Ubuntu, Buddha and Me

This blog is a bit of a preview of beautiful things to come. The New Year is upon us and over the last few months I have been contemplating my next big writing assignment after I finish my collection of short stories in early 2012. On a recent trip, I was sitting in a meeting and a title and subject came to me. The setting of the book would be me, me the last few years as I have faced some of the most difficult times of my life, while also being given the most beautiful gifts of my journey thus far.

The title of my pending book will be Buddha, Ubuntu and Me, this may require me to self-publish, but that is not inconsistent with who I am. There are two streams of inspiration for the book. First, I did borrow the title of the book a bit from a family member. For many years my second cousin, Lynne Duke wrote for the Washington Post. Thought I don’t remember meeting her as a young child, since she was one of the few of my mom, Anice’s immediate family members that was not at the many of the large family gatherings. I lived in D.C. off and on for years and I had unknowingly been reading Lynne’s articles in the Post for a few years and one day mom asked if I had read any of her articles and I thought about it and finally made the connection. I was notorious for reading articles and focusing on the title and subject and not the author, especially since on most days I read most of the paper, wherever I was.

I began to send articles home occasionally or collect them to bring home with me during holiday trips or my many moves back and forth between CA and DC. Eventually, Lynne was assigned to follow Nelson Mandela and his presidency and was assigned to South Africa as the Post’s correspondent. I relished in reading her articles and still regret not taking the open family invite to come to South Africa and see it all. However, I would be introduced to the term Ubuntu and South African life through her words. At the end of her tenure in South Africa, she wrote a book, Mandela, Mobutu and Me. From here is where I have borrowed the rhythm of my title.

The other inspirations from my title are implicit in the words. First, Buddha, which alludes to my inspiration from Buddhist and Yogic traditions. Though not necessarily Buddhist, I do follow some practices from Buddhism, I meditate most days and practice yoga at least twice a week for the last several years. I have also been fascinated by both traditions and their interconnections since childhood. Many of these practices have been an important part of my re-discovery of myself.

The second word is Ubuntu, which is a South African term that has several transitions, but speaks to the common humanity of all people. Three years ago, while forming my non-profit organization, I struggled to name it for weeks and new that part of the name would have the word green it to symbolize our desire to green all communities, not just the affluent. I had for the past 10 years, periodically put the term Ubuntu on my email signature, using one of the many interwoven definitions. Of all the great quotes and statements I posted over the years, none ever received more positive feedback and inquiry than Ubuntu. After a final night of thinking in early 2009, Ubuntu Green was born and it is now my professional passion.

The third word in the title is Me. This was the hard one, because writing about me and not hiding it in a story or poem has been one of the hardest things for me to face. I feared what I would find and I feared the reaction of others that may feel threatened or hurt by the truth of my words. However, as I re-found me and the beauty of me and it became clear that part of my journey was to eventually write my story, without fear or pain or judgment.

My inspiration is now upon me and this blog is the first step in the drafting of Buddha, Ubuntu and Me. I am not sure it what it will inspire in the world, but this journey has inspired me to live a beautiful life where I give to myself, my family, my friends, my community, my world every day.

Happy Holidays!