After watching the movie “The Cove” I went to their website to find more information and find how I could help. The movie website has a link to the Ric O’Barry organization (www.saveJapanDolphins.org) and there I discovered that less than 5 days away was the International Day of Peaceful Protest in Japanese Embassies (against the annual slaughter of up to 23,000 dolphins). Not surprisingly, there was no embassy in my city but there was one in Chicago, a mere 5 hours away.
A quick check on the Internet revealed airline tickets to be $400 but I remembered a co-worker talking about the MegaBus, buses that go to Chicago in 6 hours and for $78. I went in there, and before my usual cautious self kicked in, purchased the ticket.
Initially I was hesitant to tell people at work why I would be gone in the middle of the week but after I told a couple of my most trusted colleagues why I would be gone I discovered that they were very supportive and proud. Finally the day arrived, the day I would be traveling for 9 hours (although the bus ride was 6 hours, I still had to get there and then, once in Chicago, catch a Metra train, up to my friend’s house, where I would be spending the night).
The bus was huge and actually comfortable. Not surprisingly, there weren’t that many people. Mostly either very young (early college) , families or elderly. I texted Dennis that I felt like a runaway, with my black backpack and wide eyes, on my way to a protest.
The actual bus ride went pretty smoothly. We stopped in Indianapolis to pick up people and the bus quickly filled. I had chosen to sit at a table-style seats so I could continue working on my laptop but the wireless signal was wonky and I ended up playing footsies with the people sitting opposite due to lack to space.
I did have a lot of time to think. Even though I keep thinking my personality and values are firmly developed and resistant to change, they do change constantly. The largest change came after I had children. All of a sudden I was no longer “the kid” or the “younger one” and was firmly a Mother and a “older adult”. However, as I age, I noticed that I want to blend in less and stand out more for the right reasons. I am no longer so worried about confrontation that I won’t take something on. I find that it has taken me thirty-three years to actually start cracking the nut of my soul. To actually peer what’s inside, what is in the core of me, what I am made of.
This quest came from that place. The small, almost insignificant step that I have taken with this decision is, irrevocably, a stake in the ground of my soul. It is a huge step in recognizing something that was inside me and embracing it. I have always felt uncomfortable with protests. I had seen them as the domain of embittered unions or displaced employees. Even when I have walked past protesters of other reasons, I always did so with my head down and hoping they wouldn’t talk to me. Now, all of a sudden I was there, holding the banner, asking people to “Save the Dolphins”.
I got to Chicago at 8pm and after rushing to catch a Metra train north, got to my friend’s house at 9pm and collapsed in bed at 10pm. The next day I caught a train down and after a quick breakfast, made my way to the Japanese Embassy, stopping at different Walgreens’ and CVS’s on the way in the search of posterboard and markers. After I got to the right place, which to my surprise is right off Michigan and Chicago Ave, I had found a Walgreens with red and black posterboards and stick-on black lettering. Thinking that was surely an act of otherworldly support and positive karma, I went nervously to the entrance of the Japanese Embassy, hoping that after I turned the corner to get to the Embassy, I wouldn’t be the only one there. I wasn’t. There was a lone girl with a red posterboard like mine, standing in front of the entrance. And so we protested. For the longest time it was just the two of us. At some point she went off to find out if the group was in the other side of the building, and as I was standing by myself, I saw 2 policemen make their way to me. I thought “this is it, I’m going to get arrested in this protest of one”. The Chicago Policemen were actually extremely nice and polite and inquired if I knew how many people were coming to the protest (I didn’t) and if we were peaceful (“we surely are”). After a wry glance at me, he told me that he was going to report to the central office that there were 4 of us to make the protest sound larger, which made me laugh. Finally, after about 15 minutes, about 10 people showed up and I busied myself making them posters with the stuff I had purchased at Walgreens. Interestingly, a guy from “Sea Shepherd” showed in his black Sea Shepherd shirt. His name was Matt and he told us that he had just gotten back from Taiji where he had seen the slaughter firsthand. He tried walking into the Embassy but was (of course) walked back out. The only other guy in the group confessed that he had a man-crush on this guy because he was a very charismatic and had sort of Indiana-Jones-for-dolphins vibe. He turned out to be an asset because he attracted the girls long enough for us to ask them to support the cause. In addition, having someone that had been to Taiji really spurred us on.
At exactly 2pm a guy dressed in street clothes approached us and curtly told us that the protest was only allowed until then and that we had to leave. I had noticed him watching us but assumed he worked in the building. I asked one of the policemen, who were back by then, who this guy was and the cop turned to me and said “he works for the state department”.
At that point we had no choice to leave but not before we agreed that we needed to come back for the International Day for Whales (nov. 5th). As I made my way back to the MegaBus I was chatting with another of the protesters and she I asked what I did for a living. I told her that I worked in Marketing for a big Company and sheepishly added that it probably didn’t quite make sense – like two different people with two different lives. She thought about this for a minute and said “No, I think it makes sense—people are passionate about different causes but they still have to work and put food on the table. Neither thing pigeonholes you but both things make you, you”. It seems like a small thing, joining a protest, but for me it is a huge fight I won internally versus complacency versus indifference. And to me, that’s a huge thing.
