Today's guest post comes from Carla
*************BEGIN GUEST POST******************
TL/DR: Read it anyway. I promise you won’t be sorry.
My guess is that 90% of the folks on this page are not very interested in internal family politics. Most gatherers just want to be told where the gathering is happening and how best to prepare for it in terms of climate, site conditions, nearby airports, etc. The internal process of how we get there is not such a big deal. But this year is different. Folks are arguing. Some folks say “Go!” Some folks say, “Wait!” So, how to make sense of it all?
Here’s my take on it, as someone who has been to 34 annual gatherings and participated in just about all aspects of the set-up and infrastructure at one time or another. There’s a lot that goes on to make the gathering happen; it’s not magic. There is a lot to be considered in order to have a safe and healthy gathering. And health and safety are the bottom line here.
I understand the “Go!” energy. Gatherings in the West are in stunning territory. There’s lots of open space. There’s lots of family in the West who have been looking forward to the gathering swinging back this way. I get that folks are hungry to gather. I am too. I want to be at the gathering so badly, I can almost taste it. And make no mistake: housies crave gatherings as much as traveling family do—maybe more. And make no mistake: traveling family are the backbone of the gatherings, and always have been. Most housies were travelers at one time or another. We just age out of the road and do something different. We all need to understand that about each other. And we need each other. So I don’t really see any split there. This affects us all, deeply.
It is heartbreaking that this illness has cast a shadow on the land, and that humanity’s best defense seems to be to remain apart socially and physically. I’m not going to argue the science here, or debate the actual numbers, or how much to trust or distrust any government; I’m not going to wonder how it was created, or who is making millions off it. That’s a whole other conversation.
Let’s just say I accept the virus as being real, and crazy contagious; that it causes great suffering; and that people are dying from it. I am not alone in that perspective.
So, coming from that place, many of us have been having conversations in many different formats about this year’s Annual Gathering. Because there are no standing committees that can make such a momentous decision for the whole family, many of us have been actively engaging as individuals in discouraging folks from calling large numbers of people together; and have been actively encouraging folks to find alternative ways to celebrate our prayer on July 4th.
This is because we absolutely believe that any gathering of any size carries too big a risk to the health and safety of those who are coming to gather, to the communities they come in contact along the way, and especially to the local folks in the area of the gathering. The initial call to postpone the annual gathering in Idaho until 2021 came from that desire; to protect the health and safety of all.
Well, that ship has sailed, and there are folks who, for whatever reason, believe that it is safe to gather and are actively promoting it. There are a few dozen people in Idaho who are looking for sites, and counciling, and fully intending to call their event the 49th Annual gathering.
There are other folks who are very upset about that, partly because there is a whole internal political argument about what is or is not a “legitimate” council and folks are obsessing about who gets to say where we go next year.
That is not my concern, and never has been. That will sort itself out with time, with a lot of arguing. We have a year to do that in. It is not critical to decide that now, because whatever happens in July this summer and next, folks will argue about it for a couple of years and then forget about it. People will go where they go next year, with or without agreement of council consensus.
I’ve seen splits like this before. We’ve survived them before, and we will survive them again to gather as we have always gathered; that is, assuming that Covid-19 is not still causing new spikes and the country is again on lockdown in 2021. We must not forget that is a very real possibility. We may end up having to reinvent some process, rather than being wedded to traditions that are unworkable in the present moment. But that is a discussion for another place and time, as well.
So, why am I writing this? Because I want folks to understand the underlying intent of the argument to wait. The bottom line is public health and safety. Nothing more, nothing less. Some might even say it is a matter of life and death. Yes, there are all sorts of weird family politics playing into the argument, but they are peripheral. What matters is the well-being of everyone.
Sure, some folks are choosing not to wait. I’m not going to get into the “choice” argument, because it is irrelevant. Of course folks have the right to choose anything they like.
But make no mistake: the fact that there are a few dozen folks making the choice to be in Idaho in a holding camp, counciling and scouting, does not change the underlying argument—which is that health and safety cannot be guaranteed when folks are traveling and gathering in large numbers; when they are cooking and eating and drumming and singing and smoking together.
So therefore, if you are undecided as to whether to go, to me the best argument is still “Wait!” Wait until more is known about risk reduction. Wait until more is known about rates of infection, and possible early treatments. Wait until safety can be assured, although that may always be a relative thing and its definition up for debate.
