wonderful driver filled up the van. 
At one of our last breaks in Newnan, we stopped outside a Chili’s. Beth talked to them about our using the facilities. They graciously agreed. When we arrived,, however, three manager- people approached us as we were lying out back. They questioned what we were doing and where we were going. When we explained and said we were staying at Saint George’s Catholic Church, their faces lit up. Two of the women were parishioners and seemed much more comfortable with us.
When we got to St. George’s, Fr. Fogarty met us and showed us the women’s dorm and the men’s dorm and provided us with great comfort kits., towels, pillows and mattresses. AND SHOWERS! They seemed concerned that there were only eight of us instead of the twelve we were expecting. We promised to eat for twelve. The food was great; Bread pudding outstanding. We split up and moved tables so we could talk to the Church people. After dinner there was a Spanish Mass in the chapel and adoration in the Church. After dinner there was a community meeting to plan tomorrow and the stage activity for Sunday. We’ve got to get up REALLY early. Oh, my! And we’re getting another walker tomorrow. We’re still waiting for a phone call from our Australian friend who’s supposed to get to Atlanta on the bus today. We’ll work hard to invite them into our group. We’ve become so tight, but I know all will be well. 
As we’ve gotten closer and closer, we’ve shared our lives and our spiritual journeys. We’ve shared lessons from Thich Naht Hanh (Peace is Every Step), “when the conditions are right, we come into being and when conditions cease to all be right,, we will die”,,Pema Chodron’s discussion of how juicy life and practice gets when we are aggravated or upset, and teachings of the Dalai Lama. My mantra has been my teacher’s words, “Don’t be afraid of the pain”.
One more day ended- tired and sore, but happy and close. |
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Today we had a wonderful egg soufflé at the Church for breakfast. Father Fogarty and the cooks joined us and blessed our journey. Father said he will put the peace cranes we presented to him on the other side of the tabernacle from the ones he received last year. They gave us wonderful bags of snacks and bowls of fruit and trail mix for the road.
We were joined by another John from Atlanta. The guys now lead 5-4, but Rea is coming tomorrow and that will even it up to 5-5. As we gathered by the Court House in Newnan, a young woman approached us and wanted to pray with us. We invited her to join our morning circle. She then went to her car and made a very generous donation, which really helped pay the love offering in Columbus. As the drivers left to move the cars to Hogansville to David and Kathy’s, we began the walk through Newnan and out into the country. Just as we stopped after the first hour at our usual stop, the Oaks Inn, the support vehicle arrived. Perfect timing again. Jim had made two red flags to use fore an aft to warn vehicles of our group. He led the group from there with the front flag. The country road was wonderful—two lanes, no strip malls and even a few signs of farm life—our first horses and one field of cows, another with bales of hay and a few turkeys responding to our chanting. I wonder if they’ll survive Thanksgiving. We’ve been very lucky with the police. They’ve driven by, checked us out or watched from the sidelines. Today was the first time they’ve approached us. The mayor of Hogansville asked them to check on us and be sure we were safe. A newspaper reporter from Hogansville came out and interviewed Jim. We’ll be looking for papers tomorrow. 
Gratitude
Some of the things we’re grateful for—our wonderful hosts, good bodies, trees on the sunny side of the road, wide berms, pine needles softening the walk, cool rest spots, solid chanting and drumming. At our lunch stop another young man stopped and questioned what we were doing. He was amazed, joined us for lunch and considered coming for the weekend. Jim kept us moving, because we had our longest day—20 miles. We did it with lots of sore muscles and new blisters. The moxsa (mugwort) came out. As usual Kathy and Susan prepared a terrific meal of chili and split pea soup, different breads and eggplant pate and humus. Soothing showers and then to bed. |
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We’re over the hump. We had four days of walking in with only three and a half to go.
Today, Wednesday, we had prayers around a wonderful singing bowl at David and Kathy’s. We decided to do the We Remember each morning, since that is what we plan to to do on stage at the SOAW protest. We finished our laundry and packed the cars before breakfast. We presented our peace cranes to David and Kathy and Jim told the story of the thousand cranes. They told us that they planned to give it to Susan who had fixed the dinner for us. Two wounded warriors exchanged positions, one returning to the road and the other taking a turn at apprenticing in support. After our circle and lots of pictures we left at 8:30 drumming and chanting through downtown Hogansville. We started with a sprightly pace and continued our play on S words from scintillating, to scenic, startling, soaring, and lots of others.
The drivers moved the cars to Lagrange and returned as we were having our first break by a roadside pond. Today our flannels and fleeces began disappearing about five minutes into the walk. Our warmest temperature so far, 79, was recorded on a bank in Lagrange after 5:00. Today’s walk remained very rural. As we headed down the road, the sun was more moonlike than sunny. It was clear and beautiful. 
