I chose this picture I took because it is actually the "scene" I see every night before and after I meditate.  The lights in the picture from the brighter ones to the darker ones are like the process of entering into the silence as things and voices in my mind gradually fade out. And when my mind is blank, my true silence arrives.

I traced my hand and began to doodle in lines. This hand is a a representation of a part of me. It is a Hamsa (Arabic), a Yad (Hebrew), a symbol of peace and protection. It also reflects my love of art and of soothing repetition of lines and symbols--keeping my hand busy and my mind focused. Near the end of my design, I began to be more intentional about the symbols I chose. I chose to draw a peace sign and allowed it to fade unfinished. I did this because it sometimes seems that the more I strive for peace in my life and work, the more it seems to drift away.

 I love to see beauty. I have so many beautiful nooks and crannies of the world that I'd love to visit and experience one day, so this image represents one of my most prioritized desires. The Sayyidah Zaynab Masjid is a glorified structure – brilliant calligraphy, swirling colors, geometric patterns, and astonishing architecture. The building has significant religious significance, yet that's what I love about beauty: It is open to everyone. You don't need to be Muslim to feel how majestic the Sayyidah Zayneb is. You just need to see it. I thought this would be an excellent avatar photo choice to hopefully remind us all that beauty is ready and available at any time, and it is open to everyone. No one is undeserving and no one can be turned away from such a concept.

Two days ago, excited and overwhelmed, I started the college dorm life with my roommate. We just came back from the Smore's party at that night, and one of our dormmates opened her door. She asked whether we would like to have a tea party with  them. Of coure we joined. My roommate went first when I went to the bathroom. When I came back to the room I was really amazed by the things on my desk, which is an owl light and a mug with olive-green pattern and a "C" in the middle. On the mug, there was a post-it written "gift from your roommate".

Green grasses envelope me like a jacket that is just a little too tight, I lay here because where I'm from there are fire ants, their houses line the grasses like forts waiting to attack. Laying in these grasses that are devoid of these predators is a comfort, it makes me feel warm even when I know the waves are rushing onto the shore. On this day I was leaving a writing workshop, one that I grew to adore even after a few awkward days of sitting quietly in classes, sharing my thoughts with no one except the spiral notebook in front of me. After this passed it became home, a place where I felt like I belonged, a place with fireflies, and willow trees, and the most amazing pesto pasta.

On this humid day in Pennsylvania, which has been one of my homes for almost a week now, one experience I miss from my life before now is going to Cape Cod. The cooling and salty breeze, the scalding sand during mid-day, and the refreshingly biting cold waves are the strongest aspects that come to mind. 

As I mentioned in class today, I dealt this summer with a great deal of inconsistency--among and within my friends, my activities and passions, and myself--and as a result, I grew in countless ways. Still, I've never loved change, and adjusting to it was difficult. When it felt like everything was shifting in an unfamiliar direction, I found it comforting to develop a schedule for myself. I lay in my bed at night and actually looked forward to the next day when I could begin my routine again--I exercised, ate well, spent time with friends, and followed TV shows to add some sort of rhythm to my life. It was through these repetitive actions that I was able to move forward through emotional hardships.

I. Intro

  A. Names, pronouns, and answering a question (maybe, what brings you here today? or something lighter, more fun)

  B. Who we students are, why we are here

    1. From BMC, facilitating literacy group as a part of a class

  C. Describe course: Stories About the World, Stories About Us

    1. We'll decide as a group what current events we would like to discuss, bring in news articles about them and personal testimonies

    2. We will have reading (both individually and as a group) and writing as our main means of communication (as we are in a literacy group)

II. Current event of the week: Hurricane Katrina's 10 Year Anniversary

Over the summer I had the opportunity to visit the small fishing town of Vernazza, Italy. My family and I were extremely hot and tired after trekking through the mountainous terrain between Corniglia and Vernazza. I descended the last few steps into town with sweat dripping between my shoulder blades ( and other places I don’t need to mention). As I raised my eyes from the cobblestone staircase I noticed my twin sister waving at a barred window sill near our knees, and there was… a cat. It had squeezed right in behind the forest green bars. As I watched its furry back rise and fall, I realized: this small animal, with its small voice and small presence, had managed to find its own happy place in the world.

Will I find mine at Bryn Mawr?

This is a workbook for thoughts and questions to walk alongside your reading and spark discussion.  Feel free to add via comments!

10/26

Center for Media Justice Reading