Author: Jenny

Dear Mayor Brandon Johnson,

I sent you a letter awhile ago telling you I was also writing to Dorval Carter of the CTA, and that I would forward you the letter.  I sent it to you, with another copy of my art magazine, Blueprint for a Greener World, the other day; you should have received it by now..  The letter details in 16 points my ideas for the CTA system.

In any case, it is clear to me that education is also up—in our world, and in our city.  I have a couple of points to make regarding it.  Firstly, Chicago teachers are getting paid enough!  Is it fair that they get pensions while most other jobholders don’t, in our city?  I don’t think so, though I’m not sure whether they pay into Social Security.  I know the Supreme Court said the city has to pay them their pensions, which it should, as the pensions have been promised them.  Maybe pensions could be phased out, though!  Not until every Chicago worker is paid fair wages that include yearly cost-of-living adjustments will your work be done, in my opinion.

Secondly, upon reading the website for the school board candidates for my district—District 2—I realize one important viewpoint regarding CPS education.  This is that there is a lot of idealism among the system’s workers, which is a good thing.  This romanticism includes these ideas: all kids deserve to have a school that they can walk to.  Students should expect to learn foreign languages if they have a significant presence in the student body.  Nurses and social workers should be present at every school.  Art and music programs should be decent and running at each school.  Finally, teachers should expect to be paid well. 

Let me laud the CPS system, before I proceed, for trying to reach the goals I have mentioned, along with trying to bus students when appropriate; trying to earn money for the schools not by taxing homeowners; trying to teach disabled people; being transparent about who the candidates for the school board are—the website I saw was beautiful; potentially being willing to take school board advice not to use police presence in the schools; and other fine methods for educating and inspiring our youth, tomorrow’s leaders, even to the point of making room for magnet and special schools (such as Edison Regional Gifted Center, which my partner and I have some experience with) when other more traditional education situations are still delinquent in the focus of the city, deserving more attention and resources.

Anyway, in the face of such idealism, I think it’s time to ask what we want our city to be teaching the kids, and I have answers: 

1.  I say, we should learn about our bodies!  What better place to start early preventing injury?  Injury that could mean lost productivity—and hurt—later in life.  Injury that could mean visits to physical therapists who may finally pay attention to you, and care!  My experience treating my condition of pathology from sitting too much makes me concerned for children and teachers who sit much of the day.  I direct you to nutritiousmovement.com , Move Your DNA, and Sitting Kills, Moving Heals.  If today’s CPS teachers can’t teach the human body, find others who can—such as folks who know acupressure, which could show all of us how to care for each other’s health.  Nutrition, too.  (My November 23 speech, “What Is Food?” will be at the College of Complexes and streamed by Zoom; I could email you the link if you want.  You might like to hire me as a nutrition co-coach for school meals.)

2.  There are other ways to keep young minds busy and learning and help society at the same time.  Like learning other languages: the world is a big place!  Why should we expect that problems, including the production of beautiful children themselves, will be solved only using English?  Lazy lovers can always choose mates from English-speaking Nigeria or India, as well as the USA.  Spanish has the same alphabet as English—it’s spoken by one of our two 

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neighboring countries.  Not different enough to build bridges across the planet, I say!  Spanish should be required, but so should other languages—this could be a way to create loyalty groups 

among the older student body of schools—I’m thinking, those who are learning Ethiopian, or 

Persian, or Navaho.  What happened to Sister Cities, by the way?  

3.  Cursive is still an art that should be taught, as students learn to write in other languages’ scripts as well as in English.  Some people can write cursive well; some who only learn to sign their names in longhand won’t have to learn it.  But some could help society and the world by working to preserve great people’s ideas and quotations—like the patriotic words of Black leaders, for example.  For both children and adults, some people’s cursive writing could be used to write out great words of the memorable—like Dr. Frederick Douglass; Dr. Coretta Scott King; and the Bill of Rights, etc.  In cursive form, personality is expressed; humanity is communicated; readers can even, perhaps, experience soul.  Maybe some people would come up with writing styles that would make good fonts when translated into worldwide computer use—these could be marketed.  

