I Was a Guardian Angel

January 31, 2008   |   10 Comments

The kind that kicks ass here on earth.

sp-ga.jpg

Me, many years ago–early 80s. Plus a lot of muscle.

This is for you, Davee.

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10 Comments

  • Posted by:  David Wendel

    I was waiting for you to post but that is not what I was expecting! Nice shot–I always enjoy a good black and white. You look like you are are ready to kick some a$$.

    Dave

  • Posted by:  susan

    Ha! Not what I was expecting to post either!

    I was quite the tough gal. Ready to protect and defend.

  • Posted by:  Robert Birkenes

    I second David’s well-spoken comments. That’s an amazing picture, and an unexpected contrast to the gentle, open, and caring image that your current portrait conveys. But really it’s the same person, with the underlying compassion and warrior spirit simply expressed in different forms across the years.

  • Posted by:  susan

    Robert, this comment makes me see myself in a different way. Thank you.

  • Posted by:  Davee

    nice! i had a long set of beads hanging off my beret too – almost as long.

  • Posted by:  susan

    Were you a angel?! Do tell.

  • Posted by:  Ben Tremblay

    *linked a dusty blog; peek!*

    Yaaa, that … righteous kick-ass. The summer of the bus (’68) I met some kidz who were from Prague. Gave Velvet Spring real meaning that did.
    I contrived the notion of “peace-making”, given my Pearson-era history.
    In ’73 I was on the dot in uniform when we tumbled Allende in Chile. Projection of power shouldn’t suck, but usually it does.

    “Kick ass”? Yaa, I’ve got hunter’s karma, I’ll do that … doing security for folk fests and such. If this old drunk figures /that/ drunk is dangerous, this old drunk is gonna make it so.
    3 kindza confidence …
    … my eyes blur, my body slumps, and yet, and yet, and yet, what of /mantra/ do I ever not understand?

    __{*}__

    p.s. thing is about kickin’ ass: how you choose what side you on? ‘course you and I, sis, we know it’s just karma. but some folk take it personally.

    “Some students attain merit by the stead-fastness of their struggles with the text; some students attain merit by the quickness of their appreciation; some students read the title and realize the profound depth of the teachings. All unfolds perfectly, always and never otherwise.”
    a spontaneous feast offering to this kind spirit
    by a mumbling old kusulu given in an act of outrageous kindness by his root teacher the proclamation /Karma Cho:pal/

  • Posted by:  Davee

    yep! though my beret is just sitting in a box now in storage. along with some notes and stories from that era – must write them up sometime. i patrolled in san francisco in the early 90’s and then led the san jose, ca chapter for a year. but my name was “smiley”, not too tough. 🙂

  • Posted by:  susan

    Smiley! I love that. It would be great to write up the experience sometime. I feel the same way.

    I patrolled in Boston in the early 80s and was a chapter leader also. Those were early days. I went on patrol with Curtis in E New York as my training. I was one scared white girl. But overall it was one of the best experiences of my life. You?

  • Posted by:  Davee

    I saw the chapter patrolling in Boston in the late 80’s on the subway — and thought the whole situation was wonderful — but didn’t get involved until the early 90’s in California when the San Jose chapter formed. I trained in SF patrols, then later led the San Jose chapter. But I’ve never met Curtis.

    I felt like the WASP middle class kid trying to help but without any real understanding of the poor neighborhood i patrolled. It felt a little bourgeois of me and uncomfortable, but i also felt like we really helped and we also woke some people up to a different way of thinking about their neighborhood and their situation: that apathy didn’t have to be the default.

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