There were no horses or cows or goats or gardens or fields of grain though. The traffic was light, but the truck drivers were just as supportive waving and tooting. We saw our first hybrid cars today. Again people were curious and came out to watch, wave and sometimes call to us about what we were all about.
Our apprentice provided us with BR strategy number four with a beautiful cloth hung in the trees to provide a modicum of privacy from the cars, though none if a train passed, as they seemed to be doing frequently this week. Our mindfulness of animals on their journey to their next life included a bat, a bird, a fox, an armadillo, and several possums. Mid afternoon Rea arrived with Clare and her friend. After a rousing welcome, they continued to the support vehicle to deposit Rea’s luggage. During our last break near Staples, Jim was able to make a connection and work on uploading the last few days updates and pictures. While he was working we rested and discussed Sufism; Beth was able to share a Rumi poem about the message given to the rose to open is given to us to open our hearts…… 
Each of the last three days we have found burgundy leaves as we entered the towns toward evening. Today was no exception and also gave us a chance to feel the leaves crunch under our feet. When we arrived at our host families, we were greeted and welcomed. We had a superb dinner at Anton’s and Charlotte’s The children had really grown and were very interactive with us. They were disappointed that Utsumi wasn’t here to play ball though. After dinner Anton showed a documentary at Dean and Joanne’s about the story of several undocumented immigrant mariachis followed by a discussion with immigrants with similar stories from Lagrange. One man had been arrested five times for driving without a license, even though they can’t get licenses. Anton left his Social Work job at the college in order to spend a lot of his time helping with immigrant crises.
After walkers had retired to their respective host houses, we chatted for a while with Dean and Joanne about their year. Amber and Ryan are both Seniors this year and will leave for college in September. Joanne took this year off to be with the girls in their Senior year. Amber will receive the Hope scholarship, which will pay her tuition as long as she keeps a B average. They had traveled to Guatemala with Anton last summer and shared their wonderful experiences with us. They encouraged us to go if we have the chance. We have discussed the serious water issues with each host family. We tried to limit our use of their water, though they made their showers available to us. Buones noces. |
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Na mu myo ho ren ge kyo! Oh. Blessed Rain that came during the night! 
Today Maggie and I shared a Quaker silence for morning prayers, since the others didn’t come over with the drums. We all had breakfast in our respective hosts’ homes, packed the cars, had a warm hugging circle and said goodbye. The drivers headed for West Point with the cars and we started drumming and chanting down the street and onto Route 29 South. Today the road was smooth and the berms wide the whole way. There were actually a few puddles in Lagrange.
At one point we saw a sad duck in his dried up pond. The pond was down to only a puddle. A couple horses perked up and listened to our chanting. 
At one of the rest stops a newspaper reporter stopped and asked us what we were doing. Jeanne connected with him over common neighbors from Alabama. We started walking and he took our picture. We’ll have to look for the Valley News tomorrow.
When we arrived at Jim and Judy’s, we had a welcome circle and introduced ourselves. They were expecting a group from the Peace and Justice Committee in Auburn. We weren’t sure just when they would arrive. We put our luggage out of sight and settled into helping with dinner, then had a Group Meeting to plan the next few days. This is our last night at a host families. We made sure that everyone had a transportation plan for Sunday. 
Again another amazing meal! The people arrived from Auburn laden with goodies. We had incredible conversations with teachers at Tuskegee and Auburn about immigration, teaching math, peace work, political prisoners, and prisoners on Death Row….. One group got lost and had to be found before we finished the meal. The Committee included Pakistanis and African Americans. Judy got out her autoharp and led us in rousing Freedom Songs and Beth shared Rumi. After everyone left, the dishes were done and Judy and Jim had retired, we worked on updates and peace cranes until midnight.
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Today dawned very cold. We circled outside after a warm oatmeal breakfast and presented the peace cranes to Jim (Judy was already teaching a Nonviolence Workshop).
We drove to the Muscogee County line and began. The morning walk was simply exquisite! Where yesterday we had a Golden Wind, today we had a Golden Sun through the trees. 
As we went along our numbers swelled. We had two Prisoners of Conscience and a number of 1000 Grandmothers.
We had people from Chico, California, San Diego, Chattanooga, Vermont, Missouri and North Carolina joins us. We even had a dog with a thousand grandmother’s handkerchief on its neck.
At the 3:00 break Carol gave some of the walker’s leg and foot massages. 
We found poke berries along the road and became the ladies in lavender as we swept them through our hair. Lucky, loquacious, lively, leaping, luscious, late, lackadaisical, laughing, lipstick-free, we are.
We ended at the coliseum and headed to the Holiday Inn for showers. Larry said he felt 40% human after his shower. Once the injuries healed, he would get to 100%.