4.  With today’s long-lived art supplies, children’s and mentally “ill” folks’ art therapy work could be saved and sold.  This would help communities by developing and showing local talent.  As a former School of the Art Institute of Chicago student, I can see worthwhile artistic production by these groups; saving kids’ homework could be taken to a different, moneymaking level!  Engaging artists to help people learn while expressing themselves, and learn while creating marketable artwork, could be done, starting right here in Chicago.  For non-artists, making and selling frames for peers’ artwork might be a way to raise money for the education system.  Artists and teachers, I see, should work with wisdom figures and parents to create templates for kids to use for learning and expression, like some lessons in math, reading, etc. that are already in use, and identify artistic results.  How about partnering kids with performance artists?  Letting our children and mentally “ill” folks’ expressions lead us to further humanity is an idea whose time has come!   

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5.  Meanwhile, hordes of talk, art, music, and dance therapists are needed for people to get over the buffeting of them by our immature world.  Schools need tons of social workers!

6.  How about exposing children to different bioregions?  My UN-declared World Ocean Year 

idea would see landlocked children traveling to see the ocean for the first time.  

7.  My ARTEMIS plan could be worked on by kids communicating with other kids—from other countries—making a collection of bad-health-preventive practices from all over the world.  American Recovery Team, Ecological Muse, International Synthesis!

I’d like to meet with you and my Senator, Mike Simmons, for lunch at Ethiopian Diamond, on Broadway.  Mike and I both love that place.  We could throw other positive ideas around—and catch them!  

Kindly,

C. Jenny Walbridge

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The Two Meanings of “Moving”

Get Britain standing.org:

“Our vision is that within 20 years more than 80 per cent of the workforce (four in five staff) will convert between 2 – 4 hours of sitting time with standing daily at their desk. 

“Regular minor movement whilst at work is essential for us to:

• keep our bodies healthy

• prevent illness & relieve stress

• liberate us & make us more productive”

* (Note—yes, they said “Liberate us!”)

“Get up offa that thing” as James Brown suggests

The On Your Feet Britain challenge encourages you to take James Brown at his word and convert ‘sitting time’ to ‘standing time’. Make some simple changes – it’s easier than you think: 

Let’s Move More (Australian Tips & Goals)  The Australian Department of Health suggests, in its colorful 8-page brochure on adult physical activity and sedentary behavior, that people be social while exercising.  In “Why not try these ideas?,” “Active and fun” is one of its four suggestions. 

“World Health Organization Guidelines for physical activity and sedentary behavior:

It is recommended that: 

“Adults should limit the amount of time spent being sedentary. Replacing sedentary time with physical activity of any intensity (including light intensity) provides health benefits.

Strong recommendation, moderate certainty evidence 

To help reduce the detrimental effects of high levels of sedentary behaviour on health, adults should aim to do more than the recommended levels of moderate- to vigorous- intensity physical activity.  Strong recommendation, moderate certainty evidence 

Doing some physical activity is better than doing none.” 

My reactions to this are fivefold.  First, two out of three of my Kukuwa African Dance video women are in their sixties but bebop around quite well, thank you very much!  And thanks to them, I am feeling great after a 15-minute workout online.  These days (January, 2022), they are having a five-minute exercise program.  It makes me remember that I heard about dance clubs in New York that were open during the day (instead of at night), for patrons to get their exercise in during daytime.  

Secondly, my sister (who uses a “walking desk” treadmill in her office) and I (who use a “kneeling chair” that rocks) get movement and alternatives to traditional sitting.

Thirdly, the issue Alan Hedge of Cornell brings up about breaks in sitting, and that every 30 minutes of sitting work should be broken by 8 minutes of standing and 2 of moving.

Fourthly, when I am moving around, it’s sometimes because I should, but often because I feel like expressing myself joyfully, which is good for me, as WHO and Hedge concur.  I experience joyfulness when I move around (dance, for example), even if only for a couple of minutes—all agree that 5 minutes of Kukuwa African dance, for example, is good for body, but is also great for psyche.  Neither WHO nor Alan address this “joyful” issue: what does “joyful” look like?Workers are gonna be more motivated to move around and get their bodies oxygenated, including their brains, thus becoming more productive and valuable, if they are happy!  

Yet this brings up another issue: how to empower folks to jump around?  Going outside for exercise is fine unless air quality is low.  At work, people may be reminded of their oppression—terrible bosses, failure of company to let workers unionize, and all sorts of other problems, some of which are architectural, some societal, some worldly.  For my opinion about world stages of maturity, see my website: 

foolsfortheydonottakethelongview.site  (in the “Welcome!” section, “To the College Class of 2021!”). 

