what are *you* proud of?

Last week's assignment was to do with regret. I asked the group to think of the things in their lives they've regretted and to write about those things, to say what they need to say about those experiences, to make apologies if necessary. I haven't posted those yet, but I will. This week, to balance that out, I asked everyone to think of things they're proud of. I got a lot of different responses and here they are.

Being Grateful, by Ishibon

I'm Grateful to my Higher Power
I'm Grateful to Grandfather Rocks
I'm Grateful to Mother Earth
The Sun, Moon, Stars, the Different Seasons.
The Animals, the Deer, Elk, Salmon,
the different Roots, Berries, the Hide
We're able to make Our Moccasins,
Buckskin Outfits
The Eagle's feathers to make our
Fans we use so gracefully when Dance.
The Hide we use for our Drums.
Each New Dawn and Evening we've survived.
I'm grateful for geting my GED in '83.
I'm also grateful for the Diploma
I received for my Alcohol Treatment.
I'm Grateful for getting as many
Jobs as I have had.
Remember Grant,
Remember Lee,
The Hell with them
Remember me!



There Are Some Things in Life that Make Me Mad or Glad, by Anonymous Woman

Things that make me mad: injustice done to anyone, people hurting other people and getting away with it, guys devaluing women, thinking they're better than a woman is. People hurting animals. People taking advantage of others. For instance, my insurance saying I don't have insurance, but then taking money out of my account anyway.

Things that make me glad: people getting along with one another. Generosity, true and loving, no strings attached. A warm spring day when you can feel the warmth and the sun and see the blossoms blooming and the birds singing.

Depending on the issue you choose to pay attention to, it will affect you, either you'll be glad or mad, or mad or glad. You can change your outlook but it can be difficult. What you can do is, look at your attitude and see what your focusing on and then try and focus on the glad items. You can also flip it in reverse. It's ok to be both glad and mad or mad and glad. It's ok to feel these feelings. It's what you do with these feelings that matters.



My Dream Last Night, by Dreamer

Well, I won't tell you what I had in the back of my car, but it was worth $200,000. Then the cops were after me. I was driving, going over 110mph. I came upon a cliff and then went over it, the cops stopped behind me. I started to freak out and almost woke up, when I looked and saw a blue, flashing light that said "push to boat." I thought "how convenient" since there was water below me.

So I pushed it then the car turned into a boat. I landed on the water. Then I got thirsty in my dream, and boom: in came a root beer. I saw land and then looked down and saw a button that said "push to car." I pushed and it turned back into a car, just in time. I went home and the cops showed up.

The house suddenly turned into a burrito. The cops didn't know what to think, so they left. At first I was watching it like a movie, but suddenly I was inside the burrito. I started eating it. I could taste the beans. Then the house-burrito turned back into a bouse and I was still inside. I looked around and saw everything was normal, but there were bites out of the stairwell.

Then, suddenly, when I walked out the front door, there were ducks, sheep, groundhogs, chickens, pigs, cows, bunnies and much, much more. I'm still not sure what that was about. The pig spoke, "hey you!" I said "What?" And it said "Dreamer." Then a lighter voice called "Dreamer?" And I woke up and there was my friend, "Dreamer, what do you want to eat?"



How Will I Be, by Mavis Wykopf

Before was crisis and trauma
Now more calm
Before was highs and lows
Now more calm
Before was a roller coaster
Now more calm

Although I'm still on a ride, it's new! A new way to live has been handed to me on a silver platter. I've worked hard for it but I never felt as though I deserved anything good. Everything was used, hand-me-down, faded.

Things are brighter. I've heard of a "new lease on life" from people who have failed at suicide. I'm not so sure.