Week 21, post 1:The hard work of healing

In our carelessness with language -- dangerous, by the way -- we often use the words "work," "job" and "vocation" interchangeably. This is a big mistake. One's "work" is really an inner process first, and is subsequently manifested in the material world. So one's "work" often means first finding/becoming oneself, or learning one's creativity, or one's gentleness or fierceness, or parenthood, or whatever. Of course the real way this is usually done is by "praxis;" develop it a little bit, then try it as expression, then go back and work on oneself some more, then try it again, etc. Part of the "work" of the psychotherapist is to cultivate uncertainty -- not knowing. In Zen this is called "Beginner's Mind." The great masters would work for years, decades, at becoming "beginners." Jesus said the same thing as he instructed that only the "little ones" could enter the kingdom. It could really frost the great masters, or the learned ones, when a genuine beginner would have "beginner's mind" -- something the veterans had worked hard for decades to attain. But usually it is the new converts and shallow thinkers in spiritual matters who have all the answers -- not only for themselves but for everyone else as well. Since most of the time I have no idea what I'm doing, I must be getting close....

Discipline yourself -- think carefully. Think deeply. It's worth it. Rare, but worth it. Religion certainly has a place for passion, but not at the expense of disciplined thought and scholarship. These faculties are not mutually exclusive. And emotionalISM is just that...

Beware of Quakers driving Hummers with W stickers on the window. And beware of Baptists driving old Corollas with Free Tibet on the back...

Peace, Warren.

week 20, post 1: the ministry

I'm not just here to play. I care deeply about my work. It isn't easy to write about it here -- confidentiality concerns, etc. But it is the heart of the reason I'm here. My adventures with "Cajunization" are part and parcel of the work. Appreciation of and enjoyment of the culture is essential to any counseling process. But here is a little summary of where I am now:
I have an active counseling caseload of about 16 cases or so. None have terminated so far; one is inactive. So I'm seeing about 7-8 people per week -- terrible performance when judged against clinical office standards. But I'm moving about a lot -- many house calls -- so this is not too bad. I'm also active at marketing our services, consulting and supervising casework, building teamwork and an institution, educating volunteers. So I'm staying busy. My typical workday is from 9 to 9. Some examples of my cases include: a middle-aged man with lifelong clinical depression who is going through a divorce. The family of a 7-year old boy who was traumatized by the flooding. A woman who was traumatized by medical problems as a child, and has consequent anxiety issues. A blending family with long term stresses over parenting. A pre-teen who has ADD/HD and is being bullied at school.
I love this work, wherever I'm doing it. Whenever people ask me about how it's going I say, "It's tough. And it's going very well." Both are true. I continue to need your prayers and support. Thank you so much. Peace, Warren

week 19, post 1: another mini-play

Scene: in front of an elevated trailer home down Pointe aux Chenes
Action: I pull up in front of the house and get out of the truck. An older man comes to the door:

W: good morning!
M: Bonjour!

W: Um, is Carey here?
M: Non, il est allez a travailler.

w: um, um, do you know when he will be back?
M: Non, je ne sais pas. Possible six heures.

w: um, um, does Carey have a cell phone?
M; Non.

w:Um, well, um, Merci.
M: Pas de quois.

W: um, Au Revoir.
M: Au Revoir.

Ain't America wonderful!
Peace, Warren.

week 18, post 4: more encounters with the sacred

Yesterday, Lynda Kelley and I accompanied a group of volunteers from Buffalo, N.Y. to Grand Isle to do some recovery work. The labor of the volunteers on a physical plane is truly a gift to all of those who are suffering. They did repair & restoration carpentry on the tourism office. Hurricane Katrina had, among other things, ripped the doors off their hinges. The group then took an afternoon break and took a short boat ride into the estuary. Wayne, our guide, told the volunteers about the shrimping, the fight to save the wetlands, the history of the fort on the island, privateer Jean Lafitte, and other marvels of the area. He then took us by the porpoise nursery. Yes, there they were: two mother& child pairs of porpoises. The little ones where tight by their mothers' sides -- fin to fin. Our guide said this indicated they were newborns! (at about 1 month, the youngsters would be at about 3' from mom). What an awesome sight. Alas! I have no pictures of the fleeting sight!
When volunteers come, they also give the residents another gift: the gift of listening, learning, appreciating, respecting, enjoying. Even if they never picked up a hammer or a saw, much would have been accomplished. Buildings and hearts have been broken here, but pity is never helpful. These Cajuns have much to give, and to receive from them in humility and gratitude is to bless.
Please remember that. You also do not have to travel miles and miles to distant places to give the gifts of attention, appreciation, enjoyment, etc.
Peace, Warren.

week 18, post 3: celebrating a culture

A week ago last Saturday there was a Zydeco fest at Nichols State University; put on through the University to celebrate, nurture and preserve this music. Sunday night I traveled to NO to a little club called Tippitino's with Ray Kaufman to go Cajun dnacing. Last Tuesday we held a fundraiser for our Bayou Grace programs and Cajun musicians performed. Last night I went back to the Jolly Inn for the fais do-do with groups of volunteers from Vermont and New York State (Buffalo area). At all of these events I witnessed young, old and middle age people dancing to the music. Many gray-hairs have made this a real art-form and enjoy it immensely. This is not something I witness with any regularity in the Midwest. We're missing something! The name of one of the groups that performed at Nichols State and at our fundraiser is called Treater.Their named is derived from the French, "Traiteur," meaning one who treats (illnesses). Their name was carefully chosen for its roots in Cajun culture and to bear witness to the healing power of music (and dance!)

week 18, post 2: sacred spaces

All of us know places/spaces where we encounter the holy. For some of us it might even be in a church or a place in the "Holy Land." For many of us it is in nature, where the handiwork of the creator is evident. Last week my host, Andrew, and I went to the sweetwater/blackwater/freshwater swamp over north of Morgan City. Amid the thousand year old (or older) cypress trees and the wondrous beauty of the swamp, Andrew and I both certainly experienced ourselves in the presence of the sacred, something beyond ourselves or what man might build. Andrew, who proclaims himself atheist, was certainly evangelistic about what we beheld. He wants to carry the whole world to this place, to share the experience with everyone, so they might wonder at its breathtaking beauty, as did we. Andrew owns a little houseboat, which has been crippled by the hurricane. As soon as it is "seaworthy" again, he wants to run houseboat tours of this truly marvelous place. We wandered the swamp for several hours, touched deeply by its beauty and privileged to share the experience. Reread Psalms 8. Attached are some photos. Peace, Warren.