The song “Happy” by Pharell Williams, with its video of different people dancing, makes me inspired—I want to move when I hear it—it’s catchy.  Same with “Uptown Funk,” by Bruno Mars, and Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice, Baby” and Fatboy Slim’s “Funk Soul Brother,” and “Old Movie Stars Dance to Uptown Funk,” as well as Salt ’n’ Pepa’s “Express Yourself!” and NWA’s “Express Yourself,” as well as ATL’s “Freedom of Speech,” MC Hammer’s “You Can’t Touch This,” etc.

The US’ National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports on yoga and ta’i chi, finding that they are helpful in a variety of ways.  Both are ancient disciplines, which have survived over the years, so this makes sense.  There is another martial art that is great that I know about—capoeira; it’s Brazilian, and involves no weapons but the body; it is very dancelike (in fact it was developed by slaves to be so much like dance that their masters would let them practice it, thinking it was, indeed, only a dance!).  

Other peoples might have different healthy habits the world’s residents could benefit from.  Pope Francis, in his On Care for Our Common Home, reports that “St. Therese of Lisieux invites us to practice the little way of love, not to miss out on a kind word, a smile or any small gesture which sows peace and friendship.  An integral ecology is also made up of simple daily gestures which break with the logic of violence, exploitation and selfishness.” (On Care for Our Common Home: Laudato Si, Paragraph 230)  Some knowledge we can glean from each other may consist of interaction that is progressively healthful—creating and expressing fun, enjoyment of ourselves and each other, and kindness, including the sharing of talents and capacities.  

Fifthly, stretching is important for total health!  Moslems do what is in yoga referred to as the “Child’s Pose” five times a day.  That is, they get on the Earth and fold their arms over while kneeling on the floor, stretching—five times a day!  Everyone does this—men/women, old/young.  How civilized can one get?  By civilized, I mean life-enhancing and preserving—and celebrating!  

My idea for a world language is to be crafted from the most amusing parts of all current languages.  The moving discipline for world health—for fun and joy—should feature the movements that people can do for optimum health and beauty—and even humor, I say.  Also, they could show respect and value for the Earth, our common home, and each other.  

Actually, there is now a way of transcribing movement, other than recording it in film.  It’s called Labanotation, and is presented in Brenda Farnell’s Dynamic Embodiment for Social Theory: I move, therefore I am, 2012, New York: Routledge.  With this tool, we can learn from people in every corner of the world.

I want to be a Minister of Movement for my world. I want to make a TV show where I help people move more joyfully!  Maybe I need to consult Daria Okugawa, at the Alexander Teacher Training In Chicago.

In any case, the British call for “liberat[ion]” is not falling on deaf ears.  These ears hear, and want to respond to worldly need for liberation!  The British also mention that a positive attitude is one of the results of exercising. Certainly we can see that this type of attitude, and a healthier workforce, will make more money.  But, if the workers do not make more money themselves, they will see injustice and will have a harder time feeling motivated to jump around.  We all need inspiration!

For USA government  health.gov/MoveYourWay Community Resources: campaign materials, fact sheets and posters for printable materials, colorful and smart: “Dance Moves,” “Feel Better,” and “Fact Sheet for Adults” for adults.  The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion does not mention Alan Hedge & Cornell idea that “It’s not just about activity to burn calories and promote circulation, but also the importance of gravitational stimulation from postural changes (Dr. Joan Vernikos’ work at NASA…)” —email of 12/13/21.  Vernikos’ research encouraged his 20-8-2 approach.  I think this means that, like our hunter-gatherer forbears, human need to be basically moving all the time, stretching, lifting weight, walking, AND DANCING!  

Dr. Joan Vernikos: from website https://www.joanvernikos.com/pages/sitting-kills-moving-heals.php

“Vernikos found that keeping subjects resting and immobile—an extreme form of the typical American lifestyle—caused the same health problems as extended weightlessness.”  That is, superset astronauts’ muscles & bones degenerate and overall health appears like that of elderly people. 

“‘Her easy-to-follow plan shows how fun activities such as walking, dancing, golf and just simple movement will help us become not just healthier but stronger and more independent.’ —The Tucson Citizen”

“Sitting Kills, Moving Heals (  https://www.joanvernikos.com/pages/sitting-kills-moving-heals.php )

shows that the key to reversing the damage of sedentary living is to put gravity back in your life through frequent, non-strenuous actions that resist the force of gravity throughout the day, 365 days a year…The Sitting Kills, Moving Heals method is fun, easy to follow, takes no time commitment—and it works, giving far better results than conventional diet and exercise plans.”

