Photo credit: Mickey Z.
Mickey Z. -- World News Trust
Aug. 31, 2012
“Make your interactions with people transformational, not just transactional.” --Patti Smith
When I was recently asked to share my M17 story for an OWS project, images of occupiers, cops, dancers, drummers, and so much more flooded my memory. But since the dozens of photos I posted from that day convey already many of those images, I’ve opted to reveal a more personal angle.
My mother's side of the family is Irish and, about a million years ago, I attended St. Patrick's grammar school here in New York City. So, for me, March 17 once meant corned beef and cabbage and a day off from school.
Fast forward: I’ve been a vegan for more than 17 years and I’m not often seen anywhere near a church... unless I’m protesting against it.
As a result, since my Mom passed away in 2008, I’ve struggled with how to observe St. Patrick's Day in a manner meaningful to me.
I attended the parade again but the cop and soldier worship nauseated me.
I tried a delicious recipe for vegan “corned beef” but that was a one-time novelty.
This year, however, the universe smiled upon my half-Irish eyes.
In 2012, March 17 not only fell on a Saturday but also marked the six-month anniversary of Occupy Wall Street (OWS), a movement that’s become a big part of my life.
On St. Patty’s Day, I instinctively knew where I was meant to be. I also instinctively knew how I was meant to be.
As a naturally shy person, I’d been living up to my blog name -- Cool Observer -- during my OWS interactions: friendly at arm’s length, ever-present, taking it all in but not always joining in the action and/or conversations. On M17, I decided to step out from behind my camera and change all that.
This mission began by choosing to say hello to every Facebook friend I saw that day in the park. This simple act helped me recognize that through my steady OWS presence and longtime commitment to radical activism, I had earned a place of trust.
Regardless of age, gender, skin color, or sexual preference, everyone I spoke with was comfortable with me approaching them. On top of that, I was able to spread the word about my March 23 (Occupy for All Species) at JivamukTea Café -- an event that further introduced me to occupiers.
In the months since M17, my association with OWS has subsequently evolved into a full-blown relationship, and as more time passes, my memories of that roller coaster day at Liberty Square will surely have less and less to do with the joyous re-occupation or the ensuing police brutality.
What will remain with me from M17 are the friends I made and the communities I joined and the lessons I learned -- and this is precisely what will help OWS endure and evolve.
The occupation transcends any specific action, arrest, meeting, anniversary, or road trip. More than a movement, OWS is a state of mind. It’s an environment being constructed just outside the alienating and isolating dominant culture.
OWS is a setting in which connections can be more easily made and solidarity can develop and thrive.
Mic Check: All you gotta' do is take a chance and step outside the norm... as I did on M17.
(Share your M17 stories, photos, videos, etc. here)
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Mickey Z. is the author of 11 books, most recently the novel Darker Shade of Green. Until the laws are changed or the power runs out, he can be found on an obscure website called Facebook.
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