When I think of 2007 in years to come, my passion for photography and becoming part of the PBase community will come first to mind. After that will be the six-day solitary vigil I mounted in Washington, DC to urge Congress to stand firm against Bush and Cheney's not-so-secret desire to bomb Iran. Next will be the order my friend Pat helped me bring out of chaos here in this house in which Ed and I have lived for 36 years. Every Monday for months now we've had an archeological dig going through closets and drawers that had not been touched in decades. For me this process has laid to rest a lot of old "baggage." My cross-country train journey and the restorative time I spent with family and friends in southern California is definitely a highlight of 2007. And how could I forget all the glorious outdoor festivals I've attended here in Detroit, not to mention Ann Arbor's Edgefest where I heard four astounding days and nights of live experimental music in October.
Yes, there have been sadnesses too. The deaths of my dear friend Mary White and the courageous truth-telling journalist, Molly Ivins, leave our world the poorer. The ongoing war on and occupation of Iraq is a sore that will never heal. Quantanamo Bay. Torture. Renditions. Illegal surveillance of American citizens. Anti-immigrant actions and attitudes. The Wall being built between the U.S. and Mexico. Gutting environmental protections. So many of my country's leaders' policies and practices damage rather than benefit our nation and the world.
But for me personally, this has been a good year. I'm fortunate to have in Eddie a life partner who loves and respects me, a man who is one of our world's truly good persons. And photography, with the added benefits of my new-in-October Canon EOS 40D camera, continues to stretch, delight, surprise, challenge and engage me in ways that touch the core of my being. And you, my PBase sisters and brothers, help me see that the world community can indeed live in peace and harmony. I end 2007 with a heart full of hope and gratitude.