A)—I say that life itself is movement.  Our early ancestors were movers—hunters, gatherers—not sitters, right?. 

B) I assert that life itself is joyful movement—passionate awareness, from plankton to whale—including humans.  

C)  I say that sitting for awhile—too long—and not moving makes one out of touch with one’s body and therefore joy, and is not healthy for one or one’s fellow folks—or for Earth, which turns with the oil of playfulness and self-improvement/growth, which often issues from interaction.  Playfulness/creativity—“Creativity is intelligence having fun,” as Albert Einstein said—continues to save the world, when we let it.  If not fun, why done?  I ask. 

Imagining the United Nations members trying to help but sitting too much, I am sad, for me and for other world residents.  And other office-dwellers: maybe working from home has given lots of people a new productivity, as they—like me right now—can just wear sweatpants and take movement/play breaks.  

“Liberate us,” as the British website says.  Act like it!  Which comes first for world liberation—the reason for joy, or the behavior of being happy?  Watch Pharrell William’s “Happy”!  I bet you’ll clap along—and maybe get up offa that thing, as James Brown sang!

See

Physical Activity Promotion and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Building Synergies to Maximize Impact

Deborah Salvo, Leandro Garcia, Rodrigo S Reis, Ivana Stankov, Rahul Goel, Jasper Schipperijn, Pedro C Hallal, Ding Ding, Michael Pratt

PMID: 34257157 DOI: 10.1123/jpah.2021-0413

“Conclusions: The authors call for a synergistic approach to physical activity promotion and SDG achievement, involving multiple sectors beyond health around their goals and values, using physical activity promotion as a lever for a healthier planet.”

Dear Dorval Carter,

As a Chicagoan for the last 30 years, and a Chicagoland resident for 28 more, all without owning a car, I much appreciate the CTA.  I had failed to grasp that there is one leader of the CTA, and how long you have acted in that capacity—until recently.  It took me seeing your presence on the news and in the paper last June to realize who was heading the public transport that I’ve relied on for years.  I can only imagine what a huge task it must be to keep the City going in this way!  It’s like allowing blood cells in a body to move so that they can keep the amazing creature that is Chicago alive!  We are one of the largest systems in the world, with a healthy mixture of residents, students, artists, tourists.  Families; citizens of many generations; people with and without much money to spend on getting around can contribute to each other, and larger causes, because of your efforts over the years.  Mr. Carter, thank you!

My State Senator, Mike Simmons, recently met with you regarding transport issues.  I would like to help you and him and Mayor Johnson plan for a safer and enriched future, for CTA employees and Chicago riders.  The following are my thoughts on the  CTA.

1. The ghost bus phenomenon is worrisome.  If I were you, I would communicate about this situation: there are ghost buses: why?  Because the driver doesn’t show up?  Because the bus has broken down?  These are legitimate reasons, and it would hearten riders to know them.  I know Mike Simmons was bringing this issue up at the recent meeting you folks attended.  It is important, but I think not the most vital issue you should deal with.  

2. My foreign-born housemate and I agree that all drivers we have experienced have been kind, intelligent, alert and responsible: you are doing a great job hiring!  With this letter, I also hope to empower some of my heroes, Chicago CTA train operators and bus drivers. 

3. I worry for their health.  It has become clear to me after studying governmental movement efforts to prevent citizen sedentary lifestyles that sitting for long periods of time is extremely harmful to one’s wellbeing—like smoking cigarettes.  My source, Katy Bowman, of the website nutritiousmovement.com, writes in Move Your DNA (the book) that some of the afflictions that scientists thought were genetic are, actually, conditions exacerbated by not moving enough.  (“Put down this book and walk around!” she says, at one point.)  I have not read Joan Vernikos’ book Sitting Kills, Moving Heals, but she used to work for NASA: she found that astronauts’ bodies aged disproportionately when they were apart from Earth’s gravity.  “What do you want me to do?”  You’re possibly wondering.  I must direct you to Paul Hedge of Cornell, who suggests that for every half hour of sitting at work, employees should sit for 20 minutes, stand for 10, and move around for 2.  Well, what makes us move around joyfully—as workers and celebrators?  It’s the health of our world—our city—our people—our teammates.  (See enclosed cartoon.)  I assert that drivers should take more movement breaks, so their routes should be shortened or encompass these breaks.  This would be good for customers, too; the busses and trains you guys made are uncomfortable and bad for the posture (why do only drivers get some semblance of comfort in their seats?), translating to anxiety and discontent.  Riders would be safer if the driver was feeling more alert, a state that would be brought on by them taking a stretch and boogie break.  I hope you hire me and/or other capable folks to lead an exercise class for CTA workers, so we can figure out some movements each driver could utilize for individual health maintenance, if they want. 

