SEEKING & SUSTAINING HOPE * TRYOUTS FOR 'GOOD EVENING' PLAY * LOOKING BACK * Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter * Vol. 11 * Sept. 24, 2010
BILL IS A SYMBOL OF
HOPE FOR ALL
At times it seems the struggle for just and tolerant communities is too
overwhelming. We look around and see so many obstacles: poverty,
intolerance, even indifference. We are on the verge of losing hope.
At times like these, I think of Bill Sackter. I've found him to be an
extraordinary source of hope and inspiration. He spent nearly half a century
in the old Faribault State Hospital in Minnesota, completely cut off from
family, friends and community. But he emerged with his spirit intact.
It's that remarkable spirit Bill brought to the coffeeshop in Iowa City. It's that
same spirit he shared wherever he went. It's also the spirit which Barry
Morrow captured in the two movies, "Bill" and "Bill On His Own" and which
At times it seems the struggle for just and tolerant communities is too
overwhelming. We look around and see so many obstacles: poverty,
intolerance, even indifference. We are on the verge of losing hope.
At times like these, I think of Bill Sackter. I've found him to be an
extraordinary source of hope and inspiration. He spent nearly half a century
in the old Faribault State Hospital in Minnesota, completely cut off from
family, friends and community. But he emerged with his spirit intact.
It's that remarkable spirit Bill brought to the coffeeshop in Iowa City. It's that
same spirit he shared wherever he went. It's also the spirit which Barry
Morrow captured in the two movies, "Bill" and "Bill On His Own" and which
Lane Wyrick celebrates in the new documentary, "A Friend Indeed."
And it's the spirit we try to nourish and sustain each day at the Bill's
Coffeeshops (Uptown and Wild Bill's) and related projects.
And it's the spirit we try to nourish and sustain each day at the Bill's
Coffeeshops (Uptown and Wild Bill's) and related projects.
CONSIDER THIS: WHAT IS HOPE?
WISDOM FROM 'EASY ESSAYS.'
In social work community practice classes I have often asked students to
write a brief essay on the question "What is hope?" I have saved many of these.
Here are excerpts from those essays:
write a brief essay on the question "What is hope?" I have saved many of these.
Here are excerpts from those essays:
HOPE IS...
...the ability to look through a dark tunnel and see the light on the other side.
...God that reached out to help me.
...a human quality we need to survive.
...keeps people going, it is a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
...something you carry deep within you.
* * * * *
Hope doesn't really exist alone, it must be accompanied by faith and love.
As a child, hope was a feeling I had about being a grown-up
Having hope can give a person strength.
In this day and age we need hope -- hope in one another and hope for change in the world
We all know what it is to have hope, lose hope and find it again
* * * * *
HOPE IS...
..sometimes like a dream
...believing that everything will work out the way it is supposed to
...onging for a life circumstance to get better
...something you carry deep within you.
..endless
* * * * *
Is that not why people seek a social worker? They hope for change.
A social worker can help -- giving a little change.
Hope is something you have to put time and energy into
Most people hope for the best everyday
Hope makes me think of the future and all the potential it holds.
***Your comments are welcome, too. Just click and reply and send your response.
FIVE IDEAS FOR
SUSTAINING HOPE
How does one keep hope alive? How can one find the strength to continue social
and community work despite the obstacles and the failures?
I have come up with five ideas:
1. Places
John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, spent much of his life trying to
protect areas of wilderness so they could continue to serve as places of
inspiration for future generations. Paul Gruchow described this as the
"necessity of empty places." Wallace Stegner said this is a "geography of
hope."
Of course, not all of the places which restore the soul are rural, something
acknowledged in the Beatles' tune: "There are places I remember..." I think
each of us has places we go to restore hope. For myself, there are five
which come to mind: Field of Dreams in Dyers ville, Iowa, Minnehaha Falls in
Minneapolis, Alum Rock Park in San Jose, Jane Addams' gravesite in
Cedarville, Illinois and the Pacific Ocean behind the San Francisco Zoo.
2. Music
Music has the power to restore. My inspirations range from Pachabel to Led
Zeppelin, from Mozart to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The best gifts I have
received in the last couple of years have been "home brew" CDs of music.
3. Friends
Hanging out with friends is a way to restore and sustain hope, especially
friends who are engaged in similar struggles. There are friends I call and
say: "Remind me again, why are we doing this."
4. Youth
Listening -- really listening to young people -- is another way to restore
hope. I am impressed not only by the idealism of youth, but also by their
persistence; not only by their "sense of wonder," but also by their
practicality.
5. Thoughtful moments
You may call it meditation, contemplation or even prayer. But these are
times when I am able to clear away the clutter of life and consider the
"meaning of life" stuff. It could be in concert with any of the other four
ways of sustaining hope or on its own. Recently, these moments have come
while rereading "The Alchemist" and "Letters to a Young Therapist
That's what I have come up with. Now, I'd love to hear some of your ideas.
To send your comments, just click reply and start writing. Or write to
tomgilsenan@gmail.com . We'll include responses in upcoming issues.
