2016 Almost Over, 2017 Almost In Sight. . . .Happy New Year!??

                                                              Delores Fisher

Year's end shout out to my new readers in Portugal, Ukraine, Philippines and Turkey!

Hmm....what a year 2016 has been for us Earthlings/Terrestrials those who inhabit this world. What a roller coaster ride.

 It's now near year's end, "the holiday season." In rejoicing, share joy; yet, morn with those who are suffering displacement, dire poverty, enduring loss.

Remembrance

First, a pause to give one last round of applause to those who are no longer on the world stage: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38418802?SThisFB

And now, I offer a few random thoughts gathered during these last few months for Carpe Noctum readers, a few photo op images, a few San Diego and Glendale Arizona photos.Yes, it's the usual year end stuff.

Little Italy, San Diego, CA

It's a neighborhood with art galleries, eateries, coffee shops, and just up from the trolley. Little Italy has a marvelous Saturday market with local produce and arts vendors.

                                         Little Italy has two huge Nut Cracker Statues

Fresh produce and buskers form accordion players to country and western singers. On several of its street corners, musicians serenade us through our foraging for local and exotic foods. That's how I met Pua. I heard his music from a block away and was so soothed that I followed his sound. He was singing on a corner as marketers stopped from time to time to listen.

A Samoan who takes pride in his cultural diversity, Pua loves to play his guitar and sing, anything from island melodies to Christmas Songs to songs about California. According to his wife, he is self taught. Pua learned music from his uncles as they sat under the trees of Samoa and shared songs when he was a little boy. He picked up a guitar and worked on a soft clean finger touch that is a marvel to hear. His voice is like liquid light. We sometimes need to be reminded that music in a skilled musician's crafting, is a gift with potential to heal, somewhat forgotten in this era of detached interaction. 

Peace and Hope

It's a season of celebrating Christ's birth during which many sing of peace and goodwill. It's easy to forget at what price Christ paid for such an audacious extension of hope to all. Nothing against reindeer and talking snowmen, and newly invented seasonal characters. Peace is a seriously hazardous ideology to embrace.

I attended an inspiring and yet sensibilities check set of lectures about peace and hope this year. Three women whose chaos filled daily existence is the norm for many, shared their rewardingly difficult lives in war torn communities continually struggling to rebuild, surrounded by ruin. Our tragically treacherous inner city ghettos in the states seem sadly similar, yet more sadly less mordacious.

They spoke of patience and love. They reminded us that many men with whom women work for a better life resonate with our cause: our husbands, fathers, uncles, brothers, sons, friends. And others who oppose us and them, ironically can also be our husbands, fathers, uncles, brothers, sons, friends,  bringers of challenges, conflict, and war. Showing love is at times not easy.

These women spoke harsh realities about peace, love, men, women, children and hope. It was inspiring to meet them and talk after their lectures.

                                                   They are Women Peacemakers

Hamsatu Allamin, (Delores Fisher), Jane Anyango

Fatma Mehdi, Jane Anyango, (Delores Fisher) Hamsatu Allamin

Thanksgiving

In the states, we start to celebrate the end of the year at least a month earlier. We embed it in our present through our history in becoming a nation. We intentionally focus on being aware of blessings even in the middle of tenuous conflict and trauma.

Thanksgiving through New Years is a time to enjoy food, family, love, song--past memories of times before, of people no longer alive, of homes no longer filled with children and laughter. We share with our homeless in their urban tents, on their matted blankets, on their cardboard boxes. Those with good memories smile, laugh, weep.

We share our overflow with those who have rarely or have never experienced having as if  at least a glimpse of what could be will sustain them through their adversity for a little while longer, hope.

Many who are blessed to have pleasant memories hold onto the "good traditions," try to recreate for our next generations a sense of what is substantive so they can experience at least a glimpse of what their lives could be beyond vacuous materialism. Peace, hope bring light, bring context to consumer driven emptiness. So, we celebrate.

                                                        Thanksgiving 2016
                                               

                                             Glendale Arizona Festival of Lights

      

Musicians, Composers, and Performers

And of course, for those of us in the arts, this is a time to perform and to create. We have big footsteps to follow that can not be filled. We must take our own steps. We have lost many giants as well as those less well known who do everyday arts for life this year. It is up to us to us now as we imagine and consider a better world.

Abstrack the band https://www.facebook.com/abstracktheband

Well, it has been a year to remember

Delores Fisher,
A few random Carpe Noctum thoughts as we leave 2016 and enter 2017.  Happy New Year!