JANUARY 9, 2026 ON MY CORNER MEET YOUR VENDOR David Mitchell vendor No. 661 The spark in your heart When you notice your own In one sentence, who are you? I am a proud member of the homeless community in Washtenaw County. Where do you usually sell Groundcover? You will find me in downtown Ann Arbor, either by the Michigan Union or Fleetwood Diner. Why did you start selling Groundcover? I came to Groundcover to publish my thoughts about life as a homeless person. I also enjoy the ability to earn income through sales. What is one place that feels like your own personal sanctuary? Ann Arbor downtown library. What is your comfort food? Pizza House pizza. What is your life motto? Always believe in yourself. If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring three things, what would they be? 1. A radio 2. A cell phone 3. Sleeping bag If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?Austin, Texas. If there was a theme song for your life, what would it be? "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor. What is the weirdest food combo you swear by? Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. What change would you like to see in Washtenaw County? The development of more homeless shelters. What is one question you wish you were asked more? Simply, "Would you like to meet up for coffee and conversation?" LA SHAWN COURTWRIGHT Groundcover vendor No. 56 suffering, remember that everyone experiences that same suffering, and extend compassion to self and other inseparably. Then the spark in your heart is active in a good way. When 5,000 military veterans showed up at the Standing Rock indigenous nation just after Thanksgiving 2016, they looked at the 500 mercenaries and police who were protecting the construction of the Keystone pipeline on the Cannonball River. The pipeline investors changed the route to bypass Bismarck (after Bismarck’s Not In My Neighborhood protests), and moved the pipeline route to Standing Rock, which was unceded territory of the Standing Rock nation. The military veterans began to talk about taking down the police /mercenary unit near the construction site. The Grandmothers of Standing Rock quickly intervened and said to the veterans, “Listen to us, we have been in this struggle for 500 years. You need to consider what they have been through in order for them to feel okay with what they are doing.” The perpetrators of violence have been socialized into violence as the definitive norm of every supremacist society. Supremacism has a long history with roots in the experience of self and other. When reality is experienced with this dualism, which splits the KEN PARKS Groundcover vendor No. 490 whole into two parts, the other is viewed as ‘not self’ and becomes an object to be controlled. This cannot be done and the supremacism that arises to control reality always backfires with unintended consequences. Wars never succeed in establishing peace. When you learn that the illusion of a separate permanent self is a fixation of ego OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), you may turn to dharma, a Sanskrit word for reality and the path to awakening. The spark in your heart can become a warm glow that is, in fact, unconditional love, and will benefit all beings without exception. As you cultivate this awakening to your true nature it will grow until you discover you are a Buddha. You do not create anything, but now see things as they are. How simple and challenging! Dropping the need to determine an outcome can be done in one lifetime, but may take more than one. Who can mentor you on this path? Look for those who are naturally and spontaneously compassionate. They are here Car repair fundraiser Hello everyone. I want to let you all know that I am grateful for the $250 that four generous donors contributed. Thank you all so much. However, I have raised some money on my own and am still in need of $3,300 to fulfill my obligation. Once again, I am reaching out to all Groundcover News customers and donors to feel free to continue to offer a monetary contribution to my cause. This is a necessity for me and my minor child. You may donate by my personal Venmo, CashApp or P.O Box. I can also accept personal checks made out to me, La Shawn Courtwright. Venmo: @LaShawn-Courtwright CashApp: $LaShawnCourtwright P.O. Box: 8126 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48107 Phone: 734-686-9383. Any donation will be gratefully received and utilized to complete my goal. Have a great day! for those who sincerely aspire to discover the sacred nature of this precious human life. Karuna Buddhist Center and Triple Crane Retreat Center have a good collaboration to help bring body, speech and mind to the seamless whole that is Buddha's nature. I believe that peace and justice will flourish when we live as awakened beings and respect our activity, and in particular, our labor. We must organize so that we produce and share with the ethic, “From each according to their ability, to each according to their need” — a quote with biblical origins that Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels developed. Honor and grow the spark in your heart until we reach this fruition. If you want to celebrate new beginnings, consider Losar, which is the Tibetan New Year. Come to the Karuna Buddhist Center at Bethlehem United Church of Christ at 423 S. Fourth Ave. on Feb. 21. May all beings benefit. Thieves and saints both have a place in our life. Impermanence is at play. When my tricycle was stolen I had to relearn walking and pulling a cart. The saints quickly appeared, Kori Kanayama and Lindsay Calka in particular, and a replacement tricycle is here. Winter is temporary and the days are getting longer. Thank you sun, the spark of life in our solar system! GROUNDCOVER NEWS 3
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