4.  How to fight violence on CTA?  “You give each CTA customer a gun on their way in to transport; they use or do not use it and hand it back on the way out…children get knives.”  Yikes!  Outlawing guns on public transport and CTA property is very important, if it hasn’t been done yet.  No guns should be on CTA or Metra—I feel this very strongly.  The murder on the bus last June was obviously heartbreaking.  I had heard years ago about a rape on a bus.  How about the gun prohibition coupled with the driver’s ability to pull over; punch a police call button; use mace on the warring parties; talk (or yell) down the arguing folks?

5.  The Transit Ambassador idea sounds better!  This brings me to another point: why, oh why don’t you have a second worker on trains?  Freight trains used to have two engineers, but they don’t anymore—and that is a problem.  There were reasons to have more than one driver, just like there are reasons for el trains to have two workers on them: we are dealing with vulnerable human beings, here.  The drivers should both, however, get to stride down the trains whenever they want—their getting exercise is important like it is for bus drivers.  And what are the workers at the stations doing?  I THINK YOU NEED MORE OF A PRESENCE OF STAFF.  Should drivers be versed in dealing with riders’ behavior problems?  Maybe.  The Transit Ambassadors could be social workers: as Mike suggests, some “approachable, culturally-competent staff skilled [in] de-escalation, who are focused on creating safer environments for riders and customers” and, I would add, employees.  Looking at other cities’ efforts at this type of solution would be a great idea.  Whole Foods Market employs “Peace Officers,” but the Ambassadors could be more skilled than these folks.  And a counselor could be located at every station—someone who knows about resources and has training in social work, too—think education /inspiration of all parties!  

6. If you don’t like the discussion on the train, you can move to a different car.  I have done that myself, and I don’t see why you’re outlawed from going from car to car now.  While it’s true that one can get off through the door and walk to another car at a stop, if one wants, exiting through the train car door while the train is in motion seems like a good option, too.  I remember riding with one young guy who strode down the aisle on a subway train, banging the plastic walls near each door.  We were nervous, but he went past us through the car door into the next one.  My analysis was that he didn’t feel like sitting, especially in seats that scoop one up and make one slouch.  Couldn’t that happen?  Your seats are so problematic!  The horrific CPD shooting of a person for going from car to car was inexcusable; but I empathize with that rider, who may have been on drugs.  Can’t that unfortunately occur, these days?

7.  Music made in a bus/train station?  Maybe at the stations, the way you used to do: culture entertains—and enriches.  Getting folks to dance is a noble aim!  Even the man who used to get people to gamble on the train distracted people and thus prevented mayhem. 

8. How about uses/traincars decorated with their customers’ hand-/footprints on the ceiling?  This is my favorite idea for the CTA!

9. I hope that you change that announcer guy!  I’ve had enough of him!  How about a woman?  I would do it—I have a nice alto voice.

10. As you can see from the magazine, I have drawn some people—several while on the el and buses.  I have more drawings of CTA riders that I would love to show in the vehicles.  This, in addition to the hand-/footprints of riders. 

11. For the future, vehicles that do not pollute will be even more important.  I hope this is one of your priorities!  It should be.

12.  The JCDeaux or whatever pictures in the bus shelters are fine, but the switching views back and forth from different pictures are a waste of energy and money.  The time reports on the tops are great, though! 

13. This Ventra system, I must say, sucks because it doesn’t tell you how much money is on your card, when you use it, and I fill them up at a station.  This is problematic.  The old system was much better!  However, filling the cards up at the kiosk is easy, I must admit.

