Charlene Wicks is a snowbird. Originally from Eugene, Oregon, she has spent the past 23 years at the Gila Mountain RV Resort in Yuma, Arizona, and now she works there part time. She was working the front desk when I checked in. She said, “Come on…hop in the golf cart and I’ll show you where your spot is. But don’t tell your wife you’re on … Continue reading Charlene Wicks
We’ve witnessed some remarkable terrain in this year on the road. If there’s such a thing as a spiritual home, I’ve been at the center of mine for the past two months in the Pacific Northwest. Their combination of mountain and sea, wrapped in a lush green blanket is my idea of paradise. But, as they say, there is trouble in paradise. The Northwest suffered … Continue reading Watching the earth
It has been a busy fall! Here’s a little mid-month recap on what’s going on in our world and what comes next. Supply Chain We have spent the last two weeks north of Seattle waiting on some repair parts for our trailer. Everything is functional but the last two parts are delayed by some covid supply chain issues, so we have hunkered down at an … Continue reading Bits and Peaces
Last month we spent time at JRG Middle School in Kimberly, Wisconsin. It was one of the first large in-person programs we have done since the pandemic started and it was good to be with them. A Peace of My Mind is rooted in story gathering, but also in storytelling. So being in community and using these stories to build connections is a key part … Continue reading Support
One of the great joys of the journey is running into kindred spirits on the road. An unexpected sense of community. The welcome realization that you are not alone. I’ve met artists reveling in the quirky charms of life. Storytellers amplifying powerful and necessary narratives, and travelers seeking beauty and wisdom in unlikely places. You are not alone. The angry voices of the world are … Continue reading You are not alone
Jillian Peterson teaches Criminology and Criminal Justice at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She co-founded The Violence Project with James Densley and they have compiled the most comprehensive mass shooter database in order to better understand the phenomenon and prevent future tragedies. “One of my goals is to convince people that violence prevention is a way that we lead our lives every day. It doesn’t have … Continue reading Jillian Peterson
We are easing into this new lifestyle of being mobile and gathering new stories. Our month-long residency in Parkersburg, West Virginia was a model for what I hope we can do more of going forward. Of course, COVID is going to have to play out and it will impact the way we are able to engage with programming, but in this case, we were able … Continue reading Taking our time
We’ve been toying with this idea for more than a year now. A Peace of My Mind’s work is out there. On the road. Everywhere. In 2019 we led programming in 20 states and on four continents. It’s good work. Mission-driven work. And more necessary every day. But every good thing has a cost. Last year Karen and I were apart for 170 nights. That’s … Continue reading All in
By now, you may have heard that A Peace of My Mind has launched a crowdfunding campaign. Cry Out: Voices calling for radical love and justice in a broken world. It’s time to gather new stories. But I’ll need your help. Our goal is to amplify the voices of people working at the leading edge of our most difficult challenges. Race, immigration, poverty and more. … Continue reading Cry Out
Public projection from John Noltner Photography on Vimeo. For 10 nights, we projected the stories we gathered from the George Floyd memorial. We amplified the voices of the people we encountered. We projected their portraits 20’ x 30’ on the side of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. And we climbed down off the rooftop to have conversations with the people who stopped to look. … Continue reading I can hear the streets talking
