Bright days and great,humbling moments; today these appear to be the cornerstones of my everyday life. We have officially arrived in Southern California.
Yesterdays' sun saw us in Plaza Park, Oxnard, and the moon, in her grace, has since escorted us to Venice.
Up north in Oxnard, the plan was to meet up with the local Occupy group as well as conduct a flag signing with local (and available) VFP.
I doubt it could have turned out better, for in fact, we met with the president of Ch.112, and half a dozen 99%s representing Occupy Oxnard.
Upon our arrival in that most agreeable town we found the Veterans Memorial, located within the environs of the aforementioned Plaza Park.
A very powerful and tidy circle of black tiled pyramids, varied in height ( to accommodate the listing of names) stands perpetual guard over a large brass disk indicating the date of dedication and the donors' names.
After paying our respects and setting about the work of photography and checking the place out, we napped in the sun. I was anxious feeling. I did not want to miss out again. I pulled my straw hat down to the brow. and tried to relax. My buddy seemed fine.
As the day progressed, it became sooner to the time we would meet up with Occupy Oxnard.
They arrived on the other side of the park. I was peering from under my hat,recumbent and drowsy in the grass, as was my valet and body guard.
(that would be my esteemed comrade, of whom one need not to name). I got up to go over there, and saw some cool people settting up a couple chairs and a banner. Right on.
Well of course, I introduced myself, and in short order we found ourselves engaged in a lively discussion.
It centered around the issue of homelessness in Oxnard, and the lamentation of having had Oxnards' services shipped over to Ventura in a vain and ill-conceived attempt to flush Oxnard free of the homeless. Of course this is merely the rich fucking with the rich and fucking over the poor.
Well for the time being, the services are gone, the people remain.
Naturally "conditions" have worsened for everyone concerned.
Beautiful, wealth besodden Ventura (buena indeed!) to the over brown gold Oxnard:
"Dumping on me!"
And Oxnard, righteous:
"Taking from us!"
The very capable Oxnard team have some great personalities and ideas. And even more so they have the channels and resources to be effective,
. In this case, patience is critical in the building of infrasructure, and growing the mechanism, which is human potential.
They will not only work on rebuilding services in Oxnard, and co-working with Ventura but will export this model to all other communities in need.
The media team is top notch, and is building a public access channel, as well as working with students and at risk youth.
We were asked to do some media with them, and we provided some interesting content for one another.
We camped out at the memorial; it's what we do sometimes and that morning, early in the morning, mind you, LIKE 6am we are awakened by some guys with embroidered badges on these little bumble bee polo shirts are telling us we are being disrespectful, and we are total smartasses to the guys.
We go back down, they leave.
930am
"You guys still here, huh?"
Er, yeah. Only now everyones well rested and not so hard on the guy. Plus, we get to see him throughout the day as we hve a kick ass time, we get to do some video work with Joe, he's awesome. He got us down here to Venice. Which in the next blog I shall relate to thee.