Patch's Diary
March 2003
Since the newsletter (October) there have been so many wonderful trips. In October a four-day visit to two cities in Brazil; the first was with 8,000 nurses and then in a mountain town with many local clowns. The beauty of the land was matched by the passionate friendliness of the people. In November we had our 18th annual clown tour that was unique in that it had the highest number of fully happy people and it electrified the two weeks. Maria and Marina thrive in their work with orphans. I would have gone anywhere with that team. From then to mid-December were short trips to Switzerland, Italy and Mexico. Sometimes I feel as if my office is the planet.
A highlight of December was a week alternating days in Israel and Palestine. We (Wildman, John, Ginevra, Marianna, Susan, Amy, Steve, Tatianna, Itolo and I) went to Israeli hospitals and gatherings of families of victims of terrorist attacks; Palestinian refugee camps in Gaza and the West Bank; and check points and schools. Love and fun were magic everywhere and endeared us to both sides. We all could see that for peace to really occur, it is essential that there be two countries and all settlements handed over to the Palestinians. The U.S. could really help by stopping being so lopsided in its aid, especially military aid. We have been asked back and we will go.
In January my beloved Susan and I spent three glorious weeks on the island of Nevis in the Caribbean. We lectured at the medical school there and on Saba. Mostly we romanced and created a workshop on loving — "What is your love strategy?" We began work on a book we want to write called The Politics of Care. It felt like every second was electric with romance.
In February Susan and I went to the Philippines to lecture to many thousands of doctors and medical students. We clowned in several hospitals and we were impressed with how attentive family members were to their hospitalized relatives. We just returned from five days at Carnival in Venice where we performed every day — some as anti-war pieces. We have been so heartened by the global anti-war efforts and I delight that my son Lars was part of the nationwide walk out of high school students against war. Bush is an embarrassment to our nation's laws and fully disconnected from the U.S. citizen. He is a mockery all over the world. Please remember that with all anti-war work must come a vibrant building of peace and justice for all. A stopped war is only the beginning.
I ache that I face our 33rd building season without the funds to build the hospital. Each passing year, the problems grow more pressing, with doctors screaming against malpractice and the delivery system in shambles. And every year I get wiser and clearer about the hospital I know we can build. Please jump aboard so that this hospital that's for the people will be created by the people.
Make every second count.
In peace,
Patch
