Occupy and the birth of a movement

Today is the two month mark of Occupy Wall Street in Liberty Square. The rest of the country soon followed. I am unable to get an official tally of the permanent camps across the country, but at least 850 in the U.S. and over 2100 worldwide.

I have been watching almost every day since the beginning on live streams, blogs, AlterNet, the nation, Current TV among many other sources. It has been tireing for me, but exhausting for the Occupy facilitators. This movement has grown in direct relation to the commitment put into it. Who of the original 56 knew it would grow so large? Who among them was prepared for success? I don't believe a one of them expected anything quite like this. They empowered themselves and each other in the hopes of getting a few others to recognize the terrible state of the country, the world and our planet.

The individual empowerment they embraced as they held each other in that space in Liberty Park and the extended presence across the country has become a conduit of pent up anger and love.

It could have burnt them up, exploded or simply vented and died after the first push back from the local govt. They fell in love and like any love affair it raged with all the passion and beauty and mystery that love is.  Gaining trust, learning each other, showing up, welcoming the creation of change.

As I have watched from afar, a virtual fly on the wall. I see a concentrated discipline of non-hierarchy, inclusion and a mantra of peace. This mantra has truly expressed itself in action. Not peace signs, not logos real peace in action.

The lack of violence on part of protesters borders on miracle, but is a testament to the intelligence and heart of the people of this country. Real consciousness is being born one long general assembly birth contraction at a time.

I do not think those who committed to and midwifed this movement  comprehend what has happened yet. They are busy doing it, in the middle of it, catching this baby as it comes out.

Like any new baby of the collective soul it needs full attention. They are not in the space to think about how this baby will grow and change.

On Wednesday night, 36 hours after the raid on Zucotti/liberty I watched as an action committee tried to have a gathering. It broke down in an argument, nerves were raw. I saw very tired folks. The ebb and flow, the tides of love are starting to roll. The grief from losing the space as it was, the clearing by force that happened hurt them a great deal. The ones who helped create the space were in grief. The loss of the carefully gathered books lovingly catalogued was the most devastating. The loss of tents, medical and media equipment. The nursery was destroyed. At first I think they thought perhaps the baby might be dead. That baby had already started running. The parents weren't ready to leave the nursery but that baby has taken to the streets.
I say "leave" because even the police and Bloomberg had a part in making this baby strong. The slap on the butt by the city is part of the assertiveness of life. The opposition to the will to life is the shadow that creates the light of awareness.

The clearing of the parks in New York, Oakland, Portland, and Denver was the mess of birth from the womb of liberty now gives birth to Occupy fully gestated in two months.

I have watched now as the parents rush to keep up. Do any of these midwives of change realize the historic never to be forgotten energy they unleashed?

Not yet. Older activists relate some of their experiences but like knowing grandma and pa's they smile and feel a pride not felt in decades.

I marvel at the lack of violence in Occupy. Less crime than the general population per capita. Perhaps it was all the eyes watching out for each other. Very little if any of the things the elite and right wing feared would happen.

The way the communities have dealt with serious societal issues, racism, sexism, religious clashes, and political clashes is a testament to their heart, intelligence and love of country on a scale that should put the elite to shame.

The Occupy hasn't created a new model, the model has been there. We have everything they need right inside each of us, they had all they needed.

I have been involved in therapy groups, theatre productions. The groups that came together for as long as 14 days or 4 to 6 weeks were committed to either healing, ego growth, drama, art and creative process very hard work.

Invariably there are clashes, dust ups, differences in direction, but the focus of the process is the beacon. The people of Occupy were able to do what they have done because the model was always here. All the way back to the first tribe. We are social animals that instinct was being suppressed by one tribe over the other. The tribe of humanity is rising up. We are not inferior as we have been told; "the great unwashed masses", the "mob", "hippies", liberals. Commies. And all the divisive language of the master over the slave. 

Did they create the GA process from classes, from mental health groups? Did the hand signals come from Ameslan? Native culture? Little of everything from the collective soul, one voice, and one heart the evolution of humanity.

They have fed us fear of being outsiders, fear of being ostracized, of being different, and fear of loss to create a consumer society. Our leaders are murdered beaten out things taken but we thrive on deprivation, they make the slave stronger with every beating.

Just things, just our bodies but they can't control or destroy conscience/consciousness. The seeds that have sprouted from reason and enlightenment.

We Tak We Asne    (apoligies to my Native friends for the phonetics)
We are all related.
Keeps whispering in my ear. As reality unfolds on my little laptop.
All evolution/rEvolution is a birth, death rebirth, midwives and care takers.

The illusion of control by the elite is fracturing.