Life Goals

Judy with No Coal Ash Sign in Moncure, N.C. Summer 2015 
photo by Keely Wood

Can Flowers Change Your Life? VII. January 31, 2016

An early life goal, at thirty-three:
show love.  Another goal I didn’t choose.
It chose me: write.  Later I chose:
write out my mind.  Now I answer a call.
I say, “I couldn’t say no.”  Others would
call it God’s call.  There are moments
in a life when you do not have a choice.
I cared for Amy’s twins.  I let a Russian
man stir my love.  When my chosen
community was threatened by the dumping
of twelve million tons of coal ash,
I knew I had to fight.  I didn’t want to be
the leader, but no one else offered, so I
took that call, too.  My life is all calls
now. I want to live well, healthily and
independently.  I want to speak my
mind as well as tell my truth in writing.
I do.  Perhaps that is the kind of life
all the religions of the world intend us
to live.  Begin at the beginning.  Care
for ourselves and others.  Listen to
the voice within.  The more we listen,
the more we hear.  The work grows
harder, but the rewards come faster.
Other people’s love and nurturing
now sustain me.  Everything I’m doing
helps the good in that ongoing earthly
war between the good and the evil.
Let me be thankful and acquiesce.

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Mailing party with members of Chatham Citizens Against Coal Ash Dump and EnvironmentaLEE.  Photo by Terica Luxton. 

We mailed 4200 flyers about our work to stop the coal ash dumping in the Brickhaven and Colon Roads areas.  We have wonderful workshops coming up with these amazing scientists and grassroots leaders:

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Attend a workshop* on Coal Ash Dangers and Grassroots Strategies led by experts you can trust:

- May 7, Saturday, 1-3 PM: Cumnock Baptist Church, 477 Cumnock Rd., Sanford. Louis Zeller, Director of Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League will share tips on leadership and strategy.

3:30-4:30 PM: Rebecca C. Fry, PhD, UNC-CH: “Heavy Metals in Coal Ash: What are the Health Risks?”

- May 14, Saturday, 1-3 PM: Liberty Chapel Church Samuels Annex, 1855 Old U.S. 1, Moncure. Avner Vengosh, PhD, Duke University: “Risks of Coal Ash to the Environment and Human Health.”

3:30-4:30 PM: George Lucier, PhD, Former Assoc. Director National Toxicology Program: “Health Risks From Coal Ash Constituents.”

- May 21, Saturday, 1-3 PM: Liberty Chapel Church Samuels Annex, 1855 Old U.S. 1, Moncure. Therese Vick, N.C. Healthy Sustainable Communities Campaign Coordinator, BREDL. “Using N.C. Public Records Law.”

3:30-4:30 PM: Jane Gallagher, PHD, MPH, US EPA (retired)
“Monitoring Coal Ash Drinking Water Contaminates.”

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