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Gerrymander hides an animal!

Posted in Blog.

Did you know that the word GERRYMANDER is an animalogy? It’s a combination of Gerry—named after the governor who 1st redrew districts in his favor— and Salamander because of the shape of the newly drawn district on the map.

 

From TheFreeDictionary.com:

Word History: In 1812, as governor of Massachusetts, Elbridge Gerry signed a bill authorizing the revision of voting districts in his state. Members of Gerry’s party redrew them in order to secure their representation in the state senate, and out of Gerry’s home county, Essex County, they carved an unlikely-looking district with the shape of a salamander. According to one version of the coining of gerrymander, the shape of the district attracted the eye of the painter Gilbert Stuart, who noticed it on a map in a newspaper editor’s office. Stuart decorated the outline of the district with ahead, wings, and claws and then said to the editor, “That will do fora salamander!” “Gerrymander!” came the reply. The image created by Stuart first appeared in the March 26, 1812, edition of theBoston Gazette, where it was accompanied by the following title: The Gerrymander. A New Species of Monster, which appeared in the Essex South District in Jan. 1812. The new word gerrymander caught on instantly—within the same year gerrymander is also recorded as a verb. (Gerry’s name, incidentally, was pronounced with a hard (g) sound, although the word which has immortalized him is now commonly pronounced with a soft (j) sound.) Gerry ran for reelection in 1812, and popular outrage directed at the flagrant use of the technique we now call gerrymandering doubtless played a role in his defeat.

For more, listen to Animalogy Podcast, which is all about the animal-related words and expressions we use every day. 

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Colleen Patrick-Goudreau Colleen Patrick-Goudreau Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

The Past Gives Me Hope for the Future

Posted in Blog.

When people ask who inspires me, I often say that my main inspirations are the animals — who can show grace and forgiveness after enduring trauma and abuse. And that’s true. Or I say that my inspiration is you — and everyone else who comes to my work with an open mind and heart. And that’s true, too. But I think people who ask are looking for something more specific. So, I’ll tell you.

The past. Nothing gives me more hope for the future than the past.

When facing the darkest times individually or collectively, one thing we can be certain of is that we’ve been here before and we’ve been through worse. In our collective consciousness or in our individual experience (or both), we’ve been through sadness, disappointment, war, upheaval, conflict, fear, grief, loss, uncertainty, dictatorship, bigotry, and divisiveness.

[Tweet “When facing dark times, we can be certain we’ve been here before and we’ve been through worse.”]

With each age that passes, we gain both wisdom and amnesia. We seem to learn a little and make some progress until myopia prevails, and then we forget that we’ve been here before. But just a glance at the past reveals the human condition in all its radiant splendor and darkest malevolence.

The resilience we possess to endure, weather, and learn from adversity is incredible (and it’s not unique to humans); it’s also something we can experience vicariously. Just knowing someone else has faced the same challenges, the same odds, the same mistakes can give us comfort. “You are not alone” can be the most healing words.

We are not alone. The ghosts of the past — yours, mine, theirs, recent, immediate, ancient — dwell among us and have wisdom to impart. So, yes, strangely, I embrace the fact that avaricious, megalomaniacal, narcissistic people have come before us, because if we disavow who we’ve been, we forget who we are. We. Humans.

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Historians certainly give us the gift of hindsight; sages give us the gift of insight; together they work in harmony. Everyone needs a sage, and for several years now, mine has been Lao Tzu via his ancient text, the Tao Te Ching: A New English Version (Perennial Classics), written around 2,400 years ago. Thousands of years later, his book demonstrates, and our human experience is the same. Our needs, fears, flaws, and foibles remain the same. That doesn’t make me despair; it gives me comfort, it makes me humble (and it also makes me laugh).

For me, no other text or philosophy of living resonates more than the Tao Te Ching, summarized perfectly by poet Stephen Mitchell, the interpreter of my favorite translation:

“A classic manual on the art of living, written in a style of gemlike lucidity, radiant with humor and grace and large-heartedness and deep wisdom: one of the wonders of the world.”

[Tweet “Historians give us the gift of hindsight; sages give us the gift of insight.”]

May you find your sage, engage with the past, absorb, learn, and repeat. It’s true, as poet and philosopher George Santayana observed, that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” but the first part of that maxim is equally true and rarely quoted: “Progress…depends on retentiveness. When experience is not retained, infancy is perpetual.” 

Here’s to adulthood.

 

Keeping Perspective in Difficult Times

Posted in Blog.

As I contemplate the possibilities for the future of our country, I vacillate between fear and hope, despondency and motivation, uncertainty and faith. And what keeps coming up for me is perspective. Everything changes depending on the angle from which or the lens through which I see the world. And though fear, despondency, and uncertainty come faster to my mind (especially when I consume any news at all), it is not long before hope, motivation, and faith prevail.

