Marla Ruzicka
Marla Ruzicka, an astoundingly inspiring young woman, was killed in Iraq on Saturday. I've read several articles about her work this week. Her organization's website, CIVIC Worldwide, gives information about helping civilian victims of conflict.
I'm inspired by her and chastened at the same time. When I'm teaching, I feel like I'm doing political work. Being on leave this year, I have this sense that I'm a dawdler, a self indulgent fancy cheese eater. I feel more informed this year, reading political blogs, listening to Al, Janene and Ed every day on Air America, but I'm not doing anything. A few letters to my govt. reps, a few donations, not much more. I even asked to be taken off an upcoming panel about political teaching because I felt I had nothing to contribute.
Yesterday I decided to join the Minnesota Aids Walk, because the walk falls on my brother's birthday, May 15, and he died of Aids when he was 28 and I like to celebrate Glenn's birthday in some way each year. But I couldn't figure out the damned website to register! Rosalyn and I struggled over how to set up the webpage for collecting donations, clicking on every flipping link until we were both getting irked and decided to take a break from it. Whatever happened to get the packet in the mail and ask some friends for donations??? I'm going to try again today. Let's see if I can actually do something for change for a change.
I'm inspired by her and chastened at the same time. When I'm teaching, I feel like I'm doing political work. Being on leave this year, I have this sense that I'm a dawdler, a self indulgent fancy cheese eater. I feel more informed this year, reading political blogs, listening to Al, Janene and Ed every day on Air America, but I'm not doing anything. A few letters to my govt. reps, a few donations, not much more. I even asked to be taken off an upcoming panel about political teaching because I felt I had nothing to contribute.
Yesterday I decided to join the Minnesota Aids Walk, because the walk falls on my brother's birthday, May 15, and he died of Aids when he was 28 and I like to celebrate Glenn's birthday in some way each year. But I couldn't figure out the damned website to register! Rosalyn and I struggled over how to set up the webpage for collecting donations, clicking on every flipping link until we were both getting irked and decided to take a break from it. Whatever happened to get the packet in the mail and ask some friends for donations??? I'm going to try again today. Let's see if I can actually do something for change for a change.
Comments
I've been hearing about Marla on the radio, too. She IS very inspiring.