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After a quick clean-up we had to drive back to the Columbus Coliseum to take up our trek for the final 3.5 miles. On the way back to our starting point, we roused ourselves with an energetic rendition of singing with Neil Young’s pet hound dog song “ King”, including the required howling at the moon sound effects. The group had grown again with the addition of an Australian walker, Bonnie Wykman, who volunteered to carry the walk banner for the day. At 8:30 Jim Toren (co-road manager) led us out on the left side of the road for our easiest day of walking. We also were joined at the start by a couple from Utah who had come for the rally and walked about half way with us. What seemed like a quick jaunt compared to the 17 and 20 mile days we had already survived, brought us to the police barricades at Ft. Benning where entered the rally area to numerous claps and cheers. As we walked through the rally grounds chanting, drumming, and praying our numbers swelled with enthusiastic supporters. In a few short minutes we were at the barrier fence behind the stage area, chanted out our frustration over this facility and it’s mission with our last bit of group energy, and formed our final circle of this years walk. After sentimental statements and a heart felt round of hugs our mission for the 2007 pilgrimage was officially complete. |
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This morning we had to get up around 5:30 because we had to be out of the church by 7:00. We all got packed up had a little breakfast and then started the task of getting the luggage to the right car so that we could all leave when we want to after the action at the gates. In the church parking lot we had our final circle and then left for the corner of Torch Hill ST and Fort Benning RD where the walk always gathers and chants Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo before taking our final walk to the stage.
We have been in Contact with Chris and Allison from the SOAW stage crew and have been given the time to start walking 8:25. As I hung up the Veterans for Peace group arrived they had walked up Victory Parkway this morning to join in today’s action. They were greeted with cheers from the crowd that was gathering.
At 8:20 we got a call telling us to go ahead and start on down we started off and passed the barricade I saw some of the police officers having a discussion about the drum sticks and some of the other officers saying not to worry about it. Personally I thought the police this year were less evasive than they had been in the past we weren’t searched and there were no metal detectors. But that was just my perspective. We took the stage at 8:30 the drumming being led by Bob, we didn’t have much time so after about one minute the chanting stopped and I introduced myself and the walkers. Good morning, my name is Jim Toren from Cincinnati Ohio The people behind me here have walked from the King Center in Atlanta and finished here 107 miles later to be with all of you beautiful people to say in one voice No Mas No More! Brother Utsumi and Sister Dennis of the Nipponzan Myohoji order usually organize this walk but are in India this year to dedicate a temple in India and asked that we carry out the tradition of this walk. The two organizations that organized the walk this year was FootPrints for Peace and Blessed by default. And now I’d like to introduce one of the walkers Mary Beth Gamba who will read a poem that we read to inspire us along our journey. Now we would like to ask you all to participate with us. Mary Beth took the stage and thanked everyone for coming and asked if when she raised her hand to say in one voice “We Remember Them”: At the rising of the sun and its going down, We remember them. At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of the winter, We remember them. At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring, We remember them. At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer, We remember them. At the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of autumn, We remember them. At the beginning of the year and when it ends, We remember them. As long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a part of us, As we remember them. When we are weary and in need of strength, We remember them. When we are lost and sick at heart, We remember them. When we have joy we crave to share, We remember them. When we have decisions that are difficult to make, We remember them. When we have achievements that are based on theirs, We remember them. As long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a part of us, As we remember them. 
After we finished on stage we went to the fence and hung the rest of the peace cranes we had that we had been making all week. This was it the last thing that we wanted to do before the funeral procession. We went back to the top of the street and looked for some crosses to carry during the procession. The crosses have the names of people who have lost their lives to the graduates of the SOA.
This is one of the most powerful actions that I do during the year. To hear all the names and the ones with no names from one month old to eighty years old gone now but not forgotten.
During the day there were speeches and blessings from people from all over the world and all walks of life from the 1000 Grandma’s to the Indigo Girls to Dennis Kucinich. 
Soon Father Roy took the stage and we followed his lead in prayer and then took the non violent oath. The procession started right afterward. Thousands of people (estimated 12,000 this year) raising their crosses high and saying “No Mas, No More” after names and ages of the fallen are sung out over the crowd.
It takes about four hours for the people who gather to place their crosses and banners on the fence. And as always as I look at the fence and all the Crosses, Banners and Peace Cranes the big scaffolding on the other side of the fence starts to rise with three or four military personnel and their bull horn. They start spewing out military propaganda (one of these days I will have to actually listen to what they are saying) to me it seems so rude that while people are praying and mourning they are trying to drown out the names of the victims.
After the last name is read the puppetista’s take over and lighten the mood a little with the almost carnival like setting and the big giant puppets. The story that they tell is uplifting and prepares us for our long drive home. 
We make our way through the crowd saying goodbye to our friends some we will not see until next year some we will see throughout the year at different actions then we make our way through the police barricades then eventually to our cars for the long drive home.
But one thing is for sure no matter were we are at in the world four worlds from time to time echo in my head |
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