But realistically, some people won’t wait, and are not waiting; so it has become obvious that it’s time to start looking at harm reduction and risk mitigation. Not just for this gather, but for any get-together that folks might be considering to call or attend in the coming months.
And keep in mind, that the underlying intent has still not changed. It is still about health, safety, and the well-being of gatherers and others.
Here are some that seem obvious to me:
Best method: Keep all get-togethers as small as possible, with the least possible travel and the least possible use of public restrooms. Thus, it’s still, OM from Home. Find your local family pods and have a field trip or a picnic.
Second: Be aware that it becomes more difficult to maintain Covid safety when away from usual routines. Make sure you have plenty of hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, etc. Think ahead about sanitation needs in general.
Third: Be aware that the best way to not spread it is to wear a mask; and when appropriate to the task, gloves. Have plenty on hand for others, as well.
Fourth: Keep yourself informed about what’s going on in the area you are coming from, and the area you are going to, in terms of spikes in numbers; plan accordingly.
Fifth: If your local circle mushrooms and will take place over several days and is larger than, say a few dozen people, contact the local health department for latest recommendations, precautions, and closures.
Sixth: Have contingency plans in case someone does become ill. What is the best way to proceed if Covid-19 is suspected?
Finally, for those folks contemplating going to Idaho because they are unsure: consider that 99% of the kitchens and infrastructure have announced they will not be there. Sure, anyone can set up a kitchen, and no doubt folks will be cooking and eating, and some folks will be doing some regular gathering type stuff like OMing and singing and drumming and taking care of kids. The point is that if you are expecting the usual huge magical gathering, it won’t be there. Check out the OM from Home site to see which kitchens will NOT be there.
Continuing to urge folks not to go to Idaho to gather at this time does not mean I’m trying to sabotage what the folks in Idaho are doing. They are doing what they are doing. Their choice is a poor one, in my opinion, but that’s beside the point. I hope everyone there has a lovely, safe, healthy gathering. I just hope they keep it small. And I hope they use the hundreds of masks and gloves that are being sent up in a few days. And practice physical distancing. And are kind to one another. The rest of us? Manifesting an annual gathering? Waiting ... .
In the meantime, anyone wanna write a RAP C-19?
My guess is that 90% of the folks on this page are not very interested in internal family politics. Most gatherers just want to be told where the gathering is happening and how best to prepare for it in terms of climate, site conditions, nearby airports, etc. The internal process of how we get there is not such a big deal. But this year is different. Folks are arguing. Some folks say “Go!” Some folks say, “Wait!” So, how to make sense of it all?
Here’s my take on it, as someone who has been to 34 annual gatherings and participated in just about all aspects of the set-up and infrastructure at one time or another. There’s a lot that goes on to make the gathering happen; it’s not magic. There is a lot to be considered in order to have a safe and healthy gathering. And health and safety are the bottom line here.
I understand the “Go!” energy. Gatherings in the West are in stunning territory. There’s lots of open space. There’s lots of family in the West who have been looking forward to the gathering swinging back this way. I get that folks are hungry to gather. I am too. I want to be at the gathering so badly, I can almost taste it. And make no mistake: housies crave gatherings as much as traveling family do—maybe more. And make no mistake: traveling family are the backbone of the gatherings, and always have been. Most housies were travelers at one time or another. We just age out of the road and do something different. We all need to understand that about each other. And we need each other. So I don’t really see any split there. This affects us all, deeply.
It is heartbreaking that this illness has cast a shadow on the land, and that humanity’s best defense seems to be to remain apart socially and physically. I’m not going to argue the science here, or debate the actual numbers, or how much to trust or distrust any government; I’m not going to wonder how it was created, or who is making millions off it. That’s a whole other conversation.
Let’s just say I accept the virus as being real, and crazy contagious; that it causes great suffering; and that people are dying from it. I am not alone in that perspective.
So, coming from that place, many of us have been having conversations in many different formats about this year’s Annual Gathering. Because there are no standing committees that can make such a momentous decision for the whole family, many of us have been actively engaging as individuals in discouraging folks from calling large numbers of people together; and have been actively encouraging folks to find alternative ways to celebrate our prayer on July 4th.