14. If my idea of Sidewalk University (“Teach and Learn Diversity @ Sidewalk University!”) was going on, on the bus/train, the rider could drop a quarter into the bucket on the side of the vehicle if they learned/taught something on the train/bus.  It could be a movement, fact, viewpoint, name; totally optional, it would give riders a focus and motivation to stay alert and helpful to their fellows.  Really, it might be a good idea for you or the Transit Ambassadors to investigate theatrical techniques (“theater games”) and art therapy/dance therapy methods of dealing with a diverse crowd such as folks who ride public transport.  Dealing with humans detained in a closed space together for awhile is a challenge.  It can be met, though, I feel; tourists certainly use public transport eagerly.  If you yourself have not used CTA recently, I think you should, Mr. Carter, Mayor Johnson, and Senator Simmons!  Turning it into even more of a cultural experience than it already is, I think, is the way to go.  We have art, music, and theater schools with students eager to help out with their talents, and residents wealthy in Chicago experience who might act as a resource, and definitely the need for helpers (Transit Ambassadors could aid tourists and all other riders, too).  

15. Free or discounted rides could be provided for the poor, but one still may need to show a card or whatever, to feel that they are using a great service.  This is hard to communicate, however, since there are not bathrooms at the stations.

16. THERE SHOULD BE BATHROOMS AT THE STATIONS!  As a woman, I feel assaulted because of lack of facilities all over the City.  Priority One should be to provide these!  We must figure out what is humane, and make it happen!  Maybe they need to be staffed.  Perhaps they should be beautiful and artistic.  In any case, figure it out, you guys, please!  You should also make sure there is fresh water for human beings to drink at stations!

Thanks for your work and your attention.  If you have any questions, please contact me; a meeting with me and Mike Simmons, who I’ve volunteered for, might be possible.  Oh yeah, I read somewhere that whole-body vibration is supposed to be good for us!  There’s yet another way the #147 bus rocks, though it feels like a tin can going down the Drive.

Sincerely,

C. Jenny Walbridge

cc: Mayor Brandon Johnson

State Senator Mike Simmons

Some Advice on Physical Challenges Facing Us All

College of Complexes Talk on August 24, 2024 at 5pm, Chicago, IL, USA

Dedicated to James Kromelis, Chicago’s Walking Man

© 2024 by C. Jenny Walbridge

Blueprint for a Greener World magazine of art by the author also available for viewing and purchase

I. Movement

Trained in art of many sorts, and anthropology—the study of humans—I am versed in differences between people on Earth, and the lifestyles of our ancestors, the hunter/gatherers.  As a vegetarian for thirty years and now a fish-eater, as well as a worker in seven different food stores, I am familiar with food issues.  In her book Move Your DNA, biomechanist Katy Bowman presents this lifestyle as the one that formed our bodies, by evolution.  The idea is that we need to move—all the time—in different ways, to nourish our bodies.  Some of the diseases considered genetic are actually brought on by failure to move healthfully, says Katy.  Another writer, Brenda Farnell, subtitles her book “I move, therefore I am” to contrast with the philosopher Rene Descartes’ “I think, therefore I am”!

Our ancestors were active.  I like to call them our dance sisters!  The hunters and gatherers we can study wear bare feet or the like.  And they do not propel themselves over FLAT surfaces.  When they do sit, they aren’t doing it on chairs—as babies, children or adults.  

Here are Katy Bowman’s suggestions for shoes that nurture our feet, from her 2015 book Whole Body Barefoot.  Notice what our feet need to do their work and play.  I quote:

1. a sole that is thin and flexible enough for the tissues in the foot (and not just the ankle) to feel the ground below the foot and respond by articulating, innervating, contracting, releasing, etc;
2. a heel that is neutral, or “zero-drop,’ allowing all joints to work from a neutral baseline and enabling the full range of motion for all joints in the body;
3. an upper that fully connects the foot to the shoe, so there’s no need to grip the toes or the front of the shin to keep the shoe on while walking;
4. a spacious toe-box that allows enough room for the toes to extend and spread as necessary while walking, hiking, or climbing; and
5. a front of the shoe that rests on the ground (as opposed to one that swoops upward and raises the front of the shoe above the standing surface, slightly extending the toes.)”  (page 5) 

Flatness is all around.  Think how many jobs in uneven paving could be created for sidewalk conversion, providing sightly, and slightly uneven, walking surfaces—slightly, so as not to annoy the folks in wheelchairs; but giving us opportunity for FEELING with the soles of OUR FEET while we self-transit!  And think of decoration with our footprints!  I’ve suggested to our transit system here in Chicago that they use riders’ foot- and handprints to adorn railcars, stations, and busses.  Maybe tourists could partake, too.  

