Rough Around the Edges

I grew weary of being here a few days ago. Too much sadness and pain. I leave tonight to return to my home and that's my focus to get through helping people through more grief today. I feel badly for everyone involved and realize that tough times bring out both the best and worst in people.
This morning I thought I'd change my focus from the outer world to some of the thoughts that swim around in my head. I have been in total culture shock and I don't even want to tell you what I've seen done during the eating of a fish head. I will spare you the horror.
I have had many moments to contrast dominant culture with, well, let's say here and Oregon and Michigan. Dominant culture license to practice my work meant that I went to school for many years. My Medicine Man told me about going to school, "Go get those pieces of paper that you need to practice your work but don't forget what you know." While living in Oregon, I heard so much about schools attended and pedigree, very opposite of "don't forget what you know." The respect for education in Native culture is to allow us to be of more service to the Creator. It does not make anybody any better than anyone else to have a degree. I was told that the villages would not have accepted me if I had not come with a good heart. While there a dominant-culture approach to my interview with the Corporation, the elders from the villages had sat and stared at me, then made their decision. Talk about juxtaposing two cultures.
Rough around the edges in Oregon might look like: long, gray or silver hair, birkenstocks, hands obvious to gardening, who might be seen at a conert in town with dirty jeans and make comments requiring interpretation by some. Things like, "Don't come in here much, thought I'd see too damn many Republicans." Perhaps followed by, "Slugs are really bad this year." And the closing statement, "Can't stand organized religion." Polite nods all around.
Alaska rough around the edges: that range hardly lends itself to words. Looks so much don't cover the rough, it's more like Ozzy Osbourne saying, "I cannot stand organized religion." "I'm fascinated by conspiracy theories." "I'm addicted to exercise since I hate feeling overweight." "I love my dog more than I do most people." And there's more, new age healing, stands right beside the obvious rifle standing against the front seat of the pickup truck. Dress shoes are extra tuff rubber boots, even on sunny days. Fishing jackets and not dirty rain pants could also stand in as dress clothes. Holes acceptable, stains not so much for fancy occasions. Fancy meaning a funeral or wedding. All the other stuff might not raise the dress standards even a notch. There are lots of not rough around the edges people who show up in tan slacks and their best North Face fleece jacket. Oregon had an excellent handle on its Northwest outdoor gear as well. Right on.
I'm having fun writing this as it takes my mind off from things.
Last night, I sat at a village resident's dinner table, found out that one of the dinner guests is a professional singer. So, I asked her to sing something and she did, beautifully. Soon, we were joining her in gospel, old hymns and country and western songs. I found a way last night to pull together the old church hymns that I love, a group of women over dinner, talk of Native Spirituality, all this while the news played on the television in the background. After dinner, we joined in candling our ears. This all seemed normal to me and I was grateful that, aside frommy refusal to eat fish heads, I seem to flow naturally between both dominant and Native culture. Nice.
I'm watching an eagle circle as I write. Beautiful, really.