Being an escort volunteer at the clinic was very interesting
very much a new experience for me
I’m a sheltered person
I’m fresh out of the shower now — where I was thinking about the experience – –
I do some of my best thinking in the shower
and one of the things that hits me is
this happens every day here
every single day
protesters come and protest
escorts come and escort the girls who wish to be there
and the rest of us — hear nothing.
zip
it is not news worthy
on a day when CNN ran a story about dogs with prosthetic legs
on that slow slow news day
there was this same battle going on
day after day
the soldiers in this war are wearied.
they know each other — each side has its veterans
grizzled in their own way
each has their war stories
and each side has their tactics
and they go into each foray
each knowing they have a role to play
and each side essentially knowing the outcome
they rarely engaged each other on this day
but I can tell by the stories they tell that they have engaged in the past
that the words the protesters pour over the clinic patients
they’re also pouring over the clinic escorts
as each patient makes it inside the door — both sides retreat to the starting point
waiting for the next opportunity to achieve their mission
So — how did this experience touch me?
It’s easier for me
as I am only there once
I was an outside observer — walking in their shoes — but not doing their true work
I let the words flow over me like water
I admired the tactics of both sides
and speculated about possible tactics of the protesters
but in time
I could see that I would become an old warrior as well
the hate being poured out cannot help but sting in time
the anger
the venom has to in time have an effect
and make you see humanity with different eyes
very nicely said. thank you.