At 99: Thoughts, Thanks, Questions
To begin with, my thoughts this week are with my friend, Micah Fialka-Feldman, who will be undergoing open heart surgery in Ann Arbor. (ed. note - Micah has since come out of surgery and is doing well).
Next I want to thank the folks who called, sent cards or came to wish me a Happy 99 last weekend.
Special thanks to filmmaker Grace Lee and her team for producing The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs and to PBS/POV for showing it nationally.
I’ve been asking myself, and I urge others to ask themselves why are people responding so warmly to this film.
I detected an answer in an email which showed up this morning.
“Hi Grace I heard of you for the first time today. You are an inspiration to me and more confirmation for the path in life I am on. I am a huge optimist and the most positive person I know. Rural Pinal county Arizona is in many ways similar to Detroit. Crime, drugs, poverty and lack of employment are issues to be dealt with here. I have a plan of action that uses social media in a positive way and the natural resources of the area and solar electricity production and micro farming and local talent and creativity.
“How does one person manage to turn a vision into a reality or even be taken seriously? I feel fortunate to have seen you on pbs. Thank you - Jeff G.
Reading Jeff’s email, I suspect that there may be millions of Americans like him who are feeling the need to change this country fundamentally and realize that these changes aren’t coming from governments. What they get from the film is confirmation: and encouragement, “If a 98 year old Chinese American woman can evolve into an American revolutionary, so can I. ”
That’s the Next American Revolution in process!!!
