So, about Occupy Wall Street ….
So many of my friends have said to me, “I don’t know what to think about all this. What really is Occupy Wall Street ? What do they want ? Who are “they” ? … and I’ve been asking the same things.
As of last night, I’m volunteering in the make-shift kitchen they have, and planning on spending time there for the next few days. I thought it would worthwhile (or at least fun) to jot down a few my impressions, and send them to you. (with apologies to Jack, who was hanging out with them ages ago).
Funniest scene – definitely LegoLand. Someone had set up a little diorama on a piece of cardboard, with little lego protestors, little lego policemen, little lego people sleeping in tiny sleeping bags. One of the little protestors held a little sign saying “Occupy LegoLand”. Brilliant.
Tell you the truth, if you want to know what’s going on there but want to skip the rhetoric, go to Occupy Legoland on facebook (just google “Occupy LegoLand”, you’ll find it). It’s hilarious, and portrays events pretty accurately.
Most interesting process – the “Human Mic”. When someone has something to say to a group of people, he/she says a sentence – then the people around the person repeat the sentence in unison, so everybody can hear. It’s quite odd – a bit like political argument by opera. Or Greek chorus. Aside from being practical, its’ implicit message – “every voice must be heard” – gives me the chills (the good kind).
Are these people angels ? Or goof-balls ? - the answer is “Yes”. I watched a kid volunteer to wash dishes, decide he was being turned away because he had a dog and spend the next few minutes yelling at the “fascist” food people. (although in his defense, he seemed more like a kid with too much anger, too easily hurt, too mistrustful, than a jerk). Then there was the woman patiently, patiently, patiently talking to the hot dog vendor (it’s New York, they’re there too), explaining the protestors, answering his questions, assuring him that no one would burn down his cart ….
There are all kinds of people here, with all kinds of opinions. Way too many ideas here – they can’t all fit together, express some coherent platform. But as I watch this, I must say that my impression is, that’s the point. In an age when each individual, group and movement is insistent on its’ own view, to the exclusion of all others, this mass of ideas is its’ own message – that people can think and feel radically different things and still talk and listen and respect each other. Sometimes. (there’s plenty of non-listening here too). Still, that’s as radical an idea for 2011 as I can imagine.
Food ? What kind of Food ? – hey, it’s New York, right ? I see somebody dropping off a big bag of hard bagels … then there’s something that looks suspiciously like the Salmon Almondine at Daniel Bouluds new restaurant. Hmmmm.
All for now, gotta go make peanut butter sandwiches, talk to you soon,
Best wishes
