Grounds for Sculpture

Grounds for Sculpture
MY HAPPY PLACE

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

My Michal

I lived in Israel and I know what it means to live with an Israeli heart.
I have a friend.  And she is Israeli.
She is a survivor.  She would stand until the Towers could no longer stand.  Israelis do not leave their wounded behind.  
This community has been terribly hurt by the actions of one man who has stood at its helm.  
My friend has agreed to step in and take a role I know very little about.
I am afraid for her.
She is already being criticized by people who have never heard of her.   People who do not know her.   And these folks who have never heard of her and do not know her are defaming her character.  They are taking a sharpie and making a caricature of her beautiful portrait.
But I know her heart.
I know her parents.  I know her husband.  I know her children.  I know her dogs.  I even met her mother-in-law.  
She is my chavera.
And I would stand in front of a bus for my friend.
Why?  
Because I love her.
We have a history that is thicker than blood.
And even though I don’t agree with what she has chosen right now.  Even though I don’t wish to know about the man she is helping, I honor my friend because she is one of the best people I know.  
She is one of the best people I know!
And Israelis don’t leave their wounded behind.  
So please please, I implore you all.  I ask you to watch your tongues.  Your anger is misdirected.  You are angry at the man and his actions.  His unconscionable, unspeakable actions.  
But please.  Please.  I implore you, to separate the man who has not taken ownership - 
from the woman who is stepping in- to attempt to salvage the wreckage. 
Please do not direct your anger at a person you don’t even know.  Give her a chance.  Give her a moment.  Allow her some time to find her footing.  
If you come at this with aggression, how are you going to receive what you want or need?
If you disagree with anything she does or says, please go to her directly.  I implore you to do so.  
Please stop this escalation.
It isn’t yoga.
Please get quiet.
Please go inside.
Honor the Gates of speech.
Please.
Honor each other.
Ask questions.
Own your anger and direct it to its proper place.
Please.
Please.
I stand... in front of a line of buses.  And I beg you all.
I beg you to stop this escalation.  I beg you to stop this defamation of character.  
Go inside.  Find yourselves again.  And come from there.
My friend will show up like nobody’s business.
Please.  Let’s honor each other first, not tear each other down.  After all, yoga is about finding and discovering more.  Let’s remember how.
Blessings.

1.28.11
Jill Bacharach

5 comments:

  1. Your Michal is now my Michal and I will support her. Thank you for writing.

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  2. Dear Jill,

    It's exactly because of everything that you mentioned that I fear Michal might be manipulated by John..I know how much she admires him and how much she's learned from him, and I so want to believe that she has gone into this with her eyes wide open so she doesn't get hurt....I also feel that the antagonism directed at her is not personal; it stems out of the problematic situation of being both an Anusara certified teacher AND the CEO of Anusara, rather than an objective professional taking over that role who isn't emotionally involved...I think that would have felt safer for the kula because they wouldn't suspect John is pulling the strings...I am very grateful for Michal for reawakening Anusara for me in Israel these past few years and I wish nothing but the best for her and the Israeli kula we formed here thanks to her and all the wonderful teachers that have followed her to Israel; I'm just not ready to trust the "system" yet - it's too fresh and recent. I hope that after her visit in March I will feel safer and surer of the direction of Anusara.

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  3. Grace will make it right...and besides we are watching that man's ass so he can't mess up our he'll be outed LOL It will all be great...let them all sit in their hearts while we light lovers so the work to love the yoga world right again....TRUST LOVE FAITH

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