I don’t remember how old I was when all the old street names came tumbling down, and the new, shiny street names were hammered up in their places. Or, more correctly, hung over the old ones, so that people could get used to it for a while, and still find their way. I just rememberContinue reading “Why did I not know who Peter Kerchhoff was?”
Author Archives: Steph E
The problem we all live with
I wasn’t going to post this week, because we’re in the process of moving in to our new apartment in Texas! Yay! Expect to hear lots more “y’all” and twanging in these posts in the future. But, I just had to share this, briefly. This one is for the Americans. I just listened to thisContinue reading “The problem we all live with”
Ok, so I’m racist. Now what?
There’s an article going round on the Huffington Post right now, talking about how racism isn’t just having prejudiced feelings towards people, or saying nasty things about people of another race. It has to do with a bigger system that shapes the way the world works, and who has access to privilege and power, andContinue reading “Ok, so I’m racist. Now what?”
A practical way to help end racism: Learn isiZulu
There’s an article going round on the Huffington Post right now, talking about how racism isn’t just having prejudiced feelings towards people, or saying nasty things about people of another race. It has to do with a bigger system that shapes the way the world works, and who has access to privilege and power, andContinue reading “A practical way to help end racism: Learn isiZulu”
Listening. Really, really listening.
I had an English teacher in high school who made us do listening exercises and not just speeches in English class. “We’re training kids to talk,” he would say, “and there’s too many people talking in the world, and very few people who are trained how to listen.” I’ve heard that in the Isreali-Palestine negotiations,Continue reading “Listening. Really, really listening.”
Pea Soup and Brene Brown
I always picture “shame” like the pea-soup green fog that descends on the town of Chewandswallow in the book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. It kind of rises up inside of you and hovers around you like an icky blanket and of COURSE every rational human being would want to avoid it. You’d beContinue reading “Pea Soup and Brene Brown”
Those aren’t my kids
The CPS officer went on. “Our OWN children are valuable. We’ll do anything for them. We’d die for them. But children that are not our own– nope. That’s why adoption is so much more appealing to people– we’d rather take individual adoptable children and make them part of our tribe, make them our own.
What I learned from being poor for a month
Right now I’m blogging about my El Camino experience. If you want to see David’s take, the link to his blog is here. Traditionally, the pilgrim went on a pilgrimage with just his cloak on his back and lots of faith that churches and kind people along the way would provide for his every materialContinue reading “What I learned from being poor for a month”
Some thoughts On Suffering
I did not expect to learn anything about suffering when I started Camino. I mean, okay, I should have thought about it a bit more. Really, the longest I have hiked is like maybe 7 hours in the Berg, and yet it was actually my idea to do a 25km hike every day for aContinue reading “Some thoughts On Suffering”
Welcoming the Stranger
For the past month, this is what we have been doing. Walking (or hobbling) between little villages in Spain, with only one change of clothes in our backpacks, and praying for food and a cheap place to stay (since our South African rand do not go very far in Europe). And even though I did this for days and days, it still struck me every time– this bizarre warm welcome. I’m a stranger. I don’t speak the language. I have nothing to offer.
Stephanie Ebert 