Moving can mean more than one thing to people.  It can mean “getting up offa that thing,” as Britain quotes James Brown singing, in the government’s anti-sedentary-lifestyle educational materials.  It can also mean emotional impact.  I was moved by the Chicago woman who was on the news celebrating her 104th birthday the other day—she was dancing and said she loved it!

Maybe if we left our anger at the world—the emotion that causes us to disintegrate in order to express our frustration at life, which is legitimate.  But if we left it in the garage, and went for a ride in the sportscar of fun, we would last longer, without unconsciously causing accidents and injuries for us and our loved ones so we die early!   (Though we were right—it was difficult!  Let’s fix this!)  Look at yours truly—typing these words with two fingers in a desperate attempt to share ideas that seem helpful, while meanwhile my own body is suffering!  It’s time for a break!

II  Touching

Acupressure is a technique of healing touch based on the touching of certain places on your own or another person’s body.  It’s not acupuncture, but is similar, and is less invasive.  What if we knew about these points and could stimulate them often?  Informed hugging could lead to preventative medicine, it seems to me: lovely!  How touching!

Our dancistors, the apes, were great.  They still sit around and groom each other, touching fur and skin with hands.  The bonobos are like the chimpanzees—the animal most related to us.  But bonobos don’t kill each other as chimps do.  In an anxious moment, I understand, they like to be sexy.  Is there something touching to learn, here?

III. Ascension

I have known three people who used tilted seat pillows.  One was a phlebotomist—her patients’ chair bottom slanted away from the back of its chair.  Another was my Feldenkrais worker, who had studied movement, especially skeletal positioning.  The other is a friend who is short.  She loves her tilted seat pillow; it helps her sit comfortably, which she does as a professor, a lot.  I am interested in the idea that triangular-when seen from-the-side seat pillows or rubber cushions might be helpful for ALL sitters, until tilted seating is standardized.  I hate sitting on seats that scoop me up and tilt me BACK, like I might fall out of my chair if they don’t!  I am a believer in gravity—it works equally over horizontal space the same, in the vertical direction.  Plus, I think that putting my weight on my spine is bad for me; we have sitting bones for a reason—they are even called Sitz bones (the ischial tuberosity).

The next move of any sitter is to ascend, and the next move of humanity is to get connected, which is a spiritual move into smiling.  I think we humans are a bit scared of this type of experience right now, the possible world changes that ascension suggests.  Yet we have a weapon to fight our uncertainty about the future: to document the steps that get us there!  Brenda Farnell’s book, Dynamic Embodiment for Social Theory: I move therefore I am, introduces a way to express movement on paper; before Labanotation, film was the operative technique, but it has proven impractical.  

Instead of watching TV, elders could be playing/working for posterity: having their hands drawn; writing things in cursive; getting interviewed for the Library of HuemanKind; sharing their insights after hearing some music and seeing some performance art videos that get them up-to-speed on intellectual/creative issues—inspiring artists to put them in videos!  These projects, instead of melting back into the chairs.  Maybe if all chairs were slightly tilted forward, seniors would never need so-called seat lifts because they would be in much better physical shape from using their muscles more.  How about everyone getting in better shape?  Can you see a world informed by healthy body environments?  

IV. Exercise

There is a decent diet for people who want to lose weight— it helps you reset your metabolism gradually until you’re at your desired poundage.  Then, you can indulge a bit and then reset yourself easily.  This diet strategy that I’ve employed also uses exercise—a circuit of specified weight training, cardio training and stretching—to help bring one’s body into health and maintain that state.  I have lost weight doing this diet—the Curves program, now evolved into Women’s Group Fitness center on Devon in Chicago.

A member years ago, I am now returning to the club that I used to enjoy as a coach- in-training; I’ve been doing it for just a month, and have already noticed changes for the better.  A hurt knee influenced my stopping the program years ago, and I have missed out over a decade until returning onboard last month.  The other people at Women’s Group Fitness—along with the music— inspire my enthusiastic movement; it is sort of like a group project for all of us.

I am learning through personal experience and research how to take care of my knee—and it doesn’t include staying away from exercise like I thought at first.  Strengthening is what I need, as I found out through physical therapy at Athletico.  But rest is important for my self-care, too; I use icing to soothe my limb, and work out only every other day, so my muscles can heal and grow.  

