Activistas

05.28.08 Guestivista No. 9: Cat

Now here's a mama I met far, far off-line, in distant Tampa, Florida where we were both born.  Our families have been friends for decades, and us reconnected 30 years later here in distant Pdx.  Go figure. 

Now Cat has a little boy and our moms still e-mail each other back on the east coast.  In this day and age when so many of us are flung so far from our beginnings, it's really nice to have what we call 'family friends' in town.  When there are no relatives, it's the next best thing.  Especially when our internal family dynamics are so similar (way conservative, outspoken parents and way liberal daughters) - I always run to her for input after a parental visit.

So of course I am curious what Cat has to say about all this family-friendly stuff.  She juggles running her own business along with caring for little Sam (whom my daughter made bleed last encounter). In her own words:

Describe your family.  My family is a family of five - man, woman, small boy (no longer infant), dog and cat.  The interactions - hilarious.

Name one thing America is doing right for parents. Parks.  America's national parks are a wonderful things for families to explore.

Name one thing America is not doing right for parents.  Universal healthcare tops my list of complaints.

What's one parenting issue that really riles you up, makes you ready to work for change?
Paid parental leave.

05.14.08 Guestivista No. 8: Mike

Mike, this is everyone.  Everyone, this is Mike.  I know it's not ideal to identify someone by their partner, but in this case I just can't get around it.  Mike's wife was in my Providence Hospital New Moms Group (bless them for having that), so I've known this family since a few weeks after my son was born in 2003.

But beyond fretting about overly-soft soft spots and too-short naps together, their lives have remained intertwined with mine because they, too, are a public policy-saturated family.  Nicole works tirelessly to support and improve our pubic schools - especially promoting more equity across the district, and Mike has worked for the Oregon Center for Public Policy for years, directing his work to improving social policy here in Oregon by researching and analyzing budget, tax and economic issues.  Mike is too mellow to  bowl you over with his opinions (how nice!), so we're lucky that he agreed to share them with us here: 

Describe your family. It all begins with our five-year-old, the king (in his mind) of his domain. My partner Nicole and I serve his silly lordship mac & cheese (with peas), keep him supplied with paper for drawing, and share his thrill at various wonders of nature: he sees a ladybug! The seed he planted is really growing fast! We live in a little townhouse in North Portland. Most of our time outside of child-rearing goes to our work as researchers and activists: Nicole for public schools, me for state policies that help low-income families.

Name one thing America is doing right for parents.  It’s sad how hard it is to answer that question. I wish parents had half the supports that parents in much of Europe get.

5.01.08 Guestivista No. 7: Eric Miller

Eric, this is everyone.  Everyone, this is Eric.  Now here's a guy I met in person before exchanging even one e-mail.  Ah, the good old days.  Eric is a longtime neighborhood activist and was a terrific panelist at our recent mayoral forum.  He asked this important question: Portland is a leader in environmentalism.  How will you capitalize on existing city programs to specifically address environmental health of children?  What new innovations or tools of city government will you use as mayor to reduce emissions? 

Eric is a welcome addition 'round here with his dad angle and serious commitment to environmental change.  He has an ability to present it as an important issue for us families, who can get so lost in just getting through the day (and night!), that issues this big can feel like just. too. much.  He writes:

Describe your family:  Juliet, breadwinner, terrific supportive mama and wife, keeps me on the straight and narrow.  Liam, 3 and 3/4, thoughtful, sweet boy who loves to laugh.  Kai, 1 and 3/4, talking up a storm, climber, hiker, do-everything kinda guy.

Name one thing America is doing right for families: Starting to be serious about global warming.

Name one thing America is not doing right for families: Moving too slowly on global warming.

04.25.08 Guestivista No. 6: Art

Art, this is everyone.  Everyone, this is Art.  Yet another online (turned offline) pal.  I met Art when I randomly contacted him (my total MO) after seeing his fascinating research on child care, work and family at PSU's School of Social Work.  He has been onto the issues surrounding this subject for decades  - literally.  And he's still at it!  He has provided an incredible amount of data and thought to this issue and is excited to be connected with us lay activists, gettin' him out of the Ivory Tower! 

Also, look for a piece from him in the Mothers Movement Online's next online issue.  This guy knows the history of these issues like the back of his hand.  The striking - and depressing - part is that his observations about the problems in our child care system still ring true today.  Which is where we lay activists enter the scene.  Read up, mamas, Art is a pretty interesting addition to our Activista family.

Describe your family. Wonderful wife, daughter, and two sons, all with wonderful spouses, and six wonderful grandchildren.  Plus one devoted sister still living, of my three older sisters. 

Name one thing America is doing right for parents.  Precious little!

Name one thing America is not doing right for parents. Allowing confiscatory taxes, health care costs, and other unfair shares of the public burden to rob parents of much realistic chance of saving and investing for the survival of their families. 

04.16.08 Guestivista No. 5: Andrea

Andrea, this is everyone.  Everyone, this is Andrea.  Yet another person I met online!  Yikes, my online connections are beginning to outnumber my live ones.  Step away from the keyboard, woman. 

