10 GROUNDCOVER NEWS VENDOR VOICES Facing reality KEN PARKS Groundcover vendor No. 490 ego fixations are ever in our face as we search for the inner child who was buried during the socialization process. Just to follow your breath to its source is a daily challenge which requires constant effort. Indigenous-centered culture, as We do our best every day to see reality as it is and do something good. Most human beings look at their lives with some of this motivation. Our ancestors and spiritual friends have helpful advice for this path which is best called the path of awakening. I came into the office today singing “Blue Skies Smiling at Me.” Groundcover coffee is a treat as I wake up a bit more. When we become aware of our ignorance it may look too pervasive to overcome. If we take even the smallest steps towards freedom and exert some discipline to stay on the path, the results can add up as we free our mind bit by bit. My patience is tested every day. I think of my Father the Rev. James K. Parks, who often said, “Lord, give me patience and give it to me now.” Our exemplified by Beatrice Menase Kwe Jackson, is known for “Offerings Down, Prayers Up.” Those who showed up for The Golden Rule sailboat when it was in Detroit (August of 2023) got a chance to meet her. The sailboat is a Veterans for Peace project to end nuclear weapons and live for peace. Beatrice Menase Kwe Jackson came from the U.P. to do a Water Ceremony on the Detroit River. I’m writing this on Memorial Day, which, in my mind, is for all the victims of war, especially children. Compliance culture feeds the war machine every day. As we connect with each other and build a community that cares, we will find new habits that are life-friendly. Keep your eyes open for Revolutionary Food Gatherings and other creative events in the Groundcover Community Calendar. The Karuna Buddhist Center in the Upper Room of Bethlehem United Church of Christ is a good place to learn your natural mind and its compassionate wisdom source. Appearances may distract you as the playfulness of the mind takes over in the struggle to focus the mind on the object of meditation, beginning with the breath. It’s good to remember a commentary in the Diamond and Heart Sutras, “Peace of mind does not come from absence of struggle, it comes from absence of confusion and uncertainty.” The struggle is good. In Cuba you will regularly hear “La lucha sigue” — “The struggle continues.” It’s hard to believe the number of criminal terrorists who get a big welcome in Florida, protected by the CIA and the network of Miami operatives who count the votes in Florida and are praised by President Trump and all presidential candidates. A Cuban airline was bombed on October 6, 1976. Much information has now been declassified and can be found in the National Archives. The perpetrators are known and given sanctuary in Florida. October 6 is a day of remembrance in the Caricom member states. The truth often survives the propaganda and coverups that define imperialist information control. I was raised on the ethic “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.” I once did a long meditation on the beach at the Bay of Pigs. I was given a ride to this historic site on a Cuban trade union excursion. Brigade 2506 was the group of Cuban exiles who landed on the beach at the Bay of Pigs in 1961. John F. Kennedy was called a traitor for the failure of the Bay of Pigs and some say that that was the beginning of what led to his assassination. JUNE 12, 2026 Life gets interesting as you engage reality. I have found the deepest reality with the help of Tibetan meditation masters (in the tradition of Karuna, above). Because Tibet is part of China, CIA operatives exploit any problems to promote an anti-China perspective. A professor from the University of Mexico in Mexico City warned me about the Tibetan CIA connection. I replied about complexity and the importance of learning from people you have differences with. The all good expanse of primordial purity (a recurring theme in many of my articles) is the most profound reality. Be at ease with that and live with that as your guide. All differences can be resolved dialectically to a higher synthesis. Buddhist and Marxist dialectics have a lot in common in the higher stages. The Dalai Lama commented on that in regard to the pressure he faced when a Tibetan Communist Party was formed in the exile community. Their view was that socialism is an advance over capitalism but in Tibet it should be Tibetan socialism not Chinese socialism. The Dalai Lama once said he was a Marxist but not a Maoist. As theory and practice evolve to a higher synthesis we will use appearances to point out reality more completely. Everything is a clue to the great mystery! LGBTQ RESOURCE CORNER JIM TOY COMMUNITY CENTER 560 S. Main St, Ann Arbor. 734-995-9867 www.jimtoycenter.org Information, education, social events and advocacy by and for the Queer and Ally community in the Washtenaw County area. Check website for groups, meetings and events EMU LGBT RESOURCE CENTER 354 EMU Student Center, Ypsilanti. 734-487-4149 lgbtrc@emich.edu Increase students’ sense of belonging and contribute to a culture of equity through programming, advocacy and education. U-M SPECTRUM CENTER 3200 Michigan Union, 530 South State Street, Ann Arbor. 734-763-4186 spectrumcenter@umich.edu University of Michigan's gender and sexuality resource center working to enhance campus experiences, increase belonging and help students thrive. CORNER HEALTH CENTER 47 N. Huron St., Ypsilanti. 734-484-3600 Primary, specialty, mental health care and support services. The Corner is committed to providing gender affirming care to young people. OZONE HOUSE PRIDEZONE Located at Ozone House Drop-In Center in downtown Ypsilanti at 102 N Hamilton St. For ages 12-17, PrideZone meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. For ages 18-24, PrideZone meets the 2nd and the 4th Thursdays of the month, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Stay connected to PrideZone’s events by joining our "Remind thread." Text @pridezone to 81010 and you will be automatically added! HIV/AIDS RESOURCE CENTER 3075 Clark Road, Suite 203, Ypsilanti (800) 578 2300, info@hivaidsresource.org - HOTLINES FOR HELP If you are in crisis or in need of immediate help, please text or call one of these national numbers: The Trevor Project: Call 1-866-488-7386 or Text 678678. Trans Lifeline: Call 1-877-565-8860 988 Lifeline: Text or Call 988 Two deer were prancing deep within the woods Prance prance prance Go the two deer in love Prance prance prance Go the two deers madly in love The two deer were prancing along And BOOM! goes the shot Down goes a deer Only one deer prancing alone forever Two Deer Madly in Love JOSEPH SCHREIBER Groundcover vendor No. 705 Two deer were prancing deep within the woods Singing their happy deer songs And prancing their happy deer prance Two deer were prancing deep within the woods The two deer were madly in deer love As they pranced about the forest the two deer were planning their marriage Prance prance prance Deep within the forest
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