Journal of a Sabbatical

don't worry, be terrified

September 1, 1997

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the rising of the women is the rising of us all Labor Day like it oughta be We celebrated Labor Day in its true spirit attending the annual Bread & Roses Labor Day Heritage Festival in Lawrence. The festival commemorates the historic 1912 textile workers's strike. It takes its name from the anthem of the strikers: Bread and Roses As we go marching, marching in the beauty of the day, A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts gray, Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses, For the people hear us singing: "Bread and roses! Bread and roses!" As we go marching, marching, we battle too for men, For they are women's children, and we mother them again. Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes; Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread but give us roses! As we go marching, marching, unnumbered women dead Go crying through our singing their ancient cry for bread. Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew. Yes, it is bread we fight for - but we fight for roses, too! As we go marching, marching, we bring the greater days. The rising of the women means the rising of the race. No more the drudge and idler - ten that toil where one reposes, But a sharing of life's glories - Bread and roses! Bread and roses! words: James Oppenheimer music: Caroline Kohsleet ethnic stage The festival was organized around several thematic stages all over Campagnone Common. We stopped at the Ethnic Stage to hear the Italian Serenaders sign about Pepino the drunken mouse - a Pepino stuffie made the rounds of the crowd, even danced with a few... labor/topical stage We spent most of the rest of the day at the Labor/Topical Stage where we heard Bob Franke, Patty Larkin, and Si Kahn. Bob Franke was barely audible for part of his set - something odd with the sound system. He did one song the only line of which I remember is "don't worry, be terrified". Somehow, that rang true for me. Patty Larkin was wonderful but even less audible than Bob Franke. Si Kahn forced the volunteers to fix the sound system. Hence we heard all of his set loud and clear. And what a set! The guy is amazing. As we're sitting there watching the graying remnants of the left aging before our very eyes, this guy sings like ideals and values and people still matter. He called for a round of applause for the UPS workers and reminded us the next time that brown truck pulls up to make a delivery we'd ought to thank the driver because they didn't just do it for themselves, they did it for us. However you feel about unions, Si Kahn has the power to move you and make you want to go right up and thank your UPS man. Si Kahn is among other things a social worker, so Nancy and I were fantasizing about having him lead the NASW in an uprising against Managed Care. It was a nice fantasy... as we go marching marching... invisible lawrence for mayor of lawrence Somewhere between Bob Franke and Patty Larkin we made the rounds of the food booths and dodged the minions of several mayoral candidates who wanted to plaster us with stickers. The Geary campaign was particularly obnoxious. Meanwhile, we saw only one Richard Lawrence sign and none of his campaign workers. We searched diligently for a booth or some sign that Richard Lawrence was indeed running and decided we must notify Priscilla immediately that Lawrence had become the invisible candidate. Shortly thereafter we headed to the main stage to hear Southern Rail and ran smack into Priscilla and Harold to whom I immediately voiced my concern about the invisible candidate. Priscilla said he was having a campaign meeting at 1:30 and would be around afterward. So I kept dodging the other candidates for the rest of the day. Never did see Richard, but I'll take Priscilla's word for it that he wouldn't miss this opportunity.

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