And I try to employ Alan Hedge’s sit/stand/move technique, standing for 8 and moving for 2 minutes of each thirty spent sitting.  Katy Bowman also shares visually her personal living space (on her website, nutritiousmovement.com), and my initial approach of frolicking through life is, with these methods, reinforced.  I also have discovered The Foot Fix, by Yamuna Zake, who I talked with by email at one point.  Just as I suspected, my feet are alive, I have discovered, and will respond to loving care.  The small book sits in a prominent place on my shelf, and with its footprints on the cover inspires me to take care of myself from the ground up. 

While the medical community encouraged my stance as victim of my body and its pain, which would probably have been prevented had I been encouraged to embrace athletics early on, it also sent me to physical therapy, which has helped me a great deal.   And now with the weight training workouts, I am back in the saddle—older, weaker, but on a victorious path to health!  I have learned that, ironically, I DO need to move!  My knee joint needs the fluids that flow in it to circulate—and that can only occur through exercise of whatever kind.  And that is for me to figure out—by an optimistic glancing into possible future directions in which to continue to grow!

Bernie Sanders, in the book Where to Go From Here, suggests that we need to fight, especially folks who the Republicans threaten.

I see that the youth–as well as the older–are miserable–because our whole system is rotten–yes, dysfunctional (p 255). Bernie calls for jobs for all–of course! (p. 260) But what kind of a setup is it when one has to work to get money for sustenance, instead of being supported in staying truly alive so that they can discover and share their natural talents? This, when one is virtuous, and loves their parents and friends!

How can we expect the quality childcare (p. 260) and compassionate elder care (p. 260) Bernie calls for when workers are pissed off–and rightly so?

The whole arrangement is leaky! Technology has broken us down, and we need to figure out how to stand back up and create a vibrant movement–of humor and dancing! The current symbolism in our brains makes us machines, not lovers full of life. Instead of driving and sitting, our bodies need us to walk, dance and drum–and do capoeira if we’re going to practice a martial art.

What is necessary for our ascendance–our going up from being stepped on, by others; machines; and ourselves–is a reprogramming of our bodies and brains though movement. It’s possible. We need this, just like we need good food. And like we need each other’s differing cultural elements–to grow into butterflies from living in cocoons!

Another thing that has mutilated the world’s humans is history, which has brought us here to this point in America and the larger planet. We need help–all over; it is not correct to rest in the insight that we come by it honestly–that our situation is understandable. This because our plight sucks! It causes suffering for all of the humans, as well as the other populations on Earth. Those with billions of dollars are 1) going to die soon and 2) can’t enjoy a faulty world anyway.

Don’t worry, though; we can solve the problems if we play and work together. But not in unity. We need to invent a harmony, in which difference sounds good with other differences. Exploration of ourselves: this we need, in order to figure out our roles in future activity.

I come by these suggestions from an appreciation of talk therapy; a degree in anthropology from a Jesuit university; study of art and liberal arts; and my life in Chicago, Illinois and Chicagoland. Plus, my good friend is from a different nation. We have his part of the world on a piece of fabric from a photographic image, of Russia to Africa and Africa to India. On the opposite wall is a photographic image of the Western hemisphere–North and South America–on our round planet.

As a friendly woman, many interactions with all kinds of people have I enjoyed. I count as supporters Blacks, whites, Hispanics, Asians, and others. I can see what is happening in the world right now, and it calls for salvation. But I know what we need to do!

An English-speaker, with a bit of Spanish and Farsi familiarity, I have read wide and far–including some parts of the Bible. Right now I’m focused on the Psalms, and am learning a lot. Some say that they are religious–and are the furthest away from virtue that I can imagine!

Many Americans want to be led, like yours truly–by scientific truths that heal the soul. I listen to my heart, as Psalm 16 asserts. My Luke in Limericks, a personal effort of study, recounts 12:11-12, in which the reader is advised to not worry about what to say in any circumstance, as the Holy Ghost will put words in their mouth–my approach, too.

From an inheritance of quality genes, I want to share with the world. As an infertile person, I am hoping that my relatives and wider Chicago family will keep having kids, for the sake of the human population’s future.

This website suggests several healing modalities. It is a work in progress. I hope you can utilize it as an individual belonging to a huge natural effort of peaceful evolution that just needs some direction. I can see a great tomorrow, and would love to be a resource for handling its sustainable creation!