TRYOUTS THIS WEEK FOR
'GOOD EVENING' SHOW
Imagine a radio show which includes appearances by Bill Sackter, Jane Addams and Betty Crocker. Plus songs, stories and monologues. That's 'Good Evening from Bill's Coffeeshop," a play first presented eight years ago. Would you like to be part of the show? On stage or backstage? Come to a meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 296: 30 pm at Uptown Bill's, 730 S. Dubuque. You can learn more about the show -- and read from the script. Questions? Call Tom G. at 339-0401.
NEW OPEN MIC
STARTS WED
A second Open Mic Night starts this coming week at Uptown Bill's. The new "Open Word" will be on Wednesdays and emphasizes spoken word presentations, including poetry, stories and monologues. Performances up to five minutes are welcome for this new evening. Open Word will be presented most Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. A sign-up sheet can be found by the stage at Uptown Bill's. The Friday Night Open Mic will continue from 7 to 9 pm.
EVENING EVENTS
AT UPTOWN BILL'S
Wednesday, Sept. 29: New "Open Word" Night. 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Also tryouts for Fall Play "Good evening from Bill's Coffeeshop."
(For more details on Wednesday evening events, check "Wednesdays at Uptown Bills" page on Facebook.)
Thursday, Sept. 30: Art & Music Night. 6 to 8 pm. Hawkeye Night
Friday, Oct. 1: Open Mic Music Night, 7 to 9 pm.
WE THOUGHT YOU'D
BE INTERESTED IN..
..."Trick or Treat for UNICEF" celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. For information on the Trick or Treat for UNICEF campaign, visit this website: www.trickortreatforunicef.org.
...Oct. 2 is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, one of the great peacemakers of the 20th century. His life and spirit extended far beyond India. Among those he influenced: Martin Luther King, Cesar Chavez and other well-known activists.Lesser-known is his connection with Jane Addams, founding mother of social work. Gandhi and Addams collaborated on a number of peacemaking efforts in the early 20th century. But they also supported each other's work in a variety of ways. Here's a link to an essay about their friendship: www.mkgandhi-sarvodaya.org/articles/addamsgandhi.htm
...Looking for coffeeshops with a philosophy similar to the Bill's Coffeeshops. Check out Hard Times Cafe in Minneapolis and Red Rooster Coffee House in Aberdeen. Both have pages on Facebook.
...Peanuts, the comic strip created by Charles Schulz, was first published this week in 1950. To see the first strip, and find out more about Peanuts, visit the website of the Charles Schulz Museum at http://www.schulzmuseum.org
...Peeps aren't just for Easter. Those marshmallow creations are also manufactured in Halloween shapes, including bats, ghosts and pumpkins. Find out more at the Peeps website://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/products/halloween
...Been to your local Farmers Market yet this year? If you live int he Midwest, there are just a few more weeks to visit. In Iowa City, the Market is held on the ground floor of a parking garage at the corner of Washington and Van Buren. It's open Wednesdays, 5-7 pm and Saturday mornings til noon.
ONE MORE SONG
FOR SEPTEMBER
Oh, it's a long, long while
From May to December
But the days grow short
When you reach September
When the autumn weather
Turns the leaves to flame
One hasn't got time
For the waiting game
Oh the days dwindle down
To a precious few
September, November
And these precious days
I'll spend with you
From "September Song" by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson
(Written for the 1938 musical Knickerbocker Holiday)
LIKE A REFILL OF
COFFEE QUOTES?
Surf's up with every cup -- Kimo Bean Coffee (Hawaii)
Coffee: the fuel of that magnificent engine driving humanity -- (Source
unknown)
Free Internet access to anyone who stumbles in -- Raven & Sparrow Gourmet Cafe
(Corpus Christ, Texas)
Cyber Java's mission is to bring Internet education and connectivity to coffee
drinkers and even non-coffee drinkers -- Cyber Java (Hollywood, California)
It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the beans of java
that thoughts acquire speed (Source unknown)
LOOKING BACK IN THE
BILL'S NEWSLETTER
Eight years ago (2002): Readers have additional ideas for resourceS
about "abilities awareness."
Nine years ago (2001): Bill Sackter has recently been added to the electronic
archive of "Famous Iowans" created by the Des Moines Register
Ten years ago (2000): A poetry reading in the coffeeshop has been
organized by Hilary Gardner for the International Writers Program _____________________________________________________
Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's. It is written by Tom Gilsenan, a former manager of Wild Bill's and now the director of Uptown Bill's. The Newsletter is distributed via email to more than 500 readers. A selection of back issues can be found at the Coffee and Community weblog: http://coffeeandcommunity.blogspot.com.
Wild Bill's Coffeeshop is a project of the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. Named for Bill Sackter, it has been a part of campus life in Iowa City, Iowa for more than 35 years. The coffeeshop is located in North Hall and open weekdays from 8 am. For more information, call (319) 335-1281. Also, check the Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page on Facebook.
Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin of the original coffeeshop. Now located at 730 S. Dubuque, it includes a coffeeshop and other businesses operated by individuals with disabilities. For more information, call (319) 339-0401. Also check the website at www.uptownbills.org. On Facebook, look for the Uptown Bill's page.
posted by Tom Gilsenan @ 12:47 PM
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