Stories abound like produce at a farmers market this time of year. Here are a few of mine.
SPEAKING UP FOR LOCAL JOURNALISM AND PEOPLE WHO LEAVE MINNEAPOLIS
June 15. I am at Richfield Lutheran Church for Coffee and Conversation with Minneapolis City Council Members Soren Stevenson (Ward 8), Jamison Whiting (Ward 11) and Aurin Chowdhury (Ward 12).
When it was my turn to speak, I said I was there in part to promote local journalism in the form of Southwest Voices and the Longfellow Nokomis Messenger newspapers and you can find my column usually on page 4. I held up copies of each paper. In addition, I said I was there to speak up for the people who leave Minneapolis. They leave not because they want to but because they can’t afford to stay and/or they no longer feel safe.
I shared via email the local journalism part of this story with a Stories and Journeys reader. I got the following response which I feel compelled to share: “I’d love to see our council members set aside 50% of the city’s advertising budget on local media... and not spend so much with Facebook and Google. Money spent locally with local businesses supports our economy-versus sending it off to oligarchs in other states.” I say point well taken.
What about you dear reader. Like me, do you share this perspective? Tell yourself, tell others or tell me via tesha@tmcpub.com. And if you have read this far you have taken the plunge into the river(flow) of life experiences which is Stories and Journeys.
BRASS SOLIDARITY BRINGS SOUL AND JOY TO MIDTOWN FARMERS MARKET
June 27. Whose streets? Our streets! No justice! No streets! I was leaving the market when I noticed people in street clothes carrying instruments apparently arriving to perform. Turns out that collectively they call themselves Brass Solidarity. I decided to stick around. I’m glad I stayed.
Here is my experience of Brass Solidarity. They are a well rehearsed 'We the People' street band that I associate with jazz – the streets of 38th and Chicago Ave. to be exact. It is my understanding that Brass Solidarity was born out of events coming from the murder of George Floyd. I stuck around longer than I intended. As I was leaving, Brass Solidarity was starting to walk around the market playing "When the Saints Go Marching In."
Whose streets? Our streets! No justice! No streets! These are words that reverberate within me today having experienced Brass Solidarity. That day they ignited my soul and filled me with joy. Mission accomplished!
WITH INTENTIONALITY I CELEBRATED
INDEPENDENCE DAY
July 4. I carry with me a pocket edition of the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. On this July 4, I intentionally read aloud to myself the Declaration of Independence. In addition, I spent the day re-watching "The American Revolution," a four-part film by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt on Twin Cities PBS.
Who does that? I did. I intend to do it again next year if I am still around. I figure why not ground myself in what we are supposedly celebrating.
KUDOS TO MY NEIGHBOR, LUCAS
He is helping me with yard work and gardening. We have planted two varieties of sweet potato, green beans, an edible flower, sage and a fennel plant.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The Postal Service is not a business. It’s a service. I rely on the Postal Service to get Southwest Voices to my mail box and to deliver the Messenger and Southwest Voices to those for whom I have created gift subscriptions. Why would anyone want to privatize this service making mail subscriptions less possible if not impossible?
ELDER VOICES NEXT MEET UPS
For now I have settled on Turtle Bread (4752-Chicago Ave.) as a Southwest venue while I explore other options. It is accessible for me and my walker Rick. Next meet ups are July 31 and August 28, 10-11 a.m. officially. Look for the table with the Elder Voices sign.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES
Thank you to all who extended happy birthday wishes in whatever form acknowledging my 82nd year on the planet on June 29.
I end this column with these thoughts. Fight oligarchy by supporting local journalism via subscription, donation or advertising. With primary elections coming up, do remember to vote.
Donald L. Hammen is a longtime south Minneapolis resident, and serves on the SEUI Health Care for MN/IA Retiree Council and Minneapolis Regional Retiree Council.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here