swimming, bike riding, being sick, and the rnc welcoming committee
I’m sick this morning. It’s a cold or maybe a flu or something like that. But I’m resting up. And taking a little time to write something here.
I went swimming last week and it was great. I’ve been pretty bummed about this foot and knee problem that I’ve been having lately. As a result of both the problem and being depressed, I haven’t been doing a whole lot. And when I’m not active I tend to feel crappy. So, I decided to go swimming. And it worked! I felt great. I went for a really good bike ride later in the day and even a short hike (by taping my foot a certain way, I’ve been able to make it feel a lot better).
A few days ago, I took another great bike ride out to a reservoir just out of town. I sat by the ice for awhile and watched and listened to geese that were paddling around in some open water. Some others were sitting or walking on the ice and talking back and forth. I read some really interesting stuff and just enjoyed being there.
And now whatever I’ve got has really ramped up so that I feel sick enough to just want to sit around and rest.
I’m trying to figure out a place where the RNC Welcoming Committee (an anarchist / anti-authoritarian organizing body preparing for the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota) can give a presentation about their plans to disrupt the RNC this September. They plan to be here March 4th, so it’s getting very close. I’ve checked into getting a space at the university but so far that hasn’t panned out. This morning, I’m going to check with a local coffee shop/used bookstore—I think it’s something they would like to support. One of the nice things about the Welcoming Committee’s presentation, other than the information and excitement concerning the anti-RNC plans, is that a lot of it might be useful for people here who want to be involved in the anti-DNC actions in late August. The presentation has the potential to generate interest in both conventions and one of the really good things for Fort Collins is that they will also incorporate into the evening a presentation on basic activist community building. And right now, I think that’s an important thing for this community—I feel like the activist community here (especially the anarchist/anti-authoritarian community) has fragmented over the last few years (although there are many people working hard on all sorts of important things) and is not tapping into what might be a lot of potentiality (in the sense of students at the university and other people in the community who want to do something but don’t know where to start or even that there are others here who share a similar outlook).
For example, the other day I was selling cookies with another person outside of the food co-op in an attempt to raise money for the Transform Columbus Day legal fund (it was surprisingly successful). Towards the end of the afternoon, a person came over and asked how I had gotten involved in that particular thing. We talked a bit and it was quickly evident that we felt similarly about many things and that he wanted to be politically active but wasn’t aware of individuals or groups in the community that were active in the things he cared about. Later that week, I saw him again—he was reading a book that happens to be one that really resonates with me and I just had no idea that this person, whom I had seen many times in the past, was even interested in that kind of stuff.
So, anyway, I hope the Welcoming Committee’s event can help generate interest in both the conventions and local activism in general, as well as help make connections between individuals.
Yeah. Now I’m gonna go spit some phlegm. And read on the couch.
I went swimming last week and it was great. I’ve been pretty bummed about this foot and knee problem that I’ve been having lately. As a result of both the problem and being depressed, I haven’t been doing a whole lot. And when I’m not active I tend to feel crappy. So, I decided to go swimming. And it worked! I felt great. I went for a really good bike ride later in the day and even a short hike (by taping my foot a certain way, I’ve been able to make it feel a lot better).
A few days ago, I took another great bike ride out to a reservoir just out of town. I sat by the ice for awhile and watched and listened to geese that were paddling around in some open water. Some others were sitting or walking on the ice and talking back and forth. I read some really interesting stuff and just enjoyed being there.
And now whatever I’ve got has really ramped up so that I feel sick enough to just want to sit around and rest.
I’m trying to figure out a place where the RNC Welcoming Committee (an anarchist / anti-authoritarian organizing body preparing for the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota) can give a presentation about their plans to disrupt the RNC this September. They plan to be here March 4th, so it’s getting very close. I’ve checked into getting a space at the university but so far that hasn’t panned out. This morning, I’m going to check with a local coffee shop/used bookstore—I think it’s something they would like to support. One of the nice things about the Welcoming Committee’s presentation, other than the information and excitement concerning the anti-RNC plans, is that a lot of it might be useful for people here who want to be involved in the anti-DNC actions in late August. The presentation has the potential to generate interest in both conventions and one of the really good things for Fort Collins is that they will also incorporate into the evening a presentation on basic activist community building. And right now, I think that’s an important thing for this community—I feel like the activist community here (especially the anarchist/anti-authoritarian community) has fragmented over the last few years (although there are many people working hard on all sorts of important things) and is not tapping into what might be a lot of potentiality (in the sense of students at the university and other people in the community who want to do something but don’t know where to start or even that there are others here who share a similar outlook).
For example, the other day I was selling cookies with another person outside of the food co-op in an attempt to raise money for the Transform Columbus Day legal fund (it was surprisingly successful). Towards the end of the afternoon, a person came over and asked how I had gotten involved in that particular thing. We talked a bit and it was quickly evident that we felt similarly about many things and that he wanted to be politically active but wasn’t aware of individuals or groups in the community that were active in the things he cared about. Later that week, I saw him again—he was reading a book that happens to be one that really resonates with me and I just had no idea that this person, whom I had seen many times in the past, was even interested in that kind of stuff.
So, anyway, I hope the Welcoming Committee’s event can help generate interest in both the conventions and local activism in general, as well as help make connections between individuals.
Yeah. Now I’m gonna go spit some phlegm. And read on the couch.
posted by matt iv at 9:29 AM
3 Comments:
What did you do to your foot?
Ben,
I'm sorry it's taken so long to respond. I've been having problems with patello-femoral pain in my knee. Much of it's just a result of the way my knee is built. The pain I guess comes from bone rubbing on bone where cartilage has been worn away when the knee is misaligned. This has been exacerbated by my foot, which has a high arch and needs a lot of support, I guess. That contributes to my knee being misaligned which causes the pain.
Well, awhile ago (more than two years ago, I think), I went to a podiatrist who eventually made hard orthotics from casts of my feet. This worked pretty well. It still works great for my left leg. The right orthotic, though, felt like it was misfit. I've went in for several adjustments to the orthotic and, a couple of months ago, the doctor made a new cast and new orthotic to try to fix the problem. This new one still feels like it misaligns my foot. And this causes a lot of pain. It makes my foot, my knee, and even my hip hurt. It seems to put everything out of whack.
So, anyway, that's kinda what's up with my foot and knee. I'm not wearing the orthotic because it is so painful; I'm planning on returning to the podiatrist again and seeing what might be the next thing to try. In the meantime, I've been doing a lot of stretching recommended by a knee doctor I went to and working on some exercises that have a more long term approach to my foot and leg. This seems to be helping, so I'm happy for that.
People should read this.
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