A while back, a wise woman here in Saskatoon (Denise Kouri) invited 11
activists out to discuss this very issue - keeping your health and
perspective in the middle of despair and huge forces and overwhelming
agendas.  We met at a spot called Ancient Spirals outside of town, had a
sensitive caring facilitator, cooked and shared a good meal together, went
for a walk at noon and talked about self care in this work.  I still have
the picture that was taken of all of us - overlooking the riverbank - on my
bulletin board.  It helps.

> ----------
> From:         Sherrie Tingley[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Reply To:     Health Promotion on the Internet
> Sent:         Wednesday, October 27, 1999 1:55 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      FW: OW-WATCH-L Self caring
>
> Hi all,
>
> A while back there was some good discussion from the list proposed from a
> medical officer of health on staying healthy.
>
> Today on the workfare watch E-mail list a list member posted this in
> response to my query about self caring.  I really liked it and thought I
> would share it with you people.
>
> S
>
>
> --- Sherrie wrote:
>
> > G,
> >
> > You raise another important item for me, self caring for activists.
> >
> > I wonder if we could use this space to talk about the toll that this
> work
> takes on us and
> > strategies we can use to cope better.
> >
> > Black humour is important to me,  what about other people?
> >
> > S
>
>
> For me, living on $490.00 per month and using a borrowed computer and
> internet connection to try
> to take small steps toward change, doesn't feel very much like "activism"
> some days. From time to
> time even on the worst days, when the whole damn planet feels like it's
> going to rise up and snuff
> out even this meagre existence, I've still tried to abide by these simple
>  rules. They're probably
> a little more "basic" than the one's you were looking for, but then you
> never know who might be
> reading this, now do you. Not neccesarily in order of most importance,
> except for the first one.
>
>
> 1/ EAT at least one half decent meal a day. Even when you don't feel like
> it.
>
> 2/ Get the hell out of your place (if you've got one), at least once a
> day.
> My mother used to call
> it "getting the stink blown off you".
>
> 3/ If you don't have a place, treat yourself at least once a day to
> spending some time in any
> available public place of relative warmth or coolness. Screw THEM.
>
> 4/ Try not to pay too much attention to the media and signage around you
> that keep telling you
> that you're fighting for a lost cause. They're lying weasels.
>
> 5/ Try to have at least one conversation per day with another human being,
> that isn't about how
> much your life sucks. Although if that's all the conversation thats
> available, do it, it's better
> than nothing and no contact at all.
>
>
>
> T
>
>
> P.S. If it wasn't for dark "humour", this journey would've been over a
> while ago.
>
>
>
> =====
>