Because I choose them.

Each day as the reality of the election sinks in, I see clearly what I must do and not do in order to be the most effective and the most compassionate citizen I can be (while also being happy). It’s not very different than how I normally function, but the last few days have given me clarity. 

[Tweet “We are small in the universe but large to one another. For that, may we show humility & magnanimity.”]

*Deactivating the push notifications on my phone from news outlets has lessened the anxiety I’ve (we’ve all) been experiencing these last few months. 

*Focusing completely without distraction on my current writing projects has been incredibly healing. Of course, I feel the need is more urgent than ever to speak on behalf of the animals, and I think that urgency (and lack of distraction) is allowing the thoughts and words to come more easily. 

*Dipping my toe into news in order to stay informed but filling up the space instead with the things that feed me, such as poetry, literature, music, podcasts, TED talks. Instead of turning on the radio when I make lunch in the kitchen, I put on a podcast instead or music. 

*Returning to morning meditation. Mindfulness has always played a role in my life, but admittedly, I’ve gotten out of my morning habit (opting to run early instead), but it’s back. And it feels really good. 

*Creating a action plan. We’ve got a lot of work ahead to make sure the vulnerable and disenfranchised are not left out, to make sure the irreversible isn’t inevitable. But then again, we’ve always had this work ahead of us. I’m ready.

*Keeping it all in perspective. That’s part of the mindfulness, I suppose, but when I think of how small we are in the scope of the universe but how large we are to one another, I feel humility and and overwhelming sense of magnanimity.

Perspective and connection. They’re feeding me right now, and it’s working. 

“We’re small in the scope of the entire universe but large to one another in our human experience. May we act with humility because of the first and magnanimity and compassion because of the second.” 

I’m Not Leaving This Country

Posted in Blog.

The night of the 2016 presidential election, I made a tearful but sincere vow to meet every word and action that lies ahead with fierce compassion, love, non-violence, and inclusiveness. Nothing good is built on fear — neither the fear that is real for me nor the fear that is clearly real for others. I did not vote for this administration, and although it’s tempting to disavow this country and to disengage from politics, neither of those are options for me. Even though I’m afraid for all of the humans and non-humans who will be negatively impacted by harmful policies that were promised during the campaign, I’m also grateful for the democratic process and vow to become even more engaged in it. I think the greatest gift this man will give us is unity against tyranny.

I vow to find the best within myself and the best within others and to stand for everything that is good and true in this world. Today, I am mourning the hopes that have been dashed, but I’ve also got a lot of work to do to make this world a better place for all, and I ask that you join me in holding a space for both sadness and compassion. Fierce compassion.

[Tweet “We can’t expect others to act from their highest selves if we don’t act from ours.”]

There is reason for hope. (Read why the past gives me hope for the future.) There is always hope, but having hope isn’t a license to be idle. Action is our only way through; hope is the light that guides us. In this blog post, I talk about the local actions I’ve taken that I’m most proud of and how we must continue to be a voice for compassion. One way to do that is to participate in the democratic process that is the foundation of this country. That means showing up, speaking up, and engaging with elected officials who we must urge to act from the highest that is in them.

And we can’t do this without acting from the highest that is in us.

[Tweet “I vow to find the best in others and to stand for everything that is good and true in this world.”]

Babe was stolen as a young elephant from her family in Africa, suffered two broken legs being chained up and thrown about during transport, and was finally brought to Black Beauty Ranch where she lived out the last few years of her life. Babe was stolen as a young elephant from her family in Africa, suffered two broken legs being chained up and thrown about during transport, and was finally brought to Black Beauty Ranch where she lived out the last few years of her life. Babe was stolen as a young elephant from her family in Africa, suffered two broken legs being chained up and thrown about during transport, and was finally brought to Black Beauty Ranch where she lived out the last few years of her life.

Democratic Actions for Animals

Posted in Blog.

I love this country. I love that we have inalienable rights. I love that we can vote. I love that we can take part in the democratic process. It’s not perfect; there is a lot of work to be done, but I love being part of that work. I love being a citizen — in the broadest sense of the word.

There’s a lot of skepticism in our country right now; we spend a lot of time being critical — as we should — but personally, I feel best when I’m being critical and active. And one of the best ways we can do this is by getting involved in local causes.

I remember a time when I was embarrassed that I couldn’t tell you which neighborhood district I lived in or who my district council member was, but I aspired to become more involved. Today, my civic participation pales compared to many people who are more involved than I am, but I try to make my voice heard, especially when it comes to how my city relates to non-human animals.

Two of the things I’m most proud being involved in is stopping slaughter hobbyists from killing animals in the backyards of Oakland (see news story below about our efforts) and speaking on behalf of elephants when the Oakland City Council took up the issue of banning the bullhook, especially by companies who bring the circus to town.