may 3. 2QÛ2
The Bill and Ann Shepherd Legal
Scholarship Fund of Equity Foundation
has the pleasure of inviting you to
High anxiety
A Class A ct 2002
The a rt of living in the moment (o r n ot)
The 8th Annual M usic
Classic and D ecadent
D es s e rt Revue
Featuring SU SA N N A H M A R S
Star of Stage & Cabaret
Accompanied by
Bill W ells
Friday, M a y 17th
8:00 p.m .
The Old Church
1422 SW 11th
Portland, Oregon
Tickets
F-QUIT
$25.00 In advance
$30.00 At the door
‘
^
Inform ation
(503)286-1752
Ticket Locations
Balloons on Broadway.Gai-Pied
All scholarship recipients are 3rd & 4th- year
law students committed to devoting a portion
of their practice to fighting bigotry &
discrimination.
For more information, write:
Equity Foundation, P.0. Box 5696
Portland, OR 97228-5696
www.equityfoundation.org/shepherd
Proudly Sponsored by:
Christopher D. Wright, PC.
Attorney at Law and C PA
•> *>
Double Tee
Concerts
fm!02
WSAFEWAY
tend to live on the anxious side. I worry that
my body will fall apart before I get my life
together. I worry about that creaking noise in
my car’s steering column. I worry that the Ore'
gon Citizens Alliance’s latest measure will pass.
My therapist tells me to accept anxiety as
part of lif^ Focus on the moment, and when I
catch myself worrying, gently bring my attention
who doesn’t pull on the leash and gets me out
back to the here and now. She says counting my
side every day. I’m grateful the lilacs are bloom
blessings will help me get through the anxiety.
ing and the daphne is still scenting the front
So let me count them. 1 have someone who
porch. I am grateful I live in a state with
loves me and who can take all the love 1 have
deposit bottles. I am grateful the tree sitters
to dish out— that’s good. 1 have a dresser full of
stopped that timber sale. I’m grateful I got to
clean socks, underpants, T-shirts and sweats.
see Lon Mabon in handcuffs.
The house has plenty of toilet paper and dog
I am grateful to be alive during the years
food and a full pantry.
that Ellen and Rosie came out on T V and that
1 should stop and be grateful for life’s bless
Vermont recognized same-sex unions. 1 am
ings during my morning meditations. But 1
grateful I survived my motorcycle phase. I am
don’t do morning meditations because when I
grateful my house has hot and cold running
try to empty my mind it fills up with to-do lists.
water, and I get to sleep on clean flannel sheets.
I need to be in the present moment, slow
But at what cost do I have these privileges?
down, focus on breathing. Feel the air coming
Am I doing enough to fight overconsumption?
into my lungs. Let my chest rise and fall with
Why do I have athlete’s foot again? Will I ever
each breath. Listen to the air coming in and
run a marathon? Study Latin? Write a book?
going out. Why are my sinuses so stuffy? Am 1
G et that mole on my back looked at? Am I
allergic to something in my own house? Am I
petty and shallow?
drinking enough water? Am I doing my part for
OK, back to the moment. I think I’m get
freedom? Is Lon Mabon back in jail yet? Why
ting the hang of it. I am in the now, breathing,
is my armpit hair gone? Does this happen to all
taking the air in and letting it out. I envision
women in their 50s, or is my thyroid gland
myself peaceful and calm. I am relaxed and
malfunctioning? Do I eat enough soy products?
happy. I wonder what I will wear for that inter
Is walking the dog enough exercise? *
view. Why did I ditch home ec and let Debby
Back to my breath. OK, I’m just here. S it
Morrison do all my sewing projects for me so
ting in my room. Our dog is sleeping on her
that now I can’t even hem my own pants?
pillow, and the cat and Sweetie are curled up
Why
don’t they make pants short enough for
under the comforter. Morning sunlight glows
people my size?
through the swirly floral pattern on my cur
There I go thinking again. I will let those
tains. Finches and chickadees chirp their spring
thoughts float away like clouds. Back to my
song outside the window. The carpet is soft
breath. Sweetie is waking up. I’m crawling in
under my bare feet.
with her. Breathe in and out. Be here now. j n
My hand still aches from cleaning the oven
last weekend when I used heavy-duty cleaner
S ally SHEKLOW is frantically awaiting enlighten -
made of chemicals that are now probably
merit. Soothing messages can be sent to
killing off the salmon. Some environmentalist.
sally@ w ym prov.com .
Last week I found a bloated salsa tub in the
back of the fridge and tossed
the whole thing unopened
into the trash, which will be
dumped in the landfill and
create greenhouse gasses and
poke more holes in the
ozone, and that will be the
end of life as we know it.
But in this very moment,
all is well. Turn off my
mind, relax and float down
stream. All you need is love.
Come together. Let it be.
She loves you.
Did I waste my adoles
cent years being a Beatle-
maniac? Would my life
course have been changed if
I had actually studied? How
can 1 function in the world
without ever having memo
rized my six, seven and
efght multiplication tables?
Is social change possible?
W hat can be done to stop
the government from
spending $400 billion a year
on the military?
Stop. Come back. Grati
tude. I’m grateful I still have
a whole day ahead. I am
grateful I have a good dog
“Anxiety” by Edward Munch
I