peace

my friend lv and i went out to the peace abbey in sherborn, massachusetts, recently. from wherever you are it is worth the trip. she was performing with sgt. maxwell's peace chorus. it is incredibly moving to be in a place where the fundamental is peace. i remember the 60's and 70's and how often we would flash the peace sign from our car to everyone we saw, just hoping to get the sign back. so often it came back with a smile. we were children but it felt like we were a part of a movement. stop the killing. stop hurting each other. we are not in danger. this can't be our way. that war resulted in nearly 3 million vietnamese deaths and 60,000 american deaths. and of course uncounted casualties and trauma. i was traumatized by that war. the green cast on the black and white television in my livingroom gave improper cover, camouflaging the horrors taking place in the jungle but giving a haunting reality to the leaves and light and suffering. i see fatigues and rifles. i try to see the cong. i am eight years old. i am growing into what will, at full size, be used to continue the telecast.