Peace Charm Initiative

 

Peace charm reminding me to bring peace into my day

It gets harder to do some things as we get older.  I don't think I'll be participating in any more marches or protests, given the knee situation.  That doesn't mean, however, that I can't do something.  What I'm doing is making little charms to attach to just about anything that has a zipper. I was inspired to do this by a friend who is even older than I am.  I don't know what shape her knees are in, but I do think of her as being fragile and would never expect her to grab a protest sign and start marching.  That doesn't stop her from making a contribution to things that matter.  One of her projects these days is to make quilt squares.  She doesn't actually make the quilts themselves, but she uses the time she spends watching television by keeping her hands busy cutting out quilt pieces.  When she has enough, she passes them along to those who do make quilts--and they then make neonatal baby quilts for hospitals in her area.

I can't quite make the charms while watching television.  I have to set aside some time to make them in my studio, but I still count it as Me Time, because making the charms requires just enough concentration that I can forget about all sorts of troubles and concerns and just focus on wrapping the wire.  Even more fun is picking the beads.  All of the charms have the peace symbol at the center, but I can vary the small beads at the top and bottom that complement the color and design.  Making the selection involves that favorite pastime--playing with beads.  Well, my studio is not the Library of Congress!  I have to dig around though all sorts of containers to see what I have to work with and what I might want to add to a particular charm.  It's all very relaxing to take these moments out of a busy day, even more so when I know that I am doing something that will eventually (I hope) do some good.

And here's what I'm doing with the charms:  I've made enough charms to take them to a Sunday meeting of the Ethical Society of Austin.  I gave them to anyone who wanted to take one with the caveat that they needed to attach the charm (please) to something that they will see or use most days.  The charm is intended to serve as reminder to them that peace begins with us.  In our hearts.  In our thoughts.  In our words.  In our deeds.  I am asking them to see that reminder and try to find some way to bring peace into their conversations or their actions.  

I have more to say about how to do that, but I have to begin with a question about how to describe what I am doing.  I'm making charms.  The phrase that comes to mind is "charm offensive"--which, as it happens, has some slightly negative connotations in its association with false friendliness for the purposes of gaining favors.  Even worse, "offensive" is sometimes used in reference to attacking military campaigns. Even so, I rather like the contrast between "peace" and "offensive" as a way to emphasize the active work that I want to do with these charms to bring peace into my conversation and activities.  It seems more natural to use the phrase "charm offensive" than "charm initiative," but I think I would be more consistent in my own thinking if I continue the effort to remove military/war words from my speech (and thought).  So, Peace Charm Initiative it is.

I also took the Initiative to the August meeting of the Hill Country Freethinkers Association in San Marcos, asking members to use the charms to think about peace, nonviolence, and the ways in which we can reduce violence in our community.  And now I need to make more charms for my trip to New York.  😁