Andrea is seriously passionate about all the issues we tackle, and good news for us, she's ready to dive right in.  She's pushing the mamagenda by writing, researching, connecting, you name it.  Oh how I love that!  So read on, mamas, because you may well be hearing more from Andrea.  She's willing to roll her sleeves up and work for change, grassroots style.  Contact state legislators with ideas for change?  Sure thing.  Attend policy forums?  Yup.  Strategize for paid leave?  Natch.  Here's what she has to say:

Describe your family.   
I moved back to Portland last year to reunite my family.  In case you didn't already know, grandmothers hate being far from their grandchildren.  I have been married for 8 years, but my husband and I are really celebrating our 16th anniversary this year.  I have two children: a 3-year-old son named Julian, and a 1-year-old daughter named Eliot.  My mom, sister, and brother-in-law live in Portland, and my mother-in-law lives here half the year. 

Free babysitting = Happy Mom + Happy Children.

Name one thing America is doing right for parents.
Well, this is a complicated question.  I have traveled a lot, and lived for a few years in rural West Africa.  I have seen what life is like for many of the truly impoverished children throughout the world.  So, although we have a long way to go in becoming a family-friendly nation, it can be said that (most) our children and parents are well-nourished and (comparatively) healthy.

04.03.08 Guestivista No. 3: Kristin

Kristin, this is everyone.  Everyone, this is Kristin.  Kristin is another mama I met through Activistas, 'cause she's more than a little politically active.  Has been for a long time.  You might know her from uM conversations - her comments are passionate and thoughtful, strong where they need to be to support a view she considers important.  I admire that so very much. 

It is tempting to live your own principled life and call it a day, but Kristen is one of those people who cares deeply about social justice and works hard to foster it wherever and whenever she can.  And she does it with wit and respect.  She's worth a read, and then some, mamas.  And lucky for you, she just started up her own blog and she contributes to Blue Oregon here and there, so if you like what you read here, there's plenty more to be had (like her recent Blue Oregon piece: McCain is Not an Option, Folks).

Describe your family.  I've been married for nearly 13 years and my husband and I have two children, Joshua age 6 and William age 2. We live a cozy life in Southeast Portland with a very loving grandma nearby and other dedicated family around the country.

Name one thing America is doing right for parents.  This is a hard one to answer, considering all that I see other countries doing to support families. One thing I would say is that many American children do have a number of educational opportunities and are encouraged to pursue whatever interests they may have. Of course, this can be an issue of class, and we could certainly stand to improve what we as a nation offer.

More from Mary ~ On Marriage

A while back you met Mary, our very first Guestivista.  Turns out Mary has loads more to say about a whole lotta things, so when the mood strikes she's gonna opine on her favorite topics right here on Activistas.  Yeah!  Different issues, different angle, different voice.  Bring. it. on.  Today, she's got marriage on her mind:

I pray that my children will be able to marry, at least to have the choice.  I don’t ever want to have to utter the words: “You can get married, but you can’t,” or “You can get married, but you’ll have to go to Canada,” or “You can get married, but you’ll have to wait, I’m so sorry.” 

   

My partner and I have a 10-month old and are planning for our second. As lesbian parents, planning is a bit creative. Foreplay usually entails visiting our attorney. Alyson and I have been together 8 years. We met in NYC, fell in love, moved to PDX, bought a home, and started a family. On March 4, 2004, we got married in the city we love and call home. Months later, we received our refund check in the mail. It sits among the smiling photographs in our wedding album. 

02.08.08 Guestivista No. 2: Abby

Abby, this is everyone.  Everyone, this is Abby.  Confession: I met Abby online!  A year ago I had never met a soul online (clearly I did not grow up with this online stuff!).  And now, well, Activistas has become quite a network of active-minded mamas and Abby's one of them.

In the limited time I have known her, I have learned so much - about families touched by Down syndrome and the goals they have for their kids and their communities, and about effective advocacy (the NWDSA does impressive work).  Something I have long believed has shown itself to be true (again) since meeting Abby: consciousness raising - and the progress it fosters - is easily accomplished when we connect with people who have different concerns than our own.  So as we connect, we learn, as we learn, we expand our world view, and with that, mamas, we break down barriers.  Hopefully you will enjoy meeting Abby as  much as I have:

Describe your family.  Me, my incredibly kind and patient husband (both in our early 30's), our 19-month old daughter, a dog & a cat. I realized the other day that the first letters in the names of all the living creatures in our house spell my daughter's name. Not sure what we can do about future kids. There aren't too many anagrams of "Adara" out there, even with the addition of one more letter. Ah, the challenges of being a mom.

02.02.08 Guestivista No. 1: Mary

Mary, this is everyone.  Everyone, this is Mary.  There!  It's done.  Now we all know each other.  At least that's the hope.  Broaden the lens.  I get the feeling there are a lotta mamas in Pdx with a lotta opinions.  Why not hear 'em?  Yeah, we meet other mamas at the coffee shop, storytime, the playground.  But how often can you launch right in and get to the heart of it with someone you've just met? 

So, Guestivistas.  We hatched this concept on the fly (so what's new) and are going to try it out for a month or so and see how it goes.  If the system needs tweaking (we've discussed some different approaches), then it needs tweaking.  Time will tell.  In the meantime, Mary's pretty interesting so let's hear what SHE has to say:

Introducing the 'Guestivista' Series

I am one of those (probably annoying) people who has about a thousand ideas a day about things I'd like to do and write about - especially after a little too much caffeine.  But this is one of my faves, and hopefully you'll be into it, too!  While I seem to have enough opinions to keep Activistas busy (too many opinions, my husband would be the very first to tell you!), I can only imagine that one person's writing and one person's viewpoint can just make you yawn after awhile.  Please don't agree with me in the comments - just nod your head quietly as you read...