This is because we absolutely believe that any gathering of any size carries too big a risk to the health and safety of those who are coming to gather, to the communities they come in contact along the way, and especially to the local folks in the area of the gathering. The initial call to postpone the annual gathering in Idaho until 2021 came from that desire; to protect the health and safety of all.
Well, that ship has sailed, and there are folks who, for whatever reason, believe that it is safe to gather and are actively promoting it. There are a few dozen people in Idaho who are looking for sites, and counciling, and fully intending to call their event the 49th Annual gathering.
There are other folks who are very upset about that, partly because there is a whole internal political argument about what is or is not a “legitimate” council and folks are obsessing about who gets to say where we go next year.
That is not my concern, and never has been. That will sort itself out with time, with a lot of arguing. We have a year to do that in. It is not critical to decide that now, because whatever happens in July this summer and next, folks will argue about it for a couple of years and then forget about it. People will go where they go next year, with or without agreement of council consensus.
I’ve seen splits like this before. We’ve survived them before, and we will survive them again to gather as we have always gathered; that is, assuming that Covid-19 is not still causing new spikes and the country is again on lockdown in 2021. We must not forget that is a very real possibility. We may end up having to reinvent some process, rather than being wedded to traditions that are unworkable in the present moment. But that is a discussion for another place and time, as well.
So, why am I writing this? Because I want folks to understand the underlying intent of the argument to wait. The bottom line is public health and safety. Nothing more, nothing less. Some might even say it is a matter of life and death. Yes, there are all sorts of weird family politics playing into the argument, but they are peripheral. What matters is the well-being of everyone.
Sure, some folks are choosing not to wait. I’m not going to get into the “choice” argument, because it is irrelevant. Of course folks have the right to choose anything they like.
But make no mistake: the fact that there are a few dozen folks making the choice to be in Idaho in a holding camp, counciling and scouting, does not change the underlying argument—which is that health and safety cannot be guaranteed when folks are traveling and gathering in large numbers; when they are cooking and eating and drumming and singing and smoking together.
So therefore, if you are undecided as to whether to go, to me the best argument is still “Wait!” Wait until more is known about risk reduction. Wait until more is known about rates of infection, and possible early treatments. Wait until safety can be assured, although that may always be a relative thing and its definition up for debate.
But realistically, some people won’t wait, and are not waiting; so it has become obvious that it’s time to start looking at harm reduction and risk mitigation. Not just for this gather, but for any get-together that folks might be considering to call or attend in the coming months.
And keep in mind, that the underlying intent has still not changed. It is still about health, safety, and the well-being of gatherers and others.
Here are some that seem obvious to me:
Best method: Keep all get-togethers as small as possible, with the least possible travel and the least possible use of public restrooms. Thus, it’s still, OM from Home. Find your local family pods and have a field trip or a picnic.
Second: Be aware that it becomes more difficult to maintain Covid safety when away from usual routines. Make sure you have plenty of hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, etc. Think ahead about sanitation needs in general.
Third: Be aware that the best way to not spread it is to wear a mask; and when appropriate to the task, gloves. Have plenty on hand for others, as well.
Fourth: Keep yourself informed about what’s going on in the area you are coming from, and the area you are going to, in terms of spikes in numbers; plan accordingly.
Fifth: If your local circle mushrooms and will take place over several days and is larger than, say a few dozen people, contact the local health department for latest recommendations, precautions, and closures.
Sixth: Have contingency plans in case someone does become ill. What is the best way to proceed if Covid-19 is suspected?
Finally, for those folks contemplating going to Idaho because they are unsure: consider that 99% of the kitchens and infrastructure have announced they will not be there. Sure, anyone can set up a kitchen, and no doubt folks will be cooking and eating, and some folks will be doing some regular gathering type stuff like OMing and singing and drumming and taking care of kids. The point is that if you are expecting the usual huge magical gathering, it won’t be there. Check out the OM from Home site to see which kitchens will NOT be there.
Continuing to urge folks not to go to Idaho to gather at this time does not mean I’m trying to sabotage what the folks in Idaho are doing. They are doing what they are doing. Their choice is a poor one, in my opinion, but that’s beside the point. I hope everyone there has a lovely, safe, healthy gathering. I just hope they keep it small. And I hope they use the hundreds of masks and gloves that are being sent up in a few days. And practice physical distancing. And are kind to one another. The rest of us? Manifesting an annual gathering? Waiting ... .
In the meantime, anyone wanna write a RAP C-19?
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