A little more on the tornado.  Both Bob and I are now back working on our own projects after trying to volunteer and help wherever help was needed last week.  It is doesn't mean that the need has gone away but fortunately the volunteers are still out there, many of them coming from other areas of the country.  A lot of them have had experience with tornadoes and know what it is to need help.  The tornado was on the ground for more than 20 miles so when i drive to other parts of the town and i am surprised to see so many other affected areas.  When we meet a friend the question is always "how did you fare in the storm?"

Today I took a photo of a grand piano that was damaged when the USM Jazz Station building was demolished.  It symbolizes the fact that "the show must go on" especially since it was the music school that got hit the hardest by the storm. 

Here are the African proverbs for the last few day. 

February 20  "The integrity of a person is seen, not in falling, but in rising after each fall."  African proverb

February 19  "You can use what someone is doing today to judge what he will do tomorrow." Nigerian proverb

February 18  "He who lets a snake into his house should know how to get it out."  Tanzanian proverb

Our community experienced a tornado.  We are fine but two blocks away my neighbors are not.  We were without power for a day and internet for several days.  Anyway I am going to catch up on the days that I missed and then I will write more about the tornado tomorrow. 

The photograph below means a lot to me since so many people had their homes damaged or destroyed. But then their were so many volunteers that have used their hands to help the people who needed help. 

February 17  "A good name shines in the dark."  Swahili proverb

February 16  "Be a neighbor to a human being and not to a fence."  Kenyan proverb

February 15  "A thorn tree is climbed by its knobs, not its thorns."  South African proverb

 February 14  "The heart that truly loves has no room for grudges."  Ghanaian proverb

February 13  "Imitation has destroyed many a person."  African proverb

February 12 "Be sure you stand on solid ground before you stretch out the hand to grab something."  African proverb

February 11 "Slips outnumber falls."  Kenyan proverb

February 10 "The heart of a wise person lies quiet like limpid water."  Cameroonian proverb

February 9  "A calabash with holes cannot be filled."  Kenyan proverb

 

A home in rural Liberia.  

 

"Everything is life." Malawian proverb for Friday, February 8. From the calendar "African Wisdom for Life" by Annetta Miller. 

Short and sweet!  We only have one life and we need to live it well!

Reminds me of another proverb which is on page 8 of my book "Life is in community"  African proverb

This photo was taken at Maasai Blessing ceremony in Kenya.  It was a basically a very well organized Women's conference where the women came together to talk about their problems.  About 300 women of all ages lived together in a compound for several days, going to meetings, dancing, singing, and participating in rituals handed down by their ancestors.  Life is very hard for nomadic women and child and mother mortality is high.

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It is easy to stand in a crowd: it takes courage to stand alone." Zambian proverb for February 7. From the calendar "African Wisdom for Life" by Annetta Miller. 

The proverb today is very meaningful to me.  I appreciate all the people around the world who have stood up to oppression but especially here in Mississippi for those who fought for their rights during the 60's.   I am reading a classic book "Coming of Age in Mississippi" written by Anne Moody and published in 1968.  Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down.  I thought I had heard these stories so many times but her story was just so real and embellished.  She told the story like it was.

These delegates to constitutional convention were speaking out at great risk against their authoritarian government in Togo in the 90's.

"Do not burn your house down just because a rat annoyed you." Nigerian proverb for February 6. From the calendar "African Wisdom for Life" by Annetta Miller

 I have been really upset at how the Obama administration has used drones to target and kill US Citizens thought to be terrorists without any real oversight.   I was also thinking that the "rat" in the proverb could be the "war on terrorism" and we are using the threat of terrorism to destroy the ideals of this country.  http://www.salon.com/2013/02/05/when_liberals_ignore_injustice/

Open Society has also just come out with a report of how third countries were used to torture suspected terrorists at the request of the CIA.  Just listen to this clip and you will be shocked http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkSCYFyN8hg  and then go on to read the report.  It is hard to believe the Obama administration would allow this but I think it can still happen through most of it happened under the Bush administration.  Power corrupts is such an over used phrase but it is still so true.  

sorry I went so political!

"Charity is a matter of the heart, not the pocket." Swahili proverb for February 5. From the calendar "African Wisdom for Life" by Annetta Miller

I now live in Mississippi and we are I think "number 1" on this so congrats to all you fellow Mississippians.

Catching up on the days I have missed.  Thought some of you might still like to know what they are.

"The one who tries to swallow a large stone has confidence in the size of his throat." African Proverb for February 4.