Eating Our Way Across Portland, by Virginia Jones, The Garden of Roses Stories of Abuse and Healing, February 27, 2010

Eating Our Way Across Portland

By Virginia Jones
The Garden of Roses: Stories of Abuse and Healing
February 27, 2010

http://web.me.com/virginiajones/Compsassionate_Gathering/The_Garden_of_Roses/Entries/2010/2/27_Eating_Our_Way_Across_Portland.html

PORTLAND (OR) -- Twelve people expressed interest in the Abuse Awareness Walk, but only seven of us actually walked. No media, no marching, no signs just a leisurely stroll up NW 23rd Avenues and down NW 21st visiting shops, restaurants and cafes. Four of us have participated in the Walk Across Oregon since 2008. Three of us were new to the Walk. Two of the new people were survivors. One was a supporter.

We started out at New Renaissance Bookstore. I forgot to take pictures. The parking is good at the south end of NW 23rd where the bookstore is located. Further up the avenue you sometimes have to park five or six blocks away from your destination. New Renaissance Bookstore is a New Age bookstore with books and gifts from a variety of religions, including Christianity. What amazed me at the place is that they rent spiritually oriented videos. Not only did they have videos on Buddhism, Hinduism, and Australian aboriginal spirituality, they had the largest collection of videos on Catholic saints outside of a Catholic store or catalog that I have ever seen. They had videos on Francis of Assisi and Clare of Assisi, Anthony of Padua, Padre Pio, Vincent de Paul, Theresa of Avila and John of the Cross.

After leaving New Renaissance bookstore we headed up the avenue to a yuppie toy store that my daughter requested to go to. We lingered there for a while before heading up the avenue again. We passed a gourmet soap store called Lush. My daughter loves scented soaps and candles and the rest of us enjoy them too. So, at my daughter's request, we wandered into Lush to smell the soaps. Here we are below.

Left to right are Francis, Mary Lou, Helen and Chris.

Next we absolutely had to go to Pizzicato because Pizzicato was there and because it is my son's favorite pizza place and because I had coupon for $5 off on a Pizzicato pizza. Here we are in Pizzicato.

Left to right are Chris, Mary Lou, Francis and Helen.

After Pizzicato we headed to Moonstruck Chocolate Cafe across the street where the clerks gave us lots of samples. Life is good!

Then we headed to NW 21st Avenue to find out next stop on our itinerary -- Laughing Planet Cafe.

Laughing Planet Cafe has very fresh and healthy food, but we were full of pizza so we just shared smoothies. Yum!

Left to right are Mary Lou, Francis, my son, Helen, and my daughter.

Then we went to Anna Bananas cafe. I had a two for one coupon. We shared two coffees -- one coconut macadamia mocha and a black coffee. Guess which one I ordered. Here we are at Anna Bananas below.

Left to right unknown computer user, Francis, Chris, Helen, and Mary Lou.

My son really like Anna Bananas because the store appealed to his 13 year old boy sensibility. They didn't have a fire in the fire place, they had a slightly naughty sculpture instead. If you want to know what it was, you'll just have to go there. They also sold t-shirts emblazoned with "People's Republic of Portland" and "Friends don't let friends drink Starbucks."

By then we were really full of food and some of us needed to go home. This was Francis' first time with Compassionate Gathering on one of activities although she has known about us from our inception.

Francis is a domestic abuse survivor. She also told me to tell you all that she is "mentally challenged". She shared with me all the pain she endured during her marriage. She had to go live in a shelter when she fled her marriage.

As we walked back to our cars I asked Francis, "Did you enjoy yourself today?"

"I like trying new things, " she replied, "This is a new thing, and I really liked it."

"Will you join us this summer on the Walk Across Oregon?" I asked.

"I will join you in Portland, not the (Columbia River) Gorge," she said.

This was another experience where the journey is more important than the destination. We gave out no patches or ribbons. No one asked us about our shirts although some people stared at us. But one survivor who has never been with us before, someone who struggled through years of a painful marriage, had lots of fun and wants to join us again. That is all the success we need.

How do you change the world?

Mother Theresa said, "One person at a time."