Growing up, we had a shelf my mother called the 'catch-all.' It was home to all manner of important things that needed to go upstairs or be kept easily available. "Put it on the catch-all," my mother would say. This diary is my DC Kossacks catch-all shelf for the last five weeks.
On Wednesday April 30, 2014, a number of DC area Kossacks gathered at the MLK branch of the DC Public Library to listen to author, teacher and Kossack, David Harris-Gershon.
For me it was an opportunity to learn, engage in perspective-taking and support a fellow GOS community member with my presence.
The day was rainy with torrential downpours at times. Still, enough braved the weather to make for an impressive showing in the large main hall of the MLK Library.
Kossacks Edward Adams, mimi, webgenie and myself planned to attend and did so. We draped an orange cloth on the back of a chair so that Kossack mdmslle could locate us, which she did. It was really good to meet her, the newest member of DC Kossacks! Welcome mdmslle!
A big surprise was seeing Tamar and her husband. I hadn't seen Tamar since a Maryland meetup in the summer of 2012. It was wonderful to see you again, Tamar!
David Harris-Gershon who has impressed me with the sheer volume, frequency and quality of his writing since he was The Troubadour, was introduced by his hosts and he welcomed by the large, seated group warmly and with humor and grace. He began with about 30 minutes worth of readings from his book: What Do You Buy the Children of the Terrorist Who Tried to Kill Your Wife? and then he took questions.
Prior to the event, I overheard snippets of discussions referencing tensions and controversy, and half expected something to occur. Nothing untoward did, but one had the sense that plenty did happen. Not being Jewish, I don't feel with any sort of exquisite acuteness, the understandings and tensions that exist between the peoples of the regions. I notice myself stepping back, wishing to listen and to learn and understand the complex feelings and perspectives on both sides. I found myself impressed with several who spoke during the event who did know: an Egyptian-American Muslim, a Palestinian-American, and several Jewish members of the audience who asked questions. Their words helped me to understand with a greater level of nuance. Their words made me hope.
I'm always fascinated and inspired by those among us who, in a reaction to some painful event, tragedy, history, circumstance, process their pain/fear/grief and find themselves more open than they were. Thank you David, for your willingness to engage in conversation about difficult, complex, emotional matters; to process them and to let us see that fraught process. More proof of our humanness. More proof that we are all connected. More hope.
David covered this event from a richer perspective here:
Here are pictures of our impromptu event meet-up that evening:
Left to right: Tamar, mdmslle, mimi, webgenie
David signs the DC Kossacks meet-up homing beacon cloth/flag thing. Thank's David!
Jed's nifty app
(Superburst) helps me to capture the action. Thanks Jed
-----
It was May 17, 2014 at noon and that meant it was time for our monthly DC Kossacks meetup. JamieG in MD had sent out the call to Maryland and Virginia KOS to join DC Kossacks for our picnic on the mall. Thanks JamieG. Join us anytime. We are neighbors after all.
Apparently, my picnic hamper is tony.
Kossack Edward Adams was out of town, mimi had to work which meant Sasha Wozzle had no transportation, webgenie had important things happening elsewhere and so a small meetup with new neighbors seemed destined. Two of those neighbors I'd met in 2012-- JamieG in MD and her husband.
What IS that?
Tony hamper obscured by GOS orange, DC Kossacks, meetup beacon cloth thing.
We found one another fairly quickly, spread out our picnic and settled in to see who else might join us. Soon after Ollie Garkey came loping in our direction. He didn't spot the orange beacon immediately, but Jamie recognized him and then, he us.
That Saturday, "American Spring" had come to town and so we were witness to their very, very, very small march. GW University was setting up for their graduation the next day---there were thousands of empty seats just across the way from our picnic spot. And there were the tourists and DC dwellers about too. So there was an interesting interplay of energy and expectancy about.
Chairs in our backyard, for a graduation the next day.
JamieG and her husband had found a falafel food truck on the way in.
Falafel goodness.
Ollie Garkey enjoyed a sandwich and satsuma.
Got lunch?
I brought quick pickles and cookies to share.
Ollie Garkey deemed my shortbread cookies acceptable enough to take home to his wife. And Ollie Garkey knows shortbread.
It was great to connect and reconnect with these friends old and new. We talked food, about ourselves and our interests, local politics, current events and future meet-ups.
During lunch we engaged a gentleman handing out fliers related to the so called American Spring as the group of less than 1,000, there for that protest, walked past. He talked with us for about 10 minutes. Deeply earnest and zealous in his beliefs there was no doubt that he believed deeply his convictions. Ollie Garkey felt that with time to engage, connect and converse, he could address our friend's fear-based misconceptions that undeserving brown people were coming to take what belonged to him and his ancestors with the enabling help of the Kenyan in the White House. I've no doubt Ollie Garkey could do exactly that.
JamieG and her husband left us soon after. They were parked at a 2 hour meter; flirting with parking tickets in DC is always ill-advised.
Ollie Garkey and I continued on. I've read him over the years and felt through his words the strong pride and connection he feels to his Scottish ancestry. That was palpable sitting across from him. I think we could have talked for hours more than we did about food and kin and stuff. I had a date to weed beets and carrots at a farm in B'more (aka Baltimore) that evening and that and the certainty that we would meet again soon were the ONLY reasons I parted from my newest neighbor.
Thanks to Ollie Garkey, JamieG and her husband, the second DC Kossacks meetup is in the books. It was a keeper.
The next DC Kossacks meetup will be June 14th at noon! Another picnic potluck! With our neighbors! In our backyard! Otherwise known as the National Mall. Yes, yes. It's your backyard too. Come join us. Bring the kiddo's. Bring the pets.
Budget permitting, bring something, anything you enjoy eating to share with one, several others or everyone. Simple food is fine! It can be purchased or homemade. But sharing it together is where the magic comes in. Bring your own water/beverages and other creature comforts you need to be comfortable (beach towel or chair to sit on are good ideas).
Here is how to find the DC Kossacks picnic: take the Blue/Orange line to Smithsonian Metro Station. Exit the escalators and walk straight ahead across the first small lawn to the trees and grassy areas directly ahead. Look for a large plain orange cloth floating in the breeze. That'll be us.
Please RSVP if you can come picnic with us. If a different day or time works better, do let me know and we will see what we can do for future events. If various accommodations would help you be able to join us, let me know and we'll make that happen. If you are visiting our area and would like to meet up with us, get in touch.
DC Kossacks are building community together. Your unique voice is needed. Please join us. Send me a Kosmail to join the DC Kossacks group. Please know that inclusion in any pictures will not be mandatory.
Please note: Our July meet-up will return to the 3rd Saturday of each month schedule. Details TBD, but it's probably going to involve a picnic potluck on the National Mall. Pencil us in.
Community building is happening in communities everywhere there are Kossacks. Come visit Connect!Unite!Act! diaries which publish daily at 10:30 am EST. Need help starting up a group